KNOX, Pa. — For the first time since 2015, Knox Raceway, formally Sportsman’s Speedway, hosted circle track racing under new owner Brian Steinman.
(Pictured above: Chad Ruhlman in victory lane at the newly reopened Knox Raceway. Photo by Rick Rarer.)
A good crowd and a nice field of cars gathered for the highly anticipated season opener this past Friday at Knox Raceway. The RUSH wingless sprint cars and mini stocks headlined the show along with a seventy-five-lap enduro.
Before racing got underway, a special tribute and dedication was presented to former sprint car racer Francis Sesco, who recently lost his life in an automobile accident. With his entire family in attendance, his ashes were spread around the speedway. Michael Lutz had the honor of driving his 410 Sprint Car around the speedway while spreading Francis’s ashes around the track.
Fans were treated to some great racing as the track size is a perfect fit for the wingless RUSH sprints and they put on some of their best racing of the year. When the checkers flew, Chad Ruhlman would park the Tim Engles owned sprint car in victory lane after edging out Pleasantville’s Gale Ruth Jr. for the win. In the mini stock feature, it was Jeff Huber taking the top honors, and Matt Wiedlund was the winner of the enduro.
The next event at Knox Raceway will be on Saturday, July 2, when the BRP Modified Tour brings the area’s best-modified drivers together for the Sid Unverzagt, Sr Memorial Race, which will pay 2,500 dollars to the winner. RUSH sprint cars will return for this event along with the RUSH modifieds. The Knox Raceway staff has made a ton of improvements to the facility and continues to as the season progresses.
As the new surface at Michael’s Mercer Raceway continues to get better, so does the racing. Adam Kekich came from his seventh starting spot to win the most exciting sprint car feature of the season so far at the Mercer oval Saturday night. Seneca’s Jacob Gomola used a late-race pass of lady racer Vivian Jones to win his first 305 sprint car feature at the track since 2020 for new car owner Michael Beichner.
