As the season starts to wind down, there are lots of specials on tap at western Pennsylvania race tracks for fans.
Several tracks beat the rain this past weekend getting a few specials in the books. Lernerville Speedway got things going on Saturday with the annual Autumn-Motive Fest featuring a 2,000 to win feature for the stock cars that attracted nearly forty cars.
When the checker flew it was a familiar site in victory lane as track champion Jim Fosnaught continued his winning ways scoring win number seven of the season and by far the biggest. Other action saw Joe Zambotti win the non-winners stock feature, Jeremy Zufall won the crate modified feature and the night cap saw Bob Sweitzer win the demolition derby. Lernerville will be back in action this Saturday with “Back to School” bus races, the senior series, two fifty lap endures, and kids bike races.
Other Saturday night tracks Mercer Raceway Park and Sharon Speedway both fell victim to rain over the weekend. Mercer will be off this Saturday but Sharon will present the Apple Festival Nationals with full racing programs this Friday and Saturday. Racing will be highlighted by the crate late models on Friday night and the BRP big block modified tour on Saturday.
For late model fans there will be plenty of action at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway this weekend as the 26th annual Pittsburgher 100 is set to go. Saturday and Sunday will be highlighted by fifty lap 5,000 to win features for the super late models. Crate late models and several classes of stock cars will also be in action over the weekend.
The newly formed Renegade Sprint Car series will also visit Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway on September 27th in a 5,000 to win event. Drivers such as Tim Shaffer, Danny Holtgraver, Greg Wilson and more are expected, look for more on this race next week.
Port Royal Speedway in Juniata County held their biggest race of the season over the weekend which saw Stevie Smith and Greg Hodnett visit victory lane. Smith would score the preliminary win Friday night while Greg Hodnett took home over 13,000 dollars Saturday night for winning his fourth Tuscarora 50. Local racer Danny Holtgraver had a good weekend finishing 3rd and 4th respectively.
Meanwhile in Ohio it was Scott Bloomquist who put on a show for fans at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway. In victory lane Bloomquist told the fans; “I believe everybody got to witness the fastest race car in the world right there.”
Bloomquist came from last to win after being penalized for unapproved window net on lap nineteen. He would then charge through the field and take the lead back for good on lap seventy-two. It was the fourth time in his career Bloomquist has won the World 100, one of the most prestigious races of the season which was worth 47,000 dollars for the Mooresburg Tennessee driver.
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About Rick
Rick Rarer, a Franklin resident, is the owner of Racestud.com and SprintCarNews.com. He has been covering racing for 17 years, taking racing photos for 12 years, and has covered races at over 100 tracks in 15 states. Most recently, Rick won the Bill Steinbach Media Award at the Lernerville Speedway Annual Awards Banquet.
