Archive for Short Track
Shane Stewart Inherits Lead and Never Looks Back for 6th Win of Season at Skagit
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World of Outlaws
Contact: Anthony Corini
World of Outlaws PR
408-825-3360 | acorini@dirtcar.com
Please click here for the original World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series article
Shane Stewart Inherits Lead and Never Looks Back for 6th Win of Season at Skagit
Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild complete the podium on first night of the Outlaw Energy Showdown
ALGER, WA - September 1, 2017 - Brad Sweet led the first eight laps before getting together with a slower car and collecting second place running Daryn Pittman. Shane Stewart assumed the lead and never looked back, scoring his sixth win of the 2017 season. Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild completed the podium on Night 1 of the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit Speedway with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars.
With an inversion of six, Sweet and Kraig Kinser shared the front row of the Craftsman Club Dash. In an action-packed event Sweet powered around Kinser earning the pole position for the 30-lap Feature.
In the Feature, Sweet was strong early as was his Kasey Kahne Racing teammate, Pittman. Pittman made his bid for the lead on the backstretch of the eighth circuit but Sweet muscled back ahead to lead the lap.
The following lap, off of turn four, a chain reaction sent the slower car of Austen Wheatley into the front end of Brad Sweet's Ollie's Bargain Outlet No. 49 ultimately sending the car down the track into his teammate Pittman. Pittman and Clyde Knipp, who was also a lapped down, had nowhere to go on the tight 3/10th mile racing surface.
Both Pittman and Sweet were able to make repairs and return to the rear of the field. Shane Stewart, who was just inches away from being collected as well, assumed the lead with Kinser, Jason Johnson and Jac Haudenschild in tow. 'The Wild Child' used a great restart on the top to shoot into the runner-up position and begin chasing down Stewart for the lead.
A pair of double-file restarts, for cautions on lap 10 and 18 respectively, gave Haudenschild a chance for the lead but the Wooster, Ohio veteran couldn't get close enough to mount a serious challenge. With seven to go, Haudenschild took a chance ultimately opening the door for Johnson to squeeze by for second.
A yellow with five to go gave the field one last chance to steal the win from Stewart. To no avail as the Bixby, OK native piloted the Larson/Marks Racing No.2 to Victory Lane for the sixth time in 2017. Johnson, who has never finished worse than fourth at Skagit, settled for second with Haudenschild scoring a strong podium finish in the Stenhouse Jr./Wood Racing No. 17. Donny Schatz and Jac's son, Sheldon, completed the top five. Greg Wilson picked up KSE Hard Charger honors coming from 14th to sixth. Pittman and Sweet made it back forward to tenth and 12th, respectively.
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series returns to the Skagit Speedway Saturday evening for the conclusion of the Outlaw Energy Showdown.
RACE RESULTS FROM : Skagit Speedway - September 1, 2017
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-Shane Stewart [4]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [5]; 3. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [7]; 5. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [10]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [14]; 7. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 8. 5-David Gravel [8]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [11]; 10. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 11. 4-Paul McMahan [17]; 12. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 13. 19-Brent Marks [21]; 14. 1A-Jacob Allen [19]; 15. 7S-Jason Sides [9]; 16. 35-Jamie Veal [12]; 17. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [15]; 18. 59-Eric Fisher [20]; 19. 44W-Austen Wheatley [22]; 20. 18S-Jason Solwold [16]; 21. 21P-Robbie Price [18]; 22. 26-Tayler Malsam [13]; 23. 13-Clyde Knipp [24]; 24. 11EH-Marc Duperron [23]; Lap Leaders: Brad Sweet 1-8, Shane Stewart 9-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: W20-Greg Wilson[+8]
Qualifying: 1. 2-Shane Stewart, 10.894; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman, 11.062; 3. 41-Jason Johnson, 11.108; 4. 17-Jac Haudenschild, 11.118; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 11.123; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.162; 7. 15-Donny Schatz, 11.202; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.263; 9. 7S-Jason Sides, 11.266; 10. 26-Tayler Malsam, 11.312; 11. 5-David Gravel, 11.321; 12. 35-Jamie Veal, 11.328; 13. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild, 11.334; 14. 4-Paul McMahan, 11.365; 15. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 11.422; 16. 18S-Jason Solwold, 11.442; 17. W20-Greg Wilson, 11.451; 18. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 11.467; 19. 59-Eric Fisher, 11.473; 20. 19-Brent Marks, 11.548; 21. 13-Clyde Knipp, 11.55; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.614; 23. 11EH-Marc Duperron, 11.677; 24. 21P-Robbie Price, 11.789; 25. 5X-Brian Boswell, 12.614
Heat #1 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 17-Jac Haudenschild [2]; 2. 2-Shane Stewart [1]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 4. 93-Sheldon Haudenschild [5]; 5. 26-Tayler Malsam [4]; 6. 18S-Jason Solwold [6]; 7. 59-Eric Fisher [7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8]; 9. 5X-Brian Boswell [9]
Heat #2 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [1]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 3. 5-David Gravel [4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [3]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 6. 4-Paul McMahan [5]; 7. 19-Brent Marks [7]; 8. 11EH-Marc Duperron [8]
Heat #3 (10 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 41-Jason Johnson [1]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2]; 3. 7S-Jason Sides [3]; 4. 35-Jamie Veal [4]; 5. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [5]; 6. 21P-Robbie Price [8]; 7. 44W-Austen Wheatley [6]; 8. 13-Clyde Knipp [7]
Craftsman Club Dash (8 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [1]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]; 4. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [4]; 6. 17-Jac Haudenschild [6]
Last Chance Showdown (12 Laps) - Top 6 Transfer: 1. 1A-Jacob Allen [5]; 2. 59-Eric Fisher [2]; 3. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 4. 44W-Austen Wheatley [1]; 5. 11EH-Marc Duperron [6]; 6. 13-Clyde Knipp [4]; 7. 5X-Brian Boswell [7]
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Marc Duperron; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Sheldon Haudenschild; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): David Gravel; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Logan Schuchart; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Daryn Pittman; Extended Stay America ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Brad Sweet; Super Flow ($50 cash): Jacob Allen; Craftsman Club ($100 cash): Brad Sweet, Kraig Kinser, Daryn Pittman, Shane Stewart, Jason Johnson; Sears ($100): N/A; KSE Hard Charger: Greg Wilson; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Shane Stewart; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jamie Veal; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Clyde Knipp.
SEASON WINNERS
Donny Schatz - 17 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19, LoneStar Speedway on March 3, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 9, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 10, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 18, Missouri State Fair Speedway on May 5, 81 Speedway on May 6, Eldora Speedway May 13, Knoxville Raceway on June 10, Granite City on June 20, Dirt Oval at Route 66 on June 27, Dakota State Fair Speedway on July 1, Eldora Speedway on July 15, Lernerville Speedway on July 18, Knoxville Raceway on August 12 (NP), River Cities Speedway on August 18
David Gravel - 13 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 17, Placerville Speedway on March 29, Perris Auto Speedway on April 1, Gator Motorplex on April 13, Plymouth Speedway on April 28, Lincoln Speedway on May 17, Williams Grove on May 19, New Egypt Speedway on May 24, River Cities Speedway on June 16, Attica Raceway Park on July 11, Hartford Speedway on July 28, Wilmot Raceway on July 29, August 20 at Nodak Speedway
Shane Stewart - 6 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 20, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 29, West Liberty Raceway on June 23, Beaver Dam Raceway on June 24, Black Hills Speedway on August 25, Skagit Speedway on September 1)
Brad Sweet - 4 (Stockton Dirt Track on March 25, Devil's Bowl on April 15, Jackson Motorplex on June 3, Knoxville Raceway on June 9)
Kerry Madsen - 4 (Jackson Motorplex on June 2, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 7, Cedar Lake Speedway on July 8, Eldora Speedway on July 13)
Logan Schuchart - 4 (Keller Auto Speedway on March 31, Eldora Speedway on May 12, Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26, Ohsweken Speedway on July 25)
Jason Johnson - 3 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 17, Devil's Bowl on April 14, Red River Valley Speedway on August 19)
Daryn Pittman – 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on August 4, Billings Motorsports Park on August 26)
Brian Brown - 1 (Cocopah Speedway on April 7)
Rico Abreu - 1 (Arizona Speedway on April 8)
Parker Price-Miller - 1 (Tri-State Speedway on May 14)
Ian Madsen - 1 (Jackson Motorplex on June 1)
Kyle Larson - 1 (Eagle Raceway on June 13)
Kraig Kinser - 1 (Deer Creek Speedway on July 6)
Christopher Bell - 1 (Eldora Speedway on July 14)
Brock Zearfoss - 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on July 21
ACCORD SPEEDWAY NEWS
Posted by: | CommentsAccord, NY- "Jammin" Jimmy Wells Romps To OCFS Qualifier Victory At Accord Speedway
By: Steve Pados, Accord Speedway Media
As summer leaves us and the incoming fall weather joins us, the change in the weather patterns provided the perfect backdrop for the mighty stars and cars of the Accord Speedway on Friday evening to do battle at the "Gem in the Catskills" racing facility. The quiet serenity of the Catskill Mountains gave way to the intoxicating sounds of fast hot rod racing action and an over the top Fireworks Extravaganza on Friday evening and a great crowd of eager racing fans came out to witness their racing heroes carve out a fabulous and entertaining seven division racing card at the speedway. When the final event was checkered, seven happy winners found their way to the WRWD Radio 107.3 FM Victory Lane on an evening sponsored by Emmanuel's Marketplace, the Orange County Fair Speedway, home of the Eastern States 200, Taylor Rental and Dig Safely New York.
In the United Pump and Tank Modified division, "Jammin" Jimmy Wells found all of the racing channels to his liking as he ran down early leader, his Uncle Mike Ricci, took control of the point and romped to his second win of the season and in doing so claimed the qualifying spot for the prestigious 56th running of the Eastern States 200 to be held in Middletown, New York from October 20th to the 22nd. Bob Sleight, the defending champion in the division, turned in a stellar performance as he tracked down early leader John Drake and went on to capture his second win of the season in the Upstate Auto Pure Stock division. Ryan McCartney had the hot ticket in the WRWD Radio Rookie Sportsman finale as he captured his third win of the season. "Kid Ice" Cole Hentschel grabbed the lead early and then had to fend off the challenges of his teammate, "The Bushkill Bullet" Kyle Rohner in the final laps to claim his first win of the season in the Arkel Motors Sportsman feature main event. Larry McVay put the finishing touches on a solid evening of racing as he claimed his second win of the season in the WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint Car headliner. "The Cold Spring Kid" Jake Mason captured his eighth win of the season in the Want Ad Digest Junior Slingshot division feature. Mike Houghtaling made it three in a row at Accord in the Northeast Vintage Modified feature. "Showtime" Danny Tyler was spot on in challenging and defeating all comers in the Modified Eliminator shoot out.
Mike Ricci and Jesse Marks brought the solid field of United Pump and Tank Modifieds down for the start of the 30-lap headliner. Ricci seized the lead in the second VanDuser Concrete machine and would lead early on although Jimmy Wells came calling from fifth starting spot and worked his way into the runner-up slot by lap ten. Wells was methodical from the baseline as he began his assault on Uncle Mike. Racing side by side for a couple of laps made for a great show between the family but it would be Wells seizing command of the lead at the halfway mark. Once in front, Wells had clear sailing and would go on to capture his second win of the season and with it securing the starting spot for the Eastern State Weekend event in October. Mike Ricci, who has racing sparingly in the 2017 racing season, showed he still has plenty of gusto left with a fine runner-up performance. Scott Ferrier was third with Ed Dachenhausen fourth and Danny Tyler fifth hustling hard to complete the top five. The second five consisted of 15th starting Joe Judge, while Richie Eurich, Jesse Marks, Tommy Johnson and Eddie Burgess.
The Arkel Motors Sportsman division headliner found Nick Plumstead and Cole Hentschel on the front row with Hentschel finding the hot spot on the speedway and grabbing the lead at the start of the event with Plumstead and Dave Demorest following. Kyle Rohner found his way forward and as the early laps clicked off made his way into third place. With the race remaining green Hentschel and Plumstead were all alone as one and two while Rohner made up ground quickly and slipped past Plumstead for second and then set sail for his teammate. The drivers raced around the quarter mile clay nose to tail for at least ten laps as Rohner pulled out all of the stops to slip past Hentschel. Hentschel had his own ideas about the outcome of the event and held of the determined Rohner for his first win at Accord. Rohner was second making it a one/two sweep for the Advanced Concrete Team. Plumstead was third in a great run while Tyler Johnston and Matt Shultz completed the top five. Jamie Yannone headed up the second five with Corey Cormier, the returning Joey Bonetti, Tony Kowlachuk and Rich Ricci III following.
The Upstate Auto sponsored Pure Stock event got underway with John Drake grabbing the lead at the start. Craig Cuneo settled into the runner-up role while John Hechinger and Steve Williams began to challenge. On lap four Cuneo found the room he needed to take over the point and he would lead for three laps until Bob Sleight found the sweet spot he was seeking and drove by Cuneo to take command of the lead. Sleight would go on to record his second win of the season and first win since opening night at the speedway. Hechinger continued his great work with a third place finish while Steve Williams and John Drake completed the top five. Travis Brockner, who was leading the points chase coming into the event, was sixth while Ray Tarantino, Livy Johnson, Jay Smalley and newcomer Jesse Murphy completed the top ten.
Kevin Stevens was shot out a cannon at the start of the WRWD Radio Rookie Sportsman feature event. He would lead the first five laps of the event. On a restart, Ryan McCartney and Stevens got together with Stevens slipping out of the racing channel and doing all he could to maintain control of the race car. Stevens lost valuable ground while McCartney would be the new leader. McCartney had himself a fast race car as he would lead the remaining laps to claim his third win of the season at Accord. Vinny Visconti was second while Hunter Lapp, Alex VanPelt and Fred Smith would complete the top five. An interesting note is the top four drivers all came from the Slingshot ranks. John Miller was sixth, while Jeff Higham, newcomer Brian Durban, Kevin Stevens and John Brown completed the top ten.
Larry McVay powered into the lead at the start of the WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint Car feature. McVay withstood an early challenge from the returning Heidi Hedin and then would fend off the advances of the returning Rich Mellor for the rest of the feature events. McVay was in the zone and would race his way to his second win of the season with Mellor in for runner-up honors. Larry Ricci was third while Bobby Tersillo, Eric Jennings in a borrowed ride and Andrew Davis would complete the field.
The Want Ad Digest Junior Slingshot event found Jake Mason taking control of the event by the end of lap one. Jaden Sleight kept the pressure on for the first half of the race but Mason has enjoyed his best year in racing to date and walked away with his eighth win of the season at Accord. Sleight was second with Brock Pinkerous finishing third.
In the Northeast Vintage Modifieds, Al Houghtaling would lead the first four laps of the event until a determined Bob Schmidt would drive by him. Schmidt built up a lead and would quickly get into slower traffic. Mike Houghtaling seized the opportunity as he caught up to Schmidt in traffic and then used a slower car as a pick to slip past Schmidt for the lead on lap seventeen. Mike Houghtaling would win his third event in as many tries at Accord. Schmidt was second while Ray See Sr, Chuck Davies and Jimmy Halpin would complete the top five. Mike Cole was the first Sportsman across the line.
Danny Tyler put his showtime moniker to good use as he defeated all comers in the Modified Elimination event. Picking a random draw of ten cars, Tyler was guaranteed a spot and wasted no time in defeating one by one the talent placed up against him. Tyler picked up $300.00 for his efforts. Special thanks to Dave Rocket and Marty at Upstate Auto for the award money for the event.
GEMSTONES:
Through the determined efforts of Promoter Gary Palmer, the speedway was in excellent racing condition and the many racing channels provided the drivers a wall to wall track surface to compete on. The close side by side racing action that Accord is well noted for kept the fans on the edge of their seats all night long.
Many, many thanks to the good folks at Emmanuel's Marketplace for sponsoring the over the top fireworks extravaganza presented by Santore's Famous Fireworks. Just as in the Dire Straits song, they did turn the night time into the day. Also special thanks to DJ Tim Adams for a great song selection during the fireworks show.
Pure Stock heats went to Bob Sleight and Livy Johnson. Modified preliminaries were captured by Mike Ricci, Jimmy Wells and Danny Creeden. Cole Hentschel and Nick Plumstead captured the Sportsman heats while John Brown and Alex VanPelt were victorious in the Rookie heats. Larry McVay claimed the Sprint Car heat event. Jaden Sleight claimed the Junior Slingshot heat.
New faces arrived last night for their first Accord start as Joey Bruning was back in action and was solid in his heat but ran into problems during the feature and was an early retiree. Phil Recchio returned to the speedway in the car his son Anthony had been driving most of the season. Joey Bonetti returned to action in the Sportsman. Gary Gamble and Jesse Murphy were two new faces with the Pure Stock Division. Brandon Daley was back in the action in the Rookies and Brian Durban made his initial start with the Rookies.
"Uncle Mike" Hansen from WRWD Radio was on board for the evening and interviewed with announcer Steve Pados for the upcoming First Responders Night on September 8th as the speedway will once again offer a special dedication on the anniversary of 9/11 next week on September 8th as all police, firefighters, correction officers and EMT's will be admitted to the speedway free with their department ID. Upstate Auto will be the headline sponsor for the event which will also highlight the night of champions at the speedway.
The Accord Speedway is sending $688.00 to the Houston, Texas Food Bank as part of the 50/50 last evening. The award was for $344.00 and the Speedway matched in a nice gesture by the Palmer Family and the great fans at Accord.
A super amount of interest is already in place for the upcoming King of the Catskills weekend at the speedway. With some very big dollars in place, a banner field is anticipated. More information will be released as the countdown is coming quickly.
Wes Davis, the sound technician at Accord, brought along his Grandson Joshua for his first visit to the speedway.
Leni Fornino, a fifteen year old student at Roundout Valley, sang the National Anthem last evening and did a wonderful job.
Avery Bonesfell and Benjamin Curry won bikes at the Speedway. Congratulations!
RESULTS:
United Pump & Tank Modifieds: (OCFS Eastern States Qualifier): Jimmy Wells. Mike Ricci, Scott Ferrier, Ed Dachenhausen, Danny Tyler, Joe Judge, Ruchie Eurich, Jesse Marks, Tommy Johnson, Eddie Burgess, Richard Smith, Kurt Hundeland, Alissa Cody, Danny Creeden, RJ Daley, Kyle VanDuser, Ken Ferrier, Rich Ricci Jr, Joey Bruning, Brad Rothaupt (DQ), Kevin Krom (DQ)
Arkel Motors Sportsman: Cole Hentschel, Kyle Rohner, Nick Plumstead, Tyler Johnston, Mayy Shultz, Jamie Yannone, Corey Cormier, Joey Bonetti, Tony Kowalchuk, Rich Ricci III, Rafael Carson, Phil Recchio, Nick Johnson, Michael Murphy, Dave Demorest, Mike Senecal, Robbie Knipe
WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint Cars: Larry McVay, Rich Mellor, Larry Ricci, Bob Tersillo, Eric Jennings, Andrew Davis, Heidi Hedin, Jeremy Quick, Corey Wood
Upstate Auto Pure Stocks: Bob Sleight, Craig Cuneo, John Hechinger, Steve Williams, John Drake, Travis Brockner, Ray Tarantino, Livy Johnson, Jay Smalley, Jesse Murphy, Chris Kanuk, Emerson Cargain Jr, Harry Bachman, Gary Gamble
WRWD Radio Rookie Sportsman: Ryan McCartney, Vinny Visconti, Hunter Lapp, Alex VanPelt, Fred Smith, John Miller, Jeff Higham, Brian Durban, Kevin Stevens, John Brown, Brandon Daley, Austin Helmich, Keith Johannessen, Michael Corbin
Want Ad Digest Junior Slingshots: Jake Mason Jaden Sleight, Brock Pinkerous
Northeast Vintage Modifieds: Mike Houghtaling, Bob Schmidt, Ray See Sr, Chuck Davies, Jimmy Halpin (Mike Cole-First Sportsman)
Racing is on tap every Friday night at Accord Speedway from April through September. Please make note of the new starting times: Pit Gates open at 5:00; Spectator Gates open at 5:30; Hot Laps begin at 7:00 and the racing begins at 7:30 PM. Admission for Adults $14.00; Seniors (65+) $12.00; Children $3.00 (11+ under) Indoor Seating $20.00; Family four pack special: 2 Adults + 2 Children and $20.00 in Accord Bucks for $44.00 (a savings of $10.00)
Special event shows do have an increase in admission.
The next event at Accord will be September 8th with all divisions in action and the amazing tribute to First Responders along with Fireworks on Upstate Auto Night.
For further updates and information regarding all of the news and additions to the Accord Speedway, log on to their well documented website at: http://www.accordspeedway.com or call the speedway hotline at: 845 626 3478.
At the Accord Speedway............................................
A TRAIL OF DIRT LEADS RIGHT TO OUR DOOR
Brett Hearn Wins Mr. DIRT Track USA at Lebanon Valley
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Super DIRTcar Series
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Contact: Colby Gorniewicz
DIRTcar Racing PR
704-707-0229 | cgorniewicz@dirtcar.com
Brett Hearn Ends Super DIRTcar Series Winless Drought with $17,500 Triumph at Lebanon Valley Speedway
Sheppard's Series Win Streak Broken at Five with 10th Place Finish
By MIKE MALLETT
DirtTrackDigest.com
WEST LEBANON, NY - August 31 2017 - All it took for Brett Hearn to end his Super DIRTcar Series winless streak was a trip home. The Sussex, N.J., dominated the Mr. Dirt Track USA feature at the Lebanon Valley Speedway for his 121st career series win and his first since August, 23, 2015 at the Cornwall Motor Speedway.
Hearn's victory came in one of the highest paying series races of the season as the veteran driver pocketed $17,500 for his performance in the 101-lap main-event. Hearn's No. 20 started the race from the inside of the fourth row. >From there here made short work of the field in front of him taking the lead early and fending off all challengers as he took the win while ending Matt Sheppard's five race series winning streak.
"We've been getting criticized for not winning a series race the last year and half so I guess if you are going to break out of a slump you might as well win the one that pays the most money," said Hearn with a smile in victory lane. "This will change the balance sheet for this summer pretty much. Thanks to Howard (Commander) for giving us this $17,500 race to shoot for. It makes being a regular here all worthwhile when you win the big one."
Eddie Marshall redrew the pole position for the start of the race and quickly established himself at the front of the field as the green flag was dropped on the main-event. Marshall survived an opening lap challenge from another track regular Keith Flach. Flach looked low but Marshall's line through middle allowed him to keep the top spot in the order.
Hearn, who started seventh, picked up two spots on the opening circuit as he watched the field get in line in front of him. He used the next few laps to work over Jimmy Phelps before taking over fourth on lap four. From there Hearn settled into a rhythm keeping the top three in his sights.
The first of three caution flags came on the 14th lap. As Chad Jeseo battled with Larry Wight for eighth he got out of the groove in turns three and four catching the wall. His car hit with the rear before the front end was sucked in as well causing him to spin with a damaged car at the top of the fourth corner.
The green flag fell on lap 19 with Hearn making an impressive move through turns one and two. Hearn got to third as the field entered the first corner and by the time they hit the back straightaway he was out in front with the lead. Hearn used daring three-wide crossover move between Marshall and Flach to put himself in the lead.
"I wanted to get past the four (Andy Bachetti) and I went into one and the 43 (Flach) went low and I got a good run on the outside," cited Hearn. "Eddie (Marshall) kind of slid up a little bit and the lane opened right up. He came out sideways and lost the traction a little bit. I had a good run from the top and that was all I needed."
From there Hearn ran a steady line on the top side of the speedway. Hearn kept his ride straight as he entered the corners doing all he could to make sure to not damage the Hoosier Tire on the right rear to make sure he was going to have enough late in the race. Although he was taking care of his equipment, Hearn was still able to put distance between himself and the now second place running Marshall.
The second yellow of the event came on lap 30 as Tyler Dippel exploded the left rear tire on his No. 1. This forced him to slow and stop on the bottom of the speedway in the second corner. The pause in the action led to another double-file restart.
The race resumed at the 34 lap mark with Hearn showing no signs of slowing down. Hearn utilized the outside lane for the restart allowing him to pull away from everyone looking to wrestle the position from him including the early leader Marshall.
Hearn stayed comfortably in front with traffic coming into play as the race reached the halfway mark. He was patient in traffic taking advantage of the openings presented to him. This patience gave Marshall some hope as the shortened the gap between himself and Hearn.
With one quarter of the race remaining it was all Hearn. As he raced away Stewart Friesen began his assault on Marshall as he moved up the back bumper of the No. 98 searching for an opening. Friesen first tried the low lane around the high-banked half-mile before trying the outside as well. Marshall was able to keep him at bay.
Matt Papello watched as his hopes for a top 10 finish were dashed on lap 89. Pupello spun on the bottom of turn two coming to a rest on the inner portion of the racing surface. The field was afforded one final shot at Hearn.
As he had done on the previous restart, Hearn was up to the task when the green flag waved. He shot out on Marshall and Friesen at the green. The pair had nothing for Hearn has he led the final 12 laps of the feature event to earn his 903rd career feature win.
"It's totally nerve racking I'm telling you," mentioned Hearn. "After the restarts you are feeling vibrations, then I'm thinking I'm running out of gas as the motor is stumbling. We had other issues after the heat race with some oil issues. It's crazy, just a lot of anxiety."
Marshall, of Richfield, Conn., had to settle for second after starting the race from the pole. At one point it looked like he had something for Hearn as he closed in on him in traffic. Unfortunately he came up one spot short to finish second.
"He was really running," stated Marshall about Hearn. "We kind of got tight in the middle of the race and I was laboring with that. The longer it went the tighter it got. I knew if I was dead on I wasn't going to go back by him too easy. He was the class of the field. He came back to us a little bit. I think he was saving his tires."
Marshall wasn't expecting to see Hearn drive by him on the restart. He expected a challenge from Flach at the time only to see Hearn shoot by underneath him. He knew it was going to be tough challenge to overcome from that point.
"I was kind of surprised it was him," commented Marshall. "I thought it was Keith (Flach) down there. When I saw that it was him I knew it was a big problem. He was super strong. I can't be ashamed to run second the way he was running that's for sure. We were good, just not good enough."
Friesen, a former Mr. Dirt Track USA winner, was the first non-regular at the speedway in the finishing order. The Sprakers, N.Y., pilot had a solid night coming from tenth to take the checkers in the final spot on the podium.
"To be the first outsider, I love coming here, love racing here and to have a top three with those guys is good," said Friesen. "We were close there with Eddie (Marshall) but Brett (Hearn) was pretty much lights out. We are happy for the Halmar (International) team. We kind of righted the ship a little bit on the series here. We've been working really hard in the shop the last couple weeks. I think we are on to something, we got some grip. I'm looking forward to see how that works out on Monday at Weedsport (Speedway)."
Lebanon Valley Speedway regular Kenny Tremont was steady the entire distance to earn himself the fourth position at the checkered flag. Flach crossed the line in fifth only to be disqualified in post-race technical inspection for coming up light on the scales. This gave the position to Mike Mahaney. Mahaney was impressive on Thursday driving all the way from his 30th starting spot up to sixth before the disqualification of Flach. Mahaney found a line on the bottom which allowed him to get by several drivers in the final 15 laps of the feature.
Hearn was the fastest qualifier on the night for the 64th time in his career with a lap of 19.474. Heat race wins were taken by Flach, Hearn, Jimmy Phelps and Sheppard. A pair of consolations were run with Anthony Perrego and Billy Whittaker securing wins. Kyle Sheldon was the recipient of the KSE Hard Charger award after advancing from 31st to 22nd. Matt Pupello and Sheppard were eligible for the DIG Safely 811 bonus for drawing the eighth and 12th starting spots respectively. The Speedy First Aid Hard Luck Award went to Flach after his disqualification for coming up light on the scales.
The Super DIRTcar Series next hits the track on Monday, September 4, at the Weedsport Speedway in the Labor Day Double Play featuring the big-block Modfieds of the series plus a 360 Sprint Car open. The winner on Monday night will take home $7,500 for their efforts. For more information visit the track's website at www.weedsportspeedway.com.
RESULTS FROM LEBANON VALLEY SPEEDWAY:
Feature (100 Laps) – 1. 20-Brett Hearn (7); 2. 98-Eddie Marshall (1); 3. 44-Stewart Friesen (10); 4. 115-Kenny Tremont (6); 5. 88-Mike Mahaney (30); 6. 4-Andy Bachetti (4); 7. 98H-Jimmy Phelps (3); 8. 91-Billy Decker (13); 9. 9S-Matt Sheppard (11); 10. 74-J.R. Heffner (14); 11. 21A-Peter Britten (15); 12. 35-L.J. Lombardo (18); 13. 60-Brian Berger (17); 14. 34-Steve Hough (12); 15. 42P-Matt Pupello (8); 16. 99-Kolby Schroder (20); 17. P42-Pat Ward (25); 18. 99L-Larry Wight (9); 19. 109-Billy Whittaker (22); 20. 55-Mike King (23); 21. DNF 19-Tim Fuller (16); 22. DNF 42-Kyle Sheldon (31); 23. DNF 6H-Max McLaughlin (28); 24. DNF 17E-Elmo Reckner (32); 25. DNF 1-Tyler Dippel (27); 26. DNF 5-Ryan Godown (26); 27. DNF 22-Brandon Walters (19); 28. DNF 44X-Anthony Perrego (21); 29. DNF 25-Chad Jeseo (5); 30. DNS 11A-Kyle Armstrong (24); 31. DNS 7M-Mike Maresca (29); 32. DQ 43-Keith Flach (2)
Qualifying Group 1 - 1. 43-Keith Flach, 19.583; 2. 115-Kenny Tremont, 19.664; 3. 44-Stewart Friesen, 19.702; 4. 60-Brian Berger, 19.763; 5. 91-Billy Decker, 19.823; 6. 44x-Anthony Perrego, 19.979; 7. 42-Kyle Sheldon, 19.998; 8. P42-Pat Ward, 20.027; 9. 17-Rob Pitcher, 20.091; 10. 34H-Cody Bleau, 20.618.
Qualifying Group 2 - 1. 20-Brett Hearn, 19.474; 2. 1-Tyler Dippel, 19.823; 3. 98-Eddie Marshall, 19.995; 4. LJ Lombardo, 20.084; 5. 25-Chad Jeseo, 20.133; 6. 74-J.R. Heffner, 20.179; 7. 55-Mike King, 20.260; 8. 88-Mike Mahaney, 20.260; 9. 7-John Ruchel, 20.379; 10. 17e-Elmo Reckner, 20.659
Qualifying Group 3 - 1. 98H-Jimmy Phelps, 19.698; 2. 4-Andy Bachetti, 19.797; 3. Kyle Armstrong, 19.867; 4. 99L-Larry Wight, 19.894; 5. 45-Wayne Jelley, 19.931; 6. 21A-Peter Britten, 20.005; 7. 7M-Mike Maresca, 20.313; 8. 22-Brandon Walters, 20.751, 9. 72-Cass Bennett, 21.633
Qualifying Group 4 – 1. 6H-Max McLaughlin, 19.647; 2. 9S-Matt Sheppard, 19.689; 3. 42P-Matt Pupello, 19.926; 4. 34-Steve Hough, 20.040; 5. 99-Kolby Schroder, 20.107; 6. 19-Tim Fuller, 20.182; 7. 5-Ryan Godown, 20.312; 8. 14-C.G. Morey, 20.351; 9. 109-Billy Whittaker, 20.603
Heat 1 (8 Laps – Top-5 Qualify – Top-3 Redraw) - 1. 43-Keith Flach, 2. 115-Kenny Tremont, 3. 44-Stewart Friesen, 4. 91-Billy Decker, 5. 60-Brian Berger, 6. 44X-Anthony Perrego, 7. P42-Pat Ward, 8. 42-Kyle Sheldon, 9. 34H-Cody Bleau, 10. DNS 17-Rob Pitcher
Heat 2 (8 Laps – Top-5 Qualify – Top-3 Redraw) - 1. 20-Brett Hearn, 2. 98-Eddie Marshall, 3. 25-Chad Jeseo, 4. 74-J.R. Heffner, 5. 35-LJ Lombardo, 6. 55-Mike King, 7. 1-Tyler Dippel, 8. 88-Mike Mahaney, 9. 17E-Elmo Reckner, 10. 7-John Ruchel
Heat 3 (8 Laps – Top-5 Qualify – Top-3 Redraw) - 1. 98H-Jimmy Phelps, 2. 4-Andy Bachetti, 3. 99L-Larry Wight, 4. 21A-Peter Britten, 5. 22-Brandon Walters, 6. DNF 7M-Mike Maresca, 7. DNF 11A-Kyle Armstrong, 8. DNF 45-Wayne Jelley, 9. DNS 72-Cass Bennett
Heat 4 (8 Laps – Top-5 Qualify – Top-3 Redraw) - 1. 9S-Matt Sheppard, 2. 34-Steve Hough, 3. 42P-Matt Pupello, 4. 19-Tim Fuller, 5. 99-Kolby Schroder, 6. 109-Billy Whittaker, 7. 5-Ryan Godown, 8. 14-C.G. Morrey, 9. DNF 6H-Max McLaughlin
Last Chance Qualifier 1 (8 Laps – 3 Transfer to Feature) – 1. 44x-Anthony Perrego, 2. 55-Mike King, 3. P42-Pat Ward, 4. 1-Tyler Dippel, 5. 88-Mike Mahaney, 6. 42-Kyle Sheldon, 7. 7-John Ruchel, 8. 17E-Elmo Reckner, 9. Cody Bleau
Last Chance Qualifier 2 (8 Laps – 3 Transfer to Feature) – 1. 109-Billy Whittaker, 2. 11A-Kyle Armstrong, 3. 5-Ryan Godown, 4. DNF 6H-Max McLaughlin, 5. DNF 72-Cass Bennett, 6. DNS 7M-Mike Maresca, 7. DNS 45-Wayne Jelley, 8. DNS C.G. Morey
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: VP Racing Fuels ($50 Cash): Billy Decker; Fast Time ($100 Cash): Brett Hearn; Bicknell Racing Products ($100 Product Certificate): Stewart Friesen; Cometic Gasket ($50 Cash): Brian Berger; Comp Cams ($50 Cash): Peter Britten; Comp Cams ($50 Product Certificate): Stewart Friesen; Edelbrock ($50 Cash): Peter Britten; Fox Racing Shocks ($50 Cash): Stewart Friesen; JE Pistons ($50 Cash): Mike Mahaney; JE Pistons (Product Certificate): Kolby Schroder; JE Pistons (Product Certificate): Tim Fuller; KSE Racing Products Inc. ($50 Product Certificate): Kyle Sheldon (+8); MSD Ignition ($50 Cash): Brett Hearn; MSD Ignition ($25 Cash): Brandon Walters; SuperFlow Dynos & Flowbenches ($50 Cash): Kolby Schroder; Wrisco Aluminum (Product Certificate): Brett Hearn; JRI Shocks ($50 Cash): Kyle Sheldon; Dig Safely 811 Redraw Bonus ($100 Cash): N/A; Speedy First Aid Hard Luck Award (Product Certificate): Keith Flach; ASi Racewear ($50 Cash): Jimmy Phelps.
SEASON WINNERS
Matt Sheppard – 6 (Five Mile Point Speedway on June 11; Autodrome Granby on July 25; Autodrome Drummond on July 26; Ransomville Speedway on August 8; Merrittville Speedway on August 9; Ohsweken Speedway on August 24)
Billy Decker - 3 (Fulton Speedway on April 29; Outlaw Speedway on June 20; Eldora Speedway on July 18)
Stewart Friesen – 2 (Utica-Rome Speedway on July 2, Weedsport Speedway on July 11)
Ryan Watt – 1 (Bridgeport Speedway on May 16)
Tim McCreadie – 1 (Albany-Saratoga Speedway on June 27)
Larry Wight – 1 (Airborne Park Speedway on July 6)
Peter Britten – 1 (Sharon Speedway on July 20)
Larry Wight – 1 (Airborne Park Speedway on July 6)
Brett Hearn – 1 (Lebanon Valley Speedway on August 31)
COURTNEY CONQUERS KOKOMO FOR SMACKDOWN VI VICTORY
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The United States Auto Club.
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Contact: Richie Murray - USAC Media / richie@usacracing.com
COURTNEY CONQUERS KOKOMO FOR SMACKDOWN VI VICTORY
By: Richie Murray - USAC Media
Kokomo, Indiana.....August 26, 2017 - Rarely does an event truly live up to its moniker, but Saturday night's "Sprint Car Smackdown VI" was an apt description of how the final laps and post-race theatrics unfolded Saturday night at Kokomo Speedway.
Tyler Courtney utilized a slider to grab the lead from race-long leader Tyler Thomas on the final green-white-checkered restart to win his second USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car feature at the quarter-mile in as many nights.
Such as it was the night prior when he flipped in qualifying before returning to win the Friday feature at Kokomo, the trail for Indianapolis, Indiana's Courtney to victory lane on Saturday night wasn't quite a point A to B type of deal. After fighting engine issues early on in the night, Courtney encountered a maze that took just two laps, but resulted in jubilation for some, heartbreak for others and grass stains for a few who rolled around in the infield after voicing their displeasure with the way things played out down the stretch.
Tyler Thomas simply dominated from the drop of the green every single time action resumed, using the turn two wall as an extension of the racing surface by tapping the right rear rubber against the concrete to propel himself down the back straightaway.
One-hundred-eighty-seven USAC National Sprint Car wins were present throughout Saturday night's stacked feature lineup, yet none belonged to Tyler Thomas coming in. On the final lap, with victory a near certainty for the Collinsville, Oklahoma native, the yellow flag flew for the spun car of Brady Bacon in turn four. By rule, that set up a green-white-checker, two-lap dash situation.
It became a duel between the two unrelated Thomases - Tyler and Kevin Jr. - when racing resumed. K. Thomas attempted a slider for the lead in turn one on the restart to no avail as T. Thomas sped away once again. On the final lap, T. Thomas banged the turn two wall with the right rear. Just behind him, mimicking the same concrete kiss was K. Thomas, who snagged it just a bit harder and flipped wildly to end his bid at a repeat "Smackdown" victory.
On the next GWC try, Chris Windom was lined up right on the tail tank of T. Thomas in the second position. Windom had no doubt in his mind what his plan was as he immediately dove to the bottom of one to successfully slide up in front of T. Thomas on the top midway between turns one and two. T. Thomas once again hooked the wall, but recovered and was able to slide past Windom into turn three as did Courtney nearly simultaneously. Dropping to third momentarily, Windom, using a diamond pattern off turn three, miraculously dove from the top to the bottom from turn three to four to drive underneath both drivers to reclaim the lead as the white flag waved.
Windom once again slid up to the top in front of both Courtney and T. Thomas running side-by-side in turn one. T. Thomas rocketed around the outside of Courtney first, then nudged the turn two wall with the right rear and split between Courtney and Windom off of two. T. Thomas pulled alongside Windom down the back straight and the two made contact! T. Thomas' right rear hurdled Windom's left front, sending Windom sideways as T. Thomas continued on. Third-running Courtney couldn't completely avoid the carnage either and ramped over the nose of Windom, tearing off the nose of Windom's car and sending him into a 360-degree spin and ending his race.
During the yellow, Windom took umbrage with T. Thomas. T. Thomas was mandated by officials to stop for a safety check to remove Windom's steering wheel that was stuck in the left side nerf bar of his car before he could continue at the front of the pack.
Some say the third time is the charm, but that would not be the case for T. Thomas on the third attempt at a GWC finish. T. Thomas changed up the plan and went topside off turn four on the lap 39 restart. Courtney shadowed every T. Thomas movement until turn one when he took the middle and reared back for his shot at the race lead, this time pulling it off successfully. T. Thomas tried to counter to the inside, but lost momentum between turns one and two, but still had one remaining breath left in the tank.
With the white flag in the air, T. Thomas went to the bottom of one and aimed for his last shot, sliding wheel-to-wheel beside Courtney between one and two, so close you could hardly slide a credit card between each's tires. Courtney anticipated the action, but kept his foot in it and sped around the outside of T. Thomas to remain in front where he would finish off the biggest win of his career just ahead of T. Thomas, Robert Ballou, Scotty Weir and Dave Darland.
One night following a prelim victory at the track in which he made his USAC Sprint Car debut, Courtney added another sweet note to his ever-growing resume by scoring the $10,000 check. Picking up a win at any track in USAC National competition is a tall task, but a win after overcoming so much adversity makes the nectar of success taste even sweeter.
"It's a lot sweeter," Courtney exclaimed. "Last night was obviously pretty special getting my first sprint car win at Kokomo. That's a hard feat to accomplish in itself. To back it up in the biggest race at the track is amazing. Really, all this goes to my guys. They busted their tails all weekend. Tonight, we fought engine troubles all the way up until King of the Hill Qualifying. These guys never give up and this is the least I can do to repay them. To keep coming back from adversity really the shows the kind of team we have."
"When we turned it over, it hurt the magneto in the engine," Courtney explained. "Today, it just didn't fire. We changed one thing and it didn't run, so we changed another thing and finally got it running. Thank god it did!"
To win, one must first put themselves in a position to win. Despite a few close calls and running between third and sixth throughout much of the 40-lapper, Courtney was there when it counted to score his series-leading fifth USAC National Sprint Car win of 2017 in his TOPP Motorsports/TOPP Performance Race Parts - Custom Pump & Controls/Maxim/Gaerte by TOPP.
"We weren't a winning car for 99% of that race," Courtney admits. "But we put ourselves in the right position to stay up there and remain in the hunt and it paid off. We got ourselves into second after Tyler (Thomas) and Chris (Windom) got together and I was able to capitalize on the restart."
"On the restart, I did exactly what I wanted to do," Courtney explains. "I was going to make him lift. Sure enough, he did. I got a good head of steam going down into three and was able to rip it pretty good. I slid myself back into one and two and just made sure to protect. This is special. It's kind of hard to put into words right now. If you ask me a couple days from now, I might be able to. This is the biggest one yet."
On the flipside of the thrill of victory is the agony of defeat. After answering every bell on an emotional roller coaster ride in which he admits he thought he had the race won at least four times, Tyler Thomas still came home with a career-best second-place finish in his Michael Dutcher Motorsports/Griffin's Propane - Tri-Star Motorsports - Indiana Underground/Maxim/Fisher. So, so close, yet there is still a sense of pride in Thomas' voice in what he accomplished Saturday night and what lies ahead for him and Dutcher.
"What makes me feel good is these are the best race car drivers in the country, in my opinion," Thomas begins. "Last year, I was just pumped to make the A-feature on Saturday night. I'm pretty heartbroken about how this one ended. I guess it'll just make the first win that much sweeter. I thought we had it, but it's just not your night sometimes."
Shortly after the checkered flag, there was a little bit of extracurricular activity that took place on the front straightaway as Windom confronted Thomas following their on-track incident. Words and actions were exchanged and several crew members ended up on the infield grass in a tussle as a dejected Thomas could only look on and wonder what could've been. Thomas was deeply apologetic to Windom in the immediate aftermath.
"I was expecting a slider from Chris on the restart in turn one," Thomas recalled. "I knew if I could just get through turn one smooth and not hit the wall, I'd be in good shape. But he cleared me and I hit the wall. I got back underneath him and I tried to leave him a lane, but it's so slick on the straightaway. I'm not sure if he came down or if I came up. The bottom line is I ran over his left front. I hate doing that. I don't race that way. I hate to cost somebody else a win."
Restart after restart can be mentally wearing on any driver, let alone one seeking his first USAC win. Thomas was flawless on each of them, but it was the final one that bit him.
"I did really well staying calm, cool and collected even after that first time when we were coming to the checkered flag," Thomas said. "I was doing alright. I knew I could get through turns one and two okay. After the third GWC restart, my mind was going crazy trying to figure out what I could do to get the jump I needed, which was tricky because it was slick. You don't know whether to slide yourself or go right to the top. I figured if I could just get my momentum up as quickly as possible, I'd be okay. Tyler slid by me and got to the cushion and there wasn't anything I could do with him after that."
Robert Ballou's topsy-turvy race took him from pursuing T. Thomas for the lead in second with six laps remaining to waxing the turn two wall and dropping to fifth, then regathering himself to take his Robert Ballou Motorsports/Deaton's Waterfront Services - Dickinson Farms/Boss/Ott to a solid third-place finish.
Despite a slider attempt at Thomas on a restart with 11 laps to go, Ballou never believed he had the car to compete for the victory.
"I was too free," Ballou said. "In six years of Smackdown, if I haven't crashed, I've been too tight the whole race until the last five laps. You just can't race that way. We were pretty tight in King of the Hill Qualifying, so I went up and watched the race track, came back and Derrick had tightened the racecar up. I knew I wasn't going to make it past the first corner. I had to go up and do driver intros and I told him this wasn't going to work. Then, he went the other way too far. It's just one of them deals. You have to be able to communicate perfectly every time. It's a shame on me. I'm the one who spooked him and I knew we were going to be struggling at the end. I didn't think the cushion would build up as high as it did in turns three and four. I was too good too early and I was just a sitting duck at the end."
USAC contingency award winners Saturday night at Kokomo included Kevin Thomas, Jr. (B & W Auto Mart King of the Hill Qualifying Winner), Chad Boespflug (Simpson Race Products Qualifying Race 1 Winner), Jarett Andretti (Competition Suspension, Inc. Qualifying Race 2 Winner), Chris Windom (Chalk Stix Qualifying Race 3 Winner), Justin Grant (Indy Race Parts Qualifying Race 4 Winner), Dave Darland (KSE Racing Products Hard Charger) and Kody Swanson (Wilwood Brakes 13th Place Finisher).
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USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: August 26, 2017 - Kokomo, Indiana - Kokomo Speedway - "Sprint Car Smackdown VI"
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps) 1. Chad Boespflug (#69 Dynamics), 2. Scotty Weir (#17G On The Gass), 3. Isaac Chapple (#52 LNR/Chapple), 4. Mario Clouser (#6 MCM), 5. Brady Short (#19AZ Reinbold/Underwood), 6. Logan Jarrett (#29 Jarrett), 7. Travis Hery (#21H Hery). 2:11.53
COMPETITION SUSPENSION (CSI) SECOND QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps) 1. Jarett Andretti (#18 Andretti), 2. Chase Stockon (#32 32 TBI), 3. Aaron Farney (#15F DCT), 4. Tom Harris (#5E Harris), 5. Matt Goodnight (#39 Goodnight), 6. Chet Williams (#38 Williams), 7. Colten Cottle (#1RL Lambertson). NT
CHALK STIX THIRD QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps) 1. Chris Windom (#5 Baldwin), 2. Dave Darland (#40 Hery), 3. Josh Hodges (#74x Hodges), 4. Kyle Robbins (#17R Robbins), 5. Brian Karraker (#23 Karraker), 6. Josh Spencer (#66J Spencer), 7. Parker Frederickson (#34 Frederickson). 2:10.23 (New Track Record)
INDY RACE PARTS FOURTH QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps) 1. Justin Grant (#11 McGhee), 2. Shane Cottle (#57 Hazen), 3. Kody Swanson (#2E Epperson), 4. Brandon Mattox (#28 Mattox), 5. Tyler Hewitt (#97x One More Time), 6. Cole Ketcham (#41 Ketcham), 7. Robert Bell (#71 Bell). 2:11.67
B & W AUTO MART "KING OF THE HILL" 2-CAR SHOOTOUTS: (3 laps each) Round 1: C.J. Leary (#30 Leary) defeated Brady Bacon (#63 Dooling/Hayward); Tyler Thomas (#17GP Dutcher) defeated Kyle Cummins (#3R Rock Steady); Hunter Schuerenberg (#19 Reinbold/Underwood) defeated Robert Ballou (#12 Ballou) and Kevin Thomas Jr. (#9K KT) defeated Tyler Courtney (#23c TOPP). Round 2: T. Thomas defeated Leary and K. Thomas defeated Schuerenberg Final Round: K. Thomas defeated T. Thomas.
SEMI: (15 laps) 1. Farney, 2. Hodges, 3. Chapple, 4. Swanson, 5. Hewitt, 6. Clouser, 7. B. Short, 8. Mattox, 9. Karraker, 10. Robbins, 11. Goodnight, 12. Williams, 13. Hery, 14. Spencer, 15. Bell, 16. Harris, 17. Frederickson, 18. Ketcham, 19. Jarrett. NT
FEATURE: (40 laps) 1. Tyler Courtney, 2. Tyler Thomas, 3. Robert Ballou, 4. Scotty Weir, 5. Dave Darland, 6. Justin Grant, 7. C.J. Leary, 8. Jarett Andretti, 9. Chad Boespflug, 10. Chase Stockon, 11. Hunter Schuerenberg, 12. Aaron Farney, 13. Kody Swanson, 14. Josh Hodges, 15. Tyler Hewitt, 16. Kyle Cummins, 17. Mario Clouser, 18. Chris Windom, 19. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 20. Brady Bacon, 21. Isaac Chapple, 22. Shane Cottle. NT
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**Jarrett flipped during the Semi. Harris flipped during the Semi. Chapple flipped on lap 16 of the feature. K. Thomas flipped on lap 40 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-38 T. Thomas, Laps 39-40 Courtney.
KSE RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Dave Darland (15th to 5th)
WILWOOD BRAKES 13TH PLACE FINISHER: Kody Swanson
NEW USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1-Grant-1662, 2-Windom-1569, 3-Courtney-1493, 4-K. Thomas-1484, 5-Boespflug-1478, 6-Stockon-1419, 7-Leary-1288, 8-Bacon-1243, 9-Ballou-1166, 10-Andretti-1102.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: September 15 - Terre Haute Action Track - Terre Haute, Indiana - "Jim Hurtubise Classic"
MODS at the MADHOUSE
Posted by: | CommentsAUGUST 27, 2017
CONTACT: BOB MILLER 443 513 4456
THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES
NAPA AUTO PARTS present. . . .
HALLOWEEN PARTY & MODS AT THE MADHOUSE TO CLOSE OUT THUNDER SERIES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14
BECHTELSVILLE, PA (August 27, 2017) – Don’t walk under a ladder and be careful if a black cat crosses your path as you enter the through the gates of Grandview Speedway on Saturday night, October 14. Expect a “Thriller” with the annual NAPA Auto Parts House of Thunder Halloween Party and the Mods at the MADHOUSE. Be part of a spooky night on the hill as the Big Block Modifieds and 358 Modifieds battle for $5,000 to win the 40 lap Mods at the Madhouse feature that offer $1,000 to finish tenth and $500 just to start the main event. Also on the program will be the Sportsman stock cars along with the MASS Sprint Series in an all out “Triple Thunder Thriller”. Gates open at 4 PM with racing getting underway at 6 PM. In the event of rain, Sunday, October 15 will be the rain date with gates opening at 3 PM and a 5 PM starting time
Fans are invited to come dressed for the occasion, Halloween costumes will be the popular attire of the night with awards going out to best dressed for children and adults. Please expect some Halloween candy and of course, this night always provides some tricks and treats along the way.
With a special rules package offered, the region’s top Modified racers are expected to be in attendance. Hometown heroes like Craig Von Dohren, Jeff Strunk, Duane Howard and Doug Manmiller defend the Berks County oval against New Jersey invaders Billy Pauch Jr. and Ryan Godown. Young and hungry drivers like Danny Bouc, Jared Umbenhauer, and Ryan Krachun search for their first Thunder on the Hill Victory.
The rules package allows for competition from Big-Block and Spec 358 engines and both American Racer and Hoosier tires. No open small block motors are permitted. For further rule information visit www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com
Along with an exciting Modified main event, the Sportsman will compete in a series of qualifying events leading up to the $1,300-to-win, 25-lap feature event. The MASS Sprint Car Series will battle with heat race qualifying ending the night with their 25 lap main event. It’s a three division Triple Thunder Thriller close to a popular 2018 NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series.
Helping to celebrate the Spooky Night will be a stunning firework display prior to the start of the modified main event.
The Pioneer Pole Buildings Mobile Sales Unit will be on display in the mid-way along with all of the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series mainstay promotions including the Low Down & Dirty Radio Show pre-race Meet and Greet, pit area tours, the Inside/Out Experience – where fans can watch hot laps from the infield, Joe ‘The Pizza Dude’ offering up free pizzas to the rowdiest fans, give-a-ways, and appearances by Miss Thunder on the Hill, Lauren Fischer.
Spectator gates will open at 4 PM, with racing action set for 6:00 PM. Adult General Admission is $25, Children 6-11 are $10, and Children 5 and Under are Free of Charge. Pit Area pricing is $35 and a license is not required.
Fans have the ability to camp out at the Speedway. Campers are asked to park in the turn 4 parking area, there are no hook-ups available, and no box camping allowed. Track officials ask that all fires be contained. There is no fee for camping.
NAPA Auto Parts continues their long run with the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series as the title sponsor joined by Pioneer Pole Buildings, Levan Machine and Truck Equipment and GALCO Business Communications.
2017 Thunder Racing Series Schedule:
Mods at the Madhouse Halloween Party – Saturday, October 14 6 PM – Big-Block/358 Modifieds 40 Laps, Sportsman & MASS Sprints
Rain Date: Sunday, October 15 Start time: 5 PM
Grandview Speedway
GPS USERS: 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, PA 19505
Located less than a mile off Route 100, 10 miles north of Pottstown, PA
Speedway Phone: 610-754-7688
Thunder on the Hill Racing Series Phone: 443-513-4456
Series Website: Track Website: www.grandviewspeedway.com
Twitter/Instagram: @TOTHRACING
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thunderonthehill
About Thunder on the Hill Racing Series
The brainchild of Grandview Speedway owner Bruce Rogers, special events promoter Bob Miller and local driving star Dave Kelly, the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series celebrates 28 years of the most anticipated events of the racing calendar year after year. In 125 events over $4.2 million dollars has been divvied up among the area's fastest racers. What started as a single 410 Sprint Car event in 1990 has blossomed to feature a variety of racing action including 358 Modifieds, USAC Wingless Sprints, All-Star Circuit of Champions, 360 & 410 Sprint Cars, Sportsman, Late Models, Midgets, Legends Cars, DIRTcar and ROC Modified events.
About Grandview Speedway
Grandview Speedway is a high-banked one-third mile clay oval, celebrating their 55th Anniversary season in 2017. The facility offers free parking, quality food at reasonable prices (be sure to try the french fries), a program book, Grandview Speedway and Thunder on the Hill race wear and great viewing from every seat in the house. Race fans may take part in the Inside/Out promotion, where you can sign up (no charge) to watch warm-ups from inside turn four. Race fans are also invited to victory lane following the racing program and, race fans may enter the pits after the races to meet the drivers. Be ready to enjoy the spine-tingling fireworks salute on the feature event parade lap.
PAUCH, SR. AND STRUNK GOING FOR WIN NUMBER SEVEN IN FREEDOM 76
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Grandview Speedway
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NEWS FROM NASCAR SANCTIONED ROGERS FAMILY GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY, Bechtelsville, PA
Event Organizer Kenny Rogers-Assistant Event Organizer Tina Rogers
Track phone: 610.754.7688 – www.grandviewspeedway.com
MEDIA CONTACT: Ernie Saxton @ 215.752.7797 or Esaxton144@aol.com or 267.934.7286 (cell)
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PAUCH AND STRUNK, SIX TIME WINNERS, GOING FOR SEVENTH WIN IN 47TH ANNUAL FREEDOM 76 CLASSIC IN MEMORY OF BRUCE ROGERS AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY
$30,000 TO THE WINNER OF THE ANNUAL CLASSIC ON SEPTEMBER 16
BECHTELSVILLE, PA August 27, 2017 . . . Two of the top talents in dirt track Modified stock car racing, Billy Pauch Sr. and Jeff Strunk, will be trying to claim their seventh win in the rich 47th Annual Freedom 76 Classic In Memory of Bruce Rogers. The race, which attracts many of the best racers in the business, will pay at least $30,000 to the winner on Saturday, September 16th at Grandview Speedway.
Current NASCAR TP Trailers Modified point leader Craig VonDohren has five wins in the Classic and will be looking for his sixth while veteran Duane Howard tries for his fifth victory. Meme DeSantis is rumored to be ready to try for his fourth victory. Those looking for their second Freedom 76 win will include Ray Swinehart and possibly Stewart Friesen.
Popular racing talents that have not been able to win this event include Mike Gular, Brett Kressley, Doug Manmiller, Jared Umbenhauer, Ryan Watt and a long list of others. They are all hoping to be able to add their name to the list.
Early entries for the Freedom 76 include Jeff Strunk, Mike Gular, Jared Umbenhauer, Mike Mahaney, Danny Erb, Doug Manmiller and Mike Lisowski. Billy Pauch Sr. and Jr. have advised track management that they will be participating.
A full series of qualifying events will lead up to the 47th Freedom 76 with a Cash Dash paying $1,000 thrown in.
Adult admission on race day is $40 but fans buying advance tickets will pay just $35. Advance tickets are sold at the speedway each Saturday night when NASCAR races are presented. Youngsters 6 through 11 pay $10 and kids under 6 are admitted free. Rain date is Saturday, September 23.
On Friday, September 15th, Modified racers looking for some practice time will be able to do just that as a doubleheader featuring Sportsman and Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series Sprinters is presented. Adult admission is $12 while youngsters 6 through 11 pay $5 and kids under 6 are admitted free. The Sportsman will be racing for $1500 to win in the Freedom 38’er. There is no license required for the Sportsman racers. There is no rain date in place for this event.
Rain date for the Freedom 76 is September 23 but there is not rain date for the Friday event.
Those wishing to be a lap sponsor for the race that honors the memory of the late Bruce Rogers can get information from Tina Rogers and Tommy Kramer at the track or telephone Ernie Saxton at 215.752-7797 or Esaxton144@aol.com. Lap sponsorships are priced at $20 and gets your lap listed in the special event program and has your name mentioned on the public address system. Qualifying event sponsorships are available for just $200. Stoudt Auto Sales of Reading and Manmiller Electric of Shoemakersville have signed on as heat race sponsors.
Additional information is available at www.grandviewspeedway.com, Facebook or 610.754.7688.
-End-
MEDIA NOTE: If you are planning to cover these events and do not have a Grandview Speedway media pass, please be in touch to make arrangements for credentials at Esaxton144@aol.com or telephone 215.752.7797.
ERNIE SAXTON COMMUNICATIONS, INC
Public Relations, Sponsorship Consultant
Publisher: Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News
Award winning motorsports journalist
www.saxtonsponsormarket.com
215.752.7797 & 267.934.7286-Esaxton144@aol.com
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. Smokes The Field At Smoky Mountain Speedway
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ASCS National Sprint Series
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. Smokes The Field At Smoky Mountain Speedway
MARYVILLE, Tenn. (August 26, 2017) Adding his name to the record books at Smoky Mountain Speedway, Sam Hafertepe, Jr. picked up his 12th Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series National Tour presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network victory, and 14th overall ASCS win on the 2017 season.
Chasing Wayne Johnson on the start, the Outlaw Wings No. 2c rolled the cushion to open up Saturday's feature event. Caution on Lap 2 for Michael Miller who slammed the wall in turn-one, Johnson was stopped on the front stretch to swap out the transponder before going green but was able to retain his spot.
Able to hold off the charge of Hafertepe through the first and second turns, it took a couple laps before Johnson was able to build some breathing room. Running down traffic with a half straightaway advantage over the Keith Dobbs Motorsports No. 15H, the slower cars began playing to the advantage of Hafertepe. Closing to Wayne's tail tank on Lap 12, Sam worked the bottom side of the speedway with the line paying off a lap later.
"Wayne got me on the start, and track position was important. I kept looking at the bottom and I knew it was going to come around, and it came in perfect when we got to those lapped cars that I was able to manipulate the bottom," commented Hafertepe of the pass for the lead that netted him his 27th career National Tour score. "After we found the right place to run, I don't think anyone had anything else for us."
Moving to the lead, Hafertepe quickly built his advantage as Blake Hahn also worked the inside line to take over second. Still contending with slower cars while running third, slower traffic would be the end of Wayne Johnson's night on Lap 16 as the No. 2c ended up flipping into the wall in the first and second turns. Wayne was unharmed.
With Blake Hahn and Matt Covington now in pursuit on the restart, neither were able to get the run on Hafertepe as Aaron Reutzel came into the mix for the third spot. Trading the spot several times, both drivers were having to contend with failed nose wings, with Aaron able to roll the wing forward to put the car back in balance and gain the advantage on Lap 23.
Going green the remainder of the feature event, Hafertepe found slower traffic in the closing laps. Bringing Hahn from a half straightaway disadvantage to only a hand full of car lengths, time was out for Hahn to get a run as Hafertepe won by 0.914 seconds.
Blake Hahn was joined on the podium by Aaron Reutzel with Johnny Herrera moving forward from ninth to finish fourth, followed by Matt Covington in fifth. Brian Bell was sixth, followed by Skylar Gee from 10th. Harli White, Seth Bergman, and Eric Riggins from 19th made up the top-ten.
A field of 19 was split into three Heat Races with Brian Bell, Wayne Johnson, and Sam Hafertepe, Jr. each earning wins. Wayne Johnson was the FSR Radiator High Point Driver of the Night. Eric Riggins, Jr. was the CP-Carrillo Hard Charger.
The Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network return to action at the Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. for Labor Day Weekend on Friday, September 1 and Saturday, September 2.
The Lucas Oil ASCS Southern Outlaw Sprints returns to action on Saturday, August 26, 2017, at Smoky Mountain Speedway with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour. For continued updates on the American Sprint Car Series, from the National Tour to any of the seven regional tours that make up the over 150 dates across the ASCS Nation in 2017, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com.
Race Results:
Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
ASCS Southern Outlaw Sprints
Smoky Mountain Speedway - Maryville, Tenn.
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Car Count: 19
Heat Races (All drivers advance to the A-Feature)
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 23B-Brian Bell, [1]; 2. 52-Blake Hahn, [2]; 3. 45X-Johnny Herrera, [3]; 4. 29-Kyle Amerson, [4]; 5. 4M-Michael Miller, [6]; 6. 116-Nick Snyder, [5]; 7. 1-Eric Riggins Jr, [7]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 2C-Wayne Johnson, [2]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, [1]; 3. 17W-Harli White, [4]; 4. 95-Matt Covington, [6]; 5. 23-Seth Bergman, [5]; 6. 01-Shane Morgan, [3]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [1]; 2. 1X-Scott Hunter, [2]; 3. 99-Skylar Gee, [3]; 4. 9-Lane Whittington, [4]; 5. 00-Tristan Lee, [5]; 6. 52K-Cody Karl, [6]
Protect the Harvest A-Feature:
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [1]; 2. 52-Blake Hahn, [3]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel, [6]; 4. 45X-Johnny Herrera, [9]; 5. 95-Matt Covington, [4]; 6. 23B-Brian Bell, [8]; 7. 99-Skylar Gee, [10]; 8. 17W-Harli White, [5]; 9. 23-Seth Bergman, [14]; 10. 1-Eric Riggins Jr, [19]; 11. 1X-Scott Hunter, [7]; 12. 29-Kyle Amerson, [11]; 13. 9-Lane Whittington, [12]; 14. 00-Tristan Lee, [15]; 15. 52K-Cody Karl, [16]; 16. (DNF) 2C-Wayne Johnson, [2]; 17. (DNF) 116-Nick Snyder, [17]; 18. (DNF) 01-Shane Morgan, [18]; 19. (DNF) 4M-Michael Miller, [13]
Lap Leader(s): Wayne Johnson 1-12; Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 13-30
CP-Carrillo Hard Charger: Eric Riggins +9
FSR High Point Driver: Wayne Johnson
Provisional(s): N/A
2017 Lucas Oil ASCS A-Main Winner(s): Sam Hafertepe, Jr. - 12 (3/17 - Devil's Bowl Speedway; 3/18 - Devil's Bowl Speedway; 4/7 - Texas Motor Speedway; 4/8 - Texas Motor Speedway; 4/15 - Missouri State Fair Speedway; 6/13 - Devil's Bowl Speedway; 6/14 - Lawton Speedway; 6/23 - Skagit Speedway; 6/24 - Skagit Speedway; 7/14 - Black Hills Speedway; 8/20 - Missouri State Fair Speedway; 8/27 - Smoky Mountain Speedway); Aaron Reutzel - 5 (5/11 - Lakeside Speedway; 6/15 - Creek County Speedway; 6/17 - Lucas Oil Speedway; 6/22 - Skagit Speedway; 7/15 - Black Hills Speedway); Wayne Johnson - 2 (7/7 - Gallatin Speedway; 7/8 - Gallatin Speedway); Jake Bubak - 1 (6/9 - West Texas Raceway); Kyle Bellm - 1(6/10 - Route 66 Motor Speedway); Brian Brown - 1 (6/16 - Randolph County Raceway); Matt Covington - 1 (6/30 - Grays Harbor Raceway); Roger Crockett - 1 (7/1 - Grays Harbor Raceway); Terry McCarl - 1 (7/29 - Knoxville Raceway); Gregg Bakker - 1 (7/30 - Mason City Motor Speedway); Tim Shaffer - 1 (8/3 - Knoxville Raceway); Greg Hodnett - 1 (8/4 - Knoxville Raceway); Clint Garner - 1 (8/5 - Knoxville Raceway); Tim Crawley - 1 (8/24 - Riverside International Speedway);
2017 Lucas Oil ASCS Driver Standings (Top 10): 1. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 3,771; 2. Aaron Reutzel 3,617; 3. Wayne Johnson 3,448; 4. Matt Covington 3,398 5. Johnny Herrera 3,391; 6. Seth Bergman 3,378; 7. Blake Hahn 3,227; 8. Skylar Gee 2,997; 9. Harli White 2,703, 10. Josh Baughman 1,627;
