From Brad Vores
YORK HAVEN, Pa. (June 10, 2017) — Gene Knaub showed the fast way around Susquehanna Speedway Saturday night as he captured the 30-lap FK Rod Ends Carl Billet Memorial for the Bernheisel Race Cars 358 Late Models.
Knaub’s win was his second of the season at the speedway and came with a $1,500 payday for his Superior Homes, 382 Auto Sales, Route 30 Seafood sponsored No. 1 team. Knaub’s win came in a race run in memory of one of the all time greats in 358 late model racing in Central Pennsylvania, Carl Billet-who passed in early 2013, just after claiming his seventh and final Susquehanna track championship.
Sean Merkel led the first six circuits before giving way to Knaub on the seventh lap. Knaub, who started fourth on the grid maintained the top spot as defending track champion Randy Christine, Jr. kept pace with the leader and had a lap 25 caution put him right on Knaub’s bumper. But Knaub, of Dover wasn’t to be denied the big win as he took the checkered flag ahead of Christine with ninth starting Shaun Jones, 10th starting Charles Potts and JR Rodriquez completing the top five finishers.
Sixth through tenth were Sam Gallagher, Travis Mease, 17th starter Steve Billet, 18th starter Sam Rial and Merkel.
Ralph Morgan,Jr. and Christine were heat winners for the 19 late models. Knaub was quick time during time trials with a lap of 19.023.
It’s been tough going for defending track champion Russ Mitten so far this season but the Newville racer came away with his first win of the season in the 25-lap Credit Connection Auto Sales Super Sportsman feature.
Mitten, who led the division with three wins and of course the track title last season has been hindered by all sorts of issues this season but that first win came in impressive fashion, coming from his ninth starting to claim the lead ith eight laps complete. Mitten never looked back as he drove away from the field to post the win in his Newville Electrical Services/RPM Chassis.
Kenny Edkin followed Mitten from the fifth row to finish in the runner-up spot over 16th starting Paul Miller, Devin Beidel and 19th starter Mike Enders as Gregg Foster, early race leader Bruce Buckwalter, Jr., Scott Dellinger, Jay Fannasy and Garrett Williamson rounded out the top ten finishers.
Steve Storrie, Frankie Herr and Chad Smith won heats for the 28 car field. Enders won the consolation.
In what turned out to be quite a marathon, Joey Hoffer scored the big win in the Morgan Paving/Aqua Fun Pools Street Stock 40.
The 40 lap feature saw 11 cautions and one red, lots of crashed race cars but in the end it was Hoffer who led from the 12th lap take the win.
Hoffer became the sixth different winner in as many races this season and he took the win over Jasen Geesaman, early leader Craig Morgan, Jimmy Combs and Jim Palm.
Sixth went to Dalton Frye over Kevin Sigler, Jim Jacobs, David Dietz and Butch Helsel. Kory Sites crossed third but failed post race inspection.
Heats for the 33 street stocks were won by Ryan Smith, Kory Sites and Hoffer.
Morgan paced time trials with a lap of 21.565.
The Superior Homes Extreme Stock feature was postponed due to curfew. It will be made up on June 24.
Susquehanna Speedway returns to action Saturday, June 17th on Newberry Township EMS/Fire/Police Night at the speedway as the Freedmont® Mortgage Lending PASS/IMCA 305 Sprints headline a four-division program joined by the Bernheisel Race Cars 358 Late Models, Morgan Paving/Aqua Fun Pools Street Stocks and the ServiceMaster Clean Central PA Legends. Race time is 7PM.
SUSQUEHANNA SPEEDWAY
RACE RESULTS 6/10/17
Bernheisel Race Cars 358 Late Models FK Rod Ends Carl Billet Memorial (30 laps)
1. 1-Gene Knaub, 2. 74-Randy Christine, Jr., 3. 32J-Shaun Jones, 4. 5-Charles Potts, 5. 97-JR Rodriguez, 6. U10-Sam Gallagher, 7. 116-Travis Mease, 8. 30-Steve Billet, 9. 55-Sam Rial, 10. 118-Sean Merkel, 11. 08-Zach Kauffman, 12. 69-Justin Ehrhart, 13. 22H-Eric Hohol, 14. 22-Chase Billet, 15. 19-Drew Weisser, 16. 44-Ralph Morgan, Jr., 18. 000-Matt Nailor.
Did Not Start: 50A- Andrew Stotler, 22B- Mark Billet
Credit Connection Auto Sales Super Sportsman (25 Laps)
1. 77-Russ Mitten, 2. 75-Kenny Edkin, 3. 58-Paul Miller, 4. 19-Devin Beidel, 5. Mike Enders, 6. 32-Gregg Foster, 7. 83-Bruce Buckwalter, Jr., 8. 30-Scott Dellinger, 9. 222-Jay Fannasy, 10. 32W-Garrett Williamson, 11. 2M-Matt Ondek, 12. 20W-Davey Walsh, 13. 54-Doug Dodson, 14. 27-Troy Hockenberry, 15. 17J-Tony Jackson, 16. 11-Steve Fannasy, 17. 1A-Chase Gutshall, 18. 24-Justin Willams, 19. 77W-Tom Wyckoff, 20. 3-Steve Storrie, 21. 99-Chad Smith, 22. 7-Timmie Barrick, 23. 70D-Frankie Herr, 24. 44-Russ Lebo.
Did Not Qualify: 91- Lanny Hake, 23- Justin Foster, 14- Nate Young, 2- Austin Lorah
Morgan’s Paving/Aqua Fun Pools Street Stock 40 (40 laps)
1. 32-Joey Hoffer, 2. 81-Jasen Geesaman, 3. 11-Craig Morgan, 4. 54J-Jimmy Combs, 5. 7P-Jim Palm, 6. 91-Dalton Frye, 7. 7S-Kevin Sigler, 8. 4J-Jim Jacobs, 9. 71-David Dietz, 10. 181-Butch Helsel, 11. 59-Ryan Smith, 12. 52-Brian Walls, 13. 43-Eric Tripp, 14. 63-Doug Barber, 15. 14-Kyle Saylor, 16. 2-Randy Zechman, 17. 9- Matt Adams, 18. 64- Brandon Wanner, 19. 88P- Brett Pickel 20. 98x- Josh Bloom, 21. 22- Sam Leonard, Jr., 22. 12- Scott Thunberg 23. M1- Mike Potts.
Disqualified: Kory Sites.
Did Not Qualify: 17- Cory Phillips, 84- LeRoy Long, 65- Bill Wentz, 9x- Les Scrivens, 41- Howard Williams, FOUR- Eddie Richards, 41w- John Stoll, Jr., 18- Chris Derr, 94 Mike Buckley (Qualified but scratched, 181 Helsel in as alternate )
Superior Homes Extreme Stocks ( 20 Laps): POSTPONED DUE TO CURFEW