Jared Umbenhauer and Brenden Bright Big Winners on Prelude to the Freedom 76 Night
BECHTELSVILLE, PA September 13, 2014 . . . Three-time Grandview Speedway Sportsman champion Jared Umbenhauer and ARDC Midget driver Brenden Bright, both, took full advantage of the race leader having misfortune, as both took over the number one position at that point and went on to capture victories at Grandview Speedway Friday night in the first annual Prelude to the 76’er doubleheader.
The win by the 22-year-old Umbenhauer was his twelfth of the season at the high-banked third-mile clay oval in, paying $1,500 to the Richland, PA driver.
The ARDC Midget 25-lap triumph for Bright was his first win of the season.
Racing action returns to Grandview Speedway tonight (Saturday, September 13) with the running of the rich $25,000 to win 44th annual Freedom 76 Modified Classic that will feature many of the top name drivers in dirt track Modified racing. Advance ticket holder gates open at 3 p.m., ticket windows will open at 3:30 p.m. with racing action getting the green at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $35, youngsters 6 through 12 pay $10 and kids under 6 are admitted free. Pit passes, no track or organization license required, are $45.
The 38-lap Southern Region Race of Champions Sportsman main event saw 29-cars take the green flag, with second-place starter Brett Kressley immediately moving out on top over Paul Kline, who started on the pole by luck of the draw. Umbenhauer was the fourth-place starter, running in third on lap 1.
By lap 5 Kressley had pulled out to a full straightaway advantage over Kline just prior to J.T. Trstensky spinning out in turn 3, as lap 6 was completed.
The new green showed Kressley, again, out in front, as Umbenhauer moved into second-place and dropped Kline to third in the running order after 7-laps. A move to the outside of Clay Butler by Kressley, as the leader tried to drive his way in-and-out of heavy lapped traffic racing into turn 1 on lap 15, saw Kressley and Butler tangle, as both cars crashed hard into the outside boiler plate wall, bringing out another caution. Both Kressley and Butler continued.
The restart saw Umbenhauer move out in front for lap 16 over Kline and Brian Hirthler, who drew sixth-place to start. On lap 20 racing through turns 1 and 2, Kevin Beach spun out all by himself to bring out another caution period.
A single file restart had Umbenhauer in front again, over Kline and Hirthler, completing 21 circuits. A lap later, Claude Hutchings Jr. advanced to third, with Hirthler falling back to fourth-place.
Lap 28 saw Jim Housworth spin out all alone in turn 2 to bring out a caution, just as Umbenhauer started lapping cars.
With the green, Umbenhauer regained the number one position over Kline, while lap 29 was completed. Hutchings Jr. now was third, with Hirthler in fourth. A nice move by Kenny Gilmore on lap 31 saw the Kutztown, PA chauffeur claim the fourth position, as Hirthler settled into fifth. With 3 circuits remaining it was another caution, after Ryan Beltz spun his ride exiting turn 4 with Craig Whitmoyer slamming hard into the Beltz racer.
It was green, white, checkered with Umbenhauer taking over the top spot again in front of Kline and Gilmore. Steve Davis moved into fourth-place on the new green, as Hutchings Jr. fell back into fifth with 36 in the books. Finishing under the checkers first it was Umbenhauer easily taking the triumph in front of Kline, Gilmore, Davis and Hutchings Jr. completed the top five.
“This win feels awesome tonight because we’ve been struggling the past couple of weeks. Tonight it felt like I was back home, again,” Umbenhauer mentioned. “I just let Brett race off and get away, as I took my time. I left Brett make a mistake, which he did. We still had a lot of racing left to go and you must be patient. Once we got out in front I knew what I had to do and it was a win that was made for us, tonight.”
The Dan’s Deli halfway hoagie went out to Umbenhauer, with the $50 bonus from Cargo Trailer Sales being awarded to Erik Renninger.
The triumph for Umbenhauer was career win number 18 at the Berks County oval.
Billy Pauch Jr. started outside of the front row in the ARDC Midget 25-lapper wheeling the Mike Heffner owned Midget ride. With the initial green Pauch Jr. vaulted out in front over Brenden Bright, who started from third in the field of 21 starters. Jim Radney, who started from sixth-place, powered into third. On lap 3 Radney slipped into the runner-up spot, as Bright settled into third at that point.
Radney mounted a serious challenge battling for the number one position, with Radney all over the Pauch Jr. entry from lap 6 through lap 9. Radney used the outside lane exiting turn 2 to drive it past Pauch Jr. to become the new race leader on lap 13. Alex Bright spun out in turns 1 and 2 to bring out a yellow on lap 10, with Justin Grosz stopping in turn 4 to bring out another caution, with 15 complete.
Under the yellow on lap 15, Radney saw all hopes for his first career feature triumph end, as his car suddenly stopped on the front stretch, giving the top spot back to Pauch Jr.
On the restart, exiting turn 2, Brenden Bright powered by Pauch Jr. racing on the outside lane, as Pauch Jr. hugged the bottom on lap 16. Bright pulled out to a respectable advantage as the laps clicked off, with Pauch Jr. closing in over the final few circuits to make it interesting, but settling for a runner up finish. Ryan Watt finished up a solid third, with Tim Buckwalter finishing up in fourth. Trevor Kobylarz rounded out the top 5.
“I struggled a lot, this season,” Bright was saying after his win. “All year, I had a top 5 car, but I just couldn’t get it done. My crew chief decided he was going to change the car around before the race, tonight.
“Under the caution I adjusted all of my shocks and, suddenly, the car simply came to life. I almost was pulling wheelies coming off the turns and I saw a nose there trying to get under me near the end, but I was not going to try a lot of changes because I’d just dial myself out of it, again. I hung on with enough to get the win and I have to thank my brother, Alex, and his crew for getting me into Victory Lane, tonight,” Bright commented.
With 52 Sportsman in action the heat winners were Paul Kline, Brett Kressley, Brett Gilmore, Stephen Searock IV, Ray Woodall Jr. and Ryan Lilick. Winners in the consolations were Kevin Beach, Sean Weiss and Brad Brightbill, running a back-up Kevin Beach car.
With 21 ARDC Midgets on hand, heat wins went out to Nick Wean, Tim Buckwalter and Alex Bright. No consolation was needed.
Some 22 358 Modified teams were in action, as well, taking numerous practice laps to prepare for the upcoming Freedom 76 on Saturday night paying $25,000 to win.
American Racing Drivers Club 25-lap Midget finish:
1) Brenden Bright 2) Billy Pauch Jr. 3) Ryan Watt 4) Tim Buckwalter 5) Trevor Kobylarz 6) Brett Arndt 7) Ryan Greth 8) Steven Drevicki 9) Kyle Lick 10) Tyler Brehm 11) Tony DiMattia 12) Tommy Kunsman 13) Austin Burke 14) Billy Courtwright 15) Jim Radney 16) Bruce Buckwalter Jr. 17) Alex Bright 18) Justin Grosz 19) Brett Wanner 20) Nick Wean 21) PJ Gargulio
Race of Champions Southern Region Freedom 38’er Sportsman finish:
1) Jared Umbenhauer 2) Paul Kline 3) Kenny Gilmore 4) Steve Davis 5) Claude Hutchings Jr. 6) Brett Gilmore 7) Brian Hirthler 8) Brett Kressley 9) Ray Woodall Jr. 10) Erik Renninger 11) Ryan Lilick 12) Sean Weiss 13) Brandon Walters 14) Mike Butler 15) Brad Brightbill 16) Stephen Searock IV 17) Ken Eckert Jr. 18) Brad Szulewski 19) Brandon Whitmoyer 20) Dean Bachman 21) Kevin Beach 22) Jordan Henn 23) Charlie Hendrickson 24) Butch Green 25) Clay Butler 26) Ryan Beltz 27) Craig Whitmoyer 28) Jim Housworth 29) TJ Trstensky
Current information is available at610.754.7688 or check in atwww.grandviewspeedway.com. Also check in at the Grandview Speedway Facebook for latest information on the weekend activities.
Grandview Speedway is located on Passmore Road just off Route 100 in Bechtelsville, PA, 10 miles north of Pottstown.
COMING EVENTS:
Sunday, October 5 – 1 p.m. – Outlaw Enduro Racing, Blast from the Past Vintage Racers and Slingshots
Saturday, October 18, 6 p.m. – Thunder on the Hill Racing Series Halloween Party featuring 358 Modifieds, ARDC Midgets, URC Sprints, Sportsman, Legends, Monster Smash Demo Derby and Blast from the Past Vintage Racers – Rain date is Sunday, October 19, 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, November 1 & 2: Fall Jamboree featuring SpeedSTRs, Slingshots, Junior Slingshots and Wingless 600s, 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 9, Annual Fall Racer’s Flea Market starts at 7 a.m.
Saturday, November 15, 52nd Anniversary Awards Banquet, Doors open 4 p.m., Dinner 6 p.m. at Gilbertsville Fire Co.
2015 TENTATIVE Opening Date: Annual Practice Day, Saturday, March 28, Noon
Sources: Randy Kane, Ernie Saxton Communications, Inc.