Rahmer Gets Williams Grove 89th Win in 31st Gunn Memorial

Fred Rahmer. - Rick Rarer / sprintcarnews.com Photo
Fred Rahmer. - Rick Rarer / sprintcarnews.com Photo
Fred Rahmer. – Rick Rarer / sprintcarnews.com Photo

From Williams Grove Speedway

Mechanicsburg, PA – (August 30, 2013) –Fred Rahmer of Salfordville won for the 89th time in his sprint car career at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night, pocketing $6,000 for the victory in the 31st annual Jack Gunn Memorial.

Elsewhere, Greg Diehl won for the fifth time this season at the track in the street stock feature event.

Rahmer started on the pole of the 30-lap Gunn Memorial and got beaten to the stripe when the green flag unfurled by second starter Don Kreitz Jr.

Kreitz was leading over Rahmer when the races first caution flag came out with just two laps down for a stopped Jacob Allen.

On the restart Rahmer followed Kreitz through the first and second turns before making a diving jab for control deep in the third and fourth turns to lead lap three.

The next 23 laps went non-stop with the field stringing out behind Rahmer who opened up more than a straightaway lead before the time that seventh starter Alan Krimes got by Kreitz for second with 10 laps to go.

Krimes then slowly began to drive down Rahmer’s advantage but still had the majority of a straightaway to track down when the final caution of the race occurred with four laps to go when Ryan Wilson stopped high in the third corner.

Krimes followed Rahmer around when action resumed and then put his own swoop on to the bottom of the track in the third and fourth turns trying to net the lead only to come up on Rahmer’s bumper as the pair crossed the stripe.

Rahmer again allowed Krimes to get to his inside in turns one and two before taking his line away in the third corner to preserve his lead by starting to run the bottom groove.

And that sealed the deal for Rahmer for his second official win in the Gunn Memorial after taking his first in 2011.

“It was ugly,” Rahmer said of his move for the lead on Kreitz on the third circuit before moving on to his thoughts on Krimes’ run to the front.

“He’s a catfish like I am,” Rahmer said of Krimes.

“He was starting seventh and I figured if he was comin’ up through he was doin’ it on the bottom.”

“I figured I better go on the defense.”

Krimes rode home second followed by Kreitz, Lance Dewease and Logan Schuchart.

Sixth through 10th went to Adam Wilt, Cory Haas, Stevie Smith, Greg Hodnett and Brian Montieth.

Heats for the 29-car field went to Schuchart, Brian Leppo and Ryan Smith. Ryan Wilson won the B Main.

Rahmer set quick time with a lap of 17.014 seconds.

Diehl started third in the 15-lap street stock feature and took the lead on the first lap to wire the field for the victory.

Mike Walls drove into second on the seventh tour, where he would finish.

Mike Ziegler Jr. rode home third followed by Craig Morgan and Bob Gutshall.

Heats went to Steve Dove and Ziegler Jr.

August 30, 2013 Feature Finishes:

410 sprint cars, 30 laps: 1. Fred Rahmer, 2. Alan Krimes, 3. Don Kreitz Jr., 4. Lance Dewease, 5. Logan Schuchart, 6. Adam Wilt, 7. Cory Haas, 8. Stevie Smith, 9. Greg Hodnett, 10. Brian Montieth, 11. Brent Marks, 12. Jim Siegel, 13. Brian Leppo. 14. Gerard McIntyre Jr., 15. Ryan Bohlke, 16. Ryan Wilson, 17. Danny Dietrich, 18. Nicole Bower, 19. Steve Buckwalter, 20. Chad Layton, 21. Glenndon Forsythe, 22. Davey Sammons, 23. Ryan Smith, 24. Jacob Allen

DNQ: Pat Cannon, TJ Stutts, Bob Bennett, Troy Fraker, Jay Reichard

Street stocks, 15 laps: : 1.Greg Diehl, 2. Mike Walls, 3. Mike Ziegler Jr., 4. Craig Morgan, 5. Bob Gutshall, 6. Mike Buckley, 7. Steve Dove, 8. Paul Morgan, 9. Kevin Siegler, 10. Walt Lemmon, 11. Jeff Haage, 12. Steve Hastings, 13. Eric Tripp, 14. JC Butts, 15. Ed Halter

DNS: Chad Smith, Dustin Hollinger, Jim Gross