PDKA Selinsgrove results 2003-08-24

Selinsgrove _ Some 250 of the region's top kart riders completed race four of the Pennsylvania Dirt Karters Association (PDKA) Burris State Championship Series under a blazing sun Sunday at the Selinsgrove Raceway Park.

The PDKA series of six races are each also WKA Divisional events this season. Two races remain including a rain makeup from May 18.

Among the day's most thrilling features was the Jr. Sportsman I Heavy event that saw five different leaders and eight lead changes during the 20 laps. In the final lap Mathew Bear who had been running fourth took the lead going into turn three and won to lead the most important lap.

:"We saw some exciting racing and some good sportsmanship today, and we can all be proud of the skills these young people are learning," said PDKA President Butch Diller. Flagman Steve Murphy added that the only drawback to the safe day of racing was, "It was too hot and that made the karts skid and spin more."

Matt Cooper of Berryville VA voiced typical sentiments after winning the Jr. Heavy feature. "They was a comin' and I was lucky to stay ahead of Holland. He passed me a couple times." Cooper won both the Jr. Lite and Jr. Heavy features and D.J. Holland of Claysburg finished second in both. Cooper said he races in all of the PDKA events and that the competition is "a whole lot tougher' than at his home tracks.

Another double feature winner who also earned the Fast Time Awards in two classes was Tyler Bear of Elliottsburg, and he noted that he also managed the same accomplishment, setting two Fast Times and winning two features, last year at a Path Valley PDKA race.

Bear was the Junior Heavy state champion in 2002, and this year he is mainly racing WKA Nationals points events, like the PDKA. Currently he estimated that he is about tenth in national points. "You don't think, just go," he said of his driving style. Some day he wants to race Indy Lights, preferring open wheel racing to NASCAR stock cars or winged sprints because, "It's faster, and only a little more dangerous."

The fifth PDKA race, sponsored by Burris Racing, will be Sept. 14 at Path Valley Speedway Park where the first two races were held, and the sixth race will be a rain makeup from May 18, at Selinsgrove, on Sept. 21. Gates open at 7 a.m. with two rounds of practice starting by 10 a.m. followed by time trials and then the feature events. Points from the best five of six races are counted toward the state championships.

PDKA racing this season is under the dual sanction of the World Karting Association and the Burris National Speedway Series and PDKA President Butch Diller expects that the option of racing in the WKA nationals is a major asset for the series.

This year PDKA karts race on American made Burris tires in the M-15 A or B or the SS44 or SS55 series. Champ kart riders must have fire suits and champ karts must be WKA legal. Riders receive points for each feature event and those who enter all six races earn 50 bonus points. Karters who need more information can contact Diller at 717-691-5994 or email answer21e @ aol.com, or consult the website at padirtkart.com.

In addition to Burris, sponsors of the 2003 series include Silver Spring Speedway which sponsors the Fast Time Awards and class sponsors including All Pro Products, Releasomers, JC Specialty, York County Kart Supply, Viper Racing Engines, Frank Sears Sanitation, Ensor Speed Shop, Elvin's Karts and Parts, Kirby's Speed Secret, Harrisburg Magazine, Awards & Beyond, Oval Track Concepts, Path Valley Speedway, Little's Kart Shop, In Memory of Kevin Gobrecht, Selinsgrove Speedway, Locke's Automotive, K&E Motorsports.

Classes and weights for the 2003 WKA Dirt Divisionals sponsored by Burris Racing are as follows: Jr. Sportsman I Lite, 250; Jr. Sportsman I Heavy, 265; Jr. Sportsman II Lite, 265; Jr. Sportsman II Heavy, 280; Briggs Jr. Lite, 300; Briggs Jr. Heavy, 320; Briggs Lite, 325; Briggs Medium, 350; Briggs Heavy, 375; Briggs X-heavy, 400.

Classes also include more than the "flat" stock karts. The additional classes and weights are: Jr. Sportsman Champ, 315; Jr. Champ, 345; Controlled Med., 350; Controlled Heavy, 375; Briggs Animal, 375; 2-Cycle Yamaha, 350; and also Stock 2-cycle; Unlimited 2-cycle and Kids Karts.

As in past years, all of those entering the Kids Karts class for the youngest riders will each receive an award or trophy.

FAST TIME AWARDS by SILVER SPRING SPEEDWAY
Kids Karts - 88 Jessica Miller, 18.337
Jr. Sportsman I Lite - 45 Michael Bauer, 14.426
Jr. Sportsman I Heavy - 25 Tyler Bear, 14.557
Jr. Sportsman II Lite - 46 Mathew Bauer, 14.306
Jr. Sportsman II Heavy - 46 Mathew Bauer, 14.535
Jr. Sportsman Champ - 4 Tyler Bear, 15.415
Jr. Champ - 10 Cody Schmiedel, 13.931
Jr. Lite - 17 Austen Heller, 13.749
Jr. Heavy - 7 Matt Cooper, 13.888
Sr. Lite - 61 Craig Wetzel, 13.550
Sr. Medium _ 2 Wesley Potts, 13.488
Sr. Heavy - 52 Dwayne Gutshall, 14.049
Sr. Super Heavy - 77 Brad Spates, 13.857
Sr. Champ - 1 Cale Reigle, 14.318
Unlimited 2-Cycle - 21 Elvin Diller, 13.267
Yamaha 2-Cycle - 03 Clark Simonton, 12.913
Stock 2-Cycle - 03 Clark Simonton, 12.732
Animal - 9 Matt Hummel, 13.553
Controlled Medium - 19 Missy Ciucci, 13.182
Controlled Heavy - 5 Jeremy Ginder, 13.195

UNOFFICIAL FRONT FIVE FINISH ORDER TOP FIVE

Kid Karts - All Win

Jr. Sportsman I Lite - 25 Tyler Bear, 92 Dylan Proctor, 5 William Diehl, 11 Troy Cunningham, 01 Chad Brooks.

Jr. Sportsman I Heavy - 45 Michael Bear, 1 Logan Schuhart, 01 Chad Brooks, 11 Troy Cunningham, 25 Tyler Bear.

Jr. Sportsman II Lite - 46 Mathew Bauer, 41 Jonathan Pillion, 52 Austin Hogue, 51 Brett Berkheimer, 9 Dakota Bear.

Jr. Sportsman II Heavy - 41 Jonathan Pillion, 52 Austin Hogue, 46 Mathew Bauer, 1 Corbin Leiby, 88 Andrew Dietrich.

Jr. Sportsman Champ - 4 Tyler Bear, 1 Logan Schuchart, 48 Chad Brooks, 73 Joshua Trenary, 83 Cody Fairchok.

Jr. Champ - 10 Cody Schmiedel, 1 Brian Behm, 00 Brandon Scannell, 16 Gerard McIntyre, 99 Kyle Moody.

Jr. Lite - 7 Matt Cooper, 89 Donald Holland Jr., 19 Brent Marks, 12 Keith Blumenstein, 10 Dustin Smith.

Jr. Heavy - 7 Matt Cooper,. 89 Donald Holland Jr., 41 Cody Sieber, 10 Dustin Smith, 13 Jordan Ginder.

Sr. Lite - 78 James Kirby, 12 John Westbrook, 32 Garrett Kuhns, 1 Patrick Rineman, 61 Craig Wetzel.

Sr. Heavy - 52 Dwayne Gutshall, 91 Jeff Rathfon, 17 Danny Wiles, 90 Walt Mcleary, 37 Mark Rhodes.

Sr. Super Heavy - 91 Jeff Rathfon, 17 Danny Wiles, 77 Brad Spates, 21 Nathan Weikel, 7 David Beck.

Sr. Champ - 1 Cale Reigel, 25 Brent Lawrence, 19 Andrew Tate, 80 Eddie Rice, 17 Joshua Rebert.

Unlimited 2-Cycle - 52 David Blayock, Dale Boward, Elvin Diller.

Yamaha 2-Cycle - 41 Scott Geesey, 03 Clark Simonton, 12 Keith Blumenstein, 4 Joshua Echard, 90 Scott Spidle.

Stock 2-Cycle - 03 Clark Simonton, 41 Scott Geesey, 21 Elvin Diller, 12 Keith Blumenstein, 90 Scott Spidle.

Animal - 00 Chris Frank, 9 Mat Hummel, 49 Charles Bowers, 29 Adam Romig, 25 Autumn Bear.

Controlled Medium - 77 Derek Locke, Jonathan Keister, 57 Geoff Gill, 7 Tracy Brenneman, 19 Missy Ciucci.

Controlled Heavy - 5 Jeremy Ginder, 29 Adam Romig, 57 Geoff Gill, 00 Chris Frank, 3 Travis Wagner.