By: Ron Burt
Football scoreboard
Beginning Friday at 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., the Ohio Sports Blitz Facebook page will be showing live scores from local football games. If you miss the broadcast, you can watch it again anytime. This year, we will be sharing scores from over 20 high school football conferences in Ohio, the top 10 football teams in the state, and the top 10 teams in the country. If you’re a diehard high school football fan, this is the scoreboard you need as your team battles to make the playoffs. Bookmark Ohio Sports Blitz now so you don’t miss your team’s scores. www.facebook.com/ohiosportsblitz/.
Larson gets the replay
The 63rd Knoxville Nationals is now in the record books of Sprintcar fans, drivers, owners and teams. 2024 was no disappointment. Three countries were represented and there were 4 nights of great racing. Championship Saturday was dominated by “Yung Money” Kyle Larson who led all 50 laps. He won the pole and the $2,000.00 for his performance and then the feature race which earned him $190,000.00. This does not include the totals of other weekly wins prior to Saturday’s feature race. This was Larson’s 3rd Knoxville Nationals win and his second in a row. Finishing behind the winner were Gio Scelzi (2nd), Corey Day (3rd), Carson Macedo (4th) and Anthony Macri (5th). The top 4 drivers are California drivers and Macri is from Pennsylvania. Sheldon Haudenschild of Wooster, Ohio, one of our local fan favorites, finished ninth and was the only driver from Ohio to start in the 24-car main event.
Westfall wins at home
One of the best drivers in USAC Sprints and Midgets is Matt Westfall. The Ohio native has a busy racing schedule and rarely comes home to race. Last week he was able to race at Waynesfield Raceway Park with the BOSS Sprint Series and wowed the hometown fans with a strong comeback that earned him the win. Shawn Westerfeld took 2nd and Rylan Gray took 3rd. The IMCA Ohio RaceSaver Sprint Series made its second stop of the season at Waynesfield on Saturday night and brought a strong field of competitors, making for another exciting main event. At the checker, it was Rod Henning who took the win!
Sprint car fans have something to look forward to in Waynesfield on August 24th. The legendary Nickles Brothers sprint car has been on display in Knoxville all summer at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, but has now been brought back home. The team is working feverishly to install an engine so it can serve as the lead car at the Nickles Bros. Memorial at Waynesfield Raceway Park, with legend Jac Haudenschild at the wheel!
Swanson Set’s track record
Last Saturday night, Silver Crown driver Kody Swanson had a good night and got even better. At the historic Jennerstown Speedway, he automatically set a new track record and earned the pole for the first USAC Silver Crown race ever held at Jennerstown Speedway. The seven-time series champion led all 100 laps of the feature race in the No. 77 Mission Foods, extending his record as the driver with the most USAC Silver Crown wins in history to 44. Swanson drove as high as sixth, taking the checkered flag a whopping 3.907 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Dakoda Armstrong. It was Swanson’s fourth win of the year and he extended Swanson and Doran Binks Racing’s lead in the point standings. Behind Swanson, Armstrong and Seavey, Taylor Ferns crossed the finish line in fourth and Bobby Santos III in fifth. CJ Leary, Justin Grant, Nathan Byrd, Kyle Steffens and Trey Osborne rounded out the top 10. It was the 15th track at which Swanson has won a USAC Silver Crown race – another record.
