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LOGAN WATT SCORES SPORTSMAN WIN ON OPENING NIGHT AT GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Mike Mahaney of Elizabethtown, N.Y. utilized a well prepared and strong running race car along with some good racing luck, to score the Opening Night win in the VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial T.P. Trailer 50-lap Modified feature Saturday night at Grandview Speedway.
Mahaney started in position eleven of twelve in his qualifying heat race, the final qualifier of the night, then worked his way forward and finished fifth to qualify for the feature event. Being the final qualifier in the final heat, he was the last driver to pick for a feature starting position in the redraw, and after everyone else drew, he was left with the pole starting position which he parlayed into the $7500 feature win, his second career Grandview Speedway T.P. Trailer Modified victory.
Mahaney had to maintain the lead through several early race restarts, and a mid-race bout with lapped traffic on his way to scoring the high dollar payday, becoming the seventh different driver to win the VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial in the seven years of running the race honoring the late race track owner and promoter.
Defending Track Champion Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa. won his qualifying heat race, the first of the night, giving him the pole starting spot for the 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature race. Watt then held off a late race restart challenge from Ryan Graver of Lehighton, Pa. to score the feature win, his third career Saturday night win.
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 the first point program of the season run under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner.
Following qualifying, Mahaney and Duane Howard of Oley, Pa. shared the front row to begin the 50-lap season opening championship feature race, with Mahaney darting out to the lead at the drop of Starter Ray Kemp’s green flag.
Mahaney would pull out to a comfortable edge over a good battle for second place between Howard and Stewart Friesen of Sprakers, N.Y., while Kyle Smith of Fleetwood, Pa., Jeff Strunk of Boyertown, Pa., and Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa. were all fighting for the next three spots.
A couple of quick cautions in the early going for single car mishaps involving two drivers who would eventually rebound for top ten finishes in Alex Yankowski of Jermyn, Pa. and Mike Gular of Boyertown, Pa. kept the field regrouped and the action close.
Following a lap 16 restart, Mahaney received his first challenge, as Howard threw a move on him entering turn one, but Mahaney held firm in the top spot.
While this action was continuing at the front, tenth starting Craig Von Dohren of Oley, Pa. was on the move using the outside lane, slowly picking off positions using the high lane around the track, reaching the top five by lap 20.
With an extended period of green flag racing, Mahaney would reach lapped traffic by lap 26, some of which was two wide in front of him at times, causing him to slow his pace a bit. This allowed Howard and Friesen to reel in the leader for a possible challenge.
A lap 33 caution wiped away the lapped cars, but on the restart Mahaney received his most serious challenge, as Howard threw a low grove slider attempt entering turn one, with Friesen also diving even lower under Howard for a brief three wide move for the lead.
That three wide maneuver was followed by another three wide battle between Strunk, Von Dohren, and an advancing Anthony Perrego of Middletown, N.Y., with Perrego advancing into the top five on the next circuit.
The race would run green the final 17 laps with Mahaney maintaining a comfortable lead, but the action behind him never stopped. Friesen would eventually power past Howard in turn one on lap 36 for second, and soon Strunk joined the pair for an entertaining three car tussle for second.
Strunk would make a pass on Howard for third on lap 40, leaving Howard in a battle with Perrego and Von Dohren for the remaining top five positions to the end.
Meanwhile, Gular and Yankowski who had earlier troubles, both made great comebacks, as they would slowly work their way forward to reach top ten positions by the end, in addition to Billy Pauch Jr. of Frenchtown N.J. who rallied from a 22nd place starting spot to have a strong top ten finish.
At the checkered flag it was Mahaney scoring the huge win and the $7500 payday followed by Friesen, Strunk, Perrego, Howard, Von Dohren, Manmiller, Pauch Jr., Gular, and Yankowski.
Qualifying heat races for the 51 cars on hand were won by Gular, Justin Grim of Orefield, Pa., Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa., and Strunk with Michael Storms of Mohnton, Pa. and Pauch Jr. winning the consolations.
The 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature saw defending champion Logan Watt control the race from start to finish.
Watt maintained a sizable lead over the rest of the field despite a couple of early race restarts. With Watt in front Dakota Kohler of Kutztown, Pa. and Ryan Graver were fighting for second, while Brett Gilmore of Kutztown, Pa. and Addison Meitzler of Kempton, Pa. were battling for position right behind them.
By the mid-point of the race, Kohler dropped out while in second, and Gilmore pulled off while running in fourth spot.
Tenth starting Logan Bauman of Boyertown, Pa. and fifteenth starting Adrianna Delliponti of Norristown, Pa. were on the move advancing into the top five by lap 17, setting up a battle with Meitzler.
A lap 21 caution gave Graver a shot at Watt for the lead, with Graver throwing a serious slider at Watt entering turn one on the restart. At the same time Bauman would maneuver past Meitzler for third position.
In the closing laps Nathan Mohr of Reading, Pa. and Mike Schneck Jr. of Lebanon, Pa. would close in on Delliponti and battle for the fifth position to the finish, while 21st starting Jesse Hirthler would reach the top ten.
At the finish, it was Watt scoring the Opening Night win, followed by Graver, Bauman, Meitzler, Delliponti, Mohr, Schneck Jr., Dylan Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa., Zane Roth of Slatington, Pa., and Jesse Hirthler.
Qualifying heats for the 48 cars on hand were won by Watt, Kohler, Brett Gilmore, Kenny Gilmore of Fleetwood, Pa., and Graver with Decker Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa. and HIrthler winning the consolations.
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, April 13 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 2 pm. with grandstand gates opening at 4 pm. warm-ups starting at 5 pm. and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 6 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 weekend will also see the first event for the Outlaw Racing Series Enduro/Vintage series presenting a double program joined by the Slingshots on Sunday, April 14 starting at 1 pm. with Pit gates opening at 10 am. and Grandstand gates opening at 12 Noon. Grandstand admission for adults is $10, children ages 12 and under are free, while pit admission is $30.
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.
VP RACING FUELS BRUCE ROGERS MEMORIAL MONEY MAKER RACE SUMMARY – APRIL 6, 2024
T.P. TRAILER NASCAR MODIFIED VP RACING FUELS BRUCE ROGERS MEMORIAL FEATURE FINISH (50 laps): MIKE MAHANEY, Stewart Friesen, Jeff Strunk, Anthony Perrego, Duane Howard, Craig Von Dohren, Doug Manmiller, Billy Pauch Jr., Mike Gular, Alex Yankowski, Danny Bouc, Ryan Watt, Tim Buckwalter, Eddie Strada, Frank Cozze, Ryan Grim, Jimmy Leiby, Kyle Smith, Lex Shive, Michael Storms, Matt Stangle, Justin Grim, Joe Funk, Kevin Hirthler
DID NOT QUALIFY: Eric Biehn, Jared Umbenhauer, Kevin Beach, Dylan Smith, Chris Gambler, Rick Laubach, Nick Rochinski, John Willman, Eric Kormann, Bobby Trapper Sr., Jon Kellner, Bryan Rhoads, Kevin Graver Jr., Louden Reimert, Nate Brinker, Mike Lisowski, Ray Swinehart, Ron Haring Jr., Brian Hirthler, Darrin Schuler, Brandon Edgar, Chris Esposito, Carroll Hine III, Bobby Gunther-Walsh, Mike Laise, Brett Kressley, Talan Carter
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): LOGAN WATT, Ryan Graver, Logan Bauman, Addison Meitzler, Adrianna Delliponti, Nathan Mohr, Mike Schneck Jr., Dylan Swinehart, Zane Roth, Jesse Hirthler, Decker Swinehart, Parker Guldin, Mike Loney, Nicholas Hamm, Mark Mohr, Nathan Horn, Dom Roselli, Lawson Szerencits, Mark Kemmerer, Zach Steffey, Stephen Laubach, Kaitlyn Bailey, Brett Gilmore, Dakota Kohler, Cody Manmiller, Kenny Gilmore
DID NOT QUALIFY: Nick Faust, Colton Perry, Gavyn Krupp, TJ Mayberry, Michael Toth, Kyle Hartzell, Troy Bollinger, BJ Joly III, Mike Stofflet, Jesse Landis, Randy Graber, Joey Vaccaro, Monte Pool, Mark Gaugler, Steve Young, Chris Martinez, Brad Grim, Dennis Graber, Tyler James, Keith Haring, Kenny Bock, Ronnie Solomon
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Saturday, April 13 – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman – 6 pm
Sunday, April 14 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Slingshots – 1 pm.
Saturday, April 20 – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, CHECKERED FLAG FAN CLUB NIGHT, TRIVIA NIGHT – 6 pm
Saturday, April 27 – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman – 6 pm
