Dirt modified ace Craig Von Dohren has earned 348 feature victories and a multitude of championships over the course of his 44-year career. However, last weekend’s event — the Bruce Rogers Memorial at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania — ranks high among his accomplishments.
“It was a big win because it was Bruce’s race,” said Von Dohren, of Oley, Pennsylvania. “We’ve had a lot of great wins, but I’d rank this one in my top 10 of all-time.”
Von Dohren got to know Rogers because the track once offered a unique reward for its champions — a weeklong Caribbean cruise with the Rogers family.
“When I won my first championship, I was a 24-year-old-driver who had never been on a cruise before,” Von Dohren said. “The Rogers family flew 50 to 60 people to Miami. [We went] on to cruising the Caribbean — St. Thomas, Aruba, Belize, and other islands. We had dinners and breakfasts with Bruce.”
As Von Dohren learned more about Rogers and his family, his respect grew stronger for them.
“Bruce was a hard worker and Grandview Speedway’s success proved that,” said Von Dohren. “Bruce was also fun to be with. He was honest, and, most importantly, he was a listener — he cared about what drivers had to say. He treated everyone fairly.”
After Bruce Rogers passed away, his son Kenny Rogers and grandson Brad Missimer took over the reins.
“[Bruce] shared his secrets and tricks with his son and grandson,” Von Dohren said. “They’ve continued to make improvements and listen to suggestions we have had.”
Last year, Craig Von Dohren finished second in the Bruce Rogers Memorial. He charged to the front from a 23rd starting spot. This year, he drew sixth to begin the feature and worked his way to the top to win the $10,060 awarded to the victor. However, the win proved far more meaningful that the money awarded.
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
