Doug Manmiller, Logan Watt, and Steven Drevicki Score Wins on Huge Night of Racing at Grandview Speedway
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa. was able to grab the lead with just five laps remaining in Saturday night’s 30-lap T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modified feature event and raced home to his first victory of the season at Grandview Speedway.
Manmiller, working through some heavy lapped traffic, was able to track down race leader Ron Haring Jr. of Alburtis on lap 23, then make the winning pass off of turn four on lap 25 to score the hard-earned win, his 31st career Saturday night NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series victory at the track.
Young Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa. started 16th in Saturday night’s 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman main event and was able to make some exciting and daring moves to slice his way through the field on the way to his first ever Grandview Speedway feature win.
The race program was run under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner. Both winners received bonus money (Modified $300, Sportsman $200) from T.P. Trailers and Truck Equipment of Limerick, Pa., sponsors of the two divisions at Grandview Speedway.
Former three-time series Champion Steven Drevicki of Reading, Pa. was able to maneuver through heavy lapped traffic for the first three-quarters of the 25-lap Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint Car feature race, then survived some late race restarts on his way to his first club win of the season.
The T.P. Trailer Modified feature got off to a rocky start, as there were five caution flag periods in the first four laps for various incidents including three single cars stoppages, and a huge track blocking tangle in turn one involving seven cars on lap three which saw everyone drive away.
After these episodes, the drivers settled down and got back to some serious racing, as the remainder of the feature went green to checkered. Ryan Beltz of Barto, Pa. was the early leader until Haring Jr. took over following a lap two restart.
Following the lap four restart, Haring took off as the leader followed by Nate Brinker of Macungie, Pa. who had advanced from his seventh starting spot to second. These two drivers were followed by Beltz in third and a four-car duel for fourth between Joe Funk of Coopersburg, Pa., Mike LIsowski of Minersville, Pa., Manmiller, and Jeff Strunk of Boyertown, Pa.
As this pack of drivers were battling each other and trading positions, they were slowly advancing forward. At half-way the top five were Haring, Brinker, Beltz, Lisowski and Manmiller. They continued trading places with Lisowski moving to third on lap 16, and by lap 20, Manmiller worked the top groove to move to second place.
It was on lap 19 that leader Haring Jr. who had built a huge lead, reached heavy lapped traffic, and began to work through it. Manmiller was over a half-straightaway behind by the time he reached second place and began to work through traffic and slowly track down the leader. Meanwhile the action was still hot and heavy for position behind him between Brinker, Lisowski, Strunk, Beltz, and Jared Umbenhauer of Richland, Pa.
By lap 23 Manmiller was able to catch Haring Jr. and the two battled hard, with Manmiller down low and Haring Jr. continuing to run the top lane. Exiting turn four to score lap 25, Manmiller pulled past Haring Jr. to grab the lead he would not give up over the remaining laps, driving on to his first win of the season.
Following Manmiller at the checkered was Strunk who took second spot with two laps to go, Haring Jr., Lisowski, Umbenhauer, Brinker, Beltz, Tim Buckwalter of Douglassville, Pa., Craig Von Dohren of Oley, Pa., and Jimmy Leiby of West Milford, NJ.
Qualifying heat races for the 34 cars on hand were won by Darrin Schuler of Stroudsburg, Pa., Haring Jr., and Ryan Grim of Laury’s Station, Pa., with the consolation win going to Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature began with Tom Miller Jr. setting the pace for the first nine laps, with Tom Miller Sr. of Gilbertsville, Pa., Decker Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa., and Jesse Landis of Gilbertsville, Pa. all battling for second position.
Landis was working the outside groove and was able to move to the second spot by lap nine. Watt who started 16th was quickly advancing through the field, making some moves high and low, and at one point split two cars in turn four, to find himself in fifth by lap nine. It was at this time that disaster almost struck for the teenager, as he was battling Miller Sr. for position, the two tangled, with Watt hopping over Miller’s front end, sending Miller spinning and collecting Logan Bauman of Boyertown, Pa. and Brian Hirthler of Green Lane, Pa.
Following the restart, Watt continued moving forward, passing Nathan Mohr of Reading, Pa., and Decker Swinehart to move into second position and set his sights on Landis, who had taken over the top spot from Miller Jr. Watt was able to sweep to the top groove and take the lead on lap 13, never to be stopped the rest of the race.
Two separate duels were fought in the closing laps for position between Landis and Swinehart for second, along with Mohr and Addison Meitzler of Kempton, Pa. for fifth with Mike Schneck Jr. of Lebanon, Pa. in between the two battles.
At the checkered it was Watt scoring his first ever Grandview Speedway win followed by Landis, Swinehart, Schneck Jr., Meitzler, Mohr, Zane Roth of Slatington, Pa., Nathan Horn of Slatedale, Pa., Cody Manmiller of Philadelphia, Pa., and Jesse Hirthler of Boyertown, Pa.
Qualifying heat races for the 39 cars on hand were won by Decker Swinehart, Horn, Landis, and Bauman, with the consolation wins going to Brett Gilmore of Kutztown, Pa., and Kyle Smith of Fleetwood, Pa.
The Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint cars made their only visit of the season, and Steven Drevicki of Reading, Pa. ended a personal victory drought, picking up the 25-lap feature win, his first with the club since June of 2021.
Drevicki took the lead at the start of the race leaving behind a great battle for second between Briggs Danner of Allentown, Pa., Alex Bright of Collegeville, Pa., and Ed Aiken of Lincoln University, Pa. The race ran green for the first 17 laps, putting Drevicki in some serious lapped traffic, which he began to pick his way through, while the next three swapped spots several times while also trying to pass the lapped cars as well.
Tommy Kunsman of Bethlehem, Pa. Bruce Buckwalter Jr. of Mechanicsburg, Pa., Chris Allen Jr. of Old Bridge, NJ., and Joey Amantea of Mt. Pocono, Pa. were also dueling for positions behind the other top spots.
All the great action came to a slow-down on lap 17 with two cautions, and then a red flag on lap 18 for a flip by Aiden Borden of Jackson, NJ.
This reset the field and gave everyone a shot at the top spot, but Drevicki pulled away on the restart and raced home to his 14th career win with the USAC East Coast Sprints. Following Drevicki was Danner, Aiken, Kunsman, Amantea, Allen Jr., Buckwalter Jr., Austin Graby of Lebanon, Pa., Jonathan Swanson of Yardville, NJ., and JT Ferry of Drums, Pa.
Qualifying heat races for the 28 cars on hand were won by Buckwalter Jr., Drevicki and Kunsman with Mike Thompson of Langhorne, Pa. winning the semi-feature race.
Grandview Speedway will be presenting another NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series program next week featuring the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman.
The show on Saturday, May 20 will include qualifying events for both classes leading into a 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature and a 25-lap feature for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm. with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. warm-ups starting at 6:30 pm. and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 7:30 pm.
Adult grandstand admission is $20, students 10-15 with ID are $10, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $35 for NASCAR members and $45 for non-members.
Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through October, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa.
Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688.
T.P. TRAILER NASCAR MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (30 laps): DOUG MANMILLER, Jeff Strunk, Ron Haring Jr., Mike LIsowski, Jared Umbenhauer, Nate Brinker, Ryan Beltz, Tim Buckwalter, Craig Von Dohren, Jimmy Leiby, Kevin Hirthler, Eddie Strada, Bobby Trapper Jr., Jesse Leiby, Brett Kressley, Joe Funk, Darrin Schuler, Ryan Watt, Lex Shive, John Willman, Justin Grim, Chris Esposito, Bobby Gunther-Walsh, Dylan Swinehart, Craig Whitmoyer, Ray Swinehart, Carroll Hine III, Mark Malcolm, Ryan Grim, DNS – Bob Trapper Sr.
DID NOT QUALIFY: Kyle Weiss, Eric Biehn, Kevin Graver Jr., Chris Gambler
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): LOGAN WATT, Jesse Landis, Decker Swinehart, Mike Schneck Jr., Addison Meitzler, Nathan Mohr, Zane Roth, Nathan Horn, Cody Manmiller, Jesse Hirthler, Brian Hirthler, Hunter Iatalese, Brett Gilmore, Dakota Kohler, Adrianna Delliponti, Mark Gaugler, Kaitlyn Bailey, BJ Joly, Kyle Smith, Tom Miller Jr., Michael Burrows, Tom Miller, Logan Bauman, Keith Haring, Bryan Rhoads, Colton Perry, TJ Mayberry, DNS – Parker Guldin
DID NOT QUALIFY: Kyle Hartzell, Mark Mohr, Nicholas Hamm, Tyler James, Zach Steffey, Steve Young, Andy Ressler, Ronnie Solomon, Molly Struss, Ryan Graver, Kenny Bock
RAPID TIRE USAC EAST COAST SPRINT FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): STEVEN DREVICKI, Briggs Danner, Ed Aiken, Tommy Kunsman, Joey Amantea, Chris Allen Jr., Bruce Buckwalter Jr., Austin Graby, Jonathan Swanson, JT Ferry, Billy Ney, Scott Frack, Jason Cherry, David Swanson, Michael Smith, Alex Bright, Aidan Borden, Bobby Butler, Mike Thompson, DNS – Tim Buckwalter
DID NOT QUALIFY: Jason Cherry, Lee Kauffman, Brian Nornhold, Gary Huston, Brett Rose, Preston Lattomus, Patrick Chilmonik, Rich Carnathan
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Saturday, May 20 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman plus Trivia Night – 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 27 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7:30 pm.
Sunday, May 28 – THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES – ‘Balls to the Wall 50’ – 358 Modifieds*, 602 Sportsman – 7:30 pm.
Saturday, June 3 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, Wingless Super Sportsman – 7:30 pm
Fri. June 9 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 7 pm
Sat. June 10 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm
Sources: Jeff Ahlum/Grandview Speedway PR