Darrah Enjoys Big Night/Wilbur Hopes For Full Recovery

Darrah Enjoys Big Night/Wilbur Hopes For Full Recovery

By Brad Vores May 15, 2008

Talk about building confidence!

What a better way to boost your confidence sky high than to win your first two sprint car features in the same night.

That’s exactly what Cody Darrah did last Saturday night at Lincoln Speedway when the 18-year-old Red Lion High School senior won the makeup sprint car feature to start the night off and then stormed back a few hours later with his second win. But he knows it’s only one night.

“I figured a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while and I figured I could get another one sometime down the road but to do it in the same night really backs my confidence up,” stated Darrah, who earned $6,000 for his night’s work. “But for me, I look at it as just one night of racing and for me to back it up and make it mean anything, I need to come back out and win or if I can’t win, have some good finishes over the next couple of weeks.”

He was more than a blind squirrel in the Pigeon Hills Saturday night.

With his huge fan club in attendance, Darrah gave them something to cheer about during the makeup feature when his bold move on race leaders Cory Haas and Alan Krimes was enough to make any racing mother hide under the blanket. Darrah knew he had a fast race car and it was time he made a statement.

“I showed myself to Alan so he knew I was there and we went into one and Cory was up high and Alan went in low and tried to slide up to block me behind Cory and just as he made his move, I gassed it up and snuck it right in between them,” he said about the move that everything in Posse land is talking about this week. “At the time, I didn’t think it was a risky move but there wasn’t much space but I knew I could make it because I had the confidence. I just wanted to make the impression on them from trying to pass me back the next lap.”

Once in front, Darrah sailed into victory lane with his first interview with track announcer Wayne Harper and little did either know, they would be talking again in a couple of hours.

Darrah came back out in the regular feature and wasted no time in making it known that his J & K Salvage, Eichelberger’s U-Pull It, Eckert Trucking, Kitty’s Hair Salon No. 89 was the car to beat.

He went out front early and then with about 10 laps to go, Darrah has some fast company coming his direction in the form of Fast Freddie Rahmer.

“I saw the 51 up there on the board and that makes ya double think and I knew I would have to drive hard than I was so I got up on the wheel a little bit but then I started driving over my head,” he added. “It took me a lap and I calmed myself back town and got into a rhythm and got to working through lapped traffic. It makes you nervous anytime the 51 is on the board next to you and I was listening for him but I never heard him.”

Darrah was practicing in his heat what he might do should Rahmer challenge for the top spot.

“He’s the kind of guy that won’t show himself to you until he’s driving by you so I was kinda listening for him but at the same time, I was thinking about what I would do and what I would to change things to try and block him or pass him back for the lead if he would challenge,” he said.

He didn’t have to worry. The challenge never came as Darrah sat in victory lane to become the 182nd different driver in the storied history of Lincoln Speedway to win a sprint car feature.

Darrah has had a good teacher in Lee Stauffer.

Stauffer has been around the sprint car game all of his life and has taken the young Darrah under his wing and turned him into one of the top sprint car drivers in Central Pennsylvania.

“I owe it all to Lee,” Darrah said. “If I was on my own or with anybody else, it would probably be two or three years until I snuck out a win but because Lee builds such fast race cars and is so knowledgeable, he is making me look good. I’ve said I’m just kind of a monkey sitting in that race car. It’s that good. Lee has taken my learning curve and shortened by 100 times.”

Darrah also has the support of his racing family-the Eckert family and of course his father Joe’s businesses, who provide him with the best equipment out there.
“My father gives me such a great opportunity and I know a lot of other drivers out there would love to have what my dad provides for me,” he added.

Up next for Darrah are the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove Speedway. What a confidence builder it would be for him to ride the momentum into this week’s events. He time trials well and that’s over half the battle with the traveling stars.

“That would be a huge confidence builder to run well against those guys this weekend,” Darrah commented. “I just want to be able to time well and put myself into position to have good finishes with them and it will be considered a success.”

It’s only been a matter of time until Darrah did what he did Saturday night. He’s consistently been one of the fastest cars on the track every weekend and his talent at wheeling his sprint car is very evident and sprint car fans can watch for big things from this kid for years to come.

LONG ROAD FOR WILBUR
Steve Wilbur said he will look like an astronaut when he returns to racing.

Last Saturday night, Wilbur, one of the nicest racers you will ever meet, had the worst night of his life when his No. 59 Super Sportsman machine went up in flames at Williams Grove Speedway. What was only about one minute, seemed like 50 years to the Mechanicsburg resident as he sat inside his burning race car trying to free himself.

Thanks to two fire crew members, Wilbur’s burns are far less than they could have been but either way, he faces a long road to recovery.

Wilbur underwent skin grafts on Tuesday and doctors discovered that his burns to his lower legs were far worse than originally indicated.

“My right leg is about 75 percent burned and my left is about 50 percent,” Wilbur said last evening from his hospital room at the Lehigh Valley Burn Center. “I was in surgery for about three hours and they took the skin from around the outside of my hips. They were a lot worse than originally thought. They are all third degree burns.”

Wilbur said the flywheel broke on his race car, which in turn severed the fuel line.

Then he became trapped inside his race car because he was unable to get his helmet strap undone.

“I knew it was bad when I couldn’t get out of the race car and I knew the fire had already burnt through my suit,” he said. “They always say stay calm and not to panic but it’s hard not too panic and it’s just not that easy to do. I tried to stay calm but I couldn’t get the helmet strap off. The two guys that helped me with it probably saved my life and definitely saved me from being burned a lot worse.”

Wilbur said his skin grafts will remain covered for 3-5 days and then doctors would like to have him trying to walk in about 10 days. Depending on how his walking goes, he could come home to recuperate but will be in a wheelchair for a while.

Wilbur has no idea when he will be able to return to the race track.

“I had a good suit but I don’t wear nomex underwear and I guarantee when I come back to race, I will look like an astronaut,” he added. “I never want to go through this again in my life.”

Cards can reach Wilbur at 20 Sinclair Rd., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.

WHATS HAPPENING
Aside from the World of Outlaws in town this weekend, there is a lot of racing on tap for the weekend at other local tracks.

Friday night action returns to Bedford Speedway with the late models while the 358 Sprints back on the track at Trail-Way Speedway while the Micro Sprints and 305 sprints headline Friday at Path Valley Speedway.

It’s Lawrence Chevrolet Night at Lincoln Speedway on Saturday where the 410 Sprints are joined by the Super Sportsman and the MALCO Landscaping 358 late models. The 358 late model main will pay $1,000 courtesy of Baker Door Company.

It’s a big night of racing Saturday at Selinsgrove Speedway as the URC series invades the track for the 28th annual Paul Stine Chevrolet Jack Gunn Memorial paying $3,500 to win. The challenge races pit’s the track’s 358 sprint cars against the URC 360 sprint car teams.

A Salute to the Armed Forces Night is on tap Saturday at Susquehanna with 358 late models headlining the program joined by several stock car divisions.

PIT STOPS
Jason Meyers continued his early season dominance on the World of Outlaws tour after picking up his fourth win of the season in Tuesday night’s Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway. After a battle with Jac Haudenschild, Meyers pulled away late for the win over Terry McCarl, Chad Kemenah, Dale Blaney and Craig Dollansky. Lance Dewease was 11th, Greg Hodnett 14th and Fred Rahmer 16th while Chad Layton and Lucas Wolfe did not qualify…

Central PA Speedway is doing a neat little promotion for its fans this season with the help of JJ Powell and Snappy’s Convenience Stores. They will be teaming up to give fans $10-$50 gas cards to help fans make the trek to the track for racing action. Anything like that would be a major help right now…

Mike Spangler will be making his debut in Saturday’s 358 late model program at Lincoln Speedway. Spangler has been forced to sit out the early portion of the season but is looking forward to getting back on track with his always sharp looking No. 28 machine…

The Keystone Cup Sprint Series begins next Wednesday night at Grandview Speedway followed by a Friday night show at Williams Grove, Saturday at Lincoln, Sunday at Selinsgrove and winding up Monday, Memorial Day evening at Port Royal. All of the races will pay $5,000 to start for the 410 Sprints…

Mark Smith used last Friday night’s rainout as a chance to make the trip west to Lernerville Speedway where he left with the $1,300 first place prize after winning the 410 Sprint car feature…