Gumout: J&J Auto Racing News

Dewease And Rahmer Double In J&J's
Michael and Bridges also score victories piloting J&J Auto Racing sprinters

McKENZIE,TN - Lance Dewease and Fred Rahmer have been phenomenal this season in Pennsylvania's sprint car action and they continued to shine this past weekend. Dewease won feature events at legendary Williams Grove Speedway and Port Royal Speedway, while Rahmer continued his dominance at Lincoln Speedway and picked his second win of the weekend on Sunday at Trailways Speedway. Sean Michael found his way to victory lane in New Jersey and Johnny Bridges drover the #07 Dave Blaney Outlaw Experience J&J to victory in North Carolina.

Friday's race at Williams Grove was the final tune-up for the PA Posse before the World of Outlaws roll into town on May 17 and 18. Dewease started 12th and almost didn't get his chance to win the race as a fuel shutoff value nearly cost him the race. After surging past Rahmer, who was running third, Dewease's #88 J&J began to sputter causing him to lose the third position. After checking the value, he opened it back up and passed Rahmer for third again and set his sights on leader Keith Kauffman in the #7 J&J. With the white flag waving Dewease made his move for the lead by diving under Kauffman in the first and second turns. He went on to claim his third victory of the season at "The Grove" and it marked the second time he took the lead on the final lap.

"We got to tight early and got to racing guys too hard and I couldn't get into a good rhythm," Dewease said. "I knew the car would come around eventually, but I didn't want (Rahmer) to get clear to the front before me."

"It's pretty hard to pass when everybody runs the top," Dewease added. "We set (the car) up for late in the race so we can run cars down...it's showed the last couple weeks that we've been able to catch cars at the end. Sometimes I've got to be patient at the beginning and not get into a panic when I'm not going forward." The $3,000 win, Dewease's 45th career Grove win, moved him into a tie with Donnie Kreitz and Rahmer atop the all-time winners list in the battle for the most career wins at the Grove. The victory also continued Dewease's streak of finishing in the top-10 in every race held so far at Williams Grove in 2001, and it was his eighth top-five finish to go along with the three wins.

On Saturday, Dewease had his foot to the floor again as he made another late pass for the lead making it two for two on the weekend by winning at Port Royal Speedway. The victory, which was his 74th career win at the half-mile oval, came after Dewease passed Todd Hestor, who was piloting the Middleswarth #7M J&J, deep in traffic on lap 19. Dewease rode the cushion on the slick track in the Joe Harz's #88 J&J to claim his seventh win of the 2001 season. Hestor held on for the runner-up spot ahead of Shawn Keen, which gave J&J a sweep of the top three positions.

While Dewease was winning at Port Royal, Rahmer made it eight wins in ten feature starts this season at Lincoln Speedway. Rahmer took the lead on the 12th lap and never looked back. "The track was slick...I had a good initial start, and that's what it takes. The first guy to the front is going to win." On Sunday, Rahmer beat Greg Hodnett to the front and won the special $2500-to-win event race at Trailways Speedway.

Sean Michael continued the weekend of "late passes" by executing a last lap pass at New Egypt Speedway to claim the URC BAR's Leaks Sprint Series feature victory. Michael who drove the Palladino J&J from the tenth starting position and with the white flag in sight, he pulled even with race-leader Kevin Welsh. After racing under the flagstand, Michael went low and Welsh went high. The two nearly made contact exiting the turn, but Michael pulled away down the backshoot. The victory was Michael's first URC win of the season and his 21st career URC victory.

Johnny Bridges joined the late-race J&J heroics on Saturday by winning the American Outlaw Action Series Feature at East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, NC. Bridges drove the Dave Blaney Driving Experience #07 J&J past leader Mike Hudson on lap 22 for the lead to take home the victory in 25-lap "A" main.

In other action....

Donny Schatz and his ParkerStores #15 J&J had two top seven finishes in Pennzoil World of Outlaws action. Schatz led the first ten laps of the 30-lap "A" Feature at Terre Haute's Action Track on Friday, and finished third in the contest. Andy Hillenburg finished eighth in the race aboard his #2 Luxaire J&J. On Saturday, Hillenburg won the fourth O'Reilly Heat Race ahead of Schatz and claimed the pole position in the 30-lap "A" Feature at Tri-City Speedway (Granite City, IL) by winning the Channellock Dash. Hillenburg passed early leader Craig Dollansky and the two battled for the top position by the tenth circuit. Contact between the two sent them both spinning on lap 12. Hillenburg restarted at the back and finished 17th, while Schatz drove from his 13th starting position to finish seventh.

Daryn Pittman finished second in the WoO Gumout event at Tulsa Speedway on Saturday night. Pittman set quick-time in his #3 Winnebago Motorsports/Gaerte Engines J&J and was closing in on eventual winner Jason Sides but ran out of laps.

Paul May finished second on Saturday at the Auto Tire and Parts Racepark in Benton, MO, after winning last weekend's season opener in his #27 J&J.

-J&J-