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http://dirtracingreport.com/renegade-sprints-add-two-more-races-to-2015-schedule/

2015 Season Getting More Interesting!

One of the things I miss the most about sprint car racing is the old Western Pa Speedweek.  Car counts were always really strong, with guys from Ohio and Central PA pulling over.  That was always really good racing.  It'd be great to see it come back to life.

When was the last W.PA Speedweek year and month if possible?

Ive only been around sprint car racing for about 10 yrs. and dont remember a w PA speedweek.

The last Western PA Speedweek I remember was about 20 years ago ('definitely 93and '94, maybe '95?).  Tracks raced at were: Challenger, Hickory, Lernerville, PMS and Sportsman’s.  It took place mid-June.

Here are the Western PA Speedweek winners from ’93 and ’94:

 1993

6/16/93: Challenger – Donnie Kreitz Jr

6/17/93: Hickory – Steve Smith

6/18/93: Lernerville – Fred Rahmer

6/19/93: PA Motor Speedway – Bobby Allen

6/20/93: Sportsmans – Fred Rahmer

1994

6/15/94: Challenger – Dale Blaney

6/16/94: Hickory – Jimmy Hawley

6/17/94: Lernverville – Ed Lynch Jr

6/18/94: PA Motor Speedway – Ed Lynch Jr

6/19/94: Sportsmans – Dale Blaney

Wow, so a tream back then could have run from say June 15 to about July 10th with Western PA Speedweek, OHIO Speedweek and PA Speedweek if they wanted.  Talk about a "HELL Tour" I would try to take a month off just to see that!

I know it went until at least 1999.  Here are the dates I have from 95-99.  I don't have the winners.  Notice all the rained outs for Port Royal when trying to be included in the "Western" PA speedweek!

1995
14-Jun    CHALLENGER
15-Jun    HICKORY
16-Jun    LERNERVILLE
17-Jun    PPMS
18-Jun    SPORTSMAN

1996
12-Jun    CHALLENGER
13-Jun    PORT ROYAL (rained out)
14-Jun    LERNERVILLE
15-Jun    PITTS PA MOTOR
16-Jun    TRI-CITY

1997
11-Jun    CHALLENGER
12-Jun    PORT ROYAL (rained out)
13-Jun    LERNERVILLE
14-Jun    PPMS
15-Jun    TRI-CITY

1998
10-Jun    Mercer (rained out)
11-Jun    Port Royal (rained out)
12-Jun    Lernerville
13-Jun    PPMS (rained out)
14-Jun    Tri-City

1999
10-Jun    Port Royal (rained out)
11-Jun    Lernerville
12-Jun    PPMS
13-Jun    Tri-City

I can't remember if it went further than 1999 but not by much if it did. I remember Jeff Shepard would come over and dominate some of those races, especially at Mercer. 

Jean Lynch played a big role in W PA Speedwell as well I believe. But somebody like Walt Wimer would know more about it. 

All Star Sprint Western Pa. Notes By Scott Hall 6/11/00

FRANKLIN, PA - Early afternoon rains washed out the All Star sprint Western Pa. Speedweek finale scheduled for Sunday at Tri-City Speedway. With the rainout, Chad Kemenah was crowned the 2000 Speedweek champion by two markers over Mark Keegan. The event will not be made up. The All Stars return to action next Saturday Night June 17 at K-C Raceway near Chillicothe, OH.

Final Western Pa. Speedweek Points: 1. Chad Kemenah 383; 2. Mark Keegan 381; 3. Jerrod Hull 375; 4. Rodney Duncan 369; 5. Frankie Kerr 364; 6. Kenny Jacobs 349; 7. Barry Ruble 286; 8. Byron Reed 284; 9. Brian Ellenberger 283; 10. Ed Lynch, Jr. 270.

Current All Star Sprint Points: 1. Rodney Duncan 1299; 2. Frankie Kerr 1248; 3. Kenny Jacobs 1232; 4. Jerrod Hull 1106; 5. Todd Gracey 1081; 6. Kelly Kinser 927; 7. Chad Kemenah 876; 8. Daryl Stimeling 816; 9. Byron Reed 718; 10. Brian Ellenberger 573.

With Sunday night's rainout, Chad Kemenah became the 2000 Western Pa. Speedweek champion. The top three in points, Kemenah, Mark Keegan and Jerrod Hull, each had four top ten finishes. Among those in the parking lot at Tri City, waiting for the rain to stop, were Boston Reid and Fred Rahmer. The Speedweek wins by Mark Keegan, Sean Michael and Chad Kemenah were their first career Speedweek wins. Western Pa. Speedweek history shows 18 different feature winners in 32 shows run over eight seasons. On the All Star tour 2000, there have been a dozen different winners in 21 races this season. A total of 70 different drivers competed in this Speedweek with Ryan Flynn, Kenny Jacobs, Rodney Duncan, Frankie Kerr, Todd Gracey, Daryl Stimeling, Jerrod Hull, Barry Ruble, Mark Keegan, Robert Huisken and Chad Kemenah attending all four shows. Car counts averaged 32 per night. Huisken, from Marne, Mi. and Flynn from Chico, CA were suprise entries. Huisken is a former New 96 (MI) Speedway track champion, and Flynn also competed with the All Stars in February's Florida Speedweek tour.

Frankie Kerr was feeling ill Friday at Lernerville and spent until 3 a.m. Saturday in a local hospital getting IV's for dehydration after he had a 104 degree temperature. He was diagnosed with bronchitis and strep throat.

Sikeston, Missouri's Jerrod Hull was a fast man in Pa. He set a new track record Wednesday at Mercer, and also recorded quick time Saturday at PPMS. Hull, who drives for Illinois car owner Guy Webb, has one of the nicest looking "spider webb" themed tow rigs on the circuit and wheeled his Eagle chassis to sixth at Mercer, eighth at Port Royal, ninth at Lernerville and sixth at PPMS.

Todd Gracey had a Speedweek to forget. Wednesday, his hauler broke down on the way to Mercer. Thursday, he suffered engine problems and had to use a provisional starting spot at Port Royal to earn any points. Friday at Lernerville, he missed his time trial spot, so had to time last. Although he set seventh quick time, he was scheduled to start 11th in the main under All Star rules. He was pushed off for the feature, then his car stalled and would not re-fire for the main with a bad engine, allowing first alternate Robert Huisken into the main. So for Saturday night, Gracey called back home to Hanover Pa. for his car owner Ken Cooper to bring the engine from his son Pat's car for Gracey to run Saturday night. The engine carried him to a ninth place finish. Kenny Jacobs also had a rough week. He pitted for repairs Wed. at Mercer, coming back to finish 13th. While leading Thursday, his car jumped out of gear after a restart, sending him pitside. And while on the move toward the front Friday, the lapped machine of Ryan Flynn spun in front of him, leaving Jacobs no where to go, eliminating both machines. Saturday he earned redemption, leading the main wire-to-wire. This is Jacobs' 27th season of running sprint cars. Rodney Duncan suffered from overheating problems most of Speedweek and Ed Lynch Jr. discovered a bad rear end bearing was the cause of his vibrations Friday. Then the crew discovered a broken lifter while preparing for Saturday's show. Chad Hill made his All Star debut Saturday at PPMS. It was his fifth time ever in a 410 sprint after graduating from the micro-sprint ranks. Hill is Lynch Jr.'s brother in law and spent a year crewing for Lynch. He also was the 1997 Western Pa. Cavalcade Rookie-of-the-year. Three of the four Western Pa. Speedweek shows were broadcast live over the internet on RSBN.net. The broadcast was hosted by DJ Johnson with color commentary by former sprint car driver Bob Felmlee. An average of 200,000 listeners tuned in per night. Speaking of Felmlee, his broadcast career started exactly one year and a day after his career ending crash at Tri-City Speedway, which is only on mile from his home. Felmlee may have to have two of his neck vertebrae re-fused back together as his neck is still giving him problems. There were several hard crashes this Speedweek. Doug Kekich, who timed an impressive eighth quick at Mercer, took a hard flip over the backstretch concrete Wednesday. He was removed from his machine on a backboard, but refused to go to the hospital. Thursday at Port Royal, Daryl Stimeling hit the concrete wall hard and flipped, destroying his machine. The impact even cracked his helmet! He returned Friday in a new J&J. Friday at Lernerville, Glen Noland tee-boned Rich Kerstetter in the B Main. Both drivers complained of sore knees after the impact and Kerstetter had a very sore ankle which was examined at a local hospital. The All Star 1200 lb. minimum weight rule came into play Thursday at Port Royal as the first two drivers of the year were disqualified after the feature for failing to make weight. Mark Richard was dropped from seventh and Johnny Mackison Jr. from 11th. One of the machines was just three pounds under the minimum (after losing a torsion arm on the last lap, which was found on the speedway surface, which would have enabled him to make weight.) The other was six pounds under.

I remember stopping at Port Royal on the way down to Bristol to see the Outlaws in 2000 I believe. The show at Port Royal was part of a Western Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek, and it was run on a thursday night. The two fans with me were really impressed with the now long gone covered grandstand, a cut stone part of thefrontstrech outside wall, and the location of the track in a residential area in town. I remember my first trip there 10 years earlier, and seeing the gazebo with the flagstand, and officals area inside the entrance to turn one on the frontstretch.

Keith Kauffman won this speedweek in 1997 in the #U2.  I forget who won it 1998, but I should remember.  I think it was either Kenny Jacobs or Frankie Kerr. 

Actually it was Jeff Shepard who won the 1998 speedweek and also two races during that week.