The Dirt on Danny Holtgraver‏

The Dirt on Danny Holtgraver

(April 24-25 Weekend)

By John Jablonski – hotlgraverd4@gmail.com







After a rough start to the 2009 season at East Bay Raceway Park in Florida, Danny Holtgraver started the season at the local tracks (Lernerville & Mercer) with three straight top ten finishes; ninth on Opening Night at Lernerville, second on Opening Night at Mercer, then fourth a week later at Mercer. April 18 at Mercer ended in a mechanical failure in the form of a broken valve.



Last weekend, Danny started with a great run at Lernerville Speedway on Friday Night with a solid and sometimes spectacular run to a fourth place finish. Lernerville’s points started last week, so Danny knew it was time to go when the green flag dropped. He finished third in his heat race, then pulled the 4 pill for the start of the 25 lap feature. Danny ran with the leaders most of the race and made a late race pass of Rod George to second place. Rod took the position back on the next lap, then track champion Kevin Schaeffer passed him on the last lap.



Despite dropping back two spots in the final five laps, Danny’s fourth place finish was his career best at Lernerville. “I like it rough,” he stated referring to the track. “It was pretty cool to pass Rod George late in the race for second, but he passed me right back, then Kevin got me on the last lap. But it’s our best finish at Lernerville so we’re going to build on that!”



Mercer Raceway Park is a place where Danny has found more success. His first career win in a 410 sprint came at MRP in April of 2007; two more wins have followed since (one each at Mercer and Sharon). Win number four was not in cards last weekend at Mercer, however, as Danny didn’t get one lap in before he went for a wild ride courtesy of Chris Shuttleworth.



Of the wreck, Danny stated, “The car’s pretty much junk. We’ll get it back together and be ready to go next week!”



This coming weekend, the recently reconstructed D4 will be towed to Lernerville Speedway on Friday, possibly to Sharon Speedway on Saturday and finally to Franklin, PA on Sunday for the $2500 to win return of sprint cars to Tri-City Speedway.



Heading into this weekend, Danny is currently in fourth in the points at Lernerville Speedway, eight back of points leader Ed Lynch Jr. At Mercer, Danny is seventh in points, just 55 behind leader Rod George. He has a heat race win (at Mercer), three top fives and four top tens. Danny’s website www.DannyHoltgraver.com will be re-launched in the near future.



Danny would like to thank his family, crew and sponsors for everything they do to keep him on the track and running with the big dogs in the Western Pennsylvania 410 sprint car scene. 2009 sponsors and marketing partners include West View Motors, Ti22 Performance, Alternative Power Sources, Kistler Racing Products, Manno’s Automotive, J&J Auto Racing, Frankland Racing Supply, Butler Built Professional Seat Systems, Terry Key Detailing, Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts, D&T Auto Body, Simpson, VRP Shocks, Agip, Spinneweber Auto Sales and Mel Bagley’s Auto Service Center.

There’s plenty for everyone at WRT Speedwerx…

On behalf of the entire team at WRT Speedwerx, I’d like to start out by thanking everyone for their overwhelming support of our groundbreaking endeavor. The positive feedback that we’ve gotten has been incredible, and it’s translating into success for everyone involved. As with any new venture, there are growing pains, and learning experiences, but each new week is proving to be more successful than the previous. The traffic to the novelty stands has grown by leaps and bounds, and the traffic to the website is so overwhelming that we had to upgrade to a dedicated server to handle it all.



With 7 completely stocked albums of photos at Williams Grove, we are working tirelessly to ensure that we have multiple shots of every car that competes. We would like to stress, however, that what you see in the albums is just a fraction of what’s available at http://wrtspeedwerx.com. By purchasing online, you gain access to any photo, in any size, and any quantity and you get them delivered right to your door.



As always, we are constantly looking for new ways to be able to deliver everything that you might need, so look for some exciting announcements in the near future from our team.



WRT Speedwerx is the official photographer of Williams Grove Speedway, Hagerstown Speedway, and the Three State Flyers Late Model Series and can be found on the web at http://wrtspeedwerx.com.

FAST Championship Series Week #1 Recap

The Kistler Racing Products FAST Championship Series kicked off on a
windy night at Attica Raceway Park. There were 29 fire-breathing 410
sprint cars ready to do battle for the Kistler Cup on Friday night
before moving down the road to Fremont Speedway on Saturday where 34
cars would collect points toward the FAST Championship.

The surprise of the weekend was seeing a familiar looking white #63
in the pits with Bob Hampshire turning the wrenches. Chad Kemenah was
the pilot of this machine and he took it right to the front of the
A-main on Friday as he led the majority of the race. A late race
caution allowed Brian Smith to get a run on Kemenah when the green
flag dropped and Smith made the last 6 laps of the 30 lapper work for
him as he pulled away from the #63 to net his first 410 victory and
the first ever FAST feature win. Kemenah came home second followed by
Tim Shaffer, Mike Linder, and Brandon Martin.

The Zemco Headers Hard Charger award went to Andy Shammo for passing
7 cars in the main event on his way to a 13th place finish. Cole
Duncan picked up the Hepfner Racing Products Tough Luck award for his
unfortunate crash during his heat race. The GME/Nields Steering Cool
Move of the Race went to Brian Smith for making the winning move on
the last restart, though Kemenah had an awesome move earlier in the
event when he took the lead by threading the needle going 3-wide
coming off turn four.

Mark Keegan picked up the Keizer Wheels B-Main Winner Award, while
Lee Jacobs picked up a Butlerbuilt certificate for being the first
non-transferring car in the B-Main. Brian Smith picked up certificates
from Saldana Racing Products and RacingJunk.com for his FAST feature
win. Kemenah took home the Rod End Supply award for his second place
run. Tim Shaffer picked up an Outerwears Award for third. Mike Linder
netted a DMI Racing Components award for finishing 4th and Brandon
Martin took home the VMAC Racing award for rounding out the Top 5.

Night #2 of the Fremont/Attica Sprint Title Championship Series saw
Tim Shaffer pull into victory lane at Fremont Speedway in a car
wrenched on by Brian Kemenah of Kistler Racing Products - the series
Title Sponsor. Shaffer has been dominant at Fremont Speedway this
season picking up his second win in a row and finding himself on top
of the FAST point standings. Lee Jacobs, who just put his #25 car
together last Saturday in the pits in Fremont, gave Shaffer all he
could handle and made several challenges pulling right up on Shaffer's
bumper in traffic. Jacobs was unable to get a run on Shaffer and
settled for 2nd place with Greg Wilson and Dale Blaney battling side
by side for third behind him. Wilson came home third, followed by
Blaney and Chad Kemenah in the Hampshire #63 rounding out the Top 5.

The Zemco Headers Hard Charger award went to Craig Mintz who started
20th and passed 7 cars to finish 13th. The GME/Nields Cool Move award
went to Caleb Griffith who made a daring last lap move in the B-main
causing him to spin across the finish line. The Hepfner Racing
Products Tough Luck award went to Travis Philo who flipped wildly down
the front stretch during his heat race destroying the car and ending
his night. Rob Chaney picked up the TQ QT award from TQ Fiberglass for
setting the Quick Time in qualifying. Phil Gressman picked up the
B-main win and a Keizer Wheels award, while Caleb Griffith got the
Butlerbuilt award for the first non-transfer car from the B-main.

Tim Shaffer grabbed the Saldana Racing Products and RacingJunk.com
awards for winning the A-main event. Lee Jacobs took home the Rod End
Supply award for second place. Greg Wilson picked up the Outerwears
Pre-Filters award for third. Dale Blaney got the DMI Racing Components
award for fourth place. Chad Kemenah took home the VMAC Racing/BR
Motorsports award for fifth.

After two nights of competition, Tim Shaffer leads the point chase
followed by Chad Kemenah, Greg Wilson, Byron Reed, Cap Henry, Mike
Linder, Brandon Martin, Brian Smith, Brock Mayes, and Lee Jacobs
rounding out the Top 10.

For complete results, points, and video highlights from the weekend,
please visit www.fastondirt.com
where we will keep you informed on all the latest news and
information. Also, check out the FAST merchandise, the FASTfan Club,
and purchase tickets for the trip give away to the World Finals at The
Dirt Track at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC all on our web
site.

The quest for the FAST Kistler Cup resumes on May 1st at Attica
Raceway Park and May 2nd at Fremont Speedway.

FAST on Dirt, Inc. would like to thank the following contributors to
the 2009 FAST Championship Series point fund:

Kistler Racing Products, All Star Plumbing & Heating, KS Sales &
Service, Engler Machine & Tool, Henry MotorSports Inc., Black Swamp
Media Group, MyHeroCards.com, Banshee Graphics, Kears Speed Shop,
Computer Man, Inc., SCS Gearbox, The Hideaway Inn (Bucyrus),
RockAuto.com, Hoserville Ohio, Hoseheads.com, RacingFansDirect.com,
Level Performance, R&R Auto Wrecking, Reebar Diecasting, Performance
Metals, Inc., FSR Radiator, Real Geese, Buckeye IT Services, High
Vista Video, Racers Racing for a Cure, Gressman Powersports, NAPA of
Bryan, OH, Gaerte Engines, Bobby's Truck & Auto Repair, Tiffin Brake &
Wheel, Golden Graphics, African Safari, Goofy Golf, and Ghostly Manor.

Also, a very special thanks to all of our contingency award sponsors:

Rod End Supply, Hank's Performance, Hepfner Racing Products, TQ
Fiberglass, GME Nields Steering, Race Coveralls, Speed Meets Art,
SuperShox, Callies, Astro Titanium, G-Force Racing, Fuel Safe, Racing
Optics, Rocket Headers, Wings Unlimited, VRP Shocks, Kinsler
Injections, RAM Engineering Midwest, PRO Shocks, DJ Safety, C&R Racing
Products, ButlerBuilt, Permatex, Movement Arts Sponsor Disk, Zemco
Headers, Kinser Filters, Outerwears, DMI Race Components, Keizer
Wheels, Linders Speed Equipment, Saldana Racing Products,
RacingJunk.com, XXX Race Components, Randy's Racing Filters, Hinchman
Indy Uniforms, VMAC/BR Motorsports, Awesome Signs, CGS Imaging

More cash and prizes will continue to be added. Stay tuned for the
the latest on FAST by visiting www.fastondirt.com

O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions Drivers are Making Headlines

Carmargo, IL (4-24-09)  By Kelly Brown  Director of Public
Relations  Even though there has been a pause in the OReilly All
Star Circuit of Champions schedule, that doesnt mean that the
talented drivers of the series are taking the weekend off. Many of
the pilots of America's Series spend their off weekends keeping
themselves sharp for their next All Star event by running races at
weekly tracks or with other notable series. Here is an update of how
the All Stars are doing racing outside of the series, making
headlines and gaining notoriety in the racing world, showing they are
true all stars.

*Dale Blaney*

2008 All Star Champion Dale Blaney already has one notch in his belt
with the All Star Series after winning the Spring Nationals at Attica
Raceway, but that doesnt mean he hasnt excelled at other venues
across his native Ohio. Blaney also has a runner-up finish, which he
earned at the weekly race at Attica the week prior to the All Star
event. Also, just last weekend Blaney placed second in a
non-sanctioned race at Fremont Speedway.

*Ryan Bunton*

2009 Rookie-of-the-Year title contender Ryan Bunton has been running
in the Midwest. Just last weekend the young talent ran with the World
of Outlaws at Paducah International Speedway.

*Daron Clayton*

As the second 2009 Rookie-of-the-Year contender, Daron Clayton has
also been trying his hand at other 410 sprint events. Last weekend
the Missouri native made the trip to Paducah International Speedway
to run with the World of Outlaws and made the feature event.

*Randy Hannagan*

One of the busiest drivers with who is running with the All Star
Series, Randy Hannagan has been running a lot of races this year from
Australia to Arizona to Ohio. One of his most notable finishes came a
few months ago at Thunderbowl Raceway in California. After an off
season that had as many twists and turns as an action film, the
Hurricane over came all the off track adversity to win the World of
Outlaws event. Hannagan has been excelling at many tracks across the
U.S. and beyond, for example just last weekend he finished third at
Paducah International Speedway.

*Ryan Myers*

2008 All Star Rookie-of-the-Year Ryan Meyers has been at text book
All Star in 2009, competing in only Americas Series events.

*Daryn Pittman*

2009 Championship point leader Daryn Pittman has already ran 31
A-Main events so far this season. He also began his season in
Australia, before traveling back state side to compete in the Chili
Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After a win at EastBay in Florida, Pittman
has been spending the majority of his time running across
Pennsylvania and Ohio. Pittman has recorded multiple top-five
finishes at Port Royal Speedway, Williams Grove Speedway, and Lincoln
Speedway.

*Tim Shaffer *

2009 All Star Championship contender Tim Shaffer has been one of the
most successful drivers on the track in 2009. Holding the second
position in the point standings with the All Stars, Shaffer has also
been winning local events in the past few weekends. Prior to the All
Star race at Attica Raceway, Shaffer won a weekly event at the track.
Then just last weekend the Steel City Outlaw won at Freemont
Speedway in Ohio. In 15 A-main events in 2009, Shaffer has already
collected 7 top-five finishes.

*Danny Smith*

Another driver that has had a very busy 2009 is Danny Smith. He began
his 2009 racing in Australia, collecting three top-five finishes
before moving state side. Since then Smith has been running across
the U.S. at various tracks with various series.

*Greg Wilson *

Greg Wilson started 2009 at the Chili Bowl, but since then he has
been racing a little closer to home. Since spring has made an
appearance in the Mid-West, Wilson has been running at tracks
throughout Ohio. The former All Star Champion has finished in the
top-three every time he has taken the Green Flag at Attica Raceway. A
few weekends ago he also added a second place finish at
LimalandMotorsportsPark to his 2009 racing resume.

*Brandon Wimmer*

Brandon Wimmer may have had a tough race with the All Stars at Attica
Raceway, but last weekend he redeemed himself by charging through the
field at Fremont Speedway. In the main event Wimmer would pick up ten
positions in the first 15 laps. The car lost its handle a little bit,
but Wimmer was able to hold on for an eighth place finish. Wimmer
plans to continue this off weekend warm ups by running at Fremont and
Attica in Ohio, before rejoining the All Stars in Pennsylvania.

Dont miss out on a minute of All Star Racing action when the series
resumes its schedule in Pennsylvania running at Williams Grove
Speedway on May 1st and Lincoln Speedway on May 2nd. For the most up
to date on the All Star Series and its talented drivers stay tuned to
www.allstarsprint.com
.

Michael Brothers Race Together‏

MICHAEL BROTHERS TEAMMATES FOR FIRST TIME
Sean and Curt Race Together for Heffner Racing Enterprises

For the first time ever, brothers Sean and Curt Michael will compete as teammates. Curt joins Heffner Racing Enterprises (www.heffnerracing.com) for next week’s All Star Circuit of Champions-sanctioned race at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, May 1 and the World of Outlaws-sanctioned Thunder in the First State at Delaware International Speedway on Tuesday, May 12.

With two cars on the track, team owner Mike Heffner is optimistic about the team’s chances for victory.

“Both Sean and Curt are excellent drivers and I feel fortunate having both of them running my cars. I get excited just seeing one speeding around the track, I can only imagine how I’ll feel seeing two,” anticipates Heffner.

Sean, Heffner Racing Enterprises’ lead driver, has a total of six championships, 104 career wins (including two All Star Circuit of Champions), and was awarded National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 410 Sprint Car Rookie of the Year for 1998.

Curt, reigning URC champion for the past five years (six championships total), had previously raced 410s for the teams of Mike Bostic, Bill Tanger, and Walt Dyer. He is looking forward to returning to Williams Grove and racing in front of his home state fans in Delaware.

“I’m excited to get back into a 410 and really thankful to Mike and Sean for the opportunity. It means a lot to me that they would allow me race their equipment,” said Curt.

Though looking forward to racing together and even helping each other prepare their respective racecars, the difference in the brothers’ competitive natures should make for a very interesting match-up.

“It’s cool. We’ve raced together in URC. Once you get racing, it’s just another car. I’m sure he feels the same way,” assumes Sean.

Not quite. Though Curt initially echoed that sentiment, when pressed, he admitted that racing against his big brother is not like racing against other drivers.

“It’s a little different. When we see each other, I’m sure we both sit up in the seat a little bit more and try to pass each other just a little bit harder,” says Curt.

“I think Curt will do a good job. He did a great job in 410s before and will do a great job again,” concludes Sean.

For more information visit www.heffnerracing.com or call Suzan French, FlackShack, 610-573-6989, sfrench@flackshack.com

FAST Championship Series Announces Special Awards for 2009

(MAUMEE, OH) 4-21-09 by Bryan Autullo – FAST Public Relations

With the Fremont/Attica Sprint Title (FAST) points battle about to
get underway, the excitement is building in Northern Ohio. With more
than $50,000 in cash and prizes on the line, the series will kick off
this Friday night (April 24th) at Attica Raceway Park and then move 30
miles down the road to Fremont Speedway on Saturday (April 25th). This
will mark the first time that the two tracks have worked together to
crown a combined points Champion in addition to the two individual
track point funds.

Some great sponsors have stepped up to make this series even more
exciting by providing prizes to the competitors in the 410 sprint
division at each FAST event. Several more sponsors have made prize
contributions that will be awarded at the season end banquet. Of
course, there are also those who contributed cash toward the point
fund that will be distributed to the Top 10 with $10,000 going to the
Kistler Racing Products FAST Champion at the end of the 2009 racing
season.

Special awards will be distributed in addition to weekly cash purse
as follows:

Zemco Headers Hard Charger Award – The “Hard Charger” of the
night who passes the most cars in the A-main will receive a $50 Zemco
gift certificate and will gain points toward the "Zemco Headers Hard
Charger of the Year" and receive a set of headers at the banquet.

GME/Nields Steering Cool Move of the Race – The driver who exhibits
the use of his steering to make the most daring move to advance
positions or avoid disaster will receive a $50 GME/Nields gift
certificate and will be entered for a free steering gear rebuild from
GME/Nields at the banquet for the driver with "GME Nields Cool Move of
the Year".

Hepfner Racing Products Tough Luck Award - The driver who has an
unfortunate night and bends up his race car will get a $25 HRP gift
certificate. The driver at the end of the season with the most Tough
Luck awards this season will get a HRP nose wing and top wing at the
banquet.

TQ QT Award – TQ Fiberglass will provide the Quick Time winner at
Fremont Speedway with a $25 gift certificate. (Attica lines up by pill
draw for weekly events and will not have a Quick Time winner.)

B-Main Winner – The driver who “drives the wheels off it” and
wins the B-main will receive a $50 Keizer Wheels gift certificate.

B-main Non-Transfer – The first non-transferring driver (5th place
in the B-main) will receive a Butlerbuilt gift certificate.

A-main Winner – The FAST Feature winner will receive a Saldana
Racing Products $50 gift certificate and a 3-month VIP subscription to
RacingJunk.com online racing classifieds.

A-main 2nd Place – The runner up in the A-main will receive a $30
Rod End Supply gift certificate.

A-main 3rd Place – The third place finisher in the A-main will
receive a gift certificate for (1) free Outerwears Pre-Filter.

A-main 4th Place – The fourth place finisher in the A-main will
receive a DMI Racing Components gift certificate for $25.

A-main 5th Place – The driver who rounds out the Top 5 in the
A-main will receive a VMAC Racing/BR Motorsports $25 gift certificate.


Don’t forget to check out the FAST web site at www.fastondirt.com

to order FAST Merchandise and to buy tickets for the trip give away
to the World Finals in November. Find out more about all of our great
sponsors by visiting their web sites and thanking them for their
support for those who go FAST!

Lee Jacobs Set to Contend for the FAST Kistler Cup

(MAUMEE, OH) 4-16-09 by Bryan Autullo - FAST Series Public Relations

Another heavy-weight contender has stepped into the ring to compete for the Kistler Racing Products Fremont/Attica Sprint Title (FAST) in 2009. Lee Jacobs, son of sprint car racing legend Kenny Jacobs, will pilot the Genzman Racing #25 at the 22 scheduled FAST events this season. Lee cut his teeth at these two tracks and has become a force to be reckoned with over the years. The Holmesville, OH native grew up watching his father put up National Sprint Car Hall of Fame stats around Ohio and on the All Star tour over the years and has since been carving out his own successful career. Since 2000, Lee has racked up 7 feature wins, more than 60 Top 5’s and nearly 130 Top 10’s with the majority of those coming at Fremont and Attica. Methanol is in his blood and he will be gunning for the inaugural Kistler Racing Products FAST Kistler Cup.

“I’m excited to be able to run this deal at Fremont and Attica,” said Jacobs. “We’re going to run the FAST schedule with the help of De and Andy Genzman and we’ll have Andy Potter with us turning the wrenches.” Potter has become one of the top mechanics in this area and with Jacobs at the wheel, the combo will be tough to beat week in and week out. “I also want to thank Level Performance, Pro Shocks, Jeanie Butler at Butlerbuilt, Classic Turning, and Goodyear for helping me pull this all together.”

The Fremont/Attica Sprint Title schedule kicks off April 24th & 25th with a deep pool of local talent that is sure to bring some close competition throughout the season. Other drivers expected to run the full FAST schedule at both tracks include Mark Keegan, Byron Reed, Chris Andrews, Craig Mintz, Mike Linder, David Harrison, Brian Smith, Cap Henry, Duane Zablocki, Bruce Robenalt, Travis Philo, Caleb Griffith, Brian Sebetto, Brandon Martin, Brock Mayes, Rob Chaney, Jody Keegan, Cole Duncan, Aaron Middaugh, Jamie Miller, Kevin Lee, Scott Euler, and Craig Keel.

There is no membership fee required and all drivers who compete in these events will receive points toward the Championship. Follow all the action at www.fastondirt.com and tune in to The Last Lap on Wednesday nights at 6pm at www.lastlaplive.com . Please support all of our sponsors and advertisers who have made this possible. Let them all know you appreciate their involvement and thank them for going FAST!

FAST on Dirt, Inc. would like to thank the following contributors to the 2009 FAST Championship Series point fund:

Kistler Racing Products, All Star Plumbing & Heating, KS Sales & Service, Engler Machine & Tool, Henry MotorSports Inc., Black Swamp Media Group, MyHeroCards.com, Banshee Graphics, Kears Speed Shop, Computer Man, Inc., SCS Gearbox, The Hideaway Inn (Bucyrus), RockAuto.com, Hoserville Ohio, Hoseheads.com, RacingFansDirect.com, Level Performance, R&R Auto Wrecking, Reebar Diecasting, Performance Metals, Inc., FSR Radiator, Real Geese, Buckeye IT Services, High Vista Video, Racers Racing for a Cure, Gressman Powersports, NAPA of Bryan, OH, Gaerte Engines, Bobby's Truck & Auto Repair, Tiffin Brake & Wheel, Golden Graphics, Goofy Golf, and Ghostly Manor.

Also, a very special thanks to all of our contingency award sponsors:

Rod End Supply, Hank's Performance, Hepfner Racing Products, TQ Fiberglass, GME Nields Steering,
Race Coveralls, Speed Meets Art, SuperShox, Callies, Astro Titanium, G-Force Racing, Fuel Safe,
Racing Optics, Rocket Headers, Wings Unlimited, VRP Shocks, Kinsler Injections, RAM Engineering Midwest, PRO Shocks, DJ Safety, C&R Racing Products, ButlerBuilt, Permatex, Movement Arts Sponsor Disk, Zemco Headers, Kinser Filters, Outerwears, DMI Race Components, Keizer Wheels,
Linders Speed Equipment, Saldana Racing Products, RacingJunk.com, XXX Race Components,
Randy's Racing Filters, Hinchman Indy Uniforms, VMAC/BR Motorsports


More cash and prizes will continue to be added. Stay tuned for the the latest on FAST by visiting www.fastondirt.com

NATIONAL SPRINT CAR ANNUAL

The latest edition of the National Sprint Car Annual is now available. The 84 page annual features color photos of sprint car and supermodified action from all corners of United States. A special section was devoted to some of the major races in 2008 such as the Little 500, the Dirt Cup, the Knoxville Nationals, the Williams Grove Open, the Short Track Nationals and more. Once again Jim Harris compiled a comprehensive list of over 4300 drivers from 2008 which is listed in the back. The price is $9.00 (includes shipping). Order can be sent to : NSCA P.O. Box 88851 Sioux Falls, SD. 57109

SPRINT CAR GREAT JOHNNY BEABER, SON TONY, ALONG WITH NEW JERSEY’S JEFF TAYLOR & JACK HELGET TO CALL MERCER HOME IN 2009

By Mike Leone



April 8, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Mercer, PA…When Mercer Raceway Park opened its 2009 Sprint Car campaign last Saturday night, April 4, there was a familiar name in the lineup; that none other than Johnny Beaber. The name alone conjures up many memories for Pennsylvania and Ohio Sprint Car fans.



The Gibsonburg, Ohio native has over 200 career Sprint Car wins all over the Midwest and Northeast. He’s a 26-time Mercer winner including the only World of Outlaw race run at Mercer on June 14, 1978 and was a winner against the All Stars on June 23, 1982. His last win at Mercer came on May 6, 1995.



In 2009, Beaber will be a Mercer regular for the first time since 1994 when Mercer reopened. Beaber will be driving for New Jersey’s Jeff Taylor, who will also compete weekly (#17T) along with his second driver, Jack Helget (#71c). The three-car team will carry sponsorship from C&B Mushrooms, Buckeye Steering and Art’s Radiator. Their Beaberbuilt cars will be powered by Jereco Engines. Joining the trio Saturday will be Johnny’s son Tony in his own car. Tony owns three career non-wing wins at the Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana and was the track champion in 2006 driving for Alan Toth.



“It’s truly something special to have Johnny Beaber back at Mercer weekly,” expressed 11th year owner Vicki Emig. “He had a long and rich history at Mercer. Growing up I remember watching him race as I’m sure many other longtime fans do. It’s going to be exciting to see him get re-acclimated behind the wheel. I know he has the talent and desire to rise to the top again. I’ve always been thankful for Jeff Taylor’s support over the years and am thrilled him and his team have decided to call Mercer home in 2009 when there are a lot of other Saturday night venues out there.”



The elder Beaber suffered magneto problems in his debut Saturday night and was credited with 15th. “It was pretty cool to be back out there,” described the driver of the #7B from his Beaberbuilt business Wednesday night. “It was disappointing to have the motor problems all night, but the mag is being checked out now. I just ran a couple laps and pulled it in the feature. We should have it handled for this Saturday night.”



Beaber’s last stint behind the wheel was a short one in 2002 as he drove his son’s car and “Soup” Sabo’s #8s in a handful of races. “Everything is so much faster and a lot tougher today,” described Beaber. “There have always been the good guys, but years ago only so many had good chassis, motors, and tires. It’s different today; everyone has good stuff so the driver can make a difference. There has got to be away to outguess the other drivers. It will be interesting to see how much it has changed as the weeks go on.”



“I’ve never been one to set goals,” revealed Beaber. “If I did, I’d set them low so I could achieve them. I just want to do Jeff (Taylor) right and not let him and my family down. I’ve had a ball over the years and a lot of success at Mercer. The track has been around forever. I can honestly say I do not have a bad memory there.”



While Johnny Beaber is known far and wide around racing circles, his car owner Jeff Taylor is more well-known for his professional football days. The former Chicago, Illinois resident went to the University of Missouri and spent time in the World Football League in 1973 before being drafted by the Washington Redskins. He spent three seasons in DC and also spent some time with the Houston Oilers. Taylor also played in the United States Football League (USFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). Taylor’s success came at the tight end position, but also played defensive line and weak side linebacker.



After football, Taylor played in a professional softball league for the Chicago Fire. While traveling the country, his friend convinced him to go to a season ending Sprint Car race in Wisconsin. Taylor was hooked immediately. So much in fact he went to the pits and bought the first car he saw for sale.



Now you’re probably wondering how Taylor and Beaber hooked up. “About six or seven years ago I was in Indiana and saw a Beaberbuilt Silver Crown that was driven by Jack Hewitt,” explained Taylor, who now calls Cherry Hill, New Jersey home. “I ended up acquiring it by trading it for a Sprint Car. The relationship between Johnny and I turned into a business one as I became the Beaberbuilt dealer in New Jersey. Over the winter, I kept messing with him telling him I wanted him to drive one of my cars. He didn’t think I was serious, until one day I showed up with a brand new car, motor, and trailer!”



“Before this transpired, I became really good friend with Jeff and Jack,” said Beaber. “They’re such nice people, so good, and so diplomatic. Jeff has always wanted to this and it’s put a bounce in my step. As you get older, things change, but this has made things really nice. It’s given me ambition and has really motivated me!”



“Racing is a business, but we’re just older guys having fun,” quipped Taylor! “It’s a family deal for them and there’s no pressure on Johnny…it’s not like he’s doing this for a living. In the past I never had the money to do it right, but now I can and it’s the end of all ends. I enjoy it so much, it’s such a blast and I’m having so much fun.”



The Luxaire Heating & Cooling Sprint Cars will join the Approved Toilet Rental Modifieds, 4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, Big Daddy’s Speed Center Mod Lites, and the M&D Paving Mini Stocks again this Saturday night, April 11. Race time is 7 p.m.



Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round Monday through Friday late mornings and after 1:30 p.m. For more information call the office at 724-964-9300 or the track on race day at 724-662-1310. Check out our website at www.mercerracewaypark.com for the latest. Text the word “MERCER” to 29222 for race event and special family and discounted promotions.

Fremont & Attica take a stand on spec tire rule

by Brian Liskai

FREMONT, Ohio - In an effort to address the costs of racing for sprint car teams at Fremont Speedway and Attica Raceway Park, Hoosier Tire Company is working with the tracks to make changes to the spec tire rule.

Beginning with races in June, only the Hoosier SC-15 and Hoosier SC-25 right rear tires will be required as spec tires at both race tracks. Fremont Speedway Promoter Rich Farmer said the tracks wanted to give race teams and suppliers like Kear's Speed Shop and Kistler Race Products time to cycle through the SC-12s they have remaining in stock.

"After talks with Rex LeJeune (Attica Raceway Park Operations Manager) Attica will follow suit with Fremont Speedway to implement a little harder spec tire rule," said Rich Farmer, Fremont Speedway Promoter. "I want to thank Hoosier Tire for working with us to help the racers. I own a sprint car and I know how expensive it can be to keep rubber on one of these. Hopefully this will help."

Farmer said the tire rules for the sanctioning bodies that visit both tracks will remain.

For more information contact Farmer at 419-307-4241.

O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series Announces 2009 Slate of Drivers

Camargo, IL (4-3-2009) by Kelly Brown – Public Relations Director – Now that the 2009 O’Reilly Midwest All Star Series schedule has been released, we now know where the series will be racing. Now, it is time to answer the “who” question. Today the O’Reilly Midwest Series All Star would like to reveal the nine drivers that will be following the series full time. Among the list are a two-time series champion and two rookies that will be making their debut with the series in 2009. Each weekend these drivers will be racing across the Midwest for racing supremacy. The 2009 Midwest All Star roster includes:
A.J. Bruns

From the beginning of the Midwest All Star Series in 2007, A.J. Bruns has been a staple. Last season Bruns scored his first series win at Thunderhill Raceway, after starting in the fifth position in his Bruns Service Center 44. The past two seasons Bruns has ended his season in the top-five in the point standings. In 29 Midwest All Star events, Bruns has collected a single win, 14 top-five finishes and 21 top-ten finishes.

Jim Davies (R)

This season Jim Davies will being running for the Midwest All Star Rookie-of-the-Year title. Davis is no stranger to winged sprint car racing as in the past few years he has been running events with various 360 sprint car series along with a few Midwest All Star events with the 410 engine. In six Midwest All Star starts Davies had three top-ten finishes to his credit.

Jordan Goldesberry (R)

Another rookie competitor this season will be Jordan Goldesberry. Goldesberry began his winged sprint car racing career in 2007 with several stars in both 360 and 410 sprint car series. The Springfield, Illinois native has five Midwest All Star starts to his credit and out of those he has only one time that he did not finish in the top-ten.

Brad Greer

Hailing from Coulterville, IL, Brad Greer will be joining the Midwest All Star for his second full All Star Season in 2009. In 2008, Greer had a very consistent season finishing in the fourth position in the point standings. In the 19 Midwest All Star events that he has been a part of, Greer has five top-five finishes and nine top-ten finishes to his credit.

Jerrod Hull

Two-time Midwest All Star Champion Jerrod Hull will be returning to the series for a third consecutive title run in 2009. Hull celebrated his second Midwest All Star Championship in 2008, collecting a $6,000.00 payday. The champion had a very consistent season, not once finishing outside of the top-five. During his Midwest All Star career, Hull has eight wins to his credit and has only finished outside of the top-ten once. Kody KinserSon of former All Star series winner Kelly Kinser, Kody Kinser will be looking to put his name into the Midwest All Star record books in 2009 in his 4k racing machine. Last season Kinser finished sixth in the points standings running in just eight events. He also scored his first Midwest All Star career win from the pole position at Jefferson County Raceway. During his career Kinser has ran a total of 13 Midwest All Star events, collecting three top-five finishes and six top-ten finishes.

Miranda Throckmorton

2008 Midwest All Star Series Rookie-of-the Year Miranda Throckmorton will be joining the series in 2009 for her sophomore campaign. Throckmorton who hails from Avon, Indiana, had a solid rookie run with her highest finish being fourth, and she also finished third in the point standings. In 15 Midwest All Star starts, Throckmorton has two top-five finishes and seven top-ten finishes to her credit.

Shane WadeIn

2009, Shane Wade will be running his first full campaign with the Midwest All Star series. Wade is the Grandson of sprint car legend Chuck Amati and will be looking to continue on the family’s racing history. Last season Wade collected his first Midwest All Star victory at Spoon River Speedway. In a total of 11 Midwest All Star races, Wade has collected one top-five finish and three top-ten finishes.

Tiffany Wyzard

Another driver that has been around since the inaugural season, Tiffany Wyzard will be making her third run at the Midwest All Star title in 2009. Wyzard has finished in the top-ten in the point standings the past two seasons. During her Midwest All Star career, Wyzard has three top-five finishes and nine top-ten finishes on her resume. Don’t miss out on a minute of the racing action. To view the full 2009 O’Reilly Midwest All Star schedule and the latest news regarding the series visit www.allstarsprint.com

Win a Trip to the World Finals from FAST

The FAST organization is giving away a trip to the 2009 World of
Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Lowes Motor Speedway.
Tickets will be sold throughout the season leading up to the event
that takes place on November 5th through November 7th. Included in
this prize package are two passes for all three nights of the World
Finals (including pit passes), three nights at the Wingate by Wyndham
Hotel in Charlotte, and a $50 gas card to assist the winner with
transportation to the event.

“We wanted to do something extra for the fans,” said co-organizer
Bryan Autullo. “This FAST Series is a fan driven concept and we
thought this would be a neat way to give something away to two lucky
fans at the end of the season.” Tickets will be sold for $5.00 each
or five for $20.00 and can be purchased online through the FAST web
site (www.fastondirt.com
).

“If we can find a sponsor who would like to participate in this
give-away, we would like to send the 2009 FAST Champion to Charlotte
to compete in this event,” added Autullo. “We think this would be
a great promotion for the local fans, the tracks, and our FAST
Champion since this event has gained such national attention on SPEED
Channel over the past few seasons.”

Also, new this month is the addition of the FASTfan Club Packages.
Fans who would like to participate in helping us crown a Champion in
2009 may purchase Fan Club packages through the FAST web site.
Proceeds from these packages will be added to the 2009 point fund.
Packages are available for purchase at various price levels. Each
package gets you a variation of entries into the World Finals trip
give-away, can coozies, decals, t-shirts, and more. Be a part of it
all by becoming a FASTfan.

If you haven’t already done so, get in on the social networking
craze by joining FASTbook. This custom social network is for the fans
of local dirt track racing. You can join by visiting the FAST web site
and clicking on the FASTbook menu button. Get to know the person
sitting next to you in the stands, post photos, share stories, and
“get social” with FASTbook.

If you are anxious to get your FAST merchandise before the first
points event weekend, you can now visit the “FAST Virtual
Merchandise Trailer” on our web site and purchase t-shirts, decals,
can coozies, and the FASTfest DVD. The t-shirt design for the 2009
season is coming soon. Randy Frank from Frank-N-Signs is currently
finalizing the design. Randy has designed shirts recently for Kraig
Kinser and Tim Kaeding (to name a few) and has a unique flair for
racing t-shirt design. Those will be available for purchase soon. All
proceeds from merchandise will be added to the point fund and other
special events throughout the season.

All Stars Ambush Attica for Spring Nationals

Camargo, IL (4-5-2009) by Kelly Brown  Public Relations Director 
It has been over a month since Winter Nationals ended, but the
OReilly All Stars Circuit of Champions hasnt cooled down. This
weekend the series will be making the trek to Attica Raceway Park for
the 17th running of HD Supply Spring Nationals.

The drivers of the All Star Series will be taking the Green Flag
Friday, April 10 for the two night event for their chance to become a
part of Spring Nationals history. The first All Star Spring Nationals
events at Attica Raceway were ran in 1992 and both nights were swept
by Frankie Kerr. In 28 Spring National races, Frankie Kerr has the
most wins with four, he is followed in the record books by Greg
Wilson who has three wins to his credit, and Mark Keegan, Dale
Blaney, Danny Smith and Chad Kemenah who each have two victories to
their credit.

Going to battle on the 1/3 mile banked oval will be the regulars of
the All Star Series, along with some local favorites. Even NASCAR
star Kasey Kahne, will be joining the All Stars this weekend as he
returns to his racing roots with the All Stars to celebrate his 29th
birthday. Kahne has 6 career All Star wins to his credit, although he
has yet to win at Attica Raceway.

With five races in the All Star record books going into Spring
Nationals, will Tim Shaffer collect his second win of the season? Or
will 2008 All Star Series Champion Dale Blaney collect his first win
of the season? Dont miss what promises to be another action packed
event for the OReilly All Star Circuit of Champions.

*Ticket Information*

On Friday, April 10, Atticas gates will open at 4:30 p.m. with
racing action set to heat up at 7:45 p.m. General admission tickets
are $18 for adults; $15 for senior citizens; $10 for teens 11-15
years of age; and kids 10 and under are free. A pit pass is $30.

Saturday night, April 11, the track will open for fans at 3:30 p.m.
with racing to begin at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $22
for adults; $20 for senior citizens; $10 for teens 11-15 years of
age; and kids 10 and under are free. A pit pass is $30.

The weekend will be filled with action-packed, exhilarating race
action. Tickets can be obtained by calling the track at 419-680-5606.
For further information log onto www.atticaracewaypark.com