Schedule an auto race and the rains will come. That seems to be the way it is in this area with the early season of auto racing events. Auto racing could have quite an impact on ending the drought conditions that exist in many areas.

    More speedways got rained out than got to run this past weekend.

    Last Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA Todd Shaffer rode the rim, meaning the outside groove of the race track, to perfection as he topped a field of Gumout Series World of Outlaw sprint car "want-to-be" racers. For his efforts he picked up $5,000.

    Dave Ely had an impressive second place showing but the very next night at Delaware International Speedway he could not qualify for a URC sprint show that was won by Ephrata's Bill Brian Jr. It just goes to show that one night things go right and the very next night things turn out so much different.

    Shane Stewart of Bixby, Oklahoma finished third. He is the current Gumout Series point leader and being touted as a young sprint car racer for fans to keep an eye on.

    Veteran Fred Rahmer finished fourth while P.J. Chesson was fifth.

    Thirty six sprint cars were on hand of which just 9 were actually Gumout Series regulars.

    Sean Michael set a new five lap track record in the Dash with a time of 1:25.41. The old record had been held by Fred Rahmer, 1:28.62, since May 5, 2000.

    This Friday night, May 3, the 410 sprint cars and limited sprint cars will be part of a doubleheader program of racing at Williams Grove Speedway. Racing starts at 8 p.m. And on Sunday, 6 p.m. the popular racing facility will play host to an Enduro 200.

    Enduros at Williams Grove feature inspection large fields of stock cars (often times junkers) competing for 200 laps. Car counts generally fall between 80-100 entries and any car that conforms to the rules and passes inspection will be permitted to start the race. The cars line up four abreast at the start and caution flags are not used for minor on-track problems.

    An Enduro, in my mind, has to be similar to rush hour on a busy

expressway in a major city.

    On Friday, May 10, the American Racing Drivers Club midgets will join the 410 sprints for a doubleheader show.

    EAST WINDSOR, NJ SPEEDWAY kicked off their season on Friday night with Billy Pauch winning the modified feature.

    Action this Friday, May 3, will start at 7:30 p.m. Included in the Friday program will be Modifieds (they run big blocks and small blocks together as one class), Sportsman and Street Stocks. New to the Friday night show is Limited Sprint car racing.

    SELINSGROVE, PA SPEEDWAY had to cancel their big weekend of sprint car racing because of poor track conditions. Wet weather had delayed track conditioning.

    THE PACK-THE-TRACK NIGHT II scheduled for last Saturday will be run this Saturday, May 4,  7 p.m.. Included will be sprint cars, late models, pro stocks and roadrunners. Fans are being admitted FREE for the four division show.

    And the Jan Opperman Memorial that had been scheduled for Sunday night has been reset for June 2. That event will feature 410 Sprint Cars and Super Sportsman.

    PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY was also a victim of MA Nature on Saturday night. The scheduled GUMOUT Series sprint car show was rained out and no new date has been set. The sprints, late models and pro stocks will be in action on Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m.

    LIGHT RAIN, but persistent showers, forced Silver Spring Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA to postpone the super sportsman and ARDC midget features on Saturday night.

    The sportsman feature will be run on Wednesday night, July 3, as part of the Pennsylvania sprint car Speedweek program. Any fans holding a raincheck from the postponed program will receive $5 off general admission for the Speedweek program.

    The ARDC feature will be part of the May 18th show.

    Silver Spring Speedway continues to offer one of the entertaining

programs of racing in the area...  perhaps in the nation. The track gets high marks for the racing action and the way the shows are presented.

    This past Saturday there were 64 super sportsman on hand to try for a feature starting spot. That means more sportsman go home, missing the feature race, that those who make the race through qualifying events.

    Disappointing was the fact that just 20 ARDC midgets were on hand. Hopefully they will be able to produce more cars when they return on May 18.

    This Saturday night, 6 p.m., the Super Sportsman, Late Models and Street Stocks will be featured in a tripleheader show of racing.

    TALKING ABOUT A NIGHT OF RACING. At Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway in Brickerville, PA, 15 qualifying events and seven consolation racers were presented before rains came and washed out the Saturday night show. Now the micro sprints will have two extra features added to each of the next two Saturday shows to make up for the four different class features rained out on Saturday night.

    Just one short of 150 micro sprints was on hand for the Saturday night show. Racing action will start at 6 p.m. on May 4.

    AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY in Bechtelsville, PA, near Boyertown, managed to get the rained out Modified feature from April 13 completed. Ray Swinehart, a two time track champion,  was the class of the show leading all 30 laps Kerry Kratz finished second for the second time this season. Actually in four weeks here have only been two Modified features run because of weather problems.

    With all qualifying events completed on Saturday a steady rain forced the postponement of the feature events. At present there will be three features run each Saturday for the next three weekends until all rained out events can be completed.

    Auto Locator will be at Grandview Speedway on Saturday, 7 p.m. to sponsor the night of racing that will include two 20-lap Late Model features and a 30-lap main event for the NASCAR Modifieds. A full series of qualifying events will also be included with each qualifying heat winner getting extra cash from Auto Locator. And there will be some t-shirts for lucky fans.

    On Sunday night at Grandview Speedway, the first NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Series event will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Autograph session at 5:30 p.m. will features Legends of midget auto racing. There will be racing for URC/ESS/PA POSSE sprint cars and ARDC midgets.

    LIGHT RAIN wiped out the Renegade Dirt Car Racing Series late model show, the Stanley Schetrompf Memorial race, on Saturday night at Hagerstown, MD Speedway. The race will be part of the 55th Anniversary Race set for July 12th.

    This Saturday, May 4, will feature the first point pull of the season for both the Big Rigs and American Tractor Pullers Association East Coast Pullers Series.

    The special program will feature the most powerful modified semi-trucks in the United States. In addition there will be Limited Pro Stock Tractors. And there will be modified four-wheel drive trucks. Action starts at 6 p.m.

    Stock car racing returns to Hagerstown, MD Speedway when it will be Ladies Night and ladies will be admitted for half-price.

    BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY called their show on Sunday early in the day with rain falling and more bad weather being forecast.

    The 3/8th mile clay oval will present their final Sunday afternoon show on May 5 at 4 p.m.. The NASCAR Modifieds will be in action along with the Sportsman and Roadrunners. Action will switch to Friday nights for the balance of the regular season starting on May 10th. Green flag will fall at 8 p.m.

    LATE NEWS….JUST IN! The new promoters of the Clinton County Speedway, at the fairgrounds in Mackeyville, PA, will kick off their season on Friday, May 3rd, 7:30 p.m. The one-third-mile, clay oval will feature a four division racing program including the Late Models, Super Stocks, Four-Cylinders and the Daredevil Pure Stocks. General admission for adults is only $8.00.

    A special $5.00 general admission Fan Appreciation Night will take place on May 24. The 410 sprint cars will be there on Friday, June 7th and that is the first of several 410 sprint shows being planned. For information on the new promotion telephone 570.726.0330.

    FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO SEND US INFORMATION FOR USE IN THIS COLUMN, please take note that our new e-mail address is ESaxton144@AOL.COM.

    The change was brought about because of the absolutely terrible customer service and lack of technical support. They have been holding our e-mail captive for almost a week now. We have spent more time on the telephone, trying to get this straightened out, than we spent with our first girlfriend