Lance Dewease won one of the two 30 lap twin features at the 2010 Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway – Rick Rarer Photo
Racing in the month of July picks up and stays up. The next few weeks are crammed packed full of busy weeks, high paying races, and hopefully- high car counts. With the World of Outlaws entering their ‘Month of Money,’ and areas across the country, including Pennsylvania, picking up with multiple race weekends with high paying purses; sprint car enthusiasts are likely to get their racing thirst’s quenched.
Team Fully Injected’s western PA crew will have their hands full for the next week; starting tomorrow night at the Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio. The annual Lou Blaney Memorial is set to kick off a busy week in Western Pennsylvania, and a nice car count is to be expected for the 410 event. Western PA hotshoes, as well as some expected Ohio invaders, and NASCAR stars such as Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, and Dave Blaney, are all expected to participate in the annual memorial event; which also features the BRP Modified Tour.
Donny Schatz and Stevie Smith battle for position at last year’s Silver Cup – Rick Rarer Photo
The rest of the weekend looks rather normal for western Pennsylvania regulars; with Lernerville Speedway and Mercer Raceway Park both having typical nights of regular points action. Sunday, on the other hand, will act as a new boundary for every 410 team which plans to attend; Dog Hollow Speedway in Strongstown, Pennsylvania will host a $2,500 to win, 410 event for the first time in their track history this Sunday night. With it only being a short drive down route 422 from my home in Kittanning, its a deal I couldn’t pass up.
Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania will then host the biggest one day paying race on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series circuit next Tuesday night. The Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup; a once $30,000 to win, 40 lap race- now turned into a $15,000 to win, twin 30’s format, will create a disturbance in the hills of western Pennsylvania on July 19th. The World of Outlaw Sprint Car Series, lead by championship points standings leader Jason Meyers, Joey Saldana, and Donny Schatz, will invade the 4/10’s mile high banked Lernerville Speedway oval for a single evening of action with a possible $30,000 prize awaiting the winner or winners, at the end of a combined length of 60 racing laps. The World of Outlaws first have to endure a full slate of Ohio based action before they can try and conquer the Sarver oval.
On Wednesday night, its off to Limaland Motorsports Park for the ‘Greatest Show on Dirt.’ The racey 1/4 mile dirt oval in northwest Ohio will offer some great side by side action for the annual Brad Doty Classic; which Lima has been hosting for the past few Outlaw seasons. After Wednesday night’s event, its off to the historical Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio for the $50,000 to win Kings Royal. Those three events for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series is only just the beginning of a very exciting stretch of July racing.
Daryn Pittman, one of the hottest drivers in the country, looks to compete with the World of Outlaws for the next several dates – Rick Rarer Photo
The USAC National Sprint Cars are still in a heated Indiana Sprint Week battle. Last night at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, spectators saw Rockin, California native, Robert Ballou, dominate; leading wire to wire in the 30 lap wingless rivalry- beating youngster, Chris Windom, and Jerry Coons Jr. With the runner up finish, Chris Windom was able to keep a 20 point lead in Indiana Sprint Week points over Clauson, and Jerry Coons Jr. Indiana Sprint Week now has a two day break away from the races before they are back in action on Wednesday night at the Terre Haute Action Track in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington awaits the arrival of the best 360ci competitors in the country this weekend as the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National Tour heads to the upper northwest. The Fred Brownfield Memorial is the name of the game this weekend as Shane Stewart will try to hold on to his ASCS National points lead by sweeping the two day event.
Speaking of the west coast, The Golden State Challenge King of the West Series will hit the races again this weekend with a Saturday night event planned for the California based 410 series. Antioch Speedway in Antioch, California will host the KWS for a 7 o’clock starting time. ‘TK’ Tim Kaeding still holds the KWS points lead going into this weekend’s event; Evan Suggs, a recent winner on the tour, sits strong in 2nd, with the 13 time King of the West Series Champion, Brent Kaeding, rounding out the points standings podium.
Tomorrow night, I will be attending the Lou Blaney Memorial at Sharon Speedway. With sunny forecasts and high temperatures expected for tomorrow, the chance of racing is high and precipitation is low. Be sure to check in tomorrow night/Wednesday morning for a full Sharon Speedway recap and pictures.
