Hello again race fans. Port Royal Speedway is in action this evening with a four-division show that includes a late model championship race, sprint cars, pro stocks and enduro dash. Race time is 7:30 p.m.
Tonight's Port Royal show serves as the final tune up before next week's Living Legends Dream race, which this year honors Keith Kauffman and retired car owner Walt Dyer. Former Kauffman car owners and Dyer drivers plan to attend.
An autograph session is planned and Lance Dewease will turn his Owens No. 30c into a Dyer 461 car for the race. Lelands.com, a New York based sports memorabilia auction company and sponsor of the Michael Heckman owned No. 27 sprint car, has posted a $12,000 bonus if the pole sitter elects to start from the rear and goes on to win the event. Should the pole setter decline, the second place starting car will be offered the same chance.
It will be interesting to see if any one will take the challenge. These promotions have been done before and most of the time, a driver is reluctant to give up an up front starting spot to go to the rear. Greg Hodnett and others are capable of winning from the rear if their cars are right. I hope some one will do it and take the money. It will be interesting to see what happens.
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Hagerstown Speedway hosts the Lucas Oil Late Model Series tonight. Action gets under way at 7.
Lincoln Speedway gets under way tonight at 7:30 p.m. with 410 and 358 sprint cars plus thunder cars.
Bedford Speedway was scheduled to race last night and will present one final show Labor Day weekend. Promoter J.R. Keiffer is in discussions with others about the track's future for 2012.
Bedford isn't alone: Clinton County Speedway promoter Vern Wasson announced he has canceled the remaining sprint car and late model shows for the year. The track will run Friday nights with pro stocks, 4-cylinder stock cars and 270 c.c. micro sprints.
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Happy belated birthday to 81-year-old Paul Boyer of Lewistown. Boyer is the scoreboard operator at Port Royal Speedway. Boyer has had a run of bad luck recently. First he went on kidney dialysis. Then he was involved in an auto accident that left him with a fractured knee and other ailments. Last Sunday he was admitted to Lewistown Hospital suffering from a heart attack. Boyer is a tough old bird and was vowing to be at Port Royal Speedway tonight. I hope he makes it. Racing and family are Boyer's life.
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Fred Rahmer planned to compete last night at Williams Grove Speedway. Rahmer was injured during an All Star sprint car race in Canada back on July 4. Rahmer tried to race against the World of Outlaws last week at the Grove but turned his seat over to Kasey Kahne, who borrowed a helmet and seat from Tyler Walker.
Kenny Jacobs and Jim and Sandy Kline have teamed up for the Knoxville Nationals next month. The Klines have their hauler and one car left. Jacobs got the itch to run the Nationals and gave them a call. They will shake the car down at Port Royal and then head west for the Nationals, which run Aug. 10-13.
In the world of NASCAR, Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts the Brickyard 400 for Cup cars tomorrow starting at 1 p.m. ESPN has TV coverage. Jamie McMurray is the defending race champion.
That's going to do it for this week. Until next time, please drive safely!
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Craig Rutherford writes about motorsports for The Sentinel.
