Hagerstown Speedway

Today and next weekend, Hagerstown Speedway will feature the extremes of oval dirt-track racing. Beginning at 1 p.m. today, it will be the Small Car Nationals. The four programs will include Micro Sprints, four-cylinder Mini-Stocks, Open Competition Street Stock and the Daredevil class. Last year, more than 160 cars participated in this unique show.By special arrangement, the World of Outlaws will return to Hagerstown Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. The professional Sprint car series has always been a popular feature, and the drivers have a high regard for the Hagerstown track.

Pro hockey Devils@Capitals Where -- Verizon Center, Washington When -- Tonight, 7 What now? -- Washington is 22-33-6 and in last place in the NHL's Southeast Division. But there's good news: Rookie Alexander Ovechkin just saved a bunch of money on his car insurance by switching to GEICO. Actually he didn't, but the insurance company is sponsoring a giveaway -- a complimentary Capitals visor to every fan. The freebie alone should be worth the price of a ticket, which starts at $10 and can be purchased on the Web site.

Mike Harrison of Mount Airy was fourth in the end of the season's point standings at Hagerstown Speedway for the Limited Late Models. Harrison finished the season with 3,031 points to top off a great season.At the 75-80 Dragway 32 anniversary banquet, eight countians received awards.Roger Jorss of Sykesville won the Most Outstanding Class II Driver for 1992, and Rick Waxter of Westminster was named the Most Improved Drag Racer.Larry Hoff of Westminster was selected as the Gentlemen Racer, and Buddy Wilson of Westminster was the Hard Luck Award winner.

It is hard to believe, but the 1997 racing season began last weekend at the Lincoln and Hagerstown speedways. Each week, more area tracks will open their doors for racing action. Now is a good time to summarize area motor-sports facilities where many Carroll County drivers compete.* Lincoln Speedway: This track will be racing every Saturday afternoon until March 29, when the evening format begins, continuing until October. Woodbine's Cris Eash will be back to defend his championship in the super sprints and will have Manchester's Jesse Wentz as one of his major competitors.

Staff report Gary Stuhler of Westminster took second Saturday in theVernon Harris Memorial Race at Potomac Speedway in Budd's Creek, Charles County.Stuhler was a distant second to Larry Moore of Dayton, Ohio, in the 100-lap late model race sanctioned by the Short Track Auto Racing Stars late model group.It was another strong showing for Stuhler against the STARS drivers, a group of late model racers who travel to small tracks around the country.Earlier this month, he swept a pair of races against STARS drivers at Hagerstown Speedway.

9 Westminster's Gary Stuhler got his 53rd career win at Hagerstown Speedway last Saturday night in the 50-lap Stanley Schetrompf Memorial.Stuhler had complete control of the speedway with a three-second lead by lap 15, and he lapped some of the slower riders.The night started well for Stuhler by setting the fast time (19.577) for the time trial. The Carroll County resident was better than 43 cars from nine states.A caution flag went out on lap 30, but Stuhler continued his pace and extended his three-second lead by lap 35.* Ernie Jones of Westminster put in his best effort of the season for a fourth-place finish at Winchester Speedway's late-model feature.

Brian Fandell of Mount Airy was runner-up Sunday in the Winston Invitational at Rockingham, N.C., in the Super Comp class for motorcycles. Tim Peters, driving the Peters & Combs Dragster, made it to the second round before losing a close race.Peters was joined by Westminster residents Lee Howe, Todd Harris and David McCarthy, who all wentout in the first round.In other auto racing news:* Jim Fleming of Union Bridge won the Class I and Top Dog title over Class II winner George Owens. Ray Lewis of Woodbine and Larry Mayne of Mount Airy reached the semifinal round in Class I. In Class II, Mike Hoff and Rick Waxter, both of Westminster, and Scott Lowman of Woodbine reached the semifinals.

The 1995 season was a great year for several Carroll County drivers.Brad McClelland of Westminster had the best year of his career in the micro-sprint division, leading all drivers in the Northeast with 19 feature wins. In addition to winning the track championship at Trail-Way Speedway in Hanover, Pa., McClelland was fourth in points at Challenger Raceway in Indiana, Pa., where he won nine of his features.McClelland also won the #1 Cochran Automotive Cavalcade of Champions points title, a regional award for Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania drivers.

Westminster's Gary Stuhler won the Winchester Speedway's season opener for late-model 25-lap feature race.In his familiar red No. 44, Stuhler took the lead in the second lap and was the hare for the rest of the race.Hampstead's Charlie Schaffer finished third after emerging from the pack on the 10th lap.Both men had solid races despite two caution flags.Last Sunday, it was Stuhler again -- this time at the Hagerstown Speedway with a heat win and an eighth-place finish in the 35-lap late-model feature.

The Blizzard of '93 canceled all of the area race tracks' schedules last weekend, but the auto season has begun.Westminster's Gary Stuhler has returned to his successful ways from the '92 season. Stuhler was third in Motor notebookthe late-model feature race at Hagerstown Speedway on March 6.With five laps to go in the 20-lap feature, Stuhler was in a four-way battle for the lead. Stuhler had been neck and neck for third place with Nathan Durboraw of Hagerstown.The 1990 track champion, Stuhler was a force at Hagerstown last season and has come back with form intact.

Galen Bare has been around oval-track racing most of his life. He worked on several top late-model teams during the '80s that raced at Lincoln and Hagerstown speedways.He spent a lot of time helping with cars owned by Earl Black of Hanover, Pa., that Rodney Franklin drove.But when it came time for the 37-year-old Westminster resident to start driving, he went the straight route, to drag racing."I like both types of racing," said Bare. "But I know from experience how much work is involved with oval-track racing.

The 1995 season was a great year for several Carroll County drivers.Brad McClelland of Westminster had the best year of his career in the micro-sprint division, leading all drivers in the Northeast with 19 feature wins. In addition to winning the track championship at Trail-Way Speedway in Hanover, Pa., McClelland was fourth in points at Challenger Raceway in Indiana, Pa., where he won nine of his features.McClelland also won the #1 Cochran Automotive Cavalcade of Champions points title, a regional award for Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania drivers.

The ultimate dream of many race fans is to drive a race car on one of the local ovals. Until recently, the only way to realize such a dream was to spend a lot of your own money and invest in your own team.Finksburg's Greg O'Neill is trying to change that in the form of a racing school, called Speed Quest Motorsports. Although there is much to be learned, the primary intent of the school is to provide the experience of driving a sprint or late-model race car to local racers and fans.For as little as $200, the racing fan can get into a $50,000 race car and run up to speeds of 100 miles per hour.

As the 1995 racing season winds down, area speedways schedule championship events. It has become tradition in oval track racing to end the season with events that include extra distance races and increased payoffs.Last weekend, two Carroll County drivers, Gary Stuhler and Mike Walls, turned in outstanding performances. Stuhler won the Winchester 200 late-model event at the Winchester (Va.) Speedway and Walls won the four-cylinder pure stock fall championship at the Hagerstown Speedway. Both are coming off a banner season.

One of the hottest drivers in Carroll County is Mike Walls of Taneytown. With only half of the season completed, he has won five of his last six races at Trail-Way Speedway in Hanover, Pa.What makes the feat so amazing is that Walls does not have his driver's license yet. That won't last long -- he just turned 16 and plans on getting his driving permit as soon as he starts drivers education when school resumes in the fall.Walls competes in the four-cylinder stock class at Trail-Way Speedway every Friday night.

The 1995 racing season officially gets under way this weekend. Here is a brief rundown of area tracks where many Carroll countians compete every week:* Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, Md. The Hagerstown Speedway will have its traditional East Coast Opener today featuring late models and super sprints. Race time is 2 p.m. The half-mile clay oval will have events on Sundays through April 9 before switching to Saturday nights. Its weekly program will feature the late models, the new late-model sportsman, pure stocks and four-cylinder pure stocks.

It wasn't a lot of room, but then Gary Stuhler doesn't need much.After being frustrated in attempts to pass Booper Bare in the first round of the Tri-State Late Model Championship series at Potomac Speedway on the high side of the track, Westminster resident Stuhler got just enough room on the inside.The result after taking the lead on lap 30 of the 40-lap feature was the second win for Stuhler at Potomac this season.Hampstead's Charlie Schaffer was 15th in the same race last Friday night.

It wasn't a lot of room, but then Gary Stuhler doesn't need much.After being frustrated in attempts to pass Booper Bare in the first round of the Tri-State Late Model Championship series at Potomac Speedway on the high side of the track, Westminster resident Stuhler got just enough room on the inside.The result after taking the lead on lap 30 of the 40-lap feature was the second win for Stuhler at Potomac this season.Hampstead's Charlie Schaffer was 15th in the same race last Friday night.

Westminster's Gary Stuhler won the seventh annual Gene Van Meter Memorial at Potomac Speedway in Budds Creek last Saturday.Stuhler took the lead in lap 21 of the 40-lap late-model race and held off a late surge by Roy Deese Jr. through the final five laps to take the checkered flag by half of a car length. Ernie Jones of Westminster finished fourth.The Hagerstown Speedway Driver Report through last weekend's results has Stuhler in third place in the season's point total with a 179.0 year-to-date point average.