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BRIGGS DANNER WINS THRILLING USAC SPRINT FEATURE BY LESS THAN A CAR LENGTH
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Briggs Danner of Allentown Pa. was able to win out on a four driver battle for the lead, then fend off a last lap challenge from Steven Drevicki of Reading, Pa. to score the win in the 25-lap Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint Series feature Saturday night at Grandview Speedway.
The win for Danner was his 26th career win in USAC East Coast Series racing and the second of the season in three programs run so far for the traveling series, who were making their only visit of the year to the third-of-a-mile high banked raceway.
Danner’s feature win would be the only one of the night as it turned out, as rain moved over the Speedway just as the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modified feature was circling the track and lining up for their 30-lap main event. The 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman feature also fell victim to the rains after both divisions had completed all their qualifying heats and consolations to qualify for the feature races.
With dark clouds threatening soon after the race program began, track management, along with great cooperation from all the race teams in attendance, did a great job moving the show along. After moving the USAC feature up earlier in the show, then completing all qualifying, it appeared as if everyone might pull off the complete show, but it was not to be as the rain finally moved in just before 9 pm putting an end to a very competitive night of racing.
As a result of the rain shortened program, track management will add the May 11 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature to the Saturday, May 18 race event along with a complete new program for both the T.P. Trailer Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, all for the regular admission prices.
The 25-lap T. P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature from May 11 will be added to the Saturday, May 25 program in addition to a full program of qualifying and feature action once again for both divisions.
Track management would like to thank everyone for their attendance Saturday night and great cooperation all night long!
The Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint feature began with Christian Bruno of Deptford, N.J. taking an early lead closely followed by Bobby Butler of Milford, N.J. Butler pressured Bruno and was able to secure the top spot with a nice outside groove pass to score lap three just prior to a red flag for Thomas Radivoy of Circleville, N.Y. who clipped the turn one wall and rolled over several times. Radivoy exited the car okay following the mishap.
Following the restart it didn’t take long for sixth starting Briggs Danner to join the action, moving by Ed Aiken of Lincoln University, Pa. for third position on lap four, and then moving by Bruno to grab second by lap six.
Not far behind was eighth starting Alex Bright of Collegeville, Pa. who was also moving forward taking fourth spot by lap four and moving by Bruno for third by lap nine, setting up a great three-car battle for the top position.
For the next several laps the top three circled the track practically under a blanket challenging each other for the lead, with Bright throwing a slider past Danner for second and Danner regaining the position in the next corner.
The awesome action up front would unfortunately end coming around to score lap thirteen, as Butler just slightly got sideways in the middle of turns three and four, but with the top three running so close, Danner missed him but Bright was not so lucky, and just tapped Butler in the tail tank spinning both drivers around.
Bright ended up spinning out, with Butler doing a 360 degree spin and continuing on, but by club rules, Butler still had to rejoin at the rear of the field as being part of the caution flag situation.
It appeared as if the excitement for the race may have ended with this mishap, but that was not to be, as Steven Drevicki was now second behind Danner for the ensuing restart, and once again the race was on for the lead.
Drevicki started the feature in fifth position, but fell back to seventh early on, and slowly began to fight his way back into contention, closing in on the lead trio when the mishap up front occurred.
The remaining laps of the feature would see Danner leading and Drevicki a close second followed by Bruno and Aiken, along with Bruce Buckwalter Jr. of Mechanicsburg, Pa. holding down fifth spot.
Upon reaching the last five laps, Drevicki would really push his car to the edge and moved right up behind Danner to challenge for the win. Taking the white flag, Drevicki was glued to Danner’s back bumper to start the final lap.
Entering the last two turns, Drevicki went in high and crossed over to come off the turn low under Danner who tried to stay low as a block, but Drevicki found a little room down low. The two drag raced off the final turn to the checkered flag with Danner winning by less than a car length for an exciting finish.
At the finish it was Danner in for the win followed by Drevicki who won this race last season, Bruno, Aiken, a late charging Cameron Smith of Spring Grove, Pa., Buckwalter Jr., Tommy Kunsman of Bethlehem, Pa., JT Ferry of Drums, Pa., Bright and Ron Helmick of Boyertown, Pa.
The two qualifying heats for the 18 cars on hand were won by Bruno and Bright.
The T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds completed four super wild and competitive qualifying heats for the 39 cars on hand entertaining the fans before the rains arrived, with wins going to Chris Gambler of Trexlertown, Pa., Bobby Gunther-Walsh of Allentown, Pa., Kevin Graver Jr. of Lehighton, Pa., and Louden Reimert of Oley, Pa. Two consolations were also run with wins going to Jeff Strunk of Boyertown, Pa. and Craig Von Dohren of Oley, Pa.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman were also in action, and qualifying heats for the 33 cars on hand were won by Dylan Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa., Zach Steffey of Sinking Spring, Pa., and Teague Miller for his first Grandview checkered flag, with the consolation going to Decker Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa.
Grandview Speedway will be presenting another NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series program next weekend on Saturday, May 18, featuring the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman.
The show will include qualifying events for both classes leading up to the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature and the 25-lap feature for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman.
The program will also include the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature race that was postponed by rain on May 11. That feature will be the first Modified race of the evening.
Pit gates will open at 3:30 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 4:30 pm, warm-ups starting at 5:30 pm, and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 6:30 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 final race for the month of May is the first Thunder on the Hill Racing Series program of the year when Levan Machine & Truck Equipment presents the RICH MAR Florist Kubota High Limit Racing 410 Sprint Cars on Tuesday, May 28 starting at 7:30 pm with a rain date of Wednesday, May 29.
The program will feature the top 410 Sprint Car drivers in the country battling it out against the top Pennsylvania drivers in this high profile racing event on the high-banked one-third-of-a-mile raceway.
The 410 Sprint drivers will participate in time trials and qualifying races leading into the 35-lap $20,000 to win feature race. Rico Abreu was the winner in the first Kubota High Limit Racing appearance last season, after a great battle with Kyle Larson for the victory.
Adult grandstand tickets are $40, children 6-11 are $20, while kids 5 and under are free. Pit admission is $45, and no license is required. Advanced grandstand tickets for this event are available at www.tickethoss.com.
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 STARTING LINE-UP (MAY 11) (30 laps): Chris Gambler, Bobby Gunther-Walsh, Ryan Beltz, John Willman, Frank Yankowski, Mike Laise, Kevin Graver Jr., Jon Kellner, Justin Grim, Nate Brinker, Kevin Hirthler, Ryan Grim, Tim Buckwalter, Eddie Strada, Mike Gular, Louden Reimert, Brian Hirthler, Jared Umbenhauer, Craig Whitmoyer, Jimmy Leiby, Jeff Strunk, Craig Von Dohren, Doug Manmiller, Eric Kormann, Ryan Watt, Michael Storms, Mike Lisowski, Kyle Smith, Duane Howard (FEATURE TO BE RUN ON MAY 18)
DID NOT QUALIFY: Ron Haring Jr., Carroll Hine III, Ray Swinehart, Brett Kressley, Bryan Rhoads, Joe Funk, Bobby Trapper Jr., Chris Esposito, Eric Biehn, Darrin Schuler
HEAT WINNERS: Chris Gambler, Bobby Gunther-Walsh, Kevin Graver Jr., Louden Reimert
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE STARTING LINE-UP (MAY 11) (25 laps): Troy Bollinger, Shannon Slaughter, Teague Miller, Zach Steffey, Mike Stofflet, Brett Grim, TJ Mayberry, Joey Vaccaro, Mark Mohr, Jesse Landis, Brett Gilmore, Logan Bauman, Mike Schneck Jr., Addison Meitzler, Logan Watt, Dylan Swinehart, Adrianna Delliponti, Nathan Mohr, Decker Swinehart, Ryan Graver, Parker Guldin, Kenny Bock, Nathan Horn, Ronnie Solomon (FEATURE TO BE RUN ON MAY 25)
DID NOT QUALIFY: Gavyn Krupp, Colton Perry, Mark Gaugler, Kaitlyn Bailey, Stephen Laubach, BJ Jolly, Jesse Hirthler, Zane Roth, Steve Young
HEAT WINNERS: Dylan Swinehart, Zach Steffey, Teague Miller
RAPID TIRE USAC EAST COAST SPRINT FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): BRIGGS DANNER, Steven Drevicki, Christian Bruno, Ed Aiken, Cameron Smith, Bruce Buckwalter Jr., Tommy Kunsman, JT Ferry, Alex Bright, Ron Helmick, Jason Cherry, Dalton Herrick, Scott Frack, Bobby Butler, Michael Smith, Matt Swift, Rich Carnathan, Thomas Radivoy
HEAT WINNERS: Christian Bruno, Alex Bright
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Friday, May 17 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Slingshots – 7 pm.
Saturday, May 18 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, TRIVIA NIGHT – 6:30 pm
Saturday, May 25 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7:30 pm
Tuesday, May 28 – THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES – Kubota High Limit 410 Sprint Car Series – $20,000 to win 410 Sprints – 7:30 pm (Rain date 5/29)
Saturday, June 1 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm
