This, That and the other in Motorsports...

Exclusive for Auto Locator by Ernie Saxton

As printed in Issue Dated 7-9-2004

    

  AUTO LOCATOR has signed a multi-year primary sponsorship extension with Steve Wilbur Racing based in Mechanicsburg, PA.  The goal of the contract extension is to continue to gain added exposure for Auto Locator and to help solidify Steve Wilbur Racing in the competitive Super Sportsman Division.  Steve Wilbur Racing races primarily on Saturdays at Silver Spring Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA and they also compete on the Super Sportsman Tour which races at various tracks throughout Central PA.   Steve Wilbur will be handling the driving duties for the team and is looking forward to great things for the remainder of this year and for the next few years.   Steve has been driving for almost 20 years and has been competing in the Super Sportsman division since 1995.  During this time in the Super Sportsman division he has won over 10 feature races at many different tracks including; Silver Spring Speedway, Williams Grove Speedway, Lincoln Speedway, Penn National Speedway, Selinsgrove Speedway, Big Diamond Raceway and Susquehanna Speedway.

              Auto Locator is a weekly publication based in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania and is distributed to more than 1,800 convenient stores in over 42 counties in Pennsylvania along with areas of Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, New York, and New Jersey.  Every week its pages are filled with new and used vehicles ranging from trucks and SUVs, to family cars, boats, motorcycles and street rods. 
            Auto Locator also features racing coverage and articles every week throughout the racing season.  Auto Locator is the most widely read automotive publication in the area and has been for over 25 years.
            Steve Wilbur Racing would also like to welcome two other new sponsors to their team…  Lloyd Enterprises will be helping out with the engine program for the team and Shred-it Lancaster will also be involved with the team for the remainder of the 2004 season.  Lloyd Enterprises is a diversified full service machine and engine shop based in Highspire PA.   Shred-it Lancaster is the local Branch of Shred-it.  Shred-it provides commercial shredding solutions to the world's most information-sensitive industries, including law enforcement, government, healthcare, financial services, technology and manufacturing sectors.
            THE MITCH SMITH MEMORIAL (if you never got to see him race you missed something special) for sprint cars will highlight Statewide Adoption Network Night sponsored by Cleveland Brothers at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, July 2.
     A spectacular fireworks display will conclude the evening's activities, which will begin with qualifying at 7:45.
     The Mitch Smith Memorial is the crown jewel of Pennsylvania Speedweek, an 8-race series at eight different area speedways with a combined total of $180,000 in prize money.
     With $10,000 going to the winner, the Williams Grove event doubles the first place payoff of the second richest race in the series.
     Greg Hodnett of Memphis, TN, is the two-time defending champion and will be among the favorites again this year.
     The most successful driver throughout the 15-year history of the event is defending Cindy Rowe Auto Glass point champion Lance Dewease. The Fayetteville resident won the race in 1992, `95, `97 and 2001.
     In addition to Hodnett and Dewease, other previous winners expected to be in competition on July 2 include Keith Kauffman, Fred Rahmer, Todd Shaffer and Don Kreitz, Jr.
     The Mitch Smith Memorial will be 30 laps in distance.
     The race is named to honor the memory of one of the all-time greats of Pennsylvania sprint car racing.
     In order to increase adoption awareness  Statewide Adoption Network Night at Williams Grove was planned with extensive media exposure surrounding the event.
     The Statewide Adoption Network is an initiative of the Department of Public Welfare under the direction of Governor Ed Rendell.  There are currently more than 1500 children in Pennsylvania who are waiting for an adoptive family.  The majority of the children are of school age, have special needs and are currently living in foster care situations or residential facilities.
     The sprint cars will carry a wing decal featuring a child waiting for a home and contact information for the Statewide Adoption Network.

THE SPRINT AND LATE MODEL show scheduled for Williams Grove Speedway last Friday was rained out.           

            BIG DIAMOND RACEWAY made a strong attempt to run on Friday night with three heats for modifieds and one for sportsman modifieds being completed before heavy rain wiped out the balance of the show.

            Big Diamond will offer two big nights of racing this weekend. Friday night, July 2nd, 8 p.m. it will be Craftsman Tools Night featuring the NASCAR Modifieds, 358 Sprints and Roadrunners.

               And on Sunday night it will be TRIPLE CROWN RACE 2 , the Georgie Stevenson Memorial (with money being raised for the very worthwhile Georgie Stevenson Memorial Fund), featuring Twin 20s for Modifieds, twin 15s for Sportsman Modifieds and twin 12s for the Roadrunners. This is a giant night of motorsports entertainment starting at 7 p.m.

            GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY in Bechtelsville, PA offers their annual Firecracker 40 for Late Model stock cars (this is the big event of the season for Late Models) and a full show of NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Modified stock car racing on Saturday, July 3rd. The night will be dedicated to the memory of long time track employee Jerry Glase who lost his battle with cancer a couple years back. In addition there will be bonus bucks offered by Auto Locator for the modifieds and late models. Racing on Saturday night starts at 7:30 p.m.

            For the third time this season Jeff Strunk was able to win the 30-lap Harry’s U-Pull-It Auto Parts NASCAR Modified feature race on Saturday night coming from 20th starting spot. Second spot went to Jon Kellner Sr. In the 20-lap Late Model feature race Junior Grebe was able to win his first since June, 2000. Teammate Ron Kline earned a strong second place effort.

            ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT JULY 7TH Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex will be making an appearance at New Egypt, NJ Speedway. There is a “meet and greet” scheduled at $100 per person (500 of these will be sold). The Modifieds are scheduled in a 50-lap main event with $10,000 going to the winner. All the activity starts at about 6 p.m.

            PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY had Scotty Haus winning the 20-lap Late Model feature race while Brian Eichelberger won the 358 Sprint Car feature, a 25 lapper. John Heane was tops in the Pro Stock feature race while John Stoll won the 4 Cylinder Stock Car 12 lap feature.

            The next event is set for Saturday, July 3rd at 7 p.m. when Golden Corral Restaurant presents the Sprint Car SpeedWeek 410 sprints along with Pro Stock racing.

            LINCOLN SPEEDWAY has Lance Dewease taking home $5,000 for winning the 5th Annual Kevin Gobrecht Memorial for 410 sprints, the opener for the PA Sprint SpeedWeek Series. Second spot in the 30 lapper went to Fred Rahmer who led the first 14 laps. Duane Watson got the win, his first of the season, in the 20-lap Thundercar feature. This Saturday there is no 410 sprint car racing but the 358 sprints will be the main attraction along with  305 sprints and Thundercars. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.

            JEREMY STRAUSSER became the fourth straight new Super Sportsman feature winner on Saturday night at Silver Spring Speedway. The 21-year old racer led all 25 laps to earn his first career victory. And it was Bud Barton leading all 20 laps in the Late Model feature to gain his first win of the season. Kirby Sites came from 12th to grab the victory in the 20 lap main event for Street Stocks, his first win of the season.

            Saturday night, July 3rd, 7:30 p.m., the Firecracker 40 for Super Sportsman is presented with $2,000 going to the winner. The Late Models and Street Stocks are also part of the special show along with fireworks. Adult admission for this special show is just $10.00.

            WHEN THE 14TH ANNUAL PENNSYLVANIA SPRINT SPEEDWEEK SERIES cultimates at Selinsgrove Speedway with the 2004 finale on Sunday, July 4th it will be the 12th visit by the series to the Snyder County oval. The Sunday night show will feature the 410 sprint cars along with pro stocks. Racing starts at 7 p.m.

            Fred Rahmer, a five time winner of the event, is a strong favorite to repeat based on the outstanding season he is enjoying at present.

            Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway had Dave Calaman taking home $2000 for his victory in the Firecracker 40 Sprint Car feature. Brian Cochran won the 20-lap feature for Late Models. And it was Gerald Kratzer taking the top spot in the 15-lap feature for Pro Stocks. Keith Bissinger won the 12 lap main event for the Roadrunners.

            NO RESULTS were received from Clinton County Speedway (we understand they were rained out)or Hagerstown, MD Speedway.

            Have a great Fourth of July. Drive safely we need all the readers we can get.   Ernie Saxton can be reached at Esaxton144@aol.com.