Unretired Shaffer gets 32nd Grove victory

Veteran sprint ace Todd Shaffer of Millerstown picked up the sprint win at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night in a makeup feature held over from March 31. Shaffer's win at the Mechanicsburg oval was his 32nd at the track and it tied him with legendary Steve Smith Sr. for 10th on the oval's all-time win list.

Shaffer picked up his first win of the year anywhere at Port Royal Speedway on April 1 for his new car owners, Jim and Laura Allebach of Souderton. After nearly retiring over the winter, Shaffer took the lead Friday from Brian Leppo of Spring Grove with seven laps to go. His last Grove victory was March 25, 2005.

"This 5W is something," said Shaffer of his mount Friday. "I want to thank Jim and Laura for giving me a shot at this. I'm tickled to be here. Right now, I wouldn't quit for a minute. I hope she keeps rolling like this and I can give these guys a run for their money."

Shaffer's mechanic is retired Central Pennsylvania sprint driver Randy Wolfe.

o

With rain forcing both the Port Royal and Lincoln speedways to cancel their Saturday night programs, Selinsgrove Speedway was the only local track to face the spring cold with racing action Saturday night.

Defending sprint champion Blane Heimbach of Selinsgrove drove to his second win in as many races at the track, wiring the field from the pole in the 25-lapper aboard the Jeff Creasy owned No. 12. It was the young sprint star's 13th career win at the track which he took by a whopping 6.16-second margin over Kevin Nouse of Lewisberry. Heimbach is second on the track's 358 win list to Chad Layton, who has 25 checkered flags.

"They said I was pretty good at the end but I didn't feel that good," said Heimbach. "On the restart he (Nouse) put a nose under me and he's a smart racer and I knew he wanted to overhaul me pretty bad."

Jeff Rine of Pillow free-wheeled around the oval to blast around the top of leader Jeff Smith of Blain in the late model feature to take his 30th oval victory. "That was cool but this is cold," quipped Rine of his move for the win and the temperature in which he took the win by 3.38 seconds.

The 15-lap pro stock feature was exciting and packed with controversy as it ended.

Gary Beward of Thompsontown had won all three feature events held to date at the track entering the event and started 11th. He worked his way into second and drove to the outside of defending track champ Troy Miller for the lead on the last lap only to be driven into the fence coming off of the fourth turn for the checkered flag by Miller. Otherwise, Beward would have been four for four.

As Beward cracked the outside wall, turned sideways in front of the storming field and then walloped the inside fence, it appeared at first as if Miller had won. But speedway officials did the right thing in stripping Miller of the victory based on rough driving and awarding it to A.J. Stroup of Evendale. Beward ended up fifth with a badly damaged racer.

After setting lineups by luck of the draw for the first two regular Saturday programs, Selinsgrove will begin using handicapping procedures to set the fields this week.

o

After breaking his collar bone in a violent first-turn crash at Selinsgrove Speedway in March, Tower City sprint driver Mark Smith will visit with doctors early this week and hopes to be back racing the Zemco No. 1 sprinter this weekend.

Zemco mechanic Tommy Karl has been helping out Elizabethville driver Mike Erdley for the last several weeks and Erdley has felt the effects with a stronger machine.

o

In addition to its Friday sprint doubleheader of 410s and 358s, Williams Grove returns to action Saturday night with the first of 13 Saturday shows this year for the displaced Silver Spring Speedway super sportsman, late models and street stocks plus the rained out sportsman feature from April 7.

Johnson engulfed in flames April 9th, 2006

Johnson engulfed in flames Every racers fear was a reality tonight for the Lousianan born Sprintcar driving sensation Jason Johnson. Whilst leading the Gulf Southern ASCS event at Houston Raceway Park in Baystown, Texas with only three laps to run the 11 car erupted into flames. Johnson was taken to the burns unit for treatment to the entire lower part of both legs.

Speaking to Johnson by telephone he explained that he had that terrible cold feeling that every racer fears, methanol on his legs. He stopped the car as quickly as possible and threw his belts off but it was too late.

The car was engulfed in flames. Johnson threw himself out of the car as his wife and parents looked on. Fire crews extinguished the flames in what seemed like an eternity for Johnson.

"They have given me drugs for the pain and are dressing the burns, it ain't real good at this stage it looks like huge blisters. It's extremely sore, I guess we are lucky it's only from the knees down" explained Johnson.

At this early stage we wait to hear more of the extent of the burns and treatment to follow.

We wish Jason well and a speedy recovery.

All well wishes can be sent via his web site www.jasonjohnsonracing.com

MAXATAWNY, Pa. -- This week, the "CarQuest Gasoline Alley Gang" kicks off its second season on WALN with a notable night, which includes a pair of young, up-and-coming central Pennsylvania sprint car chauffeurs, who'll talk about their early season success stories.

The guests for this weeks show include T. J. Stutts, who has scored 2 early season victories at the Selinsgrove Speedway aboard the Gary and Patty Beam owned No. 88 410 sprint car. The lad out of Liverpool, PA., will discuss his move full-time to the 410 central Pennsylvania sprints and what he is looking for with the '06 season underway.

We will then talk with another youthful driving talent on the 358 sprint car circuit, Blane Heimbach, as the 24-year-old throttle-jockey out of Selinsgrove, PA., talks about his career to date, his success at Selinsgrove and his '06 opportunities to steer a 410 sprint car, among other topics.

Finally, we will chat with Mark Lowery, a very talented young Afro-American racer, who'll talk about his budding career and the difficulties he's had to face on his climb up the racing ladder towards a goal of NASCAR Nextel Cup racing.

This will be a great show. Make sure to listen in.

The CarQuest Gasoline Alley (TV/Radio/Internet) Show continues with its new programming "live" every Monday night on WALN Cable Radio FM 92.1, “live” every Monday on the Internet (www.polkas.com/waln) and also "live" weekly on Service Electric Digital Cable TV channels 222 and 137. A tape-delayed rebroadcast program can be seen on channel 50 and heard on the Internet, starting at 11 o'clock on Monday evenings.

Monday night, April 10, at 6 P.M., begin your week with the Pados Brothers (Ed and Steve) and Area Auto Racing News weekly columnist Randy Kane with their well-documented, very informative and extremely funny CarQuest Gasoline Alley Racing Show, which runs for a full two-hours and is known, simply, as the fastest racing show on the airwaves.

Joining the “Gang” also is Orange County Fair Speedway big block modified star, Bruce Kline, who gives the listeners a look at racing from inside the cockpit.

Join the fun and excitement each week, as the “Gasoline Alley Team” brings you all the up-to-date racing news and results for the listeners in a totally unique and very refreshing concept for the local and International racing communities.

Should you have any comments or questions, on how to be a part of the program through advertising or appearances, please contact Steve Pados at 610 217 8774 or Ed Pados at 610 739 0391. Randy Kane is available at 610 682-6273 and the WALN studio number is 610 791 1818. You may also e-mail the program anytime directly at racewriter@enter.net or try steveswp@netzero.net with your comments.

April 7, 2006

Passion fuels life back into area speedway
By Shawn Wood
For The Daily Item

MINERSVILLE — When Fritz Roehrig decided to shut down his love of auto racing for the past 34 years, the Big Diamond Raceway, following an Enduro race in late September, seemed like another blow to the economically depressed coal mining region of Central Pennsylvania.

But three businessmen with long standing histories in auto racing, Buddy Biever, Barry Bashore and Dave Dissinger, combined their fervor for the sport and on Dec. 16 gave the racing community an early Christmas present.

The trio announced its group, BDR, LLC, had agreed to terms with Fritz and Krista Roehrig on a multi-year deal to promote racing for the upcoming 35th season on the three-eighth-mile oval.

It was Biever who initiated the call to Roehrig in September to see what interest he had in either leasing or selling the track. Roehrig was interested in leasing, but there was a time in early November when, according to Biever, the deal appeared to be dead.

"Talks resumed around Thanksgiving," he noted, and "everything that is happening at the race track is because of the good weather. A lot of what the fans will see when they come into the track I think will blow their minds. The new structures could not have happened without the great folks from Pioneer Pole Buildings."

Biever would not disclose the actual length of the lease agreement but added, "We're trying to get into the entertainment business so that families will want to come to Big Diamond Raceway and that they will enjoy it. It's clean and it's not the stereotype of what short-track racing has been."

Major improvements include a corporate suite/scoring and announcing tower, a novelty and ice cream stand housed below it, new bathrooms, a new concession stand and a pavilion for families to eat.

There will be new clay added to the track in the corners for 2006 in hopes of creating two- to three-wide grooves of racing.

The group's goal of attracting more fans and having competitive racing is reflective in the 2006 schedule for the weekly divisions of small block modifieds, sportsman modifieds and roadrunners. Thirty-one dates are set from April 2 to Sept. 30, including a race on Easter Sunday, The Georgie Stevenson Memorial on July 7, the Race of Champions Dirt Modified and Sportsman Tour on Tuesday, June 6, and Tuesday, July 25, and the ARDC midgets on June 16 and July 21. One new twist is for the sportsman modified division: when they have car counts of more than 40, they will race two separate features based on odd and even point standings but will have on-track time equivalent to heat races.

The Pioneer Pole Buildings Coalcracker weekend is set for Friday, Sept. 1, with the Sportsman Championship and Sunday, Sept. 3, with the Modified Championship.

The one loss for 2006 will be the annual stop during the Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek tour.

"We would love to have a sprint car race here and if something can happen, we may even try something yet," noted Biever. "Our grandstands are big enough to run the National Sprint Tour or World of Outlaws but that is something we are looking to in the future as to how we can increase our stands.

"We are going to look into some dates for the 410s, but I think next year we will definately go after a Speedweek date again."

Name:Wanikiya David Young
Nicknames:Niki,Indian Outlaw
Birthdate:8/18/76
Hometown:East Berlin,Pa

Marital Status:Married to Kelly
Children:Cole,Chase

Occupation:Utz Quality Foods
Siblings:Brothers Choya,Wovika
and sister Naylin
Parents:Dave and Donna

Favorite Drivers:Jay Drake and Danny Lasoski
Favorite NFL Team:Pittsburgh Steelers

Weekly racing programs can be traced to 1947 when regular midget racing shows were held at the Mifflin County Speedway in the “Lumber City” section of Reedsville. Central States Racing Association (“CSRA”) sanctioned 12 races on the 1/5-mile track. Prior to that time local fan exposure to midgets and their larger cousin the “big cars” was limited to occasional appearances at the Mifflin County and Juniata County Fairs or after a long drive to Williams Grove Speedway near Mechanicsburg.

In 1948, four midget races were sanctioned by the American Automobile Association (“AAA”) at the 1/5 mile Reedsville Speedway. Many other midget races were scheduled at the Reedsville Speedway this year, but cancelled for various reasons. There were no regular weekly racing programs held at Reedsville Speedway in 1949.

By 1949, stock car or “jalopy” racing is beginning to gain popularity in the area. In 1950, weekly racing returns to the Reedsville Speedway, but the midgets are replaced by stock cars and the track is enlarged to 1/4 mile. As the year begins, the Penn Mar Racing Association of Conowingo, Maryland, sanctions four races in June. Then the Lebanon Valley Stock Car Racing Association promotes two July races. Beginning on Saturday evening, July 22, 1950 the Penn Central Racing Association sanctions and promotes the remaining racing programs at Reedsville Speedway. Twelve races are completed and two rained out from the end of July through late October 1950. Local drivers are becoming more competitive as Eddie McCardle, Guy McCardle, Elmer Gray and Jake Troxell win feature races.

Penn Central Racing Association promotes its first race at the 1/2-mile Port Royal Speedway on Saturday, November 11. 1950. In 1951 Penn Central Racing Association sanctions sixteen racing programs at Reedsville Speedway, eight programs at Port Royal Speedway and four at the Ebensburg Fairgrounds Speedway. In 1953 Penn Central sanctions twenty-three racing programs at Reedsville Speedway and ten at Port Royal Speedway. This is the final year for racing at the Reedsville Speedway.

Penn Central Racing Association continued to sanction weekly races at Port Royal Speedway through the 1963 season. From 1964 to the present the racing at Port Royal Speedway has been promoted by the Juniata County Agricultural Society by an annual election of a racing committee.

SHAFFER, CAMPBELL, GARMAN & EBY WIN SEASON OPENERS AT PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY

For Immediate Release:
April 2, 2006

Port Royal, PA, Todd Shaffer left everyone know his short lived retirement is over Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway. The Millerstown, PA speedster won the 2006 season opener and served notice he will be a force to be dealt with in Central PA Auto Racing. Shaffer's win and strong showing by teammate Lucas Wolfe left no one doubting the Allebach Racing stable has their best equipment ever as they begin the new year.

Bill Brian started on the pole and led the first ten laps while Shaffer stayed close at the beginning. Wolfe started tenth and moved into fifth spot on lap one. He advanced to fourth on lap two by passing Shaffer and was third one lap later. " I was riding along and figured I'd be ok", said Shaffer. " When Lucas got by, I figured I had to go if I was gonna get there." The race was under yellow with five laps complete when Kevin Scheaffer of Kittanning, PA stopped his car on the frontstretch. Scheaffer restarted the race and finished 15th. At lap six Wolfe was second and pressing Brian. Brian held the lead until lap ten when Shaffer passed both Brian and Wolfe to take the lead. Wolfe's night hit a sour note when he was forced to the pits with a flat tire on lap 17. Wolfe returned to action and finished 12th. The race resumed and was again under yellow on lap 18. Three cars had problems in turns one and two. Keith Kauffman was forced to the pit area with a flat tire. Kauffman returned to finish 13th. Judi Bates and Clark Simonton were towed to the pits and out for the night. They were scored in 18th and 22nd positions respectively. Shaffer cruised to victory by a comfortable margin over second place finished Mike Wagner of Harrisonville, PA. Wagner started 12th. Lance DeWease of Fayetteville, PA came from 11th spot to finish third. T. J. Stutts of Liverpool was fourth. Alan Cole of Berwick finished fifth. Sixth through tenth were Brian, Rick Lafferty, Dan Shetler, Michael Carber and Cliff Brian. Heats for the 30 car field were won by Mark Freeland, Shaffer and Wolfe. Craig Keel won the consie. " Shaffer thanked mechanic Randy Wolfe and Jim and Laura Allebach for their support following the event.

Nine out of ten times if Scotty Haus of Hamburg, PA were to start on the pole for an opening night Late Model event, most would conclude the race is over before it starts. The tenth time came. Haus led the first 16 laps despite heavy pressure from Thompson, PA driver Dan Stone. Stone went to the top of the speedway to pressure Haus. Defending Champion Steve Campbell stayed close while racing on the bottom through much of the event. Campbell shocked everyone when he drove under Stone for second place on lap 14. He repeated the move in turns one and two to wrestle the lead from Haus on lap 16. Campbell
stayed in front to record the win. Haus finished second with Stone third. Tim Gray and Scott Flickinger completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Tim Wilson, Jason Miller, Bobby Stokes, Jere Wierman and Matt Parks. Heats for the 22 car field were won by Haus and Gray. Jeff Bryner received the Service Mart of Mifflin Hard Charger Award for advancing the most spots in the feature. Bryner started 19th and finished 11th.

Derrick Garman won his first ever Pro Stock feature over Jason Davis. Jim Palm finished third with Terry Wagner fourth. Bill Powell was fifth. Sixth through tenth were Steve Stitt, Scott Spahr, Mike Rowles, Jason Schmidt and Terry Naugle. Heat races were won by Powell and Davis. Palm led the first two laps before giving way to Davis on lap three. Garman took the lead on lap 12 to record the win. The youngster thanked his grandfather, Kenny Garman, for helping make the win possible.

Todd Eby won the 30 lap Pizza and Sub Shack Enduro race. Eby just made it to the checked flag. " I wouldn't have made it if we would have had one more lap. I only had 15 lbs. of oil pressure left." Eby's racer was smoking most of the event. Adam Yetter started second and led the first nine laps. Alan Noss led from lap 10-27 and it appeared the race would be settled between Noss and Eby. Disaster nearly struck on lap 19 when Eby who was running second at the time, was nearly wiped out by another racer on the backstretch. Eby dropped from second place to sixth before regaining the second spot on lap 24. Noss's night was done after he was removed from the track for excessive oil smoke which produced near zero visibility. Eby went on to record the win. " This is the best this car has run, " said Eby. " I thought I was done over there on the backstretch and I didn't think we were gonna make it. But with one lap left you gotta try." Yetter was second with Bill Powell third. Craig Imes and Neil Foust followed. Also in the top ten were Steve Harlan, Steve Berry, Jon Chamberlain, Gary Cekovich and Mark Krone.

Up next at Port Royal is a four division show on April 8. Scheduled to compete are the Aumiller & Associate Sprint Cars, Ramsey's Car Wash/AB Auto Glass Late Models, Stong's Auto Parts Pro Stocks and Parson's Auto Salvage/Casner Service 4 Cyl. Stock Cars. Gates open at 5:00 P.M. with racing at 7. More information may be obtained from the speedway office or website, www.portroyalspeedway.com.

Maybe it was the warm spring evening with a wif of that sweet 410 methanol in the air, but it felt damn good to be in central pennsylvania dirt trackin' again...

The make-up feature which oddly enough, was started single file with 24 laps to go. it started fast and furious. Leppo was wunning wide open on the pole when two cars stalled on the back stretch bringing out the 1st yellow. I think it was 64k and 17... 2 or 3 slow laps later and they were raging out of 3 and 4 all over again. Again with leppo setting the pace until the lap traffic appeared. The 5 showed his track expierience and quickly sliced through which lead the way for rahmer to close in on second in the end laps. again some contact in 1 and 2 could have been dewease and wolfe brought out the yellow flag on the final lap. shaffer and rahmer dueled it all out ahead of the lapped traffic. i thought we were gonna fall under fast fredies rule so early this season but the congratulations go out to shaffer.

freddie and stutts really put on a great heat race. they even seamed to be exchanging some words down the back stretch that stutts later clarified by cutting rahmer off the way rahmer did when he stole the final lap of the heat. but i guess that racin

during the 410 consellation Mzzz Judi Bates in her almost weekly attack ran over the 3 car and again we stood there squandering another 20 minutes cleaning up, with the storm clouds rolling in... lighning on the ominous horizon

then it rained just like last week.

hopefully we'll see 3 features next friday

MODIFIED QUALIFYING PROCEDURES CHANGED FOR 2006 SEASON AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY
MANDATORY DRIVERS MEETING SET FOR OPENING NIGHT


BECHTELSVILLE, PA March 25, 2006 . . . . With a new handicapping system in place thirty cars will start the NASCAR Modified feature races at Grandview Speedway during the 2006 season.
Opening night racing action, April 1st, at the Bechtelsville clay oval will see all Modified racers draw for starting positions in the qualifying heat races leading up to the 40-lap season opener that will reward the winner with $3,000. This will be the start of the 44th consecutive season of stock car racing at Grandview Speedway.
Based on the finishes of opening night the new handicapping system will be put in place starting with the April 8th NASCAR Modified racing events.
Thirty third thru last in points and drivers making their first appearance of the season will be handicapped in the first two ten lap heat races. Three cars will qualify from each heat race for feature starting positions 17 through 22nd. Non-qualifiers will compete in the first consolation race with two qualifying for the feature.
The top 32 in points will be handicapped in heat races three through six. Four cars will qualify from each heat race for feature starting positions one through 16.
Non-qualifiers compete in second and third consolation races with three qualifying for the feature race.
A total of 30 cars will start each weekly 30-lap NASCAR Modified feature race.
The previous week’s feature winner will start 16th if he or she is able to qualify through a heat race.
The Cash Dash for Modifieds has been eliminated with heat race winner now collecting $50.
Working radios will be mandatory in each race car (Modifieds and Late Models) as will transponders. It will be up to each racer to be sure radios and transponders are in working order.
A mandatory drivers meeting will take place at 5 p.m. on opening night, April 1st.
Opening night action at the Berks County oval will include a full series of qualifying events for the NASCAR Modifieds and Late Model stock cars leading up to a 40-lap feature race for the Modifieds and a 20-lap main event for the Late Models.
Adult tickets for opening night are priced at $15.00 while children will be admitted for $5.00 and children under 6 will be admitted FREE when accompanied by a paying adult.
Five time track champion Jeff Strunk will kick off defense of his 2005 NASCAR Modified title. He will come up against some great stock car racing talents in five time champion Craig VonDohren, three time champion Duane Howard plus other former champions including Ray Swinehart, Tom Mayberry and Terry Meitzler. Stock car racing legend Billy Pauch will see action as will other top stars that will be making Grandview Speedway their home track in 2006.
Added to the schedule for 2006 are four Legends car events on April 29, June 3, July 8, and August 12th. The 600 Modifieds will be at Grandview on June 10th and July 22nd.
The one-third-mile, banked clay oval is located on Passmore Road just off Route 100 in Bechtelsville, PA just 10 miles north of Pottstown. For information regarding racing at Grandview Speedway telephone 610.754.7688 or check in at www.grandviewspeedway.com

MARCH 31 MECHANICSBURG, PA -- Williams Grove Speedway will switch to its Friday night schedule on March 31 when the Outlaw-type late model stock cars will make their first appearance of the season along with the sprint cars. In the past Williams Grove has always attracted some of the top late model drivers in the East and this year should be no exception. Rain postponed the only scheduled appearance of the late models in 2005 on April 1, but the teams were invited back to run their rained-out feature and another complete program in August. Gary Stuhler won the rained-out feature and Dan Stone won the second event of the night. It was the second career victory for Stone at Williams Grove. Stuhler is the leading active late model winner at this historic speedway. His total of 17 victories places him behind only Bobby Goodling (31), Ronnie McBee (26) and Gary Snellbaker (20) on the track's career win list for late model drivers. The late models were once a regular weekly attraction at Williams Grove along with the sprint cars, but in recent years have made only one or two appearances per season. The powerful stock car division has been plagued with weather problems at Williams Grove in the past. This year a second sprint/late model double header has been set for April 21. "We have had tremendous support from the late model teams and their fans in the past despite our problems with the weather," said Justin Loh, co-manager of Williams Grove Speedway. "This year we've given ourselves a second opportunity to beat the weather and present some exciting late model racing at Williams Grove." The super sportsman cars will return to the Grove along with the sprint cars on April 7.