From Lincoln Speedway
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA , 6/26/2010 – Tower City’s Mark Smith picked up his first career Lincoln Speedway 410 sprint win in the season opener back in March. So it was only fitting that he picked up his second career win in the 2010 Pennsylvania Speedweek Opener at the Pigeon Hills Saturday night.
Smith traded slide jobs with 10-time track champ Fred Rahmer following a 10th lap caution restart to grab the lead, and then held him off the remaining 20 laps to kick off Pennsylvania Speedweek action and claim the $7,000 top prize held in the 30-lap 11th Annual Kevin Gobrecht Memorial.
Smith and Rahmer’s exchange of slide jobs at both end of the lightning-quick 3/8th-mile high banked oval on the 10th lap restart had the packed grandstand on there feet and was not forgotten by an outwardly happy Smith in victory lane.
“We got by Fred (Rahmer) on a restart and that’s doing something, said Smith upon exiting his Bricker’s French Fries/NRC Controls/Mach 1 Chassis No.7M in victory lane. “He’s the best on restarts and we beat him on one tonight and managed to hold him off the rest of the race.”
Polesitter Kyle Pruitt grabbed the lead at the outset and led the first lap. But his lead was short-lived as fourth-starting Rahmer drove by on the second lap.
Smith, who started third, followed Rahmer into second on the third lap with second-starting Johnny Mackison Jr., sixth-starting Lance Dewease and fifth-starting Brian Montieth giving chase.
Montieth was charging hard and got by Dewease and Mackison to move into third by the time the first caution flag waved on the 10th lap for a stopped Bobby Howard.
That caution set up the race-winning pass by Smith as he threw a slider on Rahmer in the first and second turns, only to have the all-time leading feature winner do the same at the other end of the track in turns three and four, with Smith hanging on to get by for the lead.
Subsequent cautions for a Sam Schlosberg spin and a stopped Chad Layton on lap 11 kept Smith’s hold on the top spot in doubt with Rahmer, Montieth, Mackison, Alan Krimes and Dewease behind him on each restart.
Just before the halfway point Montieth began making moves on Rahmer for second place, allowing Smith to open up some breathing room out front.
The red flag waved right at the halfway mark when Aaron Ott flipped in the first and second turns, collecting Tyler Walker, Brad McClelland, and Layton.
Smith kept Rahmer at bay over the next three laps before the race’s final caution flag waved on the 19th lap for a Walker spin in turn four.
The remainder of the event went non-stop with Smith pulling away as the laps wound down and took the checkers 1.39 seconds ahead to start off Pennsylvania Speedweek as the point leader.
“I kind of was slowing down there a little bit at the end because I didn’t want to kill my tires in case Fred was coming on at the end, said Smith, “I know how he is, he’s a sleeper and he’ll come on at the end when your stuff is all used up…I was saving some stuff there at the end in case he was going to come back on me.”
“Fred’s a hell of a racer and I have a lot of respect for the man. He’s helped me along in my career.
Montieth, who was passed by Dewease with nine laps to go for third place, fought back around Dewease in an exciting battle with three laps to go and came on strong in the final laps to challenge Rahmer for second coming of the final turns to the checkered, with Rahmer holding him off by the slimmest of margins.
15th-starting Alan Krimes completed a great run by coming through the field to pass Dewease in the closing laps to finish fourth, with Dewease settling for fifth.
Completing the top-10 were Daryn Pittman, Mackison, fast time trialer Greg Hodnett, Cory Haas, and Doug Esh (who was driving the Pancho Lawler No.93 sprinter).
Sprint heats were won by Dewease, Esh, Mackison, and Smith, with Walker winning the B-Main.
Fast time in time trials was set by Hodnett over the 35-car field with a 1-lap time of 13.696-seconds (98.569 MPH).
Smith heads into Sunday night’s race 2 of eight at Bedford Speedway with the point lead (165 points), followed by Rahmer (143 points), Montieth (133 points), Krimes (124 points), Dewease (123 points), Hodnett )122 points), Pittman (117 points), Mackison (111 points), Cory Haas (96 points), and Esh (96 points).
Will Walls battled back from an early flat tire to win the 20-lap thundercar feature for his second win of 2010.
An eight-car crash in the first and second turns on the second lap sent several competitors to the pits with Walls being one of them. Walls was able to quickly change a flat tire and rejoin the field for the restart.
Outside frontrow starter Justin Mong grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and led the first nine laps before Walls came charging back through the field to make his race-winning pass on lap 10.
Defending track champion Duane Watson come on strong over the second half of the feature to challenge Walls for the win, with Walls shutting down the inside groove and hanging on for his sixth career thundercar win at Lincoln Speedway.
Mikey Guise ran a strong race to finish third, with Jimmy Combs and Sam Gallagher rounding out the top-five. The remaining cars to finish were Justin Mong who finished sixth, Chuck Walls seventh, and Jeff Wilson eighth.
Heats for the 15 Thundercars were won by Kyle Martin and Mike Slaybaugh.
Lincoln Speedway swings back into action tomorrow night, Sunday June 27th, at 7 PM, with the second leg of the Fourth Annual Pennsylvania 600cc Micro Sprint Speedweek Series. The lucrative micro sprint show will also include the Sidewinder 1000cc micro sprints. Gates will open at 5 PM.
Then Lincoln Speedway will hold it’s second Pennsylvania Speedweek next Thursday night. July 1st, at 7 PM. The popular thundercars will once again round out the special midweek show. Gates will open at 5 PM.
Then next Saturday night, July 3rd, at 7 PM, the 358 Sprints will take top billing as the 410 sprints will have the night off to follow Pennsylvania Speedweek activities elseware. The 358 Late Models will also be in action competing in the special Williams Grove/Lincoln/Trail-Way Speedway Shootout. The popular Super Sportsman will round out the evening’s activities. Gates will open at 5 PM.
To get all the latest news, results, schedule changes and rule changes, visit Lincoln Speedway’s website at http://www.lincolnspeedway.com to stay up-to-date on all the action or pending weather conditions at Central Pennsylvania’s “Premier” Saturday night race track – The Fabulous Lincoln Speedway.
RACE RESULTS
Sat., June 26, 2010
LINCOLN SPEEDWAY
Abbottstown, PA
2010 PENNSYLVANIA SPEEDWEEK OPENER
11TH ANNUAL KEVIN GOBRECHT MEMORIAL
LAWRENCE CHEVROLET 410 SPRINTS
Feature (30 Laps) – 1. 7M-Mark Smith ($7,000); 2. 51-Fred Rahmer; 3. 21-Brian Montieth; 4. 87-Alan Krimes; 5. 30C-Lance Dewease; 6. 27-Daryn Pittman; 7. 65-Johnny Mackison Jr.; 8. 22-Greg Hodnett; 9. 11C-Cory Haas; 10. 93-Doug Esh; 11. 15-Adam Wilt; 12. 59-Jimmy Siegel; 13. 19M-Brent Marks; 14. 7-Chad Layton; 15. 39-Keith Kauffman; 16. 17-Tyler Walker; 17. 21K-Kyle Pruitt; 18. 71-Brian Leppo; 19. 70-Sam Schlosberg; 20. 48-Danny Dietrich; 21. 25-Aaron Ott (DNF); 22. 6-Brad McClelland (DNF); 23. 49-Bobby Howard (DNF); 24. 35-Justin Henderson (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders – Kyle Pruitt (1), Fred Rahmer (2-9), Mark Smith (10-30)
1st Heat (10 Laps/5 to qualify) – 1. 30C-Lance Dewease; 2. 39-Keith Kauffman; 3. 11C-Cory Haas; 4. 87-Alan Krimes; 5. 22-Greg Hodnett; 6. 16-Gerard McIntyre Jr.; 7. 4-John Rudisill; 8. 19H-Ryan Taylor; 9. 20S-Derek Sell (DNF). No Time
2nd Heat (10 Laps/5 to qualify) – 1. 93-Doug Esh; 2. 21K-Kyle Pruitt; 3. 15-Adam Wilt; 4. 49-Bobby Howard; 5. 7-Chad Layton; 6. 14-Doug Dodson; 7. 48-Danny Dietrich; 8. 3B-Randy Baughman. No Time
3rd Heat (10 Laps/5 to qualify) – 1. 65-Johnny Mackison Jr.; 2. 21-Brian Montieth; 3. 25-Aaron Ott; 4. 70-Sam Schlosberg; 5. 27-Daryn Pittman; 6. 35-Justin Henderson; 7. 39T-Tim Glatfelter; 8. 17-Tyler Walker (DNF); 9. 6W-Josh Wells (DNF). No Time
4th Heat (10 Laps/5 to qualify) – 1. 7M-Mark Smith; 2. 51-Fred Rahmer; 3. 6-Brad McClelland; 4. 71-Brian Leppo; 5. 59-Jimmy Siegel; 6. 26-Pat Cooper; 7. 19M-Brent Marks; 8. 7A-Ed Aikin; 9. 747-Kevin Nagy. No Time
B-Main (12 Laps/4 to qualify) – 1. 17-Tyler Walker; 2. 35-Justin Henderson; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich; 4. 19M-Brent Marks; 5. 16-Gerard McIntyre Jr.; 6. 26-Pat Cooper; 7. 14-Doug Dodson; 8. 6W-Josh Wells; 9. 4-John Rudisill; 10. 20S-Derek Sell; 11. 7A-Ed Aikin; 12. 3B-Randy Baughman; 13. 39T-Tim Glatfelter; 14. 19H-Ryan Taylor; 15. 747-Kevin Nagy. No Time
Time Trials – 1. 22-Greg Hodnett, 13.696 seconds (98.569 MPH); 2. 87-Alan Krimes, 13.697; 3. 51-Fred Rahmer, 13.802; 4. 27-Daryn Pittman, 13.866; 5. 7M-Mark Smith, 13.873; 6. 30C-Lance Dewease, 13.935; 7. 21-Brian Montieth, 13.947; 8. 35-Justin Henderson, 14.006; 9. 39-Keith Kauffman, 14.142; 10. 59-Jimmy Siegel, 14.144; 11. 65-Johnny Mackison Jr., 14.166; 12. 17-Tyler Walker, 14.166; 13. 11C-Cory Haas, 14.182; 14. 6-Brad McClelland, 14.202; 15. 21K-Kyle Pruitt, 14.230; 16. 49-Bobby Howard, 14.266; 17. 71-Brian Leppo, 14.286; 18. 20S-Derek Sell, 14.299; 19. 7A-Ed Aikin, 14.305; 20. 14-Doug Dodson, 14.330; 21. 93-Doug Esh, 14.334; 22. 4-John Rudisill, 14.362; 23. 7L-Chad Layton, 14.365; 24. 15-Adam Wilt, 14.368; 25. 16M-Gerard McIntyre Jr., 14.387; 26. 26-Pat Cooper, 14.406; 27. 48-Danny Dietrich, 14.420; 28. 25-Aaron Ott, 14.433; 29. 6W-Josh Wells, 14.564; 30. 19H-Ryan Taylor, 14.567; 31. 3B-Randy Baughman, 14.705; 32. 70-Sam Schlosberg, 14.739; 33. 39T-Tim Glatfelter, 14.789; 34. 19M-Brent Marks, 14.812; 35. 747-Kevin Nagy, 14.970.
THUNDERCARS
Feature (20 Laps) – 1. 21W-Will Walls; 2. 3W-Duane Watson; 3. 93-Mikey Guise; 4. 54J-Jimmy Combs; 5. 25-Sam Gallagher; 6. 77-Justin Mong; 7. 52-Chuck Walls; 8. 33J-Jeff Wilson; 9. 44-Tom Walls (DNF); 10. 81J-Jamie Zentmyer (DNF); 11. 60-Danny Beard (DNF); 12. 2W-Will Walls (DNF); 13. 54-Kyle Martin (DNF); 14. 61-Mike Slaybaugh (DNF); 15. 33-Gino Comi (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders – Justin Mong (1-9), Will Walls (10-20)
1st Heat (8 Laps) – 1. 54-Kyle Martin; 2. 25-Sam Gallagher; 3. 33-Gino Comi; 4. 54J-Jimmy Combs; 5. 21W-Will Walls; 6. 44-Tom Walls; 7. 77-Justin Mong; 8. 52-Chuck Walls. No Time
2nd Heat (8 Laps) – 1. 61-Mike Slaybaugh; 2. 60-Danny Beard; 3. 2W-Brian Walls; 4. 3W-Duane Watson; 5. 93-Mikey Guise; 6. 81J-Jamie Zentmyer; 7. 33J-Jeff Wilson. Time – 2:39.81