6/26/09    US36 Raceway Osborn, MO     WoO

28 cars

Jac Haudenschild (7th car out to time) set the standard on the high-banked 1/3 mile at 10.887 seconds on a slicker track than the norm at US36 (the water truck broke down between 4 and 6. Tim Kaeding (4th car out) was second quick, followed by Lucas Wolfe (8th), Jason Sides (12th), Joey Saldana (10th), Johnny Herrera (3rd), Sam Hafertepe Jr. (13th), Terry McCarl (20th), Donny Schatz (22nd) and Kraig Kinser (19th). It was an advantage going out earlier in qualifying as the track slicked off, a unique situation for US36. The car count was a bit disappointing but a charge of $40 for a pit pass is tough for a lot of Knoxville local drivers. One was charged $40 by SLS and US36 for his two year old to be admitted. Not a way to win the racers over. Hopefully, we will report later that the situation was rectified.

Heat one (started): 1. Kraig Kinser 20 (1) 2. Jac Haudenschild R19 (4) 3. Jason Sides 7s (3) 4. Sam Hafertepe Jr. 15H (2) 5. Travis Rilat 2 (5) 6. Sammy Swindell 10 (7) / 7. Wayne Johnson 14AJ (9) 8. Bronson Maeschen 96 (8) 9. Tim Newman 18V (10) 10. Kim Kennedy 1K (6)

Kennedy flipped his sharp looking mount on the first try at green. K. Kinser led from flag to flag after that running the high side. Haudenschild followed, while Sides was strong on the low side in third.

Heat two (started): 1. Saldana 9 (3) 2. McCarl 24 (2) 3. Jason Johnson 41 (1) 4. Kaeding 83 (4) 5. Tony Bruce Jr. 18 (5) 6. Danny Lasoski 6 (6) / 7. Gary Brazier 1AU (7) 8. Brooke Tatnell 21AU (8) 9. Brant O'Banion 30 (9)

After ASCS regular J. Johnson was sent to the second row for a supposed jump from the pole, Saldana assumed the point and led all 10 laps. A spin by Tatnell before a lap could be completed, and spoiled a row four, "battle for Australia" that would have ended with both being in the B anyway.

Heat three (started): 1. Steve Kinser 11 (1) 2. Jason Meyers 14 (7) 3. Schatz 15 (2) 4. Herrera 2w (3) 5. Craig Dollansky 19 (6) 6. Wolfe 5w (4) / 7. Brian Ellenberger 22 (8) 8. Kerry Madsen 55 (5) 9. Bob Weuve 19w (9)

S. Kinser led throughout, but this heat made up for the lack of action in the first two. Meyers was clearly had the best setup in this field and knifed through traffic. Dollansky, Wolfe, Herrera and Madsen were in a battle for the final transfer for much of the race. Madsen performed a slider on Dollansky for the sixth spot, but spun in the process on lap seven. That put S. Kinser ahead of Schatz, Meyers, Wolfe, Herrera and Dollansky. Meyers disposed of Schatz in the last three laps, but the battle was on for the final transfer. Ellenberger entered the mix after restarting seventh. He passed both Dollansky and Wolfe at one time, but ended up .15 seconds out of the final transfer at the checkers. After the checkers fell, Weuve broke a right rear wheel hub, sending him into the wall. It would have been much worse if not on a bullring, and he plans to have things back together for Knoxville.

Dash (started): 1. McCarl (1) 2. Herrera (2) 3. Meyers (6) 4. Saldana (3) 5. Haudenschild (9) 6. Wolfe (4) 7. K. Kinser (8) 8. Kaeding (7) 9. S. Kinser (5) 10. Sides (10)

Meyers proved he had the car to beat after the dash by surging forward. A Meyers fly-by of S. Kinser on lap one surprised the King and he checked up sideways, losing several spots. McCarl led the 8-lap distance, though he had a scare from Herrera with three to go. Haudenschild also moved up well.

B main (started): 1. Brazier (3) 2. Tatnell (5) 3. Madsen (1) 4. Ellenberger (4) 5. W. Johnson (7) 6. Maeschen (2) / 7. O'Banion (6) 8. Newman (8) DNS - Kennedy, Weuve

Madsen led the 10-lapper early, but Brazier and Tatnell were on the move. Brazier slid under Madsen on lap three, and Tatnell followed suit shortly thereafter, setting up the finishing order for the Aussie trio.

A main (started): 1. Saldana (4) 2. Herrera (2) 3. K. Kinser (7) 4. Schatz (12) 5. Haudenschild (5) 6. McCarl (1) 7. S. Kinser (9) 8. Sides (10) 9. Meyers (3) 10. Bruce Jr. (15) 11. J. Johnson (13) 12. Lasoski (17) 13. Swindell (19) 14. Tatnell (21) 15. Ellenberger (22) 16. Kaeding (8) 17. Brazier (20) 18. Dollansky (18) 19. Maeschen (24) 20. Madsen (16) 21. Rilat (14) 22. Hafertepe Jr. (11) 23. W. Johnson (23) 24. Wolfe (6)

This was one of the classics. After the initial start (led by McCarl) was called back for a spun Hafertepe Jr., Herrera took the point in the 40-lapper. Wolfe and S. Kinser were involved in a lap two incident, and Hafertepe stopped again. Wolfe headed pitside. The restart with one lap down, saw Herrera leading McCarl, Saldana, Meyers and K. Kinser. Herrera continued to lead, while Saldana and Meyers disposed of McCarl to move into second and third. Kaeding spun on lap eight, bringing another caution. His spin collected Dollansky, who tipped over, but returned with a mangled racer after making repairs. The restart saw Herrera ahead of Saldana, Meyers, McCarl and K. Kinser. Once Herrera got to lapped traffic a battle for the lead ensued. Shortly thereafter, contact to Herrera's car caused the nose wing to dislodge forward. Saldana over took the lead on lap 16, Herrera was back in front on lap 18, and Saldana retook the point on lap 19, as the pair exchanged sliders. Schatz was up to fifth, and K. Kinser to third by the time Maeschen came to a stop on lap 27. The restart saw Saldana ahead of Herrera, K. Kinser, Meyers and Schatz. Herrera dipped to the low side and took the lead away from Saldana on the restart. He masterfully worked traffic until a lap 34 red flag for Madsen, who flipped in turn two. No one was injured. Haudenschild had moved into the top five, but all eyes were up front in the six lap showdown for the win. Herrera continued to lead after taking the white flag, but he encountered the crippled car of Dollansky and had to make a move. Saldana pounced on the low side of turn one and slid in for the lead. Herrera made a last gasp try in turn four, only to come up short in the thriller.

 

6/20/09 Knoxville Raceway Mid-Season Championship

22 410s 35 360s 21 305s

410s

Brian Brown (10th car out to time) set the standard in time trials at 15.310. Kerry Madsen (16th car out) was second quick in the one-lap qualification ahead of Bronson Maeschen (3rd), Mark Dobmeier (5th), Lynton Jeffrey (4th), Don Droud Jr. (11th), Dusty Zomer (8th), Skip Jackson (15th), Billy Alley (9th) and Johnny Herrera (14th). Ryan Anderson and Rager Phillips failed to get times in.

Heat one (started): 1. Herrera 2w (3) 2. Dobmeier 13 (5) 3. Zomer 17G (4) 4. Brown 21 (6) 5. Seth Brahmer 13v (2) 6. Austin McCarl 17A (1) 7. Ryan Anderson 71R (8) 8. Mike Moore 69 (7)

Herrera got by the front row in the first corner and led all 8 laps. Dobmeier followed him into the runner-up spot. Moore retired early. The track produced good side by side racing all night long.

Heat two (started): 1. Chris Morgan 7K (1) 2. Madsen 55 (6) 3. Jeffrey 24 (5) 4. Jackson 2 (4) 5. Bob Weuve 19 (3) 6. Davey Heskin 56 (2) 7. Pete Crall 1PC (7)

Morgan led flag to flag. Second through fifth were exciting to watch. Madsen, Jeffrey and Jackson went three-wide early in a battle for fourth. Several positions were swapped before Madsen made a bonsai move splitting Jeffrey and Jackson for third. He went on to shoot around Weuve for second and the other Aussies followed suit.

Heat three (started): 1. Droud Jr. 47 (5) 2. Calvin Landis 70 (3) 3. Alley 22 (4) 4. Maeschen 1 (6) 5. Josh Schneiderman 49 (2) 6. Derek Ingalls 91 (1) 7. Rager Phillips 10 (7)

Schneiderman led early before Phillips stopped when his gear cover came off. He was done until the feature. On lap five, Landis shot around Schneiderman for the lead. Droud passed both from third in dynamic fashion with two to go to take the heat. On lap five, Ingalls lost steering and slammed into the turn two wall. He was unhurt, but done for the night.

A main (started): 1. Brown (6) 2. Droud Jr. (1) 3. Alley (9) 4. Maeschen (4) 5. Herrera (10) 6. Zomer (7) 7. Jeffrey (2) 8. Jackson (8) 9. Brahmer (13) 10. Schneiderman (14) 11. Phillips (20) 12. Landis (12) 13. Morgan (15) 14. Moore (18) 15. Anderson (21) 16. Heskin (16) 17. Weuve (11) 18. Dobmeier (3) 19. Crall (19) 20. McCarl (17) 21. Madsen (5) DNS - Ingalls

A popping motor saw Madsen bow out early. Repairs were efforted during an opening lap caution for Moore, but it was to no avail. Droud shot out to an early lead in the 25-lapper. Brown used a good start to move into third, and then passed Jeffrey for second. Much of the race, the battle was for the lead, with Droud running low and Brown up top. Brown took the lead on lap six, before McCarl stopped with terminal problems on the backstretch a lap later. Brown led Droud Jr., Maeschen, Jeffrey and Herrera back to green flag racing. Droud used a good restart to recaptured the lead as the duel continued. Three laps later, Brown would move ahead for good for his second straight win. He earned $3500. Alley used the lap seven restart to surge from sixth to fourth. A lap 18 caution for Dobmeier, who had just passed Herrera for fifth and went up in smoke, set up a seven lap dash. Brown and Droud led Maeschen, Alley, Herrera and Zomer. Alley shot on top on the restart to capture the last podium finish. Phillips earned an extra $300 for hard-charger honors.

360s

Heat one (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Ricky Montgomery 9m (1*) 2. Gregg Bakker 11x (2*) 3. Joe Beaver 53 (5*) 4. Matt Moro 2m (4) 5. Jon Agan 54 (8*) 6. Tyler Thompson 48 (7) 7. Chad Heimbaugh 04 (3) 8. Jay Russell 76 (6) 9. Glen Hunt G74 (9)

Montgomery led the 7-lap distance. Beaver and Moor had a good race for third early on.

Heat two (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Clint Garner 40 (1*) 2. Dennis Moore Jr. 20 (4*) 3. Brett Mather 12m (2*) 4. Johnny Anderson 2a (7*) 5. Ryan Roberts 18 (3) 6. John Hall 7H (9) 7. Mike Houseman Jr. Y2 (8) 8. Tasker Phillips 7TAZ (5) 9. Travis Cram 71 (6)

In arguably the most stacked heat of the night including the top three in points entering things, Garner led flag to flag. Moore Jr. moved into third behind Mather by a lap four caution for a stopped Cram. Moore Jr. shot on the low side of one and two to overtake Mather for second after the restart. Anderson used a late pass of Roberts to claim a transfer.

Heat three (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Jack Dover 53x (2*) 2. Jon Corbin 15 (6*) 3. Chad Humston 1m (8*) 4. Bryan Dobesh 10 (9*) 5. Nate Van Haaften 3 (7) 6. CJ Houseman 80x (1) 7. Nate Mosher 22N (4) 8. Josh Padellford 34 (5) 9. Jeff Heffner 14J (3)

Dover led throughout, holding off a stubborn Corbin, who dueled with Humston most of the way. This was the heat with the most passing, with Corbin, Humston, and Dobesh moving up a combined 14 spots.

Heat four (started, *qualified for feature): 1. Jonathan Cornell 28 (3*) 2. Dustin Selvage 7 (4*) 3. Tom Lenz 8L (6*) 4. Lee Grosz 4J (7*) 5. Rod Richards 12 (8) 6. Ryan Bickett 17B (5) 7. Alan Zoutte 33 (1) 8. Dan Thornburg 57T (2)

Cornell used a strong start to lead the duration. The lone caution came when Thornburg made heavy contact with the turn four wall causing extensive damage to the right side. Selvage passed Lenz on lap four for second.

B main (started): 1. Moro (2) 2. Richards (1) 3. Van Haaften (3) 4. Roberts (5) / 5. J. Hall (4) 6. CJ Houseman (7) 7. Mosher (11) 8. Thompson (6) 9. Heimbaugh (10) 10. Russell (13) 11. Phillips (14) 12. Padellford (15) 13. Bickett (8) 14. Zoutte (12) 15. Hunt (16) 16. Heffner (17) 17. Houseman Jr. (9) DNS - Thornburg, Cram

Houseman Jr. tumbled in turn three before a lap could be completed. Richards led most of the 10-lapper. A battle for the last three transfer spots developed between four cars: Moro, Van Haaften, J. Hall and Roberts. Roberts ran fifth much of the race, but made a late run. On the last lap, he was second and the spots were anyone's to grab. In the end, Moro surged and passed Richards for the win, while Van Haaften and Roberts edged out J. Hall for the last spots.

A main (started): 1. Cornell (5) 2. Garner (1) 3. Selvage (8) 4. Dover (4) 5. Corbin (6) 6. Humston (3) 7. Montgomery (2) 8. Anderson (13) 9. Bakker (11) 10. Beaver (12) 11. Grosz (14) 12. Agan (16) 13. Dobesh (9) 14. Moore Jr. (7) 15. Van Haaften (19) 16. Moro (17) 17. Mather (15) 18. Lenz (10) 19. Richards (18) 20. Roberts (20)

Garner shot out to an early lead in the 15-lapper, and most thought he would pull away. Humston was in his shadow and passed him using the low side on lap five. Garner slung around the high side of turn four completing lap eight, to retake the point. Cornell was surging to and took second from Humston beofre a lap 11 caution for Roberts, who suffered a flat right rear and retired. The restart saw Garner ahead of Humston, Corbin and Selvage. Cornell slid in front of Garner on the restart in turn two, and Garner returned the favor in three and four. Cornell shot back down to the low side of four, and carried the lead the rest of the way for his first career Knoxville 360 win. Selvage gained two spots in the last two laps to round out the podium and collected $200 for hard-charger.

305s

Heat one (started): 1. J Kinder 88 (1) 2. Matt Stephenson 55 (2) 3. Mitchell Alexander 6 (6) 4. Dustin Clark 16 (5) 5. Tasker Phillips 7 (3) 6. Mark Widmar 7w (7) 7. Dave Anderson 53 (8) 8. Mark Johnson 45 (4) 9. Nick Ross R99 (9) 10. Bob Lamb 47 (10) DNS - Lance Silvers 31

Kinder led the six-lap distance. Widmar fell back towards the rear right away, but advanced back to sixth as the only prime mover.

Heat two (started): 1. Johnny Anderson 66 (5) 2. Marty Stephenson 36 (2) 3. Matthew Stelzer 99 (1) 4. Steve Palmer 2 (9) 5. Rob Kubli 23K (6) 6. Chris Maurer 55x (4) 7. Russell Wiese 18 (7) 8. Bob Anderson 21N (3) 9. Dave Saffell 3K (10) 10. Earl Tice 2T (8)

Stelzer led lap one before Tice tipped over by the pit entry in turn four. He was uninjured. Stelzer led Mar. Stephenson, Anderson, Maurer and Kubli back to green flag racing. On lap three, Anderson took control and pulled away.

A main (started): 1. Matt Stephenson (4) 2. Kubli (8) 3. Anderson (5) 4. Clark (7) 5. Alexander (2) 6. Palmer (1) 7. Widmar (11) 8. Wiese (12) 9. Stelzer (3) 10. Maurer (10) 11. Lamb (19) 12. Johnson (15) 13. D. Anderson (13) 14. Ross (17) 15. B. Anderson (14) 16. Saffell (16) 17. Phillips (9) 18. Kinder (6) 19. Silvers (20) 20. Mar. Stephenson (18) DNS - Tice

Mar. Stephenson took a tumble before a lap could be completed. He was unhurt. B. Anderson and Saffell spun together in turn three on the restart. Alexander grabbed the early advantage in the 12-lapper. Phillips hit the wall on lap six bringing another caution. Matt Stephenson grabbed the lead from Alexander on the restart and never looked back in winning his first Knoxville feature. Kubli who restarted sixth on the lap six restart surged late for second. Lamb was the hard-charger.

 

 

 

 

5/23/09    Lincoln Speedway Abbottstown, PA    Keystone Cup Night #   

29 cars

Brian Leppo (26th car out to time) set quick time on the 1/3 mile at 13.385 seconds. Doug Esh (19th car out) was second quick, followed by Alan Krimes (7th), Stevie Smith (21st), Cody Darrah (18th), Johnny Mackison Jr. (3rd), Brian Montieth (23rd), Doug Dodson (2nd), Adam Wilt (17th) and Pat Cannon (9th). Greg Hodnett scratched for the night after hitting the turn one wall and flipping. He was uninjured.

Heat one (started): 1. Mark Smith 7m (2) 2. Keith Kauffman 7 (1) 3. S. Smith 1 (5) 4. Montieth 21 (4) 5. Cris Eash 17E (7) 6. Cannon 17 (3) / 7. Leppo 71 (6) 8. John Rudisill 4 (8) 9. Bill Stine 71x (10) 10. Tim Glatfelter 39T (9)

M. Smith led flag to flag in the 10-lapper. Eash made a move into fifth on the first lap, leaving Leppo on the outside looking in to a transfer. S. Smith ducked under Montieth on the last lap for third.

Heat two (started): 1. Justin Henderson 22z (1) 2. Niki Young 98 (3) 3. Darrah 89 (5) 4. Esh 39 (6) 5. Josh Wells 6w (2) 6. Brent Marks 19m (7) / 7. Gerard McIntyre Jr. (9) 8. Dodson 43 (4) 9. Chad Trout 7c (8) DNS - Greg Hodnett 22

Before a lap could be completed, Trout got into the turn one wall and turned over. He was unhurt. Henderson jumped out to a lead early, but on lap two, Dodson repeated Trout's move and flipped into turn two. He was also unhurt. Henderson led Young, Wells, Darrah and true 410 rookie, Marks, back to green flag racing. Esh battled with Wells and Marks to gain fourth with two laps to go.

Heat three (started): 1. Cory Haas 11c (1) 2. Fred Rahmer 51 (2) 3. Jim Siegel 59 (3) 4. Danny Dietrich 88 (7) 5. Krimes 87 (6) 6. Adam Wilt 15 (4) / 7. Chris Knopp 6K (8) 8. Matt Lawrence 5 (9) 9. Mackison Jr. 65 (5)

Haas led throughout with Rahmer in tow. Krimes buzzed by Wilt on lap four in what was the final transfer at the time. Mackison Jr., who was running third on the white flag lap made the pass moot when he lost power and scratched for the night. Dietrich made an early low side move to a transfer.

B main (started): 1. Leppo (1) 2. Rudisill (2) 3. Knopp (4) 4. Glatfelter (3) 5. Lawrence (5) 6. McIntyre Jr. (6) / 7. Stine (7) DNS - Mackison Jr., Dodson, Trout, Hodnett

Leppo dusted the field in the 10-lapper. The top three kept their time spots for the feature, and the second half tagged the tail.

A main (started): 1. Darrah (4) 2. S. Smith (3) 3. Krimes (2) 4. Esh (1) 5. Rahmer (13) 6. Montieth (5) 7. Wilt (6) 8. Leppo (9) 9. M. Smith (11) 10. Young (8) 11. Marks (18) 12. Siegel (10) 13. Haas (16) 14. Eash (17) 15. Dietrich (19) 16. Cannon (7) 17. Kauffman (14) 18. Henderson (15) 19. Wells (12) 20. Lawrence (23) 21. Knopp (21) 22. Rudisill (20) 23. McIntyre Jr. (24) 24. Glatfelter (22)

Kauffman was late to staging after changing a motor, and started at the rear. Krimes used the low side to a slight advantage over Esh on the first lap, but it was S. Smith from row two who had the lead. On lap three, the caution came out for an incident involving Wells and Knopp. Dietrich also came to a stop. S. Smith led Krimes, Esh, Darrah and Montieth back to green flag racing on the restart. The rest of the 30-lapper went non-stop. Krimes and S. Smith battled for the lead, with the former using the low side by the wall. On lap ten, Darrah exploded to the outside around both, He pulled away from the field to win $5,000, but there was plenty of action for second. As Krimes and S. Smith continued to battle for second, Esh and Rahmer had their own battle going. Both would eventually get by Montieth. Rahmer was the hard charger for the event. S. Smith grabbed second from Krimes in the last corner.

Make-up A main (started): 1. Montieth (3) 2. Rahmer (10) 3. Darrah (7) 4. Marks (13) 5. Esh (9) 6. Wells (1) 7. Knopp (4) 8. Eash (8) 9. Krimes (14) 10. Haas (17) 11. Siegel (15) 12. Young (20) 13. Henderson (6) 14. Wilt (11) 15. Leppo (16) 16. McIntyre Jr. (19) 17. Glatfelter (12) 18. Trout (5) 19. Rudisill (2) 20. M. Smith (18) DNS - Dodson, Pat Cooper 26, Daryn Pittman 25

The feature was started with two out of 25 laps in the books. Wells led before Montieth stormed by on the high side on the fifth lap. One lap later, Glatfelter spun, brining a caution. Montieth led Wells, Darrah, Rudisill and Knopp back to green flag racing. Darrah got by Wells on the restart for second and Rahmer stormed into the top five. Wilt brought out another caution on lap 13. Montieth led Darrah, Wells, Rahmer and Knopp on the restart. Darrah got a run on the high side and passed Montieth on lap 20, but it was negated when Trout blew his right rear tire. With five laps remaining, Montieth went to the low side in one and two, a rare move, and held on for his third win of the season at Lincoln, paying $3,000. Rahmer moved by Darrah for second. Marks was impressive on the bottom, gathering hard-charger honors.

 

 

5/22/09    Williams Grove Speedway Mechanicsburg, PA      Keystone Cup Night #3

31 cars

Alan Cole (7th car out to time) set quick time on the famous ½ mile at 16.777 seconds. Keith Kauffman (30th car out) was second quick, followed by Stevie Smith (19th), Fred Rahmer (10th), Donnie Kreitz Jr. (13th), Doug Dodson (12th), Jim Siegel (11th), Brian Leppo (22nd), Mark Smith (20th) and Todd Shaffer (8th).

Heat one (started): 1. Lance Dewease 30c (1) 2. Shaffer 88 (3) 3. Rahmer 51 (5) 4. Dave Ely 75 (2) 5. Siegel 59 (4) 6. Cole 35 (6) / 7. Kevin Nouse 6 (9) 8. Steve Buckwalter 17B (7) 9. Cory Haas 11c (11) 10. Michael Heckman 8H (8) 11. Bob Bennett 3 (10)

Dewease led flag to flag in the 10-lapper going away. Rahmer was the man on the move, using the low side to work by Siegel and Ely. Bennett exited early.

Heat two (started): 1. Doug Esh 39 (1) 2. Greg Hodnett 22 (2) 3. Mike Erdley 11 (3) 4. Cody Darrah 89 (7) 5. Brian Montieth 21 (10) 6. Kauffman 7 (6) / 7. AJ Michael 45 (8) 8. Aaron Ott 25 (9) 9. Leppo 71 (4) 10. Kreitz Jr. 69K (5)

Esh led the duration. Kauffman spun out of the third row before a lap could be completed. Michael had a good jump outside him in the third row, and Darrah screamed by as well. Leppo and Kreitz were running third and fourth on lap eight, when disaster struck. Leppo went up in smoke, and Kreitz had nowhere to go. Both cars were done, and Leppo was a scratch for the night. Ott spun out of a transfer on the white flag lap, setting up a white/checker finish. Esh led Hodnett, Erdley, Darrah, Michael and Montieth back to green flag racing. Both Montieth and Kauffman were able to get by Michael on the last lap to grab transfers.

Heat three (started): 1. Pat Cannon 17 (1) 2. M. Smith 7m (4) 3. S. Smith 1 (6) 4. Alan Krimes 87 (3) 5. Rick Lafferty 0 (7) 6. Justin Henderson 22z (10) / 7. Niki Young 98 (8) 8. Adam Wilt 15 (9) 9. Dodson 43 (5) 10. Chris Meleason 8m (2)

Cannon led the duration. The race was for the final transfer, between Meleason and Henderson. Henderson was able to slide in front of the 8m with three to go.

B main (started): 1. Kreitz Jr. (1) 2. Buckwalter (2) 3. Nouse (6) 4. Ott (9) 5. Meleason (3) 6. Wilt (8) / 7. Haas (10) 8. Young (7) 9. Heckman (5) 10. Michael (4) DNS – Dodson, Leppo, Bennett

Kreitz led the 10-lap distance. Ott and Meleason battled in a good race for fourth. Contact between Wilt and Haas in a battle for the final transfer benefited Wilt.

A main (started): 1. S. Smith (2) 2. Esh (14) 3. M. Smith (6) 4. Rahmer (1) 5. Montieth (20) 6. Erdley (8) 7. Hodnett (12) 8. Shaffer (7) 9. Siegel (5) 10. Darrah (17) 11. Cole (4) 12. Dewease (13) 13. Krimes (10) 14. Kreitz Jr. (9) 15. Cannon (15) 16. Buckwalter (16) 17. Ely (11) 18. Henderson (21) 19. Wilt (24) 20. Ott (22) 21. Kauffman (3) 22. Nouse (19) 23. Meleason (23) 24. Lafferty (18)

Rahmer led the first of 30 laps, but S. Smith surged by him on the second go-around and would never be headed. Kauffman spun on lap three, bringing a caution. S. Smith led Rahmer, Cole, M. Smith and Siegel back to green flag racing. Esh and Montieth were on the move thereafter. By the halfway point, Esh was in second, and Montieth was fifth, where they would finish. On lap 18, Esh slid into Wilt while lapping him. The result was the last caution of the event. S. Smith led Esh, Rahmer, M. Smith and Montieth back to the green flag. The only change in position was M. Smith’s pass of Rahmer on the final lap. The two joined hard-charger Montieth in a close finish for the trio. S. Smith was paid $5,000 for his second Keystone Cup win in a row.

 

5/21/09    Hagerstown Speedway Hagerstown, MD      Keystone Cup Night #2

30 cars

Stevie Smith (2nd car out to time) set quick time on the half-mile at 15.253 seconds, about three-tenths off Mark Kinser's ten year old record. Brian Leppo (5th car out) was second quick, followed by Keith Kauffman (4th), Todd Shaffer (17th), Cody Darrah (8th), whose motor stumbled and required a change before the heat, Fred Rahmer (18th), Brooke Tatnell (13th), Mike Wagner (21st), Daryn Pittman (29th) and Mark Smith (12th). The track went away a couple of tenths by the end of qualifying.

Heat one (started): 1. Doug Esh 39 (1) 2. Adam Wilt 15 (2) 3. Tatnell 21AU (4) 4. S. Smith 1 (6) 5. M. Smith 7m (3) 6. Shaffer 88 (5) / 7. Alan Krimes 87 (7) 8. Cale Grubb 19 (8) 9. Greg Robinson 16 (9) DNS - Mike Heckman 8H

Esh led flag to flag in the 10-lapper. S. Smith made the only pass of the event, getting by M. Smith at the halfway point. Krimes pulled a half a car length from the final transfer in the late stages.

Heat two (started): 1. Aaron Ott 25o (2) 2. Lance Dewease 30c (1) 3. Greg Hodnett 22 (3) 4. Darrah 89 (5) 5. Leppo 71 (6) 6. Chad Layton 55L (7) / 7. Adam Lawrence 5 (8) 8. Bob Howard 49 (9) 9. Pat Cooper 26 (10) 10. Mike Wagner 55 (4)

Dewease took off with Ott in tow. Wagner was running third on the second lap when he lost power and pulled in. Ott measured Dewease late and roared around him coming out of turn two on the last lap for the win.

Heat three (started): 1. Pittman 25 (4) 2. Mike Erdley 11 (1) 3. Justin Henderson 22z (3) 4. Pat Cannon 17 (2) 5. Rahmer 51 (5) 6. Kauffman 7 (6) / 7. Brent Marks 19m (9) 8. TJ Winegardner Jr. 11T (7) 9. Joey Hershey 44 (8) 10. Brian Ehrenzeller 33 (10)

Erdley jumped out early on the bottom of the track, but Pittman was fast on the high side, taking the lead on lap seven. Henderson held off Rahmer at the halfway point for fourth and then snuck under Cannon for third. Kauffman lost the last transfer with a tough start, but regained it.

B main (started): 1. Krimes (2) 2. Marks (5) 3. Grubb (4) 4. Winegardner (1) 5. Lawrence (3) 6. Wagner (11) / 7. Hershey (6) 8. Howard (8) 9. Cooper (7) 10. Robinson (10) 11. Ehrenzeller (9)

Krimes: He Gone. Meanwhile, Wagner was late to staging for the 10-lapper after mechanical work from the heat and had to start at the rear instead of the pole.

A main (started): 1. S. Smith (4) 2. Rahmer (6) 3. Darrah (5) 4. Pittman (8) 5. Shaffer (1) 6. Leppo (3) 7. Krimes (18) 8. Dewease (16) 9. Kauffman (2) 10. Hodnett (10) 11. Erdley (17) 12. M. Smith (9) 13. Tatnell (7) 14. Wagner (24) 15. Henderson (11) 16. Layton (19) 17. Cannon (14) 18. Lawrence (23) 19. Marks (21) 20. Wilt (12) 21. Ott (13) 22. Esh (15) 23. Grubb (20) 24. Winegardner (22)

Kauffman shot out to the early lead in the 30-lapper. S. Smith tracked him down and took the point by lap 7. On lap 12, Rahmer was on the move, rolling into second. On the same lap, Darrah passed Shaffer for fourth. Darrah would move by Kauffman into third on lap seven. Rahmer followed the leader as the two pulled away from the pack in traffic. On lap 23, Rahmer made a pass on the high side after he and S. Smith dueled for several laps. By lap 26, Rahmer had two lapped cars between himself and second when red flag conditions brought the only stoppage. An incident involving Ott, who had been fast early, and Esh, who ended up tipped over, stopped things. After a closed red, Rahmer had a two-car buffer between himself and S. Smith with two to go, but couldn't hold it. Smith found his way by on lap 27 to garner the $5,000 win. Pittman was a late mover, moving from seventh to fourth after the restart. Krimes was the hard-charger, moving up 11 spots.

 

5/20/09 Grandview Speedway Bechtelsville, PA

Keystone Cup

29 cars

Stevie Smtih (21st car out to time) set quick time on the 3/8 mile at 12.272 seconds. Greg Hodnett (17th car out) was second quick, followed by Justin Henderson (12th), Daryn Pittman (22nd), Brian Leppo (16th), Chad Layton (11th), Brooke Tatnell (25th), Mark Smith (3rd), Jesse Hockett (29th) and Alan Krimes (23rd).

Heat one (started): 1. Cody Darrah 89 (2) 2. Tatnell 21AU (4) 3. S. Smith 1 (6) 4. Curt Michael 27 (1) 5. Pittman 25 (5) 6. Krimes 87 (3) / 7. Fred Rahmer 51 (7) 8. Pat Cannon 17 (8) 9. Brent Marks 19m (10) 10. Todd Rittenhouse Jr. 23 (9)

Darrah led all 10 laps. Tatnell hounded him in the late stages falling just short of the win. S. Smith looked like the fastest car on the track in third. Rahmer challenged for the final transfer in the middle stages, but Krimes pulled away late using the high side.

Heat two (started): 1. Josh Weller 63 (2) 2. Lance Dewease 30c (3) 3. Hodnett 22 (6) 4. Alan Cole 35 (1) 5. M. Smith 7m (4) 6. Todd Shaffer 88 (7) / 7. Leppo 71 (5) 8. Dave Hahn 2H (8) 9. Keith Kauffman 7 (9) 10. Steve Petry 8 (10)

Weller led every lap, despite two cautions for a spun Petry. Dewease and Cole battled for second for much of the race. Hodnett came on late for third. Kauffman moved his way into a transfer before slowing and exiting on lap three. Leppo hit the wall on lap two, and restarted at the tail ending any chance he had at the final transfer.

Heat three (started): 1. Brian Montieth 21 (2) 2. Hockett 13 (4) 3. Doug Esh 39 (3) 4. Aaron Ott 25o (7) 5. Davey Sammons 79 (1) 6. Henderson 22z (6) / 7. Layton 55 (5) 8. Nick Schlauch Jr. 38n (8) 9. Mark Bitner 15 (9)

Montieth rode the rim to lead flag to flag with Hockett in tow. There was great racing from fourth back to seventh. Layton was in the mix until getting loose high atop turn two on lap four. Ott surged into a transfer before relinquishing it. Later on, he took off on the bottom, passing three cars to end up fourth.

B main (started): 1. Layton (2) 2. Rahmer (3) 3. Leppo (1) 4. Hahn (5) 5. Kauffman (8) 6. Bitner (9) / 7. Cannon (4) 8. Marks (10) 9. Schlauch (6) 10. Rittenhouse (9) 11. Petry (11)

Leppo led the 10-lapper early on, before Layton took the point on lap two. Petry spun on lap three, bringing the only caution. At the time, Layton led Leppo, Rahmer, Cannon, Hahn and Kauffman. Kauffman used the low side to advance to fifth past Cannon, and Bitner used a late surge to take the final transfer.

A main (started): 1. Pittman (1) 2. S. Smith (4) 3. Hodnett (3) 4. Esh (12) 5. Tatnell (5) 6. Layton (10) 7. M. Smith (6) 8. Leppo (9) 9. Krimes (8) 10. Darrah (13) 11. Dewease (11) 12. Henderson (2) 13. Rahmer (19) 14. Montieth (15) 15. Cole (17) 16. Weller (14) 17. Michael (16) 18. Kauffman (23) 19. Shaffer (20) 20. Bitner (24) 21. Hahn (22) 22. Ott (21) 23. Sammons (18) 24. Hockett (7)

The invert for the feature was six, but the format moved the fast cars up one row when two quick qualifiers didn't make it through the heats. Henderson led early, with Pittman and Smith hot on his heels for the first five laps. The three dueled until lap five, when Pittman slid under Henderson to take the lead in the 35-lapper. Five laps later, Hockett shot above the cushion in turn one, backed into the wall, and tipped over. He was unhurt, but an open red ensued. The restart saw Pittman ahead of S. Smith, who had been applying pressure for the lead, Hodnett, Henderson and Pittman. Pittman shot away from the field, while Esh was the mover, gaining several spots using the high side of the track. With 10 laps remaining, the track became rubber down and it was a freight train to the end. S. Smith was on the leader's nerf bar, but the mistake he was waiting for never happened. Pittman earned $5,000 for his first win in Pennsylvania this season. Esh was the hard-charger, moving up eight spots.

 

Bill W’s Best Appearing of 2008

 

A new year, and time for my annual best appearing list.  Again this year, we’ve gone with a top ten in 410s and 360s.  We’ll also look at the top non-winger, and best appearing in midgets and 305s.  How tough is it to make the top ten?  Well, for one, I sifted through my photos of 230 410s and 315 360s.  As always there are three reasons why a car you believe should be on here, isn’t:  1. I didn’t see the car live.  2. I didn’t get a good photo of the car with my digital gizmo (not likely) 3.  You are wrong! (likely) 

 

360s

 

#10 – Kolt Walker (Graham, TX) – I caught this shot of “Kolt 45” Walker at the Devil’s Bowl.  Definitely, an eye-catcher for my five year old son, Sam, who broke the tie between this entry and that of Tim Sites. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

  #9 – Tim Crawley (Benton, AR) – Tim Crawley left no prisoners on the track this season, and he took few in the looks of the car after again teaming with Mike Ward, who topped this list in 2003.  The car also made the top ten last year.  This shot was taken at Knoxville, where Tim returned for the first time in several years. 

 

 

#8 – Roger Crockett (Eugene, OR) – The Henderson #7N originally a California staple in the 410 ranks, has never looked better with a sharp blue contrasting the black background.  Roger underwent a successful kidney transplant (from his father) following the race season.  Good luck with everything, Roger! 

 

  

#7 – Jason Eckard (Okoboji, IA) – Jason made his first trips to Knoxville piloting the Minnesota based Hess #2H.  The interesting mix of colors and design prove that creating a “best appearing” car has truly become an art. 

 

#6 – Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH) – Verl Warnimont always fields a sharp looking race car and this one was no different.  Wilson is always easy to detect on the track, and the hauler signals his arrival as well.  His 410 entry at the Knoxville Nationals warranted Honorable Mention accolades as well, mixing green and black into the scheme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 5 – Ryan Hall (Midlothian, TX) – Ryan’s car struck me the first time I saw it at Cowtown.  Usually I stray from orange, but like the fade look used in the numbers, and the polished silver with blue is always sharp.  Ryan can drive too.  The youngster picked up his first ASCS win at Heart O’ Texas Speedway in Waco. 

 

#4 – Joey Moughan (Springfield, IL) – Another car that pops out at spectators is the Baker #55B, piloted in both 360 and 410 action by Moughan.  Joey was back at it in Little Rock, but with Baker for the first time.  There’s a reason hunters wear blaze orange. 

 

#3 – Garry Bell (Cordova, TN) – Another car based in the Memphis area, this one is really a beauty both close up and under the lights.  The veteran seldom ventures far from his home, but I caught him here at Little Rock, and he uses a Nebraska based Eckley Engine under the hood.  This car has been making the tradeshow rounds as well. 

 

#2 – Randy Martin (California, MO) – Randy is a staple in this ranking and this year is no different.  The “Vinyl King” has done it for the fifth year in a row.  The look changes every year, and the car is immaculate every time it comes out of the trailer.  The bulldog on the back of the wing was a nice touch as well. 

    

 

#1 – Mark Shirshekan (Farmington, MO) – A sprint car rookie who graduated from the micro-sprint ranks, Shirshekan knows a good scheme when he sees one.  He put a scare into some competitors this year, with some impressive charges through the field.  This shot was taken late in the year at West Burlington. 

 

2007 360 Top Ten: 1. Justin Barger 2. Ryan Jamison 3. Shane Stewart 4. Kevin Ramey 5. Tim Crawley 6. Jeff Williams 7. Bryan Howland 8. Rager Phillips 9. Ben Gregg 10. Ryan Bickett

 2006 360 Top Ten: 1. Jessica Zemken 2. Donny Howard 3. Foster Landon 4. Randy Martin 5. Travis Whitney 6. Brian Brown 7. Brad Best 8. Shawn Van Wyhe 9. Danny Martin Jr. 10. Jeff Day

 2005 360 Top Ten: 1. Rick Ideus 2. Caleb Griffith 3. Scott Box 4. Ricky Fauver 5. Sean McClelland 6. Dave Anderson 7. Randy Plath 8. Randy Martin 9. Doug Lovegrove 10. Brad Welborn

 2004 360 Top Ten: 1. Preston Peebles II 2. Jody Roland 3. Eddie Gallagher 4. Natalie Sather 5. Darren Long 6. Herb Reed 7. AG Rains 8. Gene Ackland 9. Dex Eaton 10. Brian Hetrick

 2003 360 Top Ten: 1. Mike Ward 2. Sean McClelland 3. Roger Crockett 4. Brian Harvill 5. Cody Hansen 6. Ryan Voss 7. Randy Droescher 8. Wade Oliver 9. Billy Alley 10. Kenny Adams

 2002 Best Appearing 360:  Rick Ideus

 

410s

 

#10 – Danny Smith (Nationals) (Danville, IN) – The cagy veteran makes his first appearance on this list, based on his retro look at the Knoxville Nationals.  The #18 (sans wing) Gambler house car was one of the first I can remember being towed in an enclosed trailer back around 1980.  Having country stars like Kenny Rogers and Loretta Lynn involved in sponsorship was also a plus back then.

 

 

#9 – Joey Saldana (Brownsburg, IN) – Few competitors looked at any other car close-up than the Kasey Kahne Racing #9 of Saldana.  Technical innovations were copied off of the #9 for good or bad in 2008.  Besides that, it was a great looking car up close or from afar.  I caught this shot of it at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO. 

 

#8 – Dion Hindi (Albuquerque, NM) – Few racers match the flash of Dion’s #11D.  Rumor is, you can make it out from a mile in a heavy fog.  It’s been good to have Dion race weekly in Knoxville as of late, but we’ll miss the neon #11D in 2009, as he is partnering with VanderEcken Motorsports. 

 

#7 – Keith Kauffman (Mifflintown, PA) – I’m biased towards any car that can put a sponsor into its paint scheme.  Kauffman has driven for the Middleswarth Potato Chips team for several seasons, but the recent change to a black car has been a positive one.  I caught this shot at the Port Royal Speedway during PA Speedweek.  Keith has won more than any driver at that ½ mile. 

 

#6 – Sam Hafertepe Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX) – The Hafertepe family has always prided themselves in fielding fine looking race cars.  When Sam partnered with Fusion Energy in September, the scheme created was the best looking in his career.  I caught this shot when the WoO came to Spencer, IA. 

 

#5 – Caleb Griffith (Castalia, OH) – Caleb is no stranger to this list (2^nd 360 in 2005), and always fields a competitive as well as eye-catching entry.  For those who miss the Pennsylvania based Apple #12, here’s the next best thing.  Caleb towed to his first ever Knoxville Nationals, and got stronger as the weekend went on. 

 

#4 – Daryl Stimeling (Lewistown, PA) – It was tough to find a better looking entry at the Port Royal Speedway in 2008, than the Bolger #18.  This version mixed a number of colors with gold lettering for the number, another one of my favorites.

  

#3 – Shane Stewart (Nationals) (Bixby, OK) – Roth Motorsports strikes again.  The Nationals look was tops on the 2002 list, and this one was close behind.  You have to like any sprinter with a snorting bull involved.  The normal looks of the #83 and the #83JR were great again. 

 

 

#2 – Rob Chaney (Nationals) (Wooster, OH) – This may indeed have been the best entry of the year, but I caught this shot with the fuel cover on, so…  Rob had one of the best looking cars at the 2007 Nationals as well.  Some teams change their normal scheme slightly at the Nationals, but the Hammer #24H team has brought something special the last couple years.  

 

#1 – Chad Kemenah (Nationals) (Findlay, OH) – The “Buckeye State” is kicking some serious tail here this year.  Chad (and Banshee Graphics) had an innovative idea for the Nationals and pulled it off, complete with helmet, uniforms and hats.  The Nationals are always a gamble, but the “Hard Eight” team got my vote for the now defunct, “Best Appearing Car of the Year” at the Nationals. 

  

2007 410 top ten: 1. Kenny Jacobs (Weikert’s) 2. Randy Martin 3. Tyler Thompson 4. Fred Rahmer 5. Joey Saldana (King’s Royal) 6. Brian Kristan 7. Brian Brown 8. Stevie Smith 9. Jerry Richert Jr. 10. Jac Haudenschild (Nationals)

 2006 410 top ten: 1. Kerry Madsen (Nationals) 2. Donny Schatz (Nationals) 3. Brian Leppo 4. Jason Meyers 5. Wayne Johnson 6. Jason Dukes 7. Brook Weibley 8. Brian Ellenberger 9. David Harrison 10. Brooke Tatnell (whitewalls)

 2005 410 top ten: 1. Brooke Tatnell 2. Kerry Madsen 3. Shane Stewart 4. Cory Haas 5. Chad Blonde 6. Brian Leppo 7. Jason Hunt 8. Kenny Jacobs 9. Jesse Giannetto 10. Mike Stefka

 2004 410 top ten:  1. Terry McCarl 2. Kenny Jacobs 3. Randy Martin 4. Chad Kemenah 5. Tim Shaffer 6. Roger Crockett 7. Mark Smith 8. Lucas Wolfe 9. Brian Montieth 10. Mike Kertscher

 2003 410 top ten:  1. Toni Lutar 2. Randy Martin 3. Steve Kinser (Hulk) 4. Randy Hannagan 5. Don Droud Jr. (Batman) 6. Lance Dewease/Terry McCarl 7. Chad Kemenah 8. Tim Kaeding 9. Kim Mock/Mike Kertscher 10. Joe Roe

 2002 410 top ten:  1. Sammy Swindell (nationals) 2. Chad Blonde 3. Matt Moro 4. Sean Michael 5. Jeff Hodgson 6. Jan Howard 7. Greg Hodnett 8. Dave Enders 9. Tommy Tarlton 10. Chad Meyer

 

Non-wing

 

Best Appearing – Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) – Unfortunately, my path didn’t cross enough non-wing shows to justify a top five or ten in 2008, but the “Demon” had a strong entry at the Ultimate Challenge.  It’s not too unlike the scheme he sported in 2002, that took top honors in this category.

 

 

2007 Non-win top five: 1. JJ Yeley 2. Brett Burdette 3. Mat Neely 4. Jesse Hockett 5. Jerry Coons Jr.

 2006 Best Appearing Non-wing car: Don Droud Jr.

 2005 Non-wing top five: 1. Kevin Besecker 2. Matt Westfall 3. Charles Davis Jr. 4. Dave Darland 5. Jac Haudenschild

 2004 Best Appearing Non-wing car:  Seth Wilson

 2003 Best Appearing Non-wing car:  Roger Rager

 2002 Best Appearing Non-wing car:  Damion Gardner

 

Midgets

 

Best Appearing – Brad Kuhn (Avon, IN) – Not many wield a midget the way Kuhn does.  He has won the National Midget Driver of the Year Award multiple times.  However, he’s never appeared on this list until now.  I caught the sharp looking #o7 at the Knoxville Midget Nationals.

 

 

2007 Midget Top Five: 1. Brandon Waelti 2. AJ Fike 3. Tracy Readinger 4. Brad Loyet 5. Dustin Morgan

 2006 Midget Top Five: 1. Andy Martin 2. Jimmy Light 3. Bryan Clauson 4. Tom Hessert III 5. Kurt Mayhew

 2005 Best Appearing Midget: Mike Miller

 2004 Best Appearing Midget:  Steven Graham

 2003 Best Appearing Midget:  Aaron Fiscus

 

Next young sprinter update:  Sam poses at the Iowa State Fair on the sky ride