Greg Hodnett used a late race restart to make a two-car pass and sweep into the lead and win worth $10,000 in Sunday night’s second round of the 2016 Port Royal Speedway Bob Weikert Memorial Sprint Car Series.
The victory was the second for Hodnett at the speedplant in 24 hours after he took round on worth $5,000 on Saturday night to start the three-day show that ends on Memorial Day evening.
In the 25-lap URC sprint main, Sunbury’s Mark Smith powered to the victory worth $3,000.
Lucas Wolfe led the first lap of the 35-lap 410-sprint car main from the pole but couldn’t hold off second starter Steve Buckwalter who took command on the second tour as David Gravel, Lance Dewease and Hodnett raced in the top five.
Hodnett never advanced until the 12th lap when he worked by Dewease for fourth. He then overtook Gravel for third three laps later.
And just as Hodnett took over third, Wolfe pulled off an inside third turn pass in traffic to take over the helm of the event from Buckwalter.
Dewease saw a burst of speed develop at the halfway point of the 35-lapper as he again got in front of Hodnett, this time for third but Hodnett returned the favor with 15 laps to go to again claim the spot.
Hodnett was doing his best to stay ahead of Dewease as the latter worked the inside with Hodnett on top.
Meanwhile, leader Wolfe was working hectic traffic that allowed the top four cars to gather within striking distance of one another as the pace became dizzying and the leaders darted inside and out to clear the backmarkers.
Dewease appeared to be surging late in the event when he suddenly came up lame, dropping off of the pace and stopping on the backstretch, setting up a restart after the lone event caution period on lap 27.
Not within reach of the lead before the yellow, the restart played into Hodnett’s hands as he ducked under Buckwalter for second as the field blasted into the first corner.
Hodnett then raced with Buckwalter through turn two before pulling ahead on the backstretch only to close up on Wolfe for the lead.
The Memphis native then darted underneath Wolfe as the pair set their cars into the third turn to drive up out of the fourth corner with a command he wouldn’t relinquish after making a two-car pass during the lap to seal the deal.
Hodnett’s margin of victory was 1.420 seconds ahead of a surging Danny Dietrich who had started 12th.
Dietrich was up to fifth on the restart and drove by Gravel, Buckwalter and Wolfe during the closing circuits to finish a promising second.
Third went to Wolfe with Gravel taking fourth and 20th starter Brent Marks blasting home in fifth.
Marks earned the Hard Charger Award and a guaranteed starting spot in Monday’s finale.
Sixth through 10th went to Dale Blaney, Ryan Smith, Buckwalter, Doug Esh and Stevie Smith.
Heats for the 34-car field went to Hodnett, Gravel, Dewease and Dylan Cisney with Ryan Smith taking the consolation race.
Greg Hodnett leads the Weikert Memorial series points going into the final race on Monday with 350 points over Gravel, Wolfe, Dietrich and Esh.
Smith set fast time in qualifications with a lap of 16.639 seconds.
Josh Weller drove from fourth into the lead on the first lap of the URC sprint feature with ninth starter Mark Smith already up to second on the third lap.
Smith wasted little time getting the lead, overtaking Weller on the fifth tour for the point.
Doing double duty on the night as was several drivers, Greg Hodnett was up to third as the field worked through traffic when he blew a left rear tire on the 11th loop, slowing the pace.
Smith had Eric Tomecek in pursuit for the restart but the rest of the field was no match for Smith’s racer as he took the victory going away, winning by 4.740 seconds over Tomecek.
Matt Campbell was third followed by Adam Carberry and 17th starter Steve Buckwalter.
Sixth through 10th went to Davie Franek, Curt Michael, TJ Stutts, Robbie Stillwaggon and Lucas Wolfe.
Heats for the 39 URC sprints went to Stillwaggon, Hodnett, Tomecek and Franek with Aaron Ott scoring the consolation.
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Port Royal Speedway
Port Royal, PA
Sunday May 29, 2016
Qualifying Flight #1
1. 94 – Ryan Smith, 16.639
2. 5G – David Gravel, 16.791
3. 17B – Steve Buckwalter, 16.818
4. 23 – TJ Stutts, 16.821
5. 27 – Greg Hodnett, 16.867
6. 55 – Mike Wagner, 17.011
7. 1B – Dale Blaney, 17.039
8. 8 – Billy Deitrich, 17.068
9. 44D – Trey Starks, 17.106
10. M1 – Mark Smith, 17.136
11. 20 – Ryan Taylor, 17.152
12. 3C – Pat Cannon, 17.180
13. 47K – Kody Lehman, 17.451
14. 19 – Cale Grubb, 17.581
15. 10 – Carl Bowser, 17.716
16. 7W – Logan Wagner, 17.859
17. 33W – Mike Walter II, NT
Qualifying Flight #2:
1. 69K – Lance Dewease, 16.710
2. 1 – Lucas Wolfe, 16.818
3. 29 – Danny Dietrich, 16.943
4. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss, 16.973
5. 51S – Stevie Smith, 17.008
6. 5 – Dylan Cisney, 17.064
7. 98 – Mike Erdley, 17.108
8. 25 – Aaron Ott, 17.162
9. 12 – Blane Heimbach, 17.237
10. 7 – Doug Esh, 17.244
11. 36D – Wayne Dadetto, 17.262
12. 70 – Danny Holtgraver, 17.281
13. 13 – Tim Shaffer, 17.391
14. 2 – AJ Flick, 17.521
15. 19M – Brent Marks, 17.682
16. 33 – Curt Stroup, 17.722
17. 44 – Joey Hershey, 17.898
18. 25B – Tyler Bear, NT
Heat Race #1:
1. 27 – Greg Hodnett
2. 1B – Dale Blaney
3. 17B – Steve Buckwalter
4. 20 – Ryan Taylor
5. 44D – Trey Starks
6. 94 – Ryan Smith
7. 47K – Kody Lehman
8. 10 – Carl Bowser
9. 33W – Mike Walter II
Heat Race #2:
1. 5G – David Gravel
2. 55 – Mike Wagner
3. 8 – Billy Deitrich
4. M1 – Mark Smith
5. 23 – TJ Stutts
6. 7W – Logan Wagner
7. 19 – Cale Grubb
8. 3C – Pat Cannon
Heat Race #3:
1. 69K – Lance Dewease
2. 98 – Mike Erdley
3. 29 – Danny Dietrich
4. 51S – Stevie Smith
5. 19M – Brent Marks
6. 12 – Blane Heimbach
7. 36D – Wayne Dadetto
8. 13 – Tim Shaffer
9. 44 – Joey Hershey
Heat Race #4:
1. 5 – Dylan Cisney
2. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss
3. 1 – Lucas Wolfe
4. 25 – Aaron Ott
5. 7 – Doug Esh
6. 2 – AJ Flick
7. 25B – Tyler Bear
8. 33 – Curt Stroup
9. 70 – Danny Holtgraver
B-Main:
1. 94 – Ryan Smith
2. 12 – Blane Heimbach
3. 3C – Pat Cannon
4. 7W – Logan Wagner
5. 13 – Tim Shaffer
6. 47K – Kody Lehman
7. 36D – Wayne Dadetto
8. 44 – Joey Hershey
9. 19 – Cale Grubb
10. 33 – Curt Stroup
11. 2 – AJ Flick
12. 70 – Danny Holtgraver
13. 10 – Carl Bowser
14. 25B – Tyler Bear
15. 33W – Mike Walter II
A-Main:
1. 27 – Greg Hodnett
2. 29 – Danny Dietrich
3. 1 – Lucas Wolfe
4. 5G – David Gravel
5. 19M – Brent Marks
6. 1B – Dale Blaney
7. 94 – Ryan Smith
8. 17B – Steve Buckwalter
9. 7 – Doug Esh
10. 51S – Stevie Smith
11. 55 – Mike Wagner
12. 25 – Aaron Ott
13. 44D – Trey Starks
14. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss
15. 5 – Dylan Cisney
16. 23 – TJ Stutts
17. 98 – Mike Erdley
18. 20 – Ryan Taylor
19. 3C – Pat Cannon
20. 12 – Blane Heimbach
21. M1 – Mark Smith
22. 8 – Billy Deitrich
23. 69K – Lance Dewease
24. 7W – Logan Wagner
URC Sprints, 25 laps: 1. Mark Smith, 2. Eric Tomecek, 3. Matt Campbell, 4. Adam Carberry, 5. Steve Buckwalter, 6. Davie Franek, 7. Curt Michael, 8. TJ Stutts, 9. Robbie Stillwaggon, 10. Lucas Wolfe, 11. Jason Shultz, 12. Doug Hammaker, 13. Ryan Kissinger, 14. Jim Shuster, 15. Ed Aiken, 16. Troy Betts, 17. Derek Locke, 18. Justin Barger, 19. Jared Esh, 20. Mark Sasso, 21. Randy West, 22. phil Walter, 23. Josh Weller, 24. Greg Hodnett