From Lernerville Speedway
Sarver, PA (August 1, 2012) It’s hard to believe that July is in the rearview mirror already, but as the 2012 Fab Four Racing season draws to a close, the chase for the Budweiser Track Championship in the Diehl Auto Group DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds will take center stage this Friday, August 3 as the Pitkavish Memorial will add five extra laps, lap money and the first step to a $1000 bonus and four pit passes for the World Finals in Charlotte in November!
The Pitkavish Memorial pays tribute to the late Joe Pitkavish; car owner for Inaugural Class Lernerville Speedway Hall of Famer Blackie Watt. Watt won dozens of Modified features and multiple track championships for the only car owner in the Lernerville Speedway Hall of Fame! Pitkavish’s grandson and best friend Jimmie keeps his grandfather’s spirit alive with this annual 30-lap special event that features lap money and a lot of extra incentive to win.
Mother Nature made this year’s Pitkavish Memorial a little more special by raining out last Friday’s event, resulting in it being rescheduled for this weekend’s DIRTcar Big Block bonus weekend between Lernerville & Sharon Speedways. Officials at DIRTcar Northeast, Lernerville and Sharon have come up with a two-night challenge series at the two speedways with an extra $1000 for the points leader after both nights, (using Sharon’s point system), as well as four pit passes to the World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte on Thursday-Friday-Saturday, November 1-2-3.
In addition to the bonus package for the winner, all teams that compete in both events will automatically be qualified for the World Finals in lieu of competing in a Super DIRTcar Series event. The added bonuses should also produce a bigger, deeper field of Mods; Rex King Sr. & Jr. and Frank Guidace are all scheduled to throw their hats in the ring and some New York drivers may make the trip for the big weekend!
Last year’s Pitkavish Memorial winner Dave Murdick is the incumbent Budweiser Points leader and most recent feature winner; recall the scintillating end to the Diehl Mods feature on Friday, July 13 when contact between Kevin Bolland and Brian Swartzlander coming to the checkered flag handed the lead to Dave Murdick for the green-white-checkered restart after Bolland was DQ’d for rough driving and Swartzlander forced to restart from the tail. Murdick’s third win of the season left him 10 points ahead of Swartzlander with now just four events left in the Budweiser Title Chase. Defending Track Champion Jeremiah Shingledecker rides third in Bud Points, but is 32 points behind Murdick.
Fellow Bud Points leaders Kevin Schaeffer in the Ti22 Sprints, Jared Miley in the Precise Lates and Corey McPherson in the Pic-A-Part Sportsman have their sights set on the prestigious Lernerville Speedway Track Championships with just four Fast Fridays left on the schedule.
Schaeffer, a former three-time consecutive Track Champion in the Ti22 Sprints, will have to fend off a rejuvenated Rod George; also a former three-time Track Champion. Schaeffer leads George by just eight points, the narrowest margin in any division. Both drivers have a feature win this year and this battle looks to come down to a dramatic Championship Night finish!
While a pair of former and multiple Track Champions battle for the title in both the Ti22 Sprints and Diehl Mods, Jared Miley, Corey McPherson and Jim Fosnaught are all gunning for the their first career Track Championship! On the strength of five feature wins, Miley has all but sealed up the Track Championship in the Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models. In doing so, Jared and his Uncle Ben will join Dick and Brian Swartzlander as the only Uncle/Nephew Track Champions! To be fair, John Garvin Jr. is also a darkhorse to win his first Lernerville title, but has almost two full nights of points to make up on Miley with just four nights to go!
Corey McPherson, like Miley, has claimed five checkered flags this season and leads Jim Fosnaught by 25 points, but in the Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar Sportsman/Stock division – where 10-12 drivers have the potential to win on any given night – McPherson has a lot of work ahead of him in August to secure the championship. Fosnaught is not only looking for his first Track Championship, he’s also looking for his first Fab Four feature win. With seven podium finishes, Fosnaught has been knocking on the door to Sheetz Victory Lane all summer!
Also on the card this Friday Night is the “Cowboy” Brian Steinman Charity Benefit Auction. Kayla Duncan and Jackie & Liz Matus have collected a ton of items for the finest race fans in the world to bid on in the Chinese auction. Just a sneak peak at what will be up for grabs; the top wing from both Tim Shaffer (as damaged in his flip in the second Silver Cup feature) and Sam Hafertepe Jr. (as damaged at the Lou Blaney Memorial at Sharon earlier this month after contact with Tony Stewart), an old school World of Outlaws Jacket and a SPEED polo shirt autographed by Brad Doty, a checkered flag signed by all Fab Four feature winners thus far in 2012, a 2012 410 Sprint Car lovers ticket package and a 2013 DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park/Firecracker 100/Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup VIP ticket package, plus dozens of driver’s t-shirts, die cast collectibles, DVDs from C&B Video, gift baskets and so much more!
As usual, gates open at 5:00, followed by hot laps at 7:00 and Fab Four Racing at 7:30 sharp! Fab Four pricing is in effect; $14 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7 for students 11-17 and kids 10 & under are ALWAYS FREE!!
Last but not least, our Summer Vacation School Bus & Kids Bike Races with Enduro 100 and Trailer Races are less than two weeks away! Scheduled for Tuesday, August 7, this family friendly event is always a crowd pleaser! In addition to the trophies and ribbons, the first 75 kids in bike race competition will also receive a “fun bag” full of food & fun! The Enduro 100 registration forms can be downloaded from our website www.Lernerville.com by clicking the “Downloads” tab on the right hand side. While you’re on our website, be sure to check out the schedule for the full slate of racing action left in 2012, including the All Star Sprints of Friday, August 31, the World of Outlaws Sprints Commonwealth Clash on Saturday, September 22 and the DIRTcar Round Up Steel City Stamped of Thursday-Friday-Saturday, October 25-26-27!