Central Pennsylvania honors champions

Spring Run, PA_ Legends Cars of Central Pennsylvania honored the top 40 teams and two local national champions at a Harrisburg/Hershey Holiday Inn awards banquet Dec. 7.

Harry Garber of Barto won the 2001 national INEX Legends points championship in the Masters Dirt class and Allen Felix of Shippensburg won the national INEX championship in the Semi-Pro Dirt class.

Carlisle Legends Cars dealer Don Stevens told those attending,“ There are thousands of Legends teams across the whole United States that envy your success. To produce a national champion is a tremendous achievement, and two national champions from a dirt track series like ours is unprecedented.”

Legends leader George Craker of Lewisberry said that 61 drivers participated in 31 points races. The series produced ten different feature winners and 22 heat race winners in 2001 and,“ We expect many of the heat winners to win features in the 2002 season,” he said.

Harry Garber, who has now retired from racing his Burgundy #29A, raced in 51 events during the past season. In the Central PA Legends Series, sponsored by Advance Auto Parts, he won ten features and earned 3277 points. He was awarded a special plaque to commemorate his three championships in 2001 with the INEX national series, the Legends Cars of Central PA, and the Path Valley Speedway Park track championship.

Garber, 63, raced in the sportsman class at Grandview Speedway and then in the big block modifieds at Reading and Penn National until 1971. He was also the 2000 Pennsylvania State Champion and finished third in national points last year. His #29A Legends Car is a 1937 Ford replica powered by a spec Yamaha 1200cc engine that produces 125 horsepower at the minimum weight of 1100 pounds.

With his national championship, Garber says he has raced enough but he will stay involved as a trained and certified INEX technical inspector in the 2002 season.“ These are wonderful people and good friends and I know they would never intentionally cheat, but INEX insists that all the cars be inspected so that the points mean more nationally,” Garber said.

Allen Felix finished fifth in Path Valley track points and sixth in series points because the Masters, Pro and Semi-Pro classes all race together locally. Felix won two points features and his INEX points total was the best in the nation. This was only his second full season racing Legends Cars.

Butch Brough of Newville won six features and earned 2602 points for second in the series, which included home track races at Path Valley and other appearances at Lincoln Speedway and the Greenwood Valley Action Track. Donald Potts of Artemas tallied 2393 points to finish third in the series.

The balance of the top ten in points were: Ray Swank of Harrisburg with 2224, Kip Erb of McClure with 2129, Allen Felix of Shippensburg with 2120, Randy Fetterolf of Dauphin with 2115, Tim Tomson of Kutztown with 1993, Greg Burd of Boiling Springs with 1953 and George Craker of Lewisberry with 1833 season points. Tim Tomson won five features, Lawrence Garrison two and Brian Levan won two.

Carl Reininger and Don Albers of series sponsor Advance Auto Parts presented the national champions with jackets, banners and other prizes and distributed awards and door prizes to all those present. Wade Fraker of Star and Eagle Trailers received special recognition both as a driver and a race sponsor.

John Winsett representing Path Valley Speedway Park accepted a special award and thanked the Legends teams for their phenomenal season and their good sportsmanship. Craker noted that Path Valley had rescheduled several rained out race makeups so that the series could complete the minimum number of scheduled races required by INEX.

Among the many special and gag awards presented, the Rookie of the Year plaque went to Greg Burd who finished in the top ten in his first season. Allen Felix earned the Hard Luck Award. Crew Chief of the Year went to Linda Brough for her work on her husband’s #4X. The 911 Award went to Paul Fisher and Don Potts earned the Flipper Award. Most Improved Driver honors went to Darryl Bloom based on a decrease from last year in his need for parts and repairs.

In 2002 the Legends Cars will return to Path Valley as their weekly home track, racing Friday nights, and they will also race in special events at Hagerstown Speedway, Lincoln Speedway and Trailways Speedway. Stevens said that 30 races are now scheduled in 2002.

For information on the Legends Cars and Legends Cars of Central Pennsylvania see: www.pitside.com/legends.

The Legends car was founded in 1992 by H. A. "Humpy" Wheeler and Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is located in Charlotte, NC. There were more than 2000 scheduled races within 42 states during the 2001 racing season and such giant entertainers as Brooks and Dunn and Madonna race Legends cars for fun on TNN television.

The Legends car itself is a 5/8 scale fiberglass, fully fendered race ready machine with a Yamaha 1200 cc motor. The cars have a 5-speed transmission with interchangeable rear ends for specific tracks. The cars can be ordered in 8 different body styles that replicate the old coupes and sedans of the 1930's and 40's.

INEX based in Harrisburg, NC is the sanctioning body for all Legends cars in the United States. It is the INEX organization that enforces the strict rulebook and trains the technical inspectors who keep the Legends car series fun, safe and the most competitive of any form of racing.

PHOTO MENU AND ID

PVwc1LegendsGroup– Honored at the Central PA Legends awards banquet Dec. 7 were, from left standing, Don Stevens, Champion Harry Garber, Butch Brough, Don Potts, Ray Swank, Kip Erb, Champion Allen Felix, Randy Fetterolf, ROY Greg Burd, George Craker, John Winsett, and kneeling, Carl Reininger and Don Albers of Advance Auto Parts.

PVwc2GarberandFelix– Presenting National Championship jackets to INEX Masters Dirt Champion Harry Garber of Barto and INEX Semi-Pro Dirt Champion Allen Felix of Shippensburg are Don Albers, left, and Carl Reininger, right, representing series sponsor Advance Auto Parts.

PVwc4donandharry– Harry Garber, right, accepts an engraved plaque from Don Stevens that commemorates his 2002 national, state and track championships in the INEX-sanctioned Legends Cars.

PVwc6GeorgeandJohn– George Craker presents a commendation to John Winsett for the support Path Valley Speedway Park provided to the Legends Cars of Central PA in 2001.

Have Camera, Will Travel Photos by Walt Cox Custom and Commercial Photography 814-652-6138 or coxxcomm@aol.com

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