From Tony Veneziano
Mechanicsburg, PA-July 24, 2010- Greg Hodnett fondly recalled on Saturday night how the late Jim Nace used to the say the bottom of the track was the “Money Lane.” That proved to be true in the finale of the Summer Nationals at the famed Williams Grove Speedway, as Hodnett worked the low side of the half-mile to perfection, to score the $20,000 win as the “Month of Money” continues for the World of Outlaws.
Hodnett dove under Paul McMahan in turn two on the 26th lap to take the top spot and would lead the final five circuits of the 30-lapper to pick up his 10th career World of Outlaws A-Feature win and his fourth in the last six races for the series at Williams Grove Speedway.
“It was a really good race and an exciting race, at least from my standpoint where I was,” said Hodnett in Victory Lane. “The race track was in really good shape for the second night of a two-night show. There were a lot of slide jobs and I’m sure it was exciting for the fans.”
Hodnett fell all the way back to ninth early in the race after starting third and used an open red flag on the eighth lap to his advantage, as his crew made a number of changes on the Macri Concrete Maxim. On the ensuing restart, he began his march to the front moving all the way up to sixth, as he charged past Tyler Walker and Jason Meyers. He battled Craig Dollansky for the fifth spot for a few laps, before taking that position on lap-14. Joey Saldana, Jason Sides and Sammy Swindell were next on his radar, as he moved into second with 11 laps to go, setting his sights on McMahan.
“We were all balled up and couldn’t run the center, so we actually freed it up and it got to rolling better,” explained the winner of the open red flag. “On the restart, I went to the bottom and I could see those guys weren’t going anymore and I figured they were losing their tires. I just kind if laid back and let them come to me.”
The victory for Hodnett extended the Pennsylvania Posse’s win streak to eight at Williams Grove Speedway against the World of Outlaws dating back to last season, which is the longest win streak in the long, storied rivalry.
“It means a lot,” Hodnett admitted of winning for the PA Posse. “All the guys here do a great job. It feels good to be one of the guys that have helped hold them at bay. Every week we come here is tough. I think that competition level puts us in a good spot when the Outlaws come to town. The Outlaws guys and the guys that run here every week are so smart that they figure things out quickly. Any little thing you can find that works, you had better take advantage of, because it won’t last long.”
Paul McMahan started on the pole after winning the dash for the second consecutive night and ran third in the early going, as Sammy Swindell led and Jason Sides moved into second on the opening lap. McMahan took the lead from Swindell coming off turn four on the 16th lap when the fourth and final caution of the night flew, negating the pass. On the restart, McMahan would lead the field down the front straightaway into turn one. The veteran would wind up leading 10 laps aboard the Great Clips Maxim en route to a runner-up finish.
“Second place here at the Grove is nothing to hand your head about,” stated McMahan. “To get beat by Greg Hodnett and Lee Stauffer is nothing to bat an eye at. Those guys are awesome. I’ve been the bridesmaid now three times in the last month. My wife told me this morning before I came out here that it was my turn and that I was going to win a race. I kind of feel like I let her down.”
Jason Sides moved into second right at the start of the race and looked low in turns three and four for the lead on the opening circuit, but could not quite get enough of a run on Swindell. Again on the second lap, Sides would look low, this time in turns one and two to no avail. He would run in the Top-Four all night on his way to a third-place finish in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim.
“They guys never gave up and neither did I,” shared Sides. “We had a crappy night last night (Friday) after we drew a bad number and went out late. We had a really good race track tonight and went out early and it does show that an early draw here is important. Anytime you can get a good draw is good.”
McMahan lined up on the inside of the track twice on double file restarts and on the outside twice as well. The lap-16 restart saw him charge down the front straightaway and into the lead. For McMahan, the podium finish was his ninth Top-Five in the last 10 races, which leads all drivers over that span.
“My car was working really good and I could put it anywhere on the race track,” said McMahan. “Sammy (Swindell) chose the top each time and was starting really early and went way up high. I just got a good restart off the bottom and a good run down the front straightaway and cleared him in (turn) one and he slide me and was able to keep running the same line that I had been running and got back by him. We just needed it to be 25 laps and not 30.”
Jason Sides fell back to fifth on the seventh lap, before working his way back around Craig Dollansky and Joey Saldana on the way to his 15 th Top-Five finish of the season, which matched his best career run at Williams Grove Speedway. Sides began the night by turning the fastest lap in time trials of the 46 cars that took to the track.
“Before that last caution I think we could have won it,” Sides said, “I got by on the bottom and were floating there in the middle some and was catching Paul (McMahan) and Sammy (Swindell). Traffic was going to help I think and I wish we would have gotten to it sooner.”
Sammy Swindell, who led the first 15 laps on Saturday night, ended up fourth in the Big Game Treestands Maxim. Chad Layton came home fifth in the Middleswarth Chips J&J.
Lance Dewease, who won the opener of the Summer Nationals on Friday night, came all the way from the 24th starting spot to finish sixth in the Advance Development Services Maxim to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award. Joey Saldana finished seventh in the Budweiser Maxim to extend his lead in the World of Outlaws championship standings. Tyler Walker was eighth in the Hunter Truck Sales Maxim, with Steve Kinser coming from 17th to finish ninth in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim. Sam Hafertepe Jr. rounded out the Top-10 in the Lone Star Speedway Maxim.
The World of Outlaws continue the second East Coast swing of the season on Sunday, July 25 at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York.
WILLIAMS GROVE SUMMER NATIONALS NIGHT #2 NOTES
•FAST QUALIFIER: Jason Sides paced the 46 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked half-mile oval at 17.095 seconds at 105.294 mph. For his qualifying effort, Sides earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Greg Hodnett (4), Sammy Swindell (3), Lucas Wolfe (2) and Brian Montieth (1).
•WILLIAMS GROVE SUMMER NATIONALS NIGHT #2 QUALIFYING WINNERS: Brian Leppo, Kerry Madsen, Craig Dollansky and Tyler Walker won heat races. Paul McMahan won the Dash. Steve Buckwalter won the Last Chance Showdown. Brent Marks won the C-Main
• FEATURE WINNERS: There have been 42 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events held in 2010. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, I-55 Raceway, Eldora Speedway-twice, Dodge City Raceway Park, River Cities Speedway, LaSalle Speedway, Beaver Dam Raceway and Lernerville Speedway), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Volunteer Speedway, Tri-State (Okla.) Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway, I-96 Speedway and North Central Speedway), Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park, Jackson Speedway, River Cities Speedway, Lakeside Speedway and Eldora Speedway), Jason Sides (Houston Raceway Park , Tri-City Speedway and Missouri State Fair Speedway), Lance Dewease (Lernerville Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway and Cedar Lake Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Paducah International Raceway and Knoxville Raceway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park and The Dirt Track at Charlotte), Sammy Swindell (Dodge City Raceway and Huset’s Speedway), Brooke Tatnell (Knoxville Raceway and Junction Motor Speedway), Dale Blaney (Limaland Motorsports Park), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Chad Layton (Williams Grove Speedway), Paul McMahan (Eldora Speedway) and Fred Rahmer (Williams Grove Speedway).
•HALF-MILE-WINNERS: Williams Grove Speedway is a semi-banked half-mile. The World of Outlaws have raced 20 times at a track that size in 2010. The winners include: Steve Kinser (Volusia Speedway Park, Jackson Speedway, Lakeside Speedway and Eldora Speedway), Jason Meyers (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway and I-96 Speedway), Joey Saldana (Eldora Speedway-twice), Jason Sides (Tri-City Speedway and Missouri State Fair Speedway), Lance Dewease (Williams Grove Speedway), Craig Dollansky (Lone Star Speedway), Jac Haudenschild (Knoxville Raceway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Chad Layton (Williams Grove Speedway), Paul McMahan (Eldora Speedway), Fred Rahmer (Williams Grove Speedway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park) and Brooke Tatnell (Knoxville Raceway).
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Williams Grove Speedway; Mechanicsburg, PA; July 24, 2010
Qualifying
1) 7S-Jason Sides 17.095
2) 22H-Greg Hodnett 17.106
3) 1-Sammy Swindell 17.127
4) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 17.138
5) 21-Brian Montieth 17.174
6) 7L-Chad Layton 17.194
7) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 17.208
8) 91-Paul McMahan 17.218
9) 71-Brian Leppo 17.221
10) 3-Kerry Madsen 17.221
11) 14-Jason Meyers 17.224
12) 1Z-Stevie Smith 17.248
13) 9-Joey Saldana 17.248
14) 59-Jim Siegel 17.258
15) 7-Craig Dollansky 17.275
16) 17-Tyler Walker 17.289
17) 11-Steve Kinser 17.292
18) 27-Daryn Pittman 17.299
19) 11K-Kraig Kinser 17.316
20) 17B-Steve Buckwalter 17.317
21) 2B-Ben Gregg 17.333
22) R19-Doug Esh 17.403
23) 87-Alan Krimes 17.442
24) 51-Fred Rahmer 17.445
25) 35-Justin Henderson 17.448
26) 48-Danny Dietrich 17.450
27) 11E-Mike Erdley 17.454
28) 6-Danny Lasoski 17.463
29) 15-Donny Schatz 17.472
30) O-Jonathan Allard 17.474
31) 63-Chad Kemenah 17.479
32) 25-Aaron Ott 17.492
33) 69K-Donald Kreitz Jr. 17.503
34) 30C-Lance Dewease 17.514
35) 4X-Toni Lutar 17.528
36) 15X-Adam Wilt 17.533
37) 19M-Brent Marks 17.536
38) 20S-Derek Sell 17.569
39) 22-Brian Ellenberger 17.587
40) 7M-Mark Smith 17.627
41) 45-Kyle Pruitt 17.654
42) 11C-Cory Haas 17.793
43) 39-Keith Kauffman 17.885
44) 22G-Bryn Gohn 17.966
45) 15B-Mark Bitner 18.009
46) 12W-Troy Fraker 18.149
Heat 1 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature) – Starting Position [#]
1) 71-Brian Leppo[2]
2) 9-Joey Saldana[1]
3) 21-Brian Montieth[3]
4) 7S-Jason Sides[4]
5) 11-Steve Kinser[5]
6) 35-Justin Henderson[7]
7) 15-Donny Schatz[8]
8) 69K-Donald Kreitz Jr.[9]
9) 19M-Brent Marks[10]
10) 45-Kyle Pruitt[11]
11) 2B-Ben Gregg[6]
12) 15B-Mark Bitner[12]
Heat 2 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature) – Starting Position [#]
1) 3-Kerry Madsen[2]
2) 22H-Greg Hodnett[4]
3) 59-Jim Siegel[1]
4) 7L-Chad Layton[3]
5) 27-Daryn Pittman[5]
6) R19-Doug Esh[6]
7) 48-Danny Dietrich[7]
8) 30C-Lance Dewease[9]
9) O-Jonathan Allard[8]
10) 11C-Cory Haas[11]
11) 20S-Derek Sell[10]
12) 12W-Troy Fraker[12]
Heat 3 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature) – Starting Position [#]
1) 7-Craig Dollansky[1]
2) 14-Jason Meyers[2]
3) 1-Sammy Swindell[4]
4) 11E-Mike Erdley[7]
5) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[3]
6) 11K-Kraig Kinser[5]
7) 63-Chad Kemenah[8]
8) 39-Keith Kauffman[11]
9) 4X-Toni Lutar[9]
10) 22-Brian Ellenberger[10]
11) 87-Alan Krimes[6]
Heat 4 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature) – Starting Position [#]
1) 17-Tyler Walker[1]
2) 91-Paul McMahan[3]
3) 1Z-Stevie Smith[2]
4) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[4]
5) 51-Fred Rahmer[6]
6) 25-Aaron Ott[8]
7) 7M-Mark Smith[10]
8) 17B-Steve Buckwalter[5]
9) 15X-Adam Wilt[9]
10) 6-Danny Lasoski[7]
11) 22G-Bryn Gohn[11]
Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) – Starting Position [#]
1) 91-Paul McMahan[1]
2) 1-Sammy Swindell[2]
3) 22H-Greg Hodnett[3]
4) 7S-Jason Sides[4]
5) 71-Brian Leppo[5]
6) 9-Joey Saldana[8]
7) 14-Jason Meyers[7]
8) 3-Kerry Madsen[6]
9) 7-Craig Dollansky[9]
10) 17-Tyler Walker[10]
C-main (10 laps, top 2 finishers transferred to B-main) – Starting Position [#]
1) 19M-Brent Marks[1]
2) 45-Kyle Pruitt[5]
3) 39-Keith Kauffman[7] [$125]
4) 11C-Cory Haas[6] [$125]
5) 15B-Mark Bitner[9] [$125]
6) 12W-Troy Fraker[10] [$100]
7) 22G-Bryn Gohn[8] [$100]
8) 20S-Derek Sell[2] [$100]
9) 22-Brian Ellenberger[3] [$100]
10) 7M-Mark Smith[4] [$100]
B-main (12 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to A-feature) – Starting Position [#]
1) 17B-Steve Buckwalter[2]
2) R19-Doug Esh[4]
3) 6-Danny Lasoski[8]
4) 30C-Lance Dewease[14]
5) 11K-Kraig Kinser[1] [$200]
6) 19M-Brent Marks[17] [$180]
7) 35-Justin Henderson[6] [$175]
8) 15X-Adam Wilt[16] [$160]
9) O-Jonathan Allard[10] [$150]
10) 48-Danny Dietrich[7] [$150]
11) 63-Chad Kemenah[11] [$150]
12) 4X-Toni Lutar[15] [$150]
13) 45-Kyle Pruitt[18] [$150]
14) 25-Aaron Ott[12] [$150]
15) 69K-Donald Kreitz Jr.[13] [$150]
16) 87-Alan Krimes[5] [$150]
17) 2B-Ben Gregg[3] [$150]
18) 15-Donny Schatz[9] [$150]
A-main (30 laps) – Starting Position [#]
1) 22H-Greg Hodnett[3] [$20,000]
2) 91-Paul McMahan[1] [$12,000]
3) 7S-Jason Sides[4] [$6,000]
4) 1-Sammy Swindell[2] [$5,250]
5) 7L-Chad Layton[13] [$4,500]
6) 30C-Lance Dewease[24] [$4,000]
7) 9-Joey Saldana[6] [$3,500]
8) 17-Tyler Walker[10] [$3,000]
9) 11-Steve Kinser[17] [$2,750]
10) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[14] [$2,500]
11) 1Z-Stevie Smith[15] [$2,300]
12) 7-Craig Dollansky[9] [$2,250]
13) 15-Donny Schatz[25] [$2,000]
14) R19-Doug Esh[20] [$1,600]
15) 17B-Steve Buckwalter[19] [$1, 500]
16) 14-Jason Meyers[7] [$1,300]
17) 27-Daryn Pittman[18] [$1,250]
18) 87-Alan Krimes[26] [$1,050]
19) 7M-Mark Smith[28] [$1,050]
20) 11E-Mike Erdley[22] [$1,050]
21) 6-Danny Lasoski[23] [$1,000]
22) 51-Fred Rahmer[21] [$1,000]
23) 3-Kerry Madsen[8] [$1,000]
24) 71-Brian Leppo[5] [$1,000]
25) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[11] [$1,000]
26) 11K-Kraig Kinser[27] [$1,000]
27) 21-Brian Montieth[12] [$1,000]
28) 59-Jim Siegel[16] [$1,000]
Lap Leaders: Sammy Swindell 1-15, Paul McMahan 16-25, Greg Hodnett 26-30
Hard Charger Award: Lance Dewease
Note: Donny Schatz and Kraig ar used World of Outlaws Provisionals to start the A-Feature. Alan Krimes and Mark Smith used Williams Grove Speedway Provisionals to start the A-Feature.
World of Outlaws Championship Standings through July 24
1. Joey Saldana 5624
2. Steve Kinser 5580 -44
3. Jason Meyers 5572 -52
4. Donny Schatz 5471 -153
5. Jason Sides 5419 -205
6. Paul McMahan 5369 -255
7. Lucas Wolfe 5226 -398
8. Craig Dollansky 5165 -459
9. Kraig Kinser 5046 -578
10. Danny Lasoski 5022 -602