SPRING RUN, Pa. — We’ve seen a few drivers pull double-duty, racing two divisions in a single night but how about three? Yes, three. We can easily call here a 'Jill of all Trades' racing a modified, a late model and a 305 sprint car.
Chambersburg’s Alyssa Rowe took to the challenge and raced not one, not two, but three divisions at Path Valley’s Night of Power.
She suited up and tackled a busy night on the track.
“I just wanted to do it because we’ve run this race every year since they started doing it a few years ago and I actually had the chance to have two of them, this past year and I said let’s try to get a late model. Let’s just do it all and have fun with it," said Rowe.
She broke it down how the three different cars handle.
“Set up is always different. My modified and my limited are very, very similar but driving style wise. I mean, technically speaking, I drive off the right rear with my limited and modified but with my sprint car, I drive off the left rear. So, that’s probably the biggest difference," said Rowe.
She has never raced three divisions in one night, just two with her family owned modified and a family friend owned 305 but adding the late model still kept a family tie and has a full circle moment to a few years ago.
Rowe said, “I drove for a guy named Allen Kline out of Hanover, Pennsylvania and he passed away a couple of years ago, when I was racing for him and Bill Phillips, which is the guy I’m driving for (at this race). He bought the car. So, It’s kind of bittersweet to be driving the car, again. But, we’ve had such a good relationship with Bill the last couple of years, which has been really nice. Then, of course, the 305 is fun because it’s so different but again, that’s another family friend that we’ve known forever so even though my modified is a family owned, thing. It’s family all around which just makes it that much better.”
The biggest thing is being able to communicate with her team. Rowe doesn’t have any time to work on the cars as she jumped from division, to division, to division; barely taking a second for a drink of water.
She models herself after another female modified driver who she grew up watching and idolized racing against her dad, Will.
“There was a girl named Deana Groves out of Morgantown, West Virginia, that raced with my dad back in the day, in a modified. She worked on her car. She worked her tail off to be able to race and they were always so kind and so welcoming when I was little and growing up, and that stuck with me forever, and ever since then. I wanted to be that type of female driver. I want to work hard, know my stuff when it comes to racing and do well, said Rowe.
Achieves her own great accomplishments as she became the first woman to win a points championship at Bedford Speedway in 2018. She hopes to influence more drivers, like Deane did for her.
Outlaws
It was soggy time at the Jackson Nationals this weekend. Two of the nights, rained out. They changed the schedule for Saturday to have two races and at lease makeup one of the races.
Shark racing continued it's hot streak. Logan Schuchart won the Jackson Nationals opener during the day by stealing the lead back from Carson Macedo on the final lap. Schuchart's his teammate, Jacob Allen rounded out the podium.
Schuchart hoped for his third-consecutive Jackson Nationals title but the second race was a race between Macedo and Allen. Allen had to settle for the runner up spot and his best finish there.
This team has been nothing but impressive the last two weeks. During the Knoxville Nationals, it all filtered down to having confidence in yourself and your team.
“I remember leaving Knoxville and kind off being like over it and just didn’t have much motivation. I didn’t have any confidence and that kind of stuff and now I’m so excited for the rest of the year and I can’t wait to get out to the west coast and race Chico and Skagit and get back home and run the National Open," said Jacob Allen
Brent Marks doesn’t stay out for the Jackson Nationals, he came home and traveled to the neighboring state and topped the All-Stars in New York.