Cannon Gets His Chance In A 410

By Brad Vores January 31, 2008

Pat Cannon is finally going to get his chance.
Cannon and his Zane and Vicki Highlands owned sprint car team will be dabbling in some 410 Sprint car competition this season at Williams Grove Speedway.
Gleim Bio-Fuels, a new business located in Carlisle has come on board with the team allowing the Carlisle-based team to purchase a new Don Ott engine for the season.
It will be a busy season for Cannon, of Etters and his team.
They will attempt to defend their 2007 358 Sprint car championship at Williams Grove Speedway and will also compete Saturday night’s at Selinsgrove Speedway in the 358 sprint division.
The 410 Sprint car will be at Williams Grove on Friday night’s when the 358 sprints are not on the schedule. The team will not race in the early season 410 sprint daytime shows.
“We’ve always wanted to do the 410 thing but we just never had the right financial backing to do it right,” said Matt Highlands, crew chief on the #3 sprint car and son of the car owners. “We will concentrate on the shows at Williams Grove but there are plans to race a few other shows during the season as well.”
What about next year?
“If we can find the right people to step up and help do the 410 deal right, we’d love to race full time,” Highlands said. “We planned to do the 360 thing last year but when the plug was pulled, it really took a lot of racing off our schedule so we are looking forward to a busy season and getting Cannon some time in the seat and see what happens down the road.”
Cannon is the last ever champion at Silver Spring in 2005, winning the Sportsman track title along with the Sportsman Tour title that season.
Last year, Cannon led the area in wins with 11 overall and the Grove championship.
He is looking to be the first ever driver to win in all three major divisions at Williams Grove Speedway. He already has wins in the 358 sprints and Super Sportsman and also a 360 Sprint win. Should he pull off a 410 sprint car win, he will be the first ever driver to do so at the historic speedway. Dave Calaman has wins in the 410 Sprints and Super Sportsman but is winless in the 358 ranks.
Along with Gleim Bio-Fuels, Highlands Tire Service, Baish Auto Body, Boiling Springs Service Center and Graham Motor Company are supporters of the team, who have been a huge supporter of midstate motorsports since the 1953 season.
STUTTS BACK WITH TRONE
When the racing season kicks off Friday night at Florida’s North Florida Speedway, T.J. Stutts will be behind the wheel of the Trone Outdoor Motorsports No. 39 Sprint car once again.
In his first season in the car last year, Stutts was held winless but showed strength at times in the first ever season for the team.
The team will once again compete at Williams Grove and Lincoln Speedway’s in 2008 with former sprint racer Kevin Frey turning the wrenches. The team plans some visits to All Star sanctioned races this season as well.
Stutts will race in all five All Star shows in Florida along with World of Outlaws events.
KAUFFMAN SHOW STOPPER
The Dave Middleswarth-owned Keith Kauffman piloted No. 7 sprint car was a show stopper at last week’s Dirt Trackin car show in York.
The car is sporting a new wrap designed by Martin Design Group of Hanover and it won Best of Show for the 410 Sprint car division.
The Highlands owned No. 3 of Pat Cannon was named Best of Show in the Super Sportsman/358 Sprint car class while Bobby Beard’s Seymore Motorsports late model won top honors in that division.
Shippensburg’s Charlie Pensinger won top honors in the stock car class while Rohan Beasley’s Micro Sprint won best of show in that category.
Troy Hockenberry’s go kart was the top vote getter in that class while Ed Zirkle’s car won in the restored division.
Over $2,300 was raised for the York County Racing Club’s Injured Drivers Fund as fans voted for the People’s Choice Award. Jakes Jones’ late model won that honor over Travis McClelland’s late model, Zach Eucolano’s 358 Sprint, Brian Leppo’s 410 Sprint and Gene Knaub’s late model.
PIT STOPS
Kevin Nouse will be back in the 358 sprint ranks this season driving for Newville car owner Roger McKeehan. Nouse drove for the same team in 2006 before moving into the 410 ranks last season with BG Motorsports. That team folded during the off season forcing Nouse to find another ride. The No. 4R sprinter will see action regularly at Williams Grove and Lincoln as well as special shows in the area…
The 12 inductees for the 2008 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame have been announced and there is some local flair heading into the prestigious HoF in May. Former Grove champion and current URC sprint standout Kramer Williamson is headed to the Hall of Fame as is former 410 and 360 sprint star Glenn Fitzcharles. Others being inducted are Tony Bettenhausen, Sr., Brent Kaeding, Johnnie Parsons, Sr., Earl Wagner, Bob Hampshire, Doug Howells, Gordon Schroeder, Louis Espinoza, Dick Jordan and John Padjen. Induction day will be May 31 in Knoxville, Iowa…
Congratulations to promoter Alan Kreitzer on his induction into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame last weekend. Kreitzer needs no introduction to the racing community and has been a huge factor in the success of local racing…
Carlisle’s Carl Billet was crowned the 2007 late model champion at Susquehanna Speedway Park’s banquet last Saturday night. Billet’s title was the fifth of his career at the track and he will return again this season looking for another. Others honored at the banquet were street stock champion Paul Morgan, Michael Goodwin (Xtreme stocks), Tracy Readinger (ARDC), Ed Hollenbeck (4-cylinders), Kendra Knaub (Women on Wheels), Jeff Condran (Legends), Bill Brown, Sr. (Classic Cars), Van Baker (School Bus) and Daryl Sipe (Mini Van). SSP kicks off its season on April 12...
Former World of Outlaws competition director Bobby Jackson passed away on Monday night. Local fans will remember Jackson as the Outlaw official that would always line the cars up on the front stretch at local Outlaw races…