DIRT Hall of Fame PR person Buffy Swanson shared this with us.
A Pennsylvania power player and 34-time champion, driver Duane Howard will join the elite ranks in the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame this summer. The 33rd annual induction ceremonies—free and open to the public—will take place on Thursday, July 24 at the Hall of Fame Museum on the grounds of Weedsport Speedway in New York.
“My parents and grandparents were always race enthusiasts,” said Howard, who watched the action with his family at the old Reading Fairgrounds in the ’60s and ’70s. At 18 he started racing Go-Karts, with help from Alan Finch who worked alongside Duane at the Howard family farm in Oley. In 1983, the pair procured a Late Model—and promptly won at Grandview, then Silver Spring.
They made the move to the headlining small-block Modifieds in 1985 and found out fast just how big a jump that was. Putting finances together, learning the ropes, the team went winless for almost three seasons. But once Howard scored that first one, at Big Diamond in ’87, there was no stopping him.
“We made a whole-hearted effort and I got a lot of help from my grandfather,” who added on to an existing garage at the farm to build a dedicated race shop, Howard related. “That really set the stage for us to go at it on a serious basis.”
Local car owners took notice: by 1989, first Bart Biever then his son Buddy hired both Howard and Finch, handing off their equipment. “We would do our chores on the farm and then work at night on the race cars,” Howard remembered.
The No. 114 team jelled instantly. Through 1993, Howard won 25 races and five championships for Buddy, including a Penn National 100 and his first Freedom 76 at Grandview—the paramount Pennsy prize.
Then he went MIA.
“I took a year or so off,” Howard shrugged. “At that time, the farm was getting hectic and things were just not going right. And we were so into the racing it became like a job, overwhelming everyone. So I decided to just take a step backwards and regroup.” Craig Von Dohren replaced him in the Biever car—and Duane was back to square one.
He returned in mid ’95 driving for Craig Hirthler, then Cary Duncan—winning a second ’6er with Duncan right before landing a pro-level ride with Hall of Fame car owner Glenn Hyneman in late 1997.
“That was a big deal for me. I remember going to meet with Glenn and signing an agreement. You knew you’d gotten somewhere when you had to sign a contract to race for someone!” said Howard, who followed Von Dohren, Billy Pauch and Jeff Strunk in the iconic Hyneman No. 126.
However, there was a stipulation: Hyneman wanted to do more big-block racing, outside of Pennsylvania. So Howard would have to leave Grandview.
“That was hard because we were so close to Grandview and close to the Rogers family. That was our home track!” Duane agonized. “So I needed to make a decision: Do I race more for Glenn? Or do I just stick around here? I decided I wanted to branch out and do more outside the PA local circuit.”
It was a lot to give up. Howard was one of the “Big Three” Keystone State Modified drivers—the reigning triumvirate of Von Dohren, Howard and Strunk who won everything there was to win. He would be a relative newcomer to the big-block stage in an alien land.
But Howard didn’t miss a step when he crossed the river to New Jersey, racing Hyneman’s car to three Modified titles at Bridgeport. He was the best in both worlds: a multi-time champion on the parochial PA small-block circuit and also Bridgeport’s expansive big-block beat.
“That’s what was kinda nice about those years we went to Bridgeport and ran big-blocks. It was refreshing to get away from the crowd we’d been with my entire career; to go down the road and break up all that bouncing around at Grandview amongst the three or four of us,” Howard reflected.
When Hyneman stepped back after the 2005 season, Howard was out of a ride.
“I had lost touch with Alan Finch but I gave him a call the day after I found out Glenn was shutting down the 126 team,” Duane recapped. Finch was working for Chad Sinon, a successful businessman who’d owned “half the field” at Penn Can before hiring Jeff Strunk and shifting to the Grandview/Big Diamond scene.
“He was parting ways with Jeff when I became available. He was already into racing, already with Alan Finch at that time. Finch knew what I could bring to the table as a driver, and also with help and personnel to add to the team. We met Chad and I was hired that night.”
They won their first time out.
“Even when we had our own cars with Finch—we’d always come out of the box strong. I can’t tell you how many openers I won at Grandview!” Duane noted.
They kept on winning through 2013—both at home and in limited appearances on the road. Disappointed after racing to a runner-up finish to Matt Sheppard in a Super DIRTcar Series event at Virgina Motor Speedway in 2008, Howard rebounded in ’09 to claim the W in the SDS Northeast opener at Big Diamond.
For a guy who grew up beating and banging on the Pennsy bullrings, who never followed the SDS circuit, Howard showed incredibly well when he went up against the big boys—especially during Super DIRT Week at Syracuse. In 10 total starts on the mile, he posted three top five finishes in the October classic and timed in the top six in 2014 in the Petruska No. 66 car with Chad Sinon’s help.
The Petruska team… Norm Hansell… now Butch Getz… Howard got the job done for all his car owners. Christened “The Diamond Cutter” for his particular prowess at Big Diamond, Howard pulled seven Coalcracker victories and nine championships out of that track. He’s won the Freedom 76 five times, as well as six titles at Grandview, one at Penn National and four at Bridgeport. He is a four-time champion in both the PA Tri-Track/Dual-Track Series and American Racer Cup Modified Series. He was named NASCAR PA State Champion five times and was third in the country in 2010. His career win list stands at 277 at 14 tracks in PA, NJ, DE and NY.
Many professionals can’t boast those stats. Yet, Howard was never a career race car driver—a fact that he’s proud of.
“I always held a full-time job—from the time I was a kid, working on the farm, I was always working. Sometimes I do look back and think—what if I had taken that step? Went out on my own and tried to be a professional race car driver? But I never took that chance. I am not a chance-taker,” Duane acknowledged.
“Logistically, it wouldn’t have made any sense for us to follow the DIRT Series because we were outside the area. We knew we couldn’t go traveling to New York, couldn’t travel on a series on any regular basis. For one thing, at that time with the farm, my old man wouldn’t let me!” he ruefully admitted.
“You had to focus on what you knew you could do best. For us, it was racing locally, around here on the PA series. We had three tracks back in the day—that paid well! It was really good—for the family, for all the owners and teams involved. It just made sense for us to stay local. No regrets,” Howard unequivocally asserted, before citing a single possible exception.
“The only regret I might have is—man, I really wanted to win a race on the Syracuse mile.”
The race weekend schedule, along with event logos, are now available as all three NASCAR national series return June 20-22 to Pocono Raceway for The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.COM tripleheader.
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) race will have a new entitlement sponsor this year in MillerTech Energy while the Cup (NCS) and Xfinity (NXS) series events will have returning partners. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s Administration, along with VISITPA.COM, return a second year for the Cup race and the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is back for a fourth consecutive season on the Xfinity Series event.
The weekend will feature a race each day beginning with the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series MillerTech Battery 200 on Friday, June 20, beginning at 5 p.m. ET. The Xfinity Series is next up Saturday, June 21, with the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at 3:30 p.m. The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.COM Cup Series race will culminate the weekend Sunday, June 22, beginning at 2 p.m.
Both the NCTS and NXS races have increased the length of their respective races for this season by 10 laps. The MillerTech Battery 200 moves from 175 miles to 200 while the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 shifts from 225 to 250 miles. The NXS event logo is new as a result of the race length change.
On-track action begins that Friday at 12:35 p.m. with NCTS practice and qualifying prior to the race. Saturday’s schedule also includes practice and qualifying for both the NXS and NCS beginning at 10 a.m.
For ticket information and news on the NASCAR race weekend, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.
Multiple Supercars drivers expected to compete at Chicago Street Course
Will Brown and Cam Waters are expected to contest the Cup Series race on the streets of Chicago July 6, while Broc Feeney is believed to be targeting a start in the Xfinity Series.
Will Brown is the latest name to walk through it. The reigning Supercars champion is understood to be finalising plans for Chicago. With Richard Childress Racing already locked into three cars for that weekend, Brown is expected to run through an affiliated team—likely Kaulig Racing, which shares technical resources with RCR.
Cam Waters, meanwhile, will return for his second Cup start after debuting at Sonoma with RFK Racing. His first run was solid, if unspectacular, but showed enough promise to earn another shot. The Tickford driver had previously raced in the Truck Series and impressed with his composure and feel.
FOX Sports believes the NTT IndyCar Series is ready for prime time beginning in June.
The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 15 was scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET start. FOX Sports and IndyCar announced Wednesday morning that the new starting time will be 8 p.m. ET.
It will be the first IndyCar race scheduled for prime time since the rescheduled season-opening race at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6, 2020.
That race became the first race of the IndyCar Series season because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, that shut down professional sports from March 12 to mid-May when NASCAR was the first series to return.
IndyCar was next with the race at Texas Motor Speedway that was televised on a Saturday night by then IndyCar television partner NBC Sports.
FOX Sports is in the first year of a new TV contract as the home of IndyCar and moving the race on the 1.25-mile oval outside of St. Louis, is another sign of its commitment to helping grow the series.
It’s the first prime time Sunday night race in IndyCar Series history.
“This is a massive primetime showcase under the lights for the stars of the NTT IndyCar Series,” IndyCar President DougBoles said. “This is also a tremendous display of partnership from both FOX Sports and our friends at World Wide Technology Raceway, who’ve worked with us to generate this exciting opportunity for our sport.
“Race weekend in St. Louis is just a month away, and fans in venue and around the country are in for a real treat when IndyCar arrives in town.”
Adjustments to broadcast times have also been announced at four other venues.
The race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on June 22 was originally 3:30 p.m. ET. The new time is 1:30 p.m. ET.
The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on July 6 changes from 2 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET.
The second race of the IndyCar Race Weekend at Iowa Speedway moves up from 2 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 13.
The following weekend on the streets of Toronto, the Honda Indy Toronto will begin at 12 noon on July 20. It was previously scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
In collaboration with FOX Sports and IndyCar promoters, the tune-in time adjustments capitalize on opportunities to further build an audience for North America’s premier open-wheel series.
The NTT IndyCar Series is the only premier motorsports series in North America with all races broadcasting live on network television.
So far in 2025, the average race audience has grown 25 percent across the NTT IndyCar Series season, significantly higher than comparable trendlines across professional sports.
With broadcast times adjusted for the IndyCar Series, times for FOX Sports’ coverage of Indy NXT by Firestone at three venues also have been updated. As part of the new media rights deal between FOX Sports and IndyCar announced last June, the entire INDY Nxt season is available live on television for the first time.
In addition to the new times, the adjusted 2025 schedule moves the race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course from FS2 to FS1 resulting in 13 of the 14 races of the Indy NXT championship to be featured on that network.
The June 15 Indy NXT race at World Wide Technology Raceway has been moved from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m. ET. Road America on June 22 moves from 1 p.m. to 11 a.m. ET. The July 6 round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course moves from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET.
Indy NXT by Firestone is also gaining significant momentum throughexposure via FS1 and FS2, reaching more than five times its comparable audience from the previous season.
Pocono Raceway has been named the “Best NASCAR Track” for the second consecutive year in the 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards by USA TODAY that was released today.
The “Tricky Triangle” was nominated by an expert panel at USA TODAY in the “Best NASCAR Track” category and the fans voted over a four-week period throughout April to determine the winner.
Pocono Raceway was tops among the 20 NASCAR tracks nominated and outdistanced runner-up Watkins Glen International to secure its second “Best Track” crown in a row. The Chicago Street Race finished third, Las Vegas Motor Speedway fourth and Atlanta Motor Speedway rounded out the top five.
“Given the competition in our industry, it is a tremendous achievement to win the ‘Best NASCAR Track’ once let alone in consecutive years,” Pocono Raceway President Ben May said. “It’s a testament to the loyalty and passion our fans have for ‘The Tricky Triangle’ and our team’s commitment of providing an exceptional experience and premier level of guest service. We would like to give a huge thanks to our fans, partners and our dedicated staff for their respective roles in Pocono Raceway earning this honor again.”
The 2024 NASCAR race weekend marked the second year in a row that Pocono Raceway sold out its main frontstretch grandstand, all premium seating and suites, and infield camping for The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.COM Cup Series race. The Cup Series crowds in the past two seasons represented Pocono Raceway’s largest since 2010.
Pocono Raceway, which has hosted NASCAR events since 1974, will present the 92nd Cup Series race in its history – The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.COM – on Sunday, June 22, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The weekend features a NASCAR national series race each day, beginning with the CRAFTMAN Truck Series MillerTech Battery 200 on Friday, June 20, at 5 p.m. That race will be followed by the Xfinity Series Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 on Saturday, June 21, at 3:30 p.m.
For ticket information and news on the NASCAR race weekend, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.
The Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac® Vitamins and Minerals is synonymous with not only big action, but big car counts, and with the 2024 edition welcoming nearly 50 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series entries, it’s safe to assume a hefty count will make the call on July 15. And with a major car count comes a large program with a C-Main making up a portion of the evening’s preliminary, assuring teams the opportunity to advance their way into the 40-lap headliner. With that said, Callies Performance Products, a leading manufacturer of high performance crankshafts, connecting rods, and camshaft cores since its inception in 1989, has returned to the Brad Doty Classic in 2025 as the official title sponsor of the evening’s C-Main.
“Callies Performance Products has been a leader in crankshaft, connecting rods, and camshaft cores manufacturing for many years and their reputation has stood the test of time. Their products are used by some of the world’s most respected engine builders, as well as dedicated ‘weekend warriors’ who do their own engine building and maintenance. It’s special to have a company so well known with roots planted right here in northwest Ohio,” Brad Doty mentioned. “We’re so grateful to have Callies Performance Products join our efforts in making the Brad Doty Classic grow into what it is today. It’s going to be an exciting event.”
Featuring the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, the 37th Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac® Vitamins and Minerals will kick-off a massive Ohio swing for the Greatest Show On Dirt, which will see competition continue at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, for four nights of action on July 16-19. David Gravel, the 2024 World of Outlaws champion, is also the defending Brad Doty Classic champion, outdueling ten-time Series champion, Donny Schatz, and former NASCAR champion, Kyle Larson, for the $15,000 score.
Like 2024, the Brad Doty Classic will feature the richest payday on the Attica Raceway Park schedule, also awarding the coveted Brad Doty Classic championship trophy and helmet - all to be awarded in Attica Raceway Park victory lane following the 40-lap contest.
ABOUT CALLIES PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS:
Callies Performance Products began manufacturing high performance crankshafts in 1989. With many years of engineering and employee experience, Callies has grown to be the industry leader for innovative product design. We take pride in staying ahead of the competition with the latest high tech design and manufacturing advantages. By utilizing the latest in computer aided solid modeling and CNC machining centers, Callies is able to offer the highest quality crankshafts, connecting rods, and camshafts on the market today.
At the heart of Callies commitment to excellence is one of the most experienced sales teams in the industry. Up-to-date information on the latest products and innovations is available to Callies customers through our expert sales staff. Information shared between Sales, Engineering, and Manufacturing personnel on a daily basis creates company-wide continuity that ensures Callies maintains a focus on developing products to meet the needs of a wide variety of customers.
Callies crankshafts are produced in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Recent investments in the latest software and machinery upgrades, have enabled Callies to become much more efficient at crankshaft production. These technologies reduce the time involved in bringing design changes to production through the use of 3D modeling and computer aided tool path creation. Our engineering staff members regularly attend available training courses, so they can be up to speed with the latest versions of the software utilized at Callies.
With efficiency being a very important ingredient in timely delivery, Callies is constantly monitoring the workflow through our facility. Weekly meetings are held in an effort to bring shop floor employees and management together to discuss ideas to make production more efficient. Our goal is to make sure you have your crankshaft when you need it.
NASCAR Championship Weekend is returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2026.
The 1.5-mile superspeedway hosted the event from 2002 through 2019. It moved to Phoenix Raceway in 2020 and has been held there every year since. This November’s championship races for the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series ends that run and signals the beginning of a rotation that will see the Championship Weekend in a different location annually.
NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Venue and Racing Innovation Officer Ben Kennedy discussed the move and the rotational process on Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s a handful of considerations that we take a look at, especially as we think about moving a championship. I would say, first and foremost, it’s fan feedback, and fans ranked Homestead-Miami Speedway as number one on the list of where they’d like to see a championship in the future,” Kennedy said. “From what you guys may have seen and some of the fan sentiment so far, it leans very positive, which is great to see.
“So we listen to our fans. All of our partners who are broadcast partners, our teams, our drivers have input to where they’d like to see the championship in the future, a lot of industry stakeholders we’ll collaborate with.
“I would say, on top of that, as you think about a championship race, ideally a warm weather kind of climate location,” he continued. “You can’t race everywhere in the world, especially in early November, so there’s a handful of venues and properties that we tend to gravitate toward. Thirdly, we want to make sure it’s marketed and promoted the right way.
“Fourthly, Phoenix is a great example of this. You saw the kind of $100 million project we put into the reimagine of Phoenix Raceway,” Kennedy noted. “Homestead isn’t a Phoenix Raceway, and it probably won’t be to that level when we come for the championship next year, but we are going to be putting some capital in that facility to make sure it is a championship caliber property when we show up to it next year.”
Kennedy said Phoenix and Homestead are both in the rotation to host Championship Weekend and said other locations are under consideration including Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is owned by Speedway Motorsports.
“I think anything is on the table at this point, to be honest, whether it’s NASCAR property or elsewhere,” Kennedy said. “The great part about it is we have a good relationship with Speedway Motorsports, and they have many prominent events in the playoffs, cutoff races at the Charlotte oval and Bristol and a handful of others.
“Nothing to report today on exactly where we would be considering or where those properties might be, but I think all cards are on the table at this point.”
Kennedy also said the Daytona 500 will continue to be the season opener and that the Clash will run prior to Daytona and the location will remain in the United States at least in the near future.
“I think as far as next year goes, more than likely it will stay domestic here in the United States. I wouldn’t ever rule out international in the future, though,” Kennedy said. “We have thoughts about a lot of it being prior to the season, in the off-season, an exhibition race. It’s a great opportunity for us to bring NASCAR racing to other parts of the world.
“I think it’s going to be something that we’ll continue to consider, but at least for now we’ll more than likely keep it domestic.”
Find out what happens when $500 cars compete head-to-head in two days of endurance races! Get your tickets for The Real Hoopties of New Jersey 24 Hours of Lemons race that returns to New Jersey Motorsports Park on June 7 – 8, 2025, for some chaotic fun!
Immerse Yourself in the Whacky Spectacle
With the open-paddock design, spectators have the opportunity to get up close and personal with these whacky cars during the test day on Friday and watch as they race all-day Saturday and Sunday (with short breaks for sleeping, eating, and band-aid application).
Not Your Normal Racing Event
Count on plenty of noise, water fights, and questionably civilized fun before, during, and after the track sessions. These car owners go out of their way to create eccentric vehicles that will turn heads! From chandeliers to 3-foot rooster car-toppers, you are sure to find some unique sights at the 24 Hours of Lemons racing and car show. This is a rain or shine event!
Enjoy Dining and More After the On-Track Action
In between the racing, guests can dine in the climate-controlled Finish Line Pub, which offers indoor and outdoor dining. This full-service restaurant is located right in the middle of the facility and boasts delicious pub fare and signature cocktails, as well as picnic games and pickleball courts!
Over at NJMP’s go-karting Tempest Raceway, spectators can get on track themselves with Arrive and Drive go-karting in Sodi gas-powered go-karts that reach up to 55mph!
Buy Tickets at 24hoursoflemons.com
