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Memorial Day weekend is upon us and area speedways are featuring special events. Here’s a brief overview of what’s happening in our region:
Most eyes will be on Port Royal Speedway for the three-day Bob Weikert Memorial program, which starts tonight and runs through Monday.
Selinsgrove Speedway is in action tonight with the third annual Kramer Cup URC 360 sprint car program. Lincoln Speedway presents the Hilly Rife Memorial honoring the late Lincoln Speedway promoter. At Hesston Speedway there’s a $3,000 to win super late model feature tonight. On Sunday, Bedford Speedway has topless late models, sportsmen and 305 sprint cars.
I asked myself what is special about the people being honored this weekend at Port Royal, Selinsgrove and Lincoln.
Bob Weikert, Kramer Williamson, and Hilly Rife lived the sport of auto racing much as many racers and fans do. It was their passion. Weikert needed to find a hobby. Thankfully for the racing community, sprint cars were it. Weikert was the George Steinbrenner of sprint car racing – you loved him or hated him. If you weren’t a fan, you probably didn’t appreciate Weikert until after he was gone.
Weikert expected to win. Cost didn’t matter. Track performance did. If the car wrecked or broke another one was around the corner. Cattle dealings were priority one. At times Weikert would buy and sell livestock on the way to a race. Weikert became America’s sprint car owner. In fact he once won a popular car owner contest over NASCAR’s Richard Childress – an amazing feat in itself. The best drivers raced Weikert’s cars and, the best mechanics wrenched them. Bob Weikert was the consummate showman.
Weikert could incite a crowd to frenzy with his victory lane speeches. Bold predictions were the norm. Some loved his antics, others were upset. It sold tickets and brought fans to the race track. No one did it better. In a world of political correctness, we could use another Bob Weikert.
This weekend Port Royal Speedway and a legion of business associates, racers and fans honor the man who helped take sprint car racing to a higher level.
Kramer Williamson spent his entire adult life in the sport of sprint car racing. Tragically, Williamson lost his life in a sprint car crash at Lincoln Speedway in August 2013. A Hall of Famer, Williamson enjoyed success most every where he raced. Selinsgrove Speedway held a special place in his heart and the fans there remember him fondly. Today there will be a car show at Selinsgrove motors, at the north end of U.S. 522, from noon to 3 pm., followed by a parade down Market Street to the speedway. Nowhere else in our immediate area will one find a tribute like this.
Tonight’s Kramer Cup is a sanctioned URC sprint car program that will include an added purse. The driver of the Pink Panther lived to race. Tonight Selinsgrove fans honor this great driver.
Hilly Rife accomplished much. NASCAR ties, promoter at Lincoln Speedway and other tracks, Rife brought the Pigeon Hills oval to life with big crowds and grand promotions. He made racing his priority and along with the late Jack Gunn, managed to help take Central Pennsylvania to a higher level. Rife and Gunn presented 150-lap, season-ending sprint car races at Lincoln and Williams Grove. Those events were some of the first two-day shows in our region. The pair brought people like Bobby Allen, Steve Smith, Dub and Van May, Jimmy Edwards, Jan Opperman and Roger Rager to compete. These folks collectively put Pennsylvania on the map as a sprint car destination. Lincoln Speedway honors Rife this evening with a special sprint car race.
Just a reminder, the Appalachian Late Model Speed Week Series kicks off next Friday night at the Bedford Speedway.
Daryn Pittman was the winner of Tuesday night’s World of Outlaws sprint car race at New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway. Greg Hodnett and Mark Smith followed.
Have a great racing weekend. Let’s remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation.
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Craig Rutherford writes about motorsports for The Sentinel.