WHEN THE 42ND ANNUAL  National Open for sprint cars is presented at Williams Grove Speedway on October 1-2, Danny "The Dude" Lasoski will be one of the favorites.
 The National Open sponsored by Cleveland Brothers and sanctioned by the World of Outlaws is the richest and most prestigious sprint car race in the East and Lasoski, 45, of Dover, Missouri, is at his best with big money on the line. He is coming off his fourth career victory in the Midwest Ford Dealers Knoxville Nationals, which was worth $125,00.  Lasoski is currently locked in a tight points race for the World of
Outlaws championship with defending series kingpin Steve Kinser of Bloomington, Indiana. Kinser is also the defending National Open champion and the race's only four-time winner.
 Lasoski, Knoxville Raceway's all-time leading feature winner and a 7-time track champion, is in the midst of another successful season highlighted by an April 2 victory in an Royal Crown International Race of Champions event at Texas Motor Speedway. The 2002 World of outlaws champion bested NASCAR stars Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman plus other top stars in the sport to score his first IROC victory.
 The 4-race IROC series champion will receive one million dollars. But Lasoski's primary business is racing sprint cars and he has shown enough speed at Williams Grove this season to make him one of the favorites for the National Open.
 Lasoski passed current Cindy Rowe Auto Glass point leader Fred Rahmer to take the lead late in a World of Outlaws race at Williams Grove on May 27, but saw the victory slip away when he couldn't avoid a car that had crashed in front of him.
 The Dude, who drives a car owned by Nextel Cup star Tony Stewart, got some revenge in the season's second WoO trip to Williams Grove. Lasoski started eleventh in a star-studded field, drove straight to the front and pulled away to a convincing victory on July 24. He could do it again in the Cleveland Brothers National Open.
 AT WILLIAMS GROVE this past Friday Cris Eash held off point leader Fred Rahmer to win the 25-lap 410 sprint car feature and T.J. Stutts was tops in the 358 sprint car feature.
 There is no sprint car racing this weekend at Williams Grove. There is an Enduro championship on Friday night (Septemebr 10th) at 8 P.M.
 THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER is an exciting month at the Hagerstown Speedway as the season winds down. The pressure on the drivers will be tough as they enter the final point races to determine the 2004 track champions.
 Saturday night, September 11th is a night you don’t want to miss. It will be the Ernie’s Auto Enterprise ALL-AMERICAN Special for the pure stocks. The pure stocks will go 20-laps in one of their biggest events of the season. An increased purse and double points are on the line for this exciting division. Also on the program will be the late model sportsman in a complete program of qualifying and feature events. Then if that isn’t enough excitement, the amateur drivers will go 75-laps in the Championship Enduro Classic with $800 going to the winner. Still want more, then the Tommy Thompson Memorial Demo Derby will put you on the edge of your seat with $500 going to the driver of the last car running. Entries are being accepted for both enduro and demo events. The action starts at 7 P.M. with gates opening at 5 P.M.
 It will be “Fan Appreciation Night” on Saturday, September 18th. It will be the final point race of the year for all three divisions as the year long championship battles come to an end. Admission is only $6.00 with children under 12 FREE.
 The following weekend, Hagerstown will swing into action on Friday and Saturday nights, September 24th and 25th for the 30th running of the Turbo Blue Hub-City National 150. On Friday night, time trials and qualifying heats will determine the starting field for the late models with complete qualifying and feature events for the pure stocks. On Saturday night, consolation event for the late models will set the field for the Hub-City 150. The late model sportsman will also be in action on Saturday night with a complete racing program. The Hub-City National will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a new triple-50's format. Forty-eight drivers will qualify for the first two 50-lap events with the top 12 finishers from each 50-lap feature moving on to the final 50-lap feature. One driver can win $10,000 by winning both 50-lappers that he is entered. A large field of cars is expected for one of the largest purses every paid for the National 150. Gates will open at 5 P.M. with racing at 7 P.M. each night.
 GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY in Bechtelsville, PA plays host to their biggest stock car racing event of the season, the T.H.Properties Freedom 76 Modified Classic, on Saturday, September 11th. The winner of the 76 lap event, which sees 40 cars take the green, will earn $20,000. Auto Locator has posted $100 for the Hard Charger, the driver that gains the most positions in the race.
 Pre race festivities will start at 3 p.m. with racing set to start at 7 p.m.  Jeff Strunk, who won the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series for the fourth time, wrapping up the title this past Saturday, will be a strong favorite but will have strong challenges from Craig VonDohren, Doug Manmiller, Meme DeSantis and a host of others.