2001 Updates
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January
Eldora Banquet - 1/6/01

Ed attended the 47th Annual Awards Banquet at Eldora Speedway, Saturday night and received a beautiful 51" four-posted, purple and gold trophy that included a sprint car etched in gold on black that even had his number 2L on it! Also, at the base of the trophy, was an upright 4x6 engraved plate that had his name and his ranking of 2nd place in the Sprint Division for the year 2000.

Earl Baltes was at home resting, not able to attend because of recent triple by-pass surgery, but Earl really surprised Ed by sending over a "special award". He had his staff present Ed with a special clock-mounted wall plaque engraved as follows, "For your loyalty and dedication to Eldora Speedway from Earl Baltes." They said he knew that Ed had given up lots of races closer to home to support races at Eldora and he wanted to show his appreciation for that.


February
East Bay Raceway - 2/17/01

The final night at East Bay had no time trials and everything was lined up by points. Ed was in the 3rd heat where he lined up 6th and was up to 5th, working on 4th, when his front end was tapped and he backed off and recovered to finish 7th. His points put him in the B-Main where he finished 11th in the 20-car field. He had an opportunity to run the Strawberry Dash where he started 9th and finished 6th.


East Bay Raceway - 2/16/01

Ed changed engines and timed the car at the track in the early afternoon. He pulled an early pill and was the fifth car out for times. He was the fastest at that time, but the track was about to change and the later times were faster. He ended up 44th in times for the 60 cars on hand. He was in the 2nd heat with Danny Lasoski, Ronald Laney, Sammy Swindell and Chad Kemenah. He started 8th and finished 5th. He started 5th in the 2nd C-Main and finished 5th. Saturday night there are no time trials and races will be lined up by points.


East Bay Raceway - 2/15/01

Thursday's All Star show at East Bay's 25th Anniversary Sprint Winternationals had 63 cars on hand and Ed was at the track early working on the car in the pits and enjoying the barbeque. He timed 43rd and lined up 8th in the first of 6 heats and finished 5th. He started 5th in the lst C-Main and finished 3rd missing the transfer spot by one position. Luck of the draw put him in the special Strawberry Dash where he started 9th and finished 6th.


East Bay Raceway - 2/14/01

Ed made it in time for the Tuesday practice session from noon to 2:00PM prior to the opening All Star race at East Bay Raceway on Wednesday, February 14. He made adjustments and went out in all four practice sets. On race night, 62 cars signed in and he qualified about in the middle of the group and timed 19th. With six heats scheduled and four inverted, he started on the pole of the lst heat. Outside pole sitter, Blake Feese led the first lap then Ed took the lead and held it for seven laps before Danny Lasoski passed him for the win. Ed's second place finish put him into the A-Main where he started 17th in the 26-car field. He finished 20th. Racing continues for 3 more nights here.


March
Garage Last Minute Work - 3/29/01

The crew has been working long hours all month and things are just about ready for the Lernerville opener tomorrow. After 2 years of white car designs, we are going "back to black" and if the paint dries on the new J&J, we will be at Lernerville Friday.


Lernerville Banquet - 3/3/01

Ed Lynch, Jr.'s name was on two awards given out at the Lernerville Speedway 33rd Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday night in Butler PA. Ed was unable to be there because he was attending the week-long World of Concrete Exposition in Las Vegas, where he also was accepting an award. His father, Ed., Sr. accepted his plaque for 9th place overall in the Triangle Gasoline Sprint Division, which featured a head shot and a picture of his car on the back-stretch at Lernerville.

Ed finished first in the #1 Cochran Cavalcade of Champions ranking of Sprint drivers in the Tri-State area for the year 2000. Walt Wimer and Don Gamble tabulate the finishes of all the drivers for the year and come up with a high-point Champion. Wimer started the award 30 years ago and this
was Ed's second time to win the Championship. He previously won it in 1990 and missed getting the award two years ago by just one point. In 1983 he received the Cavalcade Rookie of the Year Award.

While in Las Vegas, Ed was able to attend several World of Outlaw shows at the dirt track and he and his wife, Heather, were guests of long-time friend, Dave Blaney in his #93 Winston Cup garage at the big track. They were there for practice and David's qualifying laps on Friday which put him solidly in the field at 17th. They were in his garage again on Saturday for the Happy Hour session where David ran in the top five.


April
Fremont Speedway - 4/28/01

Ed and the crew made the long trip to Fremont Speedway in Fremont, Ohio on Saturday for their season opener, sanctioned by the All Stars. A field of 48 Sprints turned out for Jim Ford's opener and Ed's pill draw had him go out 37th for time trials. He ranked 18th overall and that lined him up in the front row of the 2nd of four heats.

Kevin Huntley and Ed made up that front row, but it was Huntley who stayed on the bottom and led the first five rounds. Ed ran side by side with Huntley for several laps before passing him on the outside in turn 2 on lap six.

He advanced to the 40-lap feature and started 17th. By lap eight he was 12th. In the next 15 laps, he was up as far as 7th, but then would fall back several spots. With 30 laps in the books, another car spun in turn 3, came back on the track, hit Ed, knocking him into the infield and bringing out the yellow.

Both cars were able to restart and Ed put on a drive on the high groove of the track to earn him 13th by the time the checkered flew. Plans are to run the All Star show this Friday night at Sharon Speedway.

Lernerville Speedway - 4/27/01

A field of 31 Sprints was on hand Friday night and the pill draw put Ed on pole of the 3rd heat which he won by a wide margin. The 20-lap feature had him starting 12th because he won the last feature here. Pole sitter David Scott took off at the drop of the green and pulled away from the field. Ed made use of the outside lane to get by four cars early and moved into 6th by lap four. He then used the inside in turns one and two to gain more spots and just as he moved past Ralph Spithaler into 3rd, the yellow flag came out, reverting back a lap, he restarted 4th. He had moved into 2nd by lap 10, but Scott was a straight-away ahead. Ed ran down Scott in traffic and was a car-length back when the yellow came out on lap 14. With one lapped car between the leader and Ed, Scott took advantage of the clear track in front and sailed around the top of the track making no mistakes. Ed followed that same line and had to settle for 2nd.

Last Weekend in April Plans

Ed plans to run Lernerville on Friday 4/27 and Fremont's opener which is an All Star race on Saturday 4/28.

Tri City Speedway - 4/22/01

Sunday night, Tri City Speedway at Franklin PA opened its 2001 season and for the third year in a row, Ed won the sprint feature event. There were 26 sprints on hand and Ed started 3rd in the 2nd of three heats and won it, but the draw for inversion started him 11th in the 20-lap feature. A caution on lap 6, showed him 5th but quite a distance back from the leaders because five lapped cars were spaced in the single-file line ahead of him. He rocketed past those lapped cars using the outside groove in turns 1 and 2 at the drop of the green, moving him from 7th to 4th. Another caution on lap 12 showed him behind Brian Ellenberger, Todd Gracey and Scott Bonnell. When the green replaced the yellow, he took off and passed both Bonnell and Gracey on the outside in a three-wide move off number two turn and down the back stretch, then setting his sights on Ellenberger (who was half a straightaway ahead). Ed reeled him in on lap 17 and made the winning pass on the outside in number 4 turn. Ellenberger tried to regain the lead, and did pull inside Ed twice, but Ed got a better bite on the outside and won by six car-lengths. It was his 3rd feature of the year and his 8th career Tri City win.

Attica Raceway Park - 4/21/01

Ed was going to be late leaving for any race track on Saturday because he grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for Opening Day of Baseball, so he thought about going to Mercer, but they were rained out. He then made the long tow to Attica for the All Star show and got there as the 47th sprint car to sign in and was too late to draw a pill.

His qualifying time ranked him 15th and that lined him up in 3rd spot of the 3rd heat. He finished 2nd and advanced to the 40-lap A-Main, where he started 13th in the 24-car field. Most of the race he ran the bottom groove but had just switched to the top on lap 28 when a red flag halted action and he restarted in 11th spot. When the checkered fell, he was 9th. There might be a possibility of running Tri City Speedway on Sunday.

Racing Plans and Community Involvement - 4/20/01

Friday night, Ed will be at the Gumout Show at Lernerville and will see how the weather influences Saturday's plans for Attica's All Star show. On Thursday, Ed made a donation of his racing T-shirts in all sizes from 18 months to XXL to the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Pennsylvania for their 6th Annual Westmoreland County Sports Dinner and Auction. The affair will be May 23rd and proceeds will be used to support services for children and adults with epilepsy in Westmoreland County.

Baseball season officially opens on Saturday, April 21st and Ed is scheduled to be the "grill man" at the concession stand from 11:30 to 12:30 PM. His oldest son, Ed III will play his first game of the season at 1:00PM.

Story on Restaurant Cars - 4/19/01

After the 2000 racing season ended, Lynch Racing was commissioned to build a display car for a new Best Wings USA - Quaker Steak & Lube Restaurant to be opened in Cleveland, Ohio.

Nearly four years ago, owners of the original Quaker Steak & Lube (which had been an old Quaker State Gas Station) in downtown Sharon, Pennsylvania, granted the first franchise to a creative and established restaurant owner in the Pittsburgh area.

The restaurant was built at the approach to a huge shopping center called The Pointe across from Robinson Town Center West of Pittsburgh on Route 60 at Exit 1 near the airport. Ed was approached by the management and informed of their racing theme and their desire to include his car as one of the main attractions. That black #2L car remains above the horse-shoe shaped bar in the main dining room.

This newest Best Wings USA - Quaker Steak & Lube, which opened in late February, is located in the Valley View area of Cleveland, Ohio at 5935 Canal Road near the Cinemark 24 movie complex. Ed's white, red and green #2L, that ran approximately 40 races, hangs above the popular luncheon buffet area. He hopes fans will be able to see the car in person, but if not, they can view the car hanging from the black and white ceiling of the restaurant by clicking on the thumbnails below.

Mercer Raceway Park - 4/14/01

Mercer's season opener on Saturday night had a field of 26 sprinters that drew pills for starting spots in heats and features. Ed's draw put him outside Jimmy Hawley in the front row of the 2nd heat, which he won by a wide margin using the car that he ran in Eldora's All Star show last Saturday. The re-draw for the 20-lap feature scheduled him to start 12th.

Pole-sitter Jason Jacoby led the event for 19-1/2 laps before a yellow came out for a car that lost power high in turn 2. The restart for the one-lap remaining showed Jacoby, one lapped car, then Brian Ellenberger (who started 10th) and Ed, Jr.

A strange thing happened to Jacoby, the leader, when he took the white flag. He went into turn 1, then hooked a rut inside turn 2 and flipped with Ed having to take evasive action, running off the back edge of the race track to miss the upside down leader in mid-air. This brought out a red and put Ellenberger in the lead and Ed second. They ran the 20th lap with Ed finishing 2nd by two car-lengths.

Thus far, for the last two years, Ed has competed at Mercer six times and he had top five finishes in four of the six races.


Lernerville Speedway - 4/13/01

Ed made it two for two at Lernerville. Friday was Lernerville's 2nd race, but first official point night and 35 sprints were on hand. Ed took the new J&J that won here last week and out of 50 pills for the draw for heat line-ups, he drew 50!

He started last (12th) in the first of three heats, and at the drop of the green, tried the outside groove. Coming off turn two, he and another car slipped off the backstretch and the yellow came out for a restart. He was able to push off and line up in 12th again. He was definitely on a mission and took the lead on lap 7 and the yellow came out once again, but he led the final lap to take the win.

The re-draw for the 20 lap feature started him 7th. The track had changed quite a bit, because the Sprints ran their feature after the Late Models and Modifieds. The middle and inside seemed slick, but Ed was up to 4th on lap 5 when the lst yellow came out. He was 3rd by the next yellow on lap 7 and 2nd on lap 8 when another yellow occurred. He passed the leader, #444 Roger Bennett, on the inside in turn 2 on led lap 9. He soon caught the back of the field and handled the lapped traffic well, winning by a margin of 4 seconds over Jimmy Hawley for his 2nd victory of the year.

Plans are to run Mercer's opener on Saturday.

Friday - 4/13/01

Work will keep us close to home Friday night, so if Lernerville races, we will be there. Then, we will take a look at the weather map for Saturday's racing plans.


Eldora Speedway - 4/7/01

After the new J&J chassis won on its first time on a race track Friday night at Lernerville, the team switched to last year's car (repainted black) for the All Star show Saturday night at Eldora. There were 31 cars on hand and Ed timed 13th which started him 3rd in the 1st heat and he finished 3rd. He lined up 12th in the 30-lap A-Main and a jam-up dropped him back to 16th. He worked his way up to 5th or 6th but after a yellow flag, he lost a couple spots and finished 8th.


LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY - 4-6-01

Ed was one of 37 sprints at Lernerville tonight. He started 8th in the second of three heats, but due to a caution on the first lap and one car dropping out, he restarted 6th. After finishing 3rd in his heat, Ed started 11th in the 20 lap feature. The track was wet and very heavy from all the rain during the day. On the first lap, there was a red flag caused by a flip on the front strech. When racing resumed, Ralph Spithaler took an early lead until a yellow came out on lap 9. Ed had made his way to 3rd by lap 9 and went on to take the lead away from Ralph on lap19. It was Ed's first win of the 2001 season. Tomorrows plans include going to the All Star race at Eldora. (Photo by Ed Spangler)


Weekend Plans April 6 & 7

Still waiting to run his first race since Florida, Ed plans to be at Lernerville's postponed opener now set for this Friday and then it will be the long trip to Eldora for Saturday's All Star show.


May
Tri City Speedway - 5/27/01

Ed drove through light showers on the way to Tri City, Sunday night, and there was plenty of mud in the pits as a result of a hard rain that hit the track around noon, but the show was on schedule and 19 sprints were on hand along with big fields in 3 other divisions. Ed started 3rd in the 2nd heat and took the lead from Brian Ellenberger on lap 6 and went on to win it with Mike Lutz winning the other heat.

The Sprint feature was to run first and a fan had drawn a "0" for the inversion and the line-up was on the board, but the rain came during the 4th Modified heat and washed out the rest of the show. No front row start for Ed.

So, another "practice" tow for the crew and they packed up and headed home.


Fremont Speedway - 5/26/01

After a four-hour two to Fremont on Saturday, Ed was the 42nd car to sign in for the All Star show. There was a pretty big head wind and he missed the drivers' meeting and was slated to time trial in 42nd spot. But after 19 cars took time, light rain started to fall as two more cars attempted to time. The rain became heavier and the yellow flag came out to halt time trials.

After about fifteen minutes, the race track was beyond recovery and Promoter Jim Ford was forced to give in to the elements. No rain date was announced.

Ed wants to look at the weather map before he thinks about Tri City on Sunday.


Another Lynch Gets A Trophy!

While the #2L tries to find a track that is not rained out, Ed wanted to share this good news. Ed's son, Ed Lynch III, age 12, competed in the Junior Olympics on Thursday at Kiski Area High School. There were 952 students eligible for competition in running the 50 meters, 400 meters, the relay race and doing the long jump, pull-ups and sit-ups.

Qualifying, prior to Thursday, narrowed that group to 133 boys and girls who competed in this day-long physical fitness program at Kiski. Individual scores were kept on each student in all categories and trophies were to be awarded to the top 10 overall. For the boys, Ed III ranked 10th and proudly received his trophy.

Last Saturday, prior to going to Hagerstown, Ed III competed in a Diamond Skills baseball qualifying session where he took a lst Place Blue Ribbon in Hitting and earned another Blue Ribbon for 1st Place Overall for Hitting, Fielding and Running the Bases. He now goes to the next level of Diamond Skills on June 3 in Vandergrift.


Racing Plans for Memorial Day Weekend

Work commitments and weather will keep the #2L team close to home on Friday, so that means Lernerville. Ed hopes the rain will be out of Ohio by Saturday so he can make the 4-hour tow to Fremont's All Star show. Sharon might be a possibility for Sunday.


Tri City Speedway - 5/20/01

Sunday, the team headed for Tri City Speedway where 18 sprints were signed in and scheduled to be the first feature of the four divisions they run weekly. Ed started 5th in the lst of two heats and chased down David Scott with 2 laps to go for the win.

The inversion was 8 for the 20-lap feature and at the drop of the green, Ed was off to a great start and up to 4th, but a yellow came out for a spin before a lap was completed, calling for a complete restart. The second start was not as good for him as he was boxed in for nearly two laps while the leaders drove away. Mark Cassella led lap one, then Jimmy Hawley took over until lap 11 when Brian Ellenberger went by on the inside in turn four. Ed passed Cassella who was running 3rd on lap 12, then went to work on the front two who were 1/2 a track ahead.

On lap 16 the leader, Ellenberger looped his car in turn four while leading, setting up a restart showing Hawley as the leader and then four lapped cars....then Ed. He was able to get by the lapped cars by lap 17, but could not make up the distance on Hawley and had to settle for 2nd.


Hagerstown Speedway - 5/19/01

After seeing what looked like rain on the Saturday weather map from Cincinnati to Baltimore, Ed called track promoter, Lisa Plessinger around 1:00PM and she told him the rain was 150 miles south of the track, so at 2:30 the crew headed for Hagerstown MD.

The World of Outlaw show there had 26 sprints signed in and Ed went out about 9th for time trials and Ed's 2nd lap was fast enough to rank him 6th overall. He started 3rd in the 3rd heat and finished 2nd behind Joey Saldana in the #83 Beefpacker car. Danny Lasoski and Dale Blaney won the other heats.

Ed was eligible for the Dash and started 8th, but on the 2nd lap, he noticed a spray of mist coming back on his shield and when he finished 9th and came into the pits, he was steaming with a stream of water leaking from the radiator. He had picked up a rock that went through the radiator. He tried a number of remedies, but nothing worked. He elected to start on the rear and run a few laps, then pull in. Pretty disappointing when he was running so well.


Lernerville - 5/18/01

Friday, Attica rained out about 1:30 and it looked like Williams Grove was going to get wet, Ed decided to drive through the very light rain to Lernerville where he really didn't believe they could get the show in either. He never unloaded until they called up the first Late Model heat, then about two minutes later, the race was called.

Racing Plans for the weekend 5/18-5/20/01

With big races at Attica and Williams Grove, Ed could go either way, but the forecast of rain and his work load will determine whether he heads East or West or stays local and runs Lernerville on Friday. Saturday's choices are K-C or Hagerstown and Sunday could be Tri City again.


Win an Ed Lynch T-Shirt!

Fans are invited to guess the time and date that Ed's website will reach 10,000 hits. Click on comments and send your e-mail to Ed soon. The closest guess without going past the time of the 10,000 hit posting will win a free T-Shirt. Don't forget to let him know what size and if you want it autographed and personalized with your name. Don't forget to include your address.


Tri City Speedway - 5/13/01

Ed and the crew headed for Tri City on Sunday where 20 sprints signed in for competition. He started 8th in his heat and won it, while David Scott won the other heat. Ed started fourth in the 20 lap feature with Dale Blaney starting third. Jarod Larson started in the front row and led at the drop of the green with Ed moving into 2nd and Blaney 3rd. The only caution was on lap four and on the restart, David Scott shot past Ed and Blaney into 2nd.

By lap 7, Blaney passed Ed and Scott sailing into 2nd with Ed following. On lap 9 Blaney took the lead from Larson in turn 2 and Ed got by Larson in turn 3. Ed chased Blaney through lapped traffic until lap 19 when he charged through turns 3 and 4 to pull equal to Blaney, but he drifted too high in the corner, bounced off the front straightaway wall and had to settle for second behind Blaney.


Lernerville Speedway - 5/11/01

The team drove through sprinkles of rain on the way to Lernerville on Friday night and arrived at the track to see evidence of an earlier rain. "Ouchie" Roenigk had the track just about ready to go and the #2L pulled into the pits, but didn't unload as others did. Before long, another rain came and washed out any chance of racing. Saturday is going to be a day off and Sunday at Tri City is still a possibility.


Weekend Racing Plans 5/11-12-13/01

Fitting and fabrication work made for a late night in the garage Thursday as the team prepares for racing Friday night at Lernerville. Currently, Ed is not planning to race Saturday night, but Sunday is a possibility.


Mercer Raceway Park - 5/5/01

Ed's special guest for Friday and Saturday was his J&J sprint car chassis builder Jack Elam and his wife Bonnie, from McKenzie TN. Ed had held the track record at Sharon before and regaining that record on Friday night was pleasing for Ed and Jack, But the flat tire kept them from getting the win they wanted.

Saturday's busy morning and changing an engine plus Ed III's baseball schedule made going to Lincoln impossible, so the team headed for Mercer and was the last car to arrive. Ed started 4th in the second of three heats and was leading going down the back stretch. He won the heat, but their handicap system started him 12th in the 20 lap feature. After 2 laps a yellow waved and Ed was up to 10th. The next yellow on lap 7 he was moved to 6th. The final yellow was on lap 12 and he restarted 4th now with seventh starting, Jimmy Hawley leading, then with Troy Preston and Mike Kekich following. Ed tried to pass Kekich for 3 or 4 laps, finally getting the job done and setting out for Preston. Two laps later he slipped into 2nd and started to close on Hawley who was in lapped traffic by now, but Ed ran out of laps and settled for second.

In both appearances at Mercer this year, Ed finished 2nd. As of midnight Saturday, the team does not plan to race anywhere on Sunday.


Sharon Speedway - 5/4/01

Sharon held its first All Star show of the year Friday night and a field of 36 sprints were on hand. Ed was the 12th car to time trial and set a new track record of l5.538 replacing the previous one set last Sept. 2nd by Jeff Shepard of 15.710.

He lined up 6th in the lst of four heats and qualified for the 30-lap A-Main by finishing 3rd behind Kelly Kinser and Johnny Herrera. He was 2nd in the Haulmark Dash, following Dean Jacobs across the line. In the A-Main, the inversion started him 6th with Rodney Duncan and Kenny Jacobs on the front row followed by Dean and Chad Kemenah in the 2nd row and Greg Wilson inside on the third row.

Ed was 4th after the first round, behind Jacobs, Duncan and Kemenah. He passed Kemenah on lap two and passed Duncan on lap five. When the red came out for a 3-car accident on lap eight, he discovered a cut in his right rear and had to change it, which sent him to the rear of the field. He was able to make his way back up to 10th at the finish. Ed noticed the replacement tire seemed low on air pressure and ironically, a cut was discovered in it, also.


Weekend Race Plans 5/4-5/6

Ed has a tough decision for Friday night, he is leading the points at Lernerville, but the All Stars are at Sharon. He plans to be at the All Star show. The All Stars travel to Lincoln on Saturday and Ed is considering that if Friday goes well. Where he races on Saturday will determine if he races Tri City on Sunday. He did not race Tri City last Sunday because the team got home from Fremont at 4:45AM.


June
Eldora - 6-30-01

Ed and his crew got the truck fixed and headed to Eldora Speedway at 11:00am Saturday morning. Ed qualified 10th which placed him in the first heat race starting third. He lead every lap only to fall short of a win by inches. Greg Wilson took the win. Ed started 10th in the 30 lap feature and was up to 7th when he hit the wall in turn 4. Not knowing then that he bent the jacobs ladder, he fell back to 12th and held that position for the remainder of the race.


Lernerville Speedway - 6/29/01

With 27 sprints signed in to Lernerville Speedway, Friday night, there were three heats and Ed started 6th in the 3rd heat and won it. The Sprints were last in the feature rotation and by the time the feature was on the track, the track had taken on a glaze.

Ed started 7th and was 5th on a restart after one lap. Brent Matus and Rod George had started on the front row and with Matus just ahead of George in lapped traffic around lap five, Ed took the lead in turn two with an inside move on Matus and put 1/2 a straightaway on 2nd place by the mid-point of the 20 lap feature. Having trouble with tire bleeders, he ran behind a lapped car as l2th starting Jimmy Hawley closed in then went by on lap 18 to capture the win. Ed finished 2nd ahead of George.

To add to the late night, a battery or electrical problem disabled the rig and Ed stayed with it in the pits at Lernerville while the crew caught a ride home and will return Saturday morning with replacement batteries.


Weekend Plans for 6/28 - 7/7/01

Ed plans to try the same car and engine combination at Lernerville Friday night that quit on him last week (with the exception of the electrical system which he has changed). Then, he wants to race Earl's Anniversary show at Eldora on Saturday night.

Ohio Speedweek starts Sunday and work and weather will determine how many of these shows he can race.

Watch for a picture of the new black T-shirt to be posted soon.


Tri City Speedway - 6/24/01

It was a father and son win at Tri City Speedway, Sunday night. The stands were packed for a special Fan Appreciation Night that presented a program of features only, bus races and bike races.

Ed started on pole of the Sprint feature and led every circuit despite two caution periods and one red flag over the 20-lap distance. It was his 2nd win here this year and the ninth of his career at Tri City. This brings his total to five wins this season. Rod George was 2nd but never a threat. In a full field of 3-year old youngsters (most on bikes with training wheels), Ed's son, Sye, lined up for the event he had been talking about and preparing for all day in the garage. He patiently sat on his bike in a "ready" position in the pits during the bus races and then took his spot on the line. Two riders came off the line a little ahead of him, but by 12 feet out, Sye took the lead and set a blistering pace to his first checkered flag.

Then he told the crowd his name in his on-track interview and posed for pictures with his bike, wearing his winning #1 medallion. He can also print his own name if anyone would like an autograph.


Lernerville Speedway - 6/22/01

Ed came so close to winning the 20-lap feature Friday night at Lernerville, but instead ended up with a mystery that couldn't be solved at the track or even later in the garage.

The evening started with 29 sprints signed in and divided into three heats. Ed finished 2nd despite smoking most of the 8 laps in the first heat and lined up 12th in the 24-car A-Main. He had a great original start, but that was called back for a spin. The second start was not bad either and Ed was on the move and by a lap five yellow he was 4th. A caution two laps later showed him 3rd behind Kevin Schaffer and Jimmy Hawley. Ed was second behind Hawley for several laps, before lapped traffic entered the picture and he ran down Hawley and went into the lead near the half-way mark. By lap 15 the smoke was visible again, but seemed to have no bearing on what would happen next. Ed mastered the lapped traffic well and Hawley was behind two lapped cars running 2nd, when Ed's engine shut off and he pulled high in turn 4 and went off the track into the pits on lap 18 while leading.

Try as they might, the crew could find no cause and will look for the solution tomorrow. Remember it will be a free admission Sunday at Tri City for features only and Ed starts in the front row.


Ed Lynch III makes "Baseball All Stars"

Ed's oldest son, Ed III, received a phone call Wednesday night, June 20th, from the head of the selection committee for the 2001 Little League All Stars, saying that he had been selected as catcher for the team. 'Lil Ed has been eligible for four years and has now made the All Star team in each of those years. The race team and his family is very proud of his hard work all season to be chosen one of 13 boys out of 60.


Weekend Racing Plans 6/22-6/24/01

Burning the midnight oil in the garage Thursday night, the crew received and installed the engine that was in for the Bedford race when the ring-gear and pinion went out while Ed was running 3rd. With rain on the Friday weather map, the crew will try the engine locally at Lernerville and maybe skip Saturday and run the "features only" program at Tri City on Sunday, where Ed is scheduled to start in the front row.


Tri City Speedway - 6/17/01

The last night of the five-race, All Stars vs NCRA Eastern Showdown was held Sunday night at Tri City Speedway at Franklin PA and 42 sprints were on hand. Ed timed 10th quick and finished 2nd in the 2nd heat won by Mike Woodring and that qualified him for the 30-lap A-Main. Rod George, Brian Ellenberger and Jarod Larson won the other heats.

The track was two seconds slower than the track record and by the feature, the field was hugging the inside groove. Ed started 9th and finished 9th. His right rear tire was bald at the end of the 30 laps. Danny Smith started on the pole and led 22 laps before he broke a power steering line and Greg Wilson who started 2nd passed him to collect his first-ever All Star win.


Cannonball Motor Speedway - 6/15/01

Ed was part of the 25-car field that marked the return of the All Star sprints, Friday night, at Cannonball Motor Speedway near St. Clairsville OH, after 20 years. He drew the last pill and timed 17th overall. Starting on pole of the 2nd heat, he led every lap despite pressure from Chad Kemenah. Other heats went to Greg Wilson and Dean Jacobs. After starting 17th in the 30-lap A-Main, he had problems with a rock that had wedged under his throttle. Finally, on the 5th caution on lap 17, he stopped on the backstreatch, got out and removed the rock. Restarting last, he managed an 11th place finish with Dean Jacobs taking the win.

Ed and the team plan to run the Eastern Showdown finale on Sunday at Tri City Speedway.


Bedford Speedway - 6/13/01

Ed signed in for the Eastern Showdown kickoff race at Bedford Speedway, Wednesday night. There were 34 All Star and NCRA sprinters on hand and he timed in 5th overall which started him inside the 3rd row in the lst of 4 heats. He finished 5th which qualified him for the A-Main. In the All Star Haulmark dash he finished 3rd. Then with the top 6 qualifiers inverted, Chad Kemenah started on pole and he started outside pole. He was running 3rd on lap 7 when the ring-gear and pinion failed going down the back stretch and he coasted to a halt coming out of turn 4 ending his hopes for a top 5 finish.


All Stars vs NCRA 6/13-6/17/01

The Eastern Showdown is scheduled to run Wednesday through Sunday this week. Ed can't make the whole tour, but will try to make a few of these races. The tour includes Bedford, Lincoln, Cannonball, K-C and Tri City.


Tri City Speedway - 6/10/01

Ed and the crew arrived shortly after the gates opened at 2:00PM, with everything set to race the Sunday show at Tri City. There were three heats for Sprints and Ed won the 3rd one with Mike Lutz and Jerrod Hull taking the other two. After heats for all classes were run, the rain came and the rained out Sprint feature is now scheduled to be part of the June 24 Fan Appreciation night. Ed is scheduled to start in the front row by luck of the draw.

This coming Sunday Ed will be racing at Tri City, but the show is part of the All Star vs NCRA Eastern Showdown.


Fremont Speedway - 6/09/01

Ed signed in, along with 55 other drivers, at Jim Ford's Fremont Speedway for the rescheduled All Star show that was rained out 2 weeks ago. He timed 36th overall and finished 8th in the lst of 5 heats and that put him in the B-Main. He started 16th and finished 7th, but only 4 advanced to the A-Main.


Lernerville Speedway - 6-8-01

Finally, after a long rainy vacation, we got to enjoy a night of racing. Lernerville had a great crowd and alot of cars in each division. Ed was anxious to get out on the track only to have the car start smoking in hot laps. Oil was spilling out of the dry sump tank and onto the exhaust pipes causing it to smoke. The crew got to work fixing the problem and had him ready for the heat race. Ed started 2nd in the 1st of 3 heats. He took an immediate lead and went on to win by a large margin. The sprints were the third feature tonight so the track was extremely slick by the time the 20 lap feature started. By luck of the draw, Ed started 2nd and was off to an early lead when the red flag was brought out for a flip on the front stretch. Although one caution and one more red flag occurred, Ed was able to lead all 20 laps and hold Jimmy Hawley off for his 3rd Lernerville victory this season. Tomorrow we will be going to Fremont for the All Star show.


Lernerville Speedway - 6/6/01

Ed towed in the rain to Lernerville for the WoO make-up race, Wednesday and parked with the other rigs in the pits. The rain continued and none of the teams even put the back doors down on their haulers.

Just before 7:00PM WoO officials cancelled the show. Ed wanted to go to Bristol, but the weather looks doubtful, so he has elected to run closer to home and maybe do Lernerville on Friday, the All Star show at Fremont on Saturday and maybe Tri City on Sunday.


Weekend Rained Out - WoO on 6/6

After washing the mud from Friday night off the race car and trailer floor Saturday morning, the crew saw the whole state of Ohio showed rain on the weather map and Eldora's weather map at New Weston called for thundershowers. Ed decided to race locally, but Mercer rained out early after a shower around noon so the rig never left the driveway.

On Sunday, however, the crew towed 1-1/2 hours north to I-80 before they found out that Tri City rained out.

Now, Ed will get ready for WoO action Wednesday night at Lernerville.


Lernerville Speedway - 6/1/01

When Ed pulled into the pits at Lernerville for the WoO show, the sun was shinning and it was warm. They unloaded and there was a steady stream of fans visiting and stopping for autographs. Many of them were carrying the Valley News Dispatch that featured a color picture of Ed's white/green and red car on the front of the sports page.

However, at 5:00PM a real heavy downpour hit the track and lasted about 40 minutes. Around 7:00 Bobby Jackson, Race Director for WoO, called a drivers' meeting and told the drivers to get ready to get heat in their engines. "Ouchie" Roenigk had the track just about ready to push cars off when an isolated cell dumped more rain on the track. So, the crew loaded up for the second time and watched the rain.

By 9:00 the cars pushed off to fire their engines and came right back into the pits. The 57 cars on hand were divided into 5 hot lap sessions according to the pill draw and Ed was in the lst session, which did get on the track. While that group was on the track, a third rain shower hit the track, so the car was loaded for the third and final time. Lernerville was forced to cancel reschedule the show for Wednesday which will not be a televised show.

Ed will call Eldora and check the weather map before towing there on Saturday.


Lernerville's TV Show on 6/1/01

Ed has checked everything twice, so he thinks he is ready for Friday night. Now, we need the weather to cooperate! Depending on how things go at Lernerville, he would like to try Eldora on Saturday. Don't forget 9:00 PM on TNN...Friday.


July
Tri City Speedway - 7/29/01

The long ride back from Knoxville, Iowa had Ed thinking about about all the possibilities of was could be robbing him of horsepower...the MSD box again?...the tach?...the fuel pump?

So he decided to stay on Interstate 80 and try to make it to Tri City on Sunday and do some testing under real racing conditions.

Tired and dirty from leaving straight from Knoxville Raceway at 2:30AM, his effort to solve the problem paid off in aces with a win in the heat race and a win in the feature. He started 12th and took the lead on the 7th lap of the 20-lap event. The track announcers had all but his first lap at speeds under the existing track record. His total wins for the year are now seven.


Knoxville Raceway 7/27-7/28/01

Ed traveled to Knoxville for the Inaugural 1200# Nationals which carried a $114,000 purse. A total of 98 sprints were signed in, however, one never made it through tech, so his competition was down to 97 drivers from 18 states plus Australia. Because of the big turnout, there were no time trials and 10 heats were lined up by "luck of the draw," and passing points were awarded to line up the features Friday night.

Ed lined up 6th in the 6th heat and finished 2nd. This put him 7th in the 20-lap A-main and he finished 4th, Friday night. For his finishes in the heat and feature he was awarded championship points that went toward Saturday night's alphabet features E, D, C, B and A.

Ed's total points earned, placed him tied for 7th in the ranking of 97 drivers. Another draw for inversion of rows was 4th, starting him on pole for the 30-lap A-Main.

He took off on the original start, but the red flag came out for two flips. The next start, he was still OK, but it also had a flip and a red flag. On the third try, his engine was not as sharp, but he led the first round. The problem under the hood got worse as he dropped to 5th by lap 10. On lap 15 he stopped in turn 4 with a jacobs ladder problem that happened either before he brushed the wall or as a result of touching the wall. He was pushed to the work area in the infield, but was able to return to the track. In the final run-down, he was 12th.


Racing Out of Town starting 7/27/01

For the next three weeks, Ed will be on the road racing the Knoxville 1200 pound Nationals, the HBO at Eldora and the Knoxville Nationals, so keep checking the "Updates" for results.


Lernerville Speedway - 7/24/01

The Annual Silver Cup Race celebrating 34 years of racing at Lernerville was rain-delayed on Tuesday, but the show did get in!

The WoO event had 38 cars on hand and Ed drew an early pill and went out second, ranking 24th overall. He started 6th in the 4th heat and beat out Danny Wood and Lance Dewease for 5th spot and that qualified Ed for the 40-lap A-Main.

At the start of the feature, Ed's set-up was too tight and the car was up on the two right side wheels as he went into turn 4 and he nearly flipped, but gathered it back in, and spun up against the outside wall, bringing out the first yellow. He restarted 26th and managed to stay on the lead lap for the first 16 laps, when a red came out for Stevie Smith, who flipped in turn 4.

Following that red, Ed started picking off a car every lap, but Mark Kinser now had the lead and was setting a blistering pace. There were several more yellows and Ed finished the race, one lap down, in 13th spot with steam pour out from under his hood through turn 3 and 4 and to the checkered flag. There was so much steam, the crew checked for a split or broken hose, but found none.

A freak accident in time trials happened when a push truck stayed on the track as Sammy Swindell was completing his second lap (averaging over 125 mph). Sammy was transported to the hospital because of lacerations on his hand and leg and a mild concussion and possible broken knee cap. Ed stayed for 2-1/2 hours signing autographs in the pits after the races. The team plans to run in the Knoxville 1200lb Nationals this Friday and Saturday.


Eldora Speedway 7/20 - 7/21/01

Friday at Eldora was a one-night WoO show with 44 cars signed in and Ed drew #2 pill and timed 21st overall, which lined him up 6th in the lst heat, He finished 4th behind Randy Hannagan, Jac Haudenschild and Stevie Smith. Others in his heat included Donny Schatz, Dean Jacobs, Jim Niew, Paul McMahan, James Chesson, Danny Wood and Kent Wolters. Other heats went to Craig Dollansky, Mark Kinser and Andy Hillenburg.

This qualified him for the 35-lap A-Main and Ed started 20th. He wasn't comfortable with his set-up and pulled into the pits after about 10 laps. He credited with 22nd spot.

On Saturday, it was Earl's 18th Annual Kings Royal race, paying $50,000 to win. A heavy shower hit the track about 5:00PM and the delay it caused had time trials finishing up at 11:15PM.

There were 42 cars on hand for that and Ed timed 21st. The format changed and there were 6 heats with the first 6 inverted. This put Ed on the outside of the front row in heat #6. Dean Jacobs was on the pole and others in his heat included Sammy Swindell, Chad Kemenah, Darin Pittman, and Craig Dollansky.

Ed won the 10-lap heat and that locked him into the Dash. He lined up 4th in the 10-lap Dash and finished 7th. The finish of the Dash determines the first 10 spots in the A-Main.

Ed had adjusted the car again for the feature and felt much better and was ready for the 40-lapper. On the 2nd lap, however, he was inside Brian Carlson in turn four and unfortunately, Carlson took a right and that bent Ed's right front wheel and that allowed air to escape and pretty soon the officials were telling Ed he had a flat tire. He was not able to get the wheel and tire replaced before the green flag waved again. The crew then pushed him back to his pit area and he finished 25th.


Tri City Speedway - 7/15/01

Ed took a new car to Tri City Speedway where 22 sprints were divided into two heats and Ed won his heat. In the 20-lap feature, Ed started 7th and Ricky Ferkel was on the pole. Rod George took the lead from Ferkel on lap 5 and at the 1/2 way mark, Ed was 6th.

During the next three laps, Ed moved to the outside and finally started to gain some spots. He ended up third behind Rod George and Andy Priest.


Lernerville Speedway - 7/13/01

It was a special night featuring kids bike races and both Ed's boys competed. Sye won his 2nd bike race of the season leading all the way. Ed III hit a bump and nearly crashed, but recovered to finish a close 2nd in his event. Ed's sister, Jill, watched her two boys, AJ and Bobby, both win their events. Three lst place trophies and a 2nd place ribbon was a great night for this future Lynch pit crew!

How ironic is it that Ed would only lead one lap in the 20-lap feature at Lernerville on Friday the 13th and that would be the l3th lap???

There were 30 sprints signed in and Ed started 5th in the 2nd heat and finished 2nd to Jimmy Hawley. Then the draw put him in third starting spot in the feature. Outside polesitter, Jamie Smith jumped to the early lead running the outside groove with Ed in pursuit until a yellow on lap 6. On the restart, Ed dove inside in turn l and Smith stayed high and Ed pulled ahead coming off turn 2 and led down the back stretch, but before a lap was completed, the red came out for a flip in the "tough to handle" cushion between turns 1 and 2.

Two more laps got in the books with Smith leading Ed, and the yellow came out again. On this restart, once again it was Smith in front until they started lapping cars and Jamie stayed inside coming off turn 4 ending the 12th lap and Ed rode inches off the outside wall at the flagstand to lead the 13th lap.

It was Hawley who passed Ed and Smith on the inside in turn 1 to take the lead on lap 14. Ed jumped the turn 1 cushion and had his hands full gathering it in and lost two more spots in the process. Hawley went on to win his 4th straight with Rod George 2nd, Smith and Ed followed. Next Friday and Saturday, Ed is entered in the 18th Annual Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway.


Lernerville Speedway - 7/6/01

The third race in the York Triathlon Racing Series Sprints drew 38 cars to their only appearance of the year at Lernerville Speedway, Friday night. Ed won the 4th heat and started third in the 25-lap feature a row behind pole-sitter, Jamie Smith, who led the first 7 laps, before Jimmy Hawley went by to lead lap 8. Ed took the front spot on the next round and led until lap 13, when Hawley got by once again.

With just 3 laps to go, Ed had problems with 2 lapped cars on the front stretch and he tagged the wall, bent the front axle and was unable to continue. The finishing order showed him in 19th spot.


Sharon Speedway - 7-5-01

43 sprints singed in at Sharon Speedway for the All Star event Thursday night. Due to a high pill draw, Ed went out late to qualify and timed 6th quick overall. He started 5th in the second heat and finished 3rd. The All Stars invert 6 cars for their feature so that put Ed on the pole for the A-main.

The dash consists of the 6 fastest All Star members. Ed started on the pole and won by a large margin over second place finisher Jason Johnson.

Despite the red flag and numerous cautions, Ed held the lead in the A-main for 13 laps only to have a bolt break on the front of his car disabling him to finish the race.


Wayne County - 7-2-01

It was the 2nd night of Ohio Speedweek and the crowd at Wayne County was outstanding. Ed was one of 46 cars that signed in for the All Star event. Due to a high pill draw, Ed went out late and missed the set -up on his race car and timed 27th overall. He started 7th in the 3rd heat and finished 4th advancing to the A main. For the 30 lap feature, Ed started 23rd and finished 14th. Ed plans on racing at Sharon Speedway on Thursday night.


August
Lernerville Speedway - 8/31/01

Because of on and off afternoon storms, Ed had the #2L ready to load, but not in the trailer yet when he received word at 4:45PM that Lernerville had cancelled the Gumout race. The 2-day Sharon Nationals are next on his schedule for Saturday and Sunday.


News and Racing Plans 8/27/01

The Sunday edition of the Valley News Dispatch carried a 56-page High School Football Tabloid with Ed, Jr. on the cover along with Apollo Ridge team members.

Lernerville Speedway has posted its All-Time "Fab Four" Victory Leaders over 34 years and both Ed, Jr. and Ed, Sr. rank in the top 10. To check that out go to www.lernerville.com.

Racing plans include Lernerville on Friday, Sharon Nationals on Saturday and Sunday.


Tri City Speedway - 8/26/01

It was supposed to be the final night for points on Sunday at Tri City Speedway and Ed was in the top 10 going into the event. However, after hot laps were completed, heavy rain ended any chance of racing and thus Ed will hold his top 10 ranking for the 2001 season here.


Attica Raceway Park - 8/25/01

A special Saturday show at Attica was sanctioned by the All Stars and drew 36 cars. Ed timed 11th overall and lined up 4th in the 3rd heat and finished 4th, locking him into the 40-lap A-Main.

Ed's 11th place starting position in the A-Main showed him running the bottom of the track early, then trying the middle. Near the half-way mark, he tried running the top of the track, but couldn't make that work to his advantage. He then returned to the bottom groove and held on for a 9th place finish behind the winner Kenny Jacobs.

Following the feature, there was a "wheelie" contest and Ed entered. Each driver was given 2 attempts to be judged on their entertaining wheelie. Ed had adjusted rear wheels and top wing in order to pull a wheelie. He didn't have much success on his lst attempt, but on the 2nd attempt, he managed to pull a wheelie. His run was not good enough for the $1,000 prize given Jason Dukes.


Lernerville Speedway - 8/24/01

The final point night of the regular season had 27 Sprints signed in at Lernerville Speedway, Friday night. The pill draw put Ed 5th in the lst heat and he took the checkered at the end of 8 laps.

The starting spot for the #2L in the 20-lap feature was automatically 12th because of his win here last week. The lst of 4 yellow flags on lap 7 (that's right, the field was stuck on lap 7 for 4 restarts) showed Ed up to 5th, behind leader Ralph Spithaler. However, it was during one of those yellows that Ed lost a brake caliper and was forced to drive the rest of the race with no brakes!

Another yellow and then a red flag on lap 10 had Ed 3rd with Kevin Schaeffer now leading. The last half of the race went non-stop. With the lead pack of cars in heavy lapped traffic, Ed was gaining on Schaeffer, but was seriously challenged by Jimmy Hawley on the inside in turn 4 on lap 16. At that moment, Ed made a move on the outside lane that shot him past Schaeffer for the lead and took away any chance that Hawley had to mount a threat for the win.

It was Ed's 5th win at Lernerville this year and his 8th win for the season. He is now tied with Lou Blaney for second in the All-Time Wins in Sprint Cars at Lernerville.

The crew plans to run Attica on Saturday and Tri City on Sunday.


Community Teamwork- Sunday Paper 8/26/01

Last Thursday evening, Ed and the crew loaded up the race car and drove to the Apollo Ridge Football field where Ed met with members of the Apollo football team, their coach and assistant coach for a special photo shoot. The Valley News Dispatch which is a major paper covering towns all the way to Pittsburgh, wanted Ed and his Apollo Rocket Sprint Car to be part of their tribute to the Apollo High School Football Team that was undefeated in the 2000 season.

This Sunday's Valley News Dispatch will feature the team and Ed on the cover of a special 50-page Tabloid that kicks off the high school football season for the 15 school districts within the VND's circulation area. It was an honor meeting the players and sharing in their pre-season excitement. Hope they have another undefeated season! Ed's plans for this weekend include Lernerville on Friday, the All Star show at Attica on Saturday and Tri City on Sunday.

Sye is 3 for 3 in bike races

Ed's youngest son, Sye, has entered 3 bike races this summer and has three trophies to show for his efforts. His latest win came Friday night at Lernerville Speedway. Following his race, he and his Dad (who had a win, also) had a picture taken with their trophies for Lernerville's web site - www.lernerville.com.


Mercer Raceway Park - 8/18/01

Ed and the crew headed to Mercer Saturday night for a special Sprint show and maybe a "wheelie" contest. After several phone calls enroute because of showers on the way, the team continued. Thirty Sprints were on hand and Ed's pill draw put him outside the front row of the 3rd heat.

But after hot laps and the 1st heat, an isolated band of showers hit the track and the races were cancelled, then postponed until
September 8. Ed is scheduled to be at Fremont that night in an All Star show.

He will check the weather and try to race Tri City Speedway on Sunday.


Lernerville Speedway - 8/17/01

Thirty sprints signed in Friday night at Lernerville Speedway and Ed lined up 6th in the second heat and finished 4th, which made him eligible for the draw for the top 12 spots in the 20-lap feature.

What a surprise for him when the draw had him starting on the pole. But it was current point leader, Rod George who jumped into the lead immediately from the outside front row spot and despite a restart after two laps, George once again pulled away and it wasn't until lap 6 that Ed was able to use the bottom in turn #2 to dive inside and take the lead on the backstretch as the field was coming up to complete lap seven.

A restart on lap 11 showed Jimmy Hawley now in second and George third. Hawley was relentless in his pursuit of Ed and pulled along side going into turn #3 on lap 15, but Ed made his inside groove work and came off turn #4 ahead of Hawley.

As the field had already received the white flag and Ed was in turn #3, looking for the checkered, when a car slipped off turn #2. So instead of the checkered, it was a yellow flag that appeared and the race was restarted and the automatic green-white-checkered laps to be completed before there would be a winner.

Ed drove two flawless laps and the anticipated side-by-side challenge for the win never materialized and Ed won by five car-lengths over Hawley. It was his 4th win of the year at Lernerville, slotting him in 3rd spot of overall sprint feature wins here. His wins thus far in 2001 now stand at seven.


41st Annual Knoxville Nationals

The best 132 sprint cars in the nation were competing four nights at Knoxville, Iowa. Ed timed on Thursday where he drew 75 out of a possible 78 pills. The format had a last chance race, then only the top 50 cars ran qualifying heats. Ed ranked 27th of the 68 cars in time trials.

Ed started sixth in the 4th heat and qualified for the Thursday's A-Main by running 4th in the heat. He started 12th and finished 18th with an engine that was not running as well as it did in the heat.

His points for time trials, heat finish and feature finish were then combined with all of Wednesday's drivers and the results were combined and Ed found he ranked 38th in this 132 car field.

Saturday, all the features were lined up by points again and Ed started 18 in the B-Main where only the top 4 would advance to the A-Main.

At the drop of the green for the 22-lap, 22 car field of the B-Main, he found an open lane on the outside and coming out of turn 2 was passing Dale Blaney when Blaney's car pushed to the right and caught Ed's left rear wheel with his right front, resulting in both cars flipping into the outside guardrail.

The crew (with help from Brian Ellenberger's crew) was able to replace the top wing and send Ed out for the complete restart, but this time from the back. The green dropped and the field was going down the back stretch when Mike Goodman's car lost a wheel and collected Kasey Kahne. As Ed was searching for an opening in the 10-car bottle-neck, he saw a hole and went for it, only to have Johnny Herrera's car come sideways across in front of him. Ed was headed for Herrera's cockpit, but managed to steer to the right and hit the #6 where the headers bolt to the engine. Herrera suffered a shoulder injury and Ed's front-end damage was too severe to continue and he ranked 18th in the B-Main.

Knoxville Nationals are next on Ed's schedule. Watch and listen on the internet and the race will be broadcast on TNN.


Eldora's Historical Big One IX

Eldora Speedway's 3-day show started with an All Star show on Thursday night. With 26 cars signed in, Ed timed 7th and started 4th in the 3rd heat and finished 3rd. He started 4th in the Dash and finished a close 2nd to Danny Smith.

In the 30-lap A-Main, his starting spot was 7th and ran 5th for the lst seven laps, then was 4th on lap 8 behind pole sitter Greg Wilson, Chad Kemenah and Kenny Jacobs. Kemenah took the lead on lap 12 and the lst yellow was on lap 16 for Smith. Ed was still 4th when the red came out when John Bankston hit the turn 3 wall. During the l hr. and 20 minute red, Ed made changes, but went backwards in the last half of the 30-lap race and ended up 9th.

The news came before the crews left the track that Bankston had died at Coldwater Hospital. Lynch Racing wishes to send condolences to Bankston's family and friends. We will miss John as a friend of 10 or more years and a truly "nice" guy who loved racing as we do.


HBO - Day 2

Friday morning the crew got up early and headed north on I-75 to a Truck Stop where they took out the engine from Thursday night and transferred it, along with another they had brought along, into the back of a truck that engine-builder, Paul Kistler had sent to meet Ed.

They headed back to Eldora for the World of Outlaw show, where 32 cars were signed in for that night's show. Ed timed 14th and lined up 6th in the second heat. He was up to a qualifying spot, running 4th at the half-way mark, when the universal split.

The crew worked diligently to replace the drive-line parts and "Workin Woody" came by to push the car off in the pits, but it wouldn't go in gear. Back in the pit stall, they removed the cover for the quick-change gears and found they were chewed up and replaced them. Woody pushed Ed off again in the pits and this time the car went in gear and fired.

Ed lined up 3rd in the B-Main , but on the first lap both back straps of the nose wing broke and he was unable to control the front end, so he pulled out and was ranked 12th.


HBO - Day 3

Thirty-eight cars were in the pits for Earl's $100,000-to-win race and Ed timed 22nd which put him on the inside row of the 2nd heat. He won with Steve Kinser 2nd and P.J. Chesson in 3rd. Ed started 19th in the 40-lap feature which only had a yellow on lap 4 and lap 15 and green flag racing the rest of the distance. Ed found a groove with some bite and moved steadily forward. He was up to 7th with about five laps to go, but two drivers that he had passed, Joey Saldana and Paul McMahan, moved to another lane and got back by him. He finished 9th at the checkered.


September
Eldora Speedway - 9/29/01

The last All Star race of the season at Eldora had 31 cars signed in for competition. Ed took 2 cars because he was also eligible for the Haumark Dash to be run at the end of the show.

He drew a high number for qualifying (51 out of 61), but when he was in his warm-up lap coming for the green flag to start time trials, the engine went fuzzy. He stopped before tripping the clock, went back to the pits and brought out the other car and timed last in 5th overall. Because he didn't time within 2 cars of his pill draw, the best he could start in the feature would be 11th.

Ed started 5th in the first heat and finished 7th and had to run in the B-Main. There he started on the pole and won, advancing him to the 30-lap A-Main.

Starting 11th, he ran between 10th and 12th until the last 10 laps when he moved to the top of the track and picked up 2 spots, finishing 8th.

He started 8th in the 10-lap Haulmark Dash and moved up to 6th, but dropped back at the end to finish 10th.


Lernerville Speedway - 9/25/01

The final World of Outlaw show of the year at Lernerville on Tuesday night had a field of 29 cars entered. Despite scattered showers and temperatures dipping into the low 40's, the show was fast moving and Ed timed in 18th overall.

He started the 3rd heat in 6th spot and finished 5th which qualified him for the 35-lap A-Main. After starting 18th, he had a good start on the original green flag, but when that was called back because of a car spun to the infield off the back stretch, the second start found the engine unresponsive. He finished the race in 17th spot.


National Sprint Car Poll - 9/24/01

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Knoxville, Iowa has released the Fall 2001 list of the top 40 Sprint Car Drivers in the Nation and Ed made the list.


Mercer Raceway Park - 9/15/01

The 5th Annual Chuck Marsh Memorial race was held Saturday night at Mercer with 29 sprints in competition. The race paid $5,000-to-win and Ed had won it the past two years.

Luck of the draw started Ed in third in the 2nd heat. After completing one lap, Ed was going to pass a car on the outside in turn 4 when it bounced out one lane. To avoid him, Ed dove hard to the inside lane which was wet and slick. Ed's car went around and slid backwards from the inside to the outside and came to rest under the flag stand. Luckily, everyone missed him.

He restarted on the rear and went into turn one on the inside, passing one car, but exiting turn 2, a car running inside spun and Ed had nowhere to go and flipped over that car. The #2L suffered damage to the top wing, wheel, drive line, bell housing, bird cage and other bolt on parts.

The crew had the car ready for the B-Main where Ed started 10th and won it on the last lap, thus starting him 19th in the 24-car field for the 40-lap A-Main. He made his way up to 11th by a lap 9 restart, however, at the drop of the green flag, Ed tore out a set of quick-change gears and pulled to the infield, done for the night and finishing around 21st for the night.


Thoughts and Prayers This Week

Lynch Racing extends thoughts and prayers to family members of the victims of terrorist actions in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania....and "God Speed" to all the rescue workers.


Latrobe Speedway - 9/9/01

Ed joined a field of 21 for the final race on the York Triathlon Sprint seven-race series, held Sunday night at Latrobe Speedway.

Latrobe opened this June after being closed for many years and tonight marked the first appearance of sprint cars in over 20 years.

Pills were drawn for heat starting positions and Ed started on pole for the 2nd heat and won that event. However, since York's system of lining up features is by passing points, he started 3rd in the 25 lap feature behind Andy McKisson and Jimmy Hawley.

Hawley led from the initial lap with McKisson running second and Ed 3rd through the first 8 laps. Going down the back stretch, Ed caught McKisson and passed him for second place in turn 3 only to come upon a spinning car that caught Ed's front-end and then that same car sent McKisson flipping off turn 3.

Ed went to the pits with severe front end damage. The crew did an outstanding job of getting him back on the track one lap before the field would take the green to restart. This put him in 16th spot.

He ended up 4th behind Hawley, Scott Bonnell and Arnie Kent who landed the York Series Championship by 1 point.


Mercer Raceway - 9/8/01

A special Sprint race at Mercer attracted 38 cars Saturday night and heats were determined by luck of the draw. Ed lined up 7th in the 3rd heat and was moving up when a car bicycled in turn 3 and almost took the #2L with him, because Ed was passing him on the outside. Ed spiked the brakes and spun to the outside to miss him. Ed restarted last and only made it up to 4th, missing the draw. This relegated him to 15th starting spot in the feature.

The first half of the 30 lapper went non-stop and Ed was only up to 11th when the first yellow flag waved. From that point, it seemed that they would get a lap in and then it would be another yellow. This happened about 4 more times. Now Ed was up to 7th with about 10 laps in the books. But he went deep into #1 turn on the restart and spun to the outside, causing a yellow himself.

Starting last, he made it back up to 6th at the checkered flag and the win went to Jimmy Hawley.


Fremont Speedway - 9/7/01

Despite driving through heavy rain in the Cleveland area, Ed and the crew headed to Fremont on Friday night to compete with the All Stars and be part of a 44 car field at Jim Ford's 1/3 mile track.

Ed drew number 7 pill and was happy with his time which he thought would hold for a top 6 overall. However, rain hit the track about 7:10 PM and the 15 cars that had timed saw their efforts wiped away as the entire time trials had to start over after a 1-1/2 hour delay.

The track was sloppy and didn't start to come in until later in times and Ed's clocking would rank 15th overall for the night. He started 3rd in the 3rd heat and finished 2nd.

He started 13th in the feature and was up as high as 7th with 3 laps to go, but traffic was heavy and while he dealt with those cars, he was passed and ended up 9th in a race that saw Mike Wagner taking his 1st career All Star win.


Sharon Nationals 09/01/01 - 09/02/01
Saturday

The first night of the 21st Annual Sharon Nationals had 49 cars signed in and Ed drew #59 out 60 pills for time trials and ended up 7th overall.

He started 5th in the 3rd heat and was inside Mike Wagner in turn 3 when a bolt broke in the steering arm. The car took an immediate right, ricocheting off Wagner and hard contact with the outside wall. The 2L went off on two wreckers. The crew replaced the rear end, drive line and front end in time for the "B" Main, where Ed started on the pole and won.

In the 30-Lap feature, he started in 7th and was running 5th when he picked up something on the track with his right front tire, and it went down. The flat sent him spinning into the wall and was finished for the night.

Sunday

Ed drew 53 out of 60 pills for time trials for the 42 cars on hand and ranked 5th, and in turn won the Haulmark Dash, where he started second.

For the 40-Lap feature, Jason Johnson started on the pole, and Ed started outside him. But Jason pulled away on the start. Kenny Jacobs got by on the next lap and Ed had his hands full as he tried to maintain 3rdas Greg Hodnett got by on lap 4. Todd Shaffer and Kelly Kinser got by, but Ed battled Kinser for 5 laps trading positions several times a lap. Ed was 5th on lap 23 when he spun in turn 2 and had to start last. After Jacobs and Johnson were disqualified, Hodnett was the winner and Ed ended up 9th.


October
Hagerstown - 10/27-10/28/01

The two-day Octoberfest at Hagerstown Speedway was a cold one. At least 24 qualifying races were run on Saturday and Ed was in the lst of 3 heats for the 33 Sprints. He drew number 7 and that placed him outside the front row of his heat.

He led the first half of the 10-lap heat but was passed by Sean Michael and ended up second. The 50-lap feature on Sunday was to be heads up by the way you finished your heat, so Ed started 4th. He fell back to 6th at one point, but regained 4th before the 1st caution on lap 19.

The scheduled fuel stop on lap 25 only allowed 2 men over the wall to check air pressure and add fuel.

Sean Michael led from his pole position until Lance Dewease attempted to pass him and the two made contact with Michael receiving front end damage and out of the race. Ed finished 3rd behind Dewease and Alan Cole.


Final Race on October 27-28, 2001

With the cancellation of the East Bay November Fall Nationals, the Octoberfest at Hagerstown this weekend October 27 and 28 will probably wrap up the season for Lynch Racing.


October 23, 2001

Ed and the crew are spending long hours in the garage getting ready for Hagerstown's annual Octoberfest this Saturday and Sunday.

This weekend will mark the first time back at the races for Ed, Sr. since his hip replacement surgery on September 17. He wants to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, phone calls and cards during his rehabilitation. The physical therapist and visiting nurse made their last in-home visits last week, and hopefully the doctor will have a favorable report later this week.

Long range plans might include the East Bay Fall Nationals, Nov. l, 2 and 3.



 

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