Co-sanctioned Hagerstown show next for PASS

Events, Sprint Car

By Frank Buhrman

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (June 15, 2023) – The River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series will make its only 2023 appearance at Maryland’s Hagerstown Speedway this Saturday, joining a co-sanctioned program hosted by the Virginia Sprint Series and also involving the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series.

It’s a Dad’s Night Out special program for Father’s Day weekend, with the IMC RaceSaver Sprint Cars racing, along with the wingless super sportsman cars that normally run at Path Valley Speedway, and the track’s regular late model sportsman division.

PASS has only run in seven races at Hagerstown (although some teams have run more when VSS was racing there without the PASS co-sanction) and no driver has won more than once, which creates an opportunity for those drivers with single wins who plan on racing: Ken Duke, Jerald Harris, a VSS regular, Stevie Kenawell and Mike Melair.

One could end the evening as the first two-time winner for a PASS race.

To do that, though, they’ll have to overcome Logan Spahr, who won the first six PASS races this season and put on a show last Saturday at Selinsgrove Speedway, coming from 11th starting spot to a solid third-place finish.

Hometown heroes also need watching. Veteran Donnie Hendershot has been racing with PASS since 2013 and hasn’t had much success at his home track, although he changed that with a fifth last year and could easily move up farther.

Second-generation driver Dylan Shatzer has finished in the top 10 of all three Hagerstown races he’s run, including third last year, and he’s been a winner with Laurel Highlands (as has Hendershot), so he’s a definite threat.

Worth adding also is Alyssa Rowe, who lives in Chambersburg but drives Allen Moser’s local car. She is a regular modified driver who competes in RaceSaver events when possible and has not run a PASS event at Hagerstown. However, she has four top-10 finishes in her nine previous starts with the series and should be competitive.

A strong field is expected to run qualifying events and a 20-lap feature.

Pit gates are set to open Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (grandstands at 5 p.m.), with hot laps scheduled for 7 p.m. and racing to follow.

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