McIntyre takes first-ever in "358" sprint; Neiderer third first-time winner of the night in thundercars
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA , 4/11/09 - It was a night for first time winners at Lincoln Speedway Saturday night.
First it was U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Doug Dodson, who drove away from runner-up Lance Dewease on an 18th-lap restart to score a 3.28-second win over one of Central PA’s all-time greats.
Then it was Gerard McIntyre, who started on the pole and led every lap of the 20-lap "358" sprint car feature. Larry Neiderer made it a perfect night for first-time winners in the thundercar feature.
"This is great!" said a jubilant Dodson after climbing from the Dodson family sprinter in victory lane, "I knew starting fourth and the way they watered the top that it was going to be a blast around the top...get to the front...and hold on. That was my game plan, and it worked out great."
Dodson started fourth, took to the top side to move into second by the end of the first lap, and stayed on the top side to drive around polesitter Pat Cooper for the race lead in turns three and four of lap four.
Though he led the rest of the way, his run was not without its moments. Just before the leaders hit lapped traffic on lap 10, Dodson lost the handle exiting turn two and smacked the outside guardrail in the middle of the backstretch. He gathered it back in and stayed in front of sixth-starting Lance Dewease until the first caution of the event came out for a spinning Niki Young on turn four of lap 13.
"That ranked pretty high on the ole’ pucker factor," said Dodson of the backstretch guardrail contact, "But the car stayed in one piece. That’s what happens when you’re running on the edge, though."
"I can’t say enough about this team," Dodson added, "We jive so well together. Scott and Chris Dietz came on board (as sponsors) along, and Scott Hess put an awesome set-up on it. We get along so well and I knew we’d end up succeeding. The feeling is something that’s indescribable."
"I’m sure you’ve all heard the slogan ‘One week of the month, two weeks of the year.’ Well that keeps me out of racing one week of the month, two weeks of the year," explained Dodson about his periodic absence from Lincoln sprint car action.
Dewease, who passed Cooper for second on lap nine, pulled onto the back bumper of the C.C. Dietz Co./Crockett Log & Timber Frame Homes #43 for the restart, and put heavy pressure on Dodson over the next five laps before the caution came out for a spinning Jeff Busby in turns one and two of lap 18.
On the restart, Dodson pulled away from the field, steering to a 2.08-second lead by the end of lap 20. He pulled away over the final five laps. In doing so, Dodson piloted the first Mopar-powered sprint car to a win in Lincoln Speedway history.
Dewease settled for second, with Jim Siegel, 16th-starting Brian Montieth, and Cooper rounding out the top five. Completing the top ten were front row starter Bill Stine, Brian Leppo, Tim Glatfelter, Cris Eash, and Alan Krimes.
It was a tough night for points leader Cody Darrah (who started 12th and finished 11th), 10-time track champ Fred Rahmer (who qualified through the consi, started 22nd, and finished 14th), and Doug Esh (who qualified through the consi, started 23rd, and finished 17th), and one-time winner Jeff Busby (who started 17th and finished 19th).
Heats for the 28 "410" sprinters were won by Dodson, Leppo, and Dewease, with Danny Dietrich winning the consolation.
Gerard McIntyre, Jr. repeated Dodson’s feat in the "358" sprint feature, scoring his first career win after drawing the number one pill for the start and following Glenndon Forsythe for three laps before taking the lead and driving away from the field.
Only a red flag for a flipping Jason Cherry on lap 14 and a caution for a stopped Austin Reed on lap 17 slowed the action. McIntyre pulled away over the final four laps to claim a 1.35-second win over Forsythe, with Nicole Bower, Tim Berkheimer, and Billy Dietrich completing the top five.
Rounding out the top ten were Dale Hammaker, Todd Rittenhouse Jr., Scott Geesey, Tim Wagaman, and Kevin Nagy.
Heats for the 33 "358" Sprints were won by Nagy, Bower, Dietrich, and Wagaman, with Brad McClelland winning the consolation.
Larry Neiderer made it a hat trick for first-time winners in the 20-lap thundercar feature, taking the lead from race-long leader Danny Beard and withstanding a couple of late cautions to edge Beard by less than a car length. Defending track champ Sam Gallagher came from 12th-starting spot to finish third, with former track champ Duane Watson and Kyle Martin fourth and fifth.
Heats for the 21 thundercars were won by Will Walls, Danny Beard, and Gino Comi.
Next Saturday, April 18th, Lincoln Speedway will switch to 7 PM starts for the remainder of the season with the Lawrence Chevrolet 410 Sprints being joined by the 305 sprints and the Central PA Legends. Gates will open at 5 PM with Hotlaps getting underway at 6:30 PM.
To get all the latest news, results, schedule changes and rule changes, visit Lincoln Speedway's website at http://www.lincolnspeedway.com to stay up-to-date on all the action or pending weather conditions at Central Pennsylvania's "Premier" Saturday night race track - The Fabulous Lincoln Speedway.
RACE RESULTS
Saturday - April 11, 2009
LINCOLN SPEEDWAY
Abbottstown, PA
LAWRENCE CHEVROLET 410 SPRINTS:
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 43-Doug Dodson ($3,000); 2. 30C-Lance Dewease; 3. 59-Jim Siegel; 4. 21-Brian Montieth; 5. 26-Pat Cooper; 6. 71X-Bill Stine; 7. 71-Brian Leppo; 8. 39T-Tim Glatfelter; 9. 17e-Cris Eash; 10. 87-Alan Krimes; 11. 89-Cody Darrah; 12. 55-Chad Layton; 13. 19M-Brent Marks; 14. 51-Fred Rahmer; 15. 15-Adam Wilt; 16. 16-Gerard McIntyre Jr.; 17. 39-Doug Esh; 18. 11C-Cory Haas; 19. 47J-Jeff Busby; 20. 22Z-Justin Henderson; 21. 88-Danny Dietrich; 22. 7C-Chad Trout (DNF); 23. 65-Johnny Mackison Jr. (DNF); 24. 98-Niki Young (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders - Pat Cooper (1-3), Doug Dodson (4-25)
1st Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 43-Doug Dodson; 2. 26-Pat Cooper; 3. 15-Adam Wilt; 4. 17E-Cris Eash; 5. 55-Chad Layton; 6. 21-Brian Montieth; 7. 6K-Chris Knopp; 8. 11C-Cory Haas; 9. 41-Scott Geesey; 10. 7-Ed Aikin. Time - 2:45.247
2nd Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 71-Brian Leppo; 2. 7C-Chad Trout; 3. 71X-Bill Stine; 4. 22Z-Justin Henderson; 5. 87-Alan Krimes; 6. 47J-Jeff Busby; 7. 88-Danny Dietrich; 8. 39-Doug Esh; 9. 4-John Rudisill. Time - 2:44.580
3rd Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 30C-Lance Dewease; 2. 39T-Tim Glatfelter; 3. 59-Jim Siegel; 4. 89-Cody Darrah; 5. 19M-Brent Marks; 6. 65-Johnny Mackison, Jr.; 7. 98-Niki Young; 8. 16-Gerard McIntyre, Jr.; 9. 51-Fred Rahmer. Time - 2:44.672
Consolation (10 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 88-Danny Dietrich; 2. 98-Niki Young; 3. 11C-Cory Haas; 4. 51-Fred Rahmer; 5. 39-Doug Esh; 6. 16-Gerard McIntyre Jr.; 7. 6K-Chris Knopp; 8. 7-Ed Aikin; 9. 4-John Rudisill; DNS - 41-Scott Geesey. Time - 2:45.653
KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS 358 SPRINTS:
Feature (20-Laps) - 1. 16-Gerard McIntyre Jr. ($1,000); 2. 5T-Glenndon Forsythe Jr.; 3. 75-Nicole Bower; 4. 50-Tim Berkheimer; 5. 8-Billy Dietrich; 6. 66-Dale Hammaker; 7. 23-Todd Rittenhouse Jr.; 8. 1W-Scott Geesey; 9. 1-Tim Wagaman; 10. 45-Kevin Nagy; 11. 66N-Nate Hammaker; 12. 99-Joe Trone Jr.; 13. 11T-Eric Tomecek; 14. 6-Brad McClelland; 15. 97-Brie Hershey; 16. 1S-Logan Schuhart; 17. 52-Amy Ott; 18. 69R-Randy Rhoads; 19. 66H-Doug Hammaker; 20. 34-Austin Reed (DNF); 21. 27-Jay Galloway (DNF); 22. 33T-Todd Spangler (DNF); 23. 28-Keith Prutzman (DNF); 24. 67-Jason Cherry (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders - Glenndon Forsythe (1-3), Gerard McIntyre Jr. (4-20)
1st Heat (10 Laps/5 to qualify) - 1. 45-Kevin Nagy; 2. 16-Gerard McIntyre Jr.; 3. 34-Austin Reed; 4. 66N-Nate Hammaker; 5. 52-Amy Ott; 6. 1S-Logan Schuhart; 7. 69R-Randy Rhoads; 8. 51N-Nick Palmerino; 9. 18J-Jesse Morrison. Time - 2:35.29
2nd Heat (10 Laps/5 to qualify) - 1. 75-Nicole Bower; 2. 5T-Glenndon Forsythe; 3. 66-Dale Hammaker; 4. 1W-Scott Geesey; 5. 27-Jay Galloway; 6. 6-Brad McClelland; 7. 67-Jason Cherry; 8. 20S-Derek Sell (DNF). Time - 2:39.09
3rd Heat (10 Laps/5 to qualify) - 1. 8-Billy Dietrich; 2. 23-Todd Rittenhouse Jr.; 3. 50-Tim Berkheimer; 4. 11T-Eric Tomecek; 5. 28-Keith Prutzman; 6. 6S-Bill Sherman; 7. 22-Bob Anderson; 8. 9H-Johnny Hagen (DNF). No Time
4th Heat (10 Laps/5 to qualify) - 1. 1-Tim Wagaman; 2. 99-Joe Trone Jr.; 3. 33T-Todd Spangler; 4. 97-Brie Hershey; 5. 66H-Doug Hammaker; 6. 27S-Stewart Smith; 7. 99M-Kyle Moody (DNF); 8. 5-Ricky Stonebraker (DNF). No Time
Consolation (10 Laps/4 to qualify)- 1. 6-Brad McClelland; 2. 1S-Logan Schuhart; 3. 69R-Randy Rhoads; 4. 67-Jason Cherry; 5. 51N-Nick Palmerino; 6. 18J-Jesse Morrison; 7. 99M-Kyle Moody; 8. 9-Johnny Hagan; 9. 27S-Stewart Smith; 10. 22-Bob Anderson; 11. 6S-Bill Sherman; 12. 20S-Derek Sell; DNS - 5-Ricky Stonebraker. No Time
THUNDERCARS:
Feature (20-Laps) - 1. 21N-Larry Neiderer; 2. 60-Danny Beard; 3. 25-Sam Gallagher; 4. 3W-Duane Watson; 5. 54-Kyle Martin; 6. 57-Brad Shank; 7. 54J-Jimmy Combs; 8. 2W-Brian Walls; 9. X-Bernie Beard; 10. 53J-Josh Ulrich; 11. 93-Mikey Guise; 12. 70-Rick Weaver; 13. 15X-Art Schwarz; 14. 61-Mike Slaybaugh; 15. 92-Scott Yount (DNF); 16. 3-Todd Miller (DNF); 17. 21-Will Walls (DNF); 18. 33-Gino Comi (DNF); 19. 8J-Justin Bittle (DNF); 20. 9-Al Crammer (DNF); 21. 1Z-Don Zechman (DNF); 22. 77-Justin Mong (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders - Danny Beard (1-16); Larry Neiderer (17-20)
1st Heat (8 Laps) - 1. 21-Will Walls; 2. 21N-Larry Neiderer; 3. 3-Todd Miller; 4. 3W-Duane Watson; 5. 61-Mike Slaybaugh; 6. X-Bernie Beard; 7. 57-Brad Shank; 8. 92-Scott Yount. No Time
2nd Heat (8 Laps) - 1. 60-Danny Beard; 2. 25-Sam Gallagher; 3. 2W-Brian Walls; 4. 70-Rick Weaver; 5. 93-Mikey Guise; 6. 15X-Art Schwarz; 7. 53J-Josh Ulrich. Time - 2:43.16
3rd Heat (8 Laps) - 1. 33-Gino Comi; 2. 9-Al Crammer; 3. 54-Kyle Martin; 4. 54J-Jimmy Combs; 5. 1Z-Don Zechman; 6. 8J-Justin Bittle (DNF); DNS - 77-Justin Mong. No Time
