From Mike Leone
Strongstown, PA — (August 19, 2012) — The “410” Sprint Cars made their return trip to Dog Hollow Speedway on Sunday night for the second and final time of the 2012 season. The event, which also included the BRP Modified Tour, RaceSaver “305” Sprints and the Vintage Modifieds, was delayed nearly an hour and a half after a thunderstorm struck just before hot laps. The inaugural “Open Wheel Bonanza” was presented by Coy’s Store & Pizza Shop.
Billy Dietrich has spent his racing career on the tough central Pennsylvania “PA Posse” circuit bouncing back and forth between the “410” and “358” Sprint Cars. While his brother Danny has quickly becoming one of the top “410” racers in central PA, Billy has been a successful “358” racer, but in 2012 decided to return to the “410s” full-time.
The decision has paid off as on Sunday night Dietrich charged from the sixth starting spot to make it a clean sweep of the “410” Sprint Car events in 2012 at Dog Hollow. Back on April 28 at Lincoln Speedway, Dietrich waited through a long delay to capture his first career “410” win. After coming to Dog Hollow on July 15 only to be rained out, Dietrich returned to dominate the July 22 event then nearly a month later picked up his third career win on another rainy race night.
“This is a nice track,” stated the Aspers, Pa. racer, who has now collected $6,000 in two events at Dog Hollow this season. “We were off in the heat race, but we watched the track and made the necessary adjustments and it paid off. I’m glad everyone stuck it out through the rain.”
Central Pa. racers Bob Howard and Daryl Stimeling led the field to green with Howard taking the early advantage. Scott Priester was making his first ever Dog Hollow start and passed Russ Sansosti for third on lap two. Priester was right on Stimeling for second on lap three and pulled alongside the following lap.
By lap seven it was a three-car race for the lead. Stimeling challenged his good friend Howard on lap nine and got alongside the leader on lap 10. Stimeling then drove under and past Howard for the lead in turns one and two on lap 11. Priester was trying to pass Howard for second and made contact causing Priester to spin. The caution was a break for Howard who retained the lead.
Dietrich started sixth and had only been able to pass Brandon Matus over the first 10 laps to move into fifth. The Priester spin bumped him up to fourth for the restart. Back under green flag conditions, Dietrich went to the top side in turns and two and blew by Sansosti and Stimeling for second then dove under Howard in turn four as he advanced from fourth to the lead in one lap!
Dietrich immediately began to pull away. Dan Kuriger was on the move from his 11th starting spot. Kuriger passed Matus for fifth on lap 13 then got under and past Sansosti for fourth on lap 16. Meanwhile, Stimeling finally made the pass of Howard for second racing down the backstretch on the 15th circuit.
Priester would bring out his second caution when the steering broke in the Martha Dionise #15 sending him straight off the backstretch and into the woods to slow action with 17 laps completed. When green replaced yellow, Kuriger continued his progression forward driving around Sansosti for third.
Three more cautions would slow action between laps 18-20; one for Sansosti and two for Jimmy Seger including one that saw him flip wildly in turn one. He was okay.
The last five laps went green-to-checkered with Dietrich’s family-owned Racers New and Used Auto Parts Warehouse-sponsored, Hoosier Tire-shod #8 cruising to the victory. Stimeling improved on his third place effort on July 22 with a strong runner-up for an $1,800 payday in his own #30. Kuriger, who finished 10th at last year’s “410 race, also improved his finishing position by one from the last event with a third place worth $1,400.
Jack Sodeman, Jr. made his first ever start and finished fourth after starting 10th to earn $1,100, and Carl Bowser rounded out the top five for $1,000 after starting 12th. Howard faded to sixth at the finish over Kevin Schaeffer, Eric Williams in his first visit, Brandon Matus, and Dan Shetler. Heat winners were Sansosti and Stimeling over the 18-car field.
Roger Irvine topped the 20-lap RaceSaver “305” Sprint feature for the third time this season over a field of 16 cars made up of racers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia.
The Irvona, Pa. driver started from third and passed Greg Dobrosky for second. Irvine caught Jeff Bacha and was pressuring the leader trying to get around. On lap nine, the two made contact in turn four with Bacha spinning.
Irvine inherited the lead with a broken front wing and he’d survive two more cautions as he led the final 12 laps for the $400 payday. Brian Walker charged from 11th to finish second. Walker passed Skip Dougherty for third on lap 11 then drove by Dobrosky for second on lap 16, but wasn’t able to get by Irvine.
Dobrosky was a career best third. Carl Bowser recorded his second top five of the night in fourth as Robbie Bartchy completed the top five. Former “410” racers Dougherty, Jeff Taylor and Steve Kenawell were seventh, eight Justin Zap, and Bacha, who rebounded for 10th. Heat victors were Walker and Dougherty.
In other action, Kevin Hoffman will go down in the history books as the first ever Big-Block Modified winner at Dog Hollow. The Franklin, Pa. driver held off New York racer Brian Weaver to capture the $1,500 prize in the BRP Tour-sanctioned event. New York racers Randy Chrysler and Joe Kubiniec were third and fourth with Chris Haines completing the top five.
Dave George, Jr. of New Kensington, Pa. captured the 10-lap Vintage Modified event over Scott Covert.
“410” Sprint Car Feature (25 laps): 1. BILLY DIETRICH (8) $3,000 2. Daryl Stimeling (30) $1,800 3. Dan Kuriger (08) $1,400 4. Jack Sodeman, Jr. (23Jr) $1,100 5. Carl Bowser (10) $1,000 6. Bob Howard (49) $900 7. Kevin Schaeffer (9) $800 8. Eric Williams (7) $700 9. Brandon Matus (13) $600 10. Dan Shetler (7K) $500 11. Brent Matus (33) $400 12. Pete Landram (44) $375 13. Bob McMillin (5) $350 14. Billy Eash (3E) $340 15. Jimmy Seger (25) $335 16. Russ Sansosti (23s) $330 17. Scott Priester (Dionise 15) $325 18. Mike Lutz (Chappel 8)-DNS $100
Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. Russ Sansosti 2. Dan Kuriger 3. Kevin Schaeffer 4. Billy Dietrich 5. Eric Williams 6. Scott Priester 7. Bob McMillin 8. Billy Eash 9. Brent Matus.
Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. Daryl Stimeling 2. Jimmy Seger 3. Jack Sodeman, Jr. 4. Brandon Matus 5. Carl Bowser 6. Bob Howard 7. Pete Landram 8. Dan Shetler 9. Mike Lutz.
RaceSaver 305 Sprint Car Feature (20 laps/$400 to-win): 1. ROGER IRVINE (12) 2. Brian Walker (38s) 3. Greg Dobrosky (88) 4. Carl Bowser (Archer 1) 5. Robbie Bartchy (01) 6. Skip Dougherty (27) 7. Jeff Taylor (17T) 8. Steve Kenawell (17K) 9. Justin Zap (3z) 10. Jeff Bacha (48) 11. Rodney Luzier (Taylor 17X) 12. Jim Marquette (22) 13. Ed Mesaros (1M) 14. Dan Shetler (Little 10) 15. Jim Kennedy (7) 16. Dusty Shatzer (75)-DNS.
Dog Hollow Speedway is a 4/10-mile dirt track located 3.5 miles north of Route 422 in Strongstown, PA at 76 Hamill Road, Northern Cambria, PA 15714. For more information on Dog Hollow, check out their website at www.dog-hollow.net or call 814-948-4252. The track number on race day is 814-948-6812.