Lincoln Speedway results 2005-05-28

ERIC STAMBAUGH DEMOLISHES FIELD IN CLAIMING KLINE'S SERVICES LINCOLN MAIN
Zechman wins career first in thundercars; Brough bests Tomson in INEX Legends

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA, 5/28/05 - Sometimes things finally seem to all fall into place. Eric Stambaugh, who has suffered through a lack-luster early season, had everything go right Saturday night, and he picked up his first win of 2005 in the 25-lap Kline's Services Night 410 sprint feature at Lincoln Speedway.

After an impressive rookie of-the-year season at Lincoln in 2004 which saw him score his first Pigeon Hills oval win in August, the former micro-sprint standout seemed to be hampered by the fabled "sophomore jinx." Heading into Saturday's show, he had recorded only three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in nine events.

But that all changed with a resounding thud Saturday night as he surged past race-long leader Sam Schlosberg on the seventh lap and then drove a masterful race through non-stop lapped traffic to score an impressive 7.10-second win.

"I wish somebody would have told me that...I could have backed off a little bit," said Stambaugh with a laugh when told of his half-lap lead at the end of the non-stop 25-lap feature, "You just never know with these guys. I looked at the scoreboard a couple times and I'd see the No.71 up there and then the No.88H and I just think I have to keep going."

Lincoln points handicapping placed Stambaugh fifth for the start. A first-lap red flag for a four-car tangle in turn four saw the #1R of Mike Rabold tip onto his side and took out the Manheim Auto Auction #77 of Greg Hodnett, who was unable to make front end repairs before the race was restarted.

When the race resumed, second-starting Sam Schlosberg took the race lead and Stambaugh charged to third by the end of the first lap. Three laps later, Stambaugh caught polesitter Chris Knopp for the runner-up spot. It took the better part of four laps for the East Berlin driver to track down Schlosberg, and he made the pass with a slider in turns three and four.

Stambaugh led the rest of the way for his first win of the year and second career win in the Pigeon Hills. He became the fifth different winner in 10 races at Lincoln in 2005

Knopp held on for second, with points leader Fred Rahmer third, Brian Leppo fourth, and Jason Johnson fifth. Completing the top ten were Doug Esh, Brian Montieth, Schlosberg, Niki Young, and Bobby Weaver.

"I don't know what the other guys feel, but I would just rather go non-stop," said Stambaugh after being told of the non-stop six-minute 23.24-second feature run, "It's nice to get a caution when you need one, but when you are in the lead you don't want to see any cautions...you just want to go and get it done."

"We really hit it right on tonight," he added, "Jeff Brown did a great job with the set-up...we just haven't had real good balance on the car this year and the nights we thought we did, something would break. This is an awesome team, nobody gives, and we just keep plugging away."

"It helps to start towards the front and get clear and out sailing," Stambaugh said, "There was a lot of lapped traffic tonight...those guys did a great job and I don't mind racing through lapped traffic like that."

Heats for the 20 "410" sprinters were won by Schlosberg and Knopp.

Third-generation racer Dan Zechman finally added his name to the Lincoln Speedway history books by claiming his first career thundercar win in there 20-lap feature.

Zechman grabbed the lead form his outside frontrow starting position over polesitter Mike Slaybaugh at the drop of the green and led the entire distance for the win. But it didn't come easy as ninth-starting Craig Wagaman came knocking on his rear bumper on the fifth lap and stayed there through the 18th lap. But a Wagaman miscue in the first and second turns saw him spin-out, putting Nat Tuckey and three-time winner Mike Walls on his bumper for a wild two-lap shoot-out.

But Zechman was not to be denied this night as he led the final two laps to take the checkered by a half-a-second over Walls for the win.

Duane Watson finished third, Tuckey fourth and Sam Gallagher fifth. Completing the top-10 were Neil Smith, Jim Martz Jr., Mike Zeigler Sr., Ron Shultz and Bob Stough.

Heats for the 24 thundercars were won by Duane Hahn, Wagaman and Zechman.

Newville's Butch Brough outran Tim Tomson to claim his first-ever Lincoln win in the 15-lap INEX Legends feature. Brough started eighth and advanced to fourth by the end of lap three. He got by 2004 national champ Randy Kissinger on lap six, drove by Lawrence Garrison on lap seven, and outran Tomson down the front stretch to claim the lead at the end of lap ten. Brough and Tomson passed each other several times over the final five laps, but Brough was scored the leader each time, crossing one-carlength in front of the polesitter at the finish.

Tomson was second, with Jason Rochelle coming from the rear after an opening lap spin to finish third, Kissinger fourth, and Ronnie Dunstan fifth.

Heats for the 36 INEX Legends were won by Alan Felix, Dunstan and Jason Rochelle, with Bill Harris winning the consolation.

Lincoln Speedway swings back into action next Saturday night, June 4th with SUSCOM Night, featuring the 410 sprint and thundercar regulars being joined by the popular Silver Spring Limited Late Models. Gates will open at 5:30 PM, with heats taking the first green at 7:30 PM.

RACE RESULTS

410 SPRINTS:
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 4-Eric Stambaugh ($3,500); 2. 6K-Chris Knopp; 3. 88H-Fred Rahmer; 4. 71-Brian Leppo; 5. 22-Jason Johnson; 6. 30-Doug Esh; 7. 21-Brian Montieth; 8. 70-Sam Schlosberg; 9. 10N-Niki Young; 10. X-Bobby Weaver; 11. 59-Jim Siegel; 12. 29K-Brent Kluge; 13. 47J-Jeff Busby; 14. 93-Glenndon Forsythe; 15. 26-Pat Cooper; 16. 23-Todd Zinn; 17. 43-Larry Shive; 18. 10X-Doug Rohrbaugh (DNF); 19. 77-Greg Hodnett (DNF); 20. 1R_Mike Rabold (DNF). Time - 6:23.24

Lap Leaders - Sam Schlosberg (1-5), Eric Stambaugh (6-25)

1st Heat (10 Laps) - 1. 70-Sam Schlosberg; 2. 59-Jim Siegel; 3. X-Bobby Weaver; 4. 77-Greg Hodnett; 5. 21-Brian Montieth; 6. 22-Jason Johnson; 7. 47J-Jeff Busby; 8. 26-Pat Cooper; 9. 43-Larry Shive; DNS - 93-Glenndon Forsythe. Time - 2:26.11

2nd Heat (10 Laps) 1. 6K-Chris Knopp; 2. 29K-Brent Kluge; 3. 88H-Fred Rahmer; 4. 4-Eric Stambaugh; 5. 71-Brian Leppo; 6. 30-Doug Esh; 7. 10N-Nike Young; 8. 1R-Mike Rabold; 9. 10X-Doug Rohrbaugh; 10. 23-Todd Zinn. Time - 2:29.40

THUNDERCARS:
Feature (20 Laps) - 1. 2-Dan Zechman; 2. 52-Mike Walls; 3. 3W-Duane Watson; 4. 22-Nat Tuckey; 5. 20-Sam Gallagher; 6. 1-Neil Smith; 7. 34M-Jim Martz Jr.; 8. 81-Mike Zeigler Sr.; 9. 31-Ron Shultz; 10. 07-Bob Stough; 11. 30-Craig Wagaman; 12. 1E-Greg Emlet; 13. 3-Mike Gladfelter; 14. 7X-Tony Rose; 15. 15-Doug Devilbiss; 16. 61M-Mike Slaybaugh (DNF); 17. 37-Jim Rost (DNF); 18. 70-Duane Hahn (DNF); 19. 11R-Jim Rost Jr. (DNF); 20. 41-Howard Williams (DNF); 21. 21N-Larry Niederer (DNF); DNS - 91-Tom Slusser Jr., 01-Tim Fake, 54J-Jimmy Combs. No Time

Lap Leaders - Dan Zechman (1-20)

1st Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 70-Duane Hahn; 2. 3W-Duane Watson; 3. 07-Bob Stough; 4. 37-Jim Rost; 5. 21N-Larry Neiderer; 6. 1E-Greg Emlet (DNF); 7. 1-Neil Smith (DNF); 8. 01-Tim Fake (DNF). Time - 2:55.88

2nd Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 30-Craig Wagaman; 2. 34M-Jim Martz, Jr.; 3. 61M-Mike Slaybaugh; 4. 22-Nat Tuckey; 5. 81-Mike Zeigler, Sr.; 6. 41-Howard Williams; 7. 31-Ron Shultz; 8. 7X-Tony Rose. Time - 2:54.84

3rd Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 2-Dan Zechman; 2. 52-Mike Walls; 3. 20-Sam Gallagher; 4. 91-Tom Slusser Jr.; 5. 3-Mike Gladfelter; 6. 15-Doug Devilbiss (DNF); 7. 11R-Jim Rost Jr. (DNF); DNS - 54J-Jimmy Combs. No Time

Dash (5 Laps) - 1. 21N-Larry Niederer ($250); 2. 7X-Tony Rose ($150); 3. 3-Mike Gladfelter ($100); 4. 91-Tom Slusser Jr. (DNF); 5. 37-Jim Rost (DNF); 6. 31-Ron Shultz (DNF). No Time

INEX LEGENDS:
Feature (15 Laps) - 1. 4X-Butch Brough; 2. 94-Tim Tomson; 3. 17R-Jason Rochelle; 4. 48-Randy Kissinger; 5. 7R-Ronnie Dunstan; 6. 29G-Lawrence Garrison; 7. 22-Randy Fetterhoff; 8. 8-Allen Felix; 9. 21-Greg Burd; 10. 7R-Geremy Sheaffer; 11. 7M-Bob Murray; 12. 5K-Brian Levan; 13. J3-J.J. Shandor; 14. 2-Kenny Keyton; 15. 63-John Schirk; 16. 555-Bill Harris; 17. 48P-Pat McDermott; 18. 11-Bob Lash; 19. 12J-Clint Pankauskas; 20. R1-Craig Rochelle (DNF); 21. Z-Jim Black (DNF); 22. 91-Lamar Shaffer (DNF); 23. 37H-Jim Halbert (DNF); 24. R3-Paul Rochelle (DNF). No time

Lap Leaders - Tim Tomson (1-9); Butch Brough (10-15)

1st Heat (6 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 8-Alan Felix; 2. 12J-Clint Penkauskas; 3. 63-John Shirk; 4. 22-Randy Fetterhoff; 5. 3J-JJ Shandor; 6. 7M-Bob Murray; 7. 12-Zach Dieter; 8. 32-Jim Buckingham; 9. 81-Bob Moyer; 10. 44-Darryl Bloom; 11. 888-Jim Young (DNF); 12. 5K-Brian Levan (DNF). No Time

2nd Heat (6 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 7R-Ronnie Dunstan; 2. 4X-Butch Brough; 3. R1-Craig Rochelle; 4. 29G-Lawrence Garrison; 5. 7R-Geremy Sheaffer; 6. 11-Bob Lash; 7. 555-Bill Harris; 8. 48K-Ron Cooper; 9. 8-Jason Smith; 10. 95-John Shutt; 11. 20-Amy Stauer; 12. 16-Gerry Eldridge. Time - 2:15.06

3rd Heat (6 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 17R-Jason Rochelle; 2. 21-Greg Burd; 3. 48-Randy Kissinger; 4. 94-Tim Tomson; 5. R3-Paul Rochelle; 6. 37H-Jim Halbert; 7. 91S-Lamar Shaffer; 8. 48P-Pat McDermott; 9. z-Jim Black; 10. 2-Kenny Keyton; 11. 88-Andy Lupfer. No Time

Consolation (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 555-Bill Harris; 2. 91-Lamar Shaffer; 3. 5K-Brian Levan; 4. 48P-Pat McDermott; 5. 2-Kenny Keyton; 6. z-Jim Black; 7. 44-Darryl Bloom; 8. 81-Bob Moyer; 9. 888-Jim Young; 10. 88-Andy Lupfer; 11. 32-Jim Buckingham; 12. 20-Amy Staver; 13. 12-Zach Dieter (DNF); 14. 95-John Shutt (DNF); 15. 16-Gerry Eldridge (DNF); 16. 48K-Ron Cooper (DNF); 17. 8X-Jason Smith (DNF). No Time

Dash (5 Laps) - 1. 88-Andy Lupfer ($250); 2. 81-Bob Moyer ($150); 3. 44-Darryl Bloom ($100); 4. 2-Kenny Keyton; 5. 20-Amy Staver; DNS - 95-John Shutt. No Time

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