Central PA 358 Racing Series: 11/22/09

William McIntyre · at 10:07 AM

The 1st ever Central PA 358 Point Series Champion Jeff Rohrbaugh was awarded his trophy as well as his $250 gift certificate to Delco Signs. Congratulations to Jeff, his car owners the Vincent's and the whole 7v team on being crowned the top 358 team in 2009.

William McIntyre · at 9:56 AM

Brad was awarded his 2nd place trophy for the Central PA 358 Point Series as well as his $100 gift certificate to Panchos Racing Products .

William McIntyre · at 9:49 AM

Bill Dietrich received his 5th place trophy for the Central PA 358 Point Series. I was able to give Bill his trophy as well as his $50 gift certificate to speedwerx photography. Congratulations to Bill on the award as well as being crowned the 2009 Trail Way Speedway track champion.

William McIntyre · at 9:27 AM

Hanover, PA (11/14/09) – Although Mother Nature won 18 of the more than 50 scheduled events in the 2009 season, her persistent drizzle Saturday night did not dampen the festivities of the 2009 Trail-Way season ending banquet. Over 400 members of the racing family and 78 of 85 award winners were in attendance for the first banquet to be held at the newly built S.A.V.E.S. Social Hall on Route 116.

During the banquet, Brad Hostetter shared plans for next season which include the return of all the divisions that raced in the 2009 season. The track has been graded and the parts of the track were banked 10 more degrees. The Hostetters’ are ready for another great season of racing, hopefully with fewer rain outs.

The 2010 schedule is being finalized and will be posted at www.trail-wayspeedway.com in December. The Friday night opener will be April 2, 2010. All divisions that raced last season will be returning for the 2010 season. The rules are also being finalized and will be posted on the website.

The 2009 track champions and top point finishers were awarded trophies, plaques, jackets, and checks during the 37^th Annual Awards Banquet. Billy Dietrich reclaimed the 358 Sprint Car championship title from 3-time defending champ, Jeff Rohrbaugh. Dietrich accomplished this without winning a single race this season. Of his thirteen starts, Dietrich finished in the top 5 eleven times and outside the top 10 one time.

For all the latest news and related information from Trail-Way Speedway, fans are reminded to visit the speedway website at www.trail-wayspeedway.com. The complete story and agate from each race night is posted shortly after the final checkered falls.

William McIntyre · at 9:21 AM

HERSHEY, Pa. – Selinsgrove Speedway & Raceway Park concluded the 2009 season with the Ninth Annual Awards Banquet Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel. More than $30,000 in point fund monies, trophies, and jackets were awarded to the year’s top performing teams in the track’s go kart, micro sprint car, roadrunner, pro stock, late model, and 358 sprint car divisions.

Track champions Nate Snyder of Halifax (358 sprint cars), Jeff Rine of Danville (late models), Jason Smith of Williamsport (pro stocks), Marlin Dunham of Selinsgrove (roadrunners), and Todd Hoover of Mt. Pleasant Mills (micro sprint cars) were also the recipients of custom championship rings from Foss Jewelers of Selinsgrove.

During Saturday’s ceremonies, all those in attendance paused to pay tribute to the life and racing career of former five-time Selinsgrove Speedway sprint car champion Jim Nace of Thompsontown, who died Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, following a seven-year strife with cancer.

Snyder, driving the Art Lindsay Construction/Pro Lawn/Expert Settlement Services No. 56, won his first career A&A Auto Stores 358 sprint car track title at Selinsgrove Speedway without a single victory this season. Snyder drove to 16 top ten finishes in the division’s 19 events. He was crowned as the division’s sixth different champion since the 358 sprint cars became the track’s weekly open wheel attraction in 2001.

Special recognition awards were also presented in the following categories: Most Improved Driver award went to Matt Heimbach , Sportsman Of The Year plaques were awarded to Matt Horst ( in memory of Joe Whitcomb), Rookie Of The Year honors went to Jessica Anderson. Paula Long-Schick presented Hard Charger awards in memory of her father, former late model champion Paul Long, to Nate Snyder

Selinsgrove Speedway is tentatively scheduled to host the 2009 Motorsports Show at the Susquehanna Valley Mall from Sunday, Feb. 14 through Saturday, Feb. 20.

The 358 sprint car season opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, March 27. The following weekend, Saturday, April 3, Selinsgrove Speedway will present the rescheduled 358 Sprint Car Open that was cancelled due to rain this fall. The 30-lap A-main will pay $3,000 to win.

The speedway’s first four division show of the 2010 season featuring 358 sprint cars, late models, pro stocks, and roadrunners will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 10.

Selinsgrove Speedway & Raceway Park facility improvements are continuing during the off-season. Both of the half-mile and one-fifth mile tracks have been resurfaced with sifted clay.

The frontstretch and backstretch guardrails have been replaced on the half-mile track. In addition, the speedway’s maintenance crew has been working cooperatively with members of the Selinsgrove Fair Board in making renovations to the track’s historic covered grandstand, including new cement steps, handrails, and a designated handicap seating area.

For information during the off-season, visit selinsgrovespeedway.com, or call 570-374-2

William McIntyre · at 9:19 AM

Grantville’s Dale Hammaker competed in the most competitive Keizer Aluminum Wheels 358 Sprints season in recent memory at Lincoln Speedway in 2009 and earned a well-deserved track title for his efforts.

Hammaker picked up his lone win of the season on May 30^th and jumped from fourth to first in the tight points race that night. Hammaker’s win at the time marked the fourth different winner in four events. That streak would continue through July as the highly competitive 358 sprint division produced nine different winner in as many events.

Through it all Hammaker continued his trademark consistency and produced six top-five finishes along with an astounding 10-top-10 finishes out of 11 events run during the season. His only finish out of the top 10 was a 13^th place finish in early June.

The lone blemish on the 358 sprint season for Hammaker may have been the last race of the season - the rained-out 358 Sprint Championship. Without it, Hammaker was crowned the champion without the glory of being track side when he clinched the coveted track title.

The final race may have been a mere formality for Hammaker as he enjoyed a 165 point advantage heading into what would have been the final points race of the season.

After finishing ninth the past two seasons, Aspers’ Glenndon Forsythe finished second in the final championship standings. Forsythe proved he was a contender after becoming one of nine different winners this season with his third career win in July. His seven top-10 and two top-five finishes gave him a narrow margin of 15 points in securing the runner-up spot.

Defending champ Jeff Rohrbaugh looked good out of the gate in defending his 2008 track championship by winning the division’s season-opening race back in March. But after a missed race in April, Rohrbaugh had to dig out of a big hole the rest of the year and steadily moved up the standings until ending up with a solid third-place finish in the end.

That season-opening win was Rohrbaugh’s fourth career win and was followed by a division-leading nine top-five finishes along with 10 top-10 finishes - a record that at first glance would be good enough for a track title if it were not for that one missed event.

East Brunswick New Jersey driver Kevin Nagy may have traveled a good distance to compete at Lincoln this season, but it was worth it as took home fourth place honors in 2009. Though not picking up a win, Nagy proved his 150 mile drive was worth the effort as he qualified for every event and only failed to finish one race. His five top-10 and lone top-five finish, not to mention his endurance, earned him a well-deserved fourth place in the final championship standings.

2005 track champ Billy Dietrich of Gettysburg continued his racing family’s tradition by turning in another solid performance in 2009 to finish fifth in the year-end standings.

Dietrich’s lone win of the year in July, his eighth career Lincoln win, moved him into a three-way tie for seventh place on the all time win list. Being one of nine different winners, along with his five top-five and seven top-10 finishes once again put the Dietrich name in Lincoln’s record books.

Completing the top-10 in points was a rare 2009 two-time winner in Brad McClelland, Tim Berkheimer, Most Improved Driver award winner Tim Wagaman, Eric Tomecek, and the other two-time winner and 2009 Rookie of the Year Kyle Moody.

Other winners in 2009 included first time winners Matt Boland and Gerard McIntyre Jr. (2 wins), along with Adrian Shaffer who picked up his sixth career Lincoln win along the way.

Also worthy of mentioning was female racer Nicole Bower who actually had a share of the point lead early in the season and came very close to recording a win one night. Her efforts earned her the Sportsmanship Award.

SPECIAL AWARDS WINNERS (358 Sprints)
358 Sprint Champion - Dale Hammaker
Rookie of the Year - Kyle Moody
Sportsmanship Award - Nicole Bower
Most Improved Driver - Tim Wagaman