By Shawn Brouse
Port Royal – Point leader Blane Heimbach of Selinsgrove had to pass Keith Kauffman not once but twice to drive to his fourth 410 sprint victory of the season at Port Royal Speedway on Saturday night.
Just one week before the oval hosts Keith Kauffman Farewell Tribute night, the 63-year old veteran looked ready to pick up his first win of the season but Heimbach would not be denied for the $3,000 victory.
In the 20-lap late model feature, Coleby Frye of Dover drove to his third oval win of the year while Logan Wagner battled Alex Schanz for half of the 305 sprint main before securing the lead for good.
Tim Krape took his eighth win of the season in the pro stock division.
Dylan Cisney and Kauffman started on the front row of the 25-lap 410 sprint main with Kauffman taking the lead when action got going over Cisney and fourth starter Heimbach.
The initial start of the main was yellow flagged when third starter Brian Leppo looped his car in the fourth turn before the first lap could be recorded.
Heimbach got around Cisney for second with seven laps away in the feature and drove up on Kauffman for the lead and was able to muscle by and control the ninth lap by a scant .183 second margin before Kauffman bolted back to his inside in the first corner.
The move netted Kauffman the point again and he had opened up a little distance between himself and Heimbach when the pace was slowed with 11 down.
The restart saw Heimbach quickly go to work and drive to Kauffman’s outside exiting the fourth corner to lead lap 12 before the caution flag again unfurled, this time for a two-car tangle in the fourth turn.
Kauffman got to Heimbach’s inside in the first and second turns when action resumed but Heimbach was able to pull him down the backstretch and go back into control solidly entering the third corner.
The rest of the distance went non-stop with Heimbach working lapped traffic during the final five circuits of the race to pick up the seventh overall victory of his career at the track while Kauffman settled for second.
The Mifflintown driver was going for sprint car win number 130 at Port Royal but instead crossed the line 4.130 seconds behind the winner.
Cisney was third followed by Mike Wagner and 19th starter Chad Layton.
Heimbach’s win allowed him to stretch his advantage over Layton in the point’s chase with just six sprint shows left on the championship season.
Sixth through 10th went to Bob Bennett, Davey Sammons, Rodney Westhafer, Leppo and Joey Hershey.
Heats for the 23-car field went to Curt Stroup, Sammons and Heimbach.
Frye started the late model main in the fifth position and was already up to second when the races first caution flag fell on just the first lap.
The restart saw Frye power into the lead and then stay out front despite several cautions that regrouped the field.
The point leader with just three races remaining, Terry Naugle took over second spot from Scott Flickinger on the ninth tour but failed to challenge Frye’s No. 32 for the win.
At total of six caution flags plagued the race including one for a five-car tangle in the first corner at the halfway point.
The win was the fifth of Frye’s overall career at the oval.
After starting 12th, Matt Parks blasted forward to finish third followed by Mitch Hack and Brett Schadel.
Naugle too was able to extend his point lead in a quest for the division title over Schadel.
Sixth through 10th went to Mike Lupfer, Scott Flickinger, Waylon Wagner, Trent Brenneman and Patrick Bryner.
Heats for the 24-car field went to Lupfer, Frye and Patrick Bryner.
Front row starters Alex Schanz and Logan Wagner see-sawed back and forth for the lead for the first 10 laps of the 20-lap 305 sprint main with Schanz being scored the official leader of the sixth loop.
But the pair actually exchanged the point back and forth several times throughout the first 10 laps although Wagner crossed the line in control on the other nine circuits.
However after the races only caution flag unfurled with 10 down and 10 to go, Wagner took off and drove to his third win of the year at the track handily over Schanz.
The win put him atop the all time Port Royal 305 sprint win list with five to his credit. It was also his ninth win overall on the year.
Scott Ellerman rode home third followed by Kody Lehman and Mark Watkins.
Heats for the 26-car field went to Schatz, Wagner and Ellerman.
Kyle Rapp started on the pole of the 15-lap pro stock main and led the first six laps before Krape took over from his seventh starting position.
Once in front, Krape pulled out to a healthy lead only to see Rapp close onto his rear bumper during the final pair of laps.
Rapp settled for second however over Dan Berry, Nate Fisher and Derrick Garman.
Heats for the 12-car field went to Garman and Krape.
August 10, 2013 feature finishes:
410 sprints, 25 laps, 23 entires: 1. Blane Heimbach, 2. Keith Kauffman, 3. Dylan Cisney, 4. Mike Wagner, 5. Chad Layton, 6. Bob Bennett, 7. Davey Sammons, 8. Rodney Westhafer, 9. Brian Leppo, 10. Joey Hershey, 11. Cliff Brian, 12. Brock Zearfoss, 13. Daryl Stimeling, 14. Tyler Bear, 15. Trenton Scheaffer, 16. Nate Snyder, 17. Dave Hahn, 18. Mark Coldren, 19. Curt Stroup, 20. Mike Erdley, 21. Dustin Baney, 22. Vince Snyder
DNS: Karl Baker