From Kalida Landis
HANOVER, Penn. (August 19, 2016) — J.B. Cunningham claimed the $2,000 top prize in Friday night’s Trone Outdoor Advertising 358 championship event at Trail-Way Speedway.
“How about that!” exclaimed Cunningham upon exiting the Jason Bulick #39 sponsored by Log Cabin Inn and K&C Enterprises in victory lane, “All the good guys kept falling out. We busted our butts the last two weeks. This is a new frame because we thought the other one was junk. I can’t thank Jason and the rest of the crew enough for their hard work. This win was on our bucket list.”
Cunningham started on the outside pole and led every lap, holding off several different challengers during the race. Four different drivers dropped from the field during the event. Cody Fletcher spun and collected fifth-place Kevin Nouse on turn two of lap nine. Two laps later, points leader David Holbrook collided with a lapped car in turn two. On that caution, Dwight Leppo, who inherited second for the restart, stopped on the back stretch. Then on lap 21, Doug Hammaker ended up on the outside wall while trying to chase down Cunningham.
Hammaker was done for the night and credited with an 11th-place finish, good enough to claim the four-track, eight race Capitol Renegage “King of the 358’s” point series by a mere five points over Nouse, who came back through the field to finish third.
“We got lucky with those cars dropping out,” said Hammaker on his eight-race series win, “My old man’s ticked because he though my crash was a bonehead move.” Hammaker’s series title was worth $2,000.
Second through fifth in the Trone Championship event were 12th-starting Isaac Sneeringer, Nouse, polesitter Dave Thrush, and hard charger Mike Bittinger, who started 17th.
Completing the top ten were Rick Horn, Wyatt Hinkle, Zach Euculano, Kody Hartlaub, and Dan Richcreek.
Qualifiers for the 20 “358” sprints were won by Seth Kearchner, Hammaker, and Leppo.
Trail-Way Speedway
Hanover, PA
Friday August 19, 2016
FEATURE (25 Laps) – 1. 39-JB Cunningham, Jr. $2,000; 2. 19Z-Isaac Sneeringer; 3. 1J-Kevin Nouse; 4. 22T-Dave Thrush; 5. 12-Mike Bittinger (Big Mike’s Crabhouse Hard Charger); 6. 01-Rick Horn; 7. 19D-Wyatt Hinkle; 8. 10-Zach Euculano; 9. 11D-Kody Hartlaub; 10. 80M-Dan Richcreek; 11. 66-Doug Hammaker-Capitol Renegade KING of the 358’s” Champion (DNF); 12. 35-Steve Owings (DNF); 13. 41-Jeff Halligan (DNF); 14. 77K-Steven Kisamore (DNF); 15. 4-Dwight Leppo; 16. 64-Randy Whisler (DNF); 17. 77-David Holbrook (DNF); 18. 66A-Cody Fletcher (DNF); 19. 30-Seth Kearchner (DNF); 20. 10T-Brody Treaster (DNF). No time.
Lap Leaders: JB Cunningham, Jr. (1-25)
358 Sprint Heat 1 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 30-Seth Kearchner; 2. 80M-Dan Richcreek; 3. 39-JB Cunningham, Jr.; 4. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 5. 01-Rick Horn; 6. 64-Randy Whisler; 7. 11D-Kody Hartlaub (DNF). No time.
358 Sprint Heat 2 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 66-Doug Hammaker; 2. 35-Steve Owings; 3. 19Z-Isaac Sneeringer; 4. 77-David Holbrook; 5. 19D-Wyatt Hinkle; 6. 12-Mike Bittinger; 7. 77K-Steven Kisamore. No time.
358 Sprint Heat 3 Finish (10 Laps/All Qualify) – 1. 4-Dwight Leppo; 2. 1J-Kevin Nouse; 3. 22T-Dave Thrush; 4. 10-Zach Euculano; 5. 41-Jeff Halligan; 6. 10T-Brody Treaster. Time – 2:22.90