During the 2019 Eastern Storm tour, USAC stars Justin Grant and Jason McDougal were on their way to a scheduled date at Weedsport, New York when they saw the lights burning at Selinsgrove Speedway.
During the 2019 Eastern Storm tour, USAC stars Justin Grant and Jason McDougal were on their way to a scheduled date at Weedsport, New York when they saw the lights burning at Selinsgrove Speedway. Taking the time to stop and look over the plant, Grant soon was chatting with Steve Inch, the General Manager of the track. One look was enough for Justin. Without hesitation, he told Inch that this would be an ideal setting for a Silver Crown race. Luckily for all concerned, Inch was all ears.
The fact that the race was added to the 2020 season was enough for many USAC faithful to celebrate. Then we had a chance to watch the Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek event live on Flo. The texts began to fly. Simply put, none of us could wait to get there.
Suddenly there was a lot riding on the Bill Holland Classic. Because of the havoc caused by COVID-19, this would be the 2020 Silver Crown season-opener. Second, although midget races at Action Track USA and Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway were packed to the rafters with fans, the overall Eastern Midget Week was hampered by three rainouts. The primary USAC officials were fresh off of Indiana Sprint Week and were tired of rain, and
the road.
Therefore, this race had a chance to buoy everyone‘s spirits. Even before a wheel had turned, this race had a fighting chance to be something special. Steve Inch‘s enthusiasm, alone, was infectious, longtime announcer and publicist Shawn Brouse got the press releases flying, and plenty of teams were prepared to make the tow. Other touches were added to make this a true event. A live band was secured, and craft beer would be available for the fans. All of this was great news but, most important of all, when fans and officials arose on Sunday it was hot…but dry.
For me, all it took was one look. I‘m a sucker for old tracks with covered grandstands. To me that‘s racing, particularly with Silver Crown cars. The tacky red surface also got my full attention. To stand in this place and realize that men like Joie Chitwood, Bill Holland, and Tommy Hinnershitz had won at this hallowed ground means a great deal for anyone with a love of history. The fact that the family of the late Mitch Smith added to the purse for this race was another added special touch.
The night was also enhanced by the presence of the USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series featuring traditional 360-powered sprints. Curt Michael has done a great jog shepherding this new group over the past several seasons, and the continued growth of the series bodes well for wingless sprint car racing in the east.
They held up their end of the bargain. Two of the three heat races were excellent, and the feature was satisfying as well. The presence of Robert Ballou, Kevin Thomas Jr., Steve Buckwalter, and Brady Bacon helped strengthen the field, but they quickly learned two-time series champion Steven Drevicki is pretty darn good.
Bacon scored the victory after a mechanical issue sent Ballou into the fence, and then lauded the potential of the series in victory lane.
Then came the real test.
When you go to places where 410 winged sprint cars rule, you have to take time to explain Silver Crown racing. I admit, I still think they are the prettiest cars on earth, but they are an entirely different entity. They aren‘t going to be blindly fast, and they aren‘t going to dart and flit about. The Silver Crown car is an elegant machine that has to be coaxed and nurtured. A pass is often the result of work that transpires over several laps.
To watch and comprehend these races requires a reasonable attention span. One reason I always love watching these cars perform is that I know it takes more than a heavy right foot. The driver must be disciplined and use the space between the ears.
During qualifications one event did arise which would cause a moment or two of pure panic later in the evening. Californian Jake Swanson, one of the last qualifiers, came out and suddenly his times would not register. He was sent out again. No luck. Bryan Gossel gave it a go. Same result. Quick repairs trackside did the trick, or so it seemed, and qualifications concluded.
In honor of the track‘s anniversary, the event was slated for 74 green flag laps. C.J. Leary would lead 72 of them. In spite of how that sounds, there was plenty of action. Some of it was on the track, some of it in the tower.
On the track, Shane Cottle, who was running in the 11th position, shed a tire on the main straightaway. Shane spun backwards into the inside guardrail and, in the process, Dave Berkheimer flipped. It had already been an odd night for Cottle. Shane was among the fastest in practice, but when it was time to qualify his car sounded ill and his time reflected that. Now, just 31 laps into the race, it looked like it was going to be a disappointing night for “The Throttle,” but his team got in back in the race.
In the tower, it was suddenly obvious that electronic scoring had gone wonky, at best. There was no rhyme or reason to what the display indicated. Race Director Kirk Spridgeon was slightly panicked, with cause, and pleaded out loud for a serial scorer. This required real skills, because scoring from a tower inside the track can be very difficult, particularly with cars that are unfamiliar. Up stepped micro-sprint racer Jessie Miller, who helped save the day and was the unsung hero of the race.
Then things began to get interesting.
In the old days of the Indianapolis 500, engine failures and the like were far more common. In the end, that fact alone added to the drama. In Silver Crown racing the issue is always tires. Once again this became a factor. While some may view this as a problem, I disagree. This is what makes this form of racing unique. The beneficiary was Cottle. Because of all the problems with the scoring loop, I quickly turned to Jessie and said, “Is he really up there?” She nodded yes. Not only did Shane get back to the front, with two to go he took the lead.
There was something right about a seasoned guy winning a big inaugural race at a venerable race track. Other performances were also noteworthy. Hardworking Kyle Robbins made it to the podium, Colorado driver Bryan Gossel (in a car wrenched by Colorado Motorsports Hall of Famer Scot Hersh) finished fourth, and Pennsylvania‘s Carmen Perigo rounded out the top five. For those of us who have watched Perigo drive his heart out in a sprint car during Eastern Storm, it felt good to see his hard work rewarded.
If there was a downside, the overall event took too long for a Sunday night. I think everyone would agree to that. Two reds (a rarity in a Silver Crown race) and the scoring loop issue created some of the problems. However, clearly efforts can be made to run a crisper show.
Still, in the end there were smiles to be found everywhere. Immediately, the idea of a sprint car race during Eastern Storm was raised as a possibility. That sounds great, but I hope it doesn‘t come at the expense of the big ground pounders. The entire Selinsgrove crew deserve a big round of applause. They were intent on creating a true event — and they did it.