Brady Bacon continues the sizzle at Thunder on the Hill; Von Dohren wins

BECHTELSVILLE » Broken Arrow, Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon picked up his fifth Grandview Speedway win with the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Eastern Storrm Series, as the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series kicked off the Eastern Storm week of racing. Craig Von Dohren worked his magic once again to top the NASCAR 358 TriTrack Modified Series to win their thirty lap feature event.

The win marked Bacon’s fifth straight Eastern Storm Jesse Hockett Classic win.

“I had a good shot starting up front – I just had to not mess up,” Bacon said during Victory Lane ceremonies.

Bacon did more than just ‘not mess up’ – he grabbed the lead on the initial start and led every circuit of the 40 lap main event. But it wasn’t without challenge.

Allentown’s Briggs Danner gave the hometown crowd and hero something to cheer about when he quickly advance to the second position on the initial start.

“Briggs definitely put some pressure on us,” Bacon said of the Pennsylvania native aboard the No. 5G machine.

Danner made his move around the outside of Bacon’s No. 69 on lap 14 and the hometown crowd erupted when he claimed the top spot – but contact with the outside wall handed the lead back to the 2021 USAC defending champion.

The caution flew on lap 20 for Shane Cottle, who slowed aboard the Hogueowned No. 39 machine.

On the restart, Bacon and Danner left everyone by the wayside, setting a wild pace on the field.

The caution flew again seven circuits later for Logan Seavey – who was running in the top-5 – with a flat right front tire.

It was all Bacon from the lap 28 restart uncontested claiming the $6,000-towin Jesse Hockett Classic. Briggs Danner finished in second, Chase Stockon came home in third position, Justin Grant finished in fourth, and Robert Ballou in the fifth position.

USAC Heat races were won by Charles Davis Jr., Matt Westfall and Thomas

Meseraull. CJ Leary set the quick time with a lap of 13.713 – Leary received $150 courtesy of Clever Girl Winery and $200 courtesy of the drivers at the Keystone Quarter Midget Club.

Craig Von Dohren won the NASCAR 358 Modified Tri-Track Series event that covered a distance of thirty laps.

Billy Pauch Jr. of Frenchtown, New Jersey took the twenty-four car 358 Modified field down to the green flag grabbing the lead on the start while Von Dohren moved into the second-position.

Pauch led the early stages of the event with Von Dohren and Jared Umbenhauer – aboard the Breitenstein No. 14 car – hot on his tail.

While the battle up front stayed solid all eyes were on Brett Kressley. Kressley charged forward from the 11th starting position moving into fifth on lap five, and claiming fourthposition and third-position in the consecutive laps.

The action slowed on lap 19 when Jimmy Leiby spun in front of the frontrunners for the only caution of the event.

Von Dohren race sideby-side with Pauch on the restart into turn 1 overtaking the lead by the time lap 20 clicked off. Von Dohren ran unchallenged for the remainder of the event as Pauch Jr. had his hands full attempting to hold off Kressley rim-riding the high side of speedway. It was Kressley sending roster tails and he navigated Grandview’s high banked turns.

Von Dohren remained calm and steady as he went on to claim the $3,000 victory and his second consecutive NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill checkered flag. Kressley would catch Pauch Jr and take home the second spot, Pauch settling for third, Duane Howard was fourth, and Eddie Strada delivered a flawless run grabbing a top-five finish.

Brett Kressley set quick time with a lap of 14.183 for the 358 Modifieds in the timed warm-ups. Modified heat races were won by Tim Buckwalter, Eddie Strada, and Alex Yankowski as Ron Kline won the consolation– each qualifier winner picked up $200 courtesy of GT Radiator Repair of Ambler PA. Kressley also earned $200 for setting fast time from GT Radiators.

Pioneer Pole Buildings posted a $2,000 bonus for any first time Thunder on the Hill modified winner but that cash went unclaimed. The bonus will be back in place when the modifieds return to Thunder on the Hill on Tuesday, June 28.

The NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series races back into Grandview Speedway on Tuesday, June 28 when Levan Machine and Truck Equipment presents Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Car Speedweek and the Greg Hodnett Cup. The only winged 410 Sprint Car appearance of 2022 will be co-headlined by the NASCAR 358 Modifieds.

USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series

Time Trials – 1. CJ Leary – 13.713 2. Logan Seavey – 13.734 3. Briggs Danner – 13.831 4. Robert Ballou – 14.078 5. Chase Stockon – 14.114

6. Brady Bacon – 14.193 7. Jadon Rogers – 14.213 8. Justin Grant – 14.228 9. Thomas Meseraull – 14.269 10. Emerson Axsom – 14.299 11. Matt Westfall – 14.303

12. Timmy Buckwalter – 14.332

13. Charles Davis Jr. – 14.342 14. Alex Bright – 14.361 15. Shane Cottle – 14.410 16. Brandon Mattox – 14.582 17. Korbyn Hayslett – 14.586 18. Jake Swanson – 14.616

19. Alex Banales – 14.801

Heat 1 (10 Laps) – 1. Charles Davis Jr. 2. CJ Leary 3. Jadon Rogers

4. Brandon Mattox 5. Steven Drevicki

Heat 2 (10 Laps) – 1. Matt Westfall

2. Justin Grant 3. Korbyn Hayslett

4. Chase Stockon 5. Logan Seavey Heat 3 (10 Laps) -- 1. Thomas Meseraull 2. Shane Cottle 3. Brady Bacon 4. Jake Swanon 5. Briggs Danner

A-Main (40 Laps) – 1. Brady Bacon

2. Briggs Danner 3. Chase Stockon

4. Justin Grant 5. Robert Ballou 6. CJ Leary 7. Thomas Meseraull 8. Jadon Rogers 9. Jake Swanson 10. Emerson Axsom 11. Charles Davis Jr. 12. Matt Westfall 13. Logan Seavey 14. Shane Cottle 15. Brandon Mattox 16. Alex Banales

17. Alex Bright 18. Tim Buckwalter

19. Korbyn Hayslett 20. Steven Drevicki

NASCAR 358 Modifieds

Heat 1 (10 Laps) – 1. Tim Buckwalter 2. Brett Kressley 3. Billy Pauch Jr. 4. Louden Reimert 5. Justin Grim 6. Mike Gular Heat 2 (10 Laps) – 1. Eddie Strada

2. Rick Laubach 3. Doug Manmiller

4. Duane Howard 5. Ryan Watt 6. Tanner VanDoren

Heat 3 (10 Laps) – 1. Alex Yankowski 2. Jack Butler 3. Jared Umbenhauer 4. Craig VonDohren

5. Jeff Strunk 6. Jimmy Leiby Consi (10 Laps) – 1. Ron Kline 2. Dylan Swinehart 3. Ryan Beltz 4. Mike Liswoski 5. Jordan Henn 6. Ron Harring Jr.

Feature (30 Laps) – 1. Craig Von Dohren 2. Brett Kressley 3. Billy Pauch Jr. 4. Duane Howard 5. Eddie Strada 6. Jared Umbenhauer 7. Doug Manmiller 8. Jack Butler 9. Louden Reimert 10. Rick Laubach 11. Tim Buckwalter 12. Alex Yankowski 13. Mike Gular 14. Ryan Watt 15. Tanner VanDoren

16. Ron Kline 17. Justin Grim 18. Jimmy Leiby 19. Jordan Henn 20. Jeff Strunk 21. Ryan Beltz 22. Dylan Swinehart 23. Ron Haring Jr.

24. Mike Lisowski 25. Kevin Graver