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Stan Lobitz honored by EMPA

At the 41st annual Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) convention held January 6-8 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in King of Prussia, auto racing media members gathered for a series of press conferences, seminars and social interaction with a wide array of racing personalities. There is also a Saturday evening banquet where awards are given to a number of member writers and photographers for their past year’s work.

Likewise recognized during the weekend are a select group of racing affiliated persons both past and present and it was quite fitting that the honoree being named for the “Junie Dunlavey Sprit of the Sport Award” went Stan Lobitz of Drums.

Stan Lobitz receiving his award from EMPA Board member Dino Oberto and presenter Lynn Paxton Bob Yurko Photo

The award is named after the late NASCAR car owner who fielded Modifieds and Sprint Cup cars for over five decades. Dunlavely’s pursuit of excellence on a limited budget became legendary and he forged a life’s worth of respect from his peers while asking for very little in return.

In many ways Lobitz reflects the same qualities, especially when it comes to respect and admiration from his colleagues.

It all stems from his yearly Auction and Movie Party held each November at his Hazle Township catering hall where for the past 26 years he has without charge allowed a daylong event to take place and conclude with one of the infamous Lobitz home style meals.

Racing somebodies from across the country make it a point to attend the event. Some are quite famous while others may not be as mainstream but are stars in their own right and Lobitz treats each one like a celebrity. Drivers, mechanics, owners and officials who blazed a trail for today’s superstars are on hand for the festivities.

The whole purpose is to raise money for the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR), located in York Springs. Local and regional racing history is their focus.

EMMR is one of the country’s finest auto racing museums. There is a remarkable collection of vintage race cars and artifacts as well as a research library of rare books, documents, and photos pertaining to the sport.

Through the Lobitz affair thousands have been collected, to date over $200,000 raised according to Lynn Paxton, museum curator and presenter of the Dunlavey award. Paxton is one of the all-time great sprint car drivers out of central Pennsylvania and was a master at Williams Grove Speedway. He is also member of the National Sprint Car and EMPA Hall of Fames.

“I am really, really thankful to everyone at EMPA for this award. It is very touching and I am honored,” said Lobitz.

“Racing has been very good to me. Its people are the greatest people in the world and to be in their company is a privilege.”

EMMR is not the only benefactor of Lobitz’s benevolence. As a longtime supporter of Midget car racing, the American Racing Drivers Club has made it a point to hold their annual awards banquet at his hall. The group has recognized him with a lifetime membership.

Lobitz is also a collector of vintage race cars and has an extensive collection. He has been a huge help to other collectors in acquiring needed parts for restoration projects.

He has also been a gem to the many racers throughout the Hazleton/Berwick/Bloomsburg areas, assisting them in an way he can.

On a personal note, Stan Lobitz is one of the key people who have had a sincere impact on my career, both as a motorsports writer and announcer. He has taught me well on some of the finer points of racing and has stuck behind me and supported me for many years. I have always heeded his words of advice and wisdom which are priceless to me.

Back in 1975, a small group of racing enthusiasts known as the Williams Grove Old Timers, gathered near Harrisburg. They shared a common interest in the early days of American motor racing and a desire to preserve the history of that bygone era. To serve this purpose, they immediately planned the construction of a public museum of racing history which has become the EMMR.

Thanks to the people like Lobitz who have an appreciation and deep regard for the roots of racing, history is able to live on through the labors of the EMMR.

Drew Heistand honored as ARDC champion

(HAZLETON, Pa) Like a fine bottle of aged wine, the Midget car speedsters of the American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) continue to get better and better as the years add up, 72 consecutive to be exact.

And in celebration of the 2011 racing season the ARDC once again gathered to wine and dine at host Stan Lobitz’s Catering Hall in Hazleton on Saturday evening, November 26.

After 21 races across tracks from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and North Carolina, Drew Heistand of Wrightsville was officially crowned the club titlist and now joins a very distinguished list of past champions which dates back to 1940 when Bill Schindler won the first club championship.

“It’s hard to believe and hard for me to accept just because of the history. It’s an honor to be on that list and I still don’t think it fully sank in yet,” said Heistand.

“When I came to my first banquet I had to sit all the way in the back on the dance floor and watch Andy Martin receive his award as champion and I thought to myself, I want to be up there. Earlier this week I was looking at the list of past champions and realized that I didn’t know even half of the guys on the list but I knew who they were and to have my name on that list is an incredible honor.”

En route to this year’s crown, Heistand picked up wins at Susquehanna, Port Royal and Williams Grove Speedways.

“I knew I had a pretty good shot at it (title) especially after last year when Steve (Buckwalter, ’10 champion) announced that he wasn’t going to run the Midget as much and concentrate more on the Sprint car. I knew that if he wasn’t around for the points chase then I had a really good shot because I got a really good program and felt it would be tough for the other guys to beat me,” said Heistand.

Although he won the championship by a solid margin of 169 points over Nick Wean, Heistand actually had to overcome a disastrous start to the season when he finished dead last in the opener on April 10 at Susquehanna but rebounded nicely the next two events at Williams Grove and Port Royal with a runner-ups.

Heistand then was in a season long battle for the top spot with the likes of Wean, Ryan Smith and Brent Arndt who all had a share of the points lead.

“I was last place in points after the first race of the season and Brent Arndt was just dominating. He had almost a 200 point lead on me but then he ran into motor problems.

“I was more worried about Ryan Smith but he ran into a lot of trouble through the middle of the year and then Nick Wean started taking off. I was just lucky that everything held together all year long,” he continued.

“The biggest thing was our motor. At the end of the season, the last race, it had 35 races on it and that’s unheard of for Midget racing. Most times you’re lucky to get 20 out of them.”

“If you look at the year, everyone it seemed had a rollercoaster year from first to tenth. No one had a steady consistent year. They would win one week and DNF the next so there was no one real dominate car and if you could have finished in the top five every week you could have easily walked away with this championship without even winning,” said ARDC president Bruce Buckwalter, Sr.

This was the fourth overall title for Heistand who has three 600cc Micro Sprint crowns from Linda’s, Shippensburg and Trail-Way Speedways.

“Our racing is fantastic. We always put on good shows everywhere. The quality of cars is just getting better and better each year. It’s coming down to starting position now whereas three years ago it wasn’t easy to win from say eighteenth place but you could do it. Now it’s real tough no matter where you start from,” he said.

As for a repeat in 2012 Heistand will play it by ear.

“We have to see what happens with the motor rules and who knows I might be switching engines. I’m sure I could be in the top five. I don’t really feel like racing for another championship but then again I said this year that I wasn’t going to run for it and here I am.”

Ryan Kissinger notches career first Sprint Car win

It’s had been five years in the making but 21-year old Ryan Kissinger of Bloomsburg finally scored his elusive career first win in a Sprint car. The memorable feat took place August 20 at Selinsgrove Speedway.

Ever since joining the ranks of the always tough 358-Sprint car division at the Snyder County ½-mile dirt oval, Kissinger has remained focused on his pursuit of victory and his years of steadfast dedication all came to fruition with the popular win.

“Every day it sets in a little bit more and more and it’s still hard to believe because we’ve struggled so much this year. This year I think I only finished two or three races at Selinsgrove and to not even have a top five or top ten and then to go and win a race is pretty cool,” said Kissinger who last won a while driving 270cc Micro Sprint almost six years ago.

When the race commenced everything was going his way. He started from the pole and was cruising at the front while nicely holding off several others.

In the early laps of the 25-lap feature he was challenged by Nyle Berkes while Duane Mausteller kept within sight of them.

After a lap seven restart Kissinger was able to stretch his lead. Eric Tomecek had moved to second and was closing on the leader. A high-speed chase ensued in traffic as Kissinger fended off Tomecek, Mausteller, Logan Schuchart and Berkes.

With five laps to go Tomecek moved within striking distance while Schuchart advanced to third. Point leader Blane Heimbach also began to show speed and entered the top five.

Just as it seemed Kissinger would be able to take the win, a final caution waved with two laps remaining which then set up a shootout to the finish. When the race restarted Kissinger ran the top of the track while Tomecek, Schuchart and Heimbach all shadowed him. Exiting off turn four Kissinger was just barley ahead and took the checkered flag by the slimmest of margins over Tomecek. Schuchart, Heimbach and Mausteller rounded out the top five.

“I knew I was alright early on so I started taking it a little bit easy. Then the caution came out and I knew I was in trouble. It was really tough at that point and I realized I was going to have to work a lot harder. With two laps to go I just thought I better go like hell,” said Kissinger.

“Getting the win was really cool. A couple weeks before all this we were talking about not running Selinsgrove and instead go out to Port Royal with the 410 (Sprinter). But now after finally winning a race we’re leaning towards staying there now.”

What made the win even more special was the fact that he is using a Ford engine and has done so for years. Kissinger is the only Sprint car driver at the track that opts to run that manufacture’s power plant.

“I run Ford engines and everyone thinks I’m nuts. I’m the only guy that has run one all year and I don’t feel underpowered by any means. Some people even think of me as the underdog but I know I have just as much power if not more than anyone else. My motors are build right, there’re strong and reliable,” he noted.

“The last time a Ford won at Selinsgrove was five years ago. We’re really proud of what we achieved because everyone would tell us you can’t run a Ford (engine) but obviously we did it.”

Midway Performance of Mount Carmel is responsible for the winning motor and Kissinger, who also works there, credits owner Danny Yastishak for getting him to the Victor’s Circle.

Although it took five years to get to here, there have been moments in the past when it seemed it would come much sooner.

“It was just odd stuff that just kept happening. Earlier this year I was running up front and started lapping cars and one of them just checked up in front of me and I had nowhere to go and wrecked,” recalled Kissinger.

“A few times last year I was leading and towards the end of the race the car would just change on me.

“My second year I was leading the first 17 laps when my front wing collapsed on me and I should have won that night too. It was just stuff like that which happened to me all the time it seemed.”

Kissinger runs off a shoestring budget. Unlike some of the more well-funded teams which steal most of the spotlight each week, Kissinger for the most part is just a two person operation that includes him and his grandfather, Wally Winn, a former stock car racer. That doesn’t deter him one bit either, especially when going up against the money racers.

“I don’t see myself as a lesser driver than them. I feel I can drive as good as anyone. But when they go to the track, that’s their career and that’s what they do and how they get paid so they have to do as good as possible. So you have to run really hard against them and I always want to do good against them and try to get some attention.

“We have a lot of fun, we just don’t have much of a crew. My parents (Raynard and Barb Kissinger) help when they can but not every race. We have Johnny Griffin who helps when he can and also my girlfriend Caitlynn Kline but other than that is just my grandpa (Wally Winn) and myself. That makes it tough to run multiple nights in one week because it’s just us two<’ he continued.

“We have no sponsors. For me and my grandfather who is 65-years old to do what we’re doing and without any sponsors or much of a crew, it’s pretty tough.”