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There’s one final sprint car race in Pennsylvania this weekend at Susquehanna Speedway.
The Final Showdown for 410 and 358 sprint cars is scheduled today at 2 p.m.; $10,000 awaits the 410 winner. Look for several invaders to challenge the PA Posse stars.
With the program being the final event under Todd and Rhonda Fisher’s promotion, plus rainchecks in play from Oct. 18, every attempt will be made to run this final show. Pit gates open at 11:30 a.m. Fans enter at noon. Green flag is set for 2 p.m.
Look for Lance Dewease to pilot the Matt Campbell Racing No. 16 in today’s race. Dewease Dietz Motorsports Team is closing shop. Their car has been disassembled and the parts are sold. A decision was made not to compete for those reasons.
The silly season for national sprint car racing lasted about 12 hours Monday. Following the World Finals conclusion at Charlotte Sunday night, Joey Saldana left the Motter Motorsports Team and landed at Dennis Roth Motorsports. Paul McMahan departed team CJB Motorsports and joined Destiny Motorsports. David Gravel left Destiny in a ride swap with McMahan arriving at CJB as a teammate to Sammy Swindell. Gravel’s car will be numbered five instead of 51. That decision came when owner Chad Clemens decided he wanted the car and himself to have its own identity after several stars have driven the mount. Motter Motorsports lost its sponsorship and will not compete on the Outlaw circuit until new sponsorship is obtained.
The World Finals were plagued by bad weather but officials managed to complete two of the three days. Dusty Zomer scored his first major win in a nationally sponsored car Friday night. Pennsylvania drivers Greg Hodnett and Stevie Smith followed. Sunday’s show took over six hours to complete but the wait was worth it. Joey Saldana won for the final time in the Motter car. Shane Stewart, Daryn Pittman, Smith and Dale Blaney completed the top five. Blaney’s run was significant in that he started from 20th position.
Jac Haudenschild suffered a severely lacerated arm which was cut to the bone. Bad as that is, Haudenschild broke the same arm before and had a steel rod placed surgically installed. How’s Haudenschild? Obviously sore, but tough as nails. Haudenscild was stitched up and back at the track Sunday before the program was completed.
Award Banquets are on many racers’ minds right now. Port Royal Speedway’s banquet is next Saturday at the Community Building on 4th Street, Port Royal. The UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions banquet is next month where Dale Blaney will be crowned for the sixth time as champion. Red Lion driver Cody Darrah finished second and won the All Star Rookie of the Year title. The World of Outlaws held their banquet at Charlotte Monday where Donny Schatz was crowned champion.
Here are some more facts on the World of Outlaws: 400 drivers competed in their programs this year with 22 feature winners. They completed 78 dates, 11 rainouts, 14 weather-impacted shows and three canceled outright. Their new schedule will be out at the PRI trade show next month. They plan 90 dates, an earlier finish to the season, and one race in Canada. Look for the sprint cars to possibly compete at the new Super Dirt Week venue near Syracuse, N.Y., next season.
Is Rico Abreu the hottest driver commodity in the nation right now? Abreu is expected to make his NASCAR Camping World truck debut this weekend at Phoenix. Abreu won the Chili Bowl for midgets to start the season, numerous sprint car and midget races, two World of Outlaw events, and a NASCAR K&N weekly series race event. Overall, Abreu has won 20 of 104 races started this season.
NASCAR and Eldora Speedway announced a five-year extension of the truck series race on dirt at the half-mile oval.
Finally the Appalachian Mountains Late Model Speedweek has announced race dates for next season. They are June 3-5 and June 9-12, with June 6 as a rain date. Officials expect the schedule to be completed early next month.
Have a great racing week end. Until then, please drive safely!
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Craig Rutherford writes about motorsports for The Sentinel.