From Brad Vores
YORK HAVEN, Pa. (June 8, 2017) — To say that Greg Hodnett and the Mike Heffner owned sprint car are having an off season, would be the understatement of the year.
The area’s winningest driver over the past three seasons has struggled to find speed all season long in Central Pennsylvania but Hodnett appeared to have found a little of that speed Thursday night as he took the checkered flag in the 30-lap BAPS Auto Paints and Supplies 410 Sprint car feature at Susquehanna Speedway on www.sprintcarunlimited.com night.
The Spring Grove racer was the fourth and final leader in the thrilling feature as he became the third different winner in as many BAPS 410 Sprint Series events this season at the York Haven oval.
Hodnett, who had led laps 18 through 21 before giving way to Danny Dietrich, was able to get back around Dietrich on the 26th lap and was able to keep Dietrich at bay over the final laps to pick up his first win since opening night at Williams Grove back in mid-March. The win was worth $3,200 to Hodnett and the Lelands.com, Trone Outdoor, Eagle Steel team.
“We had a decent run kind of off this right rear and had a decent run down the front straightaway and just enough to stay close enough down the back straightaway to put us into position to drive under him in four,” Hodnett said about his race-winning pass. “We had gotten the lead early and got by just because I was trying to his the bottom perfect and was slowing down too much and he got momentum and got back by us. But when we got the lead back, obviously I didn’t want to make the same mistake and I stayed on top of it a little harder and made sure I ran a little harder to let him not get the momentum.”
Ryan Taylor grabbed the early lead as second-row starters Dietrich and Hodnett took the next two spots. Hodnett ran third until lap 11 when he drove by Dietrich to take the second spot and tracked down Taylor.
Hodnett took the top spot from Taylor coming out of turn four to lead lap 18 just as the caution flew.
Dietrich shot by Taylor on the restart and then was able to drive around Hodnett off the second corner to lead the 22nd lap but Hodnett was able to use a lap 25 to his advantage and score the win after his lap 26 pass.
Dietrich rode home in the runner-up spot with eighth starter Lance Dewease third followed by Taylor and 12th starting Lucas Wolfe.
Rounding out the top ten finishers were Brock Zearfoss, Brian Montieth,Cory Haas, Anthony Macri and Eric Riggins, Jr.
Kyle Reinhardt and Dietrich were heat winners for the 20 BAPS 410 Sprints pitside.
Scott Ellerman became the fourth different winner in as many races this year as he claimed the win in the 20-lap Freedmont® Mortgage Lending PASS /IMCA 305 Sprint car main.
Ellerman started fifth but didn’t assume command until lap 13 when he drove by leader Colby Dice and was able to maintain the top spot for the win.
Ken Duke, Jr. led the first two laps before Dice took over and led until lap 12.
Tyler Reeser spun on the fifth lap but kept going and finished second in the 20-lap feature with Dice, 10th starting Kyle Craker and Darren Miller the top five finishers.
Sixth through tenth were Dae Brown, Jaremi Hanson, Cale Reigle, Duke and John Haegele.
Cale Reigle, Billy Ney and Kyle Craker won heat races for the 28 PASS 305 Sprints. The consolation was won by Kyle Ganoe, whose car went up in smoke just after taking the checkered flag, forcing him to scratch from the feature.
The next BAPS 410 Sprint Series event will be on Sunday, July 20th when the Credit Connection Auto Sales Super Sportsman share the racing card.
Susquehanna Speedway returns to action this Saturday, June 10, with the FK Rod Ends Carl Billet Memorial for the Bernheisel Race Cars 358 Late Models. The Billet Memorial will pay $1,500 to win for the 30-lap event. The Credit Connection Auto Sales Super Sportsman, Morgan Paving/Aqua Fun Pools Street Stocks and Superior Homes Extreme Stocks fill out the racing program. Race time is 7PM.
SUSQUEHANNA SPEEDWAY
RACE RESULTS 6/8/17
BAPS AUTO PAINTS AND SUPPLIES 410 SPRINTS (30 LAPS)
1. 27-Greg Hodnett, 2. 48-Danny Dietrich, 3. 69K-Lance Dewease, 4. 20-Ryan Taylor, 5. 24-Lucas Wolfe, 6. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 7. Brian Montieth, 8. 39-Cory Haas, 9. 39M-Anthony Macri, 10. 47-Eric Riggins, 11. 27G-Jay Galloway, 12. 25-Aaron Ott, 13. 91-Kyle Reinhardt, 14. 49H-Bob Howard, 15. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe, 16. 91F-Anthony Fiore, 17. 5-Tyler Ross, 18. 99M-Kyle Moody, 19. 17-George Streaker, Jr., 20-86-George Streaker, Sr.
FREEDMONT® MORTGAGE LENDING PASS/IMCA 305 SPRINTS (20 LAPS)
1. 8-Scott Ellerman, 2. 5T-Tyler Reeser, 3. 17A-Colby Dice, 4. 14-Kyle Craker, 5. 9C-Darren Miller, 6. 44X-Dave Brown, 7. 36-Jaremi Hanson, 8. 99-Cale Reigle, 9. 67-Ken Duke, Jr., 10. 61-John Haegele, 11. 11z-Zach Newlin, 12. 18-Ian Detwiler, 13. 20-Stephanie Dodson, 14. 8-Nick Sweigart, 15. 11-Dustin Bishop, 16. 26-Ryan Lynn, 17. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz, 18. 77-Andrew Hake, 19. 91J-John Fiore, 20. 83-Billy New, 21. 2-Erin Statler, 22. 5-John Walp, 23. 92-Alex Potosky, 24. 4C-Cody Hackenberry.
Did Not Start: Kyle Ganoe
Did Not Qualify: Garry Bryson, Jay Krout, Mark Watkins.