Trail-Way results 2005-04-08

DIETRICH ENDS WIN DROUGHT BY CLAIMING TRAIL-WAY "358" SPRINT OPENER;
Craig Wagaman wins thundercar thriller; Ted Forsythe tops street stocks

HANOVER, PA, 4/8/05 -- Last year, Billy Dietrich won the Trail-Way track title without a win. This year, he won't.

That's because Dietrich began defense his 2004 championship by claiming the season-opening 25-lap Hoosier Tire feature for "358" sprints Friday night.

"I was glad to get this one out of the way," said a happy Dietrich in victory lane, "I was thinking about this all winter."

Dietrich, who started last in his heat after drawing a poor pill number, drew pill number one for the feature. He started on the pole and led every lap, crossing a quarter of-a-lap in front of 10th-starting Jeff Rohrbaugh.

While he dominated the feature, the best open wheel racing of the night was for second through fifth. Finishing third was Steve Clabaugh, with sixth-starting Brian Eichelberger fourth and 11th-starting Danny Dietrich crossing fifth. Sixth through tenth were Mike Bittinger, Dan Dietrich, Gerard McIntyre, Jr., Mike Duncan, and Dan Richcreek.

Dan Dietrich was awarded the Diversified Services "Hard Charger" award for advancing from 18th starting spot to finish seventh. McIntyre's eighth place finish came in his first-ever "358" start.

"With 22 cars starting here, this place gets pretty busy pretty quick," said Dietrich upon exiting the Racers Used Parts Warehouse/Shellehammer's Hay & Straw/Powder Plus #8D, "I want to thank a great crew and my parents for all their support."

Dietrich's opening night win was the seventh of his career at Trail-Way, tops on the all-time list in this third season for 358's at Trail-Way.

Heat winners for the 21 "358" sprint cars were won by Billy Dietrich, Danny Dietrich and Bittinger.

Gettysburg's Craig Wagaman edged Mark Shorb in the 20-lap season opener for thundercars. Wagaman started third and grabbed the race lead from polesitter Sam Gallagher on lap three. He led the next four laps before yielding to Shorb on laps seven and eight. After reclaiming the lead on lap nine, Wagaman had to hold off repeated challenges by Shorb, who actually pulled in front several times but was never again scored the lap leader. His margin of victory was .37-seconds.

Tenth-starting Mike Walls, eighth-starting Randy Zechman, and Gallagher completed the top five.

Earlier, Shorb won a thrilling race-long five-car battle for the lead in his heat. The other heat winner was Tommy Slusser Jr.

Ted Forsythe was declared the winner of an abbreviated street stock feature after the division reached the 30-minute time limit. After eight cautions, some of them lengthy, the checkered was dropped on lap nine with 11 cars still running.

Barry Rinehart, Justin Mong, Scott Fisher, and Buddie Jeffers completed the top five.

Heat winners for the 19 street stocks were Forsythe and Ron Myers Jr.

Trail-Way Speedway welcomes all fans to come back out on Saturday night for the first regular show of the season, featuring the 270 and 600 micro sprints, legend cars, scramble cars, and starlite stocks.

Next Friday night (April 15th) Trail-Way will host the Auto Locator 358 Spring Championship. The race will be 30-laps in length, giving the winner $1,200. Thundercars and street stocks will also be on the schedule.

Saturday April 16, the 270 and 600 micro sprints, scramble cars, 4 cylinder stocks and starlite ovals will be on the racing schedule.

Trail-Way Speedway Race Results Friday -- April 8, 2005

HOOSIER TIRES 358 SPRINT CARS

Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 8D-Billy Dietrich; 2. 11-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 3. 30-Steve Clabaugh; 4. 55-Brian Eichelberger; 5. 88-Danny Dietrich; 6. 12-Mike Bittinger; 7. 8-Dan Dietrich; 8. 16-Gerald McIntyre Jr.; 9. 11D-Mike Duncan; 10. 80R-Dan Richcreek; 11. 7R-Mike Ressler; 12. 15B-John Barnett; 13. 81-Stephen Jorda; 14. 18-Jessie Morrison; 15. 74-Michael Dillon; 16. 27-Jay Galloway (DNF); 17. 92-Jeff Fithian (DNF); 18. 28-Billy Heltzel Jr. (DNF); 19. 0M-John Miller (DNF); 20. 85-Ken Berwager (DNS); 21. 22D-Jeff Young (DNS); 22. 77J-Richard Janney (DNS). No time.

Lap Leaders - Billy Dietrich (1-25)

1st Heat (10 Laps/ALL Qualify) -- 1. 8D-Billy Dietrich; 2. 30-Stephen Clabaugh; 3. 11D-Mike Duncan; 4. 16-Gerald McIntyre Jr.; 5. 27-Jay Galloway; 6. 85-Ken Berwager (DNF); 7. 28-Billy Heltzel Jr. (DNS). No time.

2nd Heat (10 Laps/ALL Qualify) -- 1. 88-Danny Dietrich; 2. 15B-John Barnett; 3. 11-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 4. 55-Brian Eichelberger; 5. 7R-Mike Ressler; 6. 0M-John Miller; 7. 92-Jeff Fithian. Time -- 2:26.03 (New 10-Lap Track Record)

3rd Heat (10 Laps/ALL Qualify) -- 1. 12-Mike Bittinger; 2. 81-Stephen Jorda; 3. 18-Jessie Morrison; 4. 74-Michael Dillon; 5.80R-Dan Richcreek (DNF) ; 6. 8-Dan Dietrich (DNF); 7. 22D-Jeff Young (DNF); 8. 77J-Richard Janney (DNF). No time.

THUNDERCARS

Feature (20 Laps) - 1. 30-Craig Wagaman; 2. 55-Mark Shorb; 3. 1W-Mike Walls; 4. 2-Randy Zechman; 5. 20-Sam Gallagher; 6. 19-John McDonough Jr.; 7. 34M-Jim Martz Jr.; 8. 8B-Robert Bopst; 9. 31-Ron Shultz; 10. 91-Thomas Slusser Jr.; 11. 3-Michael Gladfelter; 12. 1-Dennis Walls; 13. 21Z-Cam Zeigler; 14. 11-Marshall McMullen (DNF); 15. 5-Mike Zeigler Jr. (DNF). No time.

Lap Leaders -- Sam Gallagher (1-2); Craig Wagaman (3-6), Mark Shorb (7-8), Craig Wagaman (9-20)

1st Heat (8 Laps/ALL Qualify) -- 1. 55-Mark Shorb; 2. 1W-Mike Walls; 3. 19-John McDonough Jr.; 4. 2-Randy Zechman; 5. 20-Sam Gallagher; 6. 11-Marshall McMullen; 7. 3-Michael Gladfelter; 8. 21Z-Cam Zeigler. Time -- 2:38.46

2nd Heat (8 Laps/ALL Qualify) -- 1. 91-Thomas Slusser Jr.; 2. 5-Mike Zeigler Jr. 3. 31-Ron Shultz; 4. 30-Craig Wagaman; 5. 8B-Robert Bopst; 6. 34M-Jim Martz Jr.; 7. 1-Dennis Walls. Time -- 2:38.28

Trail-Way Speedway Race Results Friday -- April 8, 2005

STREET STOCKS

Feature (9 Laps--reached time limit) - 1. 12-Ted Forsythe; 2. 1R-Barry Rinehart; 3. 77-Justin Mong; 4. 55-Scott Fisher; 5. 51-Buddie Jeffers; 6. 47-Jim Heckendorn; 7. 30-Ricky Howes; 8. 33-Len Yorty; 9. 66-Richard Fogle; 10. 94-Ron Myers Jr.; 11. 3-Todd Miller; 12. 5M-Gordon Swan (DNF); 13. 8-Charles Brittain (DNF); 14. 32-Josh Smith (DNF); 15. 39-Calvin Herman (DNF); 16. 71-Dan Furman (DNF); 17. 11-James Dockery (DNF); 18. 1-Kevin Sprague (DNF); 19. 15-Rob Wagner (DNS). No time.

Lap Leaders -- Dan Furman (1-2), Ted Forsythe (2-9)

1st Heat (8 Laps/ALL Qualify) - 1. 12-Ted Forsythe; 2. 77-Justin Mong; 3. 1R-Barry Rinehart; 4. 47-Jim Heckendorn; 5. 51-Buddie Jeffers; 6. 33-Len Yorty; 7. 1-Kevin Sprague (DNF); 8. 32-Josh Smith (DNF); 9. 11-James Dockery (DNF). No time.

2nd Heat (8 Laps/ALL Qualify) -- 1. 94-Ron Myers Jr.; 2. 55-Scott Fisher; 3. 5M-Gordon Swan; 4. 3-Todd Miller; 5. 71-Dan Furman; 6. 8-Charles Brittain; 7. 15-Rob Wagner; 8. 30-Ricky Howes; 9. 39-Calvin Herman; 10. 66-Richard Fogle. No time.

-tws-