Cannon's Win Impressive

Cannon's Win Impressive

By Brad Vores April 3, 2008

For those who didn’t enjoy watching Pat Cannon’s drive to the checkered flag Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway, well all I can say is I am sorry.

Enough with the he started on the front row garbage. Enough with the track wasn’t any good stuff. Enough with all the non-sense talk. Anytime a sprint car drivers races at Williams Grove, he must bring his “A” game. Cannon brought his “A” game, ran a great race and beat a hell of a tough field of sprint car drivers. And oh yes, there were cautions too! Oh, and as I always say, a very nice breath of fresh air in victory lane.

What Pat Cannon did on Friday night was accomplish something that I find hard to believe any of our sprint car heroes ever accomplished in their very first 410 Sprint car feature. I haven’t done any research to back this stat up but I find it hard to believe that any one has won right out of the gate.

Now this doesn’t mean that Cannon is the next best thing to sliced bread but looking back at his career in Sportsman and 358 Sprints, Cannon has certainly proven himself as a quality race car driver and a good person not only on the track but off the track as well.

He goes down as the final ever Sportsman champion in the storied history of Silver Spring Speedway and now he becomes the first driver in the history of Williams Grove to win in the track’s three elite divisions-410 Sprints, 358 Sprints and Super Sportsman. It’s something that might be tied by the likes of Dave Calaman but a record that will always stand up as Cannon being the first to accomplish such a feat.

But let’s talk about his hopefully blossoming 410 Sprint car career.

People say he is the future of 410 racing. Maybe that’s true and it would be great for his car owners Zane and Vicki Highlands to get enough financial support to put their young racer on the 410 sprint tour full-time. The Highlands’ have been major supporters of local auto racing for many seasons and have fielded quality race cars for many of today’s top race car drivers.

John Gleim BioFuels have come on board to help the team compete part time in the 410’s this season and I am sure if Cannon can continue to run up front, he can open some eyes that might come on board to help his already strong team turn into an even stronger one. Joining Gleim BioFuels on the car include Highlands Tire & Service Center, Miller Insurance Associates, Boiling Springs Service Center and Baish’s Auto Body.

The Highlands team will continue to stick to its original schedule of defending the 358 sprint car championship at Williams Grove while racing the 410 Sprint on nights the 358’s are not on the schedule. Saturday night will find the team at Selinsgrove Speedway.

The team also has new t-shirts for the 2008 so make sure you stop by the trailer this weekend to pick up yours.

WHATS HAPPENING
The Super Sportsman cars join the 410 Sprints Friday at Williams Grove. The start time continues to be 7:30pm.

The limited late models will be a regular division this season at Path Valley Speedway Park and will kick off the season Friday night joined by the Legends, 600 Micros, 270 Micros and stock cars.

Trail-Way Speedway kicks off its Friday night programs this week with 358 Sprints, thundercars and street stocks beginning at 7:30pm.

Trail-Way returns to action Saturday at 6:30pm with 600 and 270 Micro sprints.
Saturday night prove to be a busy one at Lincoln Speedway where the 410 Sprints are joined by the Super Sportsman and 358 late models at 6pm.

It’s Fan Appreciation Night at Hagerstown Speedway on Saturday with a regular program of late models, late model sportsman and pure stocks beginning at 7pm.

Port Royal Speedway returns Saturday with a 410 Sprint, late model and pro stock program at 7pm while Selinsgrove is back with 358 sprints, late models, pro stocks and roadrunners at 6pm.

PIT STOPS
Keith Kauffman most likely won’t be winning his 14th career track championship this season at Port Royal Speedway. Kauffman will miss racing action at the Port on April 12 and again later this summer as the family visit’s their son Chase who is enlisted in the National Guard…

Sprint car driver Tommy Beavers sure hasn’t had any good luck lately. It wasn’t too long ago when someone robbed his construction business in Winchester, Virginia and he has been trying to regroup from that when he was injured on the job last week, losing a finger and severely breaking two others. Beavers was planning to make his debut with the Brickmobile last weekend but will miss some action now. Cards can reach Tommy at 17 E. Monmouth St., Winchester, VA 22601...

Some of the sprint cars that have been competing in Central Pennsylvania in recent weeks will hit the road this weekend as the All Star Sprints and World of Outlaws get back on track. The All Stars will be in action Friday at Ohio’s Attica Raceway Park. Lance Dewease will be making the trek to Ohio as he sets out to win the $50,000 All Star title. Dewease plans to be back at Lincoln on Saturday night…

The World of Outlaws will be in action Saturday night at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri where Lucas Wolfe and Tim Shaffer join the rest of the Outlaws…
Billy Moyer captured the big $20,000 payday in last week’s World of Outlaws late models main at Pike County Speedway. Moyer defeated Scott Bloomquist, Shannon Babb, James Ward and Shane Clanton…

Hoosier Racing Tire and VP Racing Fuels will be holding a seminar at the Gettysburg American Legion on April 22 at 7pm. The seminar will include special guest speakers and is open to the public. The first 150 to RSVP to htma@hoosiermidatlantic.com will be allowed to attend…