Archive for Short Track
Grandview Speedway
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NEWS FROM ROGERS FAMILY GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY, Bechtelsville, PA
Presenting Saturday night NASCAR stock car racing plus a variety of special events. 2019 marks their 57th consecutive season of stock car racing.
Track office: 610.754.7688 - Public relations and marketing: Ernie Saxton @ 215.752.7797: Email: Esaxton144@aol.com – Cell phone: 267.934.7286
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THE NASCAR AND TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS KICK OFF SATURDAY APRIL 13 GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY; T.P.TRAILERS MODIFIEDS AND T.P.TRUCK EQUIPMENT SPORTSMAN RACERS READY TO GO
BECHTELSVILLE, PA APRIL 10, 2019 . . . The battle of the NASCAR and track titles kicks off this Saturday at Grandview Speedway. Coming off a hugely successful VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial the Rogers family is looking forward to the doubleheader card of T.P.Trailers Modifieds and T.P.Truck Equipment Sportsman that will be the Saturday night show throughout the season with special attractions being added from time-to-time.
Former track champions Craig Von Dohren, Jeff Strunk and Duane Howard will be looking to regain their championship position and there will be a large number of racing talents looking to keep them out of the top spot and earn it for themselves. A new Sportsman champion will be crowned as the 2018 champion, Louden Reimert, has moved on to the Modified division of competition.
A stellar field of Modifieds and Sportsman are expected for the first night of racing action with the green flag falling for the first event at 7 p.m.
Fans are invited to show up early to meet Brad Brightbill and Brad Grim at the Low Down & Dirty Radio Show hosted Meet and Greet located right near the main entrance to the grandstands. This is a great chance for fans to meet the drivers, collect autographs, take photos and see the race cars up close.
Again this season adult admission will be priced at just $15 while youngsters under 12 are being admitted free.
Sunday, April 14th, 1 p.m. the Outlaw Enduros along with the Vintage racers will be in action.
On Saturday, April 20th the Blast from the Past Vintage racers will be in action giving fans a chance to see what race cars were like some years back. In addition the T.P.Trailers Modifieds and T.P.Truck Equipment Sportsman will be in action.
The month of April will close out with a spine tingling tripleheader that will feature the visiting Mid Atlantic Sprint Series along with the Modifieds and Sportsman racers on Saturday, April 27th. Adult tickets for the tripleheader show will be priced at $18 while youngsters under 12 will be admitted free.
When the racing ends each night fans are invited to head back to the pit area to see the race cars up close, take pictures and collect autographs.
Grandview Speedway is known for their excellent well-stocked concession areas and there is a great novelty stand that offers souvenirs, t-shirts, hats and more along with copies of the latest edition of the track magazine, The Inside Groove. And there is free parking on the speedway grounds. Fans are permitted to bring their own concession items but no glass bottles.
The one-third-mile, banked clay track, offering clear views of all the action from each seat, is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, PA, just off Route 100, 10 miles north of Pottstown. For up-to-date information check in at www.grandviewspeedway.com or Facebook. The track office telephone number is 610.754.7688.
WALL STADIUM AUTO RACING ADVANCE RELEASE APR. 13
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Wall Stadium
DATE OF EVENT: April 3, 2019
DATE OF RELEASE: April 8, 2019
CONTACT: Jeff Gravatt
WALL STADIUM AUTO RACERS READY FOR SATURDAY’S (APRIL 13) 2019 SEASON OPENER
WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. ~ All six Wall Stadium Speedway stock car racing divisions will be in action when the third mile high banked paved oval opens the 2019 stock car racing season this Saturday night (April 13). Grandstand seating will open at 5:00 p.m. with qualifying slated for 5:45 p.m. and the first main event planned for 7:00 p.m.
The headlining Modifieds are set for a 40-lap main event with defending champ Jimmy Blewett of Howell, Holmdel's Andrew Krause, Jackson's Steven Reed, Eric Mauriello of Howell, Shaun Carrig of Little Falls and Derek Hopkinson of Toms River all expected to compete in the series. Last season's Sportsman champ Kevin Davison of Howell will also be among those competing in the 2019 Modified series.
With Davison moving to the Modifieds, the Center State Engineering Sportsman title chase will be wide open with top runners Kyle Scisco and brothers Jarret and Carsten DiGiantomasso, all from Jackson, and Howell's Eric Lane all expected to see Sportsman action.
Last year’s O'Shea's Auto Repair Factory Stock champion Mike Montano of Freeport, N.Y. will lead the full-fendered cars into opening night competition, while former champ Scott Riggleman of Manchester and 2018 big winner Elliott Wohl of Bayville will also see action.
With two-time 4 Cylinder Champion Brain Osborn of Howell advancing to the Factory Stocks, the race for the title in the Surfside Collision 4 Cylinder Stocks will be up for grabs. The Green Flag Driving Experience Legend Cars will also have the driving title up for grabs.
Competition will be high in the Mike's Performance Center Limited Late Models. Defending champ Shannon Mongeau of Manchester is expected to defend, but reports say that the field is growing in 2019. All five support divisions will battle in 25-lappers on opening night.
For Saturday’s season opener the speedway office will open at 9:00 a.m. so that competitors and crew members can obtain their licenses for the season and avoid afternoon lines. The pit area will open at noon for race car technical inspections while practice sessions will begin at 2:00 P.M.
The complete regular season schedule, which runs on Saturday nights through early October except when racing is suspended on April 20 in observance of Easter weekend, is available at wallspeedwayracing.com as are the rules and regulations for all divisions. Post-season events, the “Spooky Spectacular” in late October and the Thanksgiving weekend “Turkey Derby,” are also being planned.
More information on Wall Stadium and the 2019 Saturday night schedule can be obtained by visiting the website at www.wallspeedwayracing.com.
Wall Stadium is located on Route 34 in Wall Township, N.J., just one mile north of Garden State Parkway exit 98 and Interstate 195 exit 35B. The speedway hotline number is 732-681-6400 and email address is CKMotorsports@aol.com.
Hard Clay Open At Orange County 2019
Posted by: | CommentsNEW EGYPT SPEEDWAY NEWS – APRIL 7,2019
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New Egypt Speedway
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New Egypt Speedway
720 Route 539
New Egypt, NJ 08533
Track Phone: 609-758-1900
Website: www.newegyptspeedway.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/newegyptspeedwayofficial
Twitter: www.twitter.com/nesspeedway
Contact: Mike Wisniewski – Wiz Motorsports Communications, 856-982-5137
COMING EVENTS:
Saturday, April 13, 2019 –Vahlco Wheels Modifieds, Delaware Auto Exchange Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series, Hammer Sportsman, Street Stocks and the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman
1:00 p.m. – Pit gates open
4:00 p.m. – Grandstand gates open
5:00 p.m. – Hot laps start
6:00 p.m. – Racing starts
Saturday, April 20, 2019 – Plumsted Township Night (Plumsted Township Residents - Free General Admission with proof of residency) - Vahlco Wheels Modifieds, Larry's Hot Rods & Harley's Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars, Crate Modifieds, 4-Cylinders and the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman
3:00 p.m. – Pit gates open
4:00 p.m. – Grandstand gates open
5:00 p.m. – Hot laps start
6:00 p.m. – Racing starts
GODOWN LOGS A WIN AT NEW EGYPT SPEEDWAY’S CABIN FEVER
New Egypt, NJ (April 7, 2019) – At New Egypt Speedway’s Cabin Fever 40 presented by Oliver Communications Group, Ryan Godown topped the field in the Vahlco Modified feature. The Crate Modified feature went to Ryan Simmons. Jermain Godshall was the victor in the Larry's Hot Rods & Harley's Northeast Wingless Sprint Car main event. TJ Graves took the checkered flag in the 4-Cylinder race with Ryan Godown Jr. winning the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman contest.
Polesitter Danny Bouc bolted to the front of the pack as the 40-lap Vahlco Modified feature got underway. On the second circuit, Billy Pauch Jr. moved past Brian Papiez to take over the runner-up spot. The top three of Bouc, Pauch Jr. and Papiez remained intact until the first yellow flag waved on lap four. When action resumed, Pauch Jr. swept past Bouc to grab the lead. Following a trio of caution periods, Pauch Jr. was still in front with thirteenth place starting Ryan Godown in second, Bouc in third, and John McClelland in fourth with seven revolutions completed. During this stretch of green flag racing, Pauch Jr. built up a five car length advantage over Godown with fifteen laps registered. Over the next few laps and with the top two in traffic, Godown quickly closed in on Pauch Jr. By lap twenty-five, Pauch Jr. and Godown were in a side-by-side tussle for the top spot. On the next circuit, Godown wrestled first place away from Pauch Jr. Now heading his rivals and with ten laps remaining, Godown was knifing his way past slower competitors as Pauch Jr. was fighting back to regain the lead. On lap thirty-three, Godown and Pauch Jr. were door-to-door again with Godown using the outer groove. Two tours later, Godown managed to retain his lead following a tangle with a slower running competitor in traffic. As the two-to-go sign was given, Godown still had Pauch Jr. in his tracks. On the final turn of the last lap, Godown fended off another determined challenge by Pauch Jr. to narrowly win his forty-seventh Modified feature. With Pauch Jr. taking second, Bouc’s strong run resulted in third place. McClelland was fourth. Eleventh place starter Brandon Grosso rounded out the top five. Pauch Jr., Bouc and Mike Butler were victorious in the Vahlco Modified heat races.
Ryan Simmons passed Johnny Bangs with four laps left to win the 20-lap Crate Modified feature. Polesitter Eric Palmer paced the field for the first thirteen tours until an incident between himself and second place running Ryan Heim sent Palmer into a spin. Following this caution period, Bangs became the new leader and led the pack until Simmons took command. The victory was the second for Simmons in the Crate Modified division. Twelfth place starting Joe Toth came home in second. Jeremy Martino’s late rush rewarded him with a third place finish. Bangs took fourth with Steve Hicks next in line. The Crate Modifieds qualifying events were taken by Palmer and Kevin Borden.
In the 25-lap Larry's Hot Rods & Harley's Northeast Wingless Sprint Car main event, Jermain Godshall used the outside groove on the final tour to visit victory lane for the third time in his career. For the opening nine laps, Stan Ploski headed his rivals before Godshall took over. Rich Mellor gained the top spot from Godshall on the twelfth tour. Once in front, Mellor began to pull away and had his sizeable margin wiped out by a caution period on lap twenty-three. On the last revolution of the race, Mellor lost control of his car in the final corner and Godshall took advantage of the miscue to claim the win. Mellor was able to hold on for second and Ploski was third. Heidi Hedin and Duane Nixon filled out the top five. Ploski and Brad Schalle won the heat races.
On the final circuit of the 15-lap 4-Cylinder race, TJ Graves squeezed by Jimmy Avery in traffic to score the victory. After starting fourteenth, Mike Fox finished in the runner-up spot. With Avery holding on for third, Joe Garey Jr. was fourth and Justin Dunn completed the race in fifth.
In the 8-lap Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman race, Ryan Godown Jr. took the lead from Ryan Krushinski on the third circuit and paced the field the rest of the way to take the win. After starting last in the field of eight, Anthony Tramontana came home in second. Third place went to DJ Hunt with Vinny Troia taking fourth. Krushinski, who led the opening two tours, held on to finish in fifth.
On Saturday, April 13, the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series starts their 2019 season with a visit to New Egypt Speedway. The Vahlco Wheels Modifieds, Hammer Sportsman, Street Stocks and the Lyons Construction/Metal Fab Rookie Sportsman round out the card. Pit gates unlock at 1:00 p.m. with the grandstand ticket windows opening at 4:00 p.m. Hot laps crank up at 5:00 p.m. and racing starts at 6:00 p.m. Admission to the grandstand is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for teens 12-15, $10 for military personal and their spouses with ID, and Kids 11 & under are FREE. Pit admission is $30 with a New Egypt Speedway license and $40 without.
“New Jersey’s Premier Dirt Track Facility”, New Egypt Speedway is located on Route 539 just minutes from Six Flags Great Adventure and the New Jersey Turnpike. A racy 7/16-mile D-shaped dirt oval, New Egypt Speedway serves Garden State race fans with some of the best competition in the country. New Egypt’s state-of-the-art facilities feature daylight-quality lighting and excellent sightlines from any seat in the house. The grandstands are fully wheelchair accessible with wide, clear, and well-groomed walkways. Concession facilities serve up everything from Jersey Burgers to ice cream treats at family-friendly prices.
For more information, visit online: www.newegyptspeedway.net, “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/newegyptspeedwayofficial, or follow us on Twitter @nesspeedway.
NEW EGYPT SPEEDWAY RESULTS – SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2019
Vahlco Wheels Modifieds
Heat 1 - 1. Billy Pauch Jr. 2. Ryan Godown 3. Bryan Kuhl 4. JR Fulper 5. Matt Stangle 6. PJ Oliver
Heat 2 - 1. Danny Bouc 2. Brandon Grosso 3. Blaine Bracelin 4. Rich Rutski 5. Billy Osmun 6. Davey Sammons
Heat 3 - 1. Mike Butler 2. Pat Wall 3. Brian Papiez 4. TJ Lilly 5. Ryan Krachun 6. Kevin Vaclavicek
Consolation – 1. Dakota Kessler 2. Kyle Kania 3. John Pakenham 4. Todd Neiheiser 5. Steve Davis 6. Steve Desmelyk
DNQ: Jack Swain, Cale Ross
VAHLCO WHEELS MODIFIEDS – 40 LAPS FEATURE
1. RYAN GODOWN 2. Billy Pauch Jr. 3. Danny Bouc 4. John McClelland 5. Brandon Grosso 6. Billy Osmun 7. Davey Sammons 8. Ryan Krachun 9. Mike Butler 10. Kyle Kania 11. Rich Rutski 12. Bryan Kuhl 13. Pat Wall 14. JR Fulper 15. TJ Lilly 16. John Pakenham 17. Dakota Kessler 18. Matt Stangle 19. Blaine Bracelin 20. Brian Papiez 21. Todd Neiheiser 22. Steve Davis 23. PJ Oliver 24. Steve Desmelyk 25. Kevin Vaclavicek
Crate Modifieds
Heat 1 - 1. Eric Palmer 2. Dan Fleming 3. Steve Hicks 4. Bobby Holzwarth 5. Tom Princiotta 6. Ryan Heim
Heat 2 - 1. Kevin Borden 2. Johnny Bangs 3. Ryan Simmons 4. Jeremy Martino 5. Joe Toth 6. Joseph Brown
CRATE MODIFIEDS - 20 LAPS FEATURE
1. RYAN SIMMONS 2. Joe Toth 3. Jeremy Martino 4. Johnny Bangs 5. Steve Hicks 6. Dan Fleming 7. George Gareis Jr 8. Kevin Borden 9. Aaron Weaver 10. Anthony Tramontana 11. Ryan Heim 12. Andy Walko 13. Bobby Holzwarth 14. Nick Van Wickle 15. Robbie Dunn 16. Vinny Troia 17. Rob Mancini 18. Eric Palmer 19. Joseph Brown 20. Ryan Godown Jr. 21. DJ Hunt 22. Jim Van Wickle 23. Zachary Merola 24. Tom Princiotta
DNS: Glenn McIntyre
Larry's Hot Rods & Harley's Northeast Wingless Sprint Cars
Heat 1 - 1. Stan Ploski 2. Rich Mellor 3. Jermain Godshall 4. Al Cheney 5. Duane Nixon 6. Heidi Hedin
Heat 2 - 1. Brad Schalle 2. Kevin Nealls 3. Charles Weslowski 4. John Brammell 5. Chace Leahy
LARRY'S HOT RODS & HARLEY'S NORTHEAST WINGLESS SPRINT CARS - 25 LAPS FEATURE
1. JERMAIN GODSHALL 2. Rich Mellor 3. Stan Ploski 4. Heidi Hedin 5. Duane Nixon 6. Al Cheney 7. John Brammell 8. Kevin Nealls 9. Brian Spencer 10. Charles Weslowski 11. Chace Leahy 12. Brad Schalle 13. Larry Drake
4-CYLINDERS – 15 LAPS FEATURE
1. TJ GRAVES 2. Mike Fox 3. Jimmy Avery 4. Joe Garey Jr. 5. Justin Dunn 6. Doug Ashford 7. Jim Backowski 8. Joe Garey Sr. 9. Luke Willever 10. Ian Ashford 11. Paul Hartwig 12. Dominick Antonelli 13. Scott Dunn 14. Nicole Razzano 15. John Ciallella
LYONS CONSTRUCTION/METAL FAB ROOKIE SPORTSMAN – 8 LAPS FEATURE
1. RYAN GODOWN JR. 2. Anthony Tramontana 3. DJ Hunt 4. Vinny Troia 5. Ryan Krushinski 6. Nick Van Wickle 7. Jim Van Wickle 8. Zachary Merola
- Grandview Speedway
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NEWS FROM ROGERS FAMILY GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY, Bechtelsville, PA
Presenting Saturday night NASCAR stock car racing plus a variety of special events. 2019 marks their 57th consecutive season of stock car racing.
Track office: 610.754.7688 - Public relations and marketing: Ernie Saxton @ 215.752.7797: Email: Esaxton144@aol.com – Cell phone: 267.934.7286
Race results created by Vicki Gehris
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE WITH OUR THANKS
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MATT SHEPPARD WINS V.P. RACING FUELS BRUCE ROGERS MEMORIAL, KEVIN HIRTHLER TOPS IN SPORTSMAN FEATURE RUN IN FRONT OF A LARGE FAN TURNOUT AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. April 7, 2019 . . . Ma Nature smiled on Saturday night producing a beautiful for the second annual VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker at Grandview Speedway saw a combination of over 80 Modifieds and Sportsman cars fill the pits to participate in front of a large fan turnout. The race, named in honor of the man that built the 1/3-mile clay oval along with his father Forrest, continues under the leadership of the Rogers family.
New York invader Matt “Superman” Sheppard inherited the lead in the 50-lap small block/big block Modified event when Brian Hirthler, doing double duty, came to a halt in turn four for the yellow with 16 laps in the books. Sheppard held off the challenges at various times from Duane Howard, Stewart Friesen and Jeff Strunk to collect the $7,500 top prize money.
In Sportsman action Kevin Hirthler, also competing in both classes, took the lead away from Craig Whitmoyer on the 13th lap restart and went on to claim the victory in the 25-lap race for the second straight year.
The 50-lap Modified event saw B. Hirthler grab the early lead trailed by Frank Yankowski, rookie and 2018 Sportsman point champ Louden Reimert, Howard and Danny Johnson. It wasn’t long before Sheppard joined the challenging mix.
Howard overtook second on the 13th lap to pressure Hirthler for the top spot with the top five positions completed by Johnson, Sheppard and Strunk.
Hirthler’s run ended when mechanical issues forced him to stop in turn four and that quick Sheppard took advantage of the situation and went from fourth to first as the yellow unfurled on the 16th lap. On the restart Sheppard held his own with Howard, Friesen, Strunk and Ray Swinehart in pursuit.
Johnson was eliminated from the hunt when a flat tire sidelined him as the yellow came out on lap 18. It was still Shepard in the lead when action resumed.
Howard and Friesen had a battle of their own brewing for second and that position was swapped on the 27th lap, but five laps later the roles were reversed.
Howard’s victory lane visions were erased when a flat left rear tire brought out the yellow and put him out of contention. When action went green again Sheppard was still in command with second through fifth now comprised of Strunk, Rick Laubach, Jared Umbenhauer and K. Hirthler.
Sheppard distanced himself from the pack in the later stages and despite having to deal with lapped traffic that didn’t deter him and he went on to park it in the winner’s circle. Following him across the line were Strunk, Laubach, Jared Umbenhauer and Hirthler. Rounding out the top ten were Friesen, Craig Von Dohren, Reimert, Brett Kressley and Kyle Weiss.
Von Dohren, who started last in 24th spot and after two pit stops under caution still managed to finish seventh and took the $500 Bob Hilbert Hard Charger award.
Through the luck of the draw, Meme DeSantis, Richie Pratt Jr., Ron Myers and Richie Hitzler each collected $250 from American Racer, the tire supplier, as part of the non-qualifiers portion.
Umbenhauer, R. Swinehart, Strunk and B. Hirthler were the heat winners. Consies were won by Billy Pauch Sr. and Laubach.
After two attempts to get a lap completed in the Sportsman feature Whitmoyer grabbed the early lead and followed by Brad Brightbill, K. Hirthler, Mike Koffel and Ryan Smith.
K. Hirthler moved into second on the eighth lap to pursue the lead.
Scott Kohler spun on the 13th lap for a yellow and on this restart Hirthler and Reimert swapped paint and K. Hirthler emerged as the new leader.
Hirthler never relinquished the lead and went on to claim the win by a healthy margin over Whitmoyer, Brightbill, B. Hirthler and Mark Kemmerer. Sixth through tenth were Kreis, Brad Grim, Dean Bachman and Josh Adams.
B. Hirthler, Kemmerer and Grim won the heats. Adams won the consi.
Racing returns to Grandview Speedway on Saturday, April 13 when the chase for the NASCAR and track titles kicks off for the T.P. Trailers 358 Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman. Racing starts at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $15 while youngsters under 12 are admitted free. Then on Saturday, April 20th the Blast from the Past Vintage racers will make it a tripleheader racing program with no increase in admission prices.
Information on Grandview Speedway can be found at www.grandviewspeedway.com, Facebook or telephone 610.754.7688.
RESULTS
V.P. Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker 50 Modified Feature (50 Laps): 1. Matt Sheppard, 2. Jeff Strunk, 3. Rick Laubach, 4. Jared Umbenhauer, 5. Kevin Hirthler, 6. Stewart Friesen, 7. Craig Von Dohren, 8. Louden Reimert, 9. Brett Kressley, 10. Kyle Weiss, 11. Ryan Watt, 12. Briggs Danner, 13. Clay Butler, 14. Dylan Swinehart, 15. Duane Howard, 16. Ray Swinehart, 17. Doug Manmiller, 18. Colt Harris, 19. Frank Yankowski, 20. Danny Johnson, 21. Dan Waisempacher, 22. Brian Hirthler, 23. Tim Buckwalter, 24. Billy Pauch Sr.
DNQ: Tim Hindley, Mike Laise, Mike Maresca, Brett Gilmore, Keith Hoffman, Danny Erb, Mike Lisowski, Frank Cozze, Richie Hiltzler, Ron Myers, Steve Wilson, Justin Grim, Ron Kline, Meme DeSantis, Richie Pratt Jr., Eric Biehn, Mike Mahaney, Mike Gular, Ryan Grim, Alex Yankowski, Steve Swinehart, Ryan Lilick, Korey Fleming, Jordan Henn, John Willman and Bobby Gunther-Walsh.
Sportsman Feature (25 Laps): 1. Kevin Hirthler, 2. Craig Whitmoyer, 3. Brad Brightbill, 4. Brian Hirthler, 5. Mark Kemmerer, 6. Ryan Beltz, 7. Andrew Kreis, 8. Brad Grim, 9. Dean Bachman, 10. Dean Bachman, 11. Scott Kohler, 12. Kenny Bock, 13. Derrick Smith, 14. Andy Clemmer, 15. Parker Guldin, 16. Ryan Higgs, 17. Kyle Lilick, 18. Brad Arnold, 19. Jesse Landis, 20. Mike Koffel, 21. Nate Brinker, 22. Mike Mammana, 23. Jack Butler, 24. Joey Vaccaro.
DNQ: Nathan Mohr, Ray Cost, Blake Reber, B.J. Joly, Ryan Higgs, Ken Eckert Jr. and Warren Floyd.
David Gravel wins World of Outlaws Arizona Desert Shootout
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World of Outlaws
Contact: Nick Graziano
World of Outlaws PR
ngraziano@dirtcar.com
Please click here for the original World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series article
Winner David Gravel (DB3 Imaging Photo)
David Gravel wins Arizona Desert Shootout at Arizona Speedway
QUEEN CREEK, AZ – April 6, 2019 – David Gravel’s first win of the season last month with his new Jason Johnson Racing team was sentimental for several reasons. His second win, Saturday night at Arizona Speedway, was no different.
Not only did he win on his sister Victoria’s birthday, he claimed his 41st career World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win in the #41 car – the number chosen by the late Jason Johnson to run.
“I’ve kind of forgot about it, because if you try too hard to win a race, you know, it’s not going to come,” Gravel said about looking for win number 41. “I knew the next one was going to be 41, but it didn’t really all click. I’m glad to win on my sister’s birthday and it’s cool to be my 41st win. All of those things coming together, I guess it was meant to be.”
Win 41 was no easier than win 40, though.
Starting fourth in the 30-Lap Arizona Desert Shootout Feature, Gravel had his work cut out for him. He made his way by third-place Jacob Allen in a lap, but then had to contend with 2017 Rookie of the Year, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Friday night’s Feature winner Brad Sweet – the two fastest cars of the night.
Sweet was a tenth of a second off setting a new track record in Qualifying, and then went on to win his Drydene Heat race. He took the early lead in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, but Haudenschild showed his muscle in the closing laps, powering by Sweet on the high side for the win.
Haudenschild then continued where he left off in the Dash, cruising to the lead in the Feature and pulling away from the field. His blistering pace put him in lap traffic a third of the way through the caution-free Feature, allowing Sweet and Gravel to get close enough to taste the lead.
Sweet used lap traffic to his advantage the night prior, besting Ian Madsen in the game of maneuverability through slower cars. That looked to be his fortune once again, until Gravel continued to make ground on him. While Sweet reeled in Haudenschild, Gravel had Sweet locked in his visor.
The two battled side by side for about four laps, swapping lanes every corner. By Lap 13, Gravel mastered the bottom of the tacky track through turns three and four, clearing Sweet down the front stretch and maintaining the position with a run on the high side of turns one and two.
That run not only cleared him of the blue Kasey Kahne Racing car, it put him in striking distance of Haudenschild’s car. While Haudenschild tried to maneuver around a lap car in turns three and four, Gravel pulled the same move on him that he pulled on Sweet, claiming the lead on Lap 14 and never relinquishing it.
“He (Haudenschild) didn’t hit his exit, and that just opened the door for me,” Gravel said. “Luckily, it all worked out. Whatever lane I went, I seemed to be faster.”
Haudenschild concurred with Gravel’s assessment of the race, acknowledging he made a mistake.
“I figured if I could just rip the cushion and make consistent laps, I’d be alright,” said Haudeschild, who ended up third. “Once I got to lappers and the guy was running the top, I really didn’t make a good move. Like David said, I lost my run off the exit.”
After starting the season with four finishes in-a-row outside the top-12, the Wooster, Ohio native has found consistency. He’s finished in the top-10 in his last five races – two of which have been top-five finishes.
“It’s been kind of a rocky start, but we’ve been building momentum here in these last few races,” Haudenschild said.
On a more consistent run is second-place finisher, Sweet. He’s finished in the top-five in six of his last seven races – four of which have been podium finishes, and one a victory. That’s placed him as the current Series points leader – four points ahead of reigning champion Donny Schatz.
“It’s always cool to lead the points, but I don’t even think we’re a tenth of the way through the season,” Grass Valley, Calif. native, Sweet said. “It’s going to be a long summer. As long as we keep getting better and standing on the podium, the points will shake out how they will at the end.”
Gravel, of Watertown, Conn., became only the second driver this year to claim more than one victory – Daryn Pittman was the first winning both races at Volusia Speedway Park.
With win number two out of the way, Gravel looks for more consistency with his Jason Johnson Racing team.
“That first win, we struggled, got a win, the next day ran 12th,” Gravel said. “Now, this weekend (in Arizona) we went third and first. As a team, that’s what you’re looking for, is having podiums and top-fives. That’s what makes a good season.”
The Greatest Show on Dirt will make its next stop Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13, at the historic Devil's Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas.
As always, you can catch all World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action on www.DIRTVision.com.
For tickets and more information, go to www.WorldofOutlaws.com.
THOMAS’ LAST LAP REDEMPTION PAYS OFF WITH KOKOMO GP WIN
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The United States Auto Club.
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Contact: Richie Murray - USAC Media / richie@usacracing.com
Kevin Thomas, Jr. scored a thrilling last-lap, last corner win during Saturday night's USAC NOS Energy Drink 'Kokomo Grand Prix.' (David Nearpass Photo)
THOMAS' LAST LAP REDEMPTION PAYS OFF WITH KOKOMO GP WIN
By: Richie Murray - USAC Media
Kokomo, Indiana (April 6, 2019).........After an incident on the final lap of the Kokomo Speedway Sprint Car race that preceded Saturday night's USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget feature, perhaps it was fate that we would see Kevin Thomas, Jr. and Justin Grant meet again in some form or fashion on the second night of the "Kokomo Grand Prix."
Justin Grant got the best of Thomas in the sprint tilt, picking up the victory following a last-lap, side-by-side battle that wound up with Thomas on his head before making a beeline to the opposite end of the track to confront Grant.
When cooler heads prevailed, as luck would have it, a look at the starting lineup showed the two starting side-by-side in the second row of the midget main, setting the stage for round two of the duel which would once again come down to the final lap, but this time with the outcome the mirror opposite.
Thomas ran down Grant late in the going and, on the final corner of the final lap, reversed his fortunes with redemption, nipping Grant by half a front wheel at the stripe - or 0.015 seconds to be precise - to collect the fifth victory of his USAC National Midget career.
During the downtime for his early sprint car exit, the fire was burning inside KTJ, but instead of dwelling too much, he and his Petry Motorsports crew used the few extra minutes to reclaim focus on the next task at hand.
"We had a little bit of a mishap, but it happens," Thomas acknowledged. "It was unfortunate, but we had a little bit of time to get back here and make some changes to the midget because we had a decent idea of what it was going to do."
"I know people are going to want to pick at me and Grant because we crashed each other or whatever the case is," Thomas continued. "It's racing. We both race hard. It is what it is. We talked to each other in the podium picture and it's all good. It's just the way it goes. He's been my friend for a long time. He didn't crash me on purpose, but I'd get mad at my grandma if she crashed me. It's nothing against him; it's just my nature."
Thomas' desire and motivation for redemption was evident from the word 'go' as he charged from his fourth starting spot to slide to the point momentarily in the third turn on lap one, but the move wouldn't stick as Jason McDougal crossed over to reclaim the lead while Thomas fell back into line in fourth.
McDougal, the runner-up from the night before, would lay claim to the lead for the first seven circuits. Yet, on the lap eight restart, the door was open for Grant to slide past McDougal for the lead in the first turn. Grant was seeking a little redemption of his own following a heat race flip during Friday night's action.
Just prior to halfway, Friday winner Tyler Courtney began to make his surge, getting around teammate Chris Windom for the third position on lap 12. Three laps later, the series point leader found himself upside down in turn one. Incredibly, he was able to charge back to ninth at the checkered following repairs from the Clauson/Marshall Racing crew.
Restarts would play a starring role in the second half of the 30-lapper with a multitude of spins and stoppages taking place, the most serious of which came on the 21st lap when series Rookie Ethan Mitchell flipped wildly after tagging the turn one concrete. He walked away unscathed.
On the lap 21 restart, a scramble for position saw Windom attempt to slide McDougal for second, but it was one step forward, two steps back, as he fell back to fourth behind Thomas who took advantage of the opening to crack into third. With two to go, Thomas ripped by McDougal for second and the pursuit was set in motion toward Grant. Thomas blazed a trail to pull to the inside of Grant into turn one just moments after taking the white flag.
However, the pursuit had to wait as Cole Bodine's ride stopped in turn two, setting up a green-white-checkered finish.
Cullman, Alabama's Kevin Thomas, Jr. celebrates his fifth career USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget victory and the first for Petry Motorsports following Saturday night's 'Kokomo Grand Prix' at Kokomo Speedway. (Adam Mollenkopf Photo)
Leading up to the final showdown, Thomas had been playing around with his shocks from the cockpit and altered his line until he found something that worked. Everything was clicking for the Cullman, Ala. native, and he had his eyes and ears open to any advantage he could find, even if it came from the other side of the fence.
"Once we got to second, I saw Grant's guys giving him the motion to go to the top in three and four," Thomas recalled. "I knew that it was going to be such a long way around that it would open up a slider. I knew where he was going to go because his guys told him to go there. He ran a good line around there and he was fast up there. It's just such a shorter point to drive straight across the track."
On the final restart, Thomas took a line lower than Grant into turns one and two on the 29th lap before following him up top between turns three and four as a surging Zeb Wise joined the fray, going high on entry before diamonding off below Thomas. Thomas held serve in second and remained within three car lengths of Grant in one and two on the final go-around.
Entering turn three for the final time, Grant remained topside as Thomas drove it in deeper than he had on any other lap, sliding right across the nose of Grant in turn four. Grant countered underneath in a race to the line, coming up inches short of Thomas and his Petry Motorsports/Bolted Spine Designs - Petry Excavating - Gray Auto/Bullet/Speedway Toyota. Grant took second ahead of Wise, McDougal and C.J. Leary.
Thomas rejoined Petry at the beginning of the 2019 season following a brief stint driving for the Greenfield, Ind. based team at the conclusion of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, rewarding the team with its first ever USAC National Midget victory.
"Getting a win for those guys is a big momentum builder," Thomas exclaimed. "Scott Petry has never seen his car win before (with USAC). That was pretty cool. I really enjoyed doing that for them. They bust their butts and I'm just glad it paid off. They've been wanting to win a USAC feature for so long and they've been close. They've just never really got there. But once you get that monkey off your back, they start coming easier."
Contingency award winners Saturday night at Kokomo Speedway were Zeb Wise (Fatheadz Eyewear Fast Qualifier), Jason McDougal (Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner), Tyler Courtney (Competition Suspension, Inc. Second Heat Winner), Kevin Thomas, Jr. (Auto Meter Third Heat Winner), Tucker Klaasmeyer (Indy Race Parts Fourth Heat Winner), Andrew Layser (KSE Racing Products/Sundollar Restoration Hard Charger), Jake Neuman (Wilwood Brakes 13th Place Finisher) and Ethan Mitchell (Saldana Racing Products First Non-Transfer).
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USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: April 6, 2019 - Kokomo Speedway - Kokomo, Indiana - "Kokomo Grand Prix" - 1/4-Mile Dirt Oval
FATHEADZ EYEWEAR QUALIFYING: 1. Zeb Wise, 39BC, Clauson/Marshall-13.542; 2. Tyler Courtney, 7BC, Clauson/Marshall-13.663; 3. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 5, Petry-13.890; 4. Justin Grant, 4A, RAMS-13.908; 5. Jason McDougal, 21KS, Reynolds-13.928; 6. Chris Windom, 17BC, Clauson/Marshall-13.990; 7. Chad Boat, 84, Tucker/Boat-13.991; 8. C.J. Leary, 76m, FMR-14.049; 9. Tanner Carrick, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.113; 10. Thomas Meseraull, 7R, RMS-14.154; 11. Dillon Welch, 81, Tucker/Boat-14.211; 12. Tucker Klaasmeyer, 27, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.236; 13. Logan Seavey, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.245; 14. Ace McCarthy, 28, Neuman-14.278; 15. Jesse Colwell, 71, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.300; 16. Jake Neuman, 3N, Neuman-14.335; 17. Holley Hollan, 67K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-14.374; 18. Dave Darland, 36, RMS-14.374; 19. Zane Hendricks, 27z, Hendricks-14.375; 20. Jerry Coons, Jr., 25, Petry-14.413; 21. Tyler Thomas, 91T, Thomas-14.435; 22. Cole Bodine, 15, Petry-14.535; 23. Ethan Mitchell, 19m, Bundy Built-14.659; 24. Andrew Layser, 47BC, Clauson/Marshall-14.751; 25. Karsyn Elledge, 1, Tucker/Boat-14.805; 26. Kyle O'Gara, 67F, SFH-15.005; 27. Sterling Cling, 35, Petry-15.039; 28. Brent Watson, 17K, Watson-15.850; 29. Oliver Akard, 41, Akard-16.088.
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-4 transfer) 1. McDougal, 2. Carrick, 3. Wise, 4. Seavey, 5. T. Thomas, 6. Hollan, 7. Elledge, 8. Akard. 2:20.65
COMPETITION SUSPENSION (CSI) SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-4 transfer) 1. Courtney, 2. Windom, 3. Darland, 4. Meseraull, 5. McCarthy, 6. Bodine, 7. O'Gara. 2:20.24
AUTOMETER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-4 transfer) 1. K. Thomas, 2. Colwell, 3. Boat, 4. Welch, 5. Hendricks, 6. Mitchell, 7. Cling. 2:25.39
INDY RACE PARTS FOURTH HEAT: (10 laps, top-4 transfer) 1. Klaasmeyer, 2. Grant, 3. Leary, 4. Coons, 5. Neuman, 6. Layser, 7. Watson. NT
SEMI: (12 laps, top-6 transfer) 1. Neuman, 2. Hendricks, 3. Hollan, 4. McCarthy, 5. Layser, 6. Bodine, 7. Mitchell, 8. T. Thomas, 9. O'Gara, 10. Elledge, 11. Cling, 12. Watson, 13. Akard. 2:48.13
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (4), 2. Justin Grant (3), 3. Zeb Wise (6), 4. Jason McDougal (2), 5. C.J. Leary (8), 6. Chris Windom (1), 7. Tucker Klaasmeyer (12), 8. Logan Seavey (13), 9. Tyler Courtney (5), 10. Thomas Meseraull (10), 11. Jesse Colwell (15), 12. Chad Boat (7), 13. Jake Neuman (16), 14. Ace McCarthy (14), 15. Dillon Welch (11), 16. Andrew Layser (22), 17. Holley Hollan (17), 18. Jerry Coons, Jr. (20), 19. Zane Hendricks (19), 20. Cole Bodine (21), 21. Tanner Carrick (9), 22. Sterling Cling (24), 23. Dave Darland (18), 24. Ethan Mitchell (23). NT
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**Courtney flipped on lap 15 of the feature. Mitchell flipped on lap 21 of the feature. Carrick flipped on lap 30 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-7 McDougal, Laps 8-29 Grant, Lap 30 K. Thomas.
KSE RACING PRODUCTS/SUNDOLLAR RESTORATION HARD CHARGER: Andrew Layser (16th to 22nd)
WILWOOD BRAKES 13TH PLACE FINISHER: Jake Neuman
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS FIRST NON-TRANSFER: Ethan Mitchell
NEW USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Courtney-358, 2-K. Thomas-354, 3-Leary-308, 4-Windom-305, 5-Wise-290, 6-Klaasmeyer-274, 7-Boat-273, 8-Seavey-266, 9-Carrick-243, 10-Colwell-234.
NEXT USAC NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: May 17, 2019 - Tri-City Speedway - Granite City, Illinois - "River Town Showdown" - 3/8-Mile Dirt Oval
