The Fab Four returned to Lernerville Speedway Friday night underneath beautiful sunny skies and a full moon. But despite it's presence, the action on the track went smoothly as Mat Williamson, Carl Bowser and Alex Ferree each tacked on another victory to their 2015 win totals while 2014 Sportsman Stock champion Jim Fosnaught took his first checkered flag of the campaign in dramatic fashion following a thrilling duel with points leader Corey McPherson.
Diehl Automotive Group Modifieds
Mat Williamson had victory snatched from him last week at the Modified Mania special event by Rex King Jr who took home the win in a fantastic finish. This week, the racing gods smiled upon Williamson as lady luck went his way during his fourth victory of the season. However, Williamson put himself in position to be the benefactor.
Rex King Sr and Garrett Krummert made up the front row of the main event and it was Krummert who took the early lead going to the outside of King Sr on lap 1. Behind him, King Jr, Steve Feder and Rodney Beltz were all set to chase Krummert down forming a pack behind the leaders. But the chase was futile as Krummert stretched out to a three plus second advantage. Krummert used the high side to set the blistering pace of the initial stages of the race which would see him also maneuver through lapped traffic with ease.
Meanwhile, Williamson would start to close in on fourth running Kevin Bolland. The two drivers then engaged in a tight battle for the position which Bolland would yield to Williamson on lap 9. As the race wound down, and with no caution flags in sight, it appeared that Krummert was well on his way to his second victory of the season. Williamson then managed to get around King Sr on lap 17 to take the second spot but was still a good length behind Krummert with precious few laps remaining.
Krummert looked to be in strict command, until his drive shaft failed him on lap 20, giving the lead to Williamson who would not relinquish it the rest of the way en route to the victory. Jeremiah Shingledecker finished an amazing charge to the front for a second place finish from his 11th starting spot. But the night belonged to Williamson who worked forward from his 10th spot at the drop of the green flag, to enable him to take advantage of Krummert's disaster.
"I've lost races like that," Williamson said referring to Krummert's misfortune. "You never want to see that happen to anybody, but when you can win them like this, they still count. We had a phenomenal race car tonight and we're on a bit of a roll here so we just want to keep it going into August."
Top 10:
1. Mat Williamson
2. Jeremiah Shingledecker
3. Rex King Jr
4. Rex King Sr
5. Steve Feder
6. Dave Murdick
7. Kevin Bolland
8. Tom Winkle
9. Mike Turner
10. Rick Regalski
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| Pat Miller Photo |
Peoples TWP Sprint Cars
Carl Bowser had the car and the starting spot to beat Friday night in sprint action, earning his fourth victory of the season in a race that saw him lead from green to checkered flags.
Bowser took to the early lead from the pole with AJ Flick and Jack Sodeman Jr firmly behind him in the early going. Sodeman Jr then managed to get around Flick on lap three. Behind them, a strong running Brandon Matus, who'd looked particularly strong in his heat race effort, began making a run towards the front from his 7th starting position. But as the pack behind him began their chase, Bowser had checked out to a commanding lead as he encountered lapped traffic and dispatched it with ease, racing to clean air as quickly as possible. Sodeman Jr had begun to shave some tenth's off Bowser's lead when a spinning Eric L Williams in turn two managed to keep his car on the track, and right in the way of Jack Sodeman Jr. The caution flag stayed in the flag stand for the time being and Sodeman's charge took a backward step
The caution flag would wave on lap 12, and on the ensuing restart, Sodeman briefly appeared to be able to engage in a battle for the lead, but Bowser was too strong and pounded the top side of the speedway with authority as he faced one final swarm of lapped traffic at the lap 18 mark. Bowser would then survive one final caution and restart when Mike Miller spun in turn four, taking away a Brandon Matus pass of Sodeman Jr for the second spot.
On the final restart, Sodeman Jr went directly to the bottom to find any grip he could but he came up short on his bid to snatch the win from Bowser.
"This one's a credit to the crew, they did a phenomenal job tonight," Bowser said in victory lane. "I saw Jack a few times on the restarts and I knew he'd be tough and I knew he'd probably be on the bottom but I could roll the top pretty nicely so I just put it up there."
Top 10:
1. Carl Bowser
2. Jack Sodeman
3. Brandon Matus
4. Brent Matus
5. AJ Flick
6. Eric Williams
7. Ralph Spithaler
8. Dan Shetler
9. Scott Priester
10. Dan Kuriger
Precise Late Models
There's only one way to forget a bad week at the office, have a great one then following week. Alex Ferree did just that and a little more Friday night in taking his third victory of the season.
Chuck Sarver got out to the early lead as Kenny Schaltenbrand, Ferree and Michael Norris formed a formidable chase pack behind him. Ferree made his way around on Sarver on lap five as would Schaltenbrand, but Ferree then proceeded to stretched out a sizeable advantage in the early part of the race. Behind him, Norris and Schaltenbrand would partake in a hard fought battle for the second spot that continued for the majority of the 25 lap feature. Schaltenbrand would work the very bottom of the surface while Norris kept his office towards the cushion and both of them were within a tenth of a second of each other lap after lap. Meanwhile, Jared Miley and Matt Lux began making charges towards the top five.
The only thing left in Ferree's way was a small amount of lapped traffic barely seemed to phase him over the closing laps as Norris would finally win the battle for second and Schaltenbrand would round out the podium. .
Ferree's third victory came with a bonus of $1,000 courtesy of ERacers Go Kart Park, and in victory lane, Ferree explained what a difference a week can make.
"We definitely got lucky tonight, Jared's been fast all year and Kenny was really good in the beginning, but there's a lot of fast guys here and to beat those guys on a night like tonight was fun," Ferree remarked. "The track was interesting but a lot of fun and a lot of good racing out there tonight. I was a little hot under the collar last time out, and you've got to stay cool and collected and I got a little mad and I drove like it. But when you hone down and keep your cool and drive the way you need to drive you can be fast."
Top 10
1. Alex Feree
2. Michael Norris
3. Kenny Schaltenbrand
4. Jared Miley
5. Matt Lux
6. Gary Lyle
7. Chuck Sarver
8. Andrew Wylie
9. Tommy Beck
10. Dan Swartzlander
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| Pat Miller Photo |
Millerstown Pic a Part Sportsman Stocks:
Jim Fosnaught had yet to taste victory lane in 2015 after several near misses and heartbreaking endings. But on this night he ran down points leader Cory McPherson like a man on a mission en route to pay dirt.
Brett McDonald and Terry Young made up the front row of the 20 lap feature event, but were passed from the outset by one Joe Kelley. Behind him, Cory McPherson began to make his move to the front. And the two engaged in a battle for the lead that would see McPherson up high and Kelley in his normal position at the bottom of the surface.
The caution flag came out on lap six when Noah Brunell spun in turn four and on the ensuing restart, McPherson appeared to take the lead on the high side, but Kelley drew even in turns three and four and the two drivers found themselves stalemated for the majority of the race, taking turns in the lead at the flag stand. Fosnaught then went to the bottom and and found some bite as McPherson slowed slightly after some brushes with the cushion. McPherson appeared to be losing just enough traction and momentum off the top as the race wore on, to allow Fosnaught to creep closer lap by lap as he made his way around Joe Kelley with six laps to go.
"It took us all year to figure out that we had some issues, break issues, carb issues, and we've been chasing some setup issues too," Fosnaught said. "The track was slick tonight, but every week it's been different and I thought Cory had me there for a minute when he was up top but it must have went away on him."
Top 10:
1. Jim Fosnaught
2. Joe Kelley
3. Mark Sanders
4. Joey Zambotti
5. Wayne Carbo
6. Paul Schreckengost
7. Brett McDonald
8. Brandon Wearing
9. Terry Young
10. Jeff Miller
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