Story By: EMILY WINSLOW / ASHLEY CAPPETTA RACING – ABBOTTSTOWN, PA – Ashley Cappetta and the Gettysburg Trading Post, Mike’s Towing and Recovery, Yesteryear Antique Center, Stoner’s Auction, O’Brien’s Fuel and Service, Iron Horse Trains, Republican Club of Hanover No. 89 were back in action on Saturday night at Lincoln Speedway.
Cappetta passed the pill draw responsibility on to her dad this weekend, but it did not change the team’s luck as he drew the 46 pill. The draw put Ashley in the eighth starting spot for her heat race, “I felt pretty good in the heat race and actually passed two cars at once. I started to get a little uncomfortable towards the end but still pulled off a fifth place finish.” Cappetta fell back to ninth on the initial start after getting pelted with mud, but gathered herself back up and went to work. After passing two cars at once, Cappetta passed a single car and then with another car breaking, Ashley crossed the line fifth. Her heat race finish had her lined up for her best starting spot of the year but unfortunately the rain came, ending the night early. Saturday night’s feature will be made up this weekend, making it a double feature event for Cappetta and the 358 sprint cars.
The 20th Weldon Sterner Tribute Race is scheduled for October 13th, the season finale at Lincoln. Cappetta is hard at work helping to make the race the biggest it’s ever been, “We have a lot of things planned to make the race special for the fans and the racers.” Ashley’s Dad knew Pat Sterner and asked her about sponsoring Ashley when she first started racing, “Pat became one of my first sponsors. The fact that she was willing to give me money to pursue my racing dream meant a lot to me.”
The Weldon Sterner race has always been a highlight on Lincoln’s schedule and with Cappetta’s drive to give back to people and her relationship with Pat it was a no brainer for her to step up. The goal is to raise $20,000 for the winner of the 410 feature but Cappetta is also working on raising more money for the 358 sprint division as well.
Cappetta originally had Williams Grove on her schedule for this coming Friday, but with scheduling conflicts for her crew that race has been removed. Cappetta will be racing on Saturday night at Lincoln for the Elijah Hawkins Memorial which will consist of the make-up feature from June 3 and a full program for the 358 sprint cars.