PETERSEN MEDIA
In it’s 15 year history, the Roaring Knob Motorplex had never hosted a sprint car race. Sunday night they held their first one and were treated to a great one as Lance Dewease made a last lap pass to become the tracks first ever sprint car winner.
“That was a hell of a race going on there,” exclaimed the 47-year-old Fayetteville, Pa. great. “I wished it was a little easier than we made it, but Tim (Shaffer) and those guys are a bunch of good racers.”
Lining his Lelands.com/Conduit Connections/Pasquirellos Auto Shop No. 27 up on the front row of the feature event, Dewease shot out to an early lead, as Tim Shaffer trailed him early.
Cautions plagued the early portion of the race, but Dewease still sat on the point, though Shaffer began challenging him for the top spot, as he used the high-side of the track.
“My guys were telling me he was coming on the top, but I was really good on the bottom, so I figured if he was good enough, he could get around me,” he explained.
On the ninth lap, Shaffer got past Dewease, but Dewease didn’t let him out of his sights, as he stalked him aboard his Penske Shocks/Wings Unlimited/Brown and Miller Racing Solutions mount.
In traffic on lap 13, Dewease slipped back to third, as Logan Schucart got him for the second spot, but Dewease answered back on the 20th circuit as he got past Schucart, and then looked to give it everything he had to chase down Shaffer who had a ½ straight lead.
On the 24th lap, Dewease had closed in on Shaffer, and began trying to get around him by using every line he could, but was unable to get around him.
With the white flag waving, Dewease chased Shaffer into turn one, and instead of trying to top, Dewease dove back low, and pulled alongside the leader, and made the pass stick entering three, and exited four earning his first victory of the year.
“I didn’t even realize it was the final lap,” revealed Dewease. “We were in traffic so hard there. I was really nice on the bottom. I didn’t think those guys could stay tight and if they got slowed up a little and unable to run the top. I was shocked Tim moved to the top and left the bottom open. Once he went outside, I just dove to the bottom and it worked out. I’m really happy for Mike Heffner. He’s not here tonight, but is going to be real happy about this win. We haven’t had the year we wanted. The tire change put us behind, but we’re slowly gaining on it.”
Dewease was also in action on Friday and Saturday where he scored an eight place finish Friday at Williams grove, and a sixth place finish Saturday night at Lincoln.
Dewease and his Heffner Racing team would like to thank Lelands.com, Conduit Connections, Pasquirellos Auto Shop, Penske Racing Shocks, Wings Unlimited, Brown and Miller Racings Solutions, Keizer Wheels, DMI Racing Components, Schoenfeld Headers, Hanks Performance Products, FK Rod Ends, Viper Venom fuels, ATL Fuel Cells, Schaeffer Racing Oils, Astro Titanium, Tom Shockey Collision, Kirkey Racing Seats, Michael Graphics, Valley Forge Inc., Bell Helmets, WRT Web Designs, and WRT SpeedWerx for their support.
2013 BY THE NUMBERS: Starts-22, Wins-1, Top 5’s-8, Top 10’s-18
ON TAP: The Heffner Racing team is now scheduled for a triple header weekend, as they will be at the Williams Grove Speedway on Friday, the Lincoln Speedway on Saturday and at Susquehanna Speedway Park on Sunday.
STAY CONNECTED: Stay up to speed with Lance by visiting his website, www.lancedewease.com, or liking his Facebook Page, Lance Dewease Motorsports.