By Brian Liskai

Fremont Speedway is batting .500 against Mother Nature in 2002. Out of six possible shows, the track has been able to get three in with three rained out, including two All Star Circuit of Champion shows.

The May 25 All Star show that was rained out has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 8. The Budweiser sponsorship that was for the May 25 show will move to the Tuesday, July 2 All Star Spring Speedweek show. So, both All Star Spring Speedweek stops at Fremont - Tuesday, July 2 and Thursday, July 4 (Miller Beer Night) will pay $6,000 to win and $500 to start! The June 8 All Star show will pay $5,000 to win and will be sponsored by Wilhelm Auto Parts.

Speaking of All Star Sprint Speedweek... Race fans Grace and Lacey Black are organizing a bus trip from Fremont (Tuesday, July 2 show) to KC Raceway near Chillicothe for the Wednesday, July 3 show. That way campers can leave their rigs at Fremont, which will host the fourth leg on Thursday, July 4. The cost is $22 per person plus the cost of admission. The bus leaves the Sandusky County Fairgrounds at 3:30 p.m. For more information, contact the Blacks at 419-332-0909.

One of the cars in the pits for Saturday's competition was the 4j of Lynton Jeffrey from Australia.

A couple of drivers came out of retirement to race Monday, May 27 at Fremont. Jim Fleming of Bellevue, Ohio, who sits 15th on the all-time career feature win list at the speedway with 23 victories, piloted the #12F late model owned by the Stiltner family. Fleming was the 1968 late model champion at "The Track That Action Built." He failed to make the A-Main.

Also, Bobby Sears Jr., who owned two dirt trucks in competiton at the track in 2001, and who currently owns the truck driven by John Rhoads, was behind the wheel of the other #20 truck. Sears, who hasn't raced since 1985, is tied for 33rd on the track's all-time career feature win list with 12 victories. He was the 1977 Sport Stock track champion. Sears raced his way into the A-main where he dropped out to finish 15th.

Rumors were circulating around the Fremont Speedway pits Saturday that 1985 and 1987 sprint track champion Johnny Beaber was coming out of retirement. Beaber, who runs a fabrication shop and repairs many of the area sprint car chassis and who built Jack Hewitt's two-seat sprint car, has 24 career wins at Fremont, placing him 13th on the career win list for the track. Beaber's son, Tony, sold his midget over the winter and purchased a 410 sprint engine. Rumor has it the elder Beaber has built a car and will race it some time this year.

Don Keegan debuted a new dirt truck Monday. He said he plans to have several guest drivers behind the wheel during the season, including the possibility of Scott Gressman taking a spin. Gressman has made a name for himself building 305 sprint and dirt truck racing engines.

Charlie Dagg had two cars in competition Monday at Fremont. Joe Keegan, who came out of retirement at the beginning of the season was behind the "Chuck Wagon III," while Mike Linder, who normally pilots the James/Brewer Motorsports #3 on the 360 trail, raced the "Chuck Wagon II" Monday. Linder's car is the one Dagg usually competes in on asphalt. Linder's team converted the car Sunday night to dirt, and he won his heat Monday and finished eighth in the A-Main. Keegan's night wasn't so lucky. He knocked a hole in the oil pan while unloading the car, but some JB Weld quickly patched the hole. However, he failed to make the A-Main.

Bobby Foster came out of retirement Monday to pilot the #37 305 sprint normally driven by Keith Whaley. Whaley is still fighting kidney stones, but hopes to be back behind the wheel soon. Foster finished 19th in the A. His car from last year was purchased by the Griffith family (Griff Engines) and is piloted by young Caleb Griffith this year.

Many of the 305 sprints and dirt trucks carry stickers in memory of Jimmy Deal, the 305 sprint driver who died while racing at Fremont last year.

Many are having fun at the expense of Jim Linder, who came out of retirement with an experimental 410 sprint this season. His co-car owner and long-time friend and mechanic Larry Keegan (brother of sprint driver Mark Keegan), put yellow tape around the rear bumper to signify "rookie" status.

The Sandusky County Fair Board's 50/50 raffle got even better this past weekend, as Dave's Lawnmower Repair donated a lawn mower as a second prize. With the heavy spring rains, some fans may want that prize rather than the money.

There were a couple of father/son racing combinations in the late model ranks Monday at Fremont, including Bill (dad) and Ken (son) Hahn of Gibsonburg, and John Mayes Jr. and Sr. of Clyde.

Friends of Sue McLaughlin were at Fremont Monday to raise funds to help in her battle with cancer. McLaughlin, wife, mother of five boys and grandmother of five, was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. Without medical insurance to help cover costs, and a desperately needed trip to a cancer clinic for treatments, costs are staggering. There is a trust fund for McLaughlin at any Key Bank location. An raffle is also taking place with first prize being two tickets to the Michigan 400 NASCAR race on June 16 and second prize is two tickets to the Pepsi 400 at MIS on Aug. 18. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. For more information contact Steve Cole at 419-870-7830 or Robin Johns at 419-478-4633.

The hosts of WFRO radio (99.1 FM, 900 AM) "The Garage Area" - Ron Otto, Dave Dugan and Craig Holland - attended Monday's late model, 305 sprint, dirt truck races at Fremont. The trio have joined forces with Brian Liskai, Scott and Andrew Barman and Mike Linder, who host "The Last Lap" racing program on WFRO, to form one of Northwest Ohio's most potent racing information programming. Otto, Dugan and Holland could be seen cheering mightily for Linder Monday night. "The Garage Area" focuses on NASCAR racing and can be heard every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. and again Wednesday nights following Cleveland Indians' baseball game. "The Last Lap" is devoted to area dirt track racing and can be heard every Monday at 5:30 p.m.

The pre-entry list for the second leg of the "Buckeye Nationals" USAC sprints and midget races to be held Thursday, June 20 at Fremont Speedway is already quite impressive. In the USAC sprints, pre-entered are Jonathan Vennard of Vincennes, Ind.; Dave Darland of Lincoln, Ind.; Jon Stanbrough of Jamestown, Ind.; Brandon Petty of Alexandria, Ind.; Derek Davidson of Terre Haute, Ind.; Jay Drake of California; Tracy Hines of Greenfield, Ind.; Tony Elliott of Indianapolis, Ind.; Levi Jones of Olney, Ill.; and Jerry Coons Jr. of Tucson, Arz. Entered in the midgets are Darland, J.J. Yeley of Phoenix, Arz.; Steve Paden of Downey, Calif.; Ron Gregory of Nobleville, Ind.; Bobby East of Brownsburg, Ind.; and Ryan Scott of Concord, N.C.

Speaking of USAC, Randy and Jane Mapus of Castalia, Ohio, recently shared a photo album containing photos of the last time USAC ran at Fremont - Oct. 3, 1981. They also had a complete scoring list of the night's racing. Sheldon Kinser set a new track record that night at 16.834, among the 26 cars qualifying. Some of those racing included Johnny Coogan, Danny Donaldson, Dave Pepperak, Mark Alderson, Tom Bigelow, Larry Rice (now an ESPN racing commentator); Bill Tyler, Gary Irvin, Mac McClellan; Jerry Carmen, Kerrie Norris, King Kramer, Eddie Leavitt and Jerry Nemire (who continues to race). Sheldon Kinser won the first heat over Bigelow and Frank Weiss. In heat #2, Nemire took the win over Steve Long and Mac McClellan. Tipp City, Ohio's Mike Winblad picked up the third heat win over Kerrie Norris and King Kramer. The fourth heat win went to Red Bledsoe over Gary Irvin and Bill Tyler. Eddie Leavitt won the last chance race over Bobby Matecki Jr. and Jerry Miller. In the feature, the winner was Leavitt over Nemire, Johnny Coogan, Larry Rice and Steve Long.

There was also included scoring from the Oct. 4, 1981 Great Lakes Classic, with 47 sprint cars on hand and 35 late models. Some of the sprint car drivers included Larry Helms, Jack Sodeman, Jim Roepke, Bill Corbin Jr., Terry Tackas, Johnny Auxter, Dave Fisher (father of Indy car racer Sara Fisher); Al Liskai, Joe Keegan, Jack "The Wild Child" Haudenschild, Hank Lower, Mark Keegan, Don O'Connor, Spike Sneider, Curt Kelly, Gary Griffith (his grandson now races 305 sprints at Fremont); and Chuck Wilson. Mark Keegan won the first heat over Al Liskai and Larry Helms. The second heat went to Tackas over Skylar Hinkle and Kerrie Norris. Don O'Connor picked up the third heat win over Griffith and Haudenschild. Jeff Potts (now an official with the NRA Ohio Lottery 360 sprints) won the fourth heat over Brian Craft and Jim Roepke. The C-Main went to Potts, while Haudenschild won the B-Main over Dave Fisher. Kerrie Norris won the 30-lap A-Main over Terry Tackas, Haudenschild, Al Liskai and Hank Lower.