HIESTER'S H.O. RACEWAY

Here is the 2023-2024 Hiester's H.O. Raceway Season Review.  We opened the season with the "Mighty Modifieds" which had 21 Racers in the pit area for action to try and conquer the difficult 8-Lane Oval.  Taking the win in the lid lifter for the second straight season was Andrew Cremer.  The next two Modified races had a tie for the victories between Sheldon and Shane Hiester.  Race #4 was the big Annual Night Before Thanksgiving Race which was won by Shane Hiester.  This race was our biggest attendance race of the season where we had 29 people show up for this race.  Race #5 Sheldon Hiester took back the top spot this time alone for his first solo win of the season.  Shane Hiester went on to win 2 more features including the 8-Lane Race sponsored by Pioneer Pole Buildings.  Sheldon Hiester also won 2 more features throughout the rest of the season.  Tim Bowers Jr. "Little T" won his first ever feature at Hiester's H.O. Raceway on another won of the crown jewel races Coupe Night by Chris Gambler Motorsports.  In the final Modified race of the season Elmer Santiago also won his first ever Modified feature at Hiester's H.O. Raceway after winning a Sprint race last season.  The Top 5 in Points were: 1-Shane Hiester, 2-Sheldon Hiester, 3-Tom Hiester, 4-Elmer Santiago, and 5-Randy Haydt.  We had 5 different Modified Feature winners over the 11 race schedule.  Shane (5), Sheldon (5), Andrew (1), Little T (1), and Elmer (1).  There were 49 people that took part in at least 1 Modified Race throughout the season.  We had 10 drivers with perfect attendance for the odified portion of the schedule.  this was one of the best turnouts of people for the Modified division in a few years.  The Sprint season kicked off with Shane Hiester winning the opener with 24 Racers in attendance.  Weeks 2 & 3 went to Mike "Bear" Feltenberger who was in the points battle until about halfway through the season when he had to miss some races due to prior commitments.  Sheldon Hiester then got the hot hand winning 3 straight including the Wingless Night by Specialty Rigging.  Week #7 saw Dakota Barlet get back to victory lane, after struggling a bit early in the season.  Week #8 saw first time winner Scottie Heilman park his Sammy Swindell #1 replica sprint car in victory lane for his first ever win.  Sheldon Hiester won in week #9, and Shane Hiester won weeks #10 and 11 to close out the season.  The highest number of racers was 24 on 3 different occasions throughout the season.  We had 5 different feature winners in the Sprint division as well.  Sheldon Hiester (4), Shane Hiester(3), Mike Feltenberger (2), Scottie Heilman (1), and Dakota Barlet (1).  We had 43 different people participate in at least 1 race during the 2023-2024 season.  We had 24 racers for the last race of the season to finish the year off with a bang in the Strapped In presents Reverse Race 7-Lane race for only the second time ever the Sprints challenge more than just 6-Lanes.  The Top 5 in points were: 1-Sheldon Hiester, 2-Shane Hiester, 3-Scottie Heilman, 4-Elmer Santiago, and 5-Tom Hiester.  We had 10 racers compete in all 11 races of the Sprint Car season for perfect attendance.  In the Overall combined points Shane Hiester came out on top by just 10 points.  Second went to Sheldon Hiester who had the most feature wins throughout the season between both divisions.  Third went to Elmer Santiago with 1 feature win on the season.  Fourth went to Scottie Heilman who scored his first ever feature win anywhere during the 2023-2024 season.  Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was track owner Tom Hiester who was shut out of victory throughout the entire season which is not a normal happening in a 22 Race season.  We had 57 Racers between both classes race during the 22 race season.  This by far was our best season attendance wise in the history of Hiester's H.O. Raceway averaging at least 20 Racers a week in both divisions.  We had a good Rookie class led by Steve Smith Sr. who was the highest finishing rookie in Overall Points in the 13th position and perfect attendance.  The rest of the Rookie class consisted of Gilbert Zerbe, Brian Saylor, Dave Comley, Michael Hutt, and Linda Lauver.  This was a pretty good rookie class as each driver showed improvement as the season went on.  Jim Petersheim made a return after about a 10 year hiatous to try and shake rust off to make a full fledged come back next season.  Tyler Oswald made a return after a break from racing weekly after he won a PA TYCO Series Race at Freddy Mac's several years ago so he went out on top LOL.  He turned in a few Top 10 runs towards the end of the season.  Jim LeVan made a return to weekly racing for the first time since I believe the tracks innagural season.  He turned in a Top 10 runin all 3 points.  Brian Zerbe made a return since his brother Gilbert was going to give it a try after not racing since the Olivet's Boys Club many years ago.  Brian turned in a Top 10 finish in all 3 points with perfect attendance for the season and a few segment wins.  Jazmin Santiago turned in a strong 8th place finish in Sprint points, which is her least favorite division of cars to race.  Mike Sheidy showed improvement in his second season back as a somewhat regular.  Bill Brenner ran most of the season, and won a few segments during the season.  John Kosmoski made a return towards the end of the season.  Brian Saylor won a few segments in his rookie season.  Rodney Koch a longtime racer won his first ever segment in the Sprint season opener.  Thanks to all of the racers, sponsors, fans, and the Hiester Family for a GREAT 2023-2024 season.  The sponsors are updated along with the point champion on the respective pages.  As dicussed at the banquet we will be going to all white plastic bodies in the Modified class for next year as the paper bodies are getting hard to get, and if we can get them it is only the same ones that are made already not any new cars.  We will still have Coupe Night and White Plastic Body Night on this night you will not be able to run a Coupe or Coach.  Lastly the PA TYCO Series may make a return in 2024-2025.  Stay Tuned! 

Tonight Thursday March 28, 2024, was the 11th Sprint Race of the season, and was sponsored by Bob Zelano Appliance Repair.  we had 24 Racers in attendance for the event.  Taking the victory was Shane Hiester.  Shane won 4 segments on the night.  Second went to Mike Feltenberger.  Bear won 3 segments on the night.  Third went to Dakota Barlet.  Dakota won 4 segments on the night.  Fourth went to Sheldon Hiester.  Sheldon won 4 segments on the night.  Rounding out the Top 5 in fifth was Andrew Cremer.  Andrew won 2 segments on the night.  The rest of the field finished up this way: 6-Scottie Heilman (1 win), 7-Bill Brenner (2 wins), 8-Jazmin Santiago (1 win), 9-Elmer Santiago (1 win), 10-Dennis Barlet, 11-Brian Zerbe (2 wins), 12- Tyler Oswald (2 wins), 13-Brian Saylor, 14-Tom Hiester, 15-Jim Petersheim, 16-Dave Lauver, 17-Tom Cremer, 18-Jim LeVan, 19-Gilbert Zerbe, 20-Steve Smith, 21-Michael Hutt, 22-Dave Comley, 23-Lyle Spiegel, and 24-Linda Lauver.  Lyle Spiegel made his first start of the season, and came home with a 23rd place finish and completed every race.  It was nice to have Dave and Linda Lauver back for the season ender, and Dave almost snuck up and won a segment but crashed going for the lead.  The Top 3 were separated by less than a lap.  Tom Hiester struggled again even with the new body on it didn't change his luck.  Congratulations to Sheldon Hiester on winning the Sprint Chanpionship by a slim 2 points.  Mike Feltenberger was back in his car tonight after testing 2 other rides the last 2 weeks, and came home second which is his best finish in a few Sprint races.  Tom Cremer made his first Sprint start of the season, and brought the Hiester Freddie Rahmer #51 home to a 17th place finish.  A little side story here Tom running a Rahmer car is like illegal since he is married into the Don Kreitz family.  Andrew Cremer got back to the Top 5 after a few weeks finishing out of the Top 5.  Jim Petersheim continues to show improvement each week with finishing on the lead lap in 2 of his races and a Top 15 finish.  Jim builds fast cars, and his driving will come back if he races consistantly next season with us after missing for about 10 years.  11 different racers won segments on the night so the action was packed with excitement and fast cars.  Bill Brenner turned in a solid run finishing 7th and winning 2 segments also in a Fast Freddie Rahmer car.  Thanks to Bob Zelano for sponsoring the night paying the entry fee for everyone.  The Cash Dash was sponsored by Brian Saylor and we did it his way the Top 5 for an 8 Lap Battle Royal with 1 falloff allowed.  Taking the win was 1-Dakota Barlet, 2-Shane Hiester, 3-Sheldon Hiester, 4-Bill Brenner, and 5-Mike Feltenberger.  Andrew Cremer was 5th but left early and Scottie Heilman was 6th but left early, so Bill Brenner got in as the 7 seed.  Thanks to all of our Racers, sponsors, the Hiester's, friends that spectateand don't race, and to everyone that participated in anyway this season at Hiester's H.O. Raceway.  We couldn't have had as successful of a season as we did without each and everyone of you.  We will update the banquet on Facebook once we get Mike Sheidy's vote.  We will confirm the venue and then get started on a date right after that.  As for now enjoy your offseason, hope to see some of you at outside races as they get going around here to support some of our racers, such as Dakota Barlet, Scottie Heilman, and Louden Reimert, and hope to see yo back at Hiester's H.O. Raceway in October for the 2024-2025 season. 

1-Shane Hiester 89.35

2-Mike Feltenberger 89.22

3-Dakota Barlet 89.06

4-Sheldon Hiester 88.30

5-Andrew Cremer 88.25

6-Scottie Heilman 88.16

7-Bill Brenner 88.15

8-Jazmin Santiago 87.10

9-Elmer Santiago 86.08

10-Dennis Barlet 85.34

11-Brian Zerbe 84.33

12-Tyler Oswald 84.28

13-Brian Saylor 84.23

14-Tom Hiester 83.11

15-Jim Petersheim 82.06

16-Dave Lauver 81.29

17-Tom Cremer 81.18

18-Jim LeVan 80.26

19-Gilbert Zerbe 79.37

20-Steve Smith Sr. 73.33

21-Michael Hutt 72.15

22-Dave Comley 71.22

23-Lyle Spiegel 58.16

24-Linda Lauver 52.26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up Banquet then Summer Break.