By Shawn Brouse
Port Royal – Sean Campbell of Lansdale led early and late to record the big victory in Port Royal Speedway’s Blue Collar Classic Keystone RaceSaver Challenge for 305 sprint cars on Saturday night.
A massive field of 56 RaceSaver sprints entered competition with entries from as far away as Mayock, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia, on hand as well as numerous racers from New York and New Jersey.
It took five attempts to get the first lap of the 25-lap sprint main completed.
First lap crash victims included Eric Parker, Mike Koehler and Nate Gramley.
Campbell started on the pole of the feature and took the lead when action finally got going followed by Jeff Schall of Great Meadows, NJ.
Only one caution flag hampered the pace once the first lap was completed, with two away.
Campbell, whose father owned and fielded sprint cars in the area for years over the decades including for Leroy Felty in the 1980s, was strong at the front of the field pulling out to a full straightaway lead before approaching the rear of the field at the halfway point.
With laps three through 25 going non-stop traffic became a factor and it was one that Schall used to his advantage to run down Campbell’s extensive lead with seven laps to go.
Schall took the lead on the 18th tour and began working traffic as the leader with Campbell staying just close enough as they raced through the field from behind to be able to capitalize on a Schall miscue with three laps to go.
Schall, who was running the topside of the speedway surface, entered too high in the first corner and slipped up over the cushion to make contact with the outside wall, nearly crashing out of the event.
Instead, Schall gathered it back up just in time to watch Campbell catch and drive by him to the inside as the pair exited the second corner headed for the two-to-go sign.
Once back in the lead, Campbell outran Schall to the checkers by .886 seconds.
Local driver Jake Waters of Mifflintown started second in the event and ran a solid third the entire distance to finish with the spot.
After starting 23rd, Brian Carber of Pipersville bolted forwards through the field to be gaining on the top three finishers at the checkers, ending up fourth.
Third starter Matt Mountz of Wernersville finished fifth.
Sixth through 10th went to Kyle Reinhardt, Kody Lehman, Bruce Kindberg, Tyler Bear and Ed Newhauser.
The 410-sprint car track champion in 1990, Joey Allen of Hanover drove from 24th to 12th in the event.
Heats sponsored by Racers Used Parts Warehouse were won by Campbell, Reinhardt, Nate Gramley, Mike Koehler, Bruce Kindberg and Mountz.
Triple B Mains went to Steve Kennawell, Mike Wagner II., and Bear.
DJ and Travis Mease shared the front row for the start of the 20-lap 358 late model feature with Travis taking the lead at the start.
After starting ninth, Ralph Morgan Jr. worked his way into second on the slickening track with five laps completed but worked for the next seven laps to snare the lead.
Morgan finally muscled to Mease’s outside with a power move as the pair raced down the backchute on lap 12 to take control.
Once at the helm, Morgan drove off to the victory.
After starting eighth, Grant Adams was involved in a first lap crash and restarted at the rear to come roaring back and finish and closing second.
Travis Mease was third followed by Charles Schaffer and Mike Altobelli Jr.
Sixth through 10th went to Chad Myers, Ryan Walls, Harold Ranck Jr., Mike Goodwin and Steve Stitt.
Twin heats went to Gene Knaub, who crashed out on the initial start of the main event, and Lincoln Ritchey.
Craig Morgan started on the pole of the pro stock main but saw second-starter Greg Diehl take the lead when action began.
Diehl was tracked down by Hayes Mattern with four laps of the 20-lapper completed but Mattern soon gave way to eighth starter Mike Walls.
Walls chased Diehl for several laps before finally getting by for the lead and win with six laps to go.
Diehl finished second followed by Mattern, Morgan and Chad Smith.
Sixth through 10th went to Paul Morgan, Pete Lauver, Matt Wampler, Pat McNeal and Andrew Shoop.
Twin heats went to Nate Kerstetter and Walls.
Bill Powell started on the pole of the 20-lap enduro dash and handily wired the field for the victory.
The win was his unprecedented 20th in the division at the track.
Ryan Leister ran second the entire distance.
Mike Goodwin rode home third followed by Patrick Mclain and Jared Fulkroad.
Feature Finishes
October 6, 2012
RaceSaver Sprints, 25 laps: 1. Sean Campbell, 2. Jeff Schall, 3. Jake Waters, 4. Brian Carber, 5. Matt Mountz, 6. Kyle Reinhardt, 7. Kody Lehman, 8. Bruce Kindberg, 9. Tyler Bear, 10. Ed Newhauser, 11. Keith Mcintyre Jr., 12. Joey Allen, 13. Kyle Purks, 14. Logan Wagner, 15. Steve Kennawell, 16. Jordan Thomas, 17. George Riden, 18. Mike Wagner II., 19. Daren Bolac, 20. Dan Hennessy, 21. Jeff Vansteenburg, 22. Craig Rochelle, 23. Nathan Gramley, 24. Mike Koehler, 25. Roger Irvine, 26. Eric Parker
DNQ: Ryan Lynn, Mark Watkins, John Matrafailo, Jeff Miller, Ron Aurand, Reed Thompson, Anthony Fiore, Dave Shirk, John Braim, Rod Shelley, Craig Myers, Mike Esposito, Rick Stief, Brian Walker, Erin Statler, Scott Davis, Dalton Hetrick, Eric Mathiot, Randy Kaylor, Steve Patterson, Alex Schanz, Chad Myers, Dusty Shatzer, Bill Case, Paul Snyder, Tom Worrick Jr., Jason Bergstresser, Dave Brown Jr., Harris Kohen, Brittany Tresch