I've always loved motorcycles.
I took my bike and drivers license test the same day when I was 16 years old. I rode all the time until I had kids. Occasionally, I will hop on my son's bike, and I've been thinking I will start to ride again sometime.
Then crazy things happen and I start to ask myself if I'm crazy to event think of such a thing. Over the past few weeks three people I know in one way or another have had their lives changed forever by motorcycle accidents. One of them died. What does that have to do with a racing column? All have or are currently involved in our sport in one way or another.
Locally, Fred Walters has been involved in drag racing. Walters has been injured two summers in a row and neither accident was his fault. He currently is recovering from critical injuries in Harrisburg, and has a long way to go.
Bruce Rossmeyer is from Daytona, Fla. I don't know him personally, but I have seen him around that area. Rossmeyer was the world's largest Harley Davidson dealer. It didn't matter who you were, if Rossmeyer was available and he saw you at one of his dealerships buying a bike, he would come out and talk with you. Rossmeyer didn't have to do that. But that was the kind of guy he was.
Rossmeyer helped Kyle Petty start the Victory Junction Camp and raised money for it regularly. He also built 60 custom bikes to celebrate NASCAR's 60th anniversary.
Rossmeyer died in a bike crash riding to the Sturgis, S.D., motorcycle rally. He was traveling there from Wyoming. He was 60 years old.
This past Sunday, Mary Ann Keiffer, wife of Bedford Speedway controlling partner J.R. Keiffer was critically injured while riding her bike. Animal hair was found in the front wheel and that may have contributed to the crash. Keiffer has compound fractures of the neck, back, arm and shoulder and has lost part of a limb. The Keiffers are good people and have opened their hearts to others in need many times. Please keep the entire family in your thoughts and prayers. Keiffer is in a Pittsburgh hospital. I hope to have an address by next week.
I'll end on this subject by asking every one to be careful while riding and avoid the consumption of alcohol while you are doing it. We have a local bike party this week end and there's already been enough tragedy here in the area the last couple weeks. The world continues but it tears me up every time I get a phone call about another bad situation.
Tim Wilson took a wild ride after contact with Derrick Casner last Saturday night at Port Royal. Wilson is OK and ready to race this week. The crash was just hard racing by both drivers.
Keith Kauffman returned to the winner's circle and looked like the Kauffman of old. I think he will win again soon. Kauffman scored his 127th career win at the Juniata County oval in Port Royal.
Alan Cole also won the sprint car feature last Friday at Clinton County Speedway. Rick Eckert won the make up late model Speedweek race Wednesday night at Lincoln Speedway. Eckert made a $7,000 call to Scott Bloomquist, who helped him with his car's setup. Jason Covert finished second.
Jason Solwold will drive Jim Nace's No. 6 car this week in Knoxville, Tenn. Nine Pennsylvania drivers are entered in the event, which started Wednesday.
Erin Statler won the 305 sprint car features last week at Central PA Speedway and Lincoln. Statler becomes the second woman to win at Lincoln. Becca Anderson won a 358 race there previously.
The World of Outlaws late models raced Friday at Bedford Speedway. Tonight they are at Hagerstown. Both races pay $10,000 to win.
The Village Square Plaza race car show is today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Shermans Dale. Todd Shaffer's car will be on display. Kyle Moody, Steve Wilbur and Scott Lupfer also will have their cars there.
Former Ms. Motorsports Ashley Diehl, of Mifflintown, has been signed by the new Lingerie Indoor Stadium Football League as a player. Diehl will be part of the Philadelphia team. Play starts in October. The ladies will reportedly wear helmets, shoulder pads and lingerie. Diehl is a class act and has also done some modeling over the years. She is a powder puff winner at Port Royal. Best of luck to her.
The pro stocks have two races and are the headline class tonight at Port Royal Speedway. The Deryl Stong 20-lap feature will be run. Super sportsman, sprint cars, late models and enduro cars also are part of the program. Race time is 7 p.m.
NASCAR is at Michigan Sunday. ESPN has TV coverage; race time is 2 p.m. NASCAR has announced more testing will be done, but don't look for rain tires any time soon. NASCAR also announced that the Nationwide series will run the the Impala, Mustang and Challenger next year. Come on GM, you need to run the Camaro in this class. Just my opinion.
Richard Petty has announced he will run all four race teams until the end of the season. All drivers are signed for next year and will race if sponsorship can be found.
One track needing a new sponsor is Charlotte. Lowe's will end it's naming rights agreement with the track at the end of the season. The track will revert back to Charlotte Motor Speedway unless a new sponsor is found.
That's going to do it for this week. I'll be back next time with more news and opinions. Please drive safely!
Craig Rutherford writes about motorsports for The Sentinel. He is associated with Port Royal Speedway.
