By Rich Vleck
LOCK HAVEN, Penn. (July 30, 2010) – Before the feature, Alan Cole stated that a win tonight would mean just as much as his first three at Clinton County in 2010 combined, something that became a reality when the dust settled on a wild night of racing.
Cole, of Bloomsburg, PA, took home the $2,500 top prize in the 1st Annual ASCS Patriot/ Sprint Express Shootout at Clinton County. The current track point leader started in fifth but by lap four proved that he would be a factor.
Patriots Blake Breen and Don Adamczyk shared the front row for the A-Main, with Adamczyk quickly placing his No. 21 in the lead. A problem would quickly arise for “The Williamsville Warrior” though as he washed up the track in turns three and four on the opening lap, allowing the elder Breen Brother to get back into the lead.
Adamczyk’s problems intensified when he spun around on the third lap and would be done for the rest of the night. On the restart, Judi Bates, Dylan Proctor and Shayne Ely made hard contact with one another in the middle of the pack, drawing the red flag. Under the race stoppage, it was discovered that Blake Breen’s brakes were malfunctioning and when the yellow came back out, he went pit side and would not return.
Tracy Potter would inherit the lead and looked to pull off a surprising win, but his time in front would be short lived as Daryl Stimeling got in front and the next restart and became the fourth different leader of the race in search of his first win of 2010.
On the lap four restart, Alan Cole also made a move getting to second place and setting himself up for a challenge on Stimeling for the lead. On a lap 10 restart, Cole got enough momentum coming off turn two to inherit the lead and set sail in his Petock Powder Coating No. 4a.
With just two laps remaining in the feature, a caution would come out and give the pack one more opportunity to go after Cole. The veteran Central PA sprint car shoe has been well known for his rim-riding line around the 1/3-mile, but on the restart he had other plans.
“Everybody was pretty much hugging the bottom, so I figured if I was there it was going to be tough for anyone to get by me,” admitted Cole after the event, who had putting a straightaway on Stimeling despite hitting lapped cars just before the caution. “I didn’t know where Daryl was, but I got caught racing with the lapped cars, and it was a lot tougher to see back there.”
As Cole’s bottom line choice would prove to be the final hurdle he would need to clear to score the win, Stimeling would hang on for second in his No. 30.
A mad scramble was on for third in the final two circuits, with versatile driver Ryan Smith holding off a number of speedway regulars for third and would be the first Patriot across the line. Smith’s final car to battle with was John Smith, of no relation, who had charged from 21st to fourth and was looking to make the podium when he made contact with No. 1k and spun around to finish in 15th.
As John Smith fell through the pack after Cole had already taken the Checkered Flag, Tracy Potter completed an impressive run to finish in fourth. Bobby Breen was able to run all 25 laps on the very top without going too far over the banking and would round out the top-five.
Youngster Colby Womer was sixth with Bobby Howard charging to seventh. Tim Kelly also came from the B-Main and was eighth, with Neil Petock finishing ninth after deciding to start scratch with potential motor issues. Dan Shetler completed the top-10.
Patriot point leader Jared Zimbardi had a chunk of his lead taken away when he failed to qualify in for the feature. Zimbardi spun out in his heat and had could not rebound in time to transfer in his B-Main. Bryan Howland and Bubba Broderick both gained ground, but it would be minimal with both finishing outside of the top-10.
Track records were broken in sprint car count, with 45, as well as in crowd and 50-50 total.
ASCS Patriots Results: 7/30/10, Clinton County Raceway, Lock Haven, PA.
MEM A-Main (25 Laps)- 1. Alan Cole (4a), 2. Daryl Stimeling (30), 3. Ryan Smith (1k), 4. Tracy Potter (11), 5. Bobby Breen (9), 6. Colby Womer (19), 7. Bobby Howard (49H), 8. Tim Kelly (12), 9. Neil Petock (4), 10. Dan Shetler (7k), 11. Phil Walter (63), 12. Bryan Howland (51), 13. Jamie Bodo (808), 14. Chuck Brion (5B), 15. John Smith (42), 16. Davey Sammons (79), 17. Bubba Broderick (5), 18. Scott Lutz (33), 19. T.J. Winegardner (46), 20. Blake Breen (8), 21. Shayne Ely (90e), 22. Judi Bates (121), 23. Dylan Proctor (92), 24. Don Adamczyk (21).
Lap Leaders- Bl. Breen 1-3, Potter 4, Stimeling 5-9, Cole 10-25.
B-Mains (Top 3 Transfer to A-Main)-
Race 1: 1. Bryan Howland (51), 2. John Smith (42), 3. Tim Kelly (12), 4. George Suprick (87), 5. Jared Zimbardi (35), 6. Matt Johnson (70), 7. Rich Brungard (264), 8. Zeke Brungard (462), 9. Justin Jordan (83), 10. Austin Ely (90x), 11. Vern Wasson (5v), 12. Mike Walter (49), 13. Billy Schoffstall (07), 14. Kody Kreamer (6).
Race 2: 1. Bobby Howard (49H), 2. Chuck Brion (5B), 3. Phil Walter (63), 4. Kyle Moffit (7), 5. Kyle Drum (22R), 6. Roger Fickett (66), 7. Jim Kennedy (7J), 8. Mark Ide (2), 9. Ryan Linn (26), 10. Clint Ide (3), 11. Ryan Kissinger (66x), 12. Wade Stauffer (27s), 13. Gary Troutman (44).
Four Laps of Fame Dash (4 Laps)- 1. Dylan Proctor (92), 2. Colby Womer (19), 3. Judi Bates (121), 4. Shayne Ely (90e), 5. T.J. Winegardner (46), 6. Neil Petock (4).
National Parts Peddler Heats (8 Laps Each)-
Race 1: 1. Davey Sammons (79), 2. Dylan Proctor (92), 3. Judi Bates (121), 4. Bobby Howard (49H), 5. George Suprick (87), 6. Kyle Moffit (7), 7. Roger Fickett (7), 8. Rich Brungard (264), 9. Matt Johnson (70).
Race 2: 1. Daryl Stimeling (30), 2. Ryan Smith (1k), 3. Scott Lutz (33), 4. T.J. Winegardner (46), 5. Bryan Howland (51), 6. Zeke Brungard (462), 7. Austin Ely (90x), 8. Mark Ide (2), 9. Kody Kreamer (6).
Race 3: 1. Blake Breen (8), 2. Tracy Potter (11), 3. Bubba Broderick (5), 4. Tim Kelly (12), 5. Jamie Bodo (808), 6. John Smith (42), 7. Ryan Lynn (26), 8. Jim Kennedy (7J), 9. Gary Troutman (44).
Race 4: 1. Bobby Breen (9), 2. Alan Cole (4a), 3. Mike Walter (49), 4. Chuck Brion (5B), 5. Dan Shetler (7k), 6. Phil Walter (63), 7. Jared Zimbardi (35), 8. Ryan Kissinger (66x), 9. Vern Wasson (5v).
Race 5: 1. Don Adamczyk (21), 2. Colby Womer (19), 3. Neil Petock (4), 4. Shayne Ely (90e), 5. Wade Stauffer (27s), 6. Billy Schoffstall (07), 7. Kyle Drum (22R), 8. Justin Jordan (83), 9. Clint Ide (3).
Mike Emhof Motorsports King of OH/PA Series Standings (Top-10)- 1. Bryan Howland 415, Tie-2. Jared Zimbardi and Bubba Broderick 394, 4. Tim Kelly 387, 5. Kyle Moffit 368, 6. Don Adamczyk 354, 7. Vern Wasson 329, 8. Gary Troutman 320, 9. Judi Bates 257, 10. Bobby Breen 244.
ASCS Patriot Points (Top Ten): 1. Jared Zimbardi 1,605, 2. Bryan Howland 1,596 3. Bubba Broderick 1,525, 4. Tim Kelly 1,486, 5. Don Adamczyk 1,278, 6. Vern Wasson 1,139, 7. Bobby Breen 829, 8. (tie) Shayne Ely and Kyle Moffit 809, 10. Blake Breen 667.