Craig Whitmoyer Wins Freedom 38 ROC Sportsman Race and Dave Brown is Tops in TRSR Sprint Feature at Grandview Speedway on Friday Night
45th Annual Freedom 76 Modified Classic, paying $25,000 to win, set for tonight
BECHTELSVILLE, PA September 12, 2015 . . . Ending a victory drought of over two seasons in, Craig Whitmoyer, finally, found the way to Victory Lane, once again, Friday evening at Grandview Speedway, in the second annual Race of Champions Freedom 38’er for the Race of Champions Sportsman division. For the Hamburg, PA resident, it was his first win at the Bechtelsville track since July 20, 2013.
In a companion 25-lap main event for the TSRS 305 Sprint Cars, Dave Brown was the winner after going out in front just prior to halfway and, easily, racing away from the competition. For Brown it was his second win of the season. His other triumph came on May 24, 2015 in a Thunder on The Hill event.
On the original green in the Sportsman 38-lap feature, a 6-car tangle in turn 2 reshuffled the starting line-up for the 27-car starting field.
With the green waving, 17-year-old first-year Sportsman driver Kyle Lilick of Collegeville, PA assumed command from outside the front row, with Whitmoyer a close second. Whitmoyer, who started third, used the high outside lane racing off turn 4 on lap 7 to drive by Lilick and become the new race leader. Lilick dropped to second, with Kenny Hammond third.
On lap 13 the caution appeared for Jim Britt spinning in turn 4, bunching the field.
With the green it was the 40-year-old Whitmoyer racing out in front again, as Brad Arnold quickly advanced to second, with Lilick now third.
As the laps clicked off, 35-year-old Brad Brightbill, who went to the tail of the field as part of that first lap tangle, began to make his way through the competition. By lap 18 the Sinking Spring, PA racer was up to sixth. After 19 circuits he was fifth and after 21 tours, Brightbill had climbed into fourth.
With 24 down, Brightbill was now running third behind Arnold, with Whitmoyer a full straightaway out in front.
On lap 30, Brightbill caught Arnold, but the second-generation driver had his problems trying to find a way around Arnold. On lap 33, Brightbill went high, through turn 1 and turn 2 racing through lapped traffic, and was running side by side with Arnold down the back. Racing into turn 3, Brightbill and Arnold touched, with Brightbill slamming hard into the outside boilerplate, to end a brilliant run. At the same time, Ryan Beltz, who was running fifth, spun out, as a result of the contact between Arnold and Brightbill.
Whitmoyer reclaimed to top spot with the green, as Paul Kline roared through traffic to move into the runner-up role on lap 35.
Brett Kressley, 23, of Orefield, PA, who also was collected in that first lap crash, rocketed into third on lap 36, with Arnold dropping into fourth.
Whitmoyer easily won the race, with Kline close behind, followed by Kressley and Arnold. Lilick authored a solid performance finishing up a stout fifth at the checkered.
“I knew Paul was there, but I wasn’t going to get off the bottom,” Whitmoyer said. “I tried the top earlier and I was good up there and I knew Paul would race me clean. We had a fast car. Rick Laubach, Jason Bashore and even Paul, they’ve all helped me get better this year. We struggled early and finally I found a good set up the car liked and we just need things to break our way.”
Whitmoyer becomes the 12th different feature winner this year at Grandview in the Sportsman division.
Heat winners were Lilick, Jim Housworth, Hammond, Brandon Whitmoyer and Brad Brightbill. Kline and Brian Hirthler were consolation winners.
In the 305 Sprint Car main event, Tim Tanner immediately jumped out in front after starting from the pole, over female driver Samantha Lieberman and Jeff Geiges.
On lap 4, exiting turn 4, Geiges advanced into second, with Lieberman now in third in front of Brown. On lap 7, Brown clawed his way into third, with Rick Stief moving up to fourth a lap later.
With 11 in the record books, Brown was now running second and on the rear end of Tanner. Geiges was third, followed by Stief and Mike Haggenbottom in order as the top 5. Exiting turn 4 on lap 12, Brown drove it in low, running on the bottom to drive it by Tanner and become the new race leader.
With 10 to go, Brown had a full straightaway advantage over Tanner. Third was Haggenbottom. A lap later, Tony Smolenyak and David Bonner tangled in turn 4, collecting Haggenbottom.
With the green it was all Brown, quickly pulling away to a safe lead in front of Tanner, with Tom Carberry coming on late to claim third. Geiges hung on to take fourth and Jon Haegele brought it home in fifth.
“I hit the wall on one of those restarts and bent something. After that I had a rocket,” said Brown. “I just walked past Tanner, there. That surprised me. I got by like he was standing still. We certainly had a fast car. To win this race, tonight, it’s just unbelievable. To win here, twice this season, it’s great.”
Heat victors were Eddie Strada, Stief and Haggenbottom. No consolation event was needed.
Next up is the 45th Annual Freedom 76 Modified Classic being run tonight (Saturday, September 12) at 7 p.m. The 76 lap race, paying $25,000 to win, will feature many of the top talents in dirt track Modified racing. A full series of qualifying events, the Pioneer Pole Buildings Cash Dash and the Schaeffer Motorsports Minuteman 20, will lead up to the main event.
Spectator gates open at 3 p.m. for advance ticket holders with ticket windows opening at 3:30 p.m. Racing starts at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $40, youngsters 6-11 pay $10 and kids under 6 are admitted free. Those wishing to head into the pits will pay $45.
Grandview Speedway, a one-third-mile, banked clay track, is located on Passmore Road just off Route 100 in Bechtelsville, PA, 10 miles north of Pottstown. A full assortment of great concessions and novelty items are available. Free parking on the grounds. Fans are invited to the competition area after the events are completed to meet the racers. For information telephone 610.754.7688 or check in at www.grandviewspeedway.com, Twitter@GrandviewSpeedway and www.facebook.com/grandviewspeedway along with Rainedout.com(for rainout information).
FEATURE RACE RESULTS
TSRS 305 Sprint Cars (25-laps) – 1) Dave Brown 2) Tim Tanner 3) Tom Carberry 4) Jeff Geiges 5) Jon Haegele 6) Rick Stief 7) Eddie Strada 8) Joe Kay 9) Samantha Leiberman 10) Dave Graber 11) Joe Kata 12) Karl Freyer 13) Stephanie Dodson 14) Eddie Wagner 15) Scott Frack 16) Keith Anderson 17) Zack Burd 18) Tony Smolenyak 19) David Bonner 20) Tim Smolenyak 21) Mike Haggenbottom 22) Ryan Stillwagon 23) Mike Esposito
ROC Sportsman (38-laps) – 1) Craig Whitmoyer 2) Paul Kline 3) Brett Kressley 4) Brad Arnold 5) Kyle Lilick 6) Jim Housworth 7) Jordan Henn 8) Brian Hirthler 9) Mike Lisowski 10) Ken Hammond 11) Ryan Higgs 12) Joe Funk 13) Cory Pike 14) Randy Green 15) Brad Szulewski 16) Ryan Beltz 17) Charlie Hendrickson 18) Brad Roberts 19) Brandon Whitmoyer 20) Ryan Olsommer 21) Kevin Jordan 22) Lex Shive 23) Jim Britt 24) Steve Davis 25) Ryan Lilick 26) Brad Brightbill 27) Jason Neidlinger
Sources: Randy Kane and Ernie Saxton/Grandview Speedway PR