|
SPRINT STARS COULD END NATIONAL OPEN VICTORY DROUGHT OCTOBER 11
MECHANICSBURG, PA -- The Morgan Hughes National Open presented by
Cleveland Brothers has been rescheduled for Saturday evening, October
11, at Williams Grove Speedway, and the new date has opened the door for
an impressive list of veteran drivers who are still looking for their
first victory in the East's oldest and most prestigious sprint car race.
The first National Open was run in 1963 and the victory went to
two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Gordon Johncock. Since then, the list
of Pennsylvania legends who have tried, but failed to win the race, is
nearly as impressive as the list of those who have won it.
Past greats such as Jan Opperman, Mitch Smith, Ray Tilley and Dick
Tobias were never able to win the National Open.
Current stars such as Fred Rahmer, Keith Kauffman, Todd Shaffer,
Greg Hodnett and Chad Layton are still searching for that elusive
National Open victory and with the event being run without World of
Outlaws sanction for the first time since 1998, the odds of one of those
drivers getting their first this year have increased dramatically.
Rahmer has been close on several occasions with four top-five
finishes and runnerup efforts in 1998 and `99.
Kauffman's record is even better with three seconds among his nine
top-ten finishes.
Shaffer finished a strong second to Donny Schatz last year.
Hodnettt has eight top-ten National Open finishes to his credit and
Layton beat the Outlaws to win the night before the National in 2007.
Another former great, Jim Nace, never won the race as a driver, but
could be in the hunt to get there as a car owner this year. The 1986-87
track champion has indicated that Danny Lasoski plans to drive the Fast
Tees #6 in the National Open.
Lasoski, of Dover, Missouri, has a tremendous record in this event
with ten top-ten finishes including a runnerup effort in 2002. The
Dude, a former World of Outlaws champion, earned an unprecedented eighth
track title at Iowa's Knoxville Raceway this year.
The National Open will be 40 laps in distance and the winner will
earn $12,000.
Tickets are priced at $20.
Qualifying is set to begin at 7:00.
The National Open was rescheduled after rain washed out the weekend
of September 26-28. The Fall Fest, originally set for October 11, may
be rescheduled at a later date.
|
|
