From Kalida Landis
Hanover, PA — (May 15, 2015) — For all-time Trail-Way 358 sprint car winner Brad McClelland, any motor will do.
“This was a borrowed motor tonight, and ain’t quite what I’m used to,” said McClelland after coming from 11th starting spot to claim his 43rd career Trail-Way win in the 30-lap Insinger Performance Fuels 358 Sprint Car Championship on Friday night, “But we’ll just to have to run harder.”
McClelland, who lost a motor while leading the last time he was at Trail-Way, was the third different leader in three laps during a wild race for the lead through lapped traffic which saw Cody Fletcher drive under polesitter and race-long leader Seth Kearchner to grab the lead exiting turn four of lap 22 and then yield to McClelland on lap 23. A half-lap later, Fleltcher flipped down the backstretch to bring out the red flag while running second.
That handed the runner-up spot over to Matt Campbell for the restart. Despite two broken rear shocks and a wobbling right rear, Campbell kept heavy pressure on the leader until nearly losing control and bicycling on the last lap. Campbell gathered it back in a finished second by a half-carlength over Jeff Halligan.
“That 16 car got back by me and made me sit up in the seat,” said McClelland of his mid-race battle with sixth-starting Campbell over the middle stages of the race, “And I don’t know what happened to the 66A He was on a mission!”
McClelland claimed $1,200 for the Insinger Performance Fuels championship win.
Central PA 358 point series leader Doug Hammaker made his first TW start of the season and finished fourth, with Dwight Leppo crossing fifth. Sixth through tenth were Kearchner, David Holbrook, Ashley Cappetta, Zach Euculano, Lucas Montgomery.
Bill Stine was uninjured in a third-lap flip on the frontstrech when he and Dylan Welsh collided while trying to avoid the 19Z of Sneeringer, which was off the pace with a broken front axle.
Heats for the 18 sprinters were won by Kearchner, Holbrook and Leppo.
Friday May 15, 2015
Trail-Way Speedway
Hanover, PA
For Immediate Release
INSINGER FUELS SPRING CHAMPIONSHIP 358 SPRINT CARS
FEATURE (30 Laps) – 1. 6R-Brad McClelland ($1,200); 2. 16-Matt Campbell; 3. 45H-Jeff Halligan; 4. 66-Doug Hammaker; 5. 4-Dwight Leppo; 6. 30-Seth Kearchner; 7. 77-David Holbrook; 8. 89-Ashley Cappetta; 9. 10-Zach Euculano; 10. 15-Lucas Montgomery; 11. 47-Michael Hamer; 12. 6S-William Sherman; 13. 18F-Dylan Welsh; 14. 9R-Ryan Hansen (DNF); 15. 66A-Cody Fletcher (DNF); 16. 19D-Wyatt Hinkle (DNF); 17. 19Z-Isaac Sneeringer (DNF); 18. 71M-Bill Stine (DNF). No time.
Lap Leaders: Seth Kearchner (1-21), Cody Fletcher (22), Brad McClelland (23-30)
358 Sprint Heat 1 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 30-Seth Kearchner; 2. 6R-Brad McClelland; 3. 16-Matt Campbell; 4. 18F-Dylan Welsh; 5. 89-Ashley Cappetta; 6. 10-Zach Euculano (DNF). Time – 2:27.78
358 Sprint Heat 2 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 77-David Holbrook; 2. 71M-Bill Stine; 3. 66-Doug Hammaker; 4. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 5. 47-Michael Hamer; 6. 15-Lucas Montgomery. Time – 2:26.53
358 Sprint Heat 3 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 4-Dwight Leppo; 2. 45H-Jeff Halligan; 3. 19Z-Isaac Sneeringer; 4. 6S-William Sherman; 5. 9R-Ryan Hansen (DNF); 6. 19D-Wyatt Hinkle (DNF). No time.