If you've been wondering how former sprint champion and car owner Jim Nace is doing and what the status of his sprint operation with driver Sean Michael is for 2008, wonder no more!

Nace was at Selinsgrove on Saturday night, partly resting and partly touring the pits and watching the action.

After spending March enduring cancer treatment again, Nace is recovering and says he could feel himself turning for the better during the past week.

The Thompsontown native says that he and driver Sean Michael and his 410 sprint operation are full speed ahead for this season, running a schedule like last year's that includes only big money and/or time trial formatted events.

The team's first race will be April 25 at Williams Grove in the Tommy Hinnershitz Classic. In all, Nace says he and Michael have about 25 races planned for the year, including All-Star and World of Outlaw shows, the Keystone Cup Series, the final weekend of the Pennsylvania Speedweek Series and all of the otherwise rich events at respective speedways. And, they will be going to the Knoxville Nationals again in August.

Nace and Michael took two wins in 2007, the Speedweek Jan Opperman Memorial series finale at Selinsgrove and the $30,000 Dream Race Extreme at Port Royal.

PAIGE'S PERFORMANCE: After battling mechanical ills the first two weeks, Middleburg 358 sprint rookie Chuck Paige and his Selinsgrove Ford No. 28 team blew the carbon out Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway as they turned in the fastest lap of 31 cars in warm-ups. Paige then went on to win his first heat race, setting himself on the pole for the feature. After four tries at a start in which Paige came out the leader twice, he was running in the top 10 on lap five when a rear steering arm broke, sending him into the turn four wall.

ADDED DATE: The All-Star Circuit of Champions sprint circuit has inked another date at Williams Grove to go along with its June 13 appearance. The All-Stars, including point leader Lance Dewease, will also hit the Grove on May 9. The date coincides with the annual All-Star Bob Weikert Memorial, slated for Port Royal on May 10.

THE WEEKEND TAKE: After a pair of seconds the last two weeks, Pat Cannon broke through for the 358 sprint win Saturday at Selinsgrove. Dustin Hoffman wired the field for the late model win while Troy Miller won pro stocks and Rick Bender won roadrunners.

At Port Royal on Saturday, Rick Lafferty beat Lance Dewease to the finish line in 410 sprints while Dan Stone won his second late model main of the year. Derrick Garman won pro stocks.

Lincoln Speedway saw Fred Rahmer win his third 410 feature of the young season while Dale Hammaker won 358 sprints. It looks like it's going to be a big year for Rahmer at Lincoln.

Williams Grove and Trailway rained out Friday night. TW will try again this week to get its season under way for the 358 sprints. Regular shows pretty much rule the roost at all area tracks this week, although the super sportsman were added to the Port Royal card.

A REMINDER: Don't forget, Clinton County Speedway is slated to open on May 2. The northern tier track has a free-admission practice night scheduled for April 25. Selinsgrove cousins Matt and Blane Heimbach plan on being at least semi regulars at the oval this season.

-- Shawn Brouse writes a weekly motorsports column for The Daily Item. E-mail comments to sports@dailyitem.com.