Snyder wins third Firecracker 40
BECHTELSVILLE » Craig Von Dohren collected his second T.P. Trailers 30-lap NASCAR Modified feature victory of the season by holding off the hard-charging run of Mike Gular, the current Mod point leader, who was closing in during the final stages through the aid of the lapped cars. The Saturday night win didn’t come easy for Von Dohren, the ten-time and defending champion since twice he went through the middle of lapped traffic. He commented in victory lane that he knew they were racing for positions on the track that was getting slick for them as well as the others in the final event of the night. Von Dohren also thanked his crew and many sponsors who he realizes he wouldn’t be where he is without them.
Danny Snyder won his third Firecracker 40-lap Late Model NASCAR feature with defending point champion Chuck Schutz right behind. Snyder, the current point leader won the event back-to-back in 2012 and 2013.
In the 25-lap NASCAR Sportsman feature Brad Arnold, who was a spectator last week when mechanical problems sidelined him from the feature, finally had Lady Luck on his side and claimed his second feature victory of the year.
Events were broadcast by RCN-TV, Allentown and providing feature winners met the necessary requirements, they received monetary awards from T.P. Trailers and also product certificates from VP Fuels. They also were the Dan’s Deli ½-way hoagie award winners.
Modified action saw Eric Biehn overtake Chris Gambler for the lead on the second lap to become the new pacesetter.
While Biehn showed the way around the 1/3-mile oval, Gambler and Ryan Grim put on quite a dual for second with Jared Umbenhauer, Ray Swinehart and Von Dohren in pursuit.
Once Grim moved into second and erased the margin Biehn built up, he ran the bottom lane in an attempt to pass Biehn, who chose the high lane to keep the lead.
Ron Kline stopped in the second turn to bring out the only race caution on the ninth lap. It was still Biehn first on the restart, but by this time, 12th-place starter Von Dohren was in the challenging position.
The 13th lap was a lucky one for Von Dohren when he motored his self-owned, Nick Gatto powered No. 1C into the number one spot.
Umbenhauer advanced to second on the 16th circuit and took chase after Von Dohren who had somewhat of a slight margin built up.
By the 20th lap, the front runners that consisted of Von Dohren, Umbenhauer, Gular, Biehn and Duane Howard encountered lapped traffic that were also racing for positions, but it hampered the progression of the frontrunners also.
Two times Von Dohren had some narrow misses with the slower traffic when he went through the middle, but managed to get through.
With five laps to go Gular cleared Umbenhauer and was off after Von Dohren hoping to grab the lead.
Von Dohren never gave up and went on to score his 104th career Saturday night career win trailed by Gular, Umbenhauer, Howard and Jeff Strunk, who both came on strong in the end.
Brett Gilmore, Ray Swinehart and Timmy Buckwalter were the heat winners.
Invader Sean Merkel, winner of the Late Model Firecracker 40 in 2015, wasted no time taking the early lead away from polesitter and opening night winner Snyder at the start of the event.
Merkel ran the high line and Snyder made several efforts to dive underneath him, but each attempt failed.
The lead changed the eighth time around when Snyder put the KAM Fuels No. 44 into first.
Behind Snyder the battle for positions was hot and heavy between Merkel, Schutz, Brian Shuey, making a rare appearance and Wayne Pfeil.
Merkel and Schutz diced for second many laps until Schutz got by and set sail after Snyder.
Mechanical problems continued to hinder Bryon Sipe who battled with Kyle Merkel for the sixth spot many laps until a broken axle and flat tire slowed his pace bringing out the yellow with 23 laps completed. Snyder was still first when action resumed with Schutz challenging, but Snyder kept him behind.
It seemed Schutz would gain ground on Snyder, but that quick he lost it.
Snyder kept all the competition behind him and went on to claim his 10th Grandview career win followed by Schutz, Pfeil, Merkel and Shuey.
Arnold, who chalked up his first 25-lap NASCAR Sportsman of the season May 5, 2018, finally had a change of luck when he pulled into the winner’s circle for the second time by a comfortable margin over runner-up Louden Reimert.
Kurt Bettler was the early leader after two tries to complete a lap, but the second time around Arnold put the No. 830 into tat the head of the pack.
Within no time Arnold had a sizeable lead while Kenny Bock, Bettler, Kyle Lilick and Reimert jockeyed for the remaining spots. Trying to break into the top five was Brad Brightbill.
Cale Ross spun in the fourth turn to regroup the pack on the 15th lap. Arnold maintained his pace on the restart, but four laps later Reimert put his bids in for first.
Nothing hampered Arnold for a change and he kept everyone behind him to chalk up his fourth career win. Chasing Arnold across the line were Reimert, Brightbill, Lilick and Mike Lisowski.