Tag Archive for: motorsports

It was finally the weekend Jeff Halligan had been waiting for, and preparing for, all season.  It was Tuscarora 50 weekend at Port Royal Speedway.  Every lap he had made this season and every wrench the crew turned was for the end goal of having a shot at the big pot of gold at the end of the Tuscarora 50 rainbow.

They certainly seemed to be doing the right things and be on track to have a legitimate shot.  Halligan sat third in the speedway’s championship season point standings and had two victories to his name in 2022.  

September 8:  Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA

     [49 cars, Qualifying 2nd in Group E, Heat 1st (1), Dash 7th (6), A-main 27th (7)]

Opening night of the three day event saw 49 teams register for the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) sanctioned show, triggering the five group/five heat format for the series.

Halligan laid down the 2nd best lap in the fifth and final qualifying group, giving him the pole for the heat race, alongside Brian Brown.  Jeff used the low line off turn four at the drop of the green to beat Brown to turn one.  Using the high side, he wound up his No.45, beating the Missouri driver off turn two and he never looked back.  He went on to win heat race number five by 1.832 seconds.  

The heat win put Halligan in the dash, assuring him of a top ten starting spot in the $6,000 to win main event.  The Ephrata, PA driver pulled the number six pill in the redraw, putting him outside row three for the 6-lap race.

Halligan held the 6th spot until the final lap when a large lump of clay impacted the front end of his machine, crushing the radiator and oil tank, breaking lines in the process.  With smoke trailing off the left side headers, he managed to get to the finish line but slipped back to 7th.

The Risser Motorsports crew went to work immediately upon Halligan’s return pit-side.  Dislodging the clay and crumpled sheet metal was a chore on its own.  Once those were out of the way, the damage to lines and connections for the oil tank and radiator was determined to be extensive enough that an engine change was necessary.

In the short window of time between the dash and the A-main, the team managed to pull the motor and prepare its replacement but ran out of time to drop it between the rails of Halligan’s Panther Chassis.

Instead of taking the green for the 30-lap A-main from his rightful 7th spot, Halligan borrowed the 77k of BK Motorsports and dropped to the rear of the field per the rules.  He took the green, then pulled off the racing surface, officially credited with a 27th place finish.

It was an unlucky and disappointing end to a night that had the makings of a top ten, or possibly top five run.

September 9:  The Night Before the 50 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA

     [52 cars, Qualifying 3rd in Group A, Heat 11th (2)]

Friday’s car count grew to 52 for the $8,000 to win ‘Night Before the 50’ show.  The five group/five heat format was once again in play.

Halligan’s night started off once again on a positive note when he logged the 3rd quickest lap in Group A.  The lap placed him on the outside front row of the first heat race.

When the green flag dropped on the start of the heat race at the chalk line in turn four, Halligan’s mount stumbled slightly before it reached full song.  It was enough to drop him to 4th by the end of lap one.  

Halligan battled to recover the lost ground but was still sitting 4th with two laps remaining when disaster struck.  He made contact with the outside wall between turns one and two.  The resulting damage to the rear of the car was severe.   The team went to work removing the destroyed axle and suspension parts.  As they prepared to install a new rear end, frame damage was discovered that meant the Risser Motorsports / TheTreeCenter.com / Victory Auto of Lewistown / EMM Sales & Service / Jake’s Golf Carts / Pine Hill Trailers / Keystone Ag Spraying, No.45 was done for night.

September 10:  55th Annual Tuscarora 50 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA

     [55 cars, Qualifying 19th in Flight B, Heat 5th (7), B-main 5th (12), Non-Qualifiers Feature 2nd (1)]

Saturday’s program leveraged its own unique format (details below) to determine who got a piece of the lucrative pie known as the 55th Annual Tuscarora 50.  The largest piece, the winner’s share, grew from its original $55,000 to $60,000 just hours before the finale thanks to a generous sponsor.

After spending a long night and morning preparing their second car for the task, Jeff Halligan and the Risser Motorsports team were ready to compete along with 54 other teams.

Halligan’s pill draw placed him next to last in the Flight 2 qualifying order.  He ended his run ranked 19th of the 27 cars in the group.

From his 7th starting spot in the 8-lap heat race, from which only the top three would transfer directly to the 50-lap A-main, Halligan had his work cut out for him.  He managed to grab 6th on the opening lap, then reached 5th with two laps remaining, but that was where the climb ended.

Rolling to the green flag for the 12-lap B-main from the 12th spot, Halligan once again had a tall order in front of him.  Only the top four finishers would make the field for the prestigious Tuscarora 50.

Halligan nearly pulled it off.  Charging his way through the field, he claimed the 5th spot on the final lap, but crossed the line one spot short of the goal.  It was a valiant effort but a bitter disappointment for the team that had achieved so much success at Port Royal Speedway thus far in 2022.

There was some good news.  For the 20th year in a row, the family and friends of the late Will Gamble of Port Royal presented the Will Gamble Determination Award.  Jeff Halligan was the recipient of this year’s $500 award.

The final event of the evening provided Halligan with another unique opportunity.  The 20-lap non-qualifiers feature not only offered $2,000 to the winner, it guaranteed them a starting spot in next year’s Tuscarora 50 which also carried a minimum $2,000 prize.

Halligan started on the pole of the non-qualifier’s feature but fell to 2nd on the opening lap.  He chased down race-long leader Sye Lynch on lap ten and wrestled the lead away.  Halligan’s car seemed to be much better on the long runs that it was on the start.

A late caution set up a short two lap sprint to the finish.  Halligan held off Lynch to the white flag, but the No.42 was building momentum and challenged for the lead on the final lap.  He managed to slip by, winning by just 0.683 seconds over Halligan.

At least this time the car was in one piece, but much like the rest of the weekend, the result fell short of the potential.

Weekend Wrap-up

“That three days felt like three weeks.“, a mentally and physically exhausted Halligan said.

“Everyone worked so hard all weekend to try keep us going.  I owe a lot to everyone who has helped me, not only this weekend but all season long.  Thank you, Kyle Defibaugh, Jeff Defibaugh, John Simmons, Brian Mullen, Brent Risser and Roger Duttry.”

Halligan added, “We also want to give a huge shout out to Tom and Fran Chiappelli for lending us a motor from their Golden Flavor Sesame Sticks team to run Saturday.  They are super people, and we truly appreciate what they did for us.”

“Last year we crashed on Thursday night and that was the end of our Tuscarora 50 attempt.  We worked hard all year to build our program depth and be better prepared for the big shows.  Even if nothing goes wrong, it’s not easy to run three straight days.  When you have a weekend like we did, it’s really tough.  It didn’t go how we envisioned, but we made it all the way through the weekend and we’re proud of that, as well as everything we have accomplished this season.  We’re going the right direction with our program.”

Up Next

Tentatively Halligan and the Risser Motorsports team will be in action Saturday night with the All Star Circuit of Champions at the Dirt Classic IX at Lincoln Speedway, however they will make a final decision later this week.

Port Royal Speedway will remain the primary focus for Halligan for the balance of 2022.  The team will compete there with the World of Outlaws on October 7th & 8th, then again on October 14th as part of the Short Track Super Series Modified event.

Season Stats

40 races, 2 wins, 11 top 5’s, 18 top 10’s, 24 top 15’s

In his last race at Port Royal Speedway, Jeff Halligan was out front and appeared to be on his way to his third victory of the season at the Pennsylvania half-mile clay oval.  That seemingly sure win evaporated when a car spun directly into his path and brought the night to a premature end for the Risser Motorsports / TheTreeCenter.com / Victory Auto of Lewistown / EMM Sales & Service / Jake’s Golf Carts / Pine Hill Trailers / Keystone Ag Spraying, No.45.

Saturday night Halligan was back at Port Royal on opening night of the Juniata County Fair for one final night race tune up opportunity before the upcoming three-day Tuscarora 50 event.

September 3:  Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA

     [29 cars, Heat 1st (1), A-main 11th (7)]

Three 10-lap heat races, lined up by a pill draw, kicked off qualifying for the 29 sprint cars on hand.  The top six finishers from each transferred to the A-main, with the top three handicapped based on season points to set the starting lineup for the main event.  The remaining six starters would transfer from the consolation race.  

Halligan landed the pole of heat number two by virtue of his draw.  From the drop of the green he was untouchable, pulling out to an immediate eight car-length lead by the middle of the backstretch.  The Ephrata, PA wheelman went on to a convincing win over Lucas Wolfe by a 7.223 second margin.

The handicap format put Halligan 7th to start the A-main.  The fast-paced 25-lap race went caution-free.  Jeff slipped back to 9th on the opening lap.  He spent the first half of the feature hanging on to a top ten spot.  Just after the halfway sign, he fell to 11th and was unable to recover the lost ground.

“We missed on a couple things and just got ourselves too tight.“, Halligan commented.  “We’ll learn from it, move on, and focus on the big weekend ahead.“

Although the team was disappointed with their results Saturday night, one bright spot for Halligan and the Risser Motorsports team was winning the $1000 Warrior Award.  The award, courtesy of Jim & Sandy Kline and J&S Classics, is presented to the driver who finishes in the position randomly drawn following the race.

Halligan was scheduled to compete in the Labor Day Classic at Port Royal Speedway on Monday afternoon but unfortunately all day rains washed out the 71st annual edition of the event.

Up Next

This week is all about the three All Star Circuit of Champions sanctioned races at Port Royal Speedway, which culminate with Saturday night’s $55,000 to win Tuscarora 50.  It’s not just the finale that will be rewarding to the top competitors.

Thursday’s preliminary action offers $8,000 to the winner, Friday’s ‘Night Before the 50’ awards the victor with a tidy $10,000 prize, and Saturday’s 55th annual installment of premier event not only drops $55,000 into the bank account of the winning team but also pays a minimum of $2,000 just to qualify and start the event.  The three day total event payout will exceed $230,000!

The prestigious and lucrative event has been circled on Halligan’s calendar since the team all year long.  The team has two wins and has been in the thick of things nearly every week this season at ‘The Speed Palace’.  They are primed and ready to be a factor when Saturday night rolls around.

Season Stats

37 races, 2 wins, 11 top 5’s, 18 top 10’s, 24 top 15’s

All season long, Jeff Halligan and the Risser Motorsports team have kept their focus on improving.  Each and every time they hit the track; it has been with purpose.  Not just to win of course, but to work toward the bigger successes.

They have used circled events on their schedule as the milestones.  Measuring sticks of their progress essentially.  When the opportunity arises to work on an area of their program, they do so.  With those things in mind, and with no sprint car event at Port Royal Speedway this past weekend, Halligan and team ventured to Williams Grove Speedway and Lincoln Speedway, not only to take on the All Star Circuit of Champions but to continue preparing for the big season-ending events at both tracks.

August 26:  Jack Gunn Memorial / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA

     [33 cars, Qualifying 7th in Group B, Heat 6th (7), B-main 3rd (4), 1st Twin 20 21st (23), 2nd Twin 20 24th (21)]

Halligan and the Risser Motorsports / TheTreeCenter.com / Victory Auto of Lewistown / EMM Sales & Service / Jake’s Golf Carts / Pine Hill Trailers / Keystone Ag Spraying, No.45 were among 33 teams signed in Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway.

The All Stars’ 4-group format was in effect for the program, meaning teams qualified against their groups and five cars would transfer to the A-main from each of four heat races.  Halligan was the 6th car in Group B to hit the track for qualifying.  When the group was complete, his lap ranked 7th quickest.  

Halligan knew he was going to have a hill to climb to recover from the subpar qualifying result.  The Ephrata, PA driver started 7th in the second heat.  He was able to reach 6th by the finish of the 8-lap race, one spot short of making the show.

Relegated to the 12-lap B-main, Halligan needed to finish among the top four in his last chance to make the main event.  He started 4th and finished 3rd, accomplishing that goal.

The feature format for the Jack Gunn Memorial was Twin 20-lap A-mains.  The starting order for the first was set by the qualifying that had been completed, and the lineup for the second 20-lap feature would be based on the finish of the first feature but with the top six inverted.

Halligan lined up 23rd for the first feature but struggled to make forward progress.  He finished 21st.  In the second feature, Halligan took the green but then retired from the event and was credited with 24th.

“We didn’t time well tonight.  It was hard to recover from that.  We’re still searching here (at Williams Grove).  We haven’t found what works for us consistently here this year.  Nothing to do but keep working.“, Halligan said.

August 27:  Kramer Klash / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA

     [39 cars, Qualifying 1st in Group C, Heat 2nd (3), A-main 8th (10)]

An even deeper field of 39 cars registered for action in Saturday’s $7,300 to win Kramer Klash at Lincoln Speedway, a tribute to the late Sprint Car Hall of Famer member, Kramer Williamson.  The car count meant teams would compete under the same format as the previous night.  This time however, Jeff Halligan got things off on a different foot.

Halligan timed in as the 4th quickest in Group C, setting himself up with the 3rd starting spot in heat number three.  On the start, he fell back to 4th and then to 5th on lap four.  A mid-race inadvertent caution flag by series officials when leader Danny Dietrich slowed briefly, bunched the field.  Dietrich restarted 3rd, where he blended in at the time of the caution.

On the restart, the rear axle of new leader Robbie Kendall broke , causing chaos behind him as drivers took evasive actions.  Halligan was able to get through the incident cleanly.

Following a red flag, the race resumed with Danny Dietrich back at the front of the field, followed by Bill Balog and Halligan.  On this restart, Balog made contact with Dietrich’s No.48 and ended up against the turn one wall, stopping action yet again.

Halligan lined up behind Dietrich for what was ultimately the final restart of the eventful heat race.  He challenged Dietrich for the win, which would have earned Halligan a spot in the Dash, but he was unable to make it happen and held on to finish 2nd.

Halligan lined up in the 10th starting spot for the 30-lap A-main.  Over the first dozen laps, he held a solid grasp on the 10th position but had not been able to make any forward progress.

When the field bunched up for a lap twelve restart, Halligan seized the opportunity.  He moved into the 9th spot, then 8th a lap later.  His progress stalled there and held on to finish 8th.

“I’m happy with a top ten against the All Stars.  I think we are close here (at Lincoln).  We’ve been consistent our last few times here.  We had decent speed to start the night and we did a pretty good job of keeping up with the track, so we’re happy about that.“, Halligan commented.

Up Next

Halligan will turn his attention back to Port Royal Speedway for two races over the upcoming holiday weekend.  First up will be the annual Juniata County Fair opener as part of the Butch Renninger Memorial for super late models and limited late models on Saturday night September 3rd.

“It’s all about $55k.“, Halligan said, referring to the winner’s share of the purse for the upcoming Tuscarora 50.  “Every race, every lap at Port (Royal) all season has been about that race.  We will focus on this weekend and not look past it, but we will be there to win and to keep fine tuning our stuff to be ready for The ’50.“

Halligan’s race weekend will wrap up with the 71st Annual Labor Day Classic on Monday afternoon September 5th, then the team will turn their attention to the three day Tuscarora 50 event, which runs September 8th through the 10th.

Season Stats

36 races, 2 wins, 11 top 5’s, 18 top 10’s, 23 top 15’s