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It’s been a tough week in the region for auto racing.
Speedweek came and went. Danny Dietrich broke out of a slump winning two of the last three speedweek events. In the process Dietrich managed to bump Greg Hodnett off the top of the speedweek points, denying him another title. That should have been the main story. Instead, it’s another, and not the kind we like to talk about.
Fire.
I’ve seen it before and it isn’t pretty. I thought Kyle Ganoe’s accident at Port Royal Speedway a few years back was the worst thing I’d ever experienced. I was wrong.
I wasn’t at Selinsgrove Speedway last Sunday. I’m glad I missed it. That doesn’t change the fact that area racer Jake Waters is likely fighting the toughest battle of his life.
Waters, from Mifflintown, is the son of well-known race mechanic Curt Waters and wife Cindy. The family has been racing 305 sprint cars together for quite some time. Their equipment is well maintained and they know the sport well.
During lap four of the 305 sprint car feature last Sunday at Selinsgrove, Waters’ car flipped in turn one. Sources on hand told me they believe the fuel cell was punctured, erupting in fire while the car was in motion. A horrific scene followed.
Track crews used everything they could to extinguish the blaze. Fellow driver Austin Burke went into the fire with emergency worker Mark Raker to pull Waters from the blaze. both were injured.
Waters was taken to Lehigh Medical Center in Allentown where he is listed in critical condition. Burke and Raker will recover soon. Waters’ road will be much longer. Skin grafts were performed Thursday.
The situation is bad. It could have been fatal. Thank God it was not. Out of adversity comes good. I’ve never seen the racing community rally so fast around any injured driver. Give a lot of credit to the beer hill gang at Williams Grove Speedway – this group has helped a lot of racers in the past and they jump started a recovery fund for Waters on GoFundMe. Shirts and decals were made and sold to benefit the Waters family in their time of need. Tony Stewart and others have sent significant donations. Mor than $25,000 has been collected so far.
Cards reach Jake Waters at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, 1200 S. Cedar Crest Blvd., Kasych Family Pavillion SK Room 34, Attn: Jake Waters, Allentown, PA 18103. Please don’t send flowers; they are not allowed.
Fans have also been helping reach out to driver Austin Burke, who assisted in Waters’ rescue. Donations are being collected to replace Burke’s safety equipment, which was destroyed in the fire. Sherry’s PA Racing Updates on Facebook has carried daily updates on health and fundraising activities.
If Waters’ situation wasn’t bad enough I learned midweek of the passing of sprint car racer Craig “The Cricket” Keel from Weedsport, New York. Keel was a Port Royal regular at one point after touring with the World of Outlaws. Keel was a six-time sprint car winner at Port Royal.
Elsewhere:
* Speedweek drew 85 racers, 10 were in every event. There were four winners in seven nights.
* Sheldon Haudenschild and Dale Blaney have each won five All Star Circuit of Champions A-mains so far this season.
* Australian James McFadden is substituting for Pat Cannon in the Highlands No. 3 sprint car.
* Greg Hodnett has won 16 sprint car features this season, 13 of which were 410 events.
* The month of money is upon us. Action officially starts next Friday night at Attica, Ohio, Raceway Park with the Brad Doty Classic, and continues through Aug. 13 at the Knoxville, Iowa, Sprint Car Nationals.
Locally, it’s kids night this evening at Port Royal. Selinsgrove presents “pack the track” night with $5 general admission. Lincoln Speedway hosts the Weldon Sterner Memorial program.
Have a great racing weekend!
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Craig Rutherford writes about motorsports for The Sentinel.