By Shawn Brouse
Another local racing season is trying to get started in the area. But before we forge headlong into seven months of going in circles, there’s some unfinished business to take care of.
The fraternity lost several members during the offseason.
Perennial Selinsgrove Speedway sprint-track champion Jim Nace lost his battle with cancer in November. He was 55.
Beavertown car owner Don Yetter has been lost. Yetter and his brother Marv fielded heralded cars during the supermodified days for drivers like Al Chamberlain and Eddie McCardle.
Sprint mechanic Joe Hamilton, brother of famed No. 77 sprint owner Al Hamilton, is gone. Joe wrenched his brother’s machines with drivers like Jan Opperman and Mitch Smith. Joe Hamilton was 83.
And Middleburg’s Byron “Joe” Kreamer passed away early this year. He tried his hand at sprints and stock cars at Selinsgrove over the years.
DON’T MISS IT: Selinsgrove Speedway will try to kick off 2010 this weekend with a Friday/Saturday modified program. Just like last year, the 358 mods will vie Friday before the big blocks go late Saturday afternoon. Saturday’s main is 50 laps in distance. Sunday is being slated as a raindate.
Williams Grove will open its season Friday night at 7:30 with a dual card of 410 and 358 sprints. Car counts are likely to be large due to absolutely no racing being conducted in the area to date. Lincoln Speedway programs have been wiped out since the first date planned on Feb. 27, but they’ll try again Saturday night.
STREAK OVER: If Williams Grove gets to run Friday night, a 16-year record by Lincoln Speedway for holding the first Northeast race of the season will be ended. The last time Lincoln didn’t open the season was 1993, when the Grove did the honors with Keith Kauffman claiming the March 7 sprint event.
WATCH FOR THIS: Expect to see 410-sprinter Mark Smith racing most Saturdays at Lincoln Speedway this year.
“I feel real confident this year. I think we’ll win a lot more this year,” he said recently. “I’m as strong as ever coming into a new year.” Smith won in February during action in Florida. And you’ll see Tyler Walker racing Mike Heffner’s No. 27 at Port Royal Speedway many Saturdays this season when there isn’t a big show elsewhere. Both Walker and Smith said recently they plan on running the high-paying 360 sprint shows at Selinsgrove Speedway this season.
ON THE ROAD: Fred Rahmer and Daryn Pittman headed west to race with the World of Outlaws sprints a month ago. Rahmer was 16th at Las Vegas with Pittman 11th. The pair bettered themselves at Thunderbowl, Calif., in early March with Rahmer scoring a third and sixth while Pittman took 10th and 12th. On Friday night, Lance Dewease joined the band at Lonestar, Tex., and rode home 22nd. Pittman was 18th and Rahmer 12th. Saturday at Houston, Tex., Rahmer failed to qualify, Pittman got 11th and Dewease was sixth.
IN TWO WEEKS: Watch for the annual motorsports insert in the Daily Item coming up on March 26. All local tracks will be covered along with features on local drivers.
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