By Mike Leone
May 13, 2014
(Markleysburg, PA)…One year ago, Lance Dewease stormed past Tim Shaffer on the final lap to make history by winning the first ever Sprint Car event at Pennsylvania’s Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex. Back by popular demand, the “410” Sprint Cars are set to make their first of two appearances of the 2014 season this Sunday evening (May 18) at the scenic Markleysburg oval. The “410 Showdown in the Laurel Highlands” will pay the winner $3,500 amongst a feature payoff of over $16,000!
Sunday’s winner will also secure a guaranteed starting spot for the next “410” Sprint Car event at the Knob on Sunday, June 1. That event will feature the richest Sprint Car event in the history of the Knob with a $23,550 purse as $5,000 will go to the winner with $400 just to take the green! This Sunday’s event will also be a shootout with Port Royal (PA) Speedway’s May 24 $5,000 to-win event. The top three in points from the two races will receive $300, $200, and $100 respectively.
Many of the racers that compete at the weekly Pennsylvania and Ohio “410” tracks along with some traveling stars are expected to try their hand at the wide and racey 3/8-mile oval on Sunday evening. Several drivers that were unable to attend last year’s event are planning on competing Sunday like Danny Holtgraver, Logan and Mike Wagner, Carl Bowser, Andre Layfield, Josh Davis, and A.J. Flick. There’s also the possibility of one big name racer competing Sunday!
Holtgraver will catch Roaring Knob on the way home from competing with the World of Outlaws this weekend at Williams Grove Speedway. Holtgraver swept Lernerville Speedway and Mercer Raceway Park on April 18-19. The Pittsburgh racer has been fast just about every time out this season in his new ride- the Rob Hunter #10H including a fine seventh place finish with the WoO at Eldora Speedway on May 3.
“PA Posse” racers Logan and Mike Wagner are planning on racing both Knob shows. Logan, a former 305 Sprint standout, is a relative newcomer to the “410” ranks and has picked up the ride in the #RG3 owned by former Super Late Model racer, Bob Salathe. Logan finished third in the Lernerville opener on April 18 and has been a regular at Port Royal. His father Mike is a 1991 and 2011 champion at Port Royal and also has been several successful appearances over the years to western Pa. venues with his familiar black #55.
Bowser and Layfield are two racers fresh off wins this season. Bowser won his 10th career feature at Lernerville on May 2 in his #10, while Layfield charged from 16th to win without the wing in BOSS-sanctioned competition last Saturday at Ohio’s Wayne County Speedway. Layfield has experience at Roaring Knob in the E-Mod division and is one of the closer drivers to the Knob with his home in Grafton, West Virginia.
Davis has been a veteran of the Ohio Valley Sprint Car ranks for many years at tracks throughout southern Ohio and West Virginia. Flick meanwhile is a rookie in the Sprint Car ranks competing weekly at Lernerville and Mercer, but the youngster from Apollo, Pa. was a standout at Lernerville in the Stock Car division and his father Mark was a longtime competition in the Big-Block Modifieds.
Several racers that competed last year will return and many others have expressed interest in Sunday’s event. A growing list of competitors have pre-entered for the June 1 event, which will be released soon.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to see 410 Sprint Cars back at the Knob,” stated track owner Rick Jones, who has already begun his fifth year of racing at one of the Keystone States most scenic speedways. “We couldn’t have had a better show last year. The quality of cars was great, the fan turnout was strong, and the racing was tremendous with a last lap pass for the win! We received so much positive feedback that I’m thrilled to be able to host two events in 2014.”
Announced back in March and finalized recently will be the first of two qualifiers for Kasey Kahne’s $20,000 to-win “Dirt Classic” to be held at Lincoln Speedway on Saturday, September 27. The Sunday, June 1 event at the Knob will also award the winner a guaranteed starting spot in Lincoln’s $20,000 to-win feature! A second qualifier will be held at Bedford Speedway on Sunday, June 8. For more information, check out www.dirtclassic.com.
“We’re excited to be extending The Dirt Classic into Western Pennsylvania with this qualifier at Roaring Knob,” Jarrod Adams of The Dirt Classic team said. “The track made a splash in 2013 with their first Sprint Car event and we’d like to help them up the ante this year with a second. I think teams from both Central and Western Pennsylvania will be excited by the purse and race format.”
Precise Racing Products/HTMA (www.preciseracing.com) will award a $100 gift card to fast qualifier at both the May 18 and June 1 events!
May 18 Payoff ($16,075): 1. $3,500 2. $2,000 3. $1,200 4. $1,000 5. $900 6. $800 7. $700 8. $600 9. $500 10. $450 11. $400 12. $350 13. $325 14. $320 15. $315 16. $310 17. $305 18-24. $300. $100 to non-qualifiers.
June 1 Payoff ($23,550): 1. $5,000 2. $2,000 3. $1,500 4. $1,400 5. $1,300 6. $1,250 7. $1,200 8. $1,100 9. $1,050 10. $1,000 11. $750 12. $650 13. $550 14. $525 15. $500 16. $475 17. $450 18. $425 19. $425 20. $400 21. $400 22. $400 23. $400 24. $400.
There will be no entry or registration fee for either event. The national “410” Hoosier Tire rule will be in effect. There will be no muffler or weight rule. RACEceivers are required. The PA Sprint Speedweek format will be used for both events. Experienced push truck and tow vehicle drivers are welcome. You and a guest will be admitted at no charge.
The RUSH Late Models and Street Stocks will also be on the card this Sunday. Gates open at 3:30 p.m., a drivers meeting will be held at 5:30 with warm-ups at 5:45 followed by time trials and racing. For info contact Mike Leone at 724-967-2363, mikeleone@zoominternet.net, or on Twitter @mikevleone.
Roaring Knob is located off historic US Route 40 in Markleysburg, Pa. The scenic area in Fayette County is about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh and just minutes from the West Virginia and Maryland borders. The unique location, strong payout, neutral grounds, and conducive dates are sure to draw teams from western and central Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and the Ohio Valley region.
Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex is a 3/8-mile clay oval located near Markleysburg, Pa. just off of scenic Route 40 at 380 Fearer Road (look for the road sign) just seven miles east of Nemacolin Woodlands on the right, one mile west of Yough Lake on the left. Check out the website at www.roaringknob.com or call 410-857-3821 (office) or 724-329-0306 on race day.