There isn’t
one big story that jumps out this week so we will just talk about what is
making racing news this week and take a look back at the inaugural Keystone
Cup Series presented by Dupont Tyvek.
Todd and Rhonda Fisher are in the news this week as they have announced a
restructuring of the remainder of the Susquehanna Speedway Park schedule for
2007.
After making news during the off season going head to head with Williams
Grove’s Saturday night Super Sportsman headlined program and bringing in
another sprint car class-the Mid Atlantic ASCS 360 Sprints, the Fisher’s
have announced that the Super Sportsman and 360 Sprints have been dropped
from their weekly racing programs.
Citing a soft economy resulting in less disposable income for family
entertainment, rising gas prices and business miscues, the track will now
look for 358 late models, street stocks and miscellaneous divisions to help
turn the speedway’s deficit around. The season will be scaled back to one
night a week racing, mostly on Saturday’s.
Fisher said he isn’t giving up on his headline divisions, however, during
the offseason committed to a three year plan with the sportsman and a
ten-year deal with ASCS. He plans to contact his teams about the move as
well.
“I was totally shocked when I read that today but I’m not surprised,” said
Mechanicsburg’s Steve Wilbur, who has became the Sportsman spokesman and
go-to guy at SSP this season. “I can’t blame him because he is a businessman
and you can’t keep losing money, but I think he went about it wrong.
Saturday night, Todd said there would be some changes but I never thought he
would cut us.”
Wilbur was one of about 12 Saturday night Sportsman drivers trying to make
SSP their Saturday night home this season and opted against running the
Williams Grove and Tour shows. But now they have no other option if they
plan to continue in the division.
“We’re gonna go back and pick up where we left off and race at the Grove
and on the tour,” Wilbur said. “We were all hoping Todd and Alan (Kreitzer)
would have talked by now and settled their differences so we could have a
home track. We were holding out hope for the future but I guess now it
sounds like we’re as far from that as anything now. It’s disappointing to me
and a lot of other guys.”
The Sportsman teams took a pay cut over the recent weeks with hopes of
keeping things alive at SSP. Fisher had been paying $1,400 to win but the
teams agreed to go back to the standard tour purse which pays $1,000 to win.
As of last night, Wilbur had yet to hear from Fisher about the
announcement.
“We’re all waiting on the call,” he said. “Actually I left a message with
him this morning but have not heard back.”
Wilbur will join the rest of the Sportsman tour Saturday at Williams Grove.
“People are loyal to people that are loyal back and people remember that,”
Wilbur said of what Kreitzer is trying to do to keep the Sportsman deal
alive. “We need a home track and the tracks on the tour don’t need the Super
Sportsman but because Alan is a good businessman and has good ties
everywhere, he is able to books races for the division. I guess we’ll see
what the future holds.”
Several area drivers/owners purchased 360 Sprint motors to run with this
series solely at SSP.
Fisher will announce future special events for the two divisions in weeks
to come.
GROVE GETS NEW CLAY
Ironically Fred Rahmer complained about the track conditions Friday night
at Williams Grove Speedway and Tuesday, the track received nearly 700 ton of
new clay for the facility.
But in all reality, the clay was scheduled about three weeks ago to be
delivered to the track for corner resurfacing.
“What actually happened was last fall, we wanted to get some clay and put
it on over the winter but the quarry didn’t have the stuff we wanted so we
looked at our schedule and didn’t want to put it on before an Outlaw show or
anything like that so we waited till after the Keystone Cup to get it,”
Kreitzer said. “It had nothing do with Fred’s comments on Friday night.”
While Rahmer complained about a track that he came from 13th to third in
the feature, just two weeks ago, Stevie Smith praised the track preparers
and surface for its smooth and raciness.
Kreitzer said the clay is the same as the track received last year and
should knit well into the current clay on the track.
The new surface will be tested Friday by 410 and 358 Sprint car racing.
RAHMER TAKES CUP TITLE
Fred Rahmer added the Keystone Cup title to his long list of
accomplishments in sprint car racing.
Rahmer’s title run in the inaugural series came despite not winning a
feature in the six night series.
Danny Lasoski won the Grandview show, Lucas Wolfe won at Big Diamond, Mark
Smith won at Williams Grove, Wolfe at Lincoln, Greg Hodnett at Selinsgrove
and Stevie Smith at Port Royal.
The series title came down to Rahmer and Hodnett. Hodnett led by four
points going into the Port Royal event. Following time trials, Rahmer led by
seven but Hodnett gained more points in the heat and led by one point going
into the feature. Hodnett’s bid ended with a flat tire on lap 8 while Rahmer
finished ninth in the feature. Rahmer won by 44 points and will be presented
with a $1,700 check this weekend for his championship. The top eight drivers
in points will receive a point fund check.
Despite other tracks citing economy problems, packed houses and big car
counts were the common scene during the week with sprint car fans coming out
in droves to see some good racing. Lincoln’s crowd was unbelievable on
Saturday night while all other tracks experienced great crowds for the
series.
Look for round two with some possible changes in 2008.
PIT STOPS
The 358 Sprints return to Williams Grove Friday night joining the 410
Sprints while 358 Sprints are headline Friday at Trail-Way Speedway as well.
Bedford goes with the late models on Friday and Path Valley returns with
Micro Sprints and stock cars…
Lincoln Speedway will have a big Saturday night program with two 410 Sprint
car features as well as 358 Sprints and thundercars. The Weldon Sterner
Memorial is the headline Saturday night paying $5,000 to win along with a
makeup 410 feature rained out back on April 28...
Port Royal features the Pete Swarmer Memorial for 410 Sprints along with
stock cars Saturday night while Selinsgrove goes with a regular show of 358
Sprints and late models…
After a couple week absense, the Saturday Night Series featuring Super
Sportsman, 358 Late models, street stocks and 4-cylinders returns to
Williams Grove Speedway while the World of Outlaw late models are the
headline attraction at the Hagerstown Speedway…
The 358 late models and street stocks are the SSP program while micro
sprints headline TrailWay and 600 Micros headline Shippensburg…
Brook Weibley has parted ways with “The Audi Shop’ No. 92 URC sprint car
team. It’s been tough going for Weibley since joining the URC ranks last
season with the Kennedy Turpin team and this year the Audi team. Weibley is
interested in racing a 410, 360 or 358 sprint…
Boiling Springs 305 Sprint racer Craig Laudermilch scored a career best
runner-up finish in action last Friday at Path Valley. Laudermilch was the
Driver Spotlight last week in the Sentinel…
Donny Schatz was the WoO Sprint winner at the Dirt Track at Lowes last
Friday while Steve Kinser topped Rolling Wheels action on Monday night…
