If you listen closely, you can already hear a “Sye” coming from the other Sprint Car competitors as another Lynch launches his racing career.

Mercer Speedway debuted rookie Sye Lynch, piloting the Joe Lockhart Motorsports No. 58, 305 Sprint. Their team is based in Oil City and is a newly structured group.

He is the youngest member of the legendary Ed Lynch family to begin oval track competition. The Lynch family has been part of local racing for many years. Ed Lynch Sr. raced Modifieds and Sprint cars. Sye’s father, Ed Lynch Jr., has well over 100 Sprint car feature wins, most of them coming from Lernerville Speedway.

Ed Lynch III, Sye’s brother, has competed in a few 410 Sprints. His grandmother, Jean Lynch, has done many jobs at various tracks, from scoring to public relations. Currently, she manages the East Bay Racing Winter Nationals in Florida.

Sye, 16, a Kiski Area sophomore, has been around tracks all his life and is passionate about racing. He has wanted to race his entire life and has said, “I like everything about racing, from the smell of the atmosphere to the many wonderful people you meet there.”

Sye played baseball for nine years, and competed in football in seventh and eighth grade, but found too many scheduling conflicts with racing and decided to give up those sports to be at the speedway with his dad.

As a freshman, he was one of 12 who made the golf team and is still a member, since that is a fall sport.

For the past three years, he has competed in the Slideways Mini Nationals at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. These events coincide with their Sprint Car Nationals where his dad competes. Go-carts are provided that are considered equal.

Sye only had one off-season practice in the 305 Sprint before his first official race at Mercer. As he got into the car, he could see the look of concern in the eyes of his Dad, mother Heather, and grandfather. As he rolled onto the track he felt the butterflies in his stomach.

Later Sye said, “The most energizing moment was the drop on the green flag; it is different behind the wheel.”

Sye’s mission was to get seat time, give good information to his crew chief, Rob Kohan, and stay out of trouble. After getting good traction and passing two cars, issues developed with the car and he had to pit.

Last Saturday at Mercer Sye qualified through the heat race in a 24-car field. Once again during the feature, problems developed with the Sprint car and his night ended prematurely. He is looking forward to the Test and Tune Session at Mercer this week to iron out problems and finish a feature event this Saturday.

Sye’s goal is to take racing to the highest possible level. After the 305 Sprints, he’d like to move up to the 410 Sprints, and then possibly join the World of Outlaws Sprints. In time, he would like to try asphalt racing in the ARCA Series or maybe NASCAR someday.

Moving on up

AJ Flick left the Stock division and is now in the Sprint class. He purchased a 2012 410 J & J Sprint from Danny Holtgraver.

Flick won the best appearing car in the recent Pittsburgh Mills Cars Show. Friday he was initiated into the “upside down club,” after he flipped his car over in turn two. He was not injured.

Hall of Famers

Congratulations to the newest members of the Lernerville Hall of Fame, Johnny Axe, Albert “Ouch” Roenigk, Jack Sodeman Jr, and Linda Fennell. The 2013 Pittsburgh Circle Track HOF recently inducted Johnny Beaber, Carol Gamble, Jimmy Hawley and “Dirt” Henry.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle