This, That and the other...

Exclusive for Auto Locator by Ernie Saxton

As printed in Issue Dated 5-23-2003

    

    FOR THE TENTH TIME this season weather forced cancellation of a racing program at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night. This was the only scheduled appearance of the Ray's Yamaha/Polaris Victory ARDC midgets for this season and the appearance has not been rescheduled.  Only four shows of sprint car racing have been completed at Williams Grove so far this season, and the opener was scheduled way back in late February. There has also been one Enduro event run.
The O'Reilly World of Outlaws sprint cars will be at Williams Grove Speedway, tonight, Friday, May 16th. Racing starts at 7:45 p.m.
    TRAIL-WAY SPEEDWAY has been the victim of Mother Nature several times this season and it happened again on Friday. Heavy morning rains and afternoon showers forced management to cancel their Friday night show.  The 358-sprints, Thundercars and Street Stocks will be in action as part of the Pepsi Night on Friday, May 16th. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.  The Coors Light 358 sprints and Street Stocks will be back on May 30th for their special extra distance, extra money spring championship events.
    BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY lost their Friday night show to rain for the second week in a row.  United Disabilities Services Night, UDS of Lancaster, a non-profit organization dedicated to "Advancing the Independence of People with Disabilities" will be part of the Friday night show on May 16th. ARCA/NASCAR star Bobby Gerhart will be there to sign autographs for fans and will have his #5 Bodycote Pontiac that he will drive in the Giant Stores 200 at Pocono on June 7th on display.
The show will include NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Roadrunners. Racing gets the green flag at 8 p.m. And on Tuesday, May 20th there will be an open practice session at 7 p.m.
    BLANE HEIMBACH won his second straight sprint car feature of the season at Clinton County Speedway in Lock Haven, PA. Peanut Heintzelman won the 20-lap Super Stock feature. Kevin VanAmburg was tops in the Daredevil feature, his first career victory. Robert Tressler won the Four Cylinder Pro Stock feature and Dennis Weisgerber was tops in the Four Cylinder Enduro feature.
Racing returns to Clinton County Speedway on Friday, May 16th (racing every Friday) with a five division program of sprints, super stocks, daredevils, pro stocks and Enduro cars. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.
    FOR THE SEVENTH TIME THIS SEASON Hagerstown, MD Speedway had to pull the plug early on Saturday because of two days of rain.  "This has been one of the worst starts we have had since I have owned the track," said Plessinger. "We do hope the weather will turn around for the fans and drivers since we have two big weekends ahead of us."
This Saturday, May 17th, the O'Reilly World of Outlaws will invade the half-mile oval for its only visit of the year. Racing will stat at 8 p.m. The ITSI late Models will also be in action.  And on Saturday, May 24th, Hagerstown Speedway will offer the Shorty Bowers/Bull Durham Memorial for the late models. The late models will be in action with two 20-lap features. Also on the program will be the late model sportsman and pure stocks.
    RAIN STOPPED THE PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY ACTION on Saturday early in the day.  A heavy thunderstorm hit the track early in the morning making it impossible to run.  Sprints, Late Models and Pro Stocks will return on Saturday, May 17th starting at 7 p.m.
Coming up on Saturday May 24th is a 30-lap test for the Pizza and Sub Shack Enduro drivers plus a full show. And on Monday, May 26th there will be a 1 p.m. show featuring the KARS 358 sprints and 410 sprint cars.
    GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY had veteran Larry Solomon winning the 30-lap NASCAR Modified feature race on Saturday night. It was the first win since 1991 for the Reading, PA racer at Grandview Speedway. And Terry Snyder won the 20-lap NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series late model feature race.  On Saturday night Auto Locator Magazine will sponsor the NASCAR Modified and Late Model doubleheader and will add more than $800 in bonus bucks for the racers. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. And there will be Auto Locator t-shirts and hats tossed out for fans.
On Sunday night, 7:30 p.m. the O'Reilly World of Outlaws sprint cars will be in action at Grandview Speedway.
    LINCOLN SPEEDWAY'S sprint car feature was won by Lance Dewease in a close battle with Cris Eash.
Eric Stambaugh got his second 358 sprint car win in a row and it was Bernie Beard getting another win in the Thundercar feature race.
Multi time track champion Fred Rahmer crashed in the feature and was not injured though the car was heavily damaged. Rahmer has yet to win a sprint car feature this season.
    BOB FANNASY won his first super sportsman feature race of the season at Silver Spring Speedway and it was his first win since opening day 2000.
Jim Salisbury was tops in the Street Stock feature race.
Super sportsman, late models and street stocks are in action at 7 p.m. on Saturday night at Silver Spring Speedway.
    TEENAGER KYLE PURKS held off two-time defending champion Chad Layton to get his first win of the season in the 25-lap sprint car feature at Selinsgrove, PA Speedway on Saturday night.
Dale Kerstetter won his third of the season in the late model feature. Jake Buck won his first stock feature of the year and Rick Bixlier got the top spot in the roadrunner feature.
The United Racing Club sprint cars are at Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday night, May 17th, along with the regular sprint car racers plus there will be racing for the pro stocks and roadrunners. Sounds like a big night of racing starting at 7 p.m.
    TWO OF THE MOST PROLIFIC AND VICTORIOUS DRIVERS in Susquehanna Speedway history will be competing in their respective divisions of competition on Sunday, May 25th when the Coors 410 Sprints York County Nationals program is presented.
Stevie Smith, for many years a regular on the O'Reilly Auto Parts World of Outlaws sprint car tour, will be at Susky to try for a win in the $5,000 to win 410-sprint car feature. And the legendary Kenny Brightbill will race in the Rutter's Farm Stores 358 Modifieds segment of the show.
Smith hasn't won at Susquehanna Speedway since 1992, but he still leads all sprint drivers with 31 victories. Keith Kauffman, a regular at Port Royal Speedway, is the next winningest sprint car driver at Susky with 24 wins. Donnie Kreitz has 24 and Fred Rahmer has been to victory lane 16 times. All of them are expected to be in the sprint car action along with Lance Dewease, Greg Hodnett, Shawn Michael and others.
Brightbill, considered the best for many years in dirt track modified competition, will compete in the Rutter's Farm Stores 30-lap 358 Modified feature. Opening day winner Craig VonDohren will be there along with Keith Hoffman, Ray Swinehart, Jamie Mills, Ricky Elliott and others.
Fans will be given a special coupon good for $2.00 off to Rock-It-Pizza Night coming up on June 1st. That event will include 410 sprints, 358 Modifieds and Enduro competition.
Gates open at 4 p.m. on May 25th and racing will start at 6:30p.m.
    WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY has announced that Jack Johnson, one of the top names in dirt track modified stock car racing, will join the CARQUEST team for the June 5 CARQUEST Champions Challenge Cup event at Williams Grove Speedway.
The ten-lap big block modified dash will feature the CARQUEST team comprised of Winston Cup stars Tony Stewart and Dave Blaney along with modified standouts Frank Cozze and Johnson. The home team will include sprint car aces Lance Dewease and Fred Rahmer along with sprint/modified racer Billy Pauch and a driver to be selected by vote of the fans.
Mike McLaughlin, who was supposed to be part of the event, has had to withdraw because of a schedule conflict.
A full show of sprint car racing will be included in the Thursday night action and there will be opportunities for autographs limited to those who have obtained an "autograph coupon or wristband" in advance.
    AT NAZARETH, PA SPEEDWAY this weekend, May 17-18, the Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200 is presented for NASCAR Busch Series racers. And it is expected that a few of the Winston Cup racers, since The Winston is run at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday night, will be able take part in the race on Sunday. And there will be a Service Electric 100 for NASCAR Featherlite Modifieds during the weekend. On Saturday morning a special event, something new, has been added for Mazda racers. You'll have to check with the speedway for all the information.
    MBNA has purchased 1,000 seats for the June 1 Winston Cup race at Dover International Speedway and the tickets will go to members of the Armed Forces and their families. Dover has donated another 500 tickets for the families.
The weekend of racing at Dover will also be a fund raising event for the Armed Forces Family Scholarship and Assistance Fund to raise funds for military families needing assistance as a result of the war in Iraq.
There will be barrels in place where fans can make donations to the Fund.
Dover International Speedway will offer the MBNA Armed Forces Families 200 for the Craftsman Trucks on May 30, and the same name will be used for the Busch Series race on May 31. The Winston Cup race on June 1 will be titled the MBNA Armed Forces Families 400.
And there are still good seats available for all of those events. Telephone 1-800.441.7223.
Ernie Saxton may be reached at Esaxton144@aol.com.