By Bill Meyer
YORK, PA, 11/21/15 – Lincoln Speedway track champions and special year-end awards were handed out at the Wyndham Garden York Hotel Saturday night, November 21st. The top ten finishers in the season-long point series for both sprint car divisions and special awards were distributed to rookies’ of-the-year and most improved driver.
MONTIETH WINS BIG RACES, INCLUDING “DIRT CLASSIC” TO CLAIM FIFTH LAWRENCE CHEVROLET TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
Phoenixville’s Brian Montieth rode the strength of six wins and 21 top-ten finishes in 24 races to claim his fifth Lincoln track title. Among his wins were the Spring Championship, Sterner Memorial, All-Star Circuit of Champions show, and the biggest race in Lincoln history, the Second Annual “Dirt Classic.” Sixteen of those 21 top-ten finishes were actually top fives. Back-to-back victories on weeks two and three (the Spring Championship) vaulted Montieth into a points lead he never relinquished. Montieth’s other win came in a regular point show on May 30th. Montieth’s “Dirt Classic” win was a milestone 50th, sixth on all the all-time Lincoln win list. His fifth title is third to only Fred Rahmer (11) and Steve Smith (9). Montieth’s title also earned Scott Zellers Lincoln’s mechanic of-the-year award.
2014 track champ Alan Krimes won the Hilly Rife Memorial, scored nine top-five finishes and 18 top-ten finishes to a runner-up finish in season points.
2014 national and Lincoln rookie of-the-year Austin Hogue of Dover certainly didn’t suffer the dreaded sophomore jinx. Though he didn’t get a Lincoln win in ’15, he did score six top-five and 13 top-ten finishes in a competitive Lincoln field to finish third in season points. Hogue was also awarded the inaugural Harry Fletcher Sportsmanship Award.
Kyle Moody, voted by track officials as the most improved driver of the year, went winless at Lincoln in 2015, but did lead 36 laps during the season and contended for the win in several events. He registered two top-five and 10 top-ten finishes to end fourth in season points.
Rounding out the top five in the season point series was six-time winner Danny Dietrich. Though traveling a few times and missing races, Dietrich was able to garner 16 top-five finishes, trying champ Montieth for the series lead in that category. He also scored 18 top-ten finishes, meaning his was in the top five all but two races during the year. Among his wins were the John Gleim “Dirt Classic Qualifier,” first PA Speedweek show at Lincoln, and final Gohn Memorial.
Sixth through tenth in season points were Cory Haas, Jim Siegel, Robbie Kendall, Freddie Rahmer, and Gerard McIntyre, Jr. (whose lone win came in the season finale Hank Gentzler Memorial Manufacturers Night).
Brothers Brandon and Freddie Rahmer both scored their first-career 410 sprint wins during the season, and they came on back-to-back weeks August 29th and September 5th.
Other Lincoln wins in 2015 were recorded by Greg Hodnett (who won both the season opener and the World of Outlaws race on May 13th), and single-race winners J.J. Grasso, Glenndon Forsythe, Jim Siegel, Stevie Smith, Lance Dewease, and Chase Dietz, Lincoln’s rookie of-the-year who won on Premier Auto Works Night.
All told, there were 13 different winners in 24 races at Lincoln in 2015.
SPECIAL AWARDS WINNERS (410 Sprints)
Super Sprint Champion – Brian Montieth
Mechanic of the Year – Scott Zellers
Rookie of the Year – Chase Dietz
Harry Fletcher Sportsmanship Award – Austin Hogue
Most Improved Driver – Kyle Moody
DOUG HAMMAKER CLAIMS FIRST-EVER LINCOLN SPEEDWAY KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
Carlisle’s Doug Hammaker won three times during the season to edge Matt Campbell by a mere five points and claim his first track title in Lincoln’s 358 sprint car division. Despite a rainout on the final points race of the year, Hammaker came back to win the season finale on October 10th and put an exclamation point on a thrilling season-long points chase that saw several point leaders during the year. All told, Hammaker scored 11 top-five and 12 top-ten finishes in 16 events.
Fawn Grove’s Campbell won two races and finished second in season points. He challenged Hammaker down the stretch with six top-five and a series-leading 13 top-ten finishes.
Fellow two-time winner and former two-time track champ (2008 & 2011) Jeff Rohrbaugh finished third in season points. His two wins tied him with Cory Haas atop the all-time Lincoln career 358 sprint car win list with 13. He ended the season with seven top-five and 11 top-ten finishes and won the Trail-Way/Lincoln 358 “Shootout” on the strength of two second-place finishes.
Lady driver Brie Hershey of Dillsburg completed a solid year by finishing fourth in season points. She four top-five and nine top-ten finishes.
Cody Fletcher earned the most improved driver award on the strength of three top-five and nine top-ten finishes to finish fifth in the season point series. He also received the Harry Fletcher Memorial Sportsmanship Award, in honor of his grandfather, who passed away late in the 2015 season.
Sixth through tenth in season points were Matt Findley, rookie of-the-year Cole Young (who scored his first career win on May 23rd), Chandler Leiby (one win), Tyler Esh, and Kyle Denmyer.
Other drivers who picked up their first Lincoln career wins in 2015 were Kody Lehman, Davie Franek, Bill Stine, and Jeff Halligan (who won twice).
Other winners during the year were Todd Rittenhouse, Jr. (who won opening night) and Adrian Shaffer (who missed some races but finished 11th in the final point standings).
All told, there were 12 different winners in 16 events.
SPECIAL AWARDS WINNERS (358 Sprints)
358 Sprint Champion – Doug Hammaker
Rookie of the Year – Cole Young
Harry Fletcher Sportsmanship Award – Cody Fletcher
Most Improved Driver – Cody Fletcher
MEASE CHAMP OF PRECISE RACING PRODUCTS LINCOLN/TRAIL-WAY 358 LATE MODEL SERIES
Harrisburg’s Travis Mease claimed the Precise Racing Products Lincoln/Trail-Way 358 late model point series. He will be recognized at the Trail-Way awards banquet on December 5th.
STOUGH LINCOLN CENTRAL PA LEGENDS SERIES CHAMP
Former Lincoln thundercar driver Bob Stough won his first-ever Lincoln Speedway Central PA Legends point series title. He was to be recognized at the Legends awards banquet being held on the same night as the Lincoln banquet.