There is hope for us old-timers.
At the age of 67, sprint car driver Jim Kennedy truly enjoys racing. Especially after Friday night at the Clinton County Speedway when the veteran showed his years of experience to make a last lap pass coming out of the fourth turn, defeating drivers who are just a fraction of his age. "I've been racing for a long time," said a smiling Kennedy who actually yodeled, yes I said yodeled while in victory lane. "I was 24 when I first raced and coming up in August, I will be 68." Now where can an old-timer like me find a ride in a sprint car? Other winners during the racing action were A.Y. Schilling in the Super Stocks, Gus Chapman in the Four-Cylinders and Tom Vilello in the Daredevils.
In the final laps of the sprint car feature the crowd was standing and cheering as Joe Diehl and Kennedy dove into turns three and four with Diehl in the low groove and Kennedy in the high groove. On the final lap, as the duo came off of turn four, Diehl bobbled ever so slightly and Kennedy was able to grab the win. The speedway now switches back to the Late Models for the Friday, July 19th racing program. The sprint cars will have the evening off but will return on July 26th. Joining the late models will be the Super Stocks, Four Cylinders and Daredevils. Though it is not included in the information we received we are going to take a guess that racing will get started somewhere around 7 p.m.
    MEME DESANTIS was able to hold off a strong field of challengers as he won the 25-lap NASCAR Modified feature race at Big Diamond Raceway on Friday night. The 3/8th mile clay oval will feature the United Racing Club sprint cars this Friday, July 19th at 8 p.m. The URC often brings 40 sprint car racers to their events making for a great evening of racing. Bill Brian Jr. is the current point leader and will head up the filed of entries for the Friday night DODGE sponsored night of racing. The NASCAR Modifieds and Roadrunners will also be in action. And on July 26th, JR Trucking Night, at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, PA the Doorways Unlimited KARS 358 sprint cars will be in action along with the NASCAR Modifieds and Roadrunners. For the first time the MACS Late Models will run in the Black Gold 50 on Sunday, August 4th at Big Diamond Raceway.
    MARK SMITH  scored his first 410 sprint car victory Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA and Dave Calaman won the 20-lap Super Sportsman feature race. The 358 sprints and 410 sprints will make a doubleheader show at "The Grove" on Friday at 8 p.m. And coming up on July 25-27, Danny Lasoski, in the thick of the battle for the Outlaw championship for the second year in a row, will head up a star studded array of sprint car racers. The Pennzoil World of Outlaws will be at Williams Grove Speedway for three nights with more than $150,000 in prize money being posted.
To order your tickets in advance telephone 717.697.5000. Credit cards are accepted.
    WADE HENDRICKSON came out on top in a stunning duel with Kenny Brightbill to win his first 25-lap Modified stock car feature race since September, 1999 at the East Windsor, NJ Speedway Friday night. Mike Lyons won the 20-lapper for the Sportsman but his car did not pass tech inspection and the victory was given to Art Liedl, Jr. Al Cheney III continued to be the man to beat with his sixth win of the season in the 15-lap Street Stock feature. Friday night racing continues at East Windsor, NJ Speedway at 7:30 p.m. each Friday. This week the Modifieds run in twin 20-lap main events, while the Sportsman racers go in a 20-lapper and Street Stocks go in a 15-lapper.
    READERS who have asked why there is nothing in this weekly column about Susquehanna Speedway should be aware that the speedway sends all their information as e-mail attachments. We don't open attachments because of concerns for virus and the extra steps needed to open the files. We have advised Susquehanna Speedway how to send information to us.
    ON SATURDAY NIGHT Doug Hoffman ended his two month winless streak at Bridgeport, NJ Speedway winning the Modified stock car feature. Bill Brian Jr. won the URC sprint car feature when Chris Coyle, first across the finish line was found to be light on the scales and disqualified. Rich Stinson got the win in the Sportsman main event.
This Saturday, July 20, the Modifieds, Sportsman and Bridgeport Sprints will be racing and there will be Kids Big Wheel Races. Racing starts at 6 p.m. And on Friday night, on the small track at Bridgeport, NJ, the Micro Sprints, 4 cylinder stocks and Outlaw stocks are in action at 7 p.m.
    KEITH KAUFFMAN continued his impressive sprint car racing season wining his fifth of the year at Port Royal, PA Speedway on Saturday night. Kauffman was driving the Middleswarth's Potato Chips #7. Chris Shuey won the 20-lap Late Model feature race and Jason Schmidt won the 12-lap Stong's Auto Parts Pro Stock feature. Bill Powell was tops in the 30-lapper for Enduros. On Saturday night, July 20, 7 p.m. the sprints, late models and pro stocks will run. It will be Benner's Butcher Shop Beef Night with Roast Beef Sandwiches for all and free chips. Stroehmann and Maier Bakeries will also be the sponsors. The track will be dark on Saturday, July 27th.

   PETE SKIAS, driving the Viper Chassis No. O8, registered his second win of the season on Saturday night at Lanco's Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway taking the 250cc two-stoke feature. In other action wins went to Mike Rutherford in 125cc, Chad Rhoads in 250cc Four-Strokes and Curt Miller won the Sportsman feature. Racing resumes this Saturday night, July 20, with Viper Chassis of Reading, PA Night. The 600cc Micros will be added to the show for the third time this season. Racing starts at 6 p.m.
    RICK HENCH made it back-to-back wins at Selinsgrove, PA Speedway with a win last Sunday and a victory in Saturday night's 25-lap sprint car feature. The victory marked the third of his career at the Snyder County oval including a 410 sprint car competition win a few seasons back. Jeff Rine won the 20-lap Late Model feature for the second time this season and Troy Miller won the pro stock feature. And it was Matt Drum was tops in the roadrunners for the sixth time this season. Selinsgrove, PA Speedway returns to racing action on Saturday, July 20th with a four division racing program of sprints, late models, pro stocks and roadrunners at 7 p.m. And there will be a special appearance by the Williams Grove Oldtimers organization and the speedway's all-time career leading feature winner, Ray Tilley.
    THE FANS WERE ON THEIR FEET for the final three laps at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA on Saturday night watching Fred Rahmer hold off the late race charge of Lance Dewease to get his sixth win of the season and 118th win of his career. "I started dragging my feet there at the end, and I thought I had a pretty good lead," said Rahmer in victory lane. "I thought Steve (Siegel) was in second, and obviously I was wrong but we got the job done." Cory Haas won his second straight to become the division's first repeat winner of the season in the 20 lap "358" sprint car feature. Nat Tuckey got the win in the Thundercar feature. The annual Daryl Gohn/Glenn Gohn Sr. Memorial will be presented this Saturday, July 20th at 7:30 p.m. There will be racing for the Super Sprints, 358 sprints and Thundercars. And there will be a free car show and autograph session in the afternoon, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
    SINCE COMING TO SILVER SPRING SPEEDWAY in 1996, Carmen Perigo, the defending track champion, has been able to win at least one feature each season. On Saturday night he kept the streak alive winning the 25-lap Cindy Rowe Auto Glass super sportsman feature. Weston Alleman won the Sutliff Chevrolet Street Stock 20-lap main event. Silver Spring Speedway swings back into action on Saturday, July 20th with the 50th Anniversary Celebration. The sportsman will run a 50 lap main event and the winner walks off with an impressive $3000. The late models and street stocks will also be on the card. Former champions will be on hand to sign autographs before the races, plus an historic car display and racing memorabilia from the past 50 years. A special edition of the program will be available. No starting time is given.
    GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY plays host to Harry's U-Pull-It/Gatorade Night on Saturday night, July 20th. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. with at least 12 events of stock car racing being presented. Action will be topped off by a 30-lap feature for the NASCAR Modifieds and a 20-lapper for the Late Models. Meme DeSantis will be looking for his third straight Modified feature win. And Ed Trimbur won last Saturday night in the Late Models so he goes after his second straight. On Saturday, August 3, 7:30 p.m. Stauffer Construction Co. sponsors the Forrest Rogers Memorial 50-lap Modified Classic and it pays $10,000 to win. The Late Models are also part of the show at the Bechtelsville, PA speed facility. Something new at Grandview is that fans, not able to get to the track, can go to www.grandviewspeedway.com and hit the audio link allowing them to listen to the racing action.
    RICK AUKLAND won the Renegade DirtCar Racing Series 55th Anniversary Stanley Schetrompf Memorial at the Hagerstown, MD Speedway on Friday night. And it was Eugene Conless winning the 15-lap pure stock main event. On Saturday night at Hagerstown Speedway a light rain started to fall as the third heat was pulling out on to the track and never stopped forcing promoter Frank Plessinger to postpone the rest of the UDTRA Maryland Silver Cup Nationals to Friday night, August 30th. The doubleheader program will continue from the third heat. The Monster Truck Nationals take place at Hagerstown, MD Speedway on Friday and Saturday, July 19th and 20th, plus Sunday afternoon, July 21st.
    AND FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO PLAN IN ADVANCE, the Indy Racing League Indianapolis cars will return to the Nazareth, PA Speedway on August 24th, 2003.
    THE NASCAR WINSTON CUP CARS AND ARCA RE/MAX SERIES will be in action at Pocono Raceway starting on Friday, July 26th. Good seats to see the Winston Cup stars in action on the tri-oval are still available.
Ernie Saxton can be reached at Esaxton144@aol.com.