Mechanicsburg – The sprint car ownership career of one of racings most famous couples will be feted this Friday night, September 1 at Williams Grove Speedway when the historic oval spins off the C&D Rigging Jim and Sandy Kline Tribute Race for Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprints, paying 6K to win as part of the Hoosier Diamond Series.
No. 22 car owners Jim and Sandy Kline of Grantville celebrate Williams Grove victory lane in 2005 with pilot Jason Johnson.
The HJ Towing & Recovery 358 sprints are also on the racing card along with fireworks.
The Klines of Grantville began their No. 22 ownership career in the region in 2001 when their son Dean had a need for speed.
With success at Williams Grove during that maiden season, Dean soon traded in his seat and along came Maryland’s Darren Eash to settle into it.
Eash scored eight times in 358 action for the Klines and three times in 410 action through early 2004 before an injury would sideline him and in would step Ohioan Kenny Jacobs.
Jacobs would run out the 2004 clock, picking up the final two Williams Grove victories of his storied career and the first of Kline’s ownership career before Cajun Sensation Jason Johnson scored the coveted seat for the 2005 season.
Destined for greatness, Johnson recorded three Grove wins that season including the teams very first checkers over the World of Outlaws.
Fred Rahmer held the reigns in 2006, taking 12 overall wins including a pair at Williams Grove and the track title.
And then very late in 2006, in stepped Tennessee native Greg Hodnett to round out Kline’s racing career through the 2010 campaign.
From late 2006 through 2010, the pairing of Klines and Hodnett would produce a total of 35 trips to victory lane including 10 at Williams Grove.
The team scored Williams Grove driver and owner titles in 2010 and an owners title in 2009.
They also scored the oval’s Diamond Series laurels in 2007 and in 2010.
Hodnett and the No. 22 bested the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove Speedway a total of four times including in the 2009, $50,000 to win National Open.
At the end of the day, the overall ownership tenure of the husband and wife Kline team would produce a total of nine 358 sprint car wins and 58 in the 410 sprint ranks.
They racked up three Pennsylvania Speedweek titles to go along with their Williams Grove track titles plus a track championship at Susquehanna Speedway all the while taking their 67 total combined wins at a total of nine different racetracks including at Knoxville, Iowa.
Fans, drivers and mechanics will gather at Williams Grove this Friday night to honor the Kline’s career with not only on-track action but with a pre-race meet and greet and live broadcast as well.
The broadcast will be carried live on BeerHill Gang TV on Facebook from 5:45 until 6:45 pm.
Former drivers Dean Kline, Darren Eash and Kenny Jacobs will be on hand along with mechanics Moon Byers, Matt Cramer and Dave Yingst.
Hodnett’s National Open Championship sprint car from the 2009 event will also be on display for the evening.
Adult general admission for September 1 is $20 with students ages 13-20 admitted for $10.
Kids ages 12 and under are always free at Williams Grove Speedway.
