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FIRST-TIME THUNDER WINNERS: HOMETOWN HERO, BRIGGS DANNER WINS FIRST CAREER USAC NATIONAL TOUR EVENT AS ERIC KORMANN POCKETS PPB BONUS FOR $5,000 VICTORY IN 30 LAP MOD FEATURE
BECHTELSVILLE, PA (June 11, 2024) – It was a night of firsts at Bechtelsville’s Grandview Speedway on Tuesday night as Pioneer Pole Buildings presented the Jesse Hockett Classic. It was the first night of the 17th Annual Eastern Storm, the first career USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship win for Allentown, PA’s Briggs Danner, and the first NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series victory for Vineland, NJ’s Eric Kormann in the NASCAR 358 Modifieds. Danner collected a $6,000 payday with his hometown crowd cheering him on to the popular victory. For Kormann, the 30 lap Modified feature paid $3,000 to win and with Pioneer Pole Buildings posting a $2,000 bonus for a first time winner, his take was $5,000 for his first career Thunder on the Hill Modified victory.
“It’s so awesome to do this in front of this crowd and at this track,” Danner, who started racing NASCAR 358 Modifieds at the one-third-mile dirt oval, stated in victory lane. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had here, and maybe the longest 40-lap run of my life.”
Danner’s win marked the first USAC National Championship win for a Pennsylvania driver since 1999.
Littleton, Colorado’s Carson Garrett led the 24-car field to the drop of the green flag and led the first 10 laps of the event, navigating lapped traffic with Danner right on his tail. The two split a lapped car and swapped the lead four times before settling in just before the halfway point.
With heavy lapped traffic, Brady Bacon, a five-time USAC winner at Grandview, and CJ Leary closed on then-leaders Danner and Garrett igniting a four-car battle for the top spot.
Challenges from the best in the business were no match for Danner, as the Boulevard Truck Repair/E. Schneider & Sons Recycling No. 39 darted in and out of lapped cars widening the gap before a lap 30 caution closed the field.
Danner charged forward at the restart, pulling away from his competition and setting a comfortable pace before the yellow would fly for the final time with two laps remaining.
With one final circuit, Bacon would move into the second position but would not be able to get anywhere near Danner, who sailed onto victory aboard the Fran & Tim Hogue-owned No. 39 machine.
Brady Bacon would settle for the second spot, CJ Leary in third, Carson Garrett in fourth, and Logan Seavey in the fifth position.
Briggs Danner’s win marked the first USAC National Sprint Car Series win for a Pennsylvania driver since Frankie Kerr found victory lane in 1999.
Brady Bacon set a new track record with a lap of 13.341 during USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship Time Trials besting a decade-old time set by Kevin Thomas Jr.
Eric Kormann claimed the $3,000 win in the 30-lap NASCAR 358 Modified event and picked up an extra $2,000 courtesy of Pioneer Pole Buildings for being a first-time Thunder winner. Kormann started on the pole of the event and held off a hard charge from Grandview regulars Louden Reimert and Jeff Strunk to pick up the win.
The caution flew on lap 7 when Brett Kressley spun and then again on lap 10 when a four pile-up slowed the action for the final time.
As the laps ticked buy, Kormann ran a flawless race with Reimert and Strunk within striking distance with the completion of each lap. With just five laps remaining, Reimert made a run for the lead, then had to regroup to keep from giving up the runner spot to Jeff Strunk.
Kormann’s win marked his first career win at the Grandview Speedway. Louden Reimert finished in second, Jeff Strunk in third, Billy Pauch Jr. in fourth and Duane Howard in fifth.
Just like Danner, Kormann delivered an emotional victory lane celebration with confetti and champagne covering his car as he held the Pioneer Pole Building Winners Check. Bob Greene of Pioneer Pole Building joined Kormann in the victory lane photo shoot.
The NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series continues on Tuesday, July 2 with the $10,000-to-win Hodnett Cup presented by HVAC Partners for Business as part of Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek, with action from both the 410 Sprint Cars and the NASCAR 358 Modifieds.
For more information on the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series visit www.tothracing.com
USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series (26 cars)
Time Trials – 1. 13.341 – Brady Bacon (New Track Record), 2. 13.351 – Mitchel Moles 3. 13.420 – Briggs Danner 4. 13.427 – CJ Leary 5. 13.443 – Alex Bright 6. 13.444 – Carson Garrett 7. 13.444 – Daison Pursley 8. 13.481 – Ricky Lewis 9. 13.492 – Justin Grant 10. 13.522 – Logan Seavey 11. 13.529 – Kyle Cummins 12. 13.546 – Kevin Thomas Jr. 13. 13.577 – Jadon Rogers 14. 13.589 – Robert Ballou 15. 13.671 – Jake Swanson 16. 13.722 – Chase Stockon 17. 13.726 – Steven Drevicki 18. 13.799 – Charles Davis Jr. 19. 13.833 – Matt Westfall 20. 13.849 – Joey Amantea 21. 13.887 – Tom Harris 22. 13.902 – Korbyn Hayslett 23. 13.941 – Hunter Maddox 24. 14.360 – JT Ferry 25. 14.619 – Scott Frack 26. 14.802 – Jason Cherry
Heat 1 (10 Laps) – 1. Jadon Rogers 2. Logan Seavey 3. Daison Pursley 4. CJ Leary 5. Brady Bacon 6. Chase Stockon
Heat 2 (10 Laps) – 1. Kyle Cummins 2. Robert Ballou 3. Mitchel Moles 4. Steven Drevicki 5. Alex Bright 6. Joey Amantea
Heat 3 (10 Laps) – 1. Charles Davis Jr. 2. Kevin Thomas Jr. 3. Jake Swanson 4. Briggs Danner 5. Justin Grant 6. Carson Garrett
B-Main (12 Laps) – 1. Ricky Lewis 2. Matt Westfall 3. Tom Harris 4. Hunter Maddox 5. JT Ferry 6. Korbyn Hayslett
A-Main (40 Laps) – 1. Briggs Danner 2. Brady Bacon 3. CJ Leary 4. Carson Garrett 5. Logan Seavey 6. Dasion Pursley 7. Robert Ballou 8. Jake Swanson 9. Joey Amantea 10. Jadon Rogers 11. Kyle Cummins 12. Mtichel Moles 13. Charles Davis Jr. 14. Steven Drevicki 15. Chase Stockon 16. Matt Westfall 17. Ricky Lewis 18. Tom Harris 19. Korbyn Hayslett 20. Justin Grant 21. Kevin Thomas Jr. 22. JT Ferry 23. Hunter Maddox 24. Alex Bright
NASCAR 358 Modifieds (34 cars)
Heat 1 (10 Laps) – 1. Louden Reimert 2. Bobby Trapper Jr. 3. Duane Howard 4. Eddie Strada 5. Craig Von Dohren 6. Paul Mancini
Heat 2 (10 Laps ) – 1. Eric Kormann 2. Alex Yankowski 3. John Willman 4. Cody Manmiller 5. Brett Kressley 6. Rick Laubach
Heat 3 (10 Laps) – 1. Dan Bouc 2. Chris Esposito 3. Billy Pauch Jr. 4. Jeff Strunk 5. Ryan Watt 6. Mike Gular
Consi (10 Laps) – 1. Matt Stangle 2. Jesse Hirthler 3. Ron Haring Jr. 4. Justin Grim 5. Tim Buckwalter 6. Doug Manmiller
Feature (30 Laps) – 1. Eric Kormann 2. Louden Reimert 3. Jeff Strunk 4. Billy Pauch Jr. 5. Duane Howard 6. Alex Yankowski 7. Brett Kressley 8. Cody Manmiller 9. Mike Gular 10. Danny Bouc 11. Craig Von Dohren 12. Doug Manmiler 13. Bobby Trapper Jr. 14. Matt Stangle 15. Timmy Buckwalter 16. Jesse Hirthler 17. John Willman 18. Ryan Watt 19. Chris Esposito 20. Eddie Strada 21. Rick Laubach 22. Ron Haring Jr. 23. Justin Grim DNS: Paul Mancini
