Strunk steals show for sixth Freedom 76 title
BECHTELSVILLE >> Jeff Strunk, “the Bechtelsville Bullet,” had been having a rather mediocre season, at least by his usually high standards, at Grandview Speedway behind the wheel of the Glenn Hyneman-owned No. 126 Modified. Saturday night the 10-time NASCAR track point champion rectified the 2016 campaign by pulling off his biggest win of the year the Freedom 76-Lap Modified Classic event for a hefty payday of $25,000 plus. He racked up a sizeable amount in lap money, the $100 half-way leader money from Area Auto Racing News and the Dan’s Deli ½-way hoagie award.
Strunk didn’t have an easy time in claiming his sixth win in the event, his last being in 2013, as he first dueled with Ryan Watt, who he lost the lead to earlier and then had to thwart off the challenges of second-place finisher and defending race winner Craig VonDohren.
Following the five qualifying heats won by Dan Bouc, Jared Umbenhauer, Bobby Varin, Rick Laubach, also the winner of the $1,000 Cash Dash, and David VanHorn plus the Schaeffer Motorsports Minuteman 20 captured by Kyle Borror the 32car starting field was set for the main event – the 46th Annual Freedom 76.
Through the luck of the draw Jeff Strunk pulled the number one seed and he wasted no time maintaining the lead on the initial green from starter Ray Kemp. Thrashing for positions behind him were Watt, Ray Swinehart, Brian Krummel and Mike Kellner.
Duane Howard, the race winner in 2011, brought out the first caution on the fifth lap when he slowed on the homestretch. After a quick pit stop he rejoined the action. Strunk maintained first on the restart and within a matter of laps he had a comfortable margin built up over the rest of the competition.
Lapped traffic allowed Watt to reel Strunk in and gain some ground.
Finally on lap 20, Billy Pauch slowed in turn one after contact with the homestretch wall while running eighth bringing him to an abrupt halt and the yellow was out. This time Watt, who started third, outgunned Strunk to become the new leader.
By this time the order behind Watt consisted of Strunk, 12th-place starter Von Dohren, Swinehart and last week’s feature winner Doug Manmiller, who started eighth.
The field regrouped when Kellner, in the top ten, brought out the 34th lap caution when he slowed his pace in turn four.
When action went green again with Watt on the high lane and Strunk hugging the inside, the pair battled side-by-side for several laps with neither one lifting.
Strunk was back in front
at the conclusion of the 37th lap.
Don Norris Jr. slowed in the second turn for the yellow shortly after Strunk regained control and that brought out a mandatory fuel stop.
After the seven-minute stop, Strunk was still first, but now Manmiller and VonDohren were second and third as Watt got shuffled to fourth and Rick Laubach fifth.
VonDohren was back in the runner-up spot on the 43rd lap and set his sights on Strunk.
Ryan Godown brought out the final caution on
the 49th lap after contact with the homestretch wall brought him to a stop in turn two. Once again the restart saw Strunk stick with the inside path and VonDohren running his familiar high lane. The two swapped paint on occasion, but not enough to change the status. Waiting in the wings for a miscue in hopes of advancement were Laubach, Manmiller and Watt.
Lapped cars came into the picture again on the 66th lap and Laubach began gaining ground on the front two.
Strunk kept everyone behind him and went on to claim his third win of the season at the 1/3-mile oval followed by VonDohren, Laubach, Manmiller and Watt. Rounding out the top ten were Swinehart, Krummel, Umbenhauer,
Kyle Weiss and Varin.
The $500 Hard Charger award sponsored by Guntherracing.com and all his sponsors topped by Square One Markets went to Howard as he started 32nd and finished 11th. Krummel, the seventh place finisher received the T.P.Trailers rookie of the race award while tenth place finisher Bobby Varin received the T.P.Trailers non-regular competitor award.
In the 20-lap Schaeffer Motorsports Minuteman 20, the last chance to qualify, Borror and Dom Buffalino battled back and forth for the lead lap after lap, but it was Borror that emerged the victor trailed by Buffalino, Godown, Kevin Hirthler and Howard putting them in the final starting spots for the Freedom 76.
Grosso, Strada win Friday features
Rising young racing talent Brandon Grosso hung on for an exciting Sportsman victory, Friday night at Grandview Speedway, while Eddie Strada blew the doors off the competition to take home the dominating win in the TSRS 305 Sprint Car main event, as part of the third annual Night Before the Freedom 76’er events at the high-banked third-mile dirt track in Bechtelsville. For both it was their first career victory at the track.
With his win Friday night, Grosso now has 16 victories in 2016 at five different tracks, as he enjoys a tremendous campaign.
With the displaying of the green in the annual Sportsman 38’er, pole sitter B.J. Joly vaulted out immediately into the lead over Mike Koffel. On Lap 2, Brad Arnold, who started third, moved into second spot and Grosso, who picked fifth to start in the prerace draw, was fourth. After three circuits it was Joly in front of Arnold and Grosso as the top three.
Exiting Turn 4 on the high outside on Lap 5 it was Arnold going around Joly to become the new race leader. Two tours later Grosso advanced into the runner-up role.
A caution on Lap 12 regrouped the field after Todd Huffman spun in Turn 4 all alone.
Green again and it was Grosso surging ahead off Turn 2 running on the high outside, dropping Arnold to second, with Grandview 2016 Sportsman track Champion Jordan Henn, who started in twelfth, now up to third. Craig Whitmoyer of Hamburg, PA was running a solid fourth. Another yellow after 15-laps for a spinning Brad Roberts slowed things.
“I had to chase down that 830 car (Arnold) for a while to get out in front,” explained Grosso, 16, of Montgomery, N. J. “The track was great, though. You could run up on top or low down on the bottom and it produced great racing all-around tonight.”
The Lap 16 restart showed Grosso again out in front over Henn of Kutztown, and Whitmoyer, with Arnold now falling back into fourth-place. By Lap 21, Grosso started to stretch out his advantage, as he got into lapped traffic. The lapped traffic actually allowed Henn to start to close in again by Lap 30.
With two to go, Grosso was caught up in heavy traffic, with Henn and Whitmoyer right on his tailpipe.
The final go-round had a thrilling three- car battle to the checkered, with Whitmoyer ducking underneath Henn to steal second. Whitmoyer actually inched in front of Grosso at one point, but Grosso won the race to the flagstand over Whitmoyer, Henn, Arnold and Jim Housworth.