Sprint car fans will gather in Mechanicsburg at the mecca of the East Coast 410 sprint car scene when Williams Grove Speedway hosts the two-day 50th annual National Open weekend.
Both nights will feature time trials, qualifying heats, dashes, last chance races and feature programs. Tonight's feature is a 25-lap event, paying $8,000 to the winner, while the 50-lap feature Saturday night will receive $50,000. Jason Meyers won both programs last year.
The National Open is a historic event in local and national racing circles, dating back to the inaugural event in 1963, won by eventual Indianapolis 500 champion, Gordon Johncock.
Other names to lay claim to the National Open titles include Lou Blaney, Van May, Lynn Paxton, Steve Kinser, father and son duo Steve and Stevie Smith, Sammy Swindell, Billy Pauch, Smokey Snellbaker, Lance Dewease and Kramer Williamson.
National Sprint Car Hall of Famer and longtime Pennsylvanina standout Fred Rahmer has not been able to add this trophy to his collection. It should prove interesting to see how "Fast Fred" does this weekend after splitting with his former team a few weeks ago. He now steers the Hamilton Motorsports No. 77 of engine builder and car owner Don Ott.
Time trials start at 7:30 each night, and fireworks are also a large part of the festivities both evenings.
The NHRA Summit Racing Series Team Championships for the Northeast Division were held last weekend at the Lebanon Valley Dragway in West Lebanon, N.Y., as 14 teams from tracks in the Northeast Division converged on the New York quarter-mile.
Team Numidia, which included local drivers Vince Shrawder, Bob and Mike Mackey, Brandon Cox, Tom Zimmerman and Tom Harhart were led by Vinny Dimino who scored the Pro Class Eliminator win to secure the team championship for the second consecutive year.
The 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series is quickly winding down as the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship will be at the Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill., this weekend.
Points leaders Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Allen Johnson (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (P/S Bike) lead their respective classes into action for the inaugural AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals as the NHRA national event tour returns for the first time since 2010. ESPN2 will provide a one hour qualifying program Sunday at 1 p.m., and three hours of eliminations Sunday at 8 p.m.
Winners of last weekend's AAA Texas Fall Nationals were Brown (T/F), Bob Tasca (F/C), A. Johnson (P/S) and Mike Ray (P/S Bike).
The NHRA tour heads into the Reading area next weekend for the 28th annual Auto Plus Nationals, race number four of the six races in the Countdown to the Championship. Tickets are still available for the show by contacting the track office at (610) 856-7200.
(Kaminski covers auto racing for The News-Item)