Keeping her dream alive
BUFFALO TWP — Still unable to crack the top 10 in a feature, Lindsay Enscoe is making strides nonetheless.
Enscoe, 26, of Petrolia is in her fourth year of driving the No. 96 Sprint car at Lernerville Speedway and maintains her high aspirations in dirt track racing.
"My goal is to pick up a ride and race fulltime on the World of Outlaws circuit," she said. "I still believe it can happen. I think it can happen within a couple of years."
Such comments seem bold for a driver who has never won a heat race or finished higher than 11th in a feature at Lernerville.
But Enscoe did get a second-place finish in her heat last weekend and races at a disadvantage every week.
"We've got a small motor in this car, smaller than pretty much everyone out on the track," she said. "We're working on a bigger motor program and hope to have that by next year.
"We've gotten better because we've tinkered with the set-up, trying different shocks, different bars ... You can only be so good without the motor."
With three race nights remaining in Lernerville's points season, Enscoe stands 15th in the Sprint division with 159 points despite missing four or five Friday nights this year.
"She's pushing for the top 10 (in points) if we're here all the time,." said Paul Enscoe, Lindsay's father and crew chief. "But we're on a shoestring racing budget and can't always be here."
Before running his daughter's program, Paul Enscoe's racing experience consisted of five years of working with former driver Gus Linder's car.
Lindsay raced micro-sprints for seven years — winning a feature in 2005 — before getting into a Sprint car.
"She rode with Mike Lutz in a two-seater at Sharon Speedway and got hooked," her father said. "She decided then and there she had to race a Sprint car.
"Lutz was extremely helpful in getting us startede and Ed Lynch Jr. has given her tips on how to avoid trouble on the track. Other drivers have been very helpful to us."
Ultimately, Enscoe will have to succeed on her own. But she's come a long way from just driving the car along the bottom of the speedway during her rookie year.
"It's taken me a while to adjust to the speed of the race in these cars," she admitted. "The biggest adjustment has been learning how to drive with two feet.
"You use your brake a lot in a 410. In micros, you just hammer the pedal and go. It's a different feel."
But Enscoe has her World of Outlaws dream and she's not letting it go.
"It could happen," her father said. "Lindsay's very serious about racing. She's going to stay at this for a long time."
Lernerville Speedway Points Standings(top 15 through Aug. 7)SprintsEd Lynch Jr. 426, Danny Holtgraver 413, Rod George 409, Bob Felmlee 389, Jack Sodeman Jr. 362, Carl Bowser 356, Brent Matus 287, Kevin Schaeffer 246, Brandon Matus 220, Pete Miller III 206, Andy McKisson 199, Dan Kuriger 188, Scott Priester 188, Brian Steinman 183, Lindsay Enscoe 159
Late ModelsDave Hess Jr. 419, Jared Miley 378, Alex Ferree 369, Gregg Satterlee 305, Lynn Geisler 285, Chuck Sarver 281, John Garvin Jr. 273, Doug Eck 272, Dave Murdick 255, Ken Schaltenbrand 211, Michael Norris 189, Mike Johnson 181, Brian Swartzlander 168, Todd Bachman 162, Matt Lux 159
ModifiedsKevin Bolland 388, Jeremiah Shingledecker 363, Del Rougeux Jr. 358, Brian Swartzlander 357, Dave Murdick 341, Dean Pearson 292, Mike Turner 275, Carl Murdick 236, Steve Feder 218, Shawn Fleeger 198, Jim Weller Jr. 149, Erik Martin 141, Tom Winkle 138, Don Brown 114, Kevin Green 96
Sportsman StocksJoe Kelley 504, Bob Egley 420, Ryan Moyer 375, Jim Fosnaught 373, Jason Fosnaught 349, Waye Carbo 346, Paul Schreckengost 330, Brett McDonald 313, Mark Sanders 304, Scott Byers 271, Terry Young 268, A.J. Flick 249, Shawn Thorn 208, Bob Lipinski 180, Corey McPherson 173
