There is a wise old saying that says, “In life, give your children roots and then wings.”

Dan Holtgraver is having a hard time dealing with the latter. For 17 years, he and his son Danny have been inseparable, racing Go-Carts for seven years, Micros three years and Sprints for eight years. They won the 2010 Lernerville Sprint Championship and three All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint races.

Now Danny is embarking on a new career without his dad, driving full-time for Bryan Grove and Rob Hunter’s No. 45. He is a member of the All Star Circuit of Champions touring Sprint Car Series.

Dan can’t make all the shows.

“It drives me crazy, when he is racing and I can’t be there; thank goodness for cell phones,” he said. “I am happy for him. Brian Kemenah, his crew chief, is an excellent mechanic and extremely conscious about safety and that soothes my mind.”

Hall inductees

The Halls of Fame inducted many of our local people this year. In February, the Pittsburgh Circle Track installed Ed Ferree, Albert “Ouch” Roenigk, Bud Garvey, and Dick Thomas.

Ferree is a champion race car driver and owner, who still races occasionally. Roenigk has been involved at Lernerville Speedway since the beginning, helping to carve out the track, and later engineering the increase of track size twice. He specialized in track preparation and has been commended for both driver and fan safety at the speedway.

Dick Thomas had an outstanding racing career on dirt and asphalt that spanned four decades. He drove in the claimers, mini stocks and Late Models. Garvey started racing a Modified and Late Model in 1962. During the 964 season, Garvey won 30 features and his wins totaled over 200 when he retired in 1976.

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame will induct Jean Lynch and the late Lou Blaney into their Hall of Fame June 1. Lynch has been an advocate to Sprint car racing, as well as a publicist and promoter. Blaney amassed over 600 victories, driving both a Sprint car and Modified. He has numerous championships, but he was also well known as a gentleman and a tremendous sport.

The Alle-Kiski Hall of Fame will induct Ed Lynch Jr on May 18th. Lynch Jr is the all-time Sprint wins leader at Lernerville with 105. He has won five track championships and captured the Don Martin Memorial WoO Race in 2002.

Modified driver Blackie Watt will be inducted into the DIRTcar Hall of Fame June 4 at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway, New York. Watt drove the famous Joe Pitkavish Hemi-powered Modified for 25 years. They won well over 200 races and numerous championships at Lernerville, Schmuckers, and Motordrome Speedaway.

New venture

Tim Shaffer, 1992 Lernerville Sprint Car title holder, four-time champion of the UNOH All-Stars and winner of World of Outlaw Sprint Car races at Lernerville and Knoxville, is trying something new, racing a car with fenders.

He is still piloting the No. 83 Sprint for Aaron Call and Janet Holbrook. But he just loves racing and when he is not in his professional ride, he plans to race a Crate Late Model for fun, no pressure.

After buying the car from a friend, he has been diligently working on it for several weeks, spending as much as 15 hours a day and in the process, trying to learn all the differences as well as set-ups between this car and Sprints.

Tim took his Crate Late Model to PA Motor Speedway, and finished 14th in a race that was won by Kyle Lukon. It is back to the drawing boards.

Sympathy extended

Our sympathy is extended to the Ferree Family. Ed’s mother, Sarah Jane “Sally” Ferree, died this past week at the age of 87.

Upcoming events

Celebrating 25 years of racing, Pennsylvania Motor Speedway is seeking to beat April’s cold weather by racing Saturday afternoon.

The track will begin its five division Saturday racing show at 2 p.m.

Lernerville will kick off its first 2013 Fab Four show Friday evening with the points beginning and Mercer Raceway will begin its six-division point challenge on Saturday.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle