Central Pennsylvania weekend summary 2004-07-25

HOMETOWN HERO RICK ECKERT TOPS WORLD OF OUTLAW LATE MODELS AT HAGERSTOWN

York's Rick Eckert fought off the late race charge of Gary Stuhler to win the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Conococheague 50 at the Hagerstown Speedway Saturday night.

"I haven't been doing too good of late" said Eckert in Victory Lane. "It seems like all I was getting was sixth place finishes. It was sure good to get another win here close to home. Randy Grove and his Dad had a great track for us tonight. We don't race on many tracks where you can race all over like here at Hagerstown."

Eckert started on the pole and outgunned Donnie Moran at the drop of the green to take the lead going into the first turn.

Eckert showing he was the one to beat right from the start and quickly opened up a commanding lead.

By lap 18, Eckert had opened a 10 car length lead and was beginning to put the slower cars a lap down. A lap later, Rick Aukland slowed to bring out the caution as Bloomquist dropped into the pits to change tires.

Eckert continued his pace on the restart with Earl Pearson, Johnson and Moran in pursuit. As Pearson kept his momentum going up high and Eckert found the middle of the track to his liking, Gary Stuhler, who started 10th, began to find some traction down low.

Stuhler broke into the top five on the 33rd lap as Pearson stayed on Eckert's bumper. Stuhler moved into third on the 36th lap and continued his drive to the front down low passing Pearson for second on lap 39 and had sole control of second when the final caution was waved on lap 40.

Stuhler took off after Eckert on the restart as Eckert tried to protect his lead. On lap 43, Stuhler pulled in front of Eckert down the backstretch, but Eckert fought off Stuhler's challenge to maintain his lead.

Eckert then pulled away to a seven car length win as Stuhler settled for second. Davey Johnson came home in third with Jeremy Miller making a late race charge to finish fourth after starting 13th. Pearson rounded out the top five.

Moran, Francis and 16th starting Mike Balzano were next with Outlaw point leader Scott Bloomquist coming from the rear of the field for ninth after changing a tire on the 19th lap. Tim McCreadie finished out the top ten.

In other action, Mike Warrenfeltz started 14th and blasted his way to the front by the sixth lap and held off Brian Tavenner for his eighth win of the season in the 15-lap Pure Stock Mid-Summer Shootout.

OTHER AREA RACING ACTION

DANNY LASOSKI ENDS POSSE REIGN AT WILLIAMS GROVE ON SATURDAY

Danny Lasoski scored one for the World of Outlaws with an impressive victory in the 30-lap finale of the Summer Nationals Saturday night at Williams Grove Speedway.

Lance Dewease beat Mark Smith into the first corner and set the early pace. Meanwhile Steve Kinser was closing fast. With Dewease using the high line in an effort to sweep the Summer Nationals Kinser was working well on the inside and drove into the lead at the finish line on lap nine.

Once in front Kinser began to pull away, while Lasoski was moving through the field after starting eleventh. Lasoski cracked the top five on the 18th tour, was up to third on lap 21 and began to close on Dewease for the runner-up spot.

Lasoski took second from Dewease with an inside move through turn four on the 23rd lap. Shortly after Lasoski took over, Kinser's engine exploded on the backstretch and he coasted to a stop in turn four handing the lead to Lasoski.

Once in front Lasoski checked out and cruised to his second career victory at Williams Grove. Dewease settled for second.

Craig Dollansky was third. Jason Meyers came from 14th to finish fourth and Sammy Swindell claimed fifth.

The Summer Nationals was originally scheduled to be a three-day program, but the first night was rained out.

LANCE DEWEASE & POSSE ROUND-UP OUTLAWS FRIDAY AT THE GROVE

Fayetteville's Lance Dewease led a 1-2-3 sweep of the World of Outlaws by the Pennsylvania Posse Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway in the first night of the Summer Nationals.

Dewease started on the pole and led every lap to score his 58th career victory at Williams Grove, which tied him with Rahmer as the speedway's all-time sprint car winner.

It was the first win of the season at the Grove for Dewease, who ended a victory drought which began in May of 2003.

While Dewease set the pace Rahmer, who started 18th, was spectacular. He cracked the top five on lap 19. The next time around he took fourth from Kraig Kinser, then blew past Steve Kinser with an inside move through turns three and four.

At that point only Dewease and Hodnett stood between Rahmer and a $10,000 pay day. Rahmer, the Williams Grove point leader, got by Hodnett for second on the 29th lap, but could not challenge Dewease at the finish.

Hodnett was a solid third ahead of Steve Kinser. Kenny Jacobs, who started tenth, nipped Kelly Kinser at the line to make it four Posse members in the top five.

GROVE WORLD OF OUTLAW SUMMER NATIONALS OPENER RAINED OUT

Thursday night's opener for the World of Outlaw Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway was rained out.

SMITH HOLDS OFF HERR FOR SECOND CAREER SPORTSMAN WIN

Duaine Smith held off defending track champion Frankie Herr to win the super sportsman feature Saturday night at Silver Spring Speedway. For Smith, of Harrisburg, it was his second career triumph at the Springs. The win was worth $1,350, plus an extra $300 which was donated by the 50/50 winner. Pat Cannon, 23rd place starter Craig Morrow and Skip Findley completed the top-five.

Jeff Haag of Barnsville won the 20-lap street stock feature for his second career win. Mike Walls started second and took the lead from Jim Martz Jr. on the third lap to win the first ever 20-lap thundercar feature at Silver Spring.

Walls would pass Haag on the sixth lap to win the special 10-lap match race between the top five finishers in the street stock and thundercar features.

BOHLKE WINS CAREER FIRST IN SELINSGROVE 358 SPRINTS; SEAN MICHAEL TAKES URC SPRINT WIN

Ryan Bohlke, the 18-year-old sprint car rookie from Fredon, NJ, held off veteran Dave Calaman of Carlisle for his first career win in the 25-lap 358 sprint car race Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway.

Sean Michael of Allentown dominated the second half of the 25-lap United Racing Club sprint car main event for his second win of the season with the nation's oldest touring sprint car series.

Scott Haus of Hamburg avoided a violent crash at the start of the late model feature and went on to win his second main event of the season at Selinsgrove in the division's 20-lap feature.

Bill Glass of Middleburg held off point leader Troy Miller of Williamstown for his first career win in the 15-lap pro stock main event, while Gary Kerstetter of Middleburg won his first 12-lap roadrunner race of the season.

BILLY DIETRICH SCORES PORT ROYAL KARS 358 SPRINT WIN

Aspers Billy Dietrich was the winner in KARS 358 Sprint action. Dietrich started twelfth and chased early race leader Rick Horn for the first eight laps before taking over the top sport on the ninth. Justin Zimmerman came from the rear to finish second and Scott Lutz finished third.

Joey Hershey won the 305 sprint feature while Gary Beward won the pro stock feature.

The four-cylinder pure stock feature was won by Jerry Bard of Shippensburg and Teresa Kepner was victorious in Ladies Powder Puff action.

JIM STILL WINS TWO AT TRAIL-WAY SATURDAY NIGHT

Jim Still led all 20 laps of both the regularly scheduled 250cc micro-sprint feature and the make-up from July 17th.

Ironically, in both 250cc feature races, Bob Laughman and Wayne Karcher chased Still to the checkered.

Enola's Ben Murphy raced his way into victory lane for the first time in his career in the 600cc micro-sprint feature race.

Kurt Welsh picked up his first classic car win of 2004 and in starlite stock car action, Tim Hartford picked up his second win of the month in the 6-cylinder division. In the 4 cylinder division, Michael Racine grabbed his first win of the 2004 season.

In scramble car action, Brian Racine picked up his fourth win of the year.

FRIDAY TRAIL-WAY SPEEDWAY ACTION RAINED OUT

Heavy rain late Friday afternoon forced Trail-Way Speedway officials there Friday night racing program of 358 Sprints, Thundercars and Street Stocks.

-bill meyer-