Danny Holtgraver, 17, of Pittsburgh, finally knows the feeling of the thrill of victory and the agony of being on your head.

A week earlier at Mercer Raceway Park the high school junior had celebrated his first career victory. Saturday night at the same track, Holtgraver experienced the inevitable for a sprint car driver -- his first career flip. The second-year driver was just shy of 40 races before experiencing both.

A sprint car driver knows sooner or later he will end up on his head. With 800 horsepower under the hood, a 25-square foot wing and total weight of 1,375 pounds including driver, the short wheel base machine has a tendency to get airborne when provoked.

"It happened so fast, I don't even know what happened," Holtgraver said. "It wasn't scary. It was in slow motion but it happened quickly. I knew it was going to happen at some point; it happens to everyone and I am glad we got the first one out of the way. We were definitely overdue."

Promotion, promotion

With more and more competition for the entertainment dollar, track promoters must find ways to put fans in the seats and cars on the track.

Saturday night, promoter Vicki Emig debuts "Dollar Dayz" at Mercer Raceway Park. It will feature $1 admission for students 6-15 -- a $4 savings. In addition, hot dogs, fries, popcorn and soda will all be sold for $1.

"Each year, we like to try different promotions offering back discounts and savings to our fans so it's more affordable for them to attend," Emig said. "Dollar Dayz is a new one this season, and we'll do a second one on Aug. 18."

Also Saturday at Mercer Raceway Park, Twin-State Auto Racing Club and Pittsburgh Circle Track Club members will be admitted free.

And Mercer isn't the only track offering promotions Saturday.

Sharon Speedway holds "Two for $2" night. Fans who bring two non-perishable food items for Second Harvest Food Bank will receive $2 off the price of an adult general admission ticket. Items will be collected outside the gate from 4-6 p.m.

Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway has "T-shirt Slingshot Night." Fans will have a chance to catch special PPMS T-shirts shot into the stands with an oversize slingshot.

Live racing on HBO

HBO Pay-Per view will air the Nextel Prelude to the Dream June 6 from Eldora Speedway, a half-mile dirt track in Rossburg, Ohio.

Proceeds will support Kyle and Patty Petty's Victory Junction Gang and the Tony Stewart Foundation. Stewart bought Eldora Speedway from dirt track racing icon Earl Baltes.

The Nextel Prelude is an all-star race for 25 drivers including Stewart, rookie Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte and more, including former local racer-turned-NASCAR driver Dave Blaney. All will compete in 2,300-pound dirt late models. Many will go behind the wheel of a stock car with 800 horsepower under the hood for the first time.

The live broadcast begins at 7 p.m. -- the first racing telecast to be shown on PPV. Cost is $24.95. For updated information as the date nears, visit www.hbo.com.

Lugnuts

Red Miley, the president of Miley Motor Sports and owner of Motordrome Speedway, died at home yesterday of cancer. ... Kittanning's Rod George won the sprint car features at Mercer Raceway Park and Tri-City Speedway in Franklin,Pa. ... Dr. Geoffrey Bond, a transplant surgeon at UPMC, is participating in the One Lap for America race May 5-12.