Auto Locator Racing.com This, That and the other...

    This weekend much attention will be on Dover Downs International Speedway where the three different divisions of NASCAR racing competition will be presented. On Friday, September 20, the Busch North Series will be in action at the Dover, Delaware racing complex. And on Saturday, September 21, the NASCAR Busch Series will be on the track for 200 laps of racing action. On Sunday the NASCAR Winston Cup racers will be in action in a 400-mile race.
Mark Martin has taken over the lead in the chase for the NASCAR Winston Cup title (worth $3.5 million at the end of the season). Sterling Marlin, who led the chase for 25 weeks, dropped out of the lead with a lackluster performance in the rain shortened NASCAR Winston Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sunday. Ryan Newman was able to win his very first Winston Cup race.
We understand there are still good seats available for all the MBNA sponsored races at Dover this weekend.
    ALL NATHAN DURORAW had to do to win a record breaking 7th ITSI Late Model Track Championship was to start the 25-lap feature at the Hagerstown, MD Speedway Saturday on Auto Locator Fan Appreciation Night. But the veteran racer did more than that. He started 10th in the field, tracked down Frankie Plessinger to take the lead on the 18th lap and led the rest of the way for his third win of the season and 67th career late model win to break the tie with Denny Bonebrake for six track titles. Auto Locator presented bonus money to the top three finishers in each division. In the 20-lap Hoosier Tires/Mid Atlantic late model sportsman feature, Richard Walls scored his fourth win of the season and Dave Rice notched his first sportsman track championship after winning rookie honors last year. Hagerstown Speedway will be back in action with two nights of action on Friday and Saturday, September 20th and 21st with the 28th Annual Hub-City National 150. The 150-lap feature for the ITSI late models will pay $10,000 to the winner. The late model sportsman and pure stocks will also be on the program. Race time each night is 7 p.m.
The Pennzoil World of Outlaws sprint cars will be there on September 26th.
    FRED RAHMER'S HOT STREAK continued Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway in the 410 sprint car division and Chad Layton clinched the 358 sprint car championship with a pulsating victory in the 25-lap feature. On a restart with three laps to go in the 25 lap feature Greg Hodnett slid in front of Rahmer in the second corner, but Rahmer regained the lead on the backstretch and went on to win his fifth feature in his last seven Williams Grove Speedway starts. His 52nd career win was worth $3,000. In the 358-sprint feature Chad Layton got the win and that gave him the championship. Veteran Gary Gollub made an impressive showing leading the first 11 laps of the 25-lap event. Super Sportsman will join the 410 sprint cars in an open wheel double header this Friday night, September 20th at Williams Grove Speedway. Racing starts at 8 p.m.
The sportsman cars, which comprise the top class at Mechanicsburg's Silver Spring Speedway, will be back at Williams Grove for the Fall Fest on Saturday night, October 12. The Fall Fest will be an invitational event with features only for some of the area's most popular divisions. In addition to the super sportsman; sprint cars, limited sprints and limited late models will also be part of the Fall Fest. The 40th annual Cleveland Brothers National Open, featuring the Pennzoil World of Outlaw sprint cars, will take place on Friday and Saturday evenings, September 27th and 28th. There are still some good seats left for the World of Outlaws.
    BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY, normally a Friday night attraction, has one show left on the schedule and that is set for Sunday, September 29th, 1 p.m., with a 50-lapper for open competition Sportsman and a 20-lapper for Roadrunners. There will be a full series of qualifying events. This will be the final event of the 2002 season for the NASCAR stock cars. Keith Hoffman is the Modified champion and Craig Whitmoyer won the Sportsman title.
    AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY this past Saturday, even a two hour rain delay did not keep Meme DeSantis from running a near perfect racing, coming from 25th starting spot, to win the T.H.Properties Freedom 76 Modified Classic. The win was the seventh of the season for the Temple, PA racer in the Berks Packaging/Poppys Pierogies sponsored #357 at Grandview Speedway. The team also won five features at Big Diamond Raceway. The victory was worth $20,000 plus lap money. Second spot, right on the rear bumper of DeSantis, went to Terry Meitzler followed by Doug Manmiller, Craig VonDohren and Ray Swinehart. The action returns to Grandview Speedway on Saturday, September 21 and 28th, 6 p.m., with open competition modifieds and late models. These events are always exciting attractions with visitors, those who normally run at other tracks, coming in to test their talents against the regulars. It also gives the racers a chance to test some ideas they might have for next season.

    On October 19th the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Series closes out the racing season at Grandview Speedway with a features only program. The 410 sprints will be in action along with URC sprints, wingless ARDC midgets, NASCAR Modifieds and Late Models. Racing will start at 6 p.m. And on October 26th, 7 a.m., there will be the Racer's Flea Market a good opportunity for fans and racers to make some great buys.
    MIKE DICELY'S second win of the season clinched the track championship for the Lewisbury, PA racer in the 250cc two-stroke class at Lanco's Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway in Brickerville, PA.
Chip Geib captured his first point championship in the 250cc four-stroke class. Chad Rhoads won the feature for the 250cc four-stroke class micro sprints. Terry Ellex and A.J. Michael raced to the finish line side-by-side in the 125cc event with Ellex able to win by a narrow margin. Mike Miller won his ninth 125cc championship.
And Matt Abers mother, Rhonda, promised to buy her son a new micro sprint if he won a feature. He did just that. It was the first career victory for Matt. Mike Rutherford won the championship in that Sportsman division. The season is over at Lanco and the champions will be honored at the 45th annual awards banquet on Saturday, November 16th at the Lancaster Host Resort in Lancaster, PA.
    THE EASTERN MUSEUM OF MOTOR RACING and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum are once again partnering to offer sprint car fans a day of fun on Saturday, September 28th, during the Williams Grove Cleveland Brothers National Open. The Eastern Museum in York Springs will be hosting a special driver autograph session from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. It will be followed by the fourth annual EMMR/NSCHofF&m Benefit Auction, to be held in the infield for the historic Williams Grove Speedway, from 1 until 3 p.m.
Both museums have put together an outstanding collection of high-quality, autographed collectibles from the World of Outlaws, Pennsylvania Posse, Indy Car and NASCAR circuits. The Knoxville,Iowa based national museum will be auctioning many of its sold-out GMP Vintage Series die-cast cars, while the Eastern Museum will again offer original artifacts from the personal collections of several of its supporters.
    LANCE DEWEASE won the Selinsgrove Open, his first, on Saturday at Selinsgrove, PA Speedway. The 20th Anniversary Alexander Family Dealerships Sprint Car Open was the 18th win of the season (overall) in sprint car racing. He also clinched the first Middleswarth Potato Chips Susquehanna Valley 410 Sprint Car Series title, which consisted of four events at the track in 2002. Dewease earned $4,000 for his win and a $1,000 from Middleswarth Potato Chips for winning the series point title. Adrian Shaffer won the 30-lap 358 limited sprint feature event worth $2,000.
The National Open event concluded the season at Selinsgrove Speedway. The top performers will be honored at their annual banquet at the Harrisburg-Hershey Marriott Hotel on November 2.
    COMING UP AT BRIDGEPORT, NJ SPEEDWAY is the BIG SHOW. It happens on Sunday, October 6th at 2 p.m. The 410 sprints will be returning to the five-eighth mile Bridgeport oval to take care of unfinished business. The first part of the show will be the completion of a 410 sprint show rained out earlier in the season. There are 21 laps to be completed. Once that event is complete there will be a full show sprint car racing. And there will be a full show of Big Block Modified racing. The sportsman stock cars will be part of the show. It all starts at 2 p.m. And more news from Bridgeport, NJ Speedway finds that the United Racing Club sprint cars were rained out this past Saturday and have been reset for September 28th.
    THE PENNZOIL WORLD OF OUTLAWS will close out the 2002 Port Royal Speedway racing season on Sunday night, September 29th. Seventeen time Outlaw champion Steve Kinser will be trying for his first win ever at the legendary Port Royal clay oval.
The entire grandstand is reserved for this show so you need to call 717.527.23023 to reserve your seats. They do accept Master Card or Visa.
This past Saturday, Bill Powell won the 2002 Stongs Auto Parts Pro Stock championship and also won the Saturday night feature for that division. In the 305 sprint cars Vince Snyder was the winner of the feature event. Neil Foust won the Enduro feature. John Stull Jr. was tops in the 4-cylinder Pure Stock feature. Ashley Deihl won the Ladies Powder Puff event, shortened by rain.
Ernie Saxton can be reached at Esaxton144@aol.com.