Ryan Watt Charges From Tenth to Lead in Nine Laps, Captures First NASCAR Modified Win of Season at Grandview Speedway
Sportsman Rookie Ronnie Solomon Victorious in Action-Packed Sportsman Main Event
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa. charged forward from his tenth place starting spot, grabbed the lead on a lap eight restart, then survived a serious late race challenge from Brett Kressley of Orefield, Pa. to score his first win of the season in the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature Saturday night at Grandview Speedway.
Watt had a nearly full straightaway lead wiped away by a caution on lap 24, setting up some late race action, allowing Kressley and Tim Buckwalter of Douglasville, Pa. to pressure Watt for several laps following the restart, before Watt pulled away in the final two laps to score his fourth career Saturday night NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series victory.
The 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature was action-packed and competitive from start to finish, with first-year Sportsman driver Ronnie Solomon of Hatfield, Pa., withstanding some serious pressure from Mike Schneck Jr. of Lebanon, Pa. to score his first career Grandview Speedway win.
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, in Saturday’s program run under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner.
Eric Kormann of Carneys Point, N.J. took the early lead in the T.P. Trailer Modified feature race, with a real close battle for second quickly developing behind him between Darrin Schuler of Stroudsburg, Pa., Ray Swinehart of Perkiomenville, Pa., Kevin Hirthler of Boyertown, Pa., Craig Whitmoyer of Hamburg, Pa., and a fast-moving Ryan Watt.
A lap eight caution for a four-car front straightaway mele reset the field, and on the restart, Watt out ran Kormann down the backstretch to take over the lead as the field scored lap number nine.
With a long stretch of green flag action to unfold, Watt slowly built himself a very comfortable advantage that would at one point reach a full straight away.
While Watt raced alone out front, a super battle developed, as Whitmoyer, Buckwalter, and Swinehart all challenged for second, soon to be joined by Kressley who would make it a four-car race for position by lap thirteen.
By lap 18 Buckwalter and Kressley advanced to second and third and waged their own duel for second, while Whitmoyer was now battling with Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa. for the next two positions.
Watt began to encounter lapped traffic by lap 20, during the long green flag stretch, but it never slowed his pace. Following a seven-lap classic battle, Kressley moved by Buckwalter into second on lap 23, only to be a long distance behind leader Watt.
As fate would have it, a caution on lap 24 for an infield equipment tire knocked onto the race track, set up a chance for Kressley to have a shot at leader Watt for the final six-lap run to the finish.
Following the green, Kressley ran the outside line for three laps, while Watt stayed glued to the bottom and Buckwalter was right behind on the bottom as well, making for a classic Grandview battle for the lead.
Watt was finally able to pull away to a short lead in the final two laps to score the win and become the sixth different Modified division winner so far this year. Kressley followed with another strong run in second followed by Buckwalter in third.
Some great late race driving netted Craig Von Dohren of Oley, Pa. a top five after starting 18th, followed by another late charger in Louden Reimert of Oley, Pa. who grabbed fifth after starting in 15th spot.
The rest of the top ten included Manmiller, Whitmoyer, Mike Lisowski of Minersville, Pa., Jared Umbenhauer of Richland, Pa (who started 29th), and Ray Swinehart.
Qualifying heats for the 33 cars on hand were won by Kormann, Buckwalter, and Ray Swinehart, with Kevin Graver Jr. of Lehighton, Pa. winning the consolation.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature was another highly competitive race from front to back, from start to finish that was over in nine and a half minutes!
BJ Joly of Oley, Pa. grabbed the early lead until Ronnie Solomon, who started third, took over the lead to score lap four after passing Joly on the back straightaway.
Mike Schneck Jr. quickly moved to second, passing Joly and Dakota Kohler of Kutztown, Pa. setting up a couple of battles that would rage for a good part of the feature.
Solomon and Schneck challenged for the lead, while Kohler and Logan Bauman of Bechtelsville, Pa. were another battle right behind them. While this action was going on a real tight tussle was being fought for fifth between Joly, Zane Roth of Slatington, Pa., Brian Hirthler of Green Lane, Pa., Kyle Smith of Fleetwood, Pa., Mark Kemmerer of Green Lane, Pa. and Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa.
Solomon continued to lead with Schneck Jr. giving chase, at times several car lengths behind and at times right on the youngster’s bumper. Meanwhile, Hirthler moved to the top lane and was whizzing around the rest of the cars in front of him to reach third, but a good distance behind the top two. Lapped traffic came into play with just two laps to go, allowing Schneck Jr. to really put on the pressure for the lead, with Hirthler quickly closing on the lead duo.
On the final lap going into turn three, Schneck Jr. threw one last challenge at Solomon, the two touched briefly, with both getting a little sideways, but were able to correct themselves and race home to the finish, with Solomon grabbing his first career win. Solomon becomes the eighth different winner in as many races this season.
Schneck Jr. finished his great night with a second, followed by a quick closing Hirthler in third, followed by Kohler and Bauman rounding out the top five.
Completing the top ten were Logan Watt, Smith, Cody Manmiller of Philadelphia, Pa., Joly, and Jesse Landis of Gilbertsville, Pa.
Qualifying heats for the 38 cars on hand were won by Kohler, Nathan Mohr of Reading, Pa., Tom Miller Sr. of Gilbertsville, Pa., and Logan Watt, with Ryan Graver of Lehighton, Pa. and Decker Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa. winning the consolations.
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 starting at 7:30 pm.
The show on Saturday, June 24 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.
The race program on June 24 will be titled 90’s Night, and feature a trip back in time, as grandstand admission for this two-division program will be rolled back to 1990’s pricing at just $10! Children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge, while pit admission is $35 for NASCAR members and $45 for non-members.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm. with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. Warm-ups starting at 6:15 pm. and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 7:30 pm.
Following the Saturday night program will be the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series on Tuesday, June 27 featuring the Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Car Speedweek Series. The 410 Sprints will be joined by the 358 Modifieds for a tremendous double-header starting at 7:30 pm.
Since the 1960s, 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): RYAN WATT, Brett Kressley, Tim Buckwalter, Craig Von Dohren, Louden Reimert, Doug Manmiller, Craig Whitmoyer, Mike Lisowski, Jared Umbenhauer, Ray Swinehart, Mike Gular, Eddie Strada, Justin Grim, Bobby Trapper Jr., Kevin Graver Jr., Jimmy Leiby, Jesse Leiby, Joe Funk, Bobby Gunther-Walsh, Chris Gambler, Eric Kormann, Nate Brinker, Kevin Hirthler, Ryan Grim, Chris Esposito, Darrin Schuler, Jeff Strunk, John Willman, Eric Biehn
DID NOT QUALIFY: Ron Haring Jr., Glenn Owens, Mark Kratz, Bobby Trapper Sr.
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): RONNIE SOLOMON, Mike Schneck Jr., Brian Hirthler, Dakota Kohler, Logan Bauman, Logan Watt, Kyle Smith, Cody Manmiller, BJ Joly, Jesse Landis, Zane Roth, Adrianna Delliponti, Jesse Hirthler, Decker Swinehart, Mark Kemmerer, Ryan Graver, Nathan Mohr, Colton Perry, Michael Burrows, Dylan Swinehart, Addison Meitzler, Parker Guldin, Nicholas Hamm, Brett Gilmore, Kenny Bock, Tom Miller Sr.
DID NOT QUALIFY: Andy Ressler, Molly Struss, Tyler James, Mark Mohr, Tom Miller Jr., Zach Steffey, Kyle Hartzell, TJ Mayberry, Mark Gaugler, Keith Haring, Nate Horn, Kaitlyn Bailey
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Saturday, June 24 – BACK TO THE 90’S NIGHT – $10 GRANDSTAND ADMISSION – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm.
Tuesday, June 27 – THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES – 33rd annual Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Car Speedweek Series – $10,000 to win 410 Sprint Hodnett Cup, 358 Modifieds* – 7:30 pm – HVAC DISTRIBUTORS PARTNERS FOR SUCCESS NIGHT
Saturday, July 1 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, KIDS MONEY SCRAMBLE – 7:30 pm
Friday, July 7 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Slingshots – 7 pm
Saturday, July 8 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, 53rd annual FIRECRACKER 40 – T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman 40 laps – 7:30 pm
Tuesday, July 25 – THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES – High Limit Sprint Car Series – $23,023 to win 410 Sprints – 7:30 pm – LEVAN MACHINE AND TRUCK EQUIPMENT PRESENTS THE RICH MAR FLORIST HIGH LIMIT SPRINT NIGHT
Sources: Jeff Ahlum/Grandview Speedway PR