Which racing is better, dirt or asphalt? It’s an argument that will never end, and that’s a good thing for the racing world. Both sides have their supporters and detractors, each full of cliches to prove their points. For asphalt racers, the prevailing theory is that dirt is for farming, not racing. For dirt track fans and drivers, it seems that asphalt is good for getting to the track and nothing else. Even though NASCAR has pretty much cornered the nation’s collective racing conscience, dirt track racing is dominant locally. Around Pittsburgh, dirt tracks outnumber asphalt track 8-3. The area’s two asphalt ovals used to be dirt tracks. Jennerstown Speedway in Somerset County was paved in 1980s, and Motordrome Speedway near Smithton followed suit in 1990. The only drag-racing facility in the area, Keystone Raceway in New Alexandria, is also asphalt. Another thought is that dirt racing leaves more to chance, which could be what makes the crowds seem more passionate. Also, setups must constantly change with track conditions. The transition from day to night, changes in humidity and rain can dramatically affect setups. Asphalt tracks are also affected, but generally not as much as dirt. For drivers, the attraction tgo the dirt is basic. They believe that there is more driver control on a dirt track. Lynn Geisler is one such driver. Geisler has driven on both dirt and asphalt, and he preferes the former even though his son Travis drives Late Models at Motordrome and Jennerstown. “I cut my teeth dirt racing, but it’s kind of a deal where it’s not as much equipment,” Lynn Geisler said. “It’s not as fine of a deal. I think the driver has a lot more to do with it in the total outcome. I think there is more action (in dirt racing), and that’s what fans want. “You need to be a skilled asphalt fan to enjoy it. I think you need to be able to watch the things that the average fan never identifies with. I think the best way to explain it is that asphalt races are won in the garage during the week. Dirt track races are won at the track. Your preparation (for dirt) is very baseline, and you make changes when you come to the track each night.” Those opinions are not restricted to the drivers. At nearly every show at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial, one will find Mike Hornyak. He’s been in racing for more than 30 years and has seen it all, from the pits and the grandstand. For him, dirt is the way to go. “You see a lot of action at these tracks,” Hornyak said. “I used to work on cars that were owned by Gator Harris. We had guys like Roy Miller, Dave Hoffman, Ty Long and Dave Gross driving for us. I’ve been coming to this track since it opened. On dirt, the track is always changing.” Hornyak also spoke of a difference between NASCAR and the local racing scene. NASCAR’s rise has really taken the circuit far beyond racing to the point where it is more of a spectacle. Think of a Super Bowl when the game doesn’t live up to the hype. “I think most fans of asphalt racing follow NASCAR,” Hornyak said. “I think dirt fans follow them all. I think it takes a special kind of driver to get into NASCAR; you kind of have to be born into it.” Jim Swezey of Greensburg wasn’t “born into it,” it kind of moved next door to him. Swezey is a Late Model driver at Latrobe Speedway, but he will take in a Friday night card at Lernerville Speedway with his wife Rebecca. “I just come to dirt, it sort of gets into your system,” Swezey said. “I ran a Pure Stock last year, but I didn’t actually start going until I built a car. Joe Kelley kind of got me into it. I helped him with the car. He kept his car in a garage next to my house, so I got into it that way. But this is great, this is more American than baseball.” Kelley races both on dirt and asphalt. On dirt, he is one of Pittsburgh’s top Pure Stock drivers. On asphalt, he races a truck at Jennerstown. “I would say the excitement is greater (on dirt) because you have more grooves,” Kelley said. “I won’t say that asphalt is just one groove, I’d say one and a half grooves. You can pass, but it’s hard. On asphalt, you almost have to be on rails.” Not all fans are racers or family members of racers. Some fans are kids who dream of one day racing a Sprint Car or a Late Model on the dirt. One of those at Lernerville was Justin McFadden. He races a kart on dirt and is one of many who wants to make a move up when he gets older. “Sprints, Modifieds and Late Models,” McFadden said. “I like a lot of Sprint drivers, I guess that is what attracts me to it. I would like to end up racing sprints sometime. Sometimes, when I’m racing the kart, I think about what I see these guys do and try to use it, like trying to keep the throttle under control, trying to get through the corners smoothly.” McFadden said Lernerville and Sharon Speedway are his two favorite tracks. Lernerville has been around for 35 years, and Sharon is enjoying a rebirth of sorts as the track was recently purchased from a group that includes NASCAR Winston Cup driver Dave Blaney. Blaney got his start racing on dirt and was a mainstay at Lernerville for years before he moved on to the World of Outlaws. Blaney’s dad Lou and his brother Dale are also part of dirt track racing’s history in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Women love racing as well. Dawn Gossard has one favorite driver, Late Model driver Joe Johnson, and she was at Lernerville to lend her support from the stands. “Joe Johnson is my friend, and he races here, that’s why I’m here,” Gossard said. “I occasionally go to PPMS and Mercer, too. I like the Sprint Cars because they are fast, and they can roll. “This is just an awesome track. My parents go to races all over, and they always wear their Lernerville jackets and shirts. People are always coming up to them and saying something.” With Gossard was Luke Blakley. It was Blakley’s first night at a race, and it was clear he was hooked. “This is my first time here, and I love it,” Blakley said. “I’ll watch NASCAR, but these races are quicker, and they are not as boring. I really didn’t have any preconceived notions. I like the noise. I really think the sound is good.” The battle will rage on and on with no clear winner in sight. Perhaps Motordrome owner Red Miley put it best. “I just think the extreme excitement of what can happen on dirt is the biggest attraction,” said Miley, who is also a group that operates PPMS. “You have cars sliding and moving all over the place with two and three grooves. It’s great. “Asphalt is more refined, and dirt is more grass roots. But really, it’s like ice cream. Do you like chocolate or vanilla• I like them both.”

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