ABBOTTSTOWN, Pa. — It’s the end of the season for another track as Lincoln Speedway concluded its 2021 schedule. It’s also the closing of chapter for a decade long car owner Norman Wisner.
“The time has come. I need to move on,' said Wisner. 'I want to do some traveling. Do somethings like that. Going to miss it. I don’t want to be an owner anymore. It has gotten expensive. A lot of things have going on but i’ll be 70-years-old and i want to do my next page. I want to turn the page.”
Turning the page to retirement, Wisner has owned the No. 2W for the last decade. It's a sport his wife got him into over 50-years ago.
“My wife got me into this back in 1969. I was a drag racer and she came from a circle family, a dirt track family. Of course, the women always win out. She got me going and i got interested and it was different back then. Everyone, back then, built their own cars. They were more creative. Today, we buy a lot of, what we call, cookie cut cars. A lot of these cars in this pit area have the same dimensions, same parts and it’s got more refined," said Wisner.
Glenndon Forsythe has been behind the wheel of the 2W for the last eight seasons. The team capitating on five wins together, including an All-Star win in 2017.
“I consider them family and still consider them family moving forward. You know, won’t be racing with them every Saturday night but they’ll still be family and they’ll still be around. The All-Star win on the track was the best memory but just comradery at the shop. You know, go down and work at the shop Saturday afternoons getting the car ready to come to the track. It’s been fun. Realistic expectations kept the team together for the longest time," said Forsythe.
Glenndon doesn’t have anything lined up for next year and isn’t quite ready to retire after living his dream for the last 23-years behind the wheel.
“I have a son who’s now 10-years-old, a daughter who’s 12 and my dream at that age was to be a spring car driver. It’s all i ever wanted to do. So, for me to be able to do that for 23-years is crazy. Just a dream that i didn’t give up on it and worked hard to get there and been blessed with so many people along the way from sponsors to car owners," said Forsythe.
Norm won’t shy away from the race track. He’ll still be around helping out his son-in-law Dalton Dietrich.
“It’s a sickness. That there is no cure for. (laughs) It’s a sport that there’s no rehab for racers," said Wisner.
Rain put a damper on part of the day Saturday but crews got to work at Lincoln and Port Royal to have plenty of action late into the evening.
It came down to the wire in the Pigeon Hills on a green then checkered. One lap shootout. Devon Borden pulled the sider on Matt Campbell. They went side by side down the back stretch. Campbell was as tight as he could get to the rail and is able to hold off Borden. Freddie Rahmer clinched his second Lincoln track title in a row.
Steve Owings then won the 358 feature and his first track championship.
At the speed palace, 200 laps mania to conclude the three nights of the Short Track Super Series.
Stewart Friesen moved from 15th to the lead and was able to hold it to win his very first feature at Port Royal. He won’t forget this one anytime soon, cashing in on $50,000.