Craig Vondohren Earns 100th Modified Victory at Grandview; Brian Shuey Tops in Late Models and Paul Kline Wins Sportsman Main Event on Saturday Night
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. August 21, 2016 . . . It all began in 1981 when Craig VonDohren won his first modified feature at Grandview Speedway. As time went on the defending point champion continued to rack up the wins driving for either the family or other car owners. Saturday night, 35 years later, the Oley leadfoot and current point leader, scored his 100th win in the division the post back-to-back victorious and his fifth of the season in the 35-Lap T.P. Trailers NASCAR 358 Modified All-American Racing Series feature event. In addition to the top prize he also pocketed $250 from T.P. Trailers plus $150 in product contingency awards from VP Fuels for running gas.
Brian Shuey also scored his fifth win of the season by a 0.607 margin over runner-up Dan Green in the 25-Lap BRC NASCAR Late Model feature to be the seventh different winner. He also earned an additional $100 from T.P. Trailers and the ½-way Dan’s Deli hoagie award.
The caution riddled 25-lap NASCAR Sportsman feature winner for the third time was Paul Kline as time ran short for runner-up Craig Whitmoyer to catch him. Whitmoyer’s second place finish put him on top of the point standings ahead of Jordan Henn and Mike Lisowski. T.P. Trailers also awarded Kline $100.
NASCAR stock car racing action returns to Grandview Speedway on Saturday, August 27th, featuring the T.P.Trailers 358 Modifieds, BRC Late Models and Sportsman along with Blast from the Past Vintage racers. The night of racing is sponsored by A.D.Moyer Lumber and gets started at 7:30 p.m. Just two nights of point racing remain in the 2016 season.
Polesitter Blaine Bracelin Jr. set the pace for ten laps of the Modified feature before Steve Swinehart spun in the fourth turn for the first yellow. On the restart Don Norris Jr. charged to the head of the pack with Mike Kellner, Bracelin Jr., John Willman and Bobby Gunther Walsh in tow.
Bracelin’s fine third place run went up in smoke bringing out the 14th lap caution. This time when the raced went green again Kellner stormed into first leaving Norris Jr., Brett Kressley, Ryan Grim and Jeff Strunk dice for the remaining top five positions.
By the 21st lap, Kellner, Norris Jr. and Kressley were in a three-way battle for the lead while VonDohren and Strunk waited in the wings for the right opportunity to advance.
Frank Cozze and Eric Biehn tangled in the fourth turn using the 23rd lap caution period. Kellner motored away quickly, but VonDohren made some bold moves as he found the right lanes and went from fourth to the lead as they crossed the line to complete the next lap.
With five laps to go the order behind VonDohren consisted of Strunk, Mike Gular, Kressley and Norris Jr.
After the white flag unfurled coming down the homeshute, Norris Jr. and Duane Howard, driving Norm Hansell’s second No. 357H, made contact. Howard hit the wall with heavy impact, bounced off the wall and into traffic in turn one. The cars were coming full speed and Tim Buckwalter had nowhere to go and hit the motionless car of Howard. Danny Erb hit the pair full force as he too had no room to maneuver and took a violent flip. Nate Christman was also involved. Buckwalter and Erb were shaken up and taken for observation. Norris Jr. was penalized to the back of the field for initializing the incident, but he decided to go pit side instead. VonDohren stayed in front to become the seventh different winner on the final lap, but coming in for the checkered flag Gular shot past Strunk for second with Strunk dropping to third followed by Kressley and Kenny Gilmore.
VonDohren, Strunk and Willman were the heat winners. The consi went to Cozze.
In BRC Late Model action Shuey led from the drop of the green until the wave of the checkered to win his 20th career victory and fifth of the season.
Throughout the course of the event Joe Fanelli, Bryon Sipe, Dan Green and Bill Henning swapped positions.
Sean Merkel and Randy Stoudt spun in the fourth turn for the ninth lap caution. It was still Shuey at the head of the pack.
The next caution was when Cory Merkel, running seventh, stopped in the first turn. Shuey held his position on the restart, but by this time was being chased down by Green, Wayne Pfeil, Chuck Schutz and last week’s feature winner Ron Kline.
The lead never changed and it was Shuey in the winner’s circle once again. Chasing him across were Green, Pfeil, Schutz and Kline.
Kline and Fanelli won the heats.
Derrick Smith showed the way for six laps in the Sportsman feature before Ryan Higgs took over first on the seventh lap restart needed when Henn spun along the backstretch.
The lead changed once again on the eighth lap when Kline moved into the top spot.
Dicing for second through fifth were Higgs, Craig Whitmoyer, Brad Arnold and Steve Young.
Whitmoyer overtook second on the 14th lap and set sail after Kline, but at the same time he had to deal with Arnold. As these two diced for the position, it gave Kline some breathing room.
Kline never relinquished first and pulled into victory lane for his sixth career win followed by Whitmoyer, Arnold, Jordan Umbenhauer and Higgs.
Heat winners were Dylan Swinehart, last week’s feature winner, Ryan Beltz and Young. Brian Papiez was the consi winner.
RACE RESULTS
T.P. Trailers NASCAR Modified Feature (30 Laps): 1. Craig Von Dohren, 2. Mike Gular, 3. Jeff Strunk, 4. Brett Kressley, 5. Kenny Gilmore, 6. Ray Swinehart, 7. Mike Kellner, 8. Kevin Hirthler, 9. Ryan Grim, 10. Doug Manmiller, 11. Kyle Borror, 12. John Willman, 13. Brian Houseknecht, 14. Jared Umbenhauer, 15. Ryan Kunkle, 16. Chris Esposito, 17. Chris Gambler, 18. Brian Krummel, 19. Justin Grim, 20. Duane Howard, 21. Nate Christman, 22. Danny Erb, 23. Tim Buckwalter (provisional), 24. Bobby Gunther-Walsh, 25. Eric Biehn, 26. Don Norris Jr., 27. Frank Cozze, 28. Blaine Bracelin Jr., 29. Steve Swinehart. DNQ: Kory Fleming, George Hildebrandt, Colt Harris, Carroll Hine III, Ron Seltmann Jr.
BRC NASCAR Late Model Feature (25 Laps): 1. Brian Shuey, 2. Dan Green, 3. Wayne Pfeil, 4. Chuck Schutz, 5. Ron Kline, 6. Randy Stoudt, 7. Bill Henning, 8. Sean Merkel, 9. Joe Fanelli, 10. Eric Hoch, 11. Cory Merkel, 12 Bryon Sipe, 13. Shawn Horning. DNS: Steve Todorow.
NASCAR Sportsman Feature (25 Laps): 1. Paul Kline, 2. Craig Whitmoyer, 3. Brad Arnold, 4. Jordan Umbenhauer, 5. Ryan Higgs, 6. Steve Young, 7. Ryan Lilick, 8. Dylan Swinehart, 9. Joe Funk III, 10. Mike Koffel, 11. Ryan Beltz, 12. Kyle Lilick, 13. Jesse Landis, 14. Ken Eckert Jr., 15. Brian Hirthler, 16. Jordan Henn, 17. Kenny Bock, 18. Chris Jenkins, 19. Derrick Smith, 20. Dean Bachman, 21. Mike Lisowski, 22. Mark Kemmerer, 23. Brett Gilmore, 24. Jim Housworth, 25. Brian Papiez, 26. Andrew Kreis. DNQ: Rich Jones, Nathan Mohr, Zak Wydra and Pat Conrad.
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).
COMING EVENTS:
Saturday, August 27, 7:30 p.m. A.D.Moyer Lumber Night featuring T.P.Trailers NASCAR Modifieds, BRC Late Models, Sportsman and Blast From the Past Vintage Racers
Sunday, August 28, 1 p.m. Outlaw Enduro Racing along with the Blast From the Past Vintage Racers
Saturday, September 3, 7:30 p.m. WNPV-1440AM Radio Night, final point races of the season, NASCAR T.P.Trailers 358 Modifieds, BRC Late Models and Sportsman.
Friday, September 9, 7 p.m. Sportsman stock cars (38 lap feature), TSRS 305 Sprints and Modified practice session
Saturday, September 10, 7 p.m. 46TH Annual Freedom 76, $25,000 to win for the Modifieds plus Cash Dash. Rain date is Saturday, September 17th
Sources: ERNIE SAXTON COMMUNICATIONS, INC.