Hirthler Brothers and Kline win races at Grandview

BECHTELSVILLE >> Brothers. Kevin Hirthler, 39, and Brian Hirthler, 37, both of Perkiomenville took home a feature win, Saturday night at Grandview Speedway. Kevin scored his 12th career TP Trailers 358 Modified feature win at the high-banked third-mile dirt track, while Brian collected his second career Sportsman triumph at the popular Bechtelsville, PA raceway. The raceway promoted by the Rogers family celebrated 55 consecutive seasons of racing with the annual opening night program Saturday night.

Ron Kline, 48, of Salford, PA steering the Wanda Brown owned Junior Grebe Motorsports No. 3 Late Model claimed his 37th career feature triumph in the BRC Late Model main event.

“We’ve been trying to do this over the past five or six years, now, and finally we got it done tonight,” remarked a bearded Brian Hirthler after his win in the 25-lap Sportsman fray aboard his self-owned Pioneer Pole Building No. 4* Sportsman car.

Provided they met all requirements each feature winner earned bonus bucks from TP Trailers and Truck Equipment of Limerick. And VP Racing Fuels had product awards for top performers that met the requirements.

In the 25-lap Late model main, Chuck Schutz, the 2016 Late Model track champion, started from the pole in a heads-up start after winning the first heat race of the night. Kline, also a heat winner, started outside the front row. With the green it was Schutz out in front over Kline through the first seven circuits prior to the caution on Lap 7.

The new green again showed Schutz on top over Kline through Lap 12. Off turn 4 on Lap 13, Kline ducked under Schutz and took the top spot crossing at the starters stand. From that point on it was Kline going on to victory, with Schutz pressuring Kline several times in the final 12laps, but never getting out in front. Schutz pressed Kline, but wound up runner-up, with Kyle Merkel finishing up third. Stephen Todorow brought home a solid fourth in front of Brian Sipe.

Heat winners for the 15 Late Models in action were Chuck Schutz and Ron Kline.

“You got to keep your foot in it,” explained Kline. “We survived. The lapped cars were all over. Tonight, being in second was a better thing. I found the guard rail twice tonight and got by Chuck down there off the bottom in turn 4 and, believe me, once I got out in front I wasn’t about to give it back. Junior Grebe gave me a heck of a car.”

Kline now has won three of the last five features run at the track in recent years on Opening Night.

In the 30-lap 358 Modified feature, 10-time track champion Jeff Strunk started from the pole with Kevin Hirthler outside the front row chauffeuring his self-owned Bicknell chassied Pioneer Pole Building No. 117 mount. With the green it was Strunk powering out on top over Hirthler, as the caution was out after a lap. On the new green Hirthler was quicker on the restart from the outside lane, dropping Strunk to second spot for lap 2 in front of Brett Kressley. Lap 8 brought out another caution involving Kyle Borror, Ryan Grin and Kyle Weiss, as Kressley headed to the pit area with a flat tire.

On the restart from the outside lane it was Hirthler out in front again on Lap 9 as Strunk stayed close. Hirthler remained out in front, with another caution on Lap 13.

Again from the outside lane it was Hirthler scoring Lap 13 as the race leader. Caution again on Lap 15 bunched things up, but Hirthler remained out in front, with Strunk applying heavy pressure every tour. Hirthler kept his advantage and easily took the win in the 30-lapper over Strunk, with Craig Von Dohren finishing up a real strong third-place. In fourth it was invader Ryan Watt and five-time track champion rounded out the top five finishers.

The Sportsman feature saw Craig Whitmoyer vault out on top after starting from the pole over Brian Hirthler. Kenny Bock took third and Brian Papiez fourth. Papiez advanced to third by Lap 3 and immediately challenged Hirthler for second spot. The top three ran nose-to-tail for laps 9, 10 and 11 and laps 14 and 15 saw Papiez and Hirthler battling it out for second.

By Lap 16 Hirthler got hooked up on the high outside and in turn two he drove by Whitmoyer to take the top spot, while running with a couple of laps in lapped cars. Two slower lapped cars crashed right in front of the leaders racing through turns 3 and 4 and nearly took out the top runners, but a lap wasn’t completed. Lap 17 it was Hirthler again taking the lead, but Brad Arnold stopped in turn two to quickly bring out the caution.

The new green showed Hirthler out in front over Whitmoyer, Jordan Henn and Papiez, as the caution was waving again after 19 rounds for Papiez, who broke the front suspension.

The green reappeared with Hirthler on rails and flying out in front of Whitmoyer. Invader Cale Ross, normally a New Egypt Speedway runner, climbed up to third with 20-laps completed in front of Henn and Jim Housworth. It remained that way to the checkered.

BRC Late Models 25-laps 1) Ron Kline; 2) Chuck Schutz; 3) Kyle Merkel; 4) Stephen Todorow; 5) Brian Sipe; 6) Wayne Pfeil; 7) Blaine Emery; 8) Steve Wilson; 9) Shawn Horning; 10) Dirk Rimrott; 11) Jordan Knepp; 12) George Irwin; 13) Andy Cassell; 14) Todd Ravel; 15) Brian Shuey Sportsman 25-laps 1) Brian Hirthler; 2) Craig Whitmoyer; 3) Cale Ross; 4) Jordan Henn; 5) Jim Housworth; 6) Mark Kemmerer; 7) Joe Funk; 8) Dean Bachman; 9) Loudon Reimert; 10) Kenny Gilmore; 11) Ryan Higgs; 12) Kenny Bock; 13) Mike Mammana; 14) Brad Grim; 15) Kurt Bettler; 16) Mike Lisowski; 17) Ryan Beltz; 18) Ken Eckert Jr.; 19) Nathan Mohr; 20) Jesse Landis; 21) Dave Dissinger; 22) Brian Papiez; 23) Brad Arnold; 24) Ryan Shupp; 25) Jeromy Guistwite; 26) John McGovern TP Trailers 358 Modifieds 30-laps 1) Kevin Hirthler; 2) Jeff Strunk; 3) Craig Von Dohren; 4) Ryan Watt; 5) Duane Howard; 6) Rick Laubach; 7) Doug Manmiller; 8) Ray Swinehart; 9) Danny Bouc; 10) Brett Gilmore; 11) Dan Waisempacher; 12) Jared Umbenhauer; 13) Kory Fleming; 14) Justin Grim; 15) Mike Gular; 16) Briggs Danner; 17) Brett Kressley; 18) Mike Laise; 19) Brian Houseknecht; 20) Chris Esposito; 21) ; Kyle Borror22) Ryan Grim; 23) Addison Meitzler; 24) PJ Oliver; 25) Chris Gambler; 26) Blaine Bracelin Jr.; 27) John Willman; 28) Kyle Weiss