Steve Kinser, 16 times a champion of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws sprint cars, waited until the last lap of the Thursday night WoO feature race to take the lead and the win at Williams Grove Speedway.
Fans were close to be treated to some backflips by youthful Tyler Walker. It is something he likes to do when he wins a race. And on Thursday night he was just one lap from winning. Walker took the lead on the ninth lap and had built up quite a healthy lead as the race went to the final laps. However you can never count Steve Kinser out. Walker got cautious in lapped traffic and Kinser took advantage of the opportunity and "squeezed by" on the final lap to win . It was the 35th career victory for Kinser at Williams Grove Speedway, his seventh of the season, but his first at the Grove since September, 2000.
Walker settled for second followed by Johnny Herrera and Daryn Pittman. Rain forced cancellation of the Friday night show of Outlaw sprint car racing at Williams Grove Speedway. Tickets are already on sale for the return of the Outlaws when a three day show will be presented July 25,26, and 27th. This Friday, May 24, the 410 sprint cars and limited sprints will be in action starting at 8 p.m. Coming up at Williams Grove Speedway, on May 31, will be another doubleheader show that features the Super Sportsman that are seen on Saturday nights across town at Silver Spring Speedway along with the 410 sprints.
    Rain again played havoc with racing scheduled throughout the area with East Windsor, NJ Speedway also being canceled due to a rain shower on Friday night. The "Bill Nicholas Memorial", named in honor of a long time track official who died in January, 1997 from natural causes, scheduled for this past Friday will be run on Friday, May 24th at 7:30 p.m. This is a special event for the Modified stock car racers. Also making up part of the Friday night show will be sportsman and street stock car racing. New this year is a weekly event featuring the Outlaw Limited Sprint cars.
    And Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, PA also fell victim to the weather. Just as officials were making final preparations to the track, rain started to fall wiping out any chance of racing for the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series program presented by Dodge. The NASCAR Modifieds, Sportsman and Roadrunners will now compete this Friday, May 24th at 8 p.m. This show will include a 50-lap event for NASCAR Modifieds that offers $4,000 to win. The sportsman and roadrunner stock cars will make up the rest of the program.
    Clinton County Speedway in Mackeyville, PA also felt the wrath of Ma Nature on Friday night and had to cancel. The Late Models, Super Stocks, Four Cylinders and Daredevils will be in action on Friday at  7 p.m. The sprint cars will return to Clinton County on Friday, June 7th. A fan favorite, the open wheeled sprinters are highlighted on several occasions throughout the 2002 racing season.
    NASCAR Winston Cup fans are reminded that their favorite form of racing will be in the area on May 31, June 1 and 2, at Dover Downs Speedway. The Craftsman Truck Series will run on Friday, May 31, starting at 2 p.m. And on Saturday, June 1, the NASCAR Busch Series racers will be in action while the weekend of high speed competition on the Monster Mile comes to an end with the MBNA 400 for Winston Cup cars on Sunday, June 2. Good seats are still available.
    Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, PA, 10 miles north of Pottstown, had rain wash out their Saturday night show. However the decision was made early as all night rain turned the facility and parking areas into a sea of mud making it impossible to run the Saturday night show. This Saturday, May 25, part of the Memorial Day Weekend two nights of racing, will feature the two 20-lap features for the Late Models and there will be a 30-lap main for the NASCAR Modifieds. A full series of qualifying events will be presented with racing starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday night. In addition Grandview Speedway offers fans the opportunity to win a ride in a NASCAR Modified outfitted with two seats. A professional driver gives winners the opportunity to see what it is really like as they get a FREE ride for several laps around the one-third-mile, clay banked oval. And on Sunday night, May 26, 7:30 p.m. the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series continues at Grandview Speedway with the special five feature show, no qualifying events and no time trials. Included in the show will be 25-lap features for the 410 sprints, URC sprints, ARDC midgets, NASCAR Modifieds and NASCAR Late Models. Lance Dewease, with eight sprint wins at Grandview, is a strong favorite to win the 410 sprint feature. "You have to be able to get through lapped traffic," said Dewease. "You can have a big lead but if you can't get through traffic, you can lose that lead real fast. That's what makes racing at Grandview so exciting because anything can happen."

    The Port Royal Speedway Race Committee decided four days before the scheduled Saturday show to cancel. Officials stated the track crew would be reworking the speedway surface over the next week. All the work should pay off with a great track surface for the racers on Saturday night when the sprint cars, late models, Stong's Auto Parts Pro Stocks and Enduro cars will be featured. Racing starts at 7 p.m. Contrary to rumors being circulated Port Royal Speedway has no plans to close for the season and will continue to present racing each Saturday for the balance of the originally planned season.
    Heavy storms forced cancellation of the Saturday night racing program at Bridgeport, NJ Speedway. Two days of racing are planned  this weekend. On Friday night, May 24th, on the ¼-mile track there will be micro sprints and 4 cylinder stocks. And on the big track, the same night, there will be action for the street stocks and the Outlaw stocks. One ticket allows you to see it all. Racing starts at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, 6 p.m. the Memorial Weekend Special 4-20 Lap Feature races will be presented. That will be Twin 20s for the Big Block Modifieds and a 20-lapper for the sportsman and 20-lapper for the Bridgeport Limited Sprint cars. Point leader is Wade Hendrickson who has won four features in modified stock car competition.
    FRED RAHMER won two at Lincoln Speedway last week. In the 50-lap, 50th Anniversary sprint show on May 15, Rahmer was able to beat Lance Dewease to the finish line and earn $5,050 for his efforts. And on Saturday night, May 18, Rahmer was again in victory lane. The two wins may have made up for the poor showing he had with the Pennzoil World of Outlaws at Williams Grove Speedway Friday night.
In victory lane Rahmer gave credit to sponsors and crew but said, "We can be better." He is the current point leader at Lincoln Speedway looking for his sixth straight title and seventh overall. This weekend the sprints are in action again on Saturday night with $3,000 going to the winner of the Annual Memorial Day Weekend Super Sprint Championship. And there will be racing for the micro sprints and thundercars. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. And on Monday, May 27th, 6 p.m. the super sprint regulars will be given the night off to run elsewhere so there will be racing for the 358 sprints, thundercar stocks along with the Silver Spring Limited Late Models and Street Stocks.
    CHAD LAYTON is on a tear at Selinsgrove, PA Speedway. His Saturday night win in the Auto Locator sponsored feature for sprint cars was his third of the season and the season is still quite young.
Scott Haus won the 25-lap Late Model feature and it was Kyle Bachman winning the pro stock feature. The 10-lap roadrunner feature was won by Rick Bixler. Selinsgrove Speedway is back in action on May 25 with the 30-lap $1,500 to win Jack Gunn Memorial for sprints sponsored by HPI of Selinsgrove. This event honors one of the most successful short track promoters in the history of the sport. There will be racing for the sprints, late models and pro stocks. Fireworks will highlight the night. Racing starts at 7 p.m. and there will be lots of giveaways for the fans. Coming up on June 1 and 2 will be two nights of racing. Phillips Products of Selinsgrove, PA sponsors the June 1 regular show that features the sprints, late models, pro stocks and roadrunners. And on Sunday, June 2, it will be the first Jan Opperman Memorial Sprint Car Classic. The night will be topped by a 30-lap feature for the 410 sprints plus racing for the super sportsman that normally run at Silver Spring Speedway.
    STEVE WILBUR survived contact with Frankie Herr at the flagstand on the white flag lap to win the Cindy Rowe Auto Glass Super Sportsman feature race at Silver Spring Speedway. Wilbur drives the Auto Locator sponsored super sportsman. Wilbur was able to hold off a strong challenge from Ken Carberry on the final lap to grab the win. Gerry Stutting JR. won the Sutliff Street Stock feature.
Marc Dailey led the first four laps of the ARDC feature, looking for his second ARDC win in a row, but was forced out of the feature with mechanical problems. Ray Bull, the defending ARDC champion, got the top spot and went on to win the feature, his fourth straight at Silver Spring Speedway. Ed Stimely finished second. This Saturday, May 25, Silver Spring presents the annual Appalachian Harley Davidson Will Kreitzer Memorial race. The first 500 fans receive a Budweiser key chain. The Kreitzer Memorial is for Super Sportsman along with Late Models and Street Stocks.
    Oklahoma's Daryn Pittman won the Pennzoil World of Outlaws sprint feature race at Hagerstown, MD Speedway on Saturday night. The win was worth $10,000. Tyler Walker got his second runner-up finish of the weekend. And it was Jake Raudabaugh winning  the DOORWAYS KARS 20-lap KARS sprint feature. This Saturday at Hagerstown the Late Models will be featured in the 7th annual Richard "Boney" Bonebrake Memorial race, a 40-lapper. The late model sportsman will also run along with the pure stocks and an Enduro Dash. Racing starts at 7 p.m.
Have a great Memorial Day racing weekend. And be safe. Ernie Saxton can be reached at Esaxton144@aol.com.