Path Valley karters reach season's top speeds at Season Finale By Walt Cox SPRING RUN, PA - About 100 karters reached speeds up to a second per lap faster than normal on the soft nighttime clay in the Path Valley Speedway Park's annual Saturday Night Burris Kart Season Finale' Oct. 25. "I've never been this fast," said Sr. Champ winner Pete Neuder of Chambersburg, "and to win a National here is just outstanding." Neuder, 15, is also the Path Valley points champion in Sr. Champ and moving up to stock car racing next season. Echoed track champion and Open class winner Troy Imler, "It was a little bumpy but as fast as I've ever seen it." Imler won all but two features in his class this season. Karts normally race on a sun-baked afternoon track at Path Valley, and the softer and damper night race provides better traction on the real clay track surface. It also provided better control, as Geremey Sheaffer of Ickesburg found in the 25-lap Lites feature. Sheaffer started seventh in the 22-kart feature and worked up to third starting the final lap when a caution flag offered a one-lap dash to the checkers. On the restart Sheaffer went low into turn four and came out the leader as Brent Marks and DJ Holland, who had led the earlier laps, fought it out for second. Sponsored by Burris Racing, Path Valley karters compete during the regular season in the Burris National Speedway Series. The karting season races at Path Valley are now complete, but the season does not finish until the Nov. 15 Awards Banquet. The top karters in each class will be recognized in an awards program before the banquet, separate from the post-banquet awards for spring and car drivers. The 2003 season officially concludes with the annual awards banquet to honor the champions and top drivers and riders at the Pleasant Hall Firehall, and a limited number of tickets are still available from Two Wheel Promotions at 717-426-2910 or twp@pathvalley.com. Dodies will again cater the meal, and DJ Phantom Shadow will MC the post-awards dancing and celebration. Doors open at 4 p.m. with the karts awards starting at 4:30 and the buffet dinner at 5:30. The separate awards program for bikes, sprints and cars is to start at 7 p.m. and the deadline for tickets is Oct. 31. 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 is 717-349-7111. For information on the 2003 schedule and rules, race teams and fans can consult our website at www.pathvalley.com or they can email Two Wheel Promotions at twp@pathvalley.com. RESULTS: Heavys: 5 Steve Johns 14 Kevin Shaeffer 27 Jim Spangler 9X Jason Trolinger 16 Ron Michaels X-Heavy: 88 Craig Reichenbach 9X Scott Lehman 3C Chantz Crissman 5 Miles Burd 22X John Hartman Jr. Sportsman I: 38M Mathew Mellott Jr. Sportsman II: 26 Nathan Danner 18 Matt Burger 19 Corey Weaver 55 Nathan Podfield Jr. Champs: 8 Bryan Hayberger 81 Alex Beitzel Open: 9T Troy Imler 10T Tracey Imler 57 Geoff Gill 19T. Tammy Imler 69 Barry Fach 11T Wayne Long Mediums: 77 Chris Claar 7 Geremey Sheaffer 0 Corey Comp 21 Shane Davis 41 Cody Sieber 01 Chris Orris 4 David Hoffman Jr. Restricted: 50 Joey Ulsh 42 Charlie Walter 24 Lance Newlin 55 Mike Crouse 38 Chad Walter Kid Karts: 2 Richard Edwards 47 Dalton Long Yamaha 2-Cycle: 03 Clark Simonton 2 Corey Graham 67 Lloyd Ettinger 20 Travis Graham 07 Jerry Beasom Jr. Stock: 19M Brent Marks 89 D. J. Holland 42 Charlie Walters 38 Chad Walters 00 Dustin Hoffman Sr. Champ: 0Z Pete Neuder 20 Barry Gillam 46 Mark Walters 99 Jeff Shellenberger 66 Craig Shaeffer Caged Rookies: 24 Sage Lyman 91 Adam Gutshall Lites: 7 Geremey Sheaffer