Esh Hopes To Defend National Open Title

Esh Hopes To Defend National Open Title

By Brad Vores Sept. 27, 2007

What a difference a year makes in the world of Doug Esh.

Last year at this time, the Lancaster driver was riding a wave into the Williams Grove National Open on the highest of all highs.

He was the leading winner at the track. He had just clinched his first career Lincoln Speedway track championship and he was setting his sights on the biggest ever prize ever offered at Williams Grove Speedway.

While his Leach Brothers Motorsports sprinter was the fastest car on the track week in and week out last season, Lady Luck also was on the team’s side as rain began to fall when Esh had the Kinard Trucking No. 30 sprinter out front on lap 26 of the scheduled 40 lap National Open. The rain never subsided and Esh was declared the winner of the $50,000 prize in his first ever National Open win.

It put an exclamation point on a breakout season for Esh and his team.

A year later, Esh isn’t sure he nor any of the Pennsylvania Posse have what it takes to set back to the World of Outlaws, who sanction the 45th annual event sponsored by Cleveland Brothers.

“Obviously last year we were on a roll, we had a ton of momentum and we had a ton of confidence,” Esh stated about his 14 win 2006 season. “Then we roll into this year. I don’t think any of the local guys have quite the speed we need to be able to beat those guys but we’re definitely gonna roll in there, have everything organized and prepared. We have fresh motors, a fresh car that we ran last week. Just hopefully with a little bit of luck and things go our way and we did out job correctly, we can have a shot at defending it.”

But Esh knows it will be tough. Not only does he have the best of the Posse gunning for a big payday to help pay the bank account off after a long season, but he has the World of Outlaws led by defending champion Donny Schatz.

Schatz enters the Open as the leading WoO winner this season, the Knoxville Nationals and Kings Royal winner and a four-time winner in just five Williams Grove starts this season. Basically he has been unbeatable at the Grove. He can tie Steve Kinser with four Open wins should he take the checkered flag on Saturday night.

“It’s the last big event of the year and it’s one we’ve been very good at,” commented Schatz, who will join Tony Stewarts Racing in 2008 with Carlisle native Ricky Warner as crew chief. “I love going to Williams Grove because I know I can go there and start anywhere and win. I feel like we had a real good chance last year, if we would have run 40 laps. Hopefully can have that this year. We have a clean slate and we’ll go there and try to win.”

While Esh is unsure about the Posse chances at a win, he is already preparing himself mentally to be at the top of his game this weekend.

“It’s gonna be tough comparing the way we were last year against them and I just don’t think the local cars have the speed right now,” he said. “I certainly don’t think I can blame it all on the tires but I know with my program, that’s the only thing we’ve changed and we don’t feel like we can do anything right. But I’m rolling in there and doing what I did last year to try and win the thing. I’ve put notes in my truck trying to get my head prepared and just doing what I have to do mentally to go out and win it.”

Esh, who said that he and the Leach team have committed to each other for 2008 but are still working on other options that will make their team stronger financially will be joined by the likes of Greg Hodnett, Todd Shaffer, Fred Rahmer, Lucas Wolfe and the rest of the Pennsylvania Posse this weekend. Brian Leppo is the only non-Outlaw to win an Outlaw sanctioned feature this season and he is looking to turn his season around with a win this weekend.

Joey Saldana has been chasing Schatz on the WoO tour all year and will bring a fast race car to the Grove and will have plenty of Outlaws trying to chase the big trophy including Steve Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Daryn Pittman, Jason Meyers, Craig Dollansky and more.

While all of these guys will be shooting for the National Open trophy, Todd Shaffer and Fred Rahmer and possibly Esh are also aiming at bringing home the Cindy Rowe Auto Glass championship. Shaffer leads Rahmer by 175 points and Esh sits just 235 points out. The title is worth $15,000 to the driver and team. No doubt, this one is coming down to the final lap Saturday night.

Racing will not be the only happening at the National Open.

The National Open Chili Cookoff takes place on Saturday beginning at noon with all sorts of activities planned in the back parking lot. Of course, chefs will be mixing up their chili recipe with hopes of being named the best of the day. A silent auction, raffles, driver autograph session and kids activities are just some of the highlights of the Cook-Off. All money raised will go to the Pennsylvania Posse drivers that fail to qualify for the Open. For more information, visit www.nationalopenchilicookoff.com.

The annual National Sprint Car Hall of Fame/Eastern Museum of Motor Racing benefit auction will also take place beginning at 1 p.m. in the back parking lot on Saturday afternoon. Some unique, autographed memorabilia will be up for auction this year. Information on this auction can be found at www.sprintcarhof.com.

PIT STOPS
Mike Dicely did something he never dreamed of doing in his 25 years of racing. He won three features in one night on Friday at Path Valley. He won the 1000 Sidewinders feature, the 600 Micro feature and the 270 Micro feature. Dicely is the leading builder of micro sprints in the area…

Young Michael Heckman scored a big 305 Sprint car win on Saturday at Path Valley. It came in the 305 portion of the All Sprint Nationals at the track. Heckman’s father Gary competed at Williams Grove and Port Royal this season with his 410 sprinter…

Joey Saldana won for the 13th time in WoO action Friday at Eldora Speedway. He took the win over Steve Kinser, Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman and Terry McCarl…

Young Josh Richards captured a $10,000 payday in his win in Saturday’s “Pittsburger” at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. His win came in the WoO late model sanctioned event and came over Brian Shirley, Steve Francis, Darrell Lanigan and Bart Hartman. Littlestown’s Jeremy Miller finished 19th…

Cody Darrah made his return to racing Saturday night at Lincoln Speedway in the Darrah Motorsports No. 89. Cody set second fast time in time trials but was unable to transfer into the feature event. Darrah had a teammate at Lincoln as World of Outlaw driver Tim Shaffer was in a second Darrah Motorsports car. He finished ninth in the feature event…

Look for a new driver in the Tony Stewart Racing Bass Pro Shops sprinter in 2008. Paul McMahan will be replaced and will be looking for a ride. It could be the first of a few changes on the WoO tour during the offseason…

The 2nd annual Susquehanna Showdown is on tap Saturday night with a 50 lap 358 late model event paying $5,000 to win. The winner will then be eligible to win another $25,000 in victory lane…

BACK TO ARCHIVED NEWS