From Trail-Way Speedway
Hanover, PA — (June 14, 2013) — As Trail-Way Speedway celebrated Flag Day on Friday night, the only flag which Westminster, Md., driver Brad McClelland wanted to see by the end of the 25-lap 358 sprint feature was the checkered variety.
“I don’t know if the steering something come loose or (it was) the power steering line or something. It got tight, then loose, then tight and, when I got to those lapped cars, I’m like, ‘Man, I hope there aren’t too many more laps to go,’” McClelland said about his control of the Rucker Racing No. 6R in the closing laps.
However, once McClelland passed outside polesitter Joe Trone Jr. for the lead at the flagstand on the 12th tour of the Adams County oval, there was no turning back. McClelland claimed not only his second straight victory, interrupted by the track’s June 7 rainout, but notched his track-leading 29th career 358 sprint victory.
By surging from 10th starting spot, McClelland also took the Hard Charger Award as he edged eventual runner-up Austin Hogue. The Manchester driver collided with Robbie Kendall during his heat race and so had to start the feature in 15th and last place. However, when Dwight Leppo opted to start at the rear, Hogue started 11th. Like McClelland, he also improved nine positions, but the award went to the highest finisher.
“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to the shocks I put on the car,” McClelland said in victory lane. “It’s making this thing handle like a dream.”
McClelland, who won his heat, used that ability to improve five positions on the initial start and to third place on the next circuit. Meanwhile, Trone and polesitter Shane Hoff, who won the other heat, held the top two positions until McClelland edged Trone at the flagstand.
From there, McClelland’s drive was interrupted only when Kendall, Zach Eucolano and points leader Jeff Rohrbaugh were involved in an incident in the second turn in which the cars of both Kendall and Rohrbaugh spun. But McClelland then drove away to win by 1.62 seconds over Hogue, who passed Trone on the final lap.
Hoff placed fourth ahead of Cris Eash, Tim Wagaman II, Rohrbaugh, Eucolano, Kendall and Randy Whisler.
In the Precise 358 Limited Late Model Series feature, Dover’s Gene Knaub drew the pole after he and Tyler Armstrong won heat races. Knaub used the position to drive off and lead every lap of the 25-lap race.
Knaub’s path was slowed by five caution flags. They included a 12th-lap caution waved when series points leader Grant Adams stopped in the second corner and a 21st-lap yellow flag when the car of Matt Adams caught fire in the third turn. Adams exited his car without injury.
Knaub beat runner-up Travis Mease by 1.2 seconds for his track-leading 12th career feature win. Cam Zeigler placed third ahead of Armstrong and Billy Wampler. Tyler Horst, who started 14th in the 15-car field, drove to eighth place for the Hard Charger Award.
In the 600cc micro sprint feature, Dover’s Brad Weber, who took his heat, started sixth and grabbed the top spot from Troy Rhome on the 10th lap. That happened before the No. 8 car of Johnstown’s Jim Young, which also won its qualifier, hit the backstretch wall hard and rolled several times on the 12th lap to bring out the red flag. Young escaped injury.
From there, Weber was all alone, eventually beating David Holbrook by 4.4 seconds for his second win at Trail-Way this season. Shawn Seifert placed third ahead of Tyler Esh and Bo Gordon Jr.
In the Classic Racing Series classic car feature, the front row of heat winners Matt Wallace and Roland Brown quickly turned the 20-lap feature into a two-car battle. Brown, of Manchester, Md., got the jump at the start and narrowly held off the series’ point leader and defending champion over the entire distance in a non-stop feature.
Pete Neal placed third as he won a three-car duel with fourth-place finisher Mike Zeigler Jr. and fifth-place driver Neal Reamer.
Next Friday (6/21), Trail-Way Speedway will host Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown Night, featuring $2 off general admission for club members who show their membership cards. The divisions competing will be the 358 sprint cars, limited stocks, street stocks and 270cc micro sprints. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and racing begins at 7:30 p.m.
The next Friday (6/28), Trail-Way will welcome back the 600cc micro sprints, which will join the 358 sprints, limited stocks and street stocks. That program also begins at 7:30 p.m.
For all the latest news and related information from Trail-Way Speedway, fans are reminded to visit the speedway website at www.trail-wayspeedway.com. The complete story and agate from each race night is posted shortly after the final checkered falls.
Trail-Way Speedway For Immediate Release June 14, 2013
RACE RESULTS
358 Sprint Cars
Feature (25 Laps)
1. 6R-Brad McClelland; 2. 52-Austin Hogue; 3. 99-Joe Trone Jr.; 4. 69-Shane Hoff; 5. 17E-Cris Eash; 6. 1*-Tim Wagaman II; 7. 45-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 8. 10-Zach Euculano; 9. 55K-Robbie Kendall; 10. 64-Randy Whisler; 11. 30-Seth Kearchner; 12. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 13. 76-Douglas Deeds; 14. 28-Austin Kirby; 15. 4-Dwight Leppo (DNF). No Time.
Lap Leaders – Joe Trone Jr. (1-11), Brad McClelland (12-25).
Heat 1 (10 Laps/All Qualify)
1. 69-Shane Hoff; 2. 17E-Cris Eash; 3. 30-Seth Kearchner; 4. 10-Zach Eucolano; 5. 55K-Robbie Kendall; 6. 4-Dwight Leppo; 7. 28-Austin Kirby; 8. 52-Austin Hogue (DNF). No Time.
Heat 2 (10 Laps/All Qualify)
1. 6R-Brad McClelland; 2. 45-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 3. 64-Randy Whisler; 4. 1*-Tim Wagaman II; 5. 99-Joe Trone Jr.; 6. 66a-Cody Fletcher; 7. 76-Douglas Deeds. Time – 2:23.07.
358 Late Models
Feature (25 Laps)
1. 1-Gene Knaub; 2. 116-Travis Mease; 3. 21Z-Cam Zeigler; 4. 11-Tyler Armstrong; 5. 1W-Billy Wampler; 6. 29-Bobby Beard; 7. 57-Brad Shank; 8. 14-Tyler Horst; 9. 121-Larry Neiderer; 10. 17-Denny Willey; 11. 9-Matt Adams (DNF); 12. X-Bernie Beard (DNF); 13. 7-Pat Beard (DNF); 14. 64-Grant Adams (DNF); 15. 1T-Tim Murphy. No Time.
Lap Leaders – Gene Knaub (1-25).
Heat 1 (10 Laps/All Qualify)
1. 1-Gene Knaub; 2. 29-Bobby Beard; 3. 64-Grant Adams; 4. X-Bernie Beard; 5. 116-Travis Mease; 6. 1T-Tim Murphy; 7. 121-Larry Neiderer; 8. 17-Denny Willey. No Time.
Heat 2 (10 Laps/All Qualify)
1. 11-Tyler Armstrong; 2. 21Z-Cam Zeigler; 3. 1W-Billy Wampler; 4. 7-Pat Beard; 5. 9-Matt Adams; 6. 57-Brad Shank; 7. 14-Tyler Horst (DNF). Time – 2:40.81.
600cc Micro Sprints
Feature (20 Laps)
1. 17-Brad Weber; 2. 17D-David Holbrook; 3. 1-Shawn Seifert; 4. 2-Tyler Esh; 5. 13-Bo Gordon Jr.; 6. 00-Troy Rhome; 7. 14K-Hannah Riser; 8. 10-Jeremy Glass; 9. 87-Julius Hines; 10. 8-Jim Young (DNF); 11. 4C-Cheyenne Topper (DNF); 12. 89-Alyson Dietz (DNF); 13. 76-Broc Lawrence (DNF); 14. 42-Ed Guevara (DNF); 15. 10W-Spencer Wassilewski (DNF). DNS: 07-Travis Scott, 74-Dwayne Gutshall, 84-Colton Laughman. No Time.
Lap Leaders – Troy Rhome (1-9), Brad Weber (10-20).
Heat 1 (8 Laps/All Qualify)
1. 17-Brad Weber; 2. 2-Tyler Esh; 3. 1-Shawn Seifert; 4. 42-Ed Guevara; 5. 00-Troy Rhome; 6. 10W-Spencer Wassilewski; 7. 4C-Cheyenne Topper; 8. 10-Jeremy Glass; 9. 74-Dwayne Gutshall (DNF). Time – 2:06.74.
Heat 2 (8 Laps/All Qualify)
1. 8-Jim Young; 2. 13-Bo Gordon Jr.; 3. 14K-Hannah Riser; 4. 89-Alyson Dietz; 5. 17D-David Holbrook; 6. 87-Julius Hines; 7. 07-Travis Scott (DNF); 8. 76-Broc Lawrence (DNF). DNS: 84-Colton Laughman. Time – 2:03.83.
Classic Cars
Feature (20 Laps)
1. 87-Roland Brown; 2. 578-Matt Wallace; 3. 21A-Pete Neal; 4. 100-Mike Zeigler Jr.; 5. 7-Neal Reamer; 6. 09-Ron Grove; 7. 07-Charlie Summers; 8. 4-Dorsey Weaver; 9. 88-Steve Clemo; 10. 74-Rick Christine; 11. 29-Daniel Little. DNS: 12-Vincent Crocker. Time – 6:31.82.
Lap Leader – Roland Brown (1-20).
Heat 1 (8 Laps/All Qualify)
1. 578-Matt Wallace; 2. 7-Neal Reamer; 3.88-Steve Clemo; 4. 4-Dorsey Weaver; 5. 12-Vincent Crocker (DNF); 6. 74-Rick Christine (DNF). No Time.
Heat 2 (8 Laps/All Qualify)
1. 87-Roland Brown; 2. 21A-Pete Neal; 3. 09-Ron Grove; 4. 07-Charlie Summers; 5. 100-Mike Zeigler Jr.; 6. 29-Daniel Little. Time – 2:38.43.