Path Valley Kart Summer National nets Kirby $500 By Walt Cox SPRING RUN, PA (August 10, 202) - Jim Kirby of Winchester VA got a lucky break on the last lap of the Burris Summer National and passed Danny Wiles through the final two turns to win the $500 feature Saturday at the Path Valley Speedway Park. Wiles said, "I knew he was that close, but I missed a hand signal from my spotter to close up the inside line and so I went wider and let him edge inside and past me." Kirby is 28 years old and has been racing karts for 20 years. He said the win in the close and super-competitive combined class feature at 340 pounds minimum weight is thanks entirely to his sponsor, Kirby Speed Secrets. Following technical inspection that included a complete engine tear-down, he added that his extra little burst of speed is still a secret. He won by less than the length of his kart. More than 100 karts and quads raced in the regular Saturday Burris points features. Many of them were practicing and learning the track, riders said, for the next and fifth Pennsylvania Dirt Karters Association (PDKA) race in the Burris State Championship Series. Points from the best five of the six PDKA races count toward the Pennsylvania State Championships and all points count in the Burris National Speedway Series. Gates open at 7 a.m. for the Sunday PDKA race at Path Valley August 18. The regular Saturday Burris karts race at Path Valley August 17 will include a motor race for the combined weight class that permits lite, medium and heavy karts to race together in one division. The prize to the winner is a brand new "boxstock" Briggs engine. Gates open at 10 a.m. for the regular kart and ATV races with action on the track by noon every Saturday. In the regular kart and quad races Saturday Dane Delancey of Port Royal was back after a week's absence to win the ATV 2-stroke feature and Cory Burhman of Chambersburg won for the third straight week in the quad 4-stroke feature. Both Burhman and Delancey also race in District 6 AMA events. Rising star Nicole Eaton, 14, of Mill Creek, won for the fifth consecutive week in the Sr. Champ karts while Brandon Weyandt won in Heavy. Jason Jones was a first time winner in the Extra Heavy class, and Troy Imler of Bedford won the open class feature with his sister Tracy in second. Andy Burkholder on a borrowed #32 this week instead of his #20 won in Medium and Garrett Kuhns won in both Lite and Jr. Stock karts, also on his #32. Burkholder, a 15-year-old student at Chambersburg Area High School, beat Kirby in the class weight feature, but then had to leave to drive a different kart at another track for another owner. Asked if he thought he could have won the big money Summer National, Burkholder said, "Oh hell yea!" Ian Sheaffer won the Kid's Karts feature for the third consecutive week while arch-rival Andrew Boyer beat Sheaffer in the heat race again. Path Valley races at least 15 classes of karts and quads weekly for riders five and older. The Path Valley Speedway Park is located in Spring Run PA a mile north on PA Route 641 from the intersection with PA Route 75, halfway between Port Royal and Hagerstown. It is five miles east from the Willow Hill Exit 14 of the PA Turnpike. The new phone number at the track for promoter Ken Geesey is 717-349-7111. For information on the 2002 schedule and track, race teams and fans can call the owners at 717-426-4756 or 717-426-2910, consult the website at www.pathvalley.com, or they can email them at twp@pathvalley.com. RESULTS: Summer National: 1.) James Kirby, 2.) Danny Wiles, 3.) Randy Burkholder, 4.) Chris Claar, 5.) Missy Ciucci Kid Karts: Ian Sheaffer, Caged Rookie: 1.) Bryan Hayberger, 2.) Jimmy Slaseman, 3.) Trevin Shank Heavy: 1.) Brandon Weyandt, 2.) Danny Wiles, 3.) Ron Michaels Jr. Restricted: 1.) Brent marks, 2.) D.J. Holland, 3.) Kyle Ebersole Lite: 1.) Garrett Kuhns, 2.) Randy Burkholder, 3.) Matt Dalesio Jr. Sportsman I: 1.) Tyler Bear, 2.) Alex Benda, 3.) Nathan Danner Medium: 1.) Andy Burkholder, 2.) James Kirby, 3.) Travis Wagner Jr. Champ: 1.) Adam Wilt Sr. Champ: 1.) Nicole Eaton, 2.) Jim Slaseman, 3.) Robert Galloway Jr. Stock: 1.) Garrett Kuhns, 2.) Geoff Gill, 3.)Travis Wagner Open: 1.) Troy Imler, 2.) Tracy Imler X-Heavy: 1.) Jason Jones, 2.) Chuck Bowers, 3.) Bob Gutshall ATV 2-Stroke: 1.) Dane Delancey, 2.) Craig Robinson, 3.) John Dougherty Jr. Sportsman II: 1.) Alex Benda, 2.) Kyle Ebersole, 3.) Matt Burger 4-Wheeler 4-Stroke: 1.) Cory Buhrman, 2.) Dwayne Shindledecker, 3.) Raymond Shoop Visit Path Valley Speedway Park's website Here!