Lincoln Speedway results 2004-03-06

Doug Esh edges Rahmer, Dewease in Lincoln Main
Zeigler Sr. by inches over Shultz in thundercar thriller

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA, 3/6/04 - "Racing with those guys (Fred Rahmer and Lance Dewease) is a dream."

Those were the words of Doug Esh upon exiting his mount and doing his famous "wing dance" after winning the 25-lap sprint car feature at Lincoln Speedway Saturday afternoon.

"As a young driver, those guys will destroy you...emotionally and mentally. How do you try to prepare to keep Rahmer behind you? My crew chief said 'Change him up a little bit.' I don't know how you change him up..."

Esh, who drew a number six pill to start behind the likes of polesitter Jim Siegel, Cris Eash, Fred Rahmer, Keith Kauffman, and Lance Dewease, wasted no time getting to the front of the stellar field. A spin by Kauffman in turn two of the initial start placed Esh fourth for the restart. He was second behind all-time winner Fred Rahmer by the end of the first lap, and dogged the leader the next seven laps before squeezing under Rahmer to take the lead when Rahmer got boxed in by a lapped car in the first two turns of lap nine.

"Sitting in second place as a driver is always good when it comes to lapped traffic because you can see where the driver in front of you makes his mistake. We were able to take advantage of that. Fred and I have a bet over who will win the most races this year. I knew I had to catch up!"

From there, Esh pulled away to a comfortable lead , which was nearly two seconds when the second caution of the event came out for a spinning Sam Schlosberg on turn four lf the 20th lap. That put Rahmer and Lance Dewease on Esh's back bumper for the restart.

Esh hung on to the top spot on lap 20, but the caution came out one lap later for Kauffman and Brian Montieth, who got together in turns one and two. He held off the two former champs for another lap before Josh Wells spun and collected Brook Weibley and Mark Smith on turn one of lap 22. At the time, those drivers were running sixth through eighth.

The final four laps were classic, with Esh holding off Rahmer and Dewease on each set of turns. As the leaders passed through turn two the final time, Esh lost traction. He was nearly sideways exiting the turn when he blocked Rahmer trying to drive underneath. He blocked Rahmer again though the final two turns and won by 31-hundredths of-a-second of the 123-time Lincoln winner.

"I felt like I had a flat tire when I went into one on that last lap, and I about went around. We were able to come out of that. Racing with those guys is nothing more than a dream."

Dewease settled for third just a car length back, with Cris Eash crossing fourth and Nike Young completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were rookie Eric Stambaugh, Greg Hodnett, Jim Siegel, Adrian Shaffer, and Darren Eash.

Heats for the 21 410-Sprints were won by Hodnett and Kauffman.

For the third week in a row, a Zeigler was in thundercar victory lane.

This time it was Mike Zeigler Sr. picking up his second win in-a-row by edging Ron Shultz by inches in the thrilling 20-lap thundercar feature. Zeigler fought off a last turn challenge by Schultz who followed in the leaders shadow the final eight laps. Schultz surrendered the lead to Zeigler Sr. on the 12th lap after leading from lap four.

Outside front row starter Craig Wagaman grabbed the lead at the outset with polesitter and opening day winner Mike Zeigler Jr. Falling in behind.

Schultz, who started fourth, took over the top spot on the fourth lap when Wagaman slowed with mechanical problems on the frontstretch. Zeigler Sr., who started fifth, got around his son on lap nine and chased Schultz before making his race-winning move on the 12th lap.

On the final turns to the checkered, Schultz pulled to the inside of Zeigler and it was drag-race to the checkered with Zeigler winning his 16th career thundercar feature, tying him with Wagaman for seventh on the all time win list in the Pigeon Hills.

Zeigler Jr. Held on for third, Chet McCormick fourth and Duane Hahn fifth.

Completing the top-10 were Mike Slaybaugh, Sam Gallagher, Nat Tuckey, Robert Bopst, and Mike Gladfelter.

Heats for the 24 Thundercars were won by McCormick, Zeigler Sr., and Schultz.

The afternoon program was delayed one hour when showers passed through the Pigeon Hills in the middle of the second sprint car heat.

Next Saturday afternoon, March 13th @ 2 PM, the 410 Sprints and Thundercars regulars will be joined the 305 Sprinters in the first three-division show at the Pigeon Hills high-banked 3/8th-mile clay oval. It will be Lincoln Speedway's fourth and final afternoon show of 2004 before switching over the 6 PM starts on March 20th.

To get all the latest news, results, schedule changes and rule changes, visit Lincoln Speedway's website at 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 - March 6, 2004

410 Sprints:

Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 30-Doug Esh ($2,500); 2. 88H-Fred Rahmer; 3. 77-Lance Dewease; 4. 17E-Cris Eash; 5. 10N-Niki Young; 6. 4-Eric Stambaugh; 7. 12-Greg Hodnett; 8. 59-Jim Siegel; 9. 25-Adrian Shaffer; 10. 22-Darren Eash; 11. 7-Keith Kauffman; 12. 21-Brian Montieth; 13. 32-Brook Weibley; 14. 12H-Blane Heimbach; 15. 31D-Kevin Drury; 16. 70-Sam Schlosberg; 17. 23-Jimmy Weller (DNF); 18. 1-Mark Smith (DNF); 19. 6W-Josh Wells (DNF); 20. 52-Steve Clabaugh (DNF); DNS - Brian Leppo. No Time

Lap Leaders - Jim Siegel (1), Fred Rahmer (2-8), Doug Esh (9-25)

1st Heat (10 Laps) - 1. 12-Greg Hodnett; 2. 88H-Fred Rahmer; 3. 6W-Josh Wells; 4. 32-Brook Weibley; 5. 10N-Niki Young; 6. 77-Lance Dewease; 7. 4-Eric Stambaugh; 8. 1D-Kevin Drury; 9. 21-Brian Montieth; 10. 70-Sam Schlosberg; 11. 52-Steve Clabaugh. Time - 2:27.49

2nd Heat (10 Laps) - 1. 7-Keith Kauffman; 2. 59-Jim Siegel; 3. 1-Mark Smith; 4. 17E-Cris Eash; 5. 25-Adrian Shaffer; 6. 30-Doug Esh; 7. 12H-Blane Heimbach; 8. 22-Darren Eash (DNF); 9. 23-Jimmy Weller (DNF); 10. 71-Brian Leppo (DNF). No Time

Thundercars:

Feature (20 Laps) -1. 81-Mike Zeigler Sr.; 2. 31-Ron Schultz; 3. 21A-Mike Zeigler Jr.; 4. 14-Chet McCormick; 5. 70-Duane Hahn; 6. 61S-Mike Slaybaugh; 7. 20-Sam Gallagher; 8. 52-Nat Tuckey; 9. 8-Robert Bopst; 10. 3-Mike Gladfelter; 11. X-Bernie Beard; 12. 91-Tom Slusser Jr.; 13. 1-Neil Smith (DNF); 14. 2-Dan Zechman (DNF); 15. B52-Mike Walls (DNF); 16. 9J-Mike Johnson (DNF); 17. 5-Gary Potts (DNF); 18. 12-Jake Markey (DNF); 19. 3R-Duane Watson (DNF); 20. 30-Craig Wagaman (DNF); 21. 15-James Yost (DNF); 22. 37-Frankie Dee (DNF); DNS - 11-Jim Rost. No Time

Lap Leaders - Craig Wagaman (1-3), Ron Schultz (4-11), Mike Zeigler Sr. (12-20)

1st Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 14-Chet McCormick; 2. 70-Duane Hahn; 3. 15-James Yost; 4. 61S-Mike Slaybaugh; 5. 1-Neil Smith; 6. 9J-Mike Johnson; 7. 4J-Jeff Racine (DNF); 8. 91-Tom Slusser, Jr. (DNF). Time- 2:47.16

2nd Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 81-Mike Zeigler, Sr.; 2. 30-Craig Wagaman; 3. 3R-Duane Watson; 4. 5-Gary Potts; 5. 2-Dan Zechman; 6. 37-Frankie Dee; 7. 52-Nat Tuckey (DNF); 8. B52-Mike Walls (DNS). Time - 2:43.70

3rd Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 31-Ron Schultz; 2. 21A-Mike Zeigler Jr.; 3. 8-Robert Bopst; 4. X-Bernie Beard; 5. 12-Jake Markey; 6. 3-Mike Gladfelter; 7. 20-Sam Gallagher; 8. 11-Jim Rost. No Time

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