From J&J
McKENZIE, TN (Aug. 3) – From Canada to Pennsylvania to the Dakotas, J&J Auto Racing teams scored Sprint car victories. Reigning All-Star Champion Tim Shaffer and World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz each won twice while JJ Grasso helped earn his car owners, Pat and Kathy Palladino their 50th URC win. TJ Luedke won his fifth Midwest Sprint Cars race of the season, Dave Hoiness took the victory in BIg Sky Sprints, Marshall Skinner and Eddie Gallagher won at Riverside International Speedway, LeRoy Perfect won again with Sprints Alaska and Ed Lynch, Jr., continued to add wins at Lernerville.
LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY
Ed Lynch, Jr. made it to victory lane at Lernerville Speedway for the fourth time in 2010 behind the wheel of his No. 2L J&J. Lynch started from the pole and led all 20 laps of the Ti22 Performance DIRTcar Sprints feature event. The victory was his 105th career win at the half-mile track.
Lynch followed that up with a second place finish at Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday evening.
MIDWEST SPRINT CARS – Manitowoc County Expo
TJ Luedke continued his pursuit of the Midwest Sprint Cars championship last Friday night by driving his No. 21 J&J to victory in the 30-lap feature event at Manitowoc County Expo in Wisconsin. Luedke seized command of the race on lap 27 and went on to collect the victory. Luedke raced from the 14th-starting position to claim his fifth MSA feature event of the season.
ALL-STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS
RED RIVER VALLEY SPEEDWAY
Donny Schatz scored a home track win last Thursday as he picked up the All-Star Circuit of Champions 35-lap main event at Red River Valley Speedway in W. Fargo, N.D. Schatz raced his family-owned No. 15 J&J to victory after chasing down early-race leader, Tim Shaffer.
Shaffer led from the start and held off a strong effort from Tony Stewart early. Midway through the race, it became a three-car battle as ninth starting Schatz began to flex his muscle. With ten laps to go, Stewart clipped an infield tire ending his night. On the restart, Shaffer again pulled away, but Schatz would reel him in as the two reached lapped traffic.
Schatz made his winning move in turns three and four racing around Shaffer through the middle of the track. Once in front, Schatz wasn’t to be denied as he raced away to claim his fourth career All-Star triumph.
HUSET’S SPEEDWAY – SATURDAY
Tim Shaffer scored an exciting victory on Saturday night by executing a successful slide job with only a few laps remaining at Huset’s Speedway. Shaffer wheeled the CH Motorsports No. 83 Kistler powered J&J past leader Scott Winters with only two laps remaining to take the lead.
Reigning All-Star Speed Week champion David Gravel paced the field early in the No. 89g J&J. It was the second solid night for Gravel, who finished second in Friday night’s feature event. After Winters took the lead on lap seven, Gravel continued in second until lap 19 when sixth-starting Shaffer made his way into the runner-up position. The final 10 laps were a duel between Winters and Shaffer with the reigning All-Star champion coming out on top.
Gravel finished the evening in fifth.
HUSET’S SPEEDWAY – SUNDAY
Tim Shaffer made it back-to-back wins on Sunday night at Huset’s Speedway. Shaffer was once again the class of the field in the Aaron Call/Janet Holbrook owned No. 83 Kistler powered J&J.
Shaffer was the fastest qualifier and transferred through his heat to earn the pole position. The Aliquippa, Pa. native raced out to the lead and fended off several early challenges before pulling away late to claim his eighth victory of 2010 and 27th career All-Star triumph.
“It’s a great weekend for us. It started a little rough (he tangled with another car Friday and ended the night in the pits), but it turned around. The guys never quit working on it and gave me a great race car. Sometimes it hurts you to be fast qualifier, but we made it through the heat okay. We weren’t too good in the dash but Brian (Kemenah, crew chief), Leonard and Bobby worked on it and got it great.”
David Gravel finished eighth in the No. 89 J&J after qualifying third in the field of 34 cars.
BIG SKY SPRINTS
David Hoiness won Saturday night’s Big Sky Sprint Tour feature event in Great Falls, Mont. Hoiness won his heat driving the Ideal Manufacturing, Gillette Race Engines sponsored No. 27DD J&J. He started the feature event third and was leading by the end of the first lap. He led all 25 laps to pick up the victory.
Smokin’ Joe Ramaker finished third driving his No. 98 J&J.
On Friday night, Hoiness led 19 laps of the Big Sky Sprint Tour feature in Belgrade, Mont., but finished second.s
SPRINTS ALASKA
Leroy Perfect continued his winning ways in Alaska topping the Sprint car field in his No. 27 J&J. Perfect bounced back from a heat race flip to capture the feature event.
RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Marshall Skinner and Eddie Gallagher were Sprint car winners last weekend at Riverside International Speedway in W. Memphis, Arkansas. Skinner claimed the 360 Winged Sprint car feature event in his No. 26 J&J, while Gallagher raced Buzz Herrington’s No. 1x J&J to victory in the 305 non-wing division.
UNITED RACING CLUB
The victory scene was a joyous one Saturday following the Rislone United Racing Club (URC) feature event at Delaware International Speedway. JJ Grasso raced the Pat and Kathy Palladino’s No. 99 J&J to a thrilling victory to give him three on the season. The celebration ensued as the win was career URC win number 50 for the Palladino’s.
Grasso thrilled the crowd by charging forward in the field. He worked his way to fourth by lap nine and into third on lap 12. It was a lap 16 restart that gave Grasso his shot at taking the lead and he did so. He remained in front during the final laps to capture the victory.
WORLD OF OUTLAWS – OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY
Donny Schatz closed the week of action by leading all 30 laps of Sunday night’s 30-lap A-Feature at Ohsweken (Ontario) Speedway. Schatz wheeled Tony Stewart Racing’s No. 15 Armor All/STP J&J from the pole position and into the lead at the drop of the green flag. Despite four early caution periods, Schatz was not to be headed in the race. He went on to pick up his third WoO A-Feature triumph of the season and 103rd WoO A-Feature of his career.
PA SPRINT SERIES
Ryan Lynn continued his solid season in the PA Sprint Series 305 Sprint cars. He recently raced his J&J to victory at Path Valley Speedway, giving him four on the season. Early in July, he won at Port Royal Speedway.