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BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa. took the lead from Ron Haring Jr. of Alburtis, Pa. with twelve laps remaining, then fought back some late race challenges from Jeff Strunk of Boyertown, Pa., to score a huge win in the 54th annual Forrest Rogers Memorial T. P. Trailer NASCAR Modified 50-lap championship feature Saturday night at Grandview Speedway.
The T.P. Truck Equipment 25-lap Sportsman feature was a wild affair, with great racing action, and a bit too much crashing, but in the end it was a two-car late race battle with Alex Bartorillo of Limerick, Pa. surviving a serious challenge from Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa., to race home to his first career Grandview Speedway feature win, becoming the twelfth different winner in the division this season.
Ron Haring Jr. appeared to be the star of the show in the T.P. Trailer Modified feature, leading for the first 38 laps, setting a very quick pace and holding a commanding lead at times during several stretches of green flag racing.
However, Watt who started ninth on the grid, was able to grab the lead from Haring Jr. on a lap 38 restart, then withstand some serious pressure in the final nine laps from a hard charging Jeff Strunk and Jared Umbenhauer of Richland, Pa. to score his first feature win of the season and pick up a $10,000 payday in the process.
For Alex Bartorillo, who only started racing at Grandview since the beginning of June this season, it has been a challenge for the young driver, but this night he put that all behind him and ran a flawless race from start to finish to pick up his first career feature win in T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman division action.
On his way to victory, Bartorillo had to survive numerous cautions, and some serious challenges in the closing six laps, for two laps from Gavyn Krupp of Barto, Pa. then for the next three laps from Logan Watt, before the two ran so close in turn two while battling for the win, that Watt caught the inside wall and spun, allowing Bartorillo some breathing room on the final two circuits to race home with the 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 a race program run under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner.
The T.P. Trailer Modified 50-lap Forrest Rogers Memorial championship feature saw Ron Haring Jr. dart out to the early lead at the wave of Starter Ray Kemp’s green flag, with Chris Esposito of Telford, Pa. and Eric Kormann of Carneys Point, N.J. fighting for second spot, followed by Kevin Graver Jr. of Lehighton, Pa. and Cody Manmiller of Philadelphia, Pa. locked in a battle for fourth position.
Watt was steadily moving forward, and advanced from ninth starting spot into fifth spot by lap nine, behind the action up front, and ahead of a great five car struggle for position behind him between Mike Lisowski of Minersville, Pa., John Willman of Birdsboro, Pa., Jared Umbenhauer, Mike Gular of Boyertown, Pa., and Jeff Strunk.
The race would have its first longer stretch of green flag action between laps three and nineteen, with Haring Jr. building up a huge lead, with Kormann, Graver Jr., Watt, and Manmiller now making up the top five, before a caution waved for Esposito who broke and had his good night come to an end.
Another quick caution on lap 22 reset the field for another longer stretch of green flag action that would last through lap 38, during which time Haring would again pull out to a large lead, while Watt continued to advance after reaching fourth on lap 13, and third on lap twenty.
The lap 22 restart saw Watt sweep to the outside lane and pass Kormann for second, while 14th starting Strunk also used the outside lane to continue gaining spots moving from seventh on lap 21 up to third spot by lap twenty six.
Haring Jr. continued his comfortable lead with Watt trying to track him down, with Strunk and Umbenhauer locking into a great battle for third, while Kormann was joined by Louden Reimert of Oley, Pa. in a struggle for fifth spot.
A caution on lap 38 changed the whole outcome of the event, as Watt was able to power past Haring Jr. entering turn one to take the lead for the first time, with Strunk and Umbenhauer moving past Haring Jr. one lap later, while Tim Buckwalter of Douglassville, Pa. joined the action up front battling with Reimert for a top five spot.
The final nine lap run saw Watt leading running the bottom lane and Strunk putting on some serious pressure running the top lane with Umbenhauer running right behind waiting for his chance to advance in a real crowd pleasing battle.
A final caution flag restart with three laps to go gave Strunk one final chance at Watt, and he threw a couple of real serious challenges in the final lap, but Watt withstood the pressure and raced home with his first win of the season and fifth career Saturday night NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series feature win.
At the checkered flag it was Watt, Strunk, Umbenhauer, Buckwalter, Haring Jr., Craig Von Dohren of Oley, Pa., Eddie Strada of Lake Ariel, Pa., Cody Manmiller, Kevin Hirthler of Boyertown, Pa., and Kevin Graver Jr.
Qualifying heats for the 42 cars on hand were won by Brett Kressley of Orefield, Pa., Cody Manmiller, Eric Kormann, and Mike Lisowski with Eric Biehn of Barto, Pa. and Nate Brinker of Macungie, Pa. winning the consolations.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman 25-lap feature saw Alex Bartorillo take the lead at the start, with Stephen Smith III of Whitehall, Pa. and Lawson Szerencits of Catasauqua, Pa. challenging for the top spot.
The drivers were mixing it up pretty good on this night, causing several multi-car mishaps, resulting in numerous cautions during the first three laps which really shuffled the running order, including a seven car tangle and another eleven car tangle, both of which saw most drivers able to drive away and rejoin the race.
After things settled down, Bartorillo continued leading, but Jesse Landis of Gilbertsville, Pa. began running the top groove of the speedway and began picking off spots one at a time, advancing through the field reaching second by lap seven.
By lap fifteen Bartorillo led on the bottom lane with Landis a close second in the top lane, and right behind was a battle between Gavyn Krupp and Logan Watt who both quickly joined the other two for a four car challenge for the lead.
Following a lap 15 restart, the top four continued the battle with only Landis on top and the rest on the bottom lane, with Bartorillo leading and Krupp eventually grabbing second from Landis on lap nineteen.
The action really heated up in the final laps as Watt grabbed third from Landis on lap 20, taking second from Krupp on lap 21, then took off after Bartorillo in an attempt to grab the lead.
Watt caught Bartorillo and really applied pressure, practically pushing him down the straightaways for two laps, hoping to find an opening in the final laps.
Entering turn one on lap 23, Watt made a move down low, with the two drivers racing side-by-side off of turn two, at which time Watt just brushed the inside wall, flattening his left front tire and causing him to spin, ending a great race for the lead.
Bartorillo ran the final two laps perfectly and raced home to his first career T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman win followed by Krupp, Landis, Mike Schneck Jr. of Lebanon, Pa., Nathan Mohr of Reading, Pa., Logan Bauman of Bechtelsville, Pa., Lawson Szerencits, Shannon Slaughter of Lititz, Pa., Teague Miller of Barto, Pa., and Colton Perry of Topton, Pa.
Qualifying heats for the 42 cars on hand were won by Brayden Shelton of Hatfield, Pa., Colton Perry, Troy Bollinger of Palmerton, Pa., and Gavyn Krupp with Mike Schneck Jr. and Adrianna Delliponti of Norristown, Pa. 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 the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman along with another visit by the Outlaw Racing Series Vintage cars.
The show on Saturday, August 17 will include qualifying events leading into a 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature, a 25-lap feature for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, and a 15-lap feature for the Outlaw Racing Series Vintage cars.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, warm-ups starting at 6:15 pm, and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 7:30 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.
Lap sponsorships, at $20 per lap, are now available for the September 21 running of the Freedom 76 T.P. Trailer Modified Championship race. It is a great way to wish you favorite driver good luck or advertise a business during the big race event.
Laps that are sponsored are read on the public address system and posted on social media leading up to the big event and on championship race weekend.
You may contact Tina Rogers, Tommy Kramer or Jeff Ahlum at the track on race night, or via email at www.jeffreyahlum@gmail.com or www.grandviewspeedway1963@gmail.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 FORREST ROGERS MEMORIAL FEATURE FINISH (50 laps): RYAN WATT, Jeff Strunk, Jared Umbenhauer, Tim Buckwalter, Ron Haring Jr., Craig Von Dohren, Eddie Strada, Cody Manmiller, Kevin Hirthler, Kevin Graver Jr., Eric Kormann, John Willman, Duane Howard, Mike Lisowski, Nate Brinker, Joe Funk, Kyle Smith, Louden Reimert, Doug Manmiller, Justin Grim, Mike Gular, Craig Whitmoyer, Tanner Van Doren, Chris Esposito, Jon Kellner, Ray Swinehart, Eric Biehn, Brett Kressley
DID NOT QUALIFY: Bryan Rhoads, Jimmy Leiby, Ryan Beltz, Mike Laise, Glenn Owens, Chris Gambler, Carroll Hine III, Danny Bouc, Brian Hirthler, Ryan Grim, Matt Yoder, Ryan Higgs, Frank Yankowski, Darrin Schuler
T.P. TRAILERS WINNER’S BONUS ($300): Ryan Watt
VP RACING FUELS HARD CHARGER: Craig Von Dohren + 20
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: Ryan Watt ($75), Jeff Strunk ($50), Jared Umbenhauer ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Ron Haring Jr.
LEADER OF LAP 41 BONUS IN MEMORY OF VINCE GAGLIARDO SR.($100): Ryan Watt
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): ALEX BARTORILLO, Gavyn Krupp, Jesse Landis, Mike Schneck Jr., Nathan Mohr, Logan Bauman, Lawson Szerencits, Shannon Slaughter, Teague Miller, Colton Perry, Stephen Smith III, Ryan Graver, Troy Bollinger, Kenny Bock, Tyler James, Adrianna Delliponti, Logan Watt, Brayden Shelton, Dylan Swinehart, Jared LaBagh, Steve Young, Brett Gilmore, TJ Mayberry, Stephen Laubach, Joey Vaccaro, Nate Horn
DID NOT QUALIFY: Dakota Kohler, Kyle Hartzell, Zach Steffey, Nick Faust, Jesse Hirthler, Addison Meitzler, Kaitlyn Bailey, Mark Mohr, BJ Joly III, Ronnie Solomon, Zane Roth, Randy Graber, Mark Gaugler, Dennis Graber, Parker Guldin, Brett Grim
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT WINNER’S BONUS ($200): Alex Bartorillo
GRANDVIEW $100 HARD CHARGER: Nathan Mohr +18
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: Alex Bartorillo ($75), Gavyn Krupp ($50), Jesse Landis ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Alex Bartorillo
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Saturday, August 17 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7:30 pm.
Saturday, August 24 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, Pro Stocks, TRIVIA NIGHT – 7:30 pm
Friday, August 30 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Slingshots – 7 pm
Saturday, August 31 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, KIDS MONEY SCRAMBLE – 7:30 pm
