When Jeff Shepard was hired to pilot the Zemco Speed Equipment
sprinter again in 2007, opinions were formed by fans around the
Central Pennsylvania area.
Back when Shepard drove the car before, the team was a major force
on the scene.
This year, the team hasn’t won as many races as they probably would
have liked to, but they have been one of the fastest and most
consistent teams in the area all season long.
But when the biggest show in sprint car racing was front and
center, Shepard was leading the way for the Pennsylvania Posse.
Shepard showed fans at Knoxville Raceway last week how to get the
job done as he won the Wednesday night preliminary event with a
thrilling late race pass on Brooke Tatnell.
Shepard then put the John and PeeWee Zemaitis owned sprinter into
the top 10 at the end of the 30-lap Knoxville National finale. He
earned over $19,000 for the week in Iowa.
Shepard, of Upperco, Maryland has a great track record at
Knoxville. He has made the Nationals something like the last 11
times that he’s competed in the event. And he’s fared well in
several of those shows.
After his great Knoxville showing, Shepard will return to Williams
Grove Speedway Friday night with a 65 point lead in the Cindy Rowe
Auto Glass 410 Sprint car point standings.
Friday’s Jack Gunn Memorial Triple 20’s will also go a long way in
determining Shepard’s fate in his quest for his first career track
championship.
The Triple 20’s will carry three separate point payoffs for the
drivers Friday night and it would make the battle even closer, or
put someone in total command of the chase for the $15,000 title.
Shepard went to Knoxville and allowed Friday night runner-up Todd
Shaffer to close the gap in points. But Shepard still has control
and the title it now his to lose.
Look for Shepard to carry his Knoxville momentum back into town and
pull off a win but he will have plenty of competition, including a
rejuvenated Shaffer who is also looking for the track title as is
Brian Montieth, who has passed more cars than any other driver this
season at Williams Grove.
Fred Rahmer will be coming off a rough Nationals where he crashed
hard on Friday night and is looking to end a long winless streak at
the Grove that dates back 15 months.
Of course, Doug Esh has recently turned up the wick and Greg
Hodnett leads the area in wins and is great when it comes to time
trials races.
Lucas Wolfe is enjoying his best season ever and also rises to the
top in time trial races and poses a major threat for a sweep Friday
night.
Wolfe represented the Posse with a 14th place Knoxville finish last
week and also had a top 10 finish in his preliminary night feature
race.
Time trials will set the starting lineup as the top 12 in time will
be locked into the first feature. Two non qualifiers races will fill
out the remainder of the field for the first feature. The second
feature will have an inversion according to the first feature finish
and the third and final feature will be lined up inverting the top
six money winners.
If one driver can sweep all three 20 lappers, he will take home
$10,000.
TRONE PLANS UP IN THE AIR
According to car owner John Trone, owner of the TJ Stutts driven
No. 39 sprinter, the team will be in action Saturday at Lincoln
Speedway and then he says the car will be parked for a few weeks. He
expects the team to return for the Tuscarora 50 weekend at Port
Royal Speedway.
As of Wednesday, Trone said the team will not be in action tomorrow
at the Triple 20’s at Williams Grove, citing poor payoffs as the
reason his team will sit idle.
The team had a rough time in Knoxville with Stutts crashing during
his heat race on Friday night. He was jumped on the start and didn’t
get up to speed entering turn one and was ran over by oncoming
traffic, ending his week in Knoxville.
KNOXVILLE NOTES
News and excitement in Knoxville this year was lacking and the
weather was a major factor this season.
Jason Johnson sustained broken toes on Saturday afternoon when his
car encountered driveline problems. He returned to race later that
night but did not make the A-Main.
Word around the pits is that Gary Wright is definitely calling it
quits after this season. Wright appears to be headed to the ASCoT
360 National Tour title and will ride off into the sunset with the
title. He’s had a stellar career.
It was a tough week for most of the Pennsylvania Posse including
Fred Rahmer who crashed hard in hot laps Friday night. Although
nothing is broken, Rahmer is feeling pain in his back following the
hard crash. The team loaded up and left Iowa early Saturday morning
while Rahmer stayed in his motor home and rested.
Donny Schatz finally put the worst kept secret to rest when he
announced that he would be joining Tony Stewart Racing next season
on the WoO tour. He will join Paul McMahan in the two car team and
Ricky Warner will be back as team crew chief. Schatz is hands down
the best sprint car driver in the world right now.
Once again we send a big thank you to Tom Schmeh, executive
director at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum for all
of his hospitality this year. Everything he does to make my life
easier during Nationals week is very much appreciated.
PIT STOPS
Don’t be surprised to see some changes on the URC tour for next
season. One of the changes will come in the Bill Gallagher owned No.
5G as Brian Seidel has been released of his driving duties. The team
split up at the URC Nationals at Williams Grove two weeks ago. They
were second in points at the time…
Speaking of the URC 360 Sprints, they will be in action at
Hagerstown Speedway on Saturday night joining the late models. It’s
the first visit to the Maryland oval in ten years for the series,
who is celebrating its 60th Anniversary this season…
The Super Sportsman are in action at Port Royal Speedway on
Saturday night while the 358 late model tour invades Lincoln
Speedway again this weekend. Frankie Herr holds a slim lead in
Sportsman tour points…
Selinsgrove Speedway has a big time 358 Sprint car race this
weekend as the Paul Stine Chevrolet 358 Summer Nationals takes
center stage. The race will pay $5,000 out of a big purse that will
pay the 10th place finisher $1,000 and $300 to start. Look for the
pits to be packed Saturday night as the track is the only 358 sprint
game in town…
The 358 sprints then have a $1,200 to win event Sunday night at
Susquehanna Speedway Park. The race is being made up from a May 27
rainout…
The 358 late models are back at Path Valley Speedway on Friday
night. Last time out, Carlisle’s Scott Richwine took the win on the
tight bullring. Hopefully more cars support tomorrow’s show…
Daryn Pittman won Tuesday night’s World of Outlaws race in the
Magic City Showdown at North Dakota’s Nodak Speedway. Pittman and
Donny Schatz made contact while racing for the lead resulting in a
flat tire for Schatz as Pittman sped to his fourth win of the year
over Tim Shaffer, Steve Kinser, Jason Solwold and Jason Meyers.
Sixth place finisher Joey Saldana has moved to within 64 points of
Schatz in the battle for the championship…
