Myers Finally Collects Win No. 1 at Linda’s; Bartik Makes Triumphant Return on 2026 Opening Night
Column By: Kasey Kreider / LINDA SPEEDWAY – JONESTOWN, PA – After a one-week delay due to Mother Nature, the 51st season of racing at the Linda’s Speedway in Jonestown, PA kicked off in earnest on Friday night, with a thrilling five-division show of competition that saw a mixture of new, familiar, and returning faces make their way into the winner’s circle.
On 73 prior occasions in his 270 Micro Sprint racing career, Cory Myers had parked his familiar No. 20 in victory lane. But not one of those triumphs had occurred at the Linda’s Speedway until Friday night, when Myers shook the monkey off of his back to complete his over decade-long quest of trying to capture a checkered flag at the quarter-mile.
Myers blasted from third to the lead on the opening lap of the feature, and then held off Billy Logeman during a long green-flag run and a race in lapped traffic all the way to the conclusion of the 25-lap season-opening event for the Mt. Gretna Roller Rink 270 Micro Sprints. With the win, Cory joined his brother Craig as members of the Myers family to taste victory at Linda’s Speedway.
Behind the runner-up Logeman, Bennett Skelton, three-time defending champion Brandon Heist, and Matt Fernsler all made it through a multi-car pileup early in the race to capture the remaining spots in the top five.
On May 16, 2025, Tyler Bartik suffered a medical emergency in the middle of a race night at the Linda’s Speedway, knocking him out of competition for the remainder of the season. On Friday night – in Bartik’s first trip back to the quarter-mile since that scary evening – the former Xcel 600 Modified track champion made a comeback that was nothing short of storybook, as the Allentown native flat-out dominated the 25-lap Xcel 600 Modified Tour feature to score his first
Linda’s victory since August of 2023.
Bartik opened up a lead of over three seconds during a long green-flag run in the race’s middle stages, before holding off Griffin Hendershot and defending track champion Kenny Harris over a five-lap sprint to the finish.
The Bernheisel Race Components Chargers contested the first stock car race of the year at the quarter-mile, and it was Jonestown native and former champion Josh Michael scoring the win of their season-opening 15-lapper.
The All Star Slingshots opened their 2026 season on Friday night as well, and it was Schuylkill Haven’s Tyler Ulsh who kicked off the new year in the same fashion that he wrapped up last season. After winning the season finale in 2025, Ulsh zipped from fourth to first in the span of just two laps to chalk up an opening-night win.
In the Junior Sprint season-opener, defending champion Ashlyn Wittmer went worst-to-first in the heat race before leading wire-to-wire in the 15-lap feature to kick off her quest for
back-to-back track championships in style.
The Linda’s Speedway returns to action next Friday, April 17 with the first event of the season for the 270 Micro Sprint Time Trial Series. The Hoosier Tire Wingless 600 Micro Sprints will also make their season debut, racing alongside the Front Wheel Drive Cars and both the All Star and Junior Slingshots. Gates open at 5 p.m., with warmups and on-track action beginning at 7 p.m. General admission is just $5 per person. And for those unable to attend in person, live streaming coverage will be provided courtesy of The Cushion.
