pennsylvaniasprintseries Archives

Sweigart rides high side to Port Royal PASS victory

By Frank Buhrman PORT ROYAL, Pa. (April 20, 2024) – Two weeks ago, Nick Sweigart committed to the high side of Port Royal Speedway’s racing surface, and while his racing line thrilled the crowd, he needed some late attrition among other front-runners for it to result in a fourth-place finish in the River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series makeup of the 2023 Keystone RaceSaver Challenge. This Saturday night was very different. Hanging high, and hitting the wall once, the Myerstown veteran shot from his sixth starting position into second on the opening lap, then got past early leader Ken Duke at the beginning of lap three. From that point on, Sweigart was atop the Speed Palace leaderboard and despite his critical appraisal of his driving over the last half of the race, he held his lead in traffic and scored a 2.159-second victory over defending PASS champion Logan Spahr, who took the runner-up spot from Duke on the final circuit of the 20-lap feature. The feature ran non-stop and was completed in less than seven minutes. Only [Read More]

PASS heads back to Port Royal this Saturday

By Frank Buhrman PORT ROYAL, Pa. (April 18, 2024) – The River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series batting average has dropped to .333 after a second postponement in three 2024 tries, so it’s up to Port Royal Speedway to successfully negotiate with Mother Nature and get things back on track this Saturday night. PASSIMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car teams are set to join 410 sprints and super late models for a sure-to-be-wild, hope-to-be-dry show at Port Royal. This past Friday night’s Spring Sprint Spectacular at Williams Grove Speedway fell victim to soggy conditions and the likelihood of high winds. The PASS tour is scheduled to race at the Grove next on Friday, May 24. In the meantime, Port Royal looms large, with two programs in the next three weeks. On Saturday, May 4, the same program of 410 sprints, super lates and River Valley PASS IMCA RaceSavers will bring out the cars and drivers again. Both the upcoming Port shows already have 40 or more teams preregistered. Heading that list is Keystone RaceSaver Challenge winner Ken Duke, runner-up [Read More]

Duke adds Keystone Challenge to IMCA RaceSaver resume

By Frank Buhrman PORT ROYAL, Pa. (April 6, 2024) – Drew Young and Doug Dodson seemed ready to settle the 12th annual Keystone RaceSaver Challenge between themselves; third-running Ken Duke admitted he had nothing for the leaders. Then, with two laps to go in the River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series’ biggest race of the year Saturday at Port Royal Speedway, both Young and Dodson slowed with flat tires. Duke admitted he broke out in a smile when he saw that had happened. He had the lead, but he had veteran Roger Irvine, 2023 PASS points runner-up Zach Rhodes, Jeffrey Weaver and high-riding Nick Sweigert on his bumper for the restart. Known for strong restarts, Duke didn’t flinch, but then he had to do it again after Rhodes brought out the caution with yet another flat tire with one lap to go. No matter. Duke’s second restart was as good as the first, and the two-time PASS champion and 2019 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Ca national champion again held off the challenges and returned to victory [Read More]

The numbers add up: PASS is rocking in 2024

By Frank Buhrman PORT ROYAL, Pa. (April 3, 2024) – The River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series isn’t usually like NASCAR, starting the season with its biggest race, but thanks to last weekend’s rainout at Path Valley Speedway and last October’s weather issues at Port Royal Speedway, that’s what’s happening in 2024. The new season gets underway Saturday, April 6 at Port Royal with the 12th annual Keystone RaceSaver Challenge, postponed from 2023 to become the ultimate season opener in 2024. The race has received a significant sponsorship boost from the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and the division is sponsored at Port Royal by Penns Valley Meat Market. With nearly a week before the green flag, the pre-registration (entry) list has topped 50 and may be headed toward one of its highest totals ever. With 410 sprint car racing also on tap, plus that many IMCA/RaceSaver Sprinters fighting for a spot in the KRC starting field, this is a day of racing not to be missed. Even if this wasn’t the Keystone, though, all signs point [Read More]

PASS ready to start season at Path Valley

By Frank Buhrman SPRING RUN, Pa. (March 28, 2024) – The 26th annual season of IMCA RaceSaver competition with the River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series will take the green flag Saturday, March 30 at everybody’s favorite bullring, Path Valley Speedway. The RaceSaver sprints will join 270 and 600 micro sprints, limited late models, 4-cylinder thunder cars, and modifieds. For a cooler-weather date, times are earlier as gates open at 2 p.m. with warm-ups at 4 p.m. The first heat race will start after warm-ups. PASS competitors will run qualifying heats, a consolation race if needed, and a 25-lap feature. Adult general admission is just $10 ($3 for kids 10 and under). Pit admission is $30, plus a $5 membership fee for first-time visitors. 2023 PASS champion Logan Spahr of Lewisberry will be among nine of last season’s top 10 drivers expected to be on hand for a full field. Spahr, points runner-up Zach Rhodes of McVeytown and Kruz Kepner of Kreamer, who finished ninth in the standings, were three of last year’s four winners [Read More]

PASS ready to kick off 2024 season at Path Valley March 30

By Frank Buhrman SPRING RUN, Pa. (March 19, 2024) – With more than 200 events Path Valley is the longevity leader! The River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series kicks off its 26th season of economy Sprint Car competition in appropriate fashion on Saturday, March 30, racing at the active track where it has competed more often than anywhere else, the quarter-mile, high-banked “bullring” that is Path Valley Speedway. Located near Spring Run in far northern Franklin County, Path Valley was built and opened in 1987 to take advantage of the blossoming popularity of micro sprint racing but in 2000, then-new promoters Jack and Vicki Flowers and John Winsett decided to try out a new division of full-sized economy sprint cars that also were running at nearby Hesston Speedway. On Aug. 4, 2000, the Pennsylvania Sprint Series made its first Path Valley appearance, with Roger Fickett taking the checkered flag over a 17-car field. Since that night, more than 200 PASS races have been run at Path Valley, by far the most at any track. At [Read More]

Heffner bags PASS ‘Hunting Season’ checkers

By Frank Buhrman SELINSGROVE, Pa. (Sept. 16, 2023) – If you want somebody else to win, it’s probably not a good idea to let Kenny Heffner start up front. The Watsontown racer drew the outside front-row starting position Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway, raced out ahead of fellow front-row starter Nick Sweigart, fought off an early challenge (and another one later on) from Ken Duke, and led all 20 laps to win one of the biggest River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series races of the season, the Race to Hunting Season sponsored by the Pennsylvania Game Commission as part of the 25th FANiversary Tour, marking a quarter century of PASS/IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car competition in Central Pennsylvania. A six-year veteran of RaceSaver competition, Heffner collected his fifth career victory, his second of 2023 and his career second at Selinsgrove. He won by 1.090 seconds over Kruz Kepner, whose late charge through the top five earned him the runner-up spot. Hometown veteran Duke, who leads active PASS racers with five career wins at Selinsgrove, held on for third, [Read More]

Melair steers to Selinsgrove PASS win

By Frank Buhrman SELINSGROVE, Pa. (Aug. 26, 2023) – Whether fighting for the early lead, flying on a clear track, or cutting through traffic, Mike Melair had the edge Saturday night, taking home the victory in an exciting, non-stop River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series 20-lap feature at Selinsgrove Speedway. The Warrington driver took the no. 36 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car across the finish line .466 seconds ahead of Nick Sweigart to score his first win since June of 2021 at Hagerstown. He appeared to win a race later that year at Lincoln, but in his excitement forgot to go straight to the scales after the race and was disqualified. This year he was leading at the white flag at Path Valley Speedway but came home second, and he had another runner-up finish at Port Royal Speedway. Unfortunately, he also had an unwelcome amount of bad luck and bad pill draws for starting position. Saturday, the feature start re-draw was kind, giving Melair the pole position after a runner-up finish in his heat. From there [Read More]

PASS to joins All Stars Sunday at Selinsgrove

By Frank Buhrman SELINSGROVE, Pa. (Aug. 18, 2023) – The River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series joins Tony Stewart’s Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions this Sunday at Selinsgrove Speedway to honor the memory of one of the region’s legendary sprint car drivers, Kramer Williamson, with the running of the Kramer Cup. The IMCA RaceSaver sprinters will run qualifying events and a 20-lap feature in support of the All Star’s $10,000-to-win feature. Coming off a super successful weekend that saw 41-car fields at both Lincoln and Bedford Fairgrounds Speedways, PASS will be looking for another strong turnout to turn heads among those on hand for the traveling All Stars. Leading the group will be point leader Logan Spahr, who has won nine of the first 20 PASS features run this year and is looking at the possibility of setting a single-season victory record, set by Logan Wagner in 2013 and tied by Garrett Bard last season, with 12 wins each. Spahr scored a dominating victory Sunday in the Junior Ritchey Tribute at Bedford, but he [Read More]

Lincoln, Bedford this Saturday and Sunday for PASS

By Frank Buhrman ABBOTTSTOWN, Pa. (Aug. 11, 2023) – Two tracks with long but very different histories of River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series competition make their only 2023 appearances on the schedule this weekend. Lincoln Speedway will be the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car teams’ destination Saturday night, and on Sunday night the action moves west to Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway, for a co-sanctioned event with the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series. Both tracks hosted their first PASS race 20 years ago. Lincoln will run exactly 20 years and five weeks after its first appearance, and Bedford will host the sprinters two days shy of exactly 20 years since the first show. It needs to be noted, however, that Lincoln hosted the Virginia Sprint Series, the oldest of all RaceSaver regional groups, before its first PASS race. In the years since, Lincoln has been a regular on the PASS schedule, typically with either one or two races. Overall, this will be the 30th PASS race at the Pidgeon Hills track, and the victories have been well spread [Read More]