Von Dohren, Schutz, Hirthler claim points championships at Grandview
BECHTELSVILLE » With rained out races and a full normal slate of features in Saturday night’s regular season finale at Grandview Speedway, there was no shortage of winners.
The night’s biggest winners were the newly crowned 2017 Grandview point champions.
Modified chauffeur Craig Von Dohren only won two features in the chase, but he still managed to record his 10th championship.
Chuck Schutz, a fourtime Late Model feature winner, garnered his ninth point title.
Opening night Sportsman feature winner Brian Hirthler went on to claim his first championship.
On the track, the races sponsored by WNPV 1440 AM Radio, Lansdale, certainly had its share of varieties in all divisions.
Both Skip and Walt Smith paced the feature fields for all divisions in the Blast From The Past Red No. 2 driven by Dave Smith who lost his life in a freak highway incident while working for the township. Dave was the father of sportsman driver Derrick Smith.
In the rained out T.P. Trailers 358 NASCAR Modified 30-lap feature from August 19, it was Clay Butler, who became a track regular mid-season, crossing the line first to register his first career win at the oval to become the 13th different winner. However due to an official error with the caution light, Brett Kressley, who had taken the lead on the 29th lap, also shared the win.
Mike Gular had slowed down and as quick as the yellow went on it was turned off. By that time Kressley had backed off the throttle and Butler along with Jared Umbenhauer shot past him, but the yellow was never officially thrown. Management felt it was only fair to credit both Butler and Kressley with the wins.
Mike Mahaney, who travels from New York to pilot the Rod Breitenstein-owned No. 14 on occasion, had a rather dismal start to the season when he competed, but once the team discovered it was an electrical problem, they were in the hunt. Mahaney went from
fourth to first by the second lap and despite yellow flags that fell when he needed them to regroup the pack when he encountered heavy lap traffic, he still pulled into victory lane to be the 14th different winner and chalk up his first career triumph at the track.
In the BRC 20-lap NASCAR Late Model feature, Lou Egrie Sr. inherited the lead when Wayne Pfeil dropped out with mechanical problems and went on to capture his first win of the year to become the seventh different winner. The last time the two-time point champion had won was April 2015.
Mark Kemmerer added his name to the win list in the 25-lap NASCAR Sportsman feature for his first win of the year to become the division’s 12th different winner. He dedicated the win to fellow driver Derrick Smith’s father Dave.
The 47th Annual Freedom 76 Modified Classic in Honor of Bruce Rogers is set for Saturday, September 16th. The will pay $30,000 to the winner and is expected to attract many of the top names in dirt track Modified stock car racing. Action will get underway at 7 p.m.
The night before the MidAtlantic Sprint Series will be in action along with the Sportsman racing in the Freedom 38’er offering $1,500 to the winner. Modifieds entered in the Freedom 76 will be allowed to participate in practice sessions. Adult admission is $12, youngsters 6 thru 11 pay just $5 and under 6 are admitted free. Advance tickets, $35 for adults, for the Freedom 76 will be available Friday night.
The Freedom 76 has a September 23rd rain date while the Friday night events have no rain date.