THE FARMER & THE TANK: Bissinger’s success comes from a life of hard work

By Gene Ostrowski for Inside Pennsylvania Motorsports | Photos provided by Steve Williams

It’s no secret that many Pennsylvania farmers struggle year to year, especially during the last 10 years. Pennsylvania lost six percent of its farmland between 2012 and 2017, according to a federal estimate. As they got up in age and with the lack of work ethic that being a successful farmer requires, many area homesteaders and harvesters began to slow down and focus on retirement. However, one overworked farmer in Orangeville has no intention of slowing down, and farming has little to do with that. From behind the wheel of his own personal tank for nearly two decades, 56-year-old Keith Bissinger continues to put on a show, build his fan base and win feature events in the Roadrunner stock car division at Selinsgrove Speedway. Farming is what Bissinger has always known and as a youngster, racing was something that he always wanted to do. He started off racing four-wheelers and then built his first Enduro car in the early 1990s. For Bissinger, it was always about the competition. “I just love the competition of the sport,” he said.

KEITH BISSINGER, OF ORANGEVILLE, THE ALL-TIME WINNER IN THE ROADRUNNER DIVISION AT SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY, RACES BEHIND BRAD MITCH (NO. 10) AND KEVIN DOBSON (NO. 75) LAST SEASON.

KEITH BISSINGER RACES SIDE-BY-SIDE AT SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY WITH TOM UNDERWOOD LAST SEASON.

“First it was four-wheelers and then that started to get expensive. I was introduced to Enduro racing and at the time, which was more affordable and looked like a lot of fun, so I tried it. That’s what got me hooked.” Bissinger continued to compete on dirt tracks over the next few years. During that period, he built a Street Stock to run at Selinsgrove Speedway. After a few seasons he stepped back from the sport. Prior to 2004 he purchased a portion of the family farm from his parents and shortly after he decided that it was time to get back on the racetrack. He ran a vast amount of Enduro events and went to victory lane multiple times. One of those events was even on asphalt, in the “The Mutha of all Enduros” at Evergreen

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KEITH BISSINGER CELEBRATES A WIN AT SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY IN HIS ROADRUNNER, NICKNAMED THE TANK.

Raceway (formerly Mountain Speedway). With a threelap advantage over second place, it was just one of many dominating efforts set by Bissinger. At 39, he also went on to take the Roadrunner championship at Selinsgrove that season. “That first championship is my most memorable,” said Bissinger. “I got back into racing that year and really wanted to win a championship, and we had a really good year and won a lot of races.” With a no fear on the track, driving a car that appeared to the naked eye as a junkyard find, Bissinger and his No. 11 quickly became a fan favorite in the Roadrunner division at Selinsgrove. Nicknamed “The Tank,’’ his car appeared to be indestructible. Today, Bissinger continues to run his farm and even during these difficult economic times for nearly everyone, has no intention of slowing down, with either work or play. “Last year with the farm has been really good,” he said. “Even though the price of everything has gone through the roof, we’ve continued to do OK.” Even though he is racing against and continuing to beat competition that is less than half his age, Bissinger has no plans to hang up his helmet anytime soon. Chuckling, he said “I just got my motor from the last four seasons freshened up, so I can’t quit now.” He noted that the power plant, which was built by engine builder Phil Miller, had been very dependable and showed little wear after the last four seasons. Bissinger admitted that at one time earlier in his career, he wanted to compete in the Late Model division, but time has passed, and he is more than content that he didn’t take that leap years ago. “I can afford what I do with the Roadrunner,” he said. “If I would have bought a Late Model back then, I don’t think that it would have been fun and in hindsight, there is no way that I would have been able to afford it. I love running the Roadrunner because I just go out there to have fun and that’s what I’m doing now, having a blast!” Unlike most racers, he does not have a full list of sponsors that help back his efforts. Instead, Bissinger said, he gets some help from his brother, Kevin, and his business, Bissinger’s Apple Dumplings. “I get a lot of help from Chris Dietz and Eric Pickerton. Also, Kevin donated one of his old concession trucks and I actually use it to tow the car to the track every week,” he said. Even though he has six Roadrunner championships and a track-record 61 feature wins at Selinsgrove alone, Bissinger cherishes the memories over the hardware. “Trophies are nice,’’ he said, “but the old photos are great memories of all of the people that we’ve had in our lives.”