WHAT A NIGHT AND WHAT A BATTLE – REIMERT DEFEATS KRESSLEY IN A CLASSIC ON SATURDAY NIGHT AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY
SPORTSMAN ROOKIE GAVYN KRUPP RUNS THE HIGH GROOVE TO SECOND WIN OF SEASON IN ENTERTAINING SPORTSMAN FEATURE, BAKER & PRATT SR. SCORE VINTAGE WINS
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Louden Reimert of Oley, Pa. and defending Track Champion Brett Kressley of Orefield, Pa. waged a tremendous battle for the win that will be talked about for weeks to come, but in the end, Reimert was able to hold off all of Kressley’s challenges to score his third T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modified feature win of the season in an exciting night of competition Saturday night at Grandview Speedway.
Reimert engaged in a torrid battle with Kressley over the final ten laps of the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified main event, with both drivers switching lanes on various laps, a couple of times the two drivers were side-by-side exchanging a little paint and rubbing wheels while fighting for the win.
The final five laps were very intense with Kressley throwing everything he had at Reimert, including being alongside of the leader with just six laps to go as they crossed the start/finish line, but Reimert held on to score the victory by just a couple of car lengths at the checkered.
T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman division rookie driver Gavyn Krupp of Barto, Pa. drove from a sixth place starting spot, circling the top lane of the speedway and into the lead with a daring outside groove move around another rookie driver Randy Graber of Boyertown, Pa. on lap thirteen, then survived a caution on lap 17 to motor on to his second win of the season in the division’s 25-lap feature race.
The winners received bonus money (Modified $300, Sportsman $200) from T.P. Trailers and Truck Equipment of Limerick, Pa., sponsors of the two divisions at Grandview Speedway, in a race program run under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner.
Eric Kormann of Carneys Point, N.J. took the lead at the start of the evening’s 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature race after some very exciting qualifying race action. Kormann would pull out to a huge advantage while John Willman of Birdsboro, Pa., Frank Yankowski of Throop, Pa., and Carrol Hine III of Reading, Pa. would be fighting for the next three positions.
Reimert, who started the feature in ninth spot, would quickly advance to fifth by lap four and join the action up front.
A caution on lap eleven would reset the field, with tenth starting Kressley sitting in eleventh spot at that point. Following this restart, Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa. and Jared Umbenhauer of Richland, Pa. would begin to charge toward the front, with Manmiller reaching third and Umbenhauer fifth when another pair of cautions would fly on lap fourteen.
Between laps eleven and fourteen, Reimert would steadily advance through the top five spots and reach second behind leader Kormann, which set up a race changing restart.
The lap fourteen restart would see Reimert battle Kormann side-by-side for the lead, almost a full lap before Reimert would secure the lead on the backstretch on lap fifteen.
The race was then on for the top spots, as Manmiller and Umbenhauer continued to advance battling with Kormann, Yankowski and Justin Grim of Orefield, Pa., while Kressley who was in eighth on the restart, would really start advancing, reaching fifth by lap 16.
Reimert began to slowly pull out to a small lead, while Kressley continued his charge forward, getting by Umbenhauer for fourth on lap 17, Kormann for third on lap 18 and Manmiller for second on lap 20 setting up what would be a final ten lap shootout.
Kressley quickly caught leader Reimert and the race was on for the top spot, while 16th starting Craig Von Dohren of Oley, Pa. and 22nd starting Mike Gular of Boyertown, Pa. were also on the move, reaching the top ten by lap twenty.
Reimert was leading using the bottom groove of the race track, while Kressley would close in using the top lane. Kressley caught Reimert and made a move for the lead on lap 24, with the two side-by-side at the flagstand, bumping together and rubbing wheels as they entered turn one fighting for the lead.
A late caution would appear for a tangle involving fifth and sixth running Von Dohren and Gular, with Gular doing a complete spin and attempting to continue, but he stopped with a flat tire, which was also the same fate for Von Dohren, sending both to the pits for a quick tire change. Both drivers returned and all the fans were now watching the front and back of the pack for the final six lap shootout.
Following the restart the great race up front continued, as Reimert now knew he had a challenger. Reimert would mix it up each lap, running one lap high and the next low in the corners, and changing his entry on each end of the track, while Kressley would take the opposite groove trying everything he could to get by.
After the final five wild and exciting laps of intense racing, Reimert would maintain the top spot and edge Kressley for the win, his third of the season and of his Grandview career.
Following Reimert and Kressley to the finish were Manmiller, a late race charging Jeff Strunk of Boyertown, Pa. who started in 25th spot, Umbenhauer, Justin Grim, Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa., Kormann, Yankowski, and Jimmy Leiby of West Milford, N.J. who recovered from a spin on lap fourteen to finish in the top ten.
Qualifying heats for the 36 cars on hand were won by Manmiller, Ron Haring Jr. of Alburtis, Pa., Kormann, and Yankowski, while Ryan Grim of Laurys Station, Pa. and Gular won the consolations.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature was just as entertaining as the Modified main event, and Randy Graber took the early lead, with BJ Joly III of Oley, Pa. second, followed by a three car race for third between Stephen Laubach of Bangor, Pa., Lawson Szerencits of Catasauqua, Pa., and Gavyn Krupp.
Krupp sat in fourth for a number of laps, while another multi-car race was happening behind him for position between Zane Roth of Slatington, Pa., Troy Bollinger of Palmerton, Pa., Mark Mohr of Macungie, Pa., and Mark Kemmerer pf Green Lane, Pa.
Krupp would eventually make his move forward, grabbing third from Laubach on lap eight, second from Joly III on lap ten and set sail after leader Graber, who was setting a steady pace up front.
Krupp caught Graber on lap twelve, and continuing his charge around the top groove of the track would make a move out of turn four, moving alongside of Graber at the flag stand, and completing his daring pass entering turn one following the halfway signal.
Joly III and Szerencits would continue to fight for third, while Laubach, Roth, Kemmerer and a fast moving Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa. along with Mike Schneck Jr. of Lebanon, Pa. would both join in the action up front.
The race would have its first caution on lap 17, with Krupp leading followed by Graber, Joly III, Szerencits and Watt.
The restart saw several drivers gain positions including Szerencits to second, Roth to fifth, Schneck Jr. to sixth, and out of nowhere, Addison Meitzler of Kempton, Pa. advanced into the top ten.
The final laps of the race saw Krupp maintain a small but safe lead over Szerencits, while Graber, Joly III, Roth, Schneck Jr., Meitzler, Watt and Dylan Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa. were all circling the track in a tight group fighting for the top spots down to the wire.
At the checkered flag, Krupp would score his second win of his rookie season, followed by Szerencits, who would lose second in post-race tech inspection, Randy Graber for his career best finish, Meitzler who was still moving forward at the finish, Watt, Joly III for his best run of the year, Swinehart, a late run by Jesse Hirthler of Boyertown, Pa., Roth, Schneck Jr., and Brian HIrthler of Green Lane, Pa. who advanced from 24th starting spot.
Penske Racing Shocks of Reading, Pa. awarded product certificates to the top three finishers in the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature, worth $75, $50, and $25 respectively, won by Krupp, Graber and Meitzler.
Qualifying heats for the 39 cars on hand were won by Szerencits, Joly III, Bollinger and Roth with Jesse Hirthler and Adrianna Delliponti of Norristown, Pa. winning the consolations.
The Outlaw Racing Series Vintage cars were on hand, with Rich Baker leading the entire feature, and surviving a late race challenge from Gage Phillips to score the feature race win as the first Modified car across the line. Richie Pratt Sr. charged from last starting spot to finish in sixth spot, and score the win as the first Sportsman across at the finish.
The top five finishers were Baker, Phillips, Mike Hautaling, Jr. Mikosz and Scott Schaffer at the checkered.
Grandview Speedway will be presenting another NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series program next week featuring the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman.
The show on Saturday, June 29 will include qualifying events for both classes leading into a 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature and a 25-lap feature for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, warm-ups starting at 6:15 pm, and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 7:30 pm.
Adult grandstand admission is $20, students 10-15 with ID are $10, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $35 for NASCAR members and $45 for non-members.
The next Thunder on the Hill Racing Series event is fast approaching on Tuesday, July 2 with a visit by the powerful 410 Sprint Cars of the Pennsylvania Posse competing in the 34th running of PA Sprint Car Speed Week. The Speed Week event at Grandview pays $10,000 to the winner and is titled the Hodnett Cup, saluting the late driver who is one of the all-time winningest 410 Sprint drivers in Grandview history. The program will be sponsored by HVAC Distributors Partners for Success, and the Tuesday night show will also include the 358 Modifieds, for another outstanding two-division race program.
A very popular event from last season will allow race fans to take a trip down memory lane on Saturday, July 6, when Grandview Speedway presents 90’s night, which was a huge hit last season.
The highlight of the night will see the grandstand admission reduced to 1990’s pricing, as fans will pay just $10 for a complete night of T.P. Trailer Modified and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman competition.
Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through October, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa.
Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688.
T.P. TRAILER NASCAR MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (30 laps): LOUDEN REIMERT, Brett Kressley, Doug Manmiller, Jeff Strunk, Jared Umbenhauer, Justin Grim, Ryan Watt, Eric Kormann, Frank Yankowski, Jimmy Leiby, John Willman, Duane Howard, Craig Von Dohren, Carroll Hine III, Eddie Strada, Mike Gular, Eric Biehn, Ryan Grim, Michael Storms, Kevin Hirthler, Tim Buckwalter, Kevin Graver Jr., Jon Kellner, Darrin Schuler, Mike Lisowski, Ron Haring Jr., Chris Esposito, Craig Whitmoyer
DID NOT QUALIFY: Ray Swinehart, Ryan Beltz, Bryan Rhoads, Cody Manmiller, Bob Trapper Sr., Kyle Smith, Mike Laise, Michael Toth
T.P. TRAILERS WINNER’S BONUS ($300): Louden Reimert
VP RACING FUELS HARD CHARGER: Jeff Strunk +21
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Louden Reimert
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): GAVYN KRUPP, Randy Graber, Addison Meitzler, Logan Watt, BJ Joly III, Dylan Swinehart, Jesse Hirthler, Zane Roth, Mike Schneck Jr., Brian Hirthler, Nathan Mohr, Mike Stofflet, Mark Mohr, Ryan Graver, Kyle Hartzell, Teague Miller, Adrianna Delliponti, Mark Gaugler, Troy Bollinger, Kaitlyn Bailey, Stephen Laubach, Mark Kemmerer, Colton Perry, TJ Mayberry, Shannon Slaughter, DQ – Lawson Szerencits
DID NOT QUALIFY: Jared LaBagh, Brett Grim, Brett Gilmore, Logan Bauman, Ronnie Solomon, Brayden Shelton, Steve Young, Parker Guldin, Kenny Bock, Alex Bartorillo, Jay Garris, Nate Horn, Dennis Graber
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT WINNER’S BONUS ($200): Gavyn Krupp
GRANDVIEW $100 HARD CHARGER: Brian Hirthler +14
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: Gavyn Krupp ($75), Randy Graber ($50), Addison Meitzler ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Gavyn Krupp
OUTLAW RACING SERIES VINTAGE FEATURE FINISH (15 laps): RICH BAKER, Gage Phillips, Mike Houtaling, Jr. Mikosz, Scott Schaffer, RICHIE PRATT SR., Jake Foster, Kevin Kuser, Matt Smith, Curt Neiman, Steve Hahn, Sven Olsen
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Saturday, June 29 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm
Tuesday, July 2 – THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES – 34th annual Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Car Speed Week Series – $10,000 to win 410 Sprint Hodnett Cup, 358 Modifieds* - 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 6 – BACK TO THE 90’S NIGHT - $10 GRANDSTAND ADMISSION - T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm
Friday, July 12 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 7 pm
Saturday, July 13 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, 54th annual FIRECRACKER 40 – T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman 40 laps – 7:30 pm |
