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

    TWO GREAT CHARITIES, the Victory Junction Gang and Speedway Children's Charities, stand to benefit from the special Fun Wall on Track for Charity at Dover International Speedway on Thursday, May 29th. Race fans subsequently will also benefit by having the opportunity to walk the famous Monster Mile prior to a very exciting NASCAR tripleheader weekend race weekend (May 30-June 1). Those Fans will have a chance to rub elbows with NASCAR drivers and celebrities, while still experiencing first-hand the thrill of the one-mile concrete track this is one of the most exciting in the sport.
The NASCAR Fun Walk is scheduled to begin on May 29th at approximately 6 p.m. Registration for the Fun Walk will start at 10 a.m. that same day at the South Hospitality Tent Village, located just outside the track near Turn 4. There is a $25 event day donation required at registration. There are several rules for participating including one that says you can not ask for autographs from any NASCAR drivers and celebrities on hand. There is no walking allowed on the banks of the track. You must sign an event waiver and release form (in case you trip and hurt yourself).
The weekend of auto racing will include the Craftsman Truck Series on May 30th, the Busch Series on May 31 and the Winston Cup 400 on June 1. All races are sponsored by MBNA.
There are good tickets still available for ALL races. Telephone 1-800-441.7223.
    THUNDERSTORMS (weather strikes again) forced Big Diamond Raceway to cancel their Friday night program of NASCAR stock car racing early in the afternoon. A flooded infield would have made it impossible to run the show. The KARS 358 Sprints will be making their second visit of the season on Friday, May 9th with the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Modifieds and Roadrunners making up the rest of the tripleheader show. And on Friday, May 16th Bobby Gerhart, the ARCA/NASCAR star, will be on hand as part of United Disabilities Services Night at Big Diamond Raceway. Gerhart will also have his ARCA race car on display that he will be running at Pocono Raceway on June 7th in the ARCA RE/MAX Giant Food Stores 200.
    SCOTT AUSHERMAN SUVIVED 30-mile-per-hour winds and a tricky, slick race track to win the season opening feature for 358 sprint cars at Trail-Way Speedway on Friday night. The Thundercar feature went to Bryan Wagaman and the AUTO LOCATOR Street Stock championship went to Don Owens.
Trail-Way has the AUTO LOCATOR CHAMPIONSHIP for 358 Coors Light sprint cars on Friday, May 9th at 7:30 p.m. In addition the show includes Thundercars and Scramble cars.
On Saturday, May 10th the ARDC midgets are in action along with micro sprints, 4-cylinder stock cars and Figure 8 cars. Racing starts at 7 p.m.
    WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY was finally able to get a Friday night show in the record books with Lance Dewease earning $6,000 in beating some of the very best sprint car talents in the All Star Circuit of Champions sanctioned Early Bird Sprint Car championship. Interesting to note that over the years an All Star regular has not been able to win an All Star event at Williams Grove.
The All Stars will be back "in town" on July 11th.
This Friday night, May 9th, the Ray's Yamaha/Polaris Victory ARDC Midgets will be in action for their only appearance of the season while the 410 sprint cars will make up the second part of the show. Racing starts at 8 p.m.
    AT BRIDGEPORT, NJ SPEEDWAY on Saturday night Doug Hoffman won his 75th career Big Block Modified victory at the South Jersey oval. Joe Masiado got a big win in the Sportsman feature and it was Matt Beasley getting his first win of the season in the Limited Sprint action.
Friday night will have micro sprints, 4 cylinder stocks and open competition sportsman running at Bridgeport starting at 7 p.m.
On Saturday night the Modifieds, Sportsman, Outlaw stocks and Jasper Sprints are featured in a 6 p.m. program.
    BLANE HEIMBACH won the sprint car feature at Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday night in front of a huge crowd (fans were admitted free on this special evening) while Jeff Rine won in the late models and Kyle Bachman was tops in pro stock action.
This Saturday Selinsgrove is back in action at 7 p.m. with sprints, late models, pro stocks and roadrunners.
    AT PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY Todd Shaffer won the 25 lap sprint car feature on Saturday night. Scott Haus won the 20-lap late model feature race. And it was Jim Palm taking his 31st career victory in Pro Stock competition.
Nancy Burdge won the Ladies Powder Puff feature and announced her retired from competition.
Port Royal Speedway returns to action on Saturday, May 10th with sprints, late models and pro stocks. Racing gets the green at 7 p.m.

    GARY STUHLER GOT HIS 105TH career late model victory at Hagerstown, MD Speedway on Saturday night. Will Fair was tops in the late model sportsman feature. Bruce Leibowitz won the pure stock feature and Jim Mullandore was tops in the 30-lap Enduro Dash.
    HAGERSTOWN SPEEDWAY has Ladies Night this Saturday, May 10th. All ladies are admitted to the grandstand for half-price. The tripleheader show will feature the ITSI Late Models, Late Model Sportsman and Pure Stocks. And there will be some gifts for some of the moms in the audience as the next day is Mother's Day.
The O'Reilly Auto Parts World of Outlaws will be at Hagerstown, MD Speedway for their only appearance of the season on Saturday, May 17th. The ITSI Late Models will also be part of the doubleheader show. The Shorty Bowers/Bull Durham Memorial for Late Models happens on May 24th with two 20-lap features for the Late Model racers. The Late Model Sportsman and Pure Stocks will also be part of the show.
    AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY on Saturday night Kenny Gilmore won his first Modified feature since 1999 when he took the 30-lap NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Modified feature in a close battle with Jon Kellner. Ray Swinehart, a regular in the modifieds, took his first late model feature win.
Harry's U-Pull-It Auto Parts sponsors the action this Saturday, May 10th with racing for the Modifieds and Late Models starting at 7:30 p.m.
    BILL BROWN won his second career super sportsman feature on Saturday night at Silver Spring Speedway. Scott McCann won the Late Model feature and it was Dave Gable topping the field in the KARS 358-sprint car feature. Silver Spring is back in action with the J.C.Dunphy's House of Bull Restaurant Super Sportsman Championship Series plus Street Stocks. Racing starts at 7 p.m.
    LINCOLN SPEEDWAY had Sean Michael winning the 30-lap All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car feature while Mike Zeigler took the top spot in the Thundercar main event.
This Saturday night the 410 sprints are in action with the 358 sprints and Thundercars starting at 7 p.m. There will also be a Big Wheel race for the kids.
    THE RIVALRY between the O'Reilly World of Outlaws and the Pennsylvania Posse will continue when the Outlaws sprint car series makes a two-day stop at Williams Grove Speedway on Thursday and Friday evenings, May 15-16.
For those who may want to see the Outlaws at other tracks they are at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, Delaware on May 13th and at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, PA on Sunday, May 18th. Both of the nights at Williams Grove will be sponsored by Cleveland Brothers and qualifying will begin each night at 7:45 p.m.
The rivalry dates back to 1979 when Lynn Paxton (now retired and running things at the Lattimore Valley Old Timers facility) and Keith Kauffman (still running sprint cars and winning) ran 1-2 in the first official Outlaw visit to Williams Grove. But the travelers came back with a vengeance in 1980 as Sammy Swindell and Steve Kinser swept the locals.
Two months later when the Outlaws returned for a two-day program Pennsylvanian Billy Stief, Kauffman and Paxton claimed the first three spots on opening night. Then Kauffman and Paxton finished first and second in the finale. It's been back and forth between the Pennsylvania Posse and the Outlaws ever since.
It was big news when a track regular could upset the Outlaws back then and it is still quite an accomplishment today. Over the years Williams Grove regulars known as the Pennsylvania Posse (also includes drivers who race at Lincoln and Port Royal) have held their own against the best sprint car racers in the business.
As recently as last year Grove champion Lance Dewease and Greg Hodnett kept the big money at home during the richest races of the season.
Five different drivers won the five Outlaw events run at the Grove in 2002. Steve Kinser got the first in May, then Danny Lasoski and Joey Saldana won qualifying night features in July. But it was Hodnett, who travels from his Memphis, TN home each week to race in Central Pennsylvania, claimed the Summer Nationals championship and it was Dewease who copped the prestigious National Open in October.
The competition will be tough when the Outlaws and the Posse perform at Williams Grove on May 15-16. And keep in mind they can be seen at other local tracks when they travel east.
The Outlaws will return for a three day show, July 24-26, and again for the National Open October 3-4.
Late news reaching us just at deadline for this column has Greg Hodnett winning the Jan Opperman 410 Sprint Memorial race at Selinsgrove, PA Speedway on Sunday night.
Ernie Saxton may be reached at Esaxton144@aol.com.