Although it now appears that Pennsboro Speedway in West Virginia is just a fading and favorite memory for many in dirt Late Model racing, the magic and the mystique will always live on. The scene of some history-making races and the births of some careers, the DIRT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP at Pennsboro Speedway will always be looked back on favorably and with more than a noticeable twinge of nostalgia as the race now makes new exciting memories and adds new pages to the history books from its new home at KC Raceway in Waverly, OH.
Freddy Smith had been known as “Mr. Pennsboro” long before he won the DIRT TRACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP five times. To many, Pennsboro is Smith’s track. When Smith first came to Pennsboro Speedway to race in July 1979 for the SPIRIT OF ’76 race, Smith dominated the affair.
In 1983 Smith scored his first DTWC win, the third edition of Carl Short’s extravaganza, after starting fifth and surviving 17 caution flags. Driving his then-famous Denny’s Marina sponsored Custom Chassis #00, Smith was coming off a win the previous month in Short’s HILLBILLY 100. Two years later he became the first repeat winner outrunning Dick Potts and Rodney Combs. And they kept coming. In all, Smith owns five DTWC victories.
During Smith’s long career he has raced at hundreds of tracks and won with nearly every sanctioning group that has existed. Among his HILLBILLY 100 and DTWC wins, Smith won the first ever $100,000 THE DREAM race at Eldora Speedway and numerous other high profile events all across the United States.
What does Mr. Pennsboro think of the DTWC and the legendary race track?
“The track had been really good to us,” stated Smith. “It was exciting and great to win shows there. The first time we went there we came up over the hill and, gee whiz, two bridges! Really an experience. Never ran on anything like that.”
It was with the third DTWC that Smith snared a win. He still remembers the excitement. “Great!” was how Smith described the win. “We never raced for money like that before, and we were traveling for a couple years then and it was great to know we could get up there and win a show like that.”
Smith was asked if there was considerable pre-race planning when going to Pennsboro.
“Not really,” said Smith. “Too many factors to take into account.
Besides, not always the fastest car wins. It depended on how and where you qualified. Been there many times when it was two grooved, like the time we rained out and we raced on Monday. The rain sure helped make it two grooved.”
“I’ve seen the track really nice when you can really pass- that’s good for the fans. Would like it to be two grooved all the time, but we’ve been fortunate to qualify up front a lot.”
As for his competition, when asked to look back and declare who were and are the toughest, Smith doesn’t have a ready-made list.
“All of them are,” proclaimed Smith. “There are so many racers who were running so good those days. Fifteen drivers could have won.”
Smith was also asked what the attraction was to the rustic old race track. “It didn’t change,” Smith responded. “Same old race track. Lot of people didn’t like it, they’d say they don’t like it, but they come back every year.”
Donnie Moran has been a player at Pennsboro Speedway for years, winning the HILLBILLY 100 multiple times and capturing the 1988 DTWC. He has fond memories of Pennsboro.
“It felt pretty darn good winning that race in 1988,” stated Moran.
“Pennsboro is a lot of luck. Don’t get a good qualifying spot, you’re done! It’s a challenge. You drive both ends completely different. One corner you sweep through and the other end you have to drive it like asphalt. There was no room for error.”
“When there were two grooves it was one of the best places to race. It was a blast! When you can get outside it was one of my favorite places to race. When it’s one lane, I hated it!”
Moran can’t be specific to name his toughest competition. There are too many variables when dealing with Pennsboro.
“Anybody can be tough,” said Moran. “It’s hard to say. 2-30 guys can be tough, tough, tough! You just never know. Look at Scott Bloomquist. He should have won it, had been in a position to, but it was his hard luck track.”
For two time STARS national champion Racin’ John Mason, his turn at making dirt Late Model history at Pennsoro came with his DTWC win in 1989. After coming to Pennsboro for years, Mason started yet another DTWC feature. In 1989 he started third, slipped back a few spots, but worked his way back up front.
By the halfway point he was in second behind Jack Boggs and took the lead on a high risk outside move on lap 63. Mason held on to win $48,000 in his CJ Rayburn/ Malcuit Racing Engines #72.
It was a day Mason won’t soon forget.
“I can’t describe winning it,” declared Mason. “I don’t think it really soaked in for three days, but it was a numbing experience. That’s all I can say: I was numb!”
Mason had showed up every year for the HILLBILLY 100 and DTWC and, having made the features 11 times, finally experienced the highest high.
“We’ve run the whole gamut at Pennsboro,” explained Mason. “We’ve won races, wrecked cars and went to the hospital. It means a lot to me, still one of the premier races and it’s hard to pass up.”
Mason also finds the mystique of the old track interesting.
“It’s the atmosphere,” said Mason. “The magic of Pennsboro, however you describe it. The fans are the atmosphere. If not for the fans on the hillside, even for 50 grand, it wouldn’t be nothing.”
When Larry Moore won the DTWC in 1987, he hauled back to his Dayton, Ohio area home a whopping $60,000. One of the sport’s greatest racers, and biggest winners, Moore was a regular fixture at Pennsboro Speedway and the DTWC for years.
In 1987 Moore, for the first time, had his own self-owned team. Down to one car and one motor, Moore made the trip to Pennsboro in ’87 and by virtue of winning the dash, earned the pole position. Moore took the lead and never looked back, as he and Freddy Smith pulled away from the field. During the latter stages Smith made several bold moves on Moore, but Moore held him off and took the win.
Who was one of the first in victory lane to shake hands and congratulate Moore? Freddy Smith.
“$60,000, it was just wonderful!” exclaimed Moore. “Biggest race I ever won. I already won three WORLD 100’s by then, but this was my biggest paying race and it was just wonderful!”
“Only year I ever drove for myself and I would have been in trouble financially if not for winning. I learned I didn’t need to own my own car.”
Moore wasn’t hesitant when asked to give his opinion of Pennsboro Speedway.
“It’s such a challenging track, quite different,” explained Moore.
“Never the same. That track can change two or three seconds over the course of a day. The last couple races I ran the track got faster earlier than usual. Usually you’re slow in the heats and fast in the feature.”
“It’s such an old place. Got so much character. People claim it’s terrible but they are always there. It’s quite a sentimental place, really neat. And that bridge!”
Rest In Peace, Pennsboro!
And long live the DTWC at KC Raceway!
(c)2002-2008 Doc Lehman
Tags: Carl Short, Dirt Track World Championship, Donnie Moran, DTWC, Freddy Smith, Jim Dunn, John Mason, Larry Moore, Pennsboro Speedway, Rodney Combs, STARS
