Big names in area racing to be honored during packed Memorial Day weekend on dirt tracks
The Memorial Day weekend is looming.
That means there’s also a monster schedule looming on the regional dirt-track circuit.
Racing starts Thursday evening at Selinsgrove Speedway and includes a swing through the area by the All Star Circuit of Champions.
Selinsgrove’s Thursday show includes the 410 sprints, the super late models and the 305 sprints. Dillsburg’s Anthony Macri won the lone super-sprint race thus far at the Snyder County track this season, while Bryan Bernheisel, Brett Schadel and Jeff Rine have all won super-late-model races there.
The All Stars start their local swing on Friday at Williams Grove Speedway in Cumberland County for the Randy Wolfe Tribute Race. The 410 sprints will race for $10,000 to win in the event. The Eastern Museum of Motor Racing will also have a photo display of vintage race cars set up in the infield.
The race honors former racer Randy Wolfe, who was one of the top local racers for a number of years. Wolfe was a winner at most of the local ovals, scoring more than 60 sprint wins during his career, including 11 at the Grove.
Each year, the Grove honors two local living racing personalities. This race honors a former driver, Wolfe, while a race later in the season will honor a car owner, Joe Harz.
Randy Wolfe can still be seen most weeks in the pit area with his son, Lucas Wolfe. When Lucas Wolfe spent several years on the road with the World of Outlaws, it was Randy Wolfe who traveled with his son, turning the wrenches on the car.
Port Royal to honor Weikert in big-money programs: The All Stars move on to Port Royal Speedway in Juniata County on Saturday for a two-day event honoring late local car owner Bob Weikert. The Saturday portion of the show will pay $10,000 to win, while Sunday’s race offers up $29,000 to win in honor of Weikert’s longtime car number.
The Saturday show will also include the 305 sprints, while Sunday’s show also includes the wingless super-sportsman racers.
Weikert provided local sprint fans nationwide with plenty of thrills. His cars won major races across the country while racing out of his Gettysburg-area shop. The majority of his wins came at local ovals, and that’s when local fans were treated to some of the best victory-lane interviews ever. Weikert was a very colorful figure who loved his sprint racing.
A number of drivers piloted the Weikert cars over the years, including names such as Kenny Weld, Paul Pitzer, Keith Kauffman, Bobby Davis Jr., Doug Wolfgang and Kenny Jacobs. They all enjoyed some of their best seasons while at the wheel of the Weikert Livestock machines.
Leiby to be recognized at Lincoln: Saturday’s show at Lincoln Speedway in Adams County will feature the Bob Leiby Memorial Race. Lincoln’s show will feature the 410 sprint cars, 358 sprints and the legends racers.
Like the others being honored this weekend, Leiby was a major figure in local auto racing. His duties spanned from fan, to sponsor, to promoter, to track owner, to car owner.
Leiby started as a fan of the sport who quickly moved into car sponsorship, with his brother, Don Leiby. Later, the Leiby brothers joined the promotional team at Williams Grove for several years, before purchasing Lincoln with friend Alan Kreitzer. Bob Leiby also later joined Tim Hughes in promoting at Selinsgrove for several years.
Later, while still a partner at Lincoln, Bob Leiby fielded cars for first, his son, Greg Leiby, and later his grandson, Chandler Leiby.
Other weekend events: BAPS Motor Speedway in northern York County will be back in action Saturday with a full program of racing. The winged super sportsmen and the wingless super sportsmen will both be in action, along with the 602 crate modifieds and the extreme stock cars.
Hagerstown Speedway in northern Maryland offers up the late-model sportsmen, crate late models, pure stocks and hobby stocks on Saturday, while the limited late models also race at Path Valley Speedway in Franklin County on Saturday.
The United States Auto Club East Coast wingless 360 sprint cars have a two-race weekend, with action at Big Diamond in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, on Friday and New Egypt, New Jersey, on Saturday.
Path Valley rained out Sunday: Sunday's 410 sprint program at Path Valley was rained out. It has been rescheduled for Sunday, June 5.
CHAMPION RACING OIL
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
SPRINT CAR SERIES
Presented by Hoseheads.com
(Wins in parenthesis)
1. Anthony Macri (8) 645
2. Danny Dietrich (4) 555
3. Freddie Rahmer (2) 372
4. Brent Marks (3) 334
5. Justin Peck (1) 299
6. Lucas Wolfe 227
7. Logan Wagner (3) 205
8. Dylan Norris (1) 191
9. Dylan Cisney 184
10. Chase Dietz 181
Reach Bryan Householder at sports@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @ydsports.