Home >  Sports >  Notebooks

Sunday, June 09, 2002

By Chris Dolack, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

John Flinner. Among fans of dirt late models, his name automatically invokes a reaction.

Love him or hate him, Flinner is one driver everyone has an opinion about.

"I'm the nicest guy you'll ever know," he said one Friday night earlier this season in the pits at Lernerville Speedway. "I just get a little out of hand every once in a while."

	Victory Lane Hero's determination key to Roush's rescue after plane crash Racing Roundup Ward wins IRL race NASCAR Q & A John Andretti By the numbers Awesome Bill from Dawsonville Drivers to watch

He's aggressive, there's no denying that. Sometimes he creates room for a pass when there is no room to be created. Other times, he spots a hole between two cars ahead of him and breathtakingly squeezes between them before the hole closes.

He's also a champion, winning the late model title at Lernerville Speedway in 2001. He is on pace for another title at the Sarver oval, earning his fourth victory of the season Friday night when he got past Ken Schaltenbrand on the final lap and surged to the victory. He also has a victory and was second in points behind Ed Ferree at Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway going into last night.

Flinner is a favorite of the various media outlets, too. He's definitely one of the most outspoken drivers at any track in the region, answering every question without worrying about whom he might offend.

But in the past two weeks, Flinner has caused a stir with talk about retiring in October.

Flinner retiring?

C'mon.

At his shop yesterday he maintained he will be done with racing at the end of the season. Not just done racing on dirt, but done completely to focus on his business.

Yeah, right.

If Flinner and his team can figure out a way to separate his business from his race shop, there's no doubt he'll be back racing next season. Maybe not on a weekly basis, but perhaps in the Renegade DirtCar Racing Series. As he talked yesterday, he had just finished putting the decals on Rich Apolito's limited late model for last night at PPMS while his father was in the back preparing Flinner's car, also for PPMS.

"It needs to be separated," he said. "I feel like I'm stuck in a little cubbyhole right now. Everything's pressuring me and I need to open that up.

"I don't want to retire from racing. I hope I don't."

Flinner, who drives for John Johnson, won't be able to leave racing too easily. He says Johnson reminded him he would sell his equipment and claim to retire after every season when Flinner drove for himself.

"When October came, I was broke," Flinner said. "I needed to sell that stuff to make it through the winter.

"Next year it's all my decision. We've got the motors, the cars, the trucks, the trailers. If I tell John for sure we're done, he's going to sell it all. He says he won't ever do it again."

Don't expect that day to come too soon, though. He might be ready to move on from racing at Lernerville and at PPMS each week, but he's too competitive to give up his ride.

"I'd watch Chihuahuas race if there was nothing else to watch," he said. "As long as it's competition."

Does that sound like a guy who's ready to retire? Didn't think so.

Smith wins again

Jamie Smith earned his second sprint car victory of the season at Lernerville Speedway Friday night when he held off defending champion Jimmy Hawley.

In modifieds, Brian Swartzlander won his first feature of the season and Chris Schneider earned his third pure stock victory this season.

Dernoshek wins again

Logan Dernoshek drove to the biggest victory of his career Friday night when he won the Eastgate Dodge 100, the first leg of Motordrome Speedway's Triple Crown.

Other winners at the Smithton oval included Mike Bakalon in modifieds, Marion Reno Jr. in pro trucks and Frank Turek in street stocks.

Chris Dolack can be reached at cdolack@post-gazette.com.