Cranberry Township's Lynn Geisler is timeless. His racing career spans more than 35 years and he is still going strong.

He started the year off right by capturing the Late Model season opener at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway.

Geisler, the all-time winner in the Late Model division at PPMS, earned his 67th career feature at the track.

Geisler, who was winless in 2007, will be looking for victory No. 107 at Lernerville Speedway's season opener Friday, but defending 2007 champion, Alex Ferree, also will be battling for rights to the main event.

In other racing news:

• Time marches on. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Don Martin, the late Lernerville promoter, and his father, Jim Roenigk, Donny Martin Roenigk is in the armed services. He is a second lieutenant in the Marines and is stationed at Camp Lejeune, S.C., where he is completing his third leg of training in logistics. In August, he will be sent to Okinawa, Japan.

When asked why he joined the Marines, Donny replied, "Life has been good to me and I felt the need to give back."

• Willard "Willie" Wills, founder and owner of Thunder Valley Speedway in Somerset County, died at 71 recently After retiring in 1997, Wills fulfilled his dream by building his raceway with the help of his family.

• UFo's will be sighted at Challenger Raceway this weekend. The inaugural UFo State Short Track Championships will take place Saturday and Sunday. More than $50,000 in prize money will be offered to race teams, including $7,000 for the big Super Late Model win.

• Don Gamble's "Rappin' on Racin'" radio show celebrates 25 years of broadcasting local and national racing news in 2008. The show can be heard live Mondays at 6:00 on 810 WEDO-AM dial. The show also is available by visiting www.speedwayproductions.biz

• Race fans going to Talladega for the last weekend in April will find a new feature. Camping will be free and staying in one of the overnight parking areas can be as simple as setting up a tent or as elaborate as having a group that shares an RV. However, you must show your race ticket to stay in the free area.

• Dennis Lunger won the 2008 Mercer Raceway Park opener in the Steel Block Late Model division, collecting $2,000 for the Chiller Thriller. Other winners were Rusty Wheeler in the Stock Cars, and Randy Hall in United E-Mod Series.

• Sharon Speedway will host the first Rick Glass Pure Stock 50 for their first 2008 show April 26. Taking center stage, the Pure Stock drivers will compete for the $1,200 first-place money. Drivers can test and tune their cars at two sessions to be held Saturday and April 19.

• Our apologies to Modified driver Erik Martin whose name appeared incorrectly in last week's column. Best wishes to this team, which includes his father, Allen, and grandfather, Butch Bowers.

Carol Gamble is the racing columnist for the Butler Eagle.