Race teams have been eagerly awaiting the outcome of a tire controversy and the verdict is finally in.

Two years ago, Race Tires of America and parent Specialty Tires of America filed an antitrust suit against Hoosier Racing Tire Corp. and the World Racing Group.

STA maintained Hoosier violated antitrust laws because of its agreements with sanctioning bodies that required competitors to use only Hoosier tires.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence F. McVerry in Pittsburgh ruled that for sanctioning bodies that want single tire rules, there is "no antitrust injury to STA when it loses the competitive battle to be the exclusive supplier."

In other racing news:

• Bart Hartman is red hot in the racing world. The Late Model driver's season surge has netted him more than $72,000 this month. Hartman captured the Pittsburgher/Ultimate Twin 51 lap UFo races that paid $10,000 a piece and pocketed the $10,000 bonus for the double win at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway Saturday. It was Hartman's second Pittsburgher win. He also won in 2004.

Hartman won the prestigious World 100 at Tony Stewart's Eldora the week before, earning $42,000.

Young Josh Holtgraver garnered his second consecutive Pro Late Model feature after defeating consecutive Dan Karalagas.

The Ultimate vs. The Pittsburgher was the finale of a very exciting 2009 season for the UFo race championship. Alex Ferree claimed his second straight championship and never has taken a provisional in any UFo race.

n Modified veteran Andy Priest claimed his second Sprint car victory in less than 30 days when he captured the Hall of Fame Classic at Tri-City Speedway Sunday. He defeated Daryn Pittman, Mike Lutz, Ed Lynch Jr. and Kevin Schaeffer.

• Todd Bachman, nice guy that he is, loaned his Late Model to Doug Horton at the King of the Knob race at Roaring Knob. Horton's engine expired early in the race. D.J. Meyers won the race and Horton finished 13th.

• Sharon Speedway tech man Larry Riffe, who formerly worked at Lernerville Speedway, will be in a Pittsburgh hospital for three weeks to have his pacemaker replaced.

• In the FASTRAK Late Model Series, David Scott has now extended his points lead to 19 over Robbie Blair heading into the Touring Series finale Friday night at McKean County Raceway. If Scott can finish 19th or better, something he's done in all 14 events to date, he will win the title in his inaugural FASTRAK season. Mike Pegher Jr. is third, followed by Bobby Powell and Carl McKinney.

• One more BRP Modified race, scheduled for Oct. 23 at Lernerville, will determine the BRP Modified Tour Champion. Leading the points list is Russ King Sr. with 388. Dave Murdick and Del Rouguex Jr. are tied for second with 378, and Jeremiah Shingledecker is third with 362.

• Tony Burke didn't finish in the top 10 at Lernerville this season, but his crew members always have an impeccable car at the track each week. Tony had health issues this season, coupled with family activities. His son, Collin, plays football for the Freeport ninth grade and his daughter, Nikita, is a sophomore at Slippery Rock University majoring in criminology. She took a recent trip with the college to New Mexico to help a Native American tribe with irrigation and develop fish hatcheries.

"We will be back in full force" next year, Tony said.

Carol Gamble is the racing columnist for the Butler Eagle.