THOMAS AND SMITH BAG BIG WINS AT KUTZTOWN FAIR NATIONALS
by BARRY ANGSTADT
Kutztown, Pa. - August 18 - Luke Thomas, from Houston, Delaware, raced to the $1500 victory in the Wingless 600cc main event during Wednesday night's Kutztown Fair Nationals. Thomas also collected a $100 bonus from the HTMA 600 Pro Series, and his car owner, Dave DeVault, was awarded a new right-rear tire from Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic. The Kutztown triumph was the first for the Thomas/DeVault combo since they teamed up earlier in the summer.
For the seventh time this year, Kunkletown, Pa.'s Ryan Smith was victorious in a 270cc main event at the Fairgrounds in Kutztown. His most recent win, in the Kutztown Fair Nationals, was certainly the most lucrative of the season, as Smith also earned $1500 for his triumph.
Franklin Heinzmann led all 20 laps to win the feature race for the Young Guns 390 Junior Sprint Series.
Thomas started fourth in the 30-lapper for the Wingless 600cc Micro-Sprints, and narrowly avoided a multi-car tangle in turn one on the initial start. The pileup knocked out 2010 point champ Jeff Hartman and Ryan Greth; it also forced Shane Lewis to restart at the rear of the field.
On the ensuing green, Thomas took part in a three-car fight for the lead with polesitter Brian Carber and Brett Arndt. Keeping his left-side tires down on the infield markers, Thomas shot by Arndt before squeezing under Carber to snare the top spot on lap three.
Heavy lapped traffic and several caution periods prevented Thomas from building a comfortable advantage over his pursuers. Ninth-starting Ryan Smith finally wrestled the runner-up position from Arndt at the halfway point, and a few late race yellows put the Kid from Kunkletown on the tail tank of the leader's No. 2T. But Thomas was up to the task, repelling each challenge and actually pulling away from Smith over the final laps.
Positions two through five were hotly contested - right down to the checkered flag - with Smith holding on for second over Brett Michalski, Arndt, and Tim Buckwalter. Buckwalter gained more positions than anyone during the 30-lap affair, as he rolled off the starting grid in the 18th spot.
For almost two-thirds of Wednesday's 270cc main event, it appeared as though newly crowned track champion Ross Perchak would cap off his season at Kutztown with a huge victory. Ryan Smith, however, had other ideas...
Perchak took the green from the inside of row one, by virtue of his win in the 270cc Dash. "Ross the Boss" darted out to big lead over Trevor Kobylarz as Smith, who started on the inside of row three, methodically worked his way forward. He grabbed second from Kobylarz on a lap six restart.
The second and final yellow flag was displayed with nine circuits complete. During the final 21 revolutions that went clean and green, Perchak and Smith threaded their way through a huge pack of slower cars. As the duo blasted into turn one on lap 18, Smith saw the opening he needed, diving as low as he possibly could in the corner and pulling alongside the leader. Smith launched off turn two with the lead, using a lapped car to screen Perchak. Once in front, Smith simply ran away from Perchak and the rest of the field.
Smith crossed the stripe almost three seconds ahead of Perchak, with Jay Hartman, Kobylarz, and Richie Hartman completing the top five.
Franklin Heinzmann started on the pole for the Young Guns 390 Junior Sprint Series feature. Heinzmann outgunned Jacob Moose at the drop of the green, then set sail, winning comfortably over Bubba Lofton and Moose in a non-stop race that lasted just a tick over four minutes.
Kutztown Fair Fodder...a packed grandstand and some terrific racing provided a fitting conclusion for the final MIcro-Sprint event of the 2010 season at the fairgrounds. Two solid and quality-filled fields supported the Kutztown Fair Nationals, as the Wingless 600 and 270cc classes each drew 35 cars for the two-night season finale.
Kevin Steele, the 600cc driver who was working as a track official on Tuesday night, suffered a torn calf muscle during a caution period during one of the 270cc heat races. Struck by a car as he attended to another (disabled) Micro in turn two, Steele was treated at Lehigh Valley Medical Center. He will be out of action for two to four weeks.
A plethora of sponsors assisted in making the Kutztown Fair Nationals a hugely successful event. The drivers who turned the quickest laps in Tuesday's time trials, Brian Carber (600cc) and Ryan Smith (270cc), received cash awards from XS Energy Drink and Racer's Roundtable.
Qualifying heat winners were given a choice of a $50 gift certificate from Keizer Wheels or a SuperClear tearoff gift certificate from RPM New & Used Slinger Parts. Those who were victorious in Tuesday's heat races included Carber, Thomas, Smith, Jeff Hartman, Jesse Hartman, Shane Lewis, Patrick Perone, and Joe Kepple in the Wingless 600cc division. Heats for the 270cc competitors were taken by Smith, Kobylarz, Charlie Stone, Richie Hartman, Matt Janisch, Josh Pepe, Harlee Schaffer, and Perchak.
The Dash winners, Carber (600cc) and Perchak (270cc), received a set of front hubs from Diversified Machine, Inc. (DMI).
The two chauffeurs who started seventh in their respective main events were rewarded with a front wheel from Keizer Wheels. Those drivers were Jesse Hartman (600cc) and Rob Pajauis (270cc). They were the first drivers to miss out on qualifying for their respective Dash Races.
For his runner-up finish in the Wingless 600cc event, Ryan Smith also went home with a drum of fuel, courtesy of J.R. Michalski Heating & Air Conditioning and Kelly Racing Fuels.
J.R. Michalski also sponsored the Bill Hess Memorial Trophies that were given to the feature winners. Hess, the longtime racing photographer and a fixture at the fairgrounds, passed away in February from complications due to Crohn's Disease. His widow, Ann Hess, presented the trophies to Thomas and Smith in victory lane.
NPS Racing Engines rewarded Tim Buckwalter with a $100 bonus for being the first car across the finish line that utilized an NPS powerplant.
Additional sponsorship came from RTS Chassis, Hyper Racing, Schoenly Enterprises, and Carber's Lawn Care, along with several anonymous donations, in the form of cash and products, that were made during the two nights of racing.
Wingless 600cc Micro-Sprints, 30 laps: 1.Luke Thomas, 2.Ryan Smith, 3.Brett Michalski, 4.Brett Arndt, 5.Tim Buckwalter, 6.Brian Carber, 7.Jesse Hartman, 8.Kyle Reinhardt, 9.Joe Kepple, 10.Shane Lewis, 11.Jay Hartman, 12.Shelby Harper, 13.Brett Schoenly, 14.David Dimaio, 15.Keith McIntyre, 16.Patrick Perone, 17.Joe Kay, 18.Brendan Bright, 19.Kyle Lick, 20.Danny Wykes, 21.Heath Hehnly, 22.Jeff Hartman, 23.Ryan Greth, 24.Steve Kemery.
Wingless 600cc B-Main, 20 laps: 1.Jay Hartman, 2.Tim Buckwalter, 3.Shelby Harper, 4.Joe Kay, 5.Brendan Bright, 6.Keith McIntyre, 7.Heath Hehnly, 8.David Dimaio.
Wingless 600cc Dash, 6 laps: 1.Brian Carber, 2.Jeff Hartman, 3.Brett Arndt, 4.Luke Thomas, 5.Brett Schoenly, 6.Shane Lewis.
270cc Micro-Sprints, 30 laps: 1.Ryan Smith, 2.Ross Perchak, 3.Jay Hartman, 4.Trevor Kobylarz, 5.Richie Hartman, 6.Josh Pepe, 7.John Pepe, 8.Tom Schearer, 9.Tom Kunsman Jr., 10.Charlie Stone, 11.Heath Hehnly, 12.Dan Souder, 13.Rob Pajauis, 14.Devin Harron, 15.Harlee Schaffer, 16.Jimmy Carpenter, 17.Jared Kunkle, 18.Kurt Bettler, 19.Matt Janisch, 20.Tyler Reinhardt, 21.J.J. Uliana, 22.Bill Darcy Jr., 23.Mike Rutherford, 24.Matt McAnally.
270cc B-Main, 20 laps: 1.John Pepe, 2.Devin Harron, 3.Jimmy Carpenter, 4.Tom Kunsman Jr., 5.Dan Souder, 6.Kurt Bettler, 7.Tyler Reinhardt, 8.Bill Darcy Jr.
270cc Dash, 6 laps: 1.Ross Perchak, 2.Trevor Kobylarz, 3.Richie Hartman, 4.Mike Rutherford, 5.Ryan Smith, 6.Jay Hartman.
Young Guns 390 Sprint Series, 20 laps: 1.Franklin Heinzmann, 2.Bubba Lofton, 3.Jacob Moose, 4.Logan Spahr.
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