Published: July 01, 2008 11:37 pm      

CORY ISENBERG | Weather plagues racing

Weather is once again the big newsmaker at area racetracks.

Persistent showers on Sunday and Monday at Bedford Speedway forced the cancellation of the track’s PA Posse Speedweek sprint car show.

Doug Esh won the 410 sprint car opener of Speedweek on Saturday at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown. That race was rain delayed for three hours and 40 minutes.

Lernerville’s scheduled World of Outlaws Late Model Series second Firecracker 100 on Saturday was reslated for Sunday, but also did not run. A make-up date has not yet been set.

A regular racing program at Jennerstown Speedway was rained out while Thunder Valley lost its fifth show out of nine races this season on Saturday.

Thunder Valley will hold its biggest event of the season, the Windmill 100 this Saturday.

The show will feature the late models, semi-lates and four-cylinders each going 33 laps with the final lap in honor of Willie Will, the Thunder Valley Raceway builder.

The late model event will pay $2,000 to win, the semi-lates $500 to win, and the four-cylinders will go for $100.

Jennerstown will hold a regular race program this week.

n It rained all around Dog Hollow Speedway Friday night, but the bugs at the pole lights showed there was no rain in Strongstown as Josh Jacoby of Fernwood competed in his first street stock feature and picked up the victory.

Repeat winners included Shawn McGarvey of Coalport in the late models, Dan Angelicchio of Greensburg in the Fastrak late models, Tim Laughard of Vinco in the pure stocks and Merle Billiott of Cherry Tree in the four-cylinder sidewinders.

There were 78 cars in the pits including 14 late models, 10 Fastrak late models, 14 street stocks, 12 pure stocks and 28 four-cylinder sidewinders.

n Former track champion Garry Wiltrout of Somerset emerged from a late race, multi-car battle to win his second super late model feature event of the season at Motordrome Speedway in Smithton.

Other repeat winners are Adam Kostelnik (modifieds), Bill Oldham (chargers) and Paul Rosa (American flyers). Shawn Phillips won his first street stock feature event of the season.

n Rookie driver Mikey Kile of Westlake, La., won the United Speed Alliance Racing (USAR) Hooters Pro Cup Series Lucas Oil 200 Saturday night at Salem, Ind., Speedway in just his fifth start in the Northern Division.

Allen Purkhiser of Moore, S.C., was second with points leader Benny Gordon of DuBois, third. Delaware, Ohio’s Gary St. Amant and Mike Hampton of Fort Hill, S.C., rounded out the top five.

Brandon Ward, Travis Miller, Tyler Young, Tim Bainey Jr. and Ray Love Jr. completed the top 10.

The Lucas Oil 200 featured eight lead changes among five drivers and was slowed eight times for 46 laps of caution.

Gordon holds a 35-point lead over Kile in the point standings.

The Northern Division Series will roll into Jennerstown on July 26.



Cory Isenberg is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat.