JIMMIE JOHNSON WAS IN PHILADELPHIA LAST WEEK. He was in town to hype the NASCAR MBNA weekend at Dover, Delaware that starts with a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race on May 30. On Saturday, May 31 the NASCAR Busch Series is in town and on Sunday, June 1, the Winston Cup cars are on the Monster Mile.
Johnson was asked about NASCAR safety issues. "For safety purposes, we should do away with racing back to the line under the yellow," said the young driver who has been a winner at Dover.
"I know there are judgment calls in other sports, but we have too much riding on the line to have gray areas and judgment calls," said Johnson when asked about the NASCAR decision at Texas Motor Speedway that impacted Jeff Gordon. The sanctioning group admitted that they made a mistake when they forced Gordon back to second place after he had passed leader Matt Kenneth during the caution. And they gave laps back to Kurt Busch and Ricky Rudd.
"What the drivers want is the same thing the fans want-for NASCAR to make a rule that's cut and dry, and that the same call be made in every situation."
When asked if he thought that NASCAR show favoritism when Dale Barnhart Jr. went under the yellow line at Talladega Super speedway to take the lead from Matt Kenneth, Johnson was very quick to say, "NO."  "I would find it hard to believe that NASCAR would choose to treat someone differently from everybody else," said the driver who led the most laps in both of the Winston Cup races at Dover last season.
We are told that there are good seats still available for all the events at Dover. Telephone 1-800-441-RACE.
Keep in mind that the Route 1 extension should be completed by then and that should make traffic flow a lot easier as fans travel to and home from Dover.
    IF YOU TRAVEL OVER TO WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY you may see promoter Alan Kreitzer building an arc. The legendary half-mile clay oval has been able to run just one event out of the eight that have been scheduled this year. They have been snowed out, froze out and rained out. Rain washed out the Early Bird sprint car championship this past Friday. No new date has been set.
Twenty-five years have passed since Williams Grove has experienced such a slow start. The last time the Grove had completed only one racing program by April 11 was 1978. And back then the season was not scheduled to open in February as it was this year.  Williams Grove will try again this Friday with the super sportsman joining the 410 sprint cars for a doubleheader show starting at 8 p.m.  The traveling All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car organization will be at Williams Grove on May 2nd.  All other tracks in the area also were rained out last Friday.
    TRAIL-WAY SPEEDWAY had their entire weekend of racing canceled. The entire pit area and most of the parking area was completely saturated with all the rain that had fallen, making it too muddy and treacherous for fans and competitors alike, forcing Trail-Way Speedway officials to cancel not only the Friday night events but the Saturday and Sunday scheduled events.
The new Coors Light 358 Sprint Series will be featured this Friday, April 18th at 7:30 p.m. at Trail-Way Speedway. This will be the 358 Sprint Racing Championship sponsored by Auto Locator and the event will carry a $1,200 first place offering.  This will be a 30-lap event.  The night will include Thundercar and street stock car racing.
On Saturday there will be 250cc and 600cc Micro Sprints along with 4 cylinder stock cars and Scramble Cars along with Figure 8's. Racing starts at 7 p.m. Trail-Way Speedway continues to be one of the most active auto racing facilities in the area if not in the nation.
    AT LINCOLN SPEEDWAY Kevin Drury got his first career 410 sprint car victory. Drury finished just .94 seconds ahead of second place Cris Eash who already has a win to his credit this season.
In the 358 sprints it was Cory Haas grabbing the lead on the seventh lap and riding to victory. Bobby Rudisill got this sixth career win in the Thundercar feature race.  This Saturday, April 19th, 7 p.m., the 410 sprints, 358 sprints and Thundercars will be in action.  Kids nine and under will participate in an Easter Egg Hunt starting at 6 p.m
Check their website at www.lincolnspeedway.com.
    PAT CANNON took the lead on the 18th lap of the 25 lap Super Sportsman feature on Saturday night at Silver Spring Speedway and went on to win the event. Only one caution marred the feature event. Frankie Herr, an early season winner, finished a close second.
In the companion Late Model feature, 20 laps in distance, Scott McCann Jr. waited until the final lap as he and race-long leader Carl Graves charged to the checkered flag to take the lead and the win.
No information was provided on what will be running this Saturday. Check in with the track at 717.766.7215.