WIlliams Grove National Open Results 98-10-24

Mechanicsburg, PA (October 24, 1998) - Billy Pauch won the 36th Annual Williams Grove National Open tonight after taking the lead from Keith Kauffman on the third lap. Pauch led the last thirty seven laps of the forty lap feature taking home $12,000 for his efforts. After spending most of the race running on a thin cushion near the wall, Pauch moved down to seal the win after a late race caution period bunched the field.

"The top kind of went away there," said Pauch. "The No. 53 of Shawn Keen, I lapped him and he started to come back on me. I said, maybe that's the spot to be. So I got to thank Shawn Keen for showing me the bottom."

Fred Rahmer, who started sixth, battled his way into second place when the second of two caution periods stopped the action with thirty three laps complete. Rahmer, one of the best in the business when it comes to restarts, was directly behind Pauch when the field took the green.

"I wasn't too comfortable when I seen Fred," said Pauch. "I looked back and I seen Fred in second and I'm like, this ain't good. I said, if I stay low, at least he won't slide me. He'll have to go around me. Fred Rahmer is a champion and he's tough to beat."

With twenty nine laps complete, Pauch had a close call when Ed Lynch Jr. spun in turn two, nearly collecting the front runners. "Something didn't look right going in. I decided not to go in on the cushion with him," Pauch said. "I kind of tucked down low and it paid off because he hit and bounced out. I was trying to shut the car down to get it down a groove. That was probably our closest call all night."

Heat One Results: (10 laps) 1. 1-Kevin Gobrecht, 2. 461-Lance Dewease, 3. 1z-Billy Pauch, 4. 88k-Keith Kauffman, 5. 55-Mike Wager Time - 3:05.02

Heat Two Results: 1. 25-Todd Gracey, 2. 59-Steve Siegel, 3. 92-Brian Gobrecht, 4. 88-Todd Shaffer, 5. 16c-Cliff Brian

Heat Three Results: 1. 17e-Cris Eash, 2. 69-Don Kreitz, 3. 2l-Ed Lynch Jr., 4. U2-Kevin Huntley, 5. 07-Jeff Rohrbaugh

Heat Four Results: 1. 77-Fred Rahmer, 2. 10n-Dave Haight, 3. 00-Jim Nier, 4. 65-Johnny Mackison Jr., 5. 32w-Brook Weibley

B-Main Results: (12 laps) 1. 12-Greg Hodnett, 2. 53-Shawn Keen, 3. 94-Kenny Jacobs, 4. 77t-Jimmy Burns

Dash Results: (5 laps) 1. Eash, 2. Kauffman, 3. Pauch, 4. Dewease, 5. Siegel, 6. Rahmer, 7. Kreitz, 8. Nier

Feature Results: (40 laps): 1. Pauch ($12,000), 2. Rahmer, 3. Eash, 4. Krietz, 5. Kauffman, 6. Dewease, 7. Hodnett, 8. K. Gobrecht, 9. Shaffer, 10. Mackison, 11. Siegel, 12. Huntley, 13. Lynch, 14. Keen, 15. Wagner, 16. Suprick, 17. Weibley, 18. Gracey, 19. Haight, 20. Burns, 21. B. Gobrecht, 22. Rohrbaugh, 23. C. Brian, 24. Nier