Here in Daytona Beach, Florida, the weather was hot, hot and wet. During the 20 days leading up to the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway there had been 19 days with rain. In fact rain fell on Friday evening, but in true Bill France Jr. style ( he is the Chairman of NASCAR), the clouds parted, the sun came out, the track dried, and the STACKER2/GNC 250 for NASCAR Busch Series cars was presented. Joe Nemechek had things pretty much his own way as he lead 78 of the 100 laps on the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
And on Saturday night, the one day without rain, Michael Waltrip won the second Winston Cup race of his career taking the Pepsi 400. His first Winston Cup win came in the 2001 Daytona 500, the race in which his car owner, Dale Earnhardt, was fatally injured.
    STOCK CAR RACING FANS will get the chance to enjoy a trip down memory lane this Friday, July 12, when the Garden State Vintage Stock Car Club visits the East Windsor, NJ Speedway. About 20 of the restored race cars will be on display. Fans are urged to come out early and get an up-close look at the old cars. And there will be opportunities to meet some of the area's famed race drivers in the midway area. During intermission many of the restored racers will take some laps around the half-mile clay oval. Racing action at East Windsor Speedway starts at 7:30 p.m. and will include the Modified stock cars, the Sportsman racers and Street Stocks. There will be no sprint car racing on this Friday evening. Last Friday Jimmy Horton got his first win of the season with the Modifieds at East Windsor. Kenny Brightbill had a strong second place finish.
    Al Cheney III won his fifth of the season in Street Stocks and Bryan Godown was the Sportsman feature winner. Jeff Busby won the sprint feature for the second week in a row but there were only 5 sprint cars on hand compared to 18 the week previous.
    GREG HODNETT got his biggest win of the season earning $10,000 for a victory in the CARQUEST Auto Parts Mitch Smith Memorial sprint car race at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA. This was his fourth win of the season at the Grove. Hodnett was fortunate in avoiding a ten-car wreck that eliminated some of his challengers. This Friday, July 12, Hodnett, who commutes from Memphis, TN, will be back to try for win number five on the season as the 410 sprints perform along with the Super Sportsman that are seen in action each Saturday at Silver Spring Speedway. This will be Auto Locator Night. Racing will start at 8 p.m.
The 358 sprints and 410 sprints will get the attention on July 19th followed by the Pennzoil World of Outlaw sprint cars performing July 25,26,27. More than $150,000 in prize money is being posted for the three nights of Outlaw racing.
    CRAIG VONDOHREN got back on the winning track as he won two 20-lap NASCAR Modified feature races at Big Diamond Raceway on Friday night. It was the first wins of the season for the veteran driver in the Mrs T's Pierogies entry. Billy Moyer won his second Sportsman feature of the season and it was Doug Hendricks getting his sixth win of the season in the Roadrunners. More than $1,000 was raised during the evening for the Georgie Stevenson Memorial Charities. The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge Modifieds will be back in action on Friday, July 12th and on the 19th. In addition both nights will include Roadrunners. The Sportsman will be part of the July 12th show while the United Racing Club sprint cars are there on July 19th.
    AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY on Saturday night Meme DeSantis got back to victory lane with his third win of the season in the NASCAR Modified 30-lap main event. And Randy Stoudt was in the winner's circle for the fifth time this season taking the big check in the Firecracker 40 for Late Models. Fans were also treated to a great fireworks display. This Saturday night the NASCAR Modifieds and Late Models, 12 big events, will be featured in a 7:30 p.m. show being sponsored by Hatfield Quality Meats. And on Tuesday night, July 16th, the Big Block Modifieds and 410 Sprint cars are in action in a NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill BIG SHOW. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.
    KEITH KAUFFMAN was in victory lane on Saturday night at Port Royal, PA Speedway. He won the 30-lap CARQUEST Auto Parts/Aumiller's Insurance Sprint Car feature. 37 sprint cars were on hand for the action packed card of racing. The 15-lap Stong's Auto Parts Pro Stock feature was won by Todd Snook as he got by Matt Parks on the final turn of the final lap to get the victory. Next up is a Saturday night, July 13th, show that features Kids Night VI. Scheduled is racing for the sprint cars, late models, pro stocks and a 30-la Enduro event. There will also be Big Wheel, Big Foot and Bicycle competitions for the kids. Racing starts at 7 p.m. Children are reminded that they must wear a helmet for Bicycle racing activities.

    CORY HAAS padded his points lead by becoming the seventh winner in as many races in the "358" sprint division at Lincoln Speedway on Saturday night. The 410 sprints had the night off so they could run in the CARQUEST Auto Parts series being run at Port Royal Speedway. "We've been coming from the back a lot this year, but we've been fortunate enough to get to the front quite a few times," said a jubilant Haas in victory lane. "Tonight we started 12th, but that was about our best starting position all year. "We had to take advantage of it. The guys were a little aggressive and I kinda got mixed up there in the beginning, but I knew I had a real good car, and just bided my time. I figured I'd let them string out and then go race." Haas was able to top an impressive field of 42 limited sprint racers. Steve Buckwalter, a rookie on the American Racing Drivers Club midget circuit, lead very lap in claiming the 25-lap midget feature. And it as Bobby Rudisill taking advantage of a David Prunki miscue to grab the lead and ride to his second Thundercar feature win of the season. Lincoln Speedway, in Abbottstown, PA, is back in action on Saturday night, July 13th, with Pepsi Night. The 410 sprints, 358 sprints and the Thundercars will be in action starting at 7:30 p.m.
    CITING INEXPERIENCE as the reason for his loss last weekend in the Firecracker 40, Adrian Shaffer returned to Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday night and drove to a convincing win in the 25-lap sprint car feature race. The win was the first of Shaffer's career at Selinsgrove. Dale Kerstetter took the win in the Fourth Annual Late Model Open. It was his 50th career win in Late Model competition.
Troy Miller was tops in the pro stock feature, his first win, and Dave Riddell got his first career win in the Roadrunner feature.
Selinsgrove Speedway returns to racing action on Saturday, July 13th with Pepsi Night. Featured will be the sprint cars, late models, pro stocks and roadrunners at 7 p.m.
    JIM SHUTTLESWORTH  took the lead from Scott Dillinger on lap 18 and went on to win the 25-lap Cindy Rowe Auto Glass super sportsman feature race at Silver Spring Speedway on Saturday night.
In the companion 20-lap feature for the AC Delco Late Models, Dallas Wenrich was the feature winner. Two street stock features, each 20-laps, saw two different winners in Joe Whiteley and Randy Christine. A first-ever event for the super sportsman will be presented at Silver Spring Speedway this Saturday night, July 13th. The top 16 cars in sportsman points will be locked into a match race series sponsored by D&F Lawncare. The event will be separate from the sportsman feature. The top 16 cars will be divided into groups of two and then they will race for two laps. The winner moves on to another bracket, while the loser is eliminated from competition. This will continue until there is just one racer left and he will be declared "King of the Springs." The winner gets $250. We received no word on what else is running at Silver Spring Speedway on Saturday nor did we receive a starting time.
    WE SHOULD POINT OUT that we did not receive, as this was being written, race results or information from Susquehanna Speedway, Lanco Micro Midgets, Bridgeport, NJ Speedway. We should point out that one of the tracks sent us something that was an e-mail attachment which we do not open because of the many extra steps that have to be taken and the possibility of a virus being attached that could put us out of business and cause harm to our computer equipment.
    MARVIN WINTERS was just hoping to get a top ten finish when he took the green flag for the start of the 25-lap ITSI late model feature race at Hagerstown, MD Speedway on Saturday night. He was starting 20th and would have been happy to crack the top ten. He must have been overjoyed when he was able to beat Nathan Durborow to the finish line. In the Hoosier Tires/Mid-Atlantic late model sportsman feature it was Richard Walls leading every lap to win the 20 lapper. Hans Stamberg was just able to nip Ronnie Dennis for the win in the 15-lap Ernie's Salvage Yard pure stock feature. Kenny Thomas was the winner in the 30-lap Enduro dash. Hagerstown, MD Speedway has two nights of racing action, July 12 and 13th, when the Renegade DirtCar Racing Series comes to town. On Friday night it will be the 55th Anniversary/Stanley Schetrompf Memorial with $10,000 going to the winner of the 55-lap Late Model feature. And on Saturday night the UDTRA late models race in a 50-lap $10,000 to win main event. The late model sportsman will be part of the show on Saturday starting at 7 p.m. In fact racing will start at 7 p.m. on both nights.
Enjoy a night of local short track auto racing action. Family entertainment at reasonable prices.
Ernie Saxton can be reached at Esaxton144@aol.com.