The chase for the 2017 Circle Track Auto Racing Point season has ended at most area tracks.

There are still a lot of excellent special events scheduled. Although Mother Nature shortened many race schedules this year, the competition was as fierce as ever.

Hometown Sprint drivers Brent, and Brandon Matus, John Garvin and Brandon Spithaler joined the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Racing champions this season.

Brent said, “This traveling professional group of racers had a tremendous following this year, making qualifying for feature events quite competitive. One thing I do know is that I have become a really good truck driver, learned to read maps and know where car washes are near tracks in various states.”

One thing all these guys agree with is that they met a lot of really nice people in their travels, saw many interesting tracks and learned to read track surfaces better.

Many All-Star veteran drivers have helped this group with advice on set-ups which enabled them to improve as their season progressed. Each driver liked the increase in purses and thought Pennsylvania lagged behind in their payoffs.

“I am hoping that some tracks in Western PA can get together and maybe develop a Sprint point fund that will help the drivers who struggle to meet expenses,” Matus wishfully retorted. “It is hard being away from home so much, especially when you have a business.”

Matus has a Sprint Speed shop in Wampum. Although they have increased purses with the All-Stars, traveling expenses for gas, hotels, food and trucks mount up on the weekends.

Jack Sodeman, Jr. won the last 410 Sprint feature at Mercer Raceway Park. That enabled him to garner his fourth Mercer track championship. He joined Rod George and Bob Felmlee as four-time titleholders.

Sodeman felt pretty good in victory lane, despite his fractured vertebrae.

“This takes some of the sting away from the broken back. I couldn’t climb up on the car quite as fast, but we still got there,” he said with a laugh. “Hopefully, we can stay healthier and not get beat up so much.”

Mercer holds a special place in the heart of the Sodeman family, since both Jack and his father turned their first laps at this track. Also, Sodeman’s crew chief, Darin Gallagher, won his first 305 Sprint Championship that evening. Other 2017 Mercer titleholders are Jimmy Holden-358 Modifieds, Mark Marcucci-Mod Lites, and Bill Fuchs-Mini Stocks.

Mat Williamson had an impressive year at Lernerville. He recorded eight feature wins and captured his fourth Lernerville Speedway track championship, defeating Brian Swartzlander, demonstrating his dominance over the weekly fields yet again.

Each week, he travels four hours one way from St. Catharines, Ontario. No other Modified driver has won three consecutive track titles. Mat has a total of 27 wins and climbed to 10th on the Modified All Time Win List that Brian Swartzlander tops with 53.

Finishing well among 410 Sprints is a tall tale for any driver, but the young lion, AJ Flick, turned up the wick on the last night of points. He finished third to protect a modest 19-digit lead over Dan Shetler. He seized his second Lernerville Point Championship in three years.

Flick said: “I am speechless. To think of all the great people that I have watched race here and now my name is listed with them.”

The modest Mike Norris was elated to win his first Lernerville Late Model track title. His five feature victories enabled him to defeat six-time track champion Alex Ferree by 34 points.

Although he won the 2012 Pennsylvania Motor Speedway Championship, he considered this one to be the toughest competition and therefore the hardest to achieve.

Corey McPherson clinched his fifth track Pro Stock Championship in six years, defeating Tyler Dietz by 28 points. McPherson’s six feature wins places him second on the all-time Pro Stock win list with 37, behind Joe Kelley’s 52.

Lernerville’s managament capped its 50th regular season with a corn and pig roast plus fireworks, courtesy of the Butler County Tourism Bureau.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle