Sprint driver needs a ride

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

March 19, 2005 Last Updated: March 19, 2005 01:19 PM Amateur

Lernerville Speedway might begin its 38th season Friday night without one of its more popular Sprint car drivers.

Chad Hill, 32, has finished fourth in points each of the past two seasons, amassing 807 total points, and picked up his first three career feature wins.

The Cowansville driver of the No. 44 car sold his equipment to Bob Felmlee, 43, of Franklin, who is coming out of retirement.

"My major sponsor didn't renew a two-year contract that expired and my car owner (Sonia Bullis) died of cancer in January," Hill said. "It's been rough.

"I don't have the financial means to run my own deal, so I sold what I had. I'm in the process of looking for a ride right now, but given the state of our economy, there's not a whole lot out there."

Hill said he doesn't want to miss the coming season, but if he does, he'll put a new Sprint race team together for 2006.

"Giving it up is not an option. It's not part of the equation," he said. "If I have to, I'll spend this year saving up money, get a small trailer, a used car and start all over.

"I'm addicted to driving a Sprint car. I readily admit that. Some people are addicted to drugs, addicted to their work - I'm addicted to Sprint racing."

Part of that comes from brother-in-law Ed Lynch Jr., Lernerville's two-time defending Sprint points champion and winner of 18 features there over the past two years.

Lynch returns this season to build on his Lernerville career record of 64 Sprint feature wins.

"I do this to win," Hill said. "I want to be in victory lane after every race and I'm sure I get that from Eddie. If I do find a ride, it's important to me that it's a competitive one. I've got a couple of sponsors I can bring to the table to help out."

The escalating costs of Sprint racing make Hill's search for a ride unenviable.

Among estimated yearly expenditures for a Sprint car is $15,000 for tires, $15,000 for a motor and $5,000 for other miscellaneous parts.

"It costs roughly $800 a night just backing the car out of the trailer and racing," Hill said. "Race three times a weekend, that's $2,400, four weekends a month - it adds up."

Gary Rankin finished seventh in Sprint points in 2004, including a career-high second-place feature finish, and received the speedway's Most Improved Driver award, but only after his wife Sheila gave him the motor from her Sprint car after his was ruined in a crash.

Felmlee is returning to Sprint racing after a violent crash on June 6, 1999, at Tri-City Speedway left him with two broken vertebrae in his neck and a traumatized spine.

He had won his 100th career race the previous night at Mercer Raceway Park.

Felmlee runs his own business, the World of Wheels in Franklin, which sells motorcycles and ATVs.

"I ran motocross for a few years and fared pretty well at nationals," he said. "My neck is healed and I miss Sprint racing, so we're putting a deal together."

Felmlee ranked 23rd nationally in motocross in 2002 and 13th in 2003.

Steve Anderson, who has worked with Lynch for years, and Rich Catanazo, owner of a Goodyear Tires affiliate in Pittsburgh, are two of the driving forces behind Felmlee's race team.

"They've been pushing for this more than I have," Felmlee said. "We don't even have the car painted yet, so there's still a lot that needs to be done."

The 1995 Sprint points champion at Lernerville, Felmlee will not be racing for points this season.

"Our specific plans are up in the air, but we definitely won't run points," Felmlee said. "We'll primarily race Saturdays and Sundays, but we'll be at some of Lernerville's special shows and maybe an occasional Friday night."

In other Lernerville news:

Six-time Pure Stock points champion Joe Kelley has decided not to defend that title this season.

John Flinner of Zelienople will be looking for his fifth consecutive Late Model points title, something that has never been done at Lernerville.

Carl Murdick of Butler is returning for his 38th Lernerville season. He is the only driver to compete at the track during every year of its existence. His son, Dave Murdick of Slippery Rock, is the defending Modified points champion.

The Kids Club will be in full operation opening night. Season passes for children age 12 and under are $20 and part of the proceeds benefit the March of Dimes.

General admission prices for Fab Four racing at Lernerville are $11 for adults 17 and older, $8 for senior citizens 60 or older, $6 for juniors ages 13 to 16 and $3 for children ages 6 to 12.