From the Paper

Posted by: JJ Andrews – August 30, 2016 Seven time Oswego Supermodified champion Otto Sitterly will be behind the wheel of a Jason Simmons owned big block dirt modified, to take a run at Super Dirt Week at Oswego Speedway in 2016. “There is no question that Otto knows how to drive Oswego Speedway”, said Simmons. While it’s been awhile …

Posted by: Mark McKeon – August 23, 2016 Disproving the adage about old dogs and new tricks, 60 year old dirt track icon Sammy Swindell looked right at home behind the wheel of the Bertrand Motorsports Esslinger powered Lindblad/Drinan at Star Speedway on Saturday night. In addition to being Swindell’s first race in New Hampshire, it was his first in …

Posted by: Steve Barrick – August 9, 2016 Bryan Clauson, the 27 year old racer from of the Indianapolis suburb Noblesville, who captured the attention of the nation by embarking on his “Circular Insanity Tour,” died from injuries sustained in a crash while leading the USAC Belleville Midget Nationals in Kansas on Saturday night. Clauson had been severely injured in …

Posted by: Len Sammons – July 26, 2016 Tim Fuller didn’t celebrate Tuesday’s Super DIRTcar Series Modified victory at Eldora Speedway when the checkered flag fell. It was a green light that made him smile. When the late night race ended just before 1 a.m., the driver from Watertown, N.Y., wasn’t secure that the $6,000 first place prize was his …

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – July 14, 2016 – NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week, Oct. 5-9, will move to the historic Oswego Speedway in 2016. Oswego, a historic paved, 5/8 mile track 35 miles north of Syracuse, will be covered with dirt for the first time since 1952 to accommodate the Napa 300 and all of the week’s events and festivities. …

Posted by: Len Sammons – June 21, 2016 Troy Betts avoided serious burns and injury on Tuesday night at New Egypt Speedway by wearing the proper safety equipment and not panicking. Despite a serious alcohol fire in the cockpit of his No. 22 URC Sprint Car, Betts walked away with only a blister on his right foot and a few …

By KEVIN RICE WINSTON-SALEM, NC- Modified car owner David Hill was injured and his former driver, Joe Ryan Osborne from Kannapolis, N.C. was arrested during an altercation in the pit area following Saturday night’s second 50-lap Modified race at NC’s Bowman Gray Stadium. Hill told Area Auto Racing News that he approached Osborne’s car just to talk to him as …

Posted by: Len Sammons, June 14, 2016 Ryan Smith is a riverboat gambler. Instead of starting third in Saturday’s $7,000 to win Dirt Classic Showcase Race at Lincoln Speedway, he went to the rear in hopes of doubling his earnings. Smith didn’t pull off the miracle and drive the Rob Warko No. 94 410 Sprint Car from 24th to first …

TEMPLE, PA — Leroy Leibelsperger, a dedicated and always fun-loving staff photographer of Area Auto Racing News for over 30 years; and prior to that a stock car racer, has passed away. Mr. Leibelsperger, 85, of Temple died May 19 at home. Going back to the 1970s, Leroy and good friend and fellow AARN staff member Henry Plesnarski traveled to …

Posted by: Len Sammons, May 17, 2016 For years the joke was, “I want to be the weatherman, you can be wrong 90% of the time and still keep your job.” That statement, however, no longer appears to be true today, at least in auto racing. Race track operators now believe in the predictions days and weeks in advance as …