As the season unfolds, one thing remains certain: dirt track racing is a sport defined by its resilience in the face of adversity.

Whether it is navigating through driver changes, bidding farewell to beloved teams, or weathering the storm of unpredictable weather, the passion and dedication of those involved continue to shine through, ensuring that every race is a spectacle to behold.

The Peluso Roofing 410 Sprint team has stepped away from owning a team and all its equipment has been sold. Their driver, Darin Gallagher, is currently on a hiatus and will probably be in the pit area of his mentor, Jack Sodeman Jr. or helping other drivers.

“I am going with the flow and there isn’t any other plans in the works right now. It is tough racing all the time and sometimes you get a little burnout! So, sitting back and relaxing is a good thing, occasionally,” Gallaghher said.

His wife, Chelsie Kriegisch Gallagher, will still be competing in several 350 Crate Modified races at Lernerville and PA Motor Speedway. Sometimes, Chelsie will just join the big block V-8 Modifieds. Darin will be a part of her crew.

“If we want to take a week off, we will take a break and do something else. It’s a lot of work week-in and week-out.” she said.

A J Flick has purchased most of the Peluso Roofing Sprint equipment. Flick won his 61st career feature at Lernerville recently, and then went to Port Royal to compete the next night. His car got destroyed in a wreck reminding us of the highs and lows in racing! Fortunately, the Lernerville seven-time track Sprint Champion has acquired a few new sponsors over the winter: Falconi’s of Moon Township, Worthington Industries, Peluso Roofing, and Lake Effect Decoy.

New era at Tri-City

A new era began at Tri-City Raceway Park last week. Josh and Kyrsten Shiffer, new owners of the big half mile, conducted their first race, the FAST on Dirt Sprint Car Series along with three other classes. A.J. Flick, the two-time and defending track champion in the 410-Sprint Cars secured the home turf by defeating Logan McCandless in the 30-car FAST on-Dirt Series field. It was a major success!

“There have been plenty of improvements around the facility and there are more in the planning stages,” Josh said. “We hope that the fans like what they see, and help us restore Tri-City Raceway Park to prominence.” “The fans saw a bright and shiny concession area, and some new menu items, as well,” Kyrsten added. Pierogies and tacos are new items that everyone can enjoy. “

Pennsylvania Motor Speedway will feature freshly-squeezed Lemonade with a portion of the sales going to charity! Hot sausage, cup cakes, cookies, and fruit are also items that can be found this season.

At Lernerville “Walking Tacos”, pasta salad, hot sausage and pepperoni rolls are sold at the Brickyard!

Good luck charm

NASCAR’S Kyle Larson, who is also part owner of the High-Limit Sprint racing group, has faithfully had a ladybug image tucked away on his race car. It is a good-luck charm that’s followed him from childhood all the way to the top levels. How it began is told through a charming piece of racing lore.

Mike Larson, Kyle’s father, describes a story about three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford. On a race-day morning, just before his third Indy win in 1980, Rutherford noticed that a ladybug had landed on him. Believing in the good fortune of the omen, Rutherford told his crew that the rest of the field was racing for second that day. He later drove his Chaparral to a convincing victory.

Mike Larson liked the story so much that he once said that if his son ever got involved in racing, he’d include a ladybug somewhere in the paint job. Now here we are today, his son a Cup Series champion and still carrying the charm on his cars as well as many of his T-shirts and other racing souvenirs.

The Larsons said they had a chance encounter with Rutherford at the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa years ago, and shared with him that they had adopted his good-luck mascot as one of their own. Rutherford laughed and wished them well. Incidentally, Kyle Larson is a first-time entrant into this year’s Indianapolis 500 race Memorial Day weekend!

Family fun

The Overdrive Monster Truck Tour will invade Lernerville Speedway on May 25. They promise to put your senses into overdrive where you feel the ground shake, smell the burning of blown alcohol fuel, hear the 1,500hp roar, and see gravity redefined, while drivers compete for a taste o victory.

Two hours prior to the event, you can see these 10-foot-tall, 12,000lb Monster trucks up close, meet the drivers, get autographs and take a ride in the Monster Truck in the pit area!

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle