He is 75 and still drives a race car!

Sally Murdick and her granddaughter Jo Marie brought 75 cupcakes to Lernerville last week to celebrate Modified driver Carl Murdick’s birthday. He is the patriarch of their family and you might say that this 75-year-old is also the patriarch of local auto racing.

Not only has he been married 55 years, but Butler’s Murdick has driven a race car for 55 years and still going strong.

“I‘ve finished in the top ten just about every year,” he said. “I still enjoy racing , but not the work to get it ready to race.”

Murdick was the 1970 V-8 Modified Champion and figures he has tallied a total of 56 feature wins in his career. In addition to Modifieds, Carl once raced Late Models for nine years, and also drove Six-Cylinders. He even was in a Sprint car one evening, but said, “The steering was too quick for me.”

How long will he continue to race? Murdick retorts, “I just take it year by year now and see how I feel.”

His son, Modified driver, Davey Murdick said. “I might retire before he does!”

His daughter Sheila is a Sprint driver and married Sprint driver Gary Rankin. At their wedding, Sheila’s sister Shirley met Gary’s brother Paul and later married him. Sheila and Gary had two daughters. Bobbi also races Sprints, while Jo Marie was Miss DIRT Motorsports in 2008. Paul and Shirley had two sons, Derek and David, and they crew for Grandpa. “Instead of blood, race cars run through our veins,” said Shirley Rankin.

What would Carl tell a rookie driver? He said, “Run your own race and drive what you can handle. They don’t pay for a DNF (did not finish).”

The drivers that he has admired in NASCAR are Richard Petty and Bill Elliot. Looking at today’s chauffeurs, Carl said, “Dale Earnhardt Jr has finished every race that he has been in this year and he is second in points.”

Carl and Sally Murdick are young at heart and not only enjoy their relatives but also their family of choice, the big racing community. Happy Father’s day to you, Carl.

Time to celebrateThere were three celebrations in the Holtgraver household last weekend. Danny Holtgraver chalked up Sprint victories at Lernerville and Mercer and his sister, Amy graduated from North Allegheny High School.Friday’s impressive win over Kevin Shaffer was the first time in 17 years that Danny and his crew chief and father, Dan, were not at the races together.

Female breakthroughRecently, Karri Gasser was the first female to win a Super Late Model race at Pennsylvania Motor Speedway by defeating Alex Ferree.As a matter of fact, she may be the only female driver to win a dirt Late Model race in Western Pennsylvania. Gasser, now driving for Joe Johnson, had won her first E-Mod race a few years ago.Her crew chief is her husband Lou. “Rocket Man” Steve Baker jokingly asked her if she wanted to sell the car back to him. He then brought out a bottle of champagne and many well wishers toasted her victory after the races were over.

Blaney MemorialKaty Blaney was passing out flyers in the Lernerville pits promoting the race that honors her late husband, the fourth annual Lou Blaney Memorial Race set for July 10.Included in the 410 Sprint feature that night will be NASCAR stars Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, and Dave Blaney.

News and Notes• It is reported the Jeff Taylor will re-open Thunder Mountain Speedway.• Skip Daugherty will limit his racing to a 305 Sprint. “With two children in college, that is all I can afford,” he said.• Friday, the popular #1 Cochran Fan Appreciation Night with Holiday Races and Fireworks is featured at Lernerville. Mercer Raceway Park will highlight a $3,000 to win 410 Sprint main event in addition to the regular program.Pennsylvania Motor Speedway will have a free petting zoo, plus pony rides along with the regular program. The Pro-Late Models will be without their roof (topless) and pay $1,000 to win and $100 to start.Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle