Following in the footsteps of your father can be difficult.
Striking out and creating your own casts can be even more daunting.
Ryan Hand, of Tower City, always had a passion for racing, and hung around with his father, Bill, and other crew members on the John and PeeWee Zemaitis-owned Zemco modified and sprint cars. As the years passed, Hand became an integral part of the well known sprint car team, working with many of the most recognized names in racing, including the late Kevin Gobrecht, Jeff Sheppard, Sean Michael, Billy Pauch, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Danny Lasoski and Brian Leppo. This season, the 39-year-old mechanic decided to mark his own prints in the racing world.
Recognized in the sprint car pit area as a knowledgeable chassis man and shock expert, Hand was offered a crew chief position with the high-profile team of owner Mike Heffner and driver Greg Hodnett. Hand accepted the change that Heffner offered.
Throughout the 2014 season, consistent performances along with 10 victories in 410 sprint competition and one win with a 360 engine, The Lelands.com team of Heffner, Hodnett and Hand secured the Williams Grove Speedway 410 driver and car owner championships and the Speedway Motors/Champion Racing Oils Central PA 410 title, as well.
Hand was awarded the prestigious 2014 Mechanic of the Year Award at Williams Grove.
Hand duties vary greatly. He drives the truck, fabricates, sets up the chassis, maintains the shocks, dies tire maintenance and inventory.
"When I decided to go with the team, of course I was worried about failing," Hand said. "But I had the confidence and the desire to get the job done.
"Mike is a great car owner, he gives us the best parts to work with and he expects the best results and we all want to attain the same goal. As far as Greg, we get along great - as a driver and crew chief should. We got each other's backs."
Hand enjoys spending time when he is not racing, with his wife Mary and daughter Kayla. Visits to Knoebels and many of their daughter's childhood activities occupy what little free time Hand has when he is not racing.
The team plans to be at Port Royal Speedway Saturday night for the STP World of Outlaws event and tentatively has plans of heading to Charlotte for the World Finals event next weekend.
The STP WoO Sprint Car Series heads into Juniata County for a 30-lap feature, paying $10,000 to the winner. It is the first time the touring series has been at Port Royal since 2004, when Donny Schatz scored the win. The first-ever WoO visit was in 1979 and Hall of Fame driver Lynn Paxton defended the home turf for the Central PA guys in the Boop's Aluminum entry.
Gates open at approximately 3 p.m., and hot laps will begin at 4:30, witih time trials at 5.
Mahoning Valley Speedway offers its final show of the season, the two-day Octoberfast Weekend, Saturday and Sunday. With action beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday, the asphalt modifieds will be racing for a $5,000 winner's check in the 130 lap feature, while late models and street stocks will also be racing in longer-distance, extra-dollar events.
Sunday's program will get the green flag at 2:30 p.m. with the dirt mods as the headline division, paying $3,000 to the winner of the 60-lap feature. The SpeedStrs, slingshots and various go-kart classes will be included in Sunday's show.
In drag racing action, Numidia Dragway closed out its 2014 season last weekend, but surely Jeff Krushinskie was most likely hoping it would stay open for a few more weeks. The Shamokin driver came home victorious in the footbrake eliminators Saturday and Sunday afternoons. ... Maple Grove Raceway will be holding its final flea market and swap meet of the season Saturday, with gates opening at 7 a.m.
(Kaminski covers auto
racing for The News-Item)