Ma Nature smiled on Grandview Speedway Saturday night and allowed a Mom’s Night NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series tripleheader to be completed with Duane Howard battling with Jesse Leiby in the T.P. Trailers 358 NASCAR 30-lap Modified feature beginning on the 15th lap. The veteran campaigner tried to dive underneath the rookie and later attempted the outside trek, but each attempt failed. Finally on the 22nd lap, the six-time point champion got past Leiby and went on to take the win.
A new name was added to the list of T.P. Truck Equipment 25-lap Sportsman feature winners. Jesse Landis ducked underneath veteran Chris Esposito with two laps to go and claimed his first career victory at the oval.
In the 25-lap 602 Sportsman Crate feature, Dylan Hoch took over the lead on the fourth lap and won by a comfortable margin over runner-up Kurt Bettler for his first win in that division. He has one victory to his credit in the regular T.P. Trailers sportsman class.
More than 100 race teams took part in the night of excitement.
Modified action saw Leiby move out quickly at the drop of the green followed by Bobby Gunther Walsh, Mike Lisowski, Darrin Schuler and Craig Whitmoyer.
Lisowski overtook second on the sixth lap and set his sights on Leiby, who was distancing himself from his fellow competitors. Gunther Walsh, Kyle Weiss and Whitmoyer completed the top five by this time.
The order behind Leiby at the completion of 10 laps was comprised of Lisowski, Weiss, Howard and Gunther Walsh.
Howard was on the move and advanced to second by the 15th lap. He quickly reeled Leiby in and was trying every lane to pass him, but each attempt was thwarted. Waiting in the wings anticipating a slip up in hopes of gaining a position were Lisowski, Craig Von Dohren and Mike Gular.
The lead changed for the second time when Howard put the Butch Getz No. 15G ahead of the pack, but Leiby stayed with him trying to regain first.
On the 25th lap Brad Brightbill spun between turns one and two just as the front runners approached bringing out the caution. They narrowly avoided being involved and scrambled in several directions, but Leiby, who was having his best run, and Richie Hitzler weren’t as fortunate and were out of competition. Howard maintained first on the restart, but now Von Dohren, Gular, Lisowski and Brett Kressley were running second through fifth.
Howard was able to keep everyone behind him to pull into victory lane. Finishing second for the second week in a row was Von Dohren followed by Gular, Kressley and Lisowski. Sixth through tenth were Jared Umbenhauer, Weiss, Jeff Strunk, Whitmoyer and last week’s feature winner Danny Bouc.
Qualifying heat winners were Lisowski, Leiby, Kressley and Ron Haring Jr. The consies were won by Brad Grim and Dillon Steuer.
Polesitter Nick Faust set the pace for seven laps in the Sportsman feature before Kenny Bock slowed in the second turn and while trying to pull into the infield and was rear-ended by Kyle Smith. Smith was able to continue, but Bock was through for the night. When action went green again, Chris Esposito wasted no time taking over first. Behind him Landis, Mark Kemmerer, Mike Stofflet and Doug Snyder jockeyed for the remaining positions.
Landis tried several times to get by Esposito on the inside, but wasn’t able to accomplish the feat.
With the two laps to go signal displayed, Landis succeeded in making the pass to become the new leader as positions behind him were constantly being switched.
Landis never surrendered the lead and went on to chalk up the win. Finishing second was Kemmerer followed by Kyle Lilick, Brian Hirthler and Esposito. Rounding out the top ten were Dakota Kohler, Hoch, Kenny Gilmore, Snyder and Smith.
Heat winners were Hoch, Tom Miller, Logan Bauman and Snyder. Parker Guldin and Smith won the consies.
In the 602 Sportsman Crate feature Hoch overtook Bettler for the lead on the fourth lap and immediately drove away from the field leaving Bettler, Joey Vaccaro, Cody Manmiller and Ryan Conrad battling for the remaining spots.
Glenn Strunk, who won the last time they were in action, joined the thick of the battle at the ½-way when he took over fifth.
The only thing that really slowed Hoch’s momentum down were the lapped cars which the others also had to encounter.
At the drop of the checkered Hoch was victorious trailed by Bettler, Vaccaro, G. Strunk and Manmiller. Ryan Grim, Tyler James, Steve Lyle, Decker Swinehart and Kohler were sixth through tenth.
Kline, Hoch, Conrad and Miller won the heats. Roger Gaskill was the consi winner.
USAC East Coast Sprints headline the action at Grandview on Saturday May 15th. Included in the sprint action will be such standouts as Alex Bright and Briggs Danner, both early season feature winners, along with Steve Drevicki, Ed Aikin, Mike Thompson and a host of others. The tripleheader show gets the green at 7:30 p.m. and will include the T.P.Trailers Modifieds and T.P.Trucks Equipment Sportsman. Adults are admitted for the special night of racing for $25 while youngsters 11 and under pay $10.
Coming on Saturday, May 22nd another tripleheader show with Modifieds, Sportsman and the 602 Mini-Series Sportsman.
RACE RESULTS
T.P. Trailers Modified Feature (30-laps): 1. Duane Howard, 2. Craig Von Dohren, 3. Mike Gular, 4. Brett Kressley, 5. Mike Lisowski, 6. Jared Umbenhauer, 7. Kyle Weiss, 8. Jeff Strunk, 9. Craig Whitmoyer, 10. Danny Bouc, 11. Doug Manmiller, 12. Brad Grim, 13. Kevin Hirthler, 14. Dillon Steuer, 15. Brad Arnold, 16. Louden Reimert (provisional), 17. Tim Buckwalter, 18. Bobby Gunther Walsh, 19. Cory Merkel, 20. Ron Haring Jr., 21. Darrin Schuler, 22. Jesse Leiby, 23. Ryan Lilick, 24. Justin Grim, 25. Ron Kline, 26. Brad Brightbill, 27. John Willman (provisional), 28. Richie Hitzler, 29. Ryan Grim, 30. Dylan Swinehart. DNQ: Brett Gilmore, Carroll Hine III, Dan Waisempacher, Glenn Owens, Eric Biehn, Jack Butler, Joe Funk, Mark Kratz and Nate Brinker.
T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman Feature (25-laps): 1. Jesse Landis, 2. Mark Kemmerer, 3. Kyle Lilick, 4. Brian Hirthler, 5. Chris Esposito, 6. Dakota Kohler, 7. Dylan Hoch, 8. Kenny Gilmore, 9. Doug Snyder, 10. Kyle Smith, 11. Nathan Mohr, 12. Mike Stofflet, 13. Parker Guldin, 14. Logan Bauman, 15. Anthony Raisner, 16. Nick Faust, 17. Tom Miller, 18. Jimmy Leiby, 19. Bryan Rhoads, 20. Mike Schneck, 21. Cody Schantz, 22. Kurt Bettler, 23. Cody Manmiller, 24. Joey Vaccaro, 25. Decker Swinehart, 26. Kenny Bock. DNQ: Colton Perry, Josh Mooney, Brian Blankenbiller, Ryan Conrad, Kody Sites, Talan Carter, Tyler James, Joe Ciambrone, B.J. Joly, Mark Gaugler, Lex Shive, Eric Kocher, Brad Force, Wayne Rotenberger, Matt Clay, Ryan Beltz and Tajae Adams.
602 Sportsman Crate Feature (25-laps): 1. Dylan Hoch, 2. Kurt Bettler, 3. Joey Vaccaro, 4. Glenn Strunk, 5. Cody Manmiller, 6. Ryan Grim, 7. Tyler James, 8. Steve Lyle, 9. Decker Swinehart, 10. Dakota Kohler, 11. Tyler Peet, 12. Logan Bauman, 13. Ryan Conrad, 14. John Josko, 15. Joel Smith, 16. Jimmy Leiby, 17. Talan Carter, 18. Anthony Raisner, 19. Eric Kocher, 20. Roger Gaskill, 21. Kody Sites, 22. B.J. Joly, 23. Joe Toth, 24. Doug Snyder. DNQ: Scott Kohler, Hunter Iatelas, Kris Ney, Bryan Blankenbiller, Joe Ciambrone, Zach Steffy and Wayne Rotenberger.
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