Lincoln Results 97-09-20

HANOVER, PA, Sept. 20, - Steve Siegel drove the Sal Scarpitta #59 into victory lane at Lincoln Speedway on saturday night. With Port Royal and Selinsgrove dark, a stellar field of 31 cars towed in for the 25 lap feature.

A brief but intense shower hit the track just before the start of evening's activities. As a result, the track was heavy during the heat races. Track crews had a smooth racing surface prepared only thirty minutes behind schedule despite the intermittent rain drops.

Siegel started on the pole but with Rahmer joining him on the front row, it looked like it might be Fast Freddie benefit night. The high side was the fast way around saturday night. At the drop of the green, Rahmer stayed high going into turn one while Siegel went low on entry. Rahmer's charge was breifly halted when Siegel drifted to the outside coming off turn two. Rahmer was squeezed up towards the turn two wall and Siegel led lap one by four car lengths.

Rahmer hounded Siegel for two laps, looking to make an outside move in the narrow lane between Siegel and the wall. Fred jumped the cushion in turn four giving Siegel a huge lead just as the yellow appeared for the stopped car of Von McGee.

With four laps in the book, Siegel led, followed by Rahmer, Shepard and Wentz. Bill Brian Jr. in the Weikert #29, rounded out the top five.

It took two attempts to get lap five in the book with Jeff Thompson and Rick Scmelyun getting together on the restart. On the next restart, Rahmer looked for room on the outside through three and four but Siegel made a good start and held him off. Both drivers went high into turn one and ran nose to tail down the backstretch. Rahmer put the classic slide job on Siegel in three and four and led lap five.

With lap five completed, Cliff Brian stopped bringing out the yellow again.

When racing resumed, it was all Rahmer at the front. Siegel had his hands full with Jeff Shepard looking to take second. While Shepard had Jesse Wentz all over his tail. Shepard and Wentz swapped third place but stayed close enough to Siegel to be a threat for second.

Lance Dewease, who regularly spends Saturdays at Port Royal, had trouble getting off the turns at Lincoln but still put in a good run engaging Todd Shaffer in a battle for fifth place by lap ten.

Billy Dietrich spun in turn three to bring out the fourth yellow of the evening with ten laps completed. During the yellow, Rahmer reported to the pits with a flat tire relinquishing the lead to Siegel. Siegel led followed by Shepard, Wentz, Shaffer, Dewease and Bill Brian Jr.

It was a three way battle for the lead when racing resumed. Shepard tried to pass Siegel on the outside on the restart and then tried low through one and two. Wentz followed close behind in third. Behind the battle for the lead, Shaffer and Dewease battled for fourth.

Yellow number five came with thirteen laps complete when Shawn Weaver spun in turn one. The top six positions remained unchanged from the previous yellow. Joey Allen, driving brother Bobby's 1a, moved into the top ten by mid point having started 21st.

Steve Siegel brought them down slow for the restart. Shepard looked low for the lead but the high groove was the fast way around. Siegel led by four car lengths when they came to the line. Wentz took the high side on the restart and got a good run on Shepard down the home stretch. Shepard again looked for something on the low side going into one. Wentz rode the rim and Shepard slid up coming off two, trying to protect second place. Wentz dove to the inside and passed Shepard for second going into turn three. Meanwhile, Siegel pulled way with the lead.

The sixth and final yellow flew at lap 21 for the stopped car of Shawn Weaver. Siegel led followed by Wentz, Shepard, Dewease, Shaffer, Dan Jones, Bill Brian, and Joey Allen. Fred Rahmer, who started from the rear after fixing a flat tire on lap 10, had moved up to ninth.

Siegel moved out with a comfortable lead when green replaced yellow.

Shepard attacked Wentz taking second with two laps to go. Wentz, who had run good all evening, suffered a flat right rear tire on the last lap dropping him to eighth in the final order. Dewease, who inherited third when Wentz dropped out, had only a half lap to the finish when Fast Freddie Rahmer stormed off turn four, nipping Dewease at the checkered flag for third.

ARDC Midget driver, Walt Stearly, won the 12 lap feature for mini sprints.

Heat One Results (10 laps/6 qualify) 1. 16c Cliff Brian 2. 461 Lance Dewease 3. 59 Steve Siegel 4. 69 Shawn Weaver 5. 8 Dan Dietrich 6. 07 Dave Haight Time: 2:25.22

Heat Two Results 1. 77 Fred Rahmer 2. 2w Jesse Wentz 3. 4j Jeff Shepard 4. 19 Rick Koenig 5. 45 Jeff Rohrbaugh 6. 12B Brian Monteith No Time.

Heat Three Results 1. 88 Todd Shaffer 2. 29 Bill Brian Jr. 3. 15d Brook Weibley 4. 8j Dan Jones 5. 3k Lenny Krautheim 6. 7s Rick Schmelyun Time: 2:25.73

Consi Results (10 laps/6 qualify) 1. 53 Shawn Weaver 2. 10n Jeff Thompson 3. 1a Joey Allen 4. 94 Glendon Forsythe 5. 43 Larry Shive 6. 1/2 Von McGee Time: 2:29.86

Alternates Billy Dietrich and Kevin Higgins were added to the field for the feature when Dave Haight and Glendon Forsythe were declared ineligible for not making it out on time.

Feature Results (25 laps) 1. Steve Siegel ($2,500) 2. Jeff Shepard 3. Fred Rahmer 4. Lance Dewease 5. Todd Shaffer 6. Dan Jones 7. Bill Brian 8. Jesse Wentz 9. Jeff Rohrbaugh 10. Joey Allen 11. Shawn Keen 12. Dan Dietrich 13. Brook Weibley 14. Von McGee 15. Rick Schmelyun 16. Larry Shive 17. Billy Dietrich 18. Shawn Weaver 19. Rick Koenig 20. Brian Monteith 21. Kevin Higgins 22. Cliff Brian 23. Lenny Krautheim 24. Jeff Thompson

David Reininger - Motorsport News International