Path Valley Speedway report 2001-10-20

Kitzmiller Wins First in Last Path Valley Feature of Season

Spring Run, PA_ Dave Kitzmiller of Orrstown waited until the last race of the Path Valley season to win his first feature ever. Kitzmiller took the lead from Alan Shives on lap 17 of the 30-lap V-8 Junk Car Race Saturday afternoon at the Path Valley Speedway Park.

Joe Walker of Mt. Union won his third of the season in the four-cylinder junk cars after early leader Danny Silvers broke down with about five laps completed.

The Powder Puff feature went to Beth Verno of St. Thomas, a veteran of powder puffs but a first-time winner at Path Valley. Current 2001 Thunder Car champion Steve McCartney of Doylesburg led every lap to win the spinning and sliding mechanic’s race.

Jack Flowers of Two Wheel Promotions, who brought the minimal cost Junk Car Races to Path Valley, announced that the“ guardrail cars” will race once a month in 2002. Junk Cars are absolutely and strictly stock off the scrap heap cars with only low cost safety modifications allowed. The half-page of technical rules is available at the track’s www.pathvalley.com website and the only change anticipated next season is to require a more effective window net to keep driver’s arms inside the car in case they roll.

Racing is completed and the Second Annual Path Valley Speedway Park Combined Awards Banquet will be Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Pleasant Hall Fire Co. with doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25 and limited to 400 and available from the track on a first-come first-sold basis.“ Dodies” will cater the meal and the entertainment will include DJ Phantom Shadow and awards to the top drivers in every class. Fewer than 30 tickets remained following the Junk Car Race.

The four-cylinder feature opened with Danny Silvers and Tony Michael on the front row but Walker took the lead when the faster cars encountered lapped cars and held off Jeff Treece to the finish. Michael and Treece won the heats and the front ten finishers were Walker, Treece, Tony Thurber, Tony Michael, Wes Miles Sr., Chris Hurd, Chester Atherton, Rick Rosenberry, Matt Sowers, and Danny Silvers with a DNF.

Alan Shives led the first sixteen laps in the combined six-cylinder and V-8 feature but when the leaders overtook a group of slower cars Shives got shut out and Dave Kitzmiller took the lead in his four-door Pontiac and weaved in and out lapping some cars twice for his career first win. Tony Verno and Gary Daniels won the heat races and the front ten finishers after 30 laps were Kitzmiller, Daniels, Shives, Mike Duck, Mike Gipe, Rich Aby, Rob Keller, Ken Bumbaugh, Jerry Fleming, Brandie Mills and Tony Verno.

“ With the close of our second season we need to thank the hundreds of drivers and teams who have raced at Path Valley in 2001 and our experienced and dedicated staff who have squeezed what amounts to three full seasons into one year,” race director John Winsett said.

According to promoter Ken Geesey, Bug Days and technical inspections will be in early and mid March of 2002 and the first points race will be Friday night, March 29, 2002. Geesey and Vicki Flowers are working to have revised rules for 2002 available at the awards banquet.

-www.pathvalley.com-