Sadie Siegle is living out her dream.

The Knoch High School student will be a senior in the fall. When she was in kindergarten, the local firemen brought a fire truck to her school. While Sadie was sitting on top of the truck being interviewed, her picture was taken. The newspaper reporter asked her what she would like to be when she grew up. Her reply was to be a Sprint car driver before she graduated. The picture was published along with the caption containing her wish.

At the age of 17, Sadie is behind the wheel of the No. 91 Sprint car at Lernerville Speedway. She is the only regular female driver at the track.

With her father, Bob Siegle, in the service, the family often moved throughout the East coast. Her father had raced Modifieds at Lernerville since he was 16. Every opportunity they had, the family would return to their grandparents’ (Fran and the late Mazie Siegle) house in Brookville. Then they all would go racing.

Sadie started with go-carts when she was 15 for half of a season. The following year she debuted her Stock car and won the 2016 Lernerville “Rookie of the Year” award. Now she is piloting her pink Sprint car at the track.

Sadie finds the major difference between the Stock and Sprint is the speed. She said, “The biggest obstacle has been throttle control. I never really struggled with this in my Stock car but in the Sprint car, I have had a hard time figuring out what is just right for each track condition.”

Sprint drivers Carl Bowser and Dan Shetler have been very supportive of her, giving her advice and answering her questions. Her goal now is to be able to travel to Charlotte for the World Sprint Finals.

At Knoch, Sadie is a member of the basketball and track and field teams and Future Nurses of America. After high school she will study to be a nurse and later pursue a degree as a physician’s assistant. She is driven and so poised for a person her age.

Sharon Speedway did an unusual thing last week. The track had free grandstand admission and packed the place. If you wanted to go into the pits or on the track the cost was $15. It was “Driver’s Autograph Night” and all the cars and their drivers were on the track.

Track concession stands offer some unique food specialties. Pierogies are featured at Lernerville and Pennsylvania Motor Speedway highlights a family-of-four, large-size pretzel.

John Stickley says, “Mercer Raceway has the best french fries!” They cut the fresh potatoes at the track, fry them, and serve with toppings.

Jennerstown has Chick-Fil-A and Little Caesar’s Pizza on the premises.

Racing Optics has the drivers and the GoPros covered. Dirt track racers not only need to have clear vision on the track, but their crews use the GoPro cameras to provide clear video to assist them to make adjustments to their cars while in the pits.

Alex Ferree has won six Lernerville Late Model point championships.

“Maybe I’ll go to Eldora for some of their special high-paying events, bounce around a little more to other tracks,” he said, adding, “It’s like playing at a golf course. You can get good at one course, but not at others. You have to play various courses to be good.”

Ferree finds that Mike Norris, Mike Pegher, Matt Lux and Jared Miley provide super competition.

Congratulations to Ryan Blaney for winning his first major NASCAR Monster Series race Sunday. He is the grandson of Modified icon Lou Blaney, the son of Sprint driver Dave Blaney and nephew of Sprint chauffeur Dale Blaney.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle.