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Cisney tasting success
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Article RatingDylan Cisney wants to be in a 410 Sprint car.
But for now, his family budget allows him to race on the Super Sportsman tour in Central Pennsylvania.
And in just his first season, the 16-year-old from Mifflintown is enjoying some mid-season success in the super tough division.
In fact, Cisney is just one of four drivers able to repeat in the win column this season. He joins Paul Miller, Mike Enders and Aaron Eichelberger as two time winners on the Sportsman tour.
But what is even more impressive is this kid had no open wheel experience, other in go karts before jumping into the division for the 2008 season.
He won a career first feature at Williams Grove Speedway two weeks and backed that win up with an impressive drive to victory lane Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway.
While he loved the Grove win, his Port Royal win will remain ever special in his memory.
“Winning at Port Royal probably feels better than Williams Grove because all of my sponsors were there, my friends from school, my Mom, my Dad, my sister and brother in law and my Pap so it was pretty special,” he said. “My dream has always been to win the Tuscarora 50 and winning at Port Royal in the Sportsman would be my second dream.”
After getting his feet wet racing go karts since 2000 with big wins such as a Pennsylvania state series win in 2006, the 2006 Volusia (FL) WinterNationals, a 2003 Path Valley Speedway championship and a runner-up in Pennsylvania state series points in 2004, Cisney dabbled in 600cc modifieds for a year, winning at New York’s Five Mile Point Speedway.
He returned to the karts last season and built his Sportsman car during the offseason.
He knew the going would be tough just to make the features at Williams Grove and on the tour. But he’s been pleasantly surprised how quick he has adapted.
“I didn’t even think I would be able to qualify for races this soon and a lot of people told me it would take time and it would probably take me a half a year to begin qualifying for races let alone win them,” said the soon to be Junior at Juniata High School. “We started getting up front in some heat race and then we began to start winning some heat races. And actually we won the heat race on the night the Grove feature was rained out and it was a good thing we got rained out because the last couple of laps in the heat racer, we got a crack in the header and we didn’t have any spares that night so it favored us that it was rained out.”
He won the makeup feature two weeks ago and led all 20 laps in the process.
“It was good that feature was still run in the daylight because the track was still good and it wasn’t dried out yet plus there was a cushion so I could get the jump on the start,” he added. “Restarts were pretty much smooth for how I thought I could handle it and I thought surely someone would snooker me on one of the restarts and I was just waiting for Frankie (Herr) or (Rich) Eichelberger to go flying by me on the inside and I never saw anyone. It was pretty cool.”
Cisney will now focus on winning the 2008 Rookie of the Year award for the Sportsman tour. He took the lead in that following his Port Royal win.
“I’m gonna try and stay out front in that and win the Rookie of the Year and that would mean a lot to me,” he stated. “I’d like to try and win another race and just stay up front and keep the car out of trouble.”
Cisney and the rest of the Sportsman contingent will be back at Williams Grove Speedway this Saturday night.
SPORTSMAN ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Thanks to the Open Wheel Message Board, a driver will have a chance at winning the 2008 Super Sportsman Rookie of the Year award which will be presented at the Williams Grove banquet in November.
“The Super Sportsman have not had a Rookie of the Year award since Silver Spring’s closed and I suggested on my board that we make it happen,” said Mike Fitzpatrick, owner of the Open Wheel Message board. “So with the permission from Williams Grove, we are going to present the award at the banquet.”
To help with funding the award, there will be a drawing for prizes at this Saturday’s Picnic in the Park prior to the Saturday night action at the Grove. Tickets will be sold during the picnic and winners will be announced during the event.
Prizes so far include a wing panel, photo license plate, two driver caricatures from Cartoons by Jake, driver Tshirts and sweartshirts and framed 8x10 photos of Super Sportsman race cars.
Stop out to the picnic and enjoy a fun day of socializing with drivers and fans and be sure to support the Rookie of the Year award by purchasing some tickets towards the drawing.
PITSTOPS
Carlisle sprint car racer Dave Calaman’s season has come to an end due to health issues. Calaman was enjoying a good season in the Godfrey Motorsports 358 sprinter with top 10 point runs going at the Grove and Selinsgrove. We wish Dave a clean bill of health and a return to the race car in 2009...
Jesse “the Rocket” Hockett will drive the Tom Buch owned Brownstown Motorsports No. 13 sprint car at the Knoxville Nationals. Cliff and Bill Brian, Jr. have recently piloted the car…
Dale Blaney closed in on Lance Dewease’s points lead with his third win on the O’Reilly All Star Sprint tour Sunday at Millstream Speedway. Blaney took the win over Blake Feese, Greg Wilson, Tim Shaffer and Dewease, who started on the pole. The All Stars will get ready for their Thunder Through the Plains up next on their schedule…
Sunday night’s World of Outlaws event at Lebanon Valley Speedway was rained out after all qualifying was complete. The Outlaws return to the track on September 21...
It will be Kids Night at Williams Grove Speedway on Saturday night. The Picnic in the Park will also take place in the infield from noon until 4pm. There is no admission charge for the picnic in the park. There will be games and prizes for the kids and Big Wheel and bike races on the speedway. Race time is 7pm…
The seventh annual Cox design and Metal Fabrication Iowa Speed week is soon to be underway beginning on July 31 and running through the Super Clean Knoxville Nationals finale on August 9. The Mr. SprintCar award is also up for grabs again this season for the driver with the most accumulated points during the Speedweek. Last year it was Wayne Johnson taking the $2,500 title. The week kicks off with the Arnold Motor Supply Knoxville 360 Nationals. Also part of the Speedweek will be the Casey’s General Stores night at Knoxville, the Brodix Tournament of Champions, the Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge, the Searsboro Telephone Compnay Ultimate Challenge and the Superclean 410 Nationals at Knoxville. Entries are pouring in for both the 360 and 410 Nationals at Knoxville. Unfortunately for the first time in about nine years, I will not be heading to Knoxville to cover the Nationals but looking forward to a return in 2009...
E-mail reaches me at Bvores@aol.com
410 SPRINTS
1. FRED RAHMER--Best finish versus Outlaws in fourth.
2. DOUG ESH--Nice run from 14th to sixth in the Summer Nationals.
3. JEFF SHEPARD--Sixth on Friday night.
4. BRIAN LEPPO--Seventh Friday and bad luck Saturday.
5. ALAN KRIMES--Nice top 10 finish on Friday night.
Honorable Mention: Keith Kauffman.
358/360 SPRINTS
1. BLANE HEIMBACH--Stepped up to the plate for big Selinsgrove win.
2. BRAD MCCLELLAND--Fourth win at Trail-Way.
3. PAT CANNON--Selinsgrove runner-up again.
4. KEVIN NAGY--Flag to flag first career Lincoln win.
5. JASON CLAUSS--Declared URC winner at Big Diamond.
6. SCOTT GEESEY--Nice run from mid-pack for Lincoln runner-up.
7. CURT MICHAEL--Turned a sour weekend into a good points weekend on URC tour.
8. JEFF ROHRBAUGH--Trail-Way runner-up.
9. BECCA ANDERSON--Showing some speed with Diamond runner-up and bad luck at Selinsgrove.
10. LARRY KELLEHER--Kept his 358 sprinter in the top five at Selinsgrove.
Honorable Mention: Austin Reed.
SUPER LATE MODELS
1. TONY ADAMS--Repeat winner at Selinsgrove.
2. TIM WILSON--Finally got to Port Royal victory lane.
3. JEFF RINE--Chased Adams to the finish.
4. MITCH HACK--Another good Port Royal finish.
5. MIKE LUPFER--Rare Port starts results in a runner-up finish.
Honorable Mention: Jeff Smith.
SUPER SPORTSMAN
1. DYLAN CISNEY--Two wins in a row on the Sportsman tour.
2. FRANKIE HERR--Top five strengthens the points lead.
3. STAN WANNER--Port Royal runner-up.
4. JAKE RAUDABAUGH--Back in the top five in Walt Bigler machine.
5. DEREK LOCKE--Another consistent finish in the top five.
Honorable Mention: Doug Hendricks.
358 LATE MODELS
1. DEREK BYLER--Path Valley and Hesston winner on the weekend.
2. CRAIG WAGAMAN--Won topless at Lincoln.
3. CHARLES POTTS--Susquehanna winner.
4. SHAUN JONES--Double top five finishes on the weekend.
5. MIKE WALLS--Runner-up at Lincoln.
Honorable Mention: Carl Billet.
