Life is good for Rush Sportsman Modified driver, Chelsie Kriegisch. She is pretty, vivacious, and FAST. On top of that, last October she became the wife of 410 Sprint driver Darin Gallagher of Butler. She smiled and said, “I hit the husband jackpot. We are doing great! We support each other in any way that we can.”

She met Darin at Tim Shaffer’s Aliquippa Go-Cart Track where they were racing their carts. The Gallaghers and the Kriegischs are racing families. Normally, she keeps her car at her dad’s garage and they spend time together working on the Modified. Her dad, Randy, raced micros and 360 Sprints before entering the 410 Sprint division. He retired from racing in 2005 and in 2006 he bought Chelsie a Go-Cart. Later, he bought her younger sister, Jess, one too. One day at Tim Shaffer’s Go-Cart track, Modified owner Jerry Schaffer was watching Chelsie race and commented that her lap times were super-consistent. Later at Lernerville, Jerry asked Chelsie, “Would you like to try racing one of my Sportsman Modifieds?” She did! So in 2014, when Vicki Emig created the Rush Sportsman Modifieds division, Chelsie started her career.

After two years, she and Jerry mutually parted and he let her keep the Modified. Chelsie continued racing with the Rush group and she’s been with them for ten years. She still has a 350-crate motor in it. “Lately, I’ve been running with the 410 Big-Block Modifieds at Lernerville,” she said. “I am just having fun. Because of work, it would not be possible to make it to a track that runs my division on Friday nights.”

Chelsie works from home for a property tech company based out of New York called Avenue One. She is in the real estate title and closing department. “I like it when I have to go to New York city for meetings; that enables me to explore,” she said.

She would like to be in a big-block Modified if the opportunity presented itself. During the 2021 Lernerville Stampede she took out Joe Peluso’s second Sprint car in hot laps. It was there as Darin’s back-up. Chelsie said, “I really enjoyed that. It was like night and day, so cool, so much fun! It makes my car seem so slow.” She explained how it differed from her Modified. “The steering box was 9-1, so much quicker. It was different looking out with a big old wing above me. It was so open. You sit in the middle of the Modified and to the left in the Sprint.”

Her pit crew consists of her father, Randy, and Darin, sister Jessica (when she is not racing her own Crate Modified in New York), Jess’ boyfriend Brandon Michaud, her brother-in-law Brad Gallagher and father-in-law Don (former Lernerville flagman). Peluso roofing and Robinson Greenhouse and Farmer’s Market are major sponsors. This truly is a racing family!

Chelsie’s mother, Betsy, died in 2018. As a tribute to her, in her #10 car is a little heart with a halo above it that says “Mom”. Before each race she says a prayer to her mom and God to keep her safe while racing on the track. “Mom was one of a kind. She was a kind-hearted person inside and out. She helped at the garage and any way she could. I knew she was a little nervous about us racing but she knew we loved to race and let us do it. We raced as a family.”

When not racing Chelsie and Darin like riding a Side-by-Side. She chuckled and said, “It’s speed, mud and dirt in the outdoors and we like camping too!” She loves to cook and bake. “You name it and I’ve probably baked it.” The favorite meal she has made for Darin is chicken parmesan! “We bring the best out of each other.”

The recent Lernerville Firecracker race was a total success with Ricky Thorton garnering the big Super Late Model prize of $50,000 and Max Blair claiming the Bill Emig Memorial Crate Late Model feature collecting $20,000. Hats off to the Tomson family, General Manager Jason Shank and the Lucas Oil group. I’d like to give a special shout out to the ladies behind the ticket windows that do such an efficient job — Helen Bauman, Kim Matvey, Cecelia Lily, Natalie Cygwin, Ginger Meloy, and Diane Tomson. Office person Michele Tomson was like “Super Lady”. She was everywhere each day solving whatever issues that arose. Karen Alchier tirelessly kept the main concession stand flowing. It takes a village to run a race!

In other news, the auto racing family has lost a legend, Jean Lynch, who passed away last Saturday. She was one of the most knowledgeable and lovely women in racing that was always impeccably dressed. Jean wore many hats at various tracks. She was a promoter, public relations director, lineup person, sign-in person, scorer and probably worked every other job available at various tracks. For her many racing contributions, she was eventually inducted into several halls of fame. Our condolences to the Lynch family. Jean, may you rest in peace. You are gone, but not forgotten!

The Miley family sold PA Motor Speedway this past week. They will finish out the season. It is reported that the new owner, Blair Cress Jr. from Crafton, plans to keep it as an automobile racing track.

Carol Gamble is a racing columnist for the Butler Eagle