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ALEX BARTORILLO HOLDS OFF LATE CHARGE BY BRAD BRIGHTBILL TO SECURE SECOND CAREER NASCAR SPORTSMAN WIN
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – It was another action packed night of racing on Saturday night at Grandview Speedway, with both feature events decided in the closing laps.
Brett Kressley of Orefield, Pa. used a late race restart to set up a battle with race leader Ron Haring Jr. of Alburtis, Pa., securing the lead with just five laps remaining, to capture the win in the 30-lap T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment NASCAR Modifieds feature event, scoring his first win of the season.
Alex Bartorillo of Limerick, Pa. took the lead from Paul Houseknecht of East Greenville, Pa. on lap three, then held off a furious late race charge from Brad Brightbill of Sinking Spring, Pa. over the final five laps, to score the exciting win in the 25-lap T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman feature event.
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 Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts banner.
The 30-lap T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modified feature saw Bobby Trapper Jr. of Scranton, Pa. take the lead following the drop of the green flag, with Ron Haring Jr. taking over the lead on lap two.
Haring Jr. would then set the pace while Trapper Jr. ran second, with Nathan Mohr of Kutztown, Pa. and Justin Grim of Orefield, Pa. following close behind.
Following the top four drivers was a tremendous battle for top ten positions between Duane Howard of Oley, Pa., Mike Lisowski of Minersville, Pa., Brett Kressley who was on the move from his eleventh starting position, Dylan Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa., and Mike Gular of Harleysville, Pa.
By lap seven Howard, Kressley and Lisowski were fighting for the fifth spot, with Kressley advancing to fourth position by the twelfth lap and locked into a battle with Howard and Gular.
At the half-way signal, Haring Jr. was enjoying a big lead with Trapper Jr. second, followed by Kressley, with a new battle between Mohr, Howard and Gular for the top five spots, while another good race was happening behind them between Swinehart, Jared Umbenhauer of Richland, Pa., Louden Reimert of Oley, Pa. and Jeff Strunk of Bechtelsville, Pa.
Kressley was able to track down Trapper Jr. and make the pass for second on lap nineteen, with Haring Jr. now a full straight away in front of him, with Howard gabbing third by lap twenty-two, followed by a furious battle between Gular, Mohr, a quickly advancing Strunk, Swinehart, Umbenhauer, Reimert and point leader Eddie Strada of Lake Ariel, Pa.
On lap twenty-three only the second and final caution would wave, setting up the late race dramatics, and wiping out Haring Jr.’s big lead, which Kressley had been slowly erasing before the caution flag.
Following the restart, Kressley would begin his challenge on Haring Jr. and eventually secured the top spot exiting turn two on lap twenty-four to become the new race leader.
Howard would advance to second on lap twenty-six, while Strunk was shot out of a cannon on the restart, and would grab third by lap twenty-seven, setting up a final charge to the checkered flag.
The final three laps would see the top three drivers break away from the field in a fight for the win, with Kressley able to maintain the lead in the closing laps to secure his first win of the 2026 season and first since May of 2025. The win was Kressley’s 31st Saturday night NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts feature win, to go along with three Thunder on the Hill series victories.
Following Kressley to the checkered flag were Duane Howard, Jeff Strunk, Mike Gular, Ron Haring Jr., Louden Reimert, Eddie Strada, late charger Anthony Perrego of Montgomery, N.Y., Dylan Swinehart and Nathan Mohr.
Qualifying heats for the 41 cars on hand were won by Mike Gular, Brett Kressley, Jack Butler of Phillipsburg, N.J. and Chris Esposito of Telford, Pa. while Kyle Smith of Fleetwood, Pa. and Ryan Watt of Boyertown, Pa. won the consolations.
Low-Down Entertainment put on a series of one-on-one Match races for the T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds for the top seven drivers in the current point standings, along with the three fastest drivers from hot laps not in the top seven in points.
In the final round, Jeff Strunk defeated Eddie Strada to pick up a $500 paycheck from MB Roofing and a bottle of Inferno Armor from Baer’s Inferno Armor.
The 25-lap T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Sportsman feature saw Paul Houseknecht take the early lead, with Alex Bartorillo charging past into the lead on lap two, leaving Steve Hughes of Coopersburg, Pa., Brad Brightbill, Mike Toth of Hellertown, Pa., and Brad Force of Sellersville, Pa. to battle Houseknecht for second place.
By lap ten Bartorillo had a comfortable lead, while Houseknecht and Brightbill battled, followed by another battle between Toth and Hughes.
Brightbill would continue his charge forward, grabbing second and setting off after leader Bartorillo, while a super battle for position was on going between Toth, Decker Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa., Hughes, Mark Mohr of Gilbertsville, Pa., Chase Gular of Pennsburg, Pa., Joe Toth of Upper Makefield, Pa. and point leader Colin Cox of Perkasie, Pa. who was on the move from twenty-fourth starting spot.
Brightbill would catch leader Bartorillo with five laps to go, setting up the final exciting laps of the feature, with Bartorillo staying in the bottom lane and Brightbill inching closer with each passing lap running in the middle to high groove, pursuing the leader.
Brightbill did everything he could to get around Bartorillo in the final two laps, but Bartorillo held firm in the lead to score his first win of 2026, becoming the eleventh different winner in the T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Sportsman division this season.
Following Bartorillo to the finish were Brad Brightbill, Paul Houseknecht, Mike Toth, Decker Swinehart, Steve Hughes, Mark Mohr, Joe Toth, Chase Gular and Colin Cox who picked up the Hard Charger award moving up fourteen positions to tenth at the finish.
Qualifying heats for the 33 cars on hand were won by Paul Houseknecht, Dakota Kohler of Kutztown, Pa. and Brad Force while Nate Brinker of Allentown, Pa. won the consolation.
Grandview Speedway will be presenting the 56th annual Forrest Rogers Memorial next week featuring the T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment NASCAR Modifieds participating in a $10,000 to win 50-lap Championship event plus a full show for the T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman.
The program on Saturday, August 8, which is part of the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts, will include qualifying events for both classes leading into the 50-lap T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modified feature, and the 25-lap T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Sportsman main event.
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 $30, students 10-15 with ID are $15, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $35 for NASCAR members and $45 for non-members.
The following week on Saturday, August 15 racing will be sponsored by T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment, and feature Back to the Nineties Night, with grandstand admission rolled back to 1990’s pricing at just $10 for a complete program of T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds & Sportsman along with the Outlaw Racing Series Vintage cars starting at 7:30 pm.
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. TRAILERS & TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (30 laps): BRETT KRESSLEY, Duane Howard, Jeff Strunk, Mike Gular, Ron Haring Jr., Louden Reimert, Eddie Strada, Anthony Perrego, Dylan Swinehart, Nathan Mohr, Ryan Grim, Justin Grim, Craig Von Dohren, Rick Laubach, Mike Lisowski, Kyle Smith, Logan Watt, Ryan Watt, Bobby Trapper Jr., Carroll Hine III, Jack Butler, Ryan Graver, Jared Umbenhauer, Jon Kellner, Jax Yohn, Eric Biehn, Craig Whitmoyer, Chris Esposito
DID NOT QUALIFY: Brian Hirthler, Darrin Schuler, Matt Yoder, Bobby Gunther Walsh, Mike Laise, Jim Housworth, Bobby Trapper Sr., Cody Manmiller, Ryan Beltz, John Willman, Tim Buckwalter, Mark Gaugler, Eric Kormann
T.P. TRAILERS & TRUCK EQUIPMENT WINNER’S BONUS ($300): Brett Kressley
VP RACING FUELS HARD CHARGER: Jeff Strunk +13
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: Brett Kressley ($75), Duane Howard ($50), Jeff Strunk ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Ron Haring Jr.
LOWN DOWN ENTERTAINMENT MODIFIED MATCH RACES –
Match #1 – Just Polishing LLC ($50) – Ryan Graver
Match #2 – Rick’s Towning & Hauling ($50) – Brian Hirthler
Match #3 – Just Polishing LLC ($50) – Jax Yohn
Match #4 – Hyde & Read Mobile Bookstore ($50) – Anthony Perrego
Match #5 – Kressley’s Auto & Truck Sales ($50) – Anthony Perrego
Match #6 – Just Polishing LLC ($50) – Anthony Perrego
Match #7 – Jared Umbenhauer Racing ($50) – Eddie Strada
Match #8 – Kressley’s Auto & Truck Sales ($50) – Eddie Strada
Match #9 – Overall Final Match – MB Roofing ($500) – Jeff Strunk
Bottle of Inferno Armor (Baer’s Inferno Armor $45) – Jeff Strunk
American Racer Tire Certificate (Winner of most rounds) – Anthony Perrego
Jimbo’s Exteriors Undefeated Bonus ($200) – No winner
T.P. TRAILERS & TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): ALEX BARTORILLO, Brad Brightbill, Paul Houseknecht, Mike Toth, Decker Swinehart, Steve Hughes, Mark Mohr, Joe Toth, Chase Gular, Colin Cox, Nate Brinker, Gavyn Krupp, Addison Meitzler, Brayden Shelton, Jimmy Leiby, Brad Force, Jesse Landis, Adrianna Delliponti, Kaitlyn Bailey, Bryan Rhoads, Parker Guldin, Matthew Laubach, Joey Vaccaro, Johnny Fugelo, Dakota Kohler, Brett Gilmore
DID NOT QUALIFY: Xavier Sprague, Brett Grim, TJ Mayberry, Josh Mittman, Mark Behm, Colton Perry, Shannon Slaughter
T.P. TRAILERS & TRUCK EQUIPMENT WINNER’S BONUS ($200): Alex Bartorillo
GRANDVIEW $100 HARD CHARGER: Colin Cox +14
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: Alex Bartorillo ($75), Brad Brightbill ($50), Paul Houseknecht ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Alex Bartorillo
DRIVEN RACE OIL/JOHN WILLMAN MOTORSPORTS OIL & FILTER KIT 7th PLACE: Mark Mohr
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Saturday, August 8 – 56th annual FORREST ROGERS MEMORIAL – T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds 50-laps $10,000 to WIN, T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Sportsman – 7:30 pm (Rain date 8/15)
Saturday, August 15 – T.P. TRAILERS & TRUCK EQUIPMENT NIGHT – T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds & Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, KIDS MONEY SCRAMBLE, BACK TO THE 90’s NIGHT $10 GRANDSTAND ADMISSION – 7:30 pm
Friday, August 21 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro & Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 7 pm
Saturday, August 22 – T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds & Sportsman, TRIVIA NIGHT – 7:30 pm (Possible rain date if needed)
Saturday, August 29 – A.D. MOYER LUMBER COMPANY NIGHT – T.P. Trailers & Truck Equipment Modifieds & Sportsman, Keystone Sport Compact Series – 7:30 pm
