By Shawn Wood
For The Daily Item
LOCK HAVEN — The second of three camera and autograph nights is this evening at the Clinton County Raceway where the 410 sprint cars headline a four-division show that includes a powder puff race.
Fans will be allowed to enter the pits at intermission to either get a photo with their favorite driver or an autograph. All four divisions will take part in the event.
Alan Cole continues to lead the 410 point standings over Scott Lutz by 294 markers. Phil Walter of McClure, who has one win on the season, is eighth in points while Mike Walter II of Penns Creek is 10th.
Cole has three wins, exactly half of the feature events run so far. In the other three races, he has finished third. Lutz, the opening night winner and John Smith are the only other drivers along with Phil Walter to score single wins. The speedway is in on a record-setting pace for average car counts for the 410s. To date, it is averaging 25.3 cars per event with a season-high of 30 on April 30.
Tonight marks the first of three appearances for the 410s this month. They return next Friday, July 16, and then again on July 30 as part of the 410 Express/360 sprint car challenge. That same night, the ARDC midgets are on the card for the first time in six years.
VACATION TIME: Selinsgrove Speedway and Selinsgrove Raceway Park are dark this weekend for their annual summer break. The tracks returns to action next weekend with go-karts and micro sprints on Friday and a regular show plus Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday.
BY THE NUMBERS: Putting a wrap on the 2010 Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek, a total of 75 drivers earned points over the eight-night event with 11 drivers — Greg Hodnett, Daryn Pittman, Lance Dewease, Mark Smith, Fred Rahmer, Chad Layton, Danny Dietrich, Brent Marks, Keith Kauffman, Brian Leppo and Doug Esh — competing in all eight events.
In capturing his third Speedweek crown, Hodnett scored eight top 10s, six top fives and five top three finishes. He was the only driver to record multiple fast-times with three. In all, six different drivers set fast time. Three drivers, Ed Lynch Jr., Krimes and Hodnett led wire-to-wire in their wins.
The average car count per event was 30.5 with a high of 35 occurring on opening night at Lincoln Speedway and on night three at Grandview Speedway. Bedford Speedway had the lowest car count which occurred on night two with 23.
HALFWAY HOME: With his win the 35-lap 358-modified feature last Friday night Craig VonDohren is halfway home to securing his first-ever Big Diamond Raceway track championship. He has a 72-point lead over Doug Manmiller with eight races remaining in the 2010 season. His all-time win count at the track stands at 68. VonDohren has three wins at Big Diamond this year and 10 overall, including the upset win at Grandview Speedway over the Super DIRTcar regulars last month.
THUNDERSTRUCK: The big block modifieds return to Grandview on Tuesday as the Race of Champions make its first-ever appearance at the track as part of the Thunder on the Hill series. The RoC sportsman modified will join the big blocks in this open-wheel doubleheader. The big block feature will be 60 laps whole the sportsman will battle for 40 laps.
