Von Dohren on top again; Hirthler brothers split Sportsman wins
BECHTELSVILLE » Oley’s Craig Von Dohren was able to use some key late race restarts to his advantage to secure the lead from a strong running Brett Gilmore then outrun Brett Kressley in the final laps to score his third point race victory of the season in the 30-lap T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modified feature Saturday night at Grandview Speedway.
In the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman 25-lap feature event, Brian Hirthler, of Green Lane, was scored the leader of the feature on lap 23, when a caution came out with just two laps remaining, interrupting the great battle between himself and then race leader Kyle Smith of Fleetwood to score his second victory of the season.
Both winners received bonus money from T.P. Trailers and Truck Equipment ($300-Modified, $200-Sportsman) provided they had the proper decals on their cars. The night’s racing program was part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series.
The 602 Crate Sportsman mini-series ran race number two this season, and Kevin Hirthler (Boyertown) was able to grab the lead on a lap 5 restart from Dylan Swinehart (Fleetwood) to score the win.
The T.P. Trailer Modified feature began with Brett Gilmore taking command as soon as starter Ray Kemp displayed the opening green flag. The yellow quickly appeared on lap one as Cory Merkel (Bally) was spun in turn one.
Following the restart, Gilmore led followed by Craig Whitmoyer of Hamburg, and a good battle for position behind them between Kevin Graver Jr. of Lehighton, Brad Grim of Coplay, and Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville, who had quickly advanced into the top five from his 12th starting position.
A good stretch of green flag action followed, with Gilmore and Whitmoyer pulling away from the rest of the field to nearly a straightaway advantage. While this was
happening, a great battle developed for third, as Manmiller was soon joined by Von Dohren who was slicing his way through the field from his 15th starting spot, along with Brett Kressley from 13th starting position.
A caution on lap seventeen for a stopped Brad Grim set the stage for Von Dohren’s
late moves. On the restart he was in fourth, but with leader Gilmore picking the top lane for the restart, he was able to sweep around Manmiller into third, and by the next set of turns, slide by Whitmoyer and into second before another caution on lap 20 for a slowing Frank Cozze of Wind Gap.
On this restart, Gilmore slid high going into turn one, giving Von Dohren all the opportunity he needed to grab the lead. Kressley quickly followed into second and the chase was on. In the final laps, the leaders caught lapped traffic giving Kressley a couple of chances at Von Dohren when he was blocked by two-wide lapped cars, but Von Dohren made the moves he needed to just stay one step ahead of Kressley and score a very close victory in the end.
Von Dohren and Kressley were chased to the finish by Gilmore who had a great night after early season struggles, Manmiller and Duane Howard (Oley) who rallied for a late race fifth after starting in 26th position. The remainder of the top ten were Whitmoyer, Kevin Hirthler, Steve Swinehart of Perkiomenville, Graver Jr. and Dan Waisempacher of Springtown.
Wayne Rotenberger of Ringing Hill was the early leader of the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman main event. An early mover in this feature was Cole Stangle of Neshanic Station, N.J., as he was quickly charging through the field mostly on the outside lane from his eleventh starting spot.
The race was on for the top spot in the last half of race between as Hirthler chased Kyle Smith in a real battle for the lead. As they reached lapped traffic, Smith was really being pressured by Hirthler, but was able to make the right moves to just hold onto the lead. As the pair raced down the front straight on lap 23, Hirthler was ahead by a wheel, but got stuck behind lapped cars entering the turn, which would have allowed Smith to retake to top spot, but a yellow for a stopped Adrianna Delliponti of Norristown on lap 23 gave Hirthler the lead, as he was scored ahead at the line on the 23rd lap.
Hirthler ran the final two laps to his second win of the season and 14th of his career, followed by Smith, Stangle, Dylan Hoch of Mertztown, with another late race charge from 21st spot to fourth and Stofflet with his best finish in fifth.
The 602 Sportsman feature saw Kevin Hirthler start on the pole after winning the first heat race, however Dylan Swinehart was able to jump out front and lead the first five circuits. Hirthler was able to take the lead on a lap five restart and never look back.
For a short time following the restart, Hirthler, Swinehart, Jimmy Leiby, Brad Grim, Nate Brinker of Macungie, and Dakota Kohler of Kutztown, all battled for the top positions. Slowly as the race stayed green, Hirthler pulled away leaving the battling for positions behind him. Soon Vaccaro, Bauman, Jordan Henn of Kutztown, Cody Manmiller of Philadelphia, and Hoch joined the action for the top ten spots.
Hirthler reached lapped traffic by lap sixteen, but never slowed down, and raced on to the win followed by Swinehart, Jimmy Leiby, Brad Grim and Brinker.