Lincoln Speedway results 2003-08-02

Abbottstown, PA, 8/2/03 - This time Greg Hodnett evened the score.

Memphis, Tennessee's Greg Hodnett made it two wins in two races over the weekend by backing up his Friday night Williams Grove win with a victory in the 25 lap 410 sprint feature at Lincoln Speedway Saturday night.

Hodnett passed Niki Young exiting the second turn on the 21st lap for the lead and raced away for his second win of the season at the Pigeon Hills oval.

The last time Hodnett and Young battled for the win on April 19th, Young came out on top in a thrilling race which saw the East Berlin speedster pick up his first career 410 sprint win.

This time Hodnett had too much for the vastly improved Young.

"We had a great race that evening," reflected Hodnett on the last meeting between Young and himself, "Niki does a great job, and he's been running really good and I'm really proud of him. He's got into some good equipment and has to fork it out of his own pocket and it's made a big difference. He's aggressive and doing great and I'm really proud of him."

"The car was excellent tonight," Hodnett added. "I could run the bottom or the top, even the middle if I had to. Hoosier Tires gave us great tires tonight...VRP Shocks, Maxim and the Apple Dealerships/Cars by Dealers Magazine car was going really good."

"We just kind of lucky and got some breaks in traffic. The car was really nice."

Outside frontrow starter Craig Smith paced the field at the drop of the green. A Jeff Rohrbaugh spin in the first and second turns on the second lap slowed the pace, with Smith leading fourth-starting Glenndon Forsythe, polesitter Dan Shetler, fifth-starting Bobby Weaver and sixth-starting Johnny Mackison Jr..

Second-place Forsythe stopped in turn one with a flat tire to bring out the caution on the fourth lap. On the restart, Chappy Knaack flipped after tangling with Rohrbaugh and Mike Dillman in the first turn.

Meanwhile, 12th-starting Hodnett was methodically working his way through the field. He made a big move to move from seventh to fifth on the restart, pulling onto the back bumper of ninth-starting Fred Rahmer. Hodnett muscled his way around the six-time defending track champ on the seventh lap to move into fourth, just before the red flag waved on the eighth lap for a spectacular two-car flip on the backstretch involving Michael Markey and Billy Sims. Neither driver was injured.

Eighth-starting Niki Young took over the top spot on the eighth lap restart, while Hodnett continued his march to the front.

Hodnett passed Bobby Weaver to move into second place on the 16th lap as the leader entered lapped traffic with a .135-second advantage. Hodnett slowly closed on Young and made the winning pass exiting the second turn of lap 21. He raced away to a 1.85-second win for the eighth win of his career at Lincoln.

"The competition here is excellent," said Hodnett upon exiting his Bob Stewart-owned Apple Motor sports/Cars By Dealers Magazine/York Building Products No.12 sprinter in victory lane, "And to be honest, this isn't one of my favorite race tracks...I have a hard time getting around this place."

"Anytime we can win, no matter if it's on the front row, or from 12th, we'll take it because we usually struggle a little bit. The guys all work hard, they really do," said Hodnett about his Lee Stauffer-lead crew. "My philosophy is that if I go out there and bust my butt, I want everyone else to too...and they do that. And it shows up in the win column."

Hodnett's 17th overall win of the season was worth $2,500.

Young hung on for second, Rahmer was third, Weaver fourth, and 14th-starting Doug Esh fifth. Completing the top-10 were Lance Dewease (started 11th), Chris Knopp (started seventh), Johnny Mackison Jr. (started sixth), Josh Wells (started 13th), and Kevin Drury (started 23rd).

Heats for the 27 "410" sprints were won by Mackison Jr., Smith and Rohrbaugh, with Sims winning the consolation.

Dover's Rick Horn claimed and lost the lead several times en route to his first career Lincoln win in te wingless 358 sprint feature. Horn, who started inside row two, grabbed the lead from polesitter and race-long leader Chad Trout with a major slide job in turns three and four of lap ten, led the next two laps, and then yielded to Bobby Howard when he jumped the cushion on lap 12. Horn never gave up on the cushion, and chased Howard through a series of caution flags before reclaiming the lead from third place through turns one and two of lap 18. The lap before, Horn gave way to 11th-starting Mark Freeland, but Freeland got boxed in behind Howard on the low side of turns one and two as Horn was circling the rim. Between laps 14 and 16, Horn took the lead twice, only to have the moves wiped out by caution flags.

Howard settled for second, with Freeland third, Trout fourth, and 20th-starting Keith Prutzman fifth. Completing the top ten were Scott Ausherman, Jon Keller, Dale Hammaker, Alan Krimes, and Jerry Stinson.

It was a bad night for the points leaders. Eric Stambaugh, who entered the night 20 points ahead of defending champ Cory Haas, broke an axle and crashed while leading his heat. Haas started on the outside of the front row and flipped entering turn one at the start of the feature. Both drivers were uninjured, but done for the night.

Heats for the 26 wingless 358 sprints were won by Trout, Cory Haas and Rick Horn.

Stoverstown's Mike Zeigler Sr. capped off the evening with an exiting late-race pass for the lead and eventual win in the 20 lap thundercar feature.

Zeigler Sr., who started ninth, chased after outside frontrow starter and race-long leader Craig Wagaman over the second half of the race by racing the bottom groove while Wagaman took the high road.

Zeigler finally made his winning pass exiting the fourth turn of the 18th lap and then kept Wagaman at bay over the final two laps to pick up his division-tying fourth win of the year at the Pigeon Hills oval.

Zeigler took the checkered .63 seconds ahead of Wagaman to tie him for seventh on the all time thundercar win list with 14 career wins.

David Prunkl finished third, 19th-starting Neil Smith fourth and Mike Ciezobka fifth. Completing the top-10 were Duane Hahn, Al Cramer, Greg Messersmith, Nat Tuckey and Steve Clabaugh.

Heats for the 24 thundercars were won by Wagaman, Cramer and Tuckey.

Lincoln Speedway swings back next Saturday night, August 9th, with another three division show featuring the Cindy Rowe Paintless Dent Removal 410 Sprints and thundercar regulars. In addition, the always exciting Silver Spring Limited Late Models will make another appearance to the Pigeon Hills oval to round out the evening's racing action. Gates will open at 5:30 PM with racing action getting underway at 7:30 PM.

To get all the latest news, results, schedule changes and rule changes, visit Lincoln Speedway's website at http://www.lincolnspeedway.com to stay up-to-date on all the action or pending weather conditions at Central Pennsylvania's "Premier" Saturday night race track - The Fabulous Lincoln Speedway.

RACE RESULTS
Saturday - August 2, 2003
LINCOLN SPEEDWAY
Abbottstown, PA

410 SPRINTS

Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 12-Greg Hodnett ($2,500); 2. 10N-Niki Young; 3. 88H-Fred Rahmer; 4. X-Bobby Weaver; 5. 30-Doug Esh; 6. 77-Lance Dewease; 7. 6K-Chris Knopp; 8. 65-Johnny Mackison Jr.; 9. 6W-Josh Wells; 10. 31D-Kevin Drury; 11. 33-Craig Smith; 12. 17E-Cris Eash; 13. 66-Jim Siegel; 14. 22-Darren Eash; 15. 7K-Dan Shetler; 16. 32-Brook Weibley; 17. 21P-Glenndon Forsythe; 18. 47J-Jeff Busby; 19. 71-Brian Leppo; 20. 55S-Billy Sims; 21. 5-Michael Markey; 22. 51-Chappy Knaack; 23. 38-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 24. 8D-Mike Dillman. No Time

Lap Leaders - Craig Smith (1-7), Niki Young (8-20), Greg Hodnett (21-25)

1st Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 65-Johnny Mackison Jr.; 2. 17E-Cris Eash; 3. 88H-Fred Rahmer; 4. 21P-Glenndon Forsythe; 5. 6W-Josh Wells; 6. 51-Chappy Knaack; 7. 25-Nik Gower; 8. 5-Michael Markey (DNF); DNS - Rick Horn. No Time

2nd Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 33-Craig Smith; 2. 77-Lance Dewease; 3. 7K-Dan Shetler; 4. 6K-Chris Knopp; 5. 30-Doug Esh; 6. 66-Jim Siegel; 7. 55S-Billy Sims; 8. 47J-Jeff Busby; 9. 23-Todd Zinn. Time - 2:25.70

3rd Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 38-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 2. X-Bobby Weaver; 3. 12-Greg Hodnett; 4. 10N-Niki Young; 5. 32-Brook Weibley; 6. 22-Darren Eash; 7. 71-Brian Leppo; 8. 31D-Kevin Drury; 9. 8D-Mike Dillman. Time - 2:29.13

Consolation (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 55S-Billy Sims; 2. 71-Brian Leppo; 3. 47J-Jeff Busby; 4. 5-Michael Markey; 5. 31D-Kevin Drury; 6. 8D-Mike Dillman; 7. 25-Nik Gower; 8. 23-Todd Zinn (DNF); 9. 64-Rick Horn (DNF). Time - 2:32.09

Wingless 358 Sprints:
Feature (20 Laps) -1. 01-Rick Horn; 2. 49-Bobby Howard; 3. 4R-Mark Freeland; 4. 7C-Chad Trout; 5. 28-Keith Prutzman; 6. 39-Scott Ausherman; 7. 20-Jon Keller; 8. 66H-Dale Hammaker; 9. 87-Alan Krimes; 10. 1J-Jerry Stinson; 11. 83-Michael Hamer; 12. 27-Nike Young; 13. 1B-David Bull; 14. 29-Joe Ross; 15. 56M-Mark Zellers; 16. 24B-Pat Small; 17. 6-Bill Sherman; 18. 09-Brandon Grandstaff (DNF); 19. 3-Clair Wintermyer (DNF); 20. 6-Brad McClelland (DNF); 21. 11C-Cory Haas (DNF); 22. 7V-Shawn Weaver (DNF). No time.

Lap Leaders - Chad Trout (1-9), Rick Horn (10-11), Bobby Howard (12-17), Rick Horn (18-20)

1st Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 7C-Chad Trout; 2. 7V-Shawn Weaver; 3. 87-Alan Krimes; 4. 3-Clair Wintermyer; 5. 20-Jon Keller; 6. 24B-Pat Small; 7. 1B-David Bull; 8. 69R-Randy Rhoads (DNF); DNS - 31J-Joey Palmerino. No Time

2nd Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 11C-Cory Haas; 2. 27-Niki Young; 3. 39-Scott Ausherman; 4. 4R-Mark Freeland; 5. 49-Bobby Howard; 6. 29-Joe Ross; 7. 28-Keith Prutzman; 8. 83-Michael Hamer; 9. 6-Bill Sherman. No Time

3rd Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 01-Rick Horn; 2. 56M-Mark Zellers; 3. 09-Brandon Grandstaff; 4. 66H-Dale Hammaker; 5. 1J-Jerry Stinson; 6. 6M-Brad McClelland (DNF); 7. 2X-Tony Strine (DNF); 8. 4-Eric Stambaugh (DNF). No Time

Thundercars:
Feature (20 Laps) -1. 81-Mike Zeigler Sr.; 2. 30-Craig Wagaman; 3. 8MD-David Prunkl; 4. 1-Neil Smith; 5. 61-Mike Ciezobka; 6. 70-Duane Hahn; 7. 9-Al Cramer; 8. 43-Greg Messersmith; 9. 52-Nat Tuckey; 10. 10-Steve Clabaugh; 11. 14-Chet McCormick; 12. X-Bernie Beard; 13. 3-Mike Gladfelter; 14. 12-Jake Markey; 15. 39-Wayne Dutterer; 16. 51-Chad Myers; 17. 63-Williams Knauss; 18. 61S-Mike Slaybaugh (DNF); 19. 26-M.R. Teal (DNF); 20. 21A-Mike Zeigler Jr. (DNF); 21. 4-Greg Feltch (DNF); DNS - 25-Sean Herrick, 7X-Tony Rose, 98-Dan Zechman. No Time

Lap Leaders - Craig Wagaman (1-17), Mike Zeigler Sr. (18-20)

1st Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 30-Craig Wagaman; 2. 81-Mike Zeigler, Sr.; 3. 61s-Mike Slaybaugh; 4. 61-Mike Ciezobka; 5. 3-Mike Gladfelter; 6. 51-Chad Myers; 7. 1-Neil Smith; 8. 7X-Tony Rose (DNF). Time - 2:50.99

2nd Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 9-Al Cramer; 2. 8MD-David Prunkl; 3. 10-Steve Clabaugh; 4. 14-Chet McCormick; 5. 34-Gregg Messersmith; 6. 12-Jake Markey; 7. 26-M.R. Teal; 8. 4-Greg Feltch (DNF). Time - 2:51.22

3rd Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 52-Nat Tuckey; 2. 21A-Mike Zeigler, Jr.; 3. 70-Duane Hahn; 4. 39-Wayne Dutterer; 5. 63-William Knauss; 6. X-Bernie Beard; 7. 25-Sean Herrick (DNF); DNS - 98-Dan Zechman. No Time

-bill meyer