From SSP
Newberrytown, PA (July 21, 2012) – On a night honoring the champions of the former Silver Spring Speedway, Dover’s Gene Knaub won the 25-lap Late Model feature event as part of the Silver Spring Speedway Racer’s Reunion on Saturday Night at the Susquehanna Speedway Park. Mike Zeigler Jr. of Spring Grove won the 25-lap Super Sportsman Tour feature. Rick Barr won the 25-lap Super Sportsman Tour feature. The EMMR Vintage Cars also participated in an on and off track exhibition on Saturday night.
Both the Susquehanna Speedway Park and Silver Spring Speedway began racing back in 1954. Both tracks have a long history of great racing and could be considered “sister tracks” as they ran many of the same divisions throughout the years. They were even both owned and operated by members of the Kreitzer family at one time or another. Silver Spring Speedway owner’s Will Kreitzer owned and operated Susquehanna for two years (1969 & 1970) and his son Alan did the same from 1990 to 1992. Today, Silver Spring Speedway no longer exists however many of its drivers now call Susquehanna Speedway Park home.
Ground was broken for Silver Spring Speedway, a 3/8 mile clay oval in the fall of 1953, when the PENNMAR Racing Club approached Cumberland County businessman Ray Garver Sr. about building a racetrack for the club. By the following summer in 1954, the new speedway was ready for racing action and an era of great weekly side-by-side racing action was born.
The 25-lap Late Model feature began with J.R. Rodriguez taking the lead from the pole position on the start. Chase Billet challenged Rodriguez for the top spot until sixth place starter Gene Knaub took over the runner-up spot. Knaub continued to stalk Rodriguez lap after lap until lap 16 when Rodriguez slid high coming out of four, giving the lead to Knaub. After that, Knaub never looked back and went on to record his second win of the season in as many starts. Chase Billet settled in the runner-up spot at the end with Justin Ehrhart making a late race charge to finish in third. Carl Billet finished fourth followed by Rodriguez in fifth. John Moser Jr. finished eleventh and claimed $50.00 as the JR’s Paving Hard Charger award after starting the race in twenty-first. Billy Wampler, Chase Billet, Knaub and Ehrhart were the heat race victors. John Moser Jr. was the consolation race winner.
From the second row, Mike Zeigler Jr. took the early lead of the Street Stock 20-lapper. In what many have termed as one of the best Street Stock races of the year, the top five raced “under a blanket” for the majority of the race. In a wild scramble for the checkered flag at the finish, Mike Zeigler Jr. held on for the win. Scott Thunberg finished close behind Zeigler in the runner-up spot. Jasen Geesaman finished in the third position followed by Jim Palm Jr. and Randy Zechman in fourth and fifth places respectively. Doug Bennett, Palm and Geesaman were heat race winners.
The 25-lap Super Sportsman Tour feature event took four tries to complete the initial start, but once things got underway, Dave Berkheimer took command of the lead. With three and four wide racing behind the leader, Frankie Herr made his from a fifth place starting spot and into the lead on lap ten. With another victory well with in sights, the caution flag flew on lap 24 to come down to a one lap shoot-out for the victory. During the caution flag laps, Herr slowed on the backstretch, relinquishing the lead to Rick Barr under the yellow. On the restart, Barr went on to win his first of the season over Russ Mitten who charged from a ninth place starting spot. Scott Dellinger finished third, followed by Steve Fannasy and Carmen Perigo Jr. in fourth and fifth. Heat race winners were won by Scott Geesey, Frankie Herr, Dave Berkheimer and and Barr. The consolation was won by Duane Smith.
The next Wednesday Night Test & Tune for any type of racecar will be on Wednesday, July 25. The gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with practice sessions rotating for each class from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The cost is $12.00 per person for pit passes and a $20.00 fee for each racecar entering the pit area ($32.00 per car & driver combination). Each session will be 4-6 laps per session depending on car count. The grandstands are open free to the public. Each class will receive 4 to 5 rounds of 4/6 laps each or more if time permits. The fuel pumps from Miller’s Racing Parts will not be open. Anyone needing fuel should contact Miller’s Racing Parts directly at 717-766-0181. The main concession stand will be open throughout the night.
During the season, SSP will also host Wednesday Night Test & Tune Sessions on August 8; August 22; September 5; September 19; October 3; October 17 and October 25 (Thursday). All Wednesday night practices will run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Also on Wednesday night, there will an open practice session for quarter midgets and karts at the Outback Track from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. under the lights. The gates will open at 5:30 p.m. with open practice from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The cost will be $20.00 per driver with no charge for anyone else entering the grandstand and “cold pit” areas. All Outback Track participants should enter the pits from the Kise Mill Road entrance behind turn 2 of the “Big Track.”
On Friday night, July 27, the fourth race of the 9-race Summer Shoot-Out Series will be held at the SSP Outback Track for quarter midgets, karts, Adult Speedcars and lawnmowers. The 9-race Summer Shoot-Out Series will conclude on Saturday, September 1. The pit gates will open 5:45 p.m. Open practice begins at 7:00 p.m. and racing action begins at 7:30 p.m. There will be no sanctioning body affiliation for either karts or quarter midgets, but the technical/specification rules will be very similar to the major sanctioning groups for these types of cars (W.K.A. and QMA). The entry fees for each class will be $20.00 per entry for drivers with the seasonal (Spring/Summer) license. Pit pass fees for the driver are included in the entry fee. Non-license driver’s entry fees will be $25.00. Participants may enter more than one class on a raceday ($12.00 for each additional class). Trophies will be awarded to the top three in each class regardless of class entry count. No participants will be denied racing as SSP will make every effort to define a class for all drivers who wish to compete\.
Pit pass prices for non-drivers at the Outback Track will be $8.00 for everyone ages 18 & older; Teens & Children ages 11 – 17 are $5.00; Children 10 years of age and under are $3.00. Ages 2 & under are admitted free.
Racing action returns to the Big Track at SSP on Saturday, July 28 with the annual Christmas in July featuring a Summertime Snowball Fight and an annual visit from Santa Claus. Racing action will include the Late Models, Street Stocks, Xtreme Stocks Cars, Road Warriors and the Pro Sign & Design Mini Vans. The Sidewinder Sprint Cars will also be on the racing card that night.
It will also be the Hometown Heroes Night recognizing all SSP drivers from the towns of Lancaster, Lebanon, Mountville and Ono. Before the racing action begins, the drivers from these towns will have the opportunity to display their cars and meet the fans on the frontstretch of the speedway just before the National Anthem is played. Also, all fans entering the speedway from that driver’s hometown being honored will be admitted FREE to the grandstands by showing proper photo identification and filling out an information card at the ticket booth.
On Saturday, July 28, the pit gates will open at 4:30 p.m. Grandstand gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with qualifying races at 7:00 p.m. followed by consolation races and feature events. General Admission Grandstand ticket prices for the special event are Adults (ages 18-59) $12.00; Young Adults (ages 11-17) & Senior Adults (60 & Older) $10.00; Children (10 & under) are free. Pit pass prices are $25.00 with a reduced price of $22.00 for all pit competitor license holders. The minimum age requirement to purchase a pit pass is 12 years of age with a copy of a birth certificate is required for all ages 12 to 14.
The Susquehanna Speedway Park is located off I-83 to exit 32, then 1.4 miles NW on SR382 to York Road, then 1.3 miles south. For more information, contact the speedway offices at (717) 292-1696 or visit online at sspracing.net. On raceday, use the track phone at (717) 938-9170 for up-to-date information at the “Big Track” and (717) 932-1608 for the “Outback Track.”