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Will it ever stop? The rains were back for another weekend. Some tracks suffered their fifth straight rainouts. Bridgeport, NJ Speedway has lost 16 events to rain. Williams Grove Speedway has lost 14 events to weather. Frank Plessinger has lost 11 events to weather at Hagerstown, MD Speedway. And this week we get to report on rain, more rain, and the hopes on what will be run this weekend and some special events being planned for the future.
THE BIG NEWS at Williams Grove Speedway happened in the "front office" and not on the track this week. Long time promoter Alan Kreitzer, one of the most respected promoters in the short track racing industry, is gone from Williams Grove. Some say he was let go and others say he chose to go on his own.
Bob Jones, who has been a behind the scenes type at Williams Grove, will take over according to reports we have heard. There has been no official announcement about the change.
It will be interesting to see what changes come about as a result of the change in management.
SPRINTS AND SUPER SPORTSMAN fell victim to an all day rain at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night.
This Friday, June 27th, 8 p.m. the legendary half-mile oval plays host to Middleswarth Potato Chips Night with 410 sprints and 358 sprints being the attractions.
Super sportsman, rained out this past Friday, will return on August 8th.
Lance Dewease continues to lead the Cindy Rowe Paintless Dent Repair point standings while Greg Hodnett is second and Fred Rahmer holds on to third. 220 points separate the first three.
With Middleswarth Potato Chips sponsoring the night of racing on Friday the first 1500 fans through the front gate will get a free bag of chips and fans will have a chance to win $200 and a Middleswarth prize pack.
The Mitch Smith Memorial will be run on July 4th as part of the PA Sprint Speedweek Series events that can be seen at a number of area speedways. Fireworks will also be part of the activities.
BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY had their Friday night show fall victim to the rain. In fact the weather was so bad the show was called off early on Friday night. And the rains continued to fall most of the weekend. It was the seventh event of the season lost to rain.
This Friday, June 27th, it is Dodge Night with NASCAR Modifieds, Sportsman Modifieds and Roadrunners featured in a tripleheader show of racing action.
Sprint cars are seen on the 3/8th-mile clay oval on Tuesday, July 1 with a 7:30 p.m. starting. There will be racing for the 410 sprints and tentative plans for 358 sprint cars.
The prestigious Georgie Stevenson Memorial, Twin-20s for Modifieds, will be presented on July 4th along with Sportsman Modifieds and Roadrunners.
THE NITTANY 50 at Clinton County Speedway was rained out on Friday. The five division show has been reset for July 4th with Middleswarth Potato Chips returning as the sponsor. The Nittany 50 is a 50-lapper for sprint cars paying $1,200 to win.
This Friday, June 27th, a five division racing program of Sprint Cars, Super Stocks, Pro Stocks, Daredevils and Enduro cars will be on the schedule. The Four-Cylinder Enduro division will compete in its second 50-lap Championship event of the season. This will be scout night so all scouts in uniform will be admitted free of charge. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.
There is an annual mid-week special on July 2nd and will include the Blaise Alexander Memorial race for Micro Sprints. There will also be racing for the sprint cars, super stocks, pro stocks, daredevils and Enduro cars. The five regular divisions will be racing for double points.
BRIDGEPORT, NJ SPEEDWAY lost both their Friday and Saturday shows to rain again this weekend.
"This weather is unbelievable, the entire front stretch is under water," said promoter Bill Lincoln when he called off the Saturday night show.
The United Racing Club sprint cars, scheduled for Saturday, will return on July 12th
This Friday, June 27th, 7:00 PM the 125,270 and 600cc Micro Sprints will be in action along with 4-Cylinder Stocks plus a make up 125cc feature. In addition there will be racing for the Sportsman stock cars.
And on Saturday, June 28th, 5:30 PM the big block modifieds will be featured along with Sportsman, Jasper Sprint cars and Outlaw Stocks. A sportsman feature rained out earlier in the season will also be added to the show. It will be Tech Diesel Night.
SILVER SPRING SPEEDWAY lost another one to rain last Saturday and had scheduled a make up event for this past Wednesday.
Action returns to Silver Spring in Mechanicsburg, PA at 7PM on Saturday, June 28th when the Firecracker 40 for Super Sportsman is presented. And on Wednesday night, July 2, there will be 410 sprint car racing.

GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY lost their sixth show of the season with 4 inches of rain falling at the track in a 24 hour period.
The NASCAR sanctioned track will be back in action on Saturday, June 28th; 7:30 p.m. with the Dodge sponsored night of racing feature at least 13 events of NASCAR Modified and Late Model stock car racing.
And on Sunday, June 29th, 7:30 p.m. there will be racing for the 410 sprint cars and the ARDC wingless midgets. The show will carry a Monday, June 30th rain date. JUST IN CASE IN MIGHT RAIN.
MANHEIM AUTO AUCTION NIGHT at Lincoln Speedway was rained out. The track was all set to go racing but a late afternoon shower wiped out the planned Saturday night show.
It will be a big night of racing at Lincoln Speedway this Saturday, June 28th, as PENNSYLVANIA SPEEDWEEK gets underway with the fourth running of the Kevin Gobrecht Memorial for 410 sprints. The sprinters will be joined by the thundercars in the two-division show. Time trials will get underway at 7:30 p.m.
For those of you who may have misplaced or missed the list from last week's issue, Lincoln Speedway kicks off the PENNSYLVANIA SPEEDWEEK Series while Grandview Speedway plays host to the exciting sprint car series on Sunday, June 29th. Rain date is June 30. Big Diamond Raceway hosts the sprints on July 1 while Silver Spring Speedway has them on July 2nd. Susquehanna Speedway features the Speedweek Series on July 3 followed by shows at Williams Grove Speedway on July 4th, Port Royal Speedway on July 5th and Selinsgrove Speedway on July 6th (we understand this event has a July 7th rain date).
JIM LAYTON won the Timber Wolf Racing 25-lap main event for sprint cars at Selinsgrove, PA Speedway on Saturday night. The only track in the area that was able to run a racing show on Saturday.
It was the first victory of his six year sprint car racing career. The 53 year old racer is the father of track champion Chad Layton who usually wins the features. The Late Model feature was stopped by rain at 19 laps and the win went to Jeff Smith. Kyle Bachman won the Pro Stock feature and Joey Keister was tops in the roadrunner feature.
SELINSGROVE, PA SPEEDWAY offers their second annual Firecracker 40 for 358-sprint cars on Saturday, June 28th. If the polesitter elects to go to the back of the pack at the start and can win the 40-lap event, he or she will earn $10,000.
In addition to the 358 sprints there will be racing for the late models, pro stocks and roadrunners. Gates open at 5 p.m.
HAGERSTOWN SPEEDWAY lost another event to weather when the Winchester-Hagerstown Shootout was rained out on Saturday night. The show was rescheduled for August 15th.
Hagerstown Speedway will play host to the 38th Annual Johnny Roberts Memorial and a gigantic Fireworks display by the Zambelli Family this Saturday, June 28th at 7 p.m. The 50-lap ITSI Late Model race is run in memory of the late NASCAR Modified Champion. He lost his life at Lincoln Speedway back in July, 1964.
Vintage stock cars will also be part of the program along with late model sportsman and pure stocks.
SUSQUEHANNA SPEEDWAY in Newberrytown, PA has Rock-It Pizza Night this Sunday, June 29th. Racing starts at 6:30 p.m. and will feature 358-Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks and Enduro competition.
TALK ABOUT TOUGH LUCK. New Egypt Speedway was rained out on Saturday night and then had to cancel their Sunday rain date due to wet grounds. And Wall Township Speedway was rained out on Saturday and then got just three events in on Sunday, their rain date, before rains came wiping out the program.
FOR THOSE WHO PLAN IN ADVANCE, Clinton County Speedway officials have announced that the highest paying race in the speedway's 14-year history will take place this fall. The Sprint Cars, will compete in the Pennsylvania Sprint Car Shoot-Out paying $3,000 to win on Sunday, October 12th.
The Shoot-Out is presented by the U.S. Tobacco Co and local distributor Puff Discount of Lock Haven. It is the first race of this caliber to be presented at Clinton County Speedway in more than 10 years.
Many of the top talents in 410 sprint car racing are expected to see action.
Frankie Kerr, a former All Star Circuit of Champions sprint champion, won a similar event way back in 1989. Kerr now is a crew chief for a NASCAR Busch Series team in Concord, NC. having retired as a driver.
Ernie Saxton can be reached at Esaxton144@aol.com or check in at his website www.saxtonsponsormarket.com