Bobby Beard best of talent-laden 358 late model field; Will Walls win thundercar thriller over Gino Comi
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA , 7/25/09 - Matt Boland took advantage of a spin by the leader to assume the race lead and drive away to his first career Lincoln win in the "358" sprint car feature Saturday night.
Boland’s race-winning move may have come on the first lap, when he drove around third-starting Nicole Bower and second-starting Keith Prutzman to move into second. He was in a solid runner-up spot when leader Derek Sell spun while battling lapped cars in turn two of lap nine.
That put the Dover driver in the lead for the restart, and Boland drove a flawless race the rest of the way to cross 1.82 seconds ahead of 11th-starting Jeff Rohrbaugh. Rohrbaugh was nearly three seconds behind Boland when he drove under Doug Hammaker for second on lap 14. Though he closed on Boland, the defending Lincoln champ was unable to mount a challenge.
"I figured out after a while here at Lincoln that you don’t win until the checkered falls, and I don’t get excited until now!" said a happy Boland upon exiting his Trail Motors/ABC 27 sprinter in victory lane, "This is last year’s car, but we just put it together for this week. This is the first time out with it."
Doug Hammaker completed his best-ever Lincoln run in third, with Prutzman and ninth-starting Kevin Nagy completing the top five. Sixth through tenth were Glenndon Forsythe, 13th-starting Adrian Shaffer, Bower, points leader Dale Hammaker (who won one of the consolation events and started 18th), and Eric Tomecek.
Heats for the 37 "358" Sprints were won by Doug Hammaker, Kyle Moody, Boland, and Prutzman, with Jay Galloway and Dale Hammaker winning twin consolations.
Bobby Beard scored his first Lincoln win of the year in the 20-lap "358" late model feature. Like Boland in the sprints, Beard started fourth and moved into the runner-up spot on the first lap. He then drove under polesitter Roy Miller for the lead on lap two and led the rest of the way.
With the win, Beard got a leg up on his fellow competitors in the three-night Lincoln/Williams Grove/ Trail-Way "Shootout" paying a $500 bonus to the race team that has the best combined finishes from all three tracks. The "Shootout" series, sponsored by Staub Brothers, Frankie’s Used Auto Parts, Chaz’s Used Auto Parts, Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic, and Insinger Performance, will continue next Saturday (8/1) at Williams Grove and conclude at Trail-Way Speedway on Friday, August 14th.
Though he had some handling problems in turn four, Beard was able to pull away down the front stretch each lap. Mike Walls , who started seventh, caught D.J. Mease for second on lap 19, with Mease crossing third, Shaun Jones fourth, and Bernie Beard fifth. Sixth through tenth were Miller, 21st-starting Craig Wagaman, Cory Houck, Gene Knaub, and 18th-starting Robby Garlock.
Knaub came from the back after getting caught up in a four-car tangle in turns one and two of the opening lap.
Heats for the 32 "358" Late Models were won by Mike Walls, Bobby Beard, and Jake Lettich, with Mike Spangler winning the consolation.
Gettysburg’s Will Walls led only a few feet of the 20 lap thundercar feature, but they were the one’s that counted the most. Wall’s stalked race-long leader Gino Comi over the second half of the feature as Comi stayed glued to the inside line. Walls, who started fourth battled five-time 2009 winner Duane Watson for the runner up spot for several laps before breaking free of that battle with about five laps to go.
Walls drove through the middle of the turns as the laps wound down with Comi determined to block the bottom. Then with the checkered flag waving, Walls drove off the top of turn four and raced side-by-side with Comi to the checkered with Walls inching ahead at the line for the popular win.
Comi settled for second, with new point leader Watson in third, polesitter Al Crammer fourth and Brian Walls fifth. Completing the top-10 were Danny Beard, Bernie Beard, 19th-starting Marshal McMullen, Scott Yount, and David Prunkl.
Heats for the 25 Thundercars were won by Jimmy Combs, Crammer, and Comi.
Next Saturday night, August 1st, Lincoln Speedway will host another three-division show headlining the Keizer Aluminum Wheels 358 Sprints, along with the 305 Sprints and Central PA Legends.
Gates open at 5 PM, with warm-ups getting underway at 6:30 PM and the first heat taking the green flag at 7 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
Sat., July 25, 2009
LINCOLN SPEEDWAY
Abbottstown, PA
KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS 358 SPRINTS
Feature (20-Laps) - 1. 22T-Matt Boland; 2. 7V-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 3. 66H-Doug Hammaker; 4. 28-Keith Prutzman; 5. 45-Kevin Nagy; 6. 5T-Glenndon Forsythe; 7. 91-Adrian Shaffer; 8. 75-Nicole Bower; 9. 66-Dale Hammaker; 10. 11T-Eric Tomecek; 11. 6-Brad McClelland; 12. 41-Chris Shuttlesworth (Alt.); 13. 66N-Nate Hammaker; 14. 99-Joe Trone Jr.; 15. 27-Jay Galloway; 16. 23B-Jim Bewley; 17. 97-Brie Hershey (DNF); 18. 1-Tim Wagaman (DNF); 19. 20S-Derek Sell (DNF); 20. 15B-John Barnett (DNF); 21. 20-Dustin Brown (DNF); 22. 34-Austin Reed (DNF); 23. 8-Billy Dietrich (DNF); 24. 22M-Brian Garland (DNF); DNS - 99M-Kyle Moody. No Time
Lap Leaders - Derek Sell (1-8), Mat Boland (9-20)
1st Heat (10 Laps/4 to qualify) - 1. 66H-Doug Hammaker; 2. 34-Austin Reed; 3. 75-Nicole Bower; 4. 91-Adrian Shaffer; 5. 0-Steve Storrie; 6. 27-Jay Galloway; 7. 23B-Jim Bewley; 8. 22M-Brian Garland; 9. 20-Dustin Brown. No Time
2nd Heat (10 Laps/4 to qualify) - 1. 99M-Kyle Moody; 2. 45-Kevin Nagy; 3. 8-Billy Dietrich; 4. 97-Brie Hershey; 5. 33T-Todd Spangler; 6. 9W-Johnny Hagan; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart (DNF); 8. 50-Tim Berkheimer (DNF); 9. U1-Billy Heltzel III (DNF). No Time
3rd Heat (10 Laps/4 to qualify) - 1. 22T-Matt Boland; 2. 20S-Derek Sell; 3. 5T-Glenndon Forsythe; 4. 1-Tim Wagaman; 5. 66-Dale Hammaker; 6. 66N-Nate Hammaker; 7. 51N-Nick Palmerino; 8. 15B-John Barnett; 9. 6S-Bill Sherman. No Time
4th Heat (10 Laps/4 to qualify) - 1. 28-Keith Prutzman; 2. 7V-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 3. 99-Joe Trone, Jr.; 4. 6-Brad McClelland; 5. 11T-Eric Tomecek; 6. 08-Jason Clauss; 7. 94-Ted Thomas, Jr.; 8. 41-Chris Shuttlesworth; 9. 38-Mike Ressler. Time - 2:34.38
1st Consolation (5 Laps/4 to qualify)- 1. 27-Jay Galloway; 2. 22M-Brian Garland; 3. 23B-Jim Bewley; 4. 20-Dustin Brown; 5. 0-Steve Storrie (DNF); 6. 33T-Mike Spangler (DNF); 7. 9H-Johnny Hagan (DNF); DNS - 1S-Logan Schuchart, 50-Tim Berkheimer, U1-Billy Heltzel III, 65-Cale Griffin. Time - 1:20.11 (New 5-Lap Track Record, old record of 1:23.02 was set by Todd Reed on 7/10/99.
2nd Consolation (10 Laps/4 to qualify)- 1. 66-Dale Hammaker; 2. 11T-Eric Tomecek; 3. 66N-Nate Hammaker; 4. 15B-John Barnett; 5. 41-Chris Shuttlesworth; 6. 08-Jason Clauss; 7. 38-Mike Ressler; 8. 6S-Bill Sherman; 9. 94-Ted Thomas (DNF); 10. 51N-Nick Palmerino (DNF). No Time
358 LATE MODELS
Feature (20-Laps) - 1. 81S-Bobby Beard; 2. 1W-Mike Walls; 3. 18-DJ Mease; 4. 17G-Shaun Jones; 5. 24-Bernie Beard; 6. M1-Roy Miller; 7. 30-Craig Wagaman; 8. 96-Cory Houck; 9. 1-Gene Knaub; 10. 88-Robby Garlock; 11. 17-Jake Lettich; 12. 99W-Chaz Walls; 13. 64-Grant Adams; 14. 5Glenn Elliott; 15. 9W-Steve Weikel; 16. 21Z-Cam Zeigler; 17. 28-Mike Spangler; 18. 83-Cody Fairchok; 19. 07-Bob Stough; 20. 39-Scott Fisher (DNF); 21. 21-Derrick Zirkle (DNF); 22. 54-Roy Warehime, Jr. (DNF); 23. 5H-Matt Henry (DNF); 24. 21J-John Baker (DNF). No time.
Lap Leaders - Roy Miller (1), Bobby Beard (2-20)
1st Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 1W-Mike Walls; 2. 1M-Roy Miller; 3. 1-Gene Knaub; 4. 18-DJ Mease; 5. 54-Roy Warehime; 6. 5H-Matt Henry; 7. 99W-Chas Walls; 8. 11-Dave Sokoloski; 9. 21-Derrick Zirkle; 10. 21T-Ronnie Thomas. No Time
2nd Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 81S-Bobby Beard; 2. 64-Grant Adams; 3. 96-Cory Houck; 4. 24-Bernie Beard; 5. 83-Cody Fairchok; 6. 5-Glenn Elliott; 7. 28-Mike Spangler; 8. 19-Matt Nailor; 9. 07-Bob Stough (DNF); 10. 77-Scott Lupfer. No Time
3rd Heat (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 17-Jake Lettick; 2. 9W-Steve Weikel; 3. 17G-Shaun Jones; 4. 39-Scott Fisher; 5. 21J-John Baker; 6. 88-Robby Garlock; 7. 78-John Ebersole; 8. 21Z-Cam Ziegler; 9. 30-Craig Wagaman; 10. 21B-Travis Beaver (DNF); 11. 26-Jerry Bard (DNF). Time - 2:18.34
Consolation (8 Laps/6 to qualify) - 1. 28-Mike Spangler; 2. 99W-Chaz Walls; 3. 30-Craig Wagaman; 4. 21-Derrick Zirkle; 5. 21Z-Cam Ziegler; 6. 07-Bob Stough; 7. 77-Scott Lupfer; 8. 21T-Ronnie Thomas; 9. 6X-DJ Groft; 10. 78-John Ebersole (DNF); 11. 11-Dave Sokoloski (DNF); DNS - 19-Matt Nailor, 21B-John Baker, 26-Jerry Bard. No Time
THUNDERCARS
Feature (20-Laps) - 1. 21W-Will Walls; 2. 33-Gino Comi; 3. 3W-Duane Watson; 4. 9-Al Crammer; 5. 2W-Brian Walls; 6. 60-Danny Beard; 7. X-Bernie Beard; 8. 4C-Marshall McMullen; 9. 92-Scott Yount; 10. 8MD-David Prunkl; 11. 61-Mike Slaybaugh; 12. 54-Kyle Martin; 13. 21N-Larry Niederer; 14. 77-Justin Mong; 15. 57-Brad Shank; 16. 93-Mikey Guide; 17. 70-Rick Weaver; 18. 1M-Duane McMillion; 19. 25-Sam Gallagher (DNF); 20. 81J-Jamie Zentmyer (DNF); 21. 39-Pat McMcLane (DNF); 22. 21R-David Reever Jr. (DNF); 23. 54J-Jimmy Combs (DNF); 24. 3-Todd Miller (DNF); 25. 53J-Josh Ulrich (DNF); 26. 33J-Jeff Wilson (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders - Gino Comi (1-19), Will Walls (20)
1st Heat (8 Laps/6 qualify) - 1. 54J-Jimmy Combs; 2. 60-Danny Beard; 3. 70-Rick Weaver; 4. 8MD-David Prunkl; 5. X-Bernie Beard; 6. 33J-Jeff Wilson; 7. 4C-Marshall McMullen; 8. 93-Mikey Guise; 9. 77-Justin Mong (DNF). No time.
2nd Heat (8 Laps/6 qualify) - 1. 9-Al Crammer; 2. 21W-Will Walls; 3. 25-Sam Gallagher; 4. 81J-Jamie Zentmyer; 5. 57-Brad Shank; 6. 21R-David Reever, Jr.; 7. 3-Todd Miller (DNF); 8. 53J-Josh Ulrich (DNF). Time - 2:38.11
3rd Heat (8 Laps/6 qualify) - 1. 33-Gino Comi; 2. 2W-Brian Walls; 3. 3W-Duane Watson; 4. 92-Scott Yount; 5. 21N-Larry Niederer; 6. 54-Kyle Martin; 7. 61-Mike Slaybaugh; 8. 1M-Duane McMillion; 9. 39-Pat McClane. Time - 2:37.67
