From Kalida Landis
Hanover, PA — (September 19, 2014) — Remember the name Wyatt Hinkle.
The 14-year-old from East Berlin entered the season planning to just run test and tune nights at area tracks and get prepared for 2015. He made a last minute decision to compete as a rookie at Trail-Way Speedway, and was among the lapped cars in the first several events.
Hinkle got better every week, and locked up rookie of-the-year honors last time out.
On Friday, he added the exclamation point, taking the lead from the pole and leading every lap for his first career sprint car win. And he did it in dramatic fashion, with his smoking Triple A Transport/Stoney Point Farm Market #19D holding off Seth Kearchner and Randy Whisler over the final five laps. His margin of victory in the thriller was a half car length over Kearchner.
“I started seeing Kearchner with three to go,” said a jubilant Hinkle in victory lane, “and not to mention that my motor was blowing up…”
Hinkle no doubt received another incentive to stay out front when he saw the #6R of track champ Brad McClelland pull into the infield on the first lap.
The race went non-stop in a time of 6 minutes, 11.94 seconds.
Another car length behind Kearchner was Whisler in third, with Dwight Leppo (season points runner-up) and Brian Eichelberger completing the top five.
Heats for the 11 “358” sprinters were won by McClelland and Leppo.