By: Kurt Bettler
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania (June 27, 2025)………A humid, damp, and cloudy Friday night set the stage for an unforgettable evening of racing at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. Despite a brief delay caused by mist and a passing shower, the action roared to life when the Innovative Machine Technology USAC East Coast Sprint Cars hit the unique 1/3-mile oval.
Clinton County’s character – no backstretch wall and no turn three wall – gives it the feel of a Midwestern bullring, and the 18 sprint cars in attendance made full use of its quirks.
The night’s heat races were action-packed. In heat one, Bobby Butler and Bruce Buckwalter Jr. went toe-to-toe in a thrilling battle for the top spot, while Steven Drevicki dominated heat two with a runaway performance, leaving the competition in his wake. Butler and Drevicki both secured heat wins and momentum heading into the feature.
Following the redraw, Butler rolled off from the seventh spot, with Drevicki lining up eighth as the most recent feature winner. The front row featured a determined Buckwalter and a hungry Ronald Helmick setting the table for a showdown.
When the green flag waved, Buckwalter wasted no time finding speed and quickly distanced himself from Helmick. But behind them, a charge was brewing from Jason Cherry, Ed Aikin and Drevicki.
A caution on lap nine involving Brett Rose and a slowing Mike Haggenbottom brought the field back together, playing into Buckwalter’s hands just as he was approaching lapped traffic. On the restart, Butler’s No. 5B machine came to life. Running an innovative lower line, Butler surged to fourth, then third, then second, reeling in Buckwalter with every lap.
With just seven laps remaining, Butler made the move that changed everything – ducking low off turn two and driving past Buckwalter’s No. 83. Moments later, Buckwalter’s stellar run came to a dramatic end as he clipped the inside wall in turn one and flipped, ending his night prematurely.
That crash set up a six-lap dash to the checkered flag, with Butler leading the charge ahead of Helmick, Aikin, Drevicki, Cherry, and Olivia Thayer, all gunning for a podium.
Butler, of Milford, New Jersey, was not to be denied. He powered the Premier Lathing No. 5B under Nicole Flood’s twin checkers to claim his first ever USAC East Coast Sprint Car victory presented by Baer Den Farm. Drevicki came home second from eighth, while Aikin charged from 10th to finish third.
An emotional Butler shared in victory lane, “Even after the heat race win, I felt like I was missing something. I looked to my buddies like Steven Drevicki and was told to go basic and stop overthinking. I think I have been doing this all wrong all season, and I am so excited to be here.”
Three newcomers to the series were Dakota Schweikart, Mark Connoly and Joe Kata. Both Schweikart and Connoly were utilizing 305 motors, with Kata in a Maxim 360.
USAC IMT EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY BAER DEN FARMS RACE RESULTS: June 27, 2025 – Clinton County Speedway – Mill Hall Pennsylvania
E. SCHNEIDER & SONS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Bobby Butler (#5B Butler), 2. Bruce Buckwalter Jr. (#83 Buckwalter), 3. Richy Carnathan (#64 Carnathan), 4. Jason Cherry (#67 Cherry), 5. Lee Kauffman (#96 Kauffman), 6. Dale Schweikart (#78 Schweikart) 7. Jordan Fulton (#37 Fulton), 8. Gary Hutson (#44 Hutson) 9. Mike Haggenbottom (#51 Kelly). 2:31.94
BDB GRAPHICS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Steven Drevicki (#19 Drevicki), 2. Ronald Helmick (#22R Helmick), 3. Dakota Schweikart (#78c Schweikart), 4. Olivia Thayer (#39T Thayer), 5. Ed Aikin (#19 Aikin), 6. Joe Kata (#10 Kata), 7. Mark Connoly (#19c Connoly), 8. Brett Rose (#45R Rose). 2:31.14
AUTO BARN FEATURE: (25 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Bobby Butler (7), 2. Steven Drevicki (8), 3. Ed Aikin (10), 4. Jason Cherry (6), 5. Ronald Helmick (2), 6. Joe Kata (12), 7. Dale Schweikart (11), 8. Olivia Thayer (3), 9. Jordan Fulton (13), 10. Lee Kauffman (9), 11. Brett Rose (16), 12. Mike Haggenbottom (17), 13. Richy Carnathan (4), 14. Mark Connoly (14), 15. Gary Huston (15), 16. Bruce Buckwalter Jr. (1), 17. Dakota Schweikart (5), 18. Dirk Rimrott (18). NT
NEXT USAC IMT EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY BAER DEN FARMS RACE: June 28, 2025 – Selinsgrove Speedway – Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
CONTINGENCY AWARDS:
C & C Landscaping Hard Charger: Ed Aikin (10th to 3rd)
JPA Racing Products Hard Luck Award: Bruce Buckwalter Jr. (Flipped running 2nd)
Hoosier Tire Poker Chip Winner: Olivia Thayer
JW Home Improvements Highest 305 or Crate: Mark Connoly
Bitner Automotive Fast Time of the Night: Steven Drevicki (14.668)