Walsh in search of first feature race win
Will this be the season in which Bobby Gunther Walsh earns his first feature race victory?
The popular WAEB-AM radio personality is optimistic that after 27 years of racing his first feature win will come this season. He has tallied 100 wins (estimated) in qualifying events at a number of tracks including NASCAR sanctioned Grandview Speedway.
“And nothing would make me happier than being able to win the 4th Annual VP Race Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial at Grandview on Saturday, April 3,”said Walsh.
The 50-lapper pits Big Blocks against Small Block Modifieds, many of the top talents, with $7,500 going to the winner.
The Rogers Memorial is special to Walsh as he and Bruce along with the Rogers family had become close over the years. When Bruce was in need of medical assistance Walsh was able to make it happen through some of his contacts.
And important reminder
to all racers American Racer tires will be available for purchase Tuesday and Thursday evenings 6:30PM to 7:30PM at Tina Rogers home at 72 Wilt Road, Bechtelsville and at BFP Specialties in Bethel, PA. Unfortunately at present there are no #44 Right tires available. Tires will also be available at the track each Saturday during the season after pit gates have been opened.
Walsh, with his numerous sponsors in place, will be testing his equipment, a 2019 Bicknell Modified powered by Outlaw Engines, at the free-to-thepublic practice session at Grandview on Saturday, March 27th starting at noon. This will give fans a chance to see what he will be wheeling each Saturday during the season on the one-third-mile, banked clay speedway. Pit admission is $35 with pit gates open at 10 AM.
ResQ Natural Supplements of Palm, PA, Dr. Eric Lebby & Dr. Thomas Dibenedetto, Orthopedic Specialists, at LVHN. org; Agentis Kitchen and Bath in Allentown, Agentis Mr. Rooter Plumbing Eden East, Paul Wright Roofing, Zongora Comfort Solutions, Just Born/Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales top the list of almost three dozen sponsors.
Crew help for Walsh comes from Greg “Speedy” Saeger who is responsible for preparing the race car. At the track additional help comes from Paul Rupert, Randy Miller and Joe Walsh. He is quick to point out his racing would not be possible without the hard work of Saeger and the crew.
Though he has yet to win a feature race he has some events that have been special to him including his win in a Non-Winners Feature when his dad was able to join him in victory lane. And there was the night he held off four of Grandview’s top talents for the final three laps to win a qualifying event.
The WAEB-790 AM radio personality continues to be the number one on air personality at the Allentown radio station in the Lehigh Valley area. He has been a fixture behind the microphone for close to 40 years and his show can also be seen on Service Electric Cable TV and Blue Ridge Cable.
He is active with several charities including his favorite Animals In Distress which raised $212,000 last year despite the pandemic. There was $75,000 raised for the Folds of Honor last year, a record. The annual Christmas Party For The Children’s Home of Easton was able to produce $185,000 last year. And there are others.
Walsh continues to support other events and charities and serves as MC for many.
Walsh continues to be one of the most popular racing talents seen in action on the one-third-mile, banked Grandview Speedway oval each Saturday night throughout the season. When the events are over it is not difficult to find Walsh at his race car in the pit area as there is always a long line of fans visiting with him and collecting some of the free items provided by his many sponsors that he gives away.
The veteran racer would love to earn that first feature win this season at the NASCAR sanctioned racing facility.
“I get a great deal of personal satisfaction out of racing, driving the race car, the challenges there are and just being out there racing against so many great talents, “said the Orefield, PA resident.
As indicated Bobby Gunther will be kicking off his 27th season of racing with the Fourth Annual VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Money Maker Memorial at Grandview which rewards the winner with $7,500 and the prestige of winning a race named after the late popular track owner.
Adult admission for the Rogers Memorial is $30 while pit admission is $40. Pit gates will open at 2 PM.
Racers planning to compete at Grandview should make arrangements to bring their own fuel until a new fuel supplier is contracted.
Grandview Speedway will kick off their 59th regular season of NASCAR
Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing on Saturday, April 10th featuring T.P.Trailer Modifieds and T.P.Truck Equipment Sportsman. Racing will start at 7 p.m.
The rescheduled first race under the lights of the 2021 season at Williams Grove Speedway is now slated for this Friday night, March 26 at 7:30 pm.
After opening on March 14, the first night race that was slated for March 19 fell to weather.
The Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint cars and the ULMS Late Models are on the program.
The sprint cars will race for a $5,500 payday in a 25-lap main while the super late models compete in a 30-lap ULMS main worth $3,000 to the winner.
The late model main has been designated as a Frank Sagi Tribute Qualifier.
The winner of the ULMS feature will earn a guaranteed starting spot in the prestigious May 16 Sagi Tribute event to be held at the Hagerstown Speedway.
Indy Split, an authoritative account of the big money battle that nearly destroyed the sport of Indy car racing, is coming in May from longtime motorsports reporter John Oreovicz and Octane Press.
“I started writing this book in 2017, but I’ve been doing the research for most of my life,” Oreovicz said. “Over the last 45 years, it was my privilege to attend or cover nearly 500 Indy car races. I wanted to tell this important story in an accurate, entertaining and, hopefully, reasonably objective way.”
With a foreword by RACER contributor and Motorsport Hall of Fame 2021 inductee Robin Miller, arguably Indy car racing’s most vocal advocate, Oreovicz details the political infighting within the industry that climaxed with a split between competing forms of Indy car racing that lasted from 1996 to 2007. Read more at VintageMotorsport.com.