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Henderson Is Looking Forward
To Running Pa. Sprints in 2010
With Sorokach Motorsports
MINERSVILLE, Pa., March 1 - Justin Henderson hails from Sioux Falls, S.D.,
but he's hoping to become a popular adopted member of the Pennsylvania Posse
in 2010.
Henderson has been chosen by Dawn and Charlie Sorokach (pronounced
soar-ROW-catch) of Minersville, Pa. to drive Sorokach Motorsports' Char-Pac Coal Co.
No. 35 on the tough Central Pennsylvania sprint car trail for the new
season, which is scheduled to start this Saturday, March 6 at Lincoln Speedway in
Abbottstown, Pa.
"Pennsylvania Posse" is a term coined to describe sprint car drivers who
compete regularly in Pennsylvania, long a hotbed for this type of auto racing.
It differentiates them from drivers competing in other regions or series,
especially those who race in a traveling series called the World of Outlaws
(WoO) Sprint Car Series.
A sprint car is a purpose-built, open-wheel race car that weighs about
1,375 pounds with the driver in the car. WoO and many Pennsylvania Posse sprint
cars use 410-cubic-inch engines that are fueled by methanol and produce
approximately 850 horsepower. They have far more horsepower than an Indy car
does and they have about the same horsepower as a NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car,
which is about 2,275 pounds heavier.
Most sprint car races are held on clay ovals about one-half mile in length.
Henderson said Sorokach Motorsports plans to enter approximately 85 races
this year. He will have two cars at his disposal. Both are JEI chassis
powered by Garrett Race Engines. Other companies that will help the team this
year include Jerry Mack Tools, Butler Built Seats, Bell Helmets, Hinchman
Uniforms and Oakley Safety Equipment.
The team's regular weekly schedule is expected to be Williams Grove
Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa. on Friday nights and Port Royal Speedway in Port
Royal, Pa. on Saturday nights. Port Royal's 2010 season opener is Sunday,
March 14 (see portroyalspeedway.com), while Williams Grove opens Friday, March
19 (see williamsgrove.com).
The team hopes to compete in special sprint car shows at Eldora Speedway in
Rossburg, Ohio too, as well as make occasional appearances with the
O'Reilly All-Star Circuit of Champions sprint car series and the WoO as the
schedule and budget permit.
Shane Stout of Bloomsburg, Pa. is the chief mechanic for the cars, which
are painted blue. Car owner Charlie Sorokach also serves as a mechanic on the
team. Other members of the pit crew include Lanny Lyons of Bloomsburg, Pa.
(tire specialist) and Frank Muscara of Pottsville, Pa. (chief of
maintenance). Fans will recognize Lyons' name, as he raced late models in Pennsylvania
for many years.
Henderson's German Shepherd, Zeus, is the team's mascot.
"I'm looking forward to entertaining the most hard-core sprint car fans in
the world, and I hope they'll adopt me as one of their own," Henderson said.
"I ran in Pennsylvania occasionally when I was on the WoO circuit and I
quickly learned how important sprint cars are to Pennsylvanians. That means
we already have a lot in common!
"I'm grateful that the Sorokachs have chosen me as their driver," Henderson
added. "I'm sure they would like to have more help as far as sponsors go,
so if anyone is interested in that please see me at the track or contact me
through my Web site."
That Web site is located at justinhenderson.com. Henderson's complete
schedule and updates will be posted there throughout the season.
Henderson finished seventh in the WoO series in 2006 as a rookie. He had
four top-five finishes with the WoO in 2007. He raced primarily at Knoxville
Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa in 2008, running 53 events including nine WoO
shows. He had a top-10 finish at the Knoxville Nationals that year, set the
20-lap track record there on May 24, 2008 with a time of 5:30.5, and won the
season opener and the week afterwards. He had four victories in all that
season. In 2009 he competed in 49 races throughout the nation, including some
in Pennsylvania, and recorded five top-five finishes and 17 top-10s.
Henderson started racing karts at the age of 5 and drove his first sprint
car at 16. He is a two-time track champion at Huset's Speedway in Brandon,
S.D., and he is also a former track champion at Lake County Speedway in
Madison, S.D. He won the national Cheater's Day event in both 2003 and 2005 at
Huset's Speedway. He was Rookie of the Year and the runner-up in the
International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) national sprint car point standings in
1996.