HOUSEHOLDER: Manufacturers' Appreciation Night a big success at Lincoln

Saturday's Hank Gentzler Memorial Manufacturers' Appreciation Night at Lincoln Speedway may have set a record for prizes awarded.

Denise Gentzler, Hank's widow, and her staff at Hank's Performance Products, each year work very hard at assembling packages of racing parts and services for the event.

When the feature lineup is set, each driver in the feature draws a number for the prize package he'll receive. This year, the total value of the awards was more than $88,000. The smallest prize package to a team was more than $3,300. And that was all over and above the purse money the teams received for the feature.

Much as I hate to give him credit, track announcer Wayne Harper also did a great job on a chilly night. He was able to present the packages and do a brief interview with each driver in just more than half and hour.

Gerard McIntyre Jr. won the feature, which paid $4,000, so he collected more than $7,600 in cash and awards on the night.

By the way, it was McIntyre's first win of the season.

PIT STOPS

Hodnett is close: Spring Grove's Greg Hodnett is very close to locking up the Speedway Motors/Champion Racing Oil Central Pennsylvania Sprint Car Series points race.

With four possible races remaining, there is a total of 200 points available if a driver would win all four. Hodnett holds a 192-point lead over Danny Dietrich.

Should Hodnett win the title, it would be his sixth in seven years, and his seventh overall in his career.

Hodnett finished second last Saturday and picked up another 35 points, while Dietrich put in a valiant effort but failed to score a point.

Dietrich flipped in his heat race, came from the back of the 15-car consy to finish second and then drove to 11th in the feature, one spot shy of a point-scoring position.

Hammaker vindicated: Doug Hammaker won Lincoln's 358 sprint race.

A few weeks ago, Hammaker locked up Lincoln's 358 point title when the final point race of the season was rained out. Hammaker held just a five-point lead over Matt Campbell. So this latest win vindicates the title for Hammaker.

Hammaker is a third-generation driver and his father, Dale Hammaker, was one of the leading forces in local 358 sprint racing. His older brother, Nate, was also a winner in 358 competition. Saturday night, his cousin, Russel Hammaker, finished 10th in the feature, so the Hammakers book ended the top 10.

This weekend: Port Royal returns to action this Saturday with a double open-wheel show. The sprint cars and the URC 360 sprint cars will compete at the Port.

Hagerstown offers late models, late model sportsmen, pure stocks and hobby stocks on its Saturday slate.

Thunder on the Hill returns to Grandview one more time this Saturday. On the card are the big-block modifieds, small-block modifieds, sportsman modifieds and 305 sprint cars.

Trailway plays host to the Kart Klassic on Saturday.

Sunday, both Susquehanna Speedway Park and Path Valley offer sprint car racing. At Susky, the sprints race for $3,500 to win and the 305 sprints are also on the program.

Path Valley's race is a Fred Rahmer Promotion. Rahmer is offering $6,600 to win in honor of his longtime friend Harry Fletcher. The 600cc micro sprints also compete.

It's also worth noting that 600cc micro sprint standout Tyler Walton, who has won every Rahmer promotion at Path Valley, took his first 358 sprint ride last Saturday at Lincoln. Walton failed to qualify in his heat race, but then set a new track record in winning the consy. He finished 11th in the feature.

1970: Two races were held on the local circuit on this weekend in 1970. Lincoln was in action on Saturday evening, while Williams Grove raced Sunday afternoon.

Lincoln closed out its season with that Saturday race, which saw Smokey Snellbaker take the win in Roy Morral's No. 880. The win was Snellbaker's sixth of the season, and third since taking over the ride in Morral's car in September. Gus Linder finished second in the Mickey Banas No. 69, with Kenny Weld third in the Bud Grimm No. 88. Tommie Spriggle was fourth in the Trone's No. 39 and Donnie Hill rounded out the top five in Walt Dyer's No. 461.

On Sunday, Williams Grove held the final tune-up for the National Open. Linder was the Grove's winner that day for his fourth of the season.

Bryan Householder writes about dirt track racing for The York Dispatch. He can be reached at sports@yorkdispatch.com.

Sprint car standings

Speedway Motors/Champion Racing Oil Central Pennsylvania Sprint Car standings

Presented by Hoseheads.com

Driver (Wins)........................Pts.

1. Greg Hodnett (16) 1,889

2. Danny Dietrich (15) 1,697

3. Brian Montieth (9) 1,264

4 Lucas Wolfe (4) 1,164

5. Brent Marks (3) 1,070

6. Lance Dewease (1) 921

7. Aaron Ott (2) 785

8. Stevie Smith (10) 770

9. Alan Krimes (2) 694

10. Cory Haas (1) 570

11. Steve Buckwalter (3) 550

12. Austin Hogue (1) 490

13. Doug Esh (2) 303

14. Freddie Rahmer (1) 280

15. Jim Siegel (1) 274

16. Brock Zearfoss 273

17. Ryan Taylor 254

18. Mike Wagner 251

19. Tim Glatfelter 242

20. Dylan Cisney 234

21. Kyle Moody 217

22. Robbie Kendall 214

23. Adam Wilt 202

24. Ryan Smith 198

25. Logan Wagner (1) 197