Mechanicsburg, PA - Brian Leppo of New Oxford won the sixth sprint car feature of his Williams Grove Speedway career Friday night after testing leader Greg Hodnett at the midpoint of the 25-lap main and then taking over from him with two laps to go when Hodnett came up with a left rear flat tire.In the American Ceramic Tile 358 sprint main, TJ Stutts of Liverpool withstood the test of Pat Cannon on a lap six restart to score a popular victory, the fourth of his Grove 358 career.
Hodnett started the main event for the Lawrence Chevrolet sprint cars from the second position and held sway from the outset after buzzing by polesitter Derek Sell in the first corner on the initial start.
Sixth starter Leppo drove into third on the first circuit and finally got by Sell with eight away to begin tracking down leader Hodnett.
Aboard the Trone No. 39, Hodnett entered the backmarkers on the ninth lap, allowing Leppo to close and before lap 11 could be completed, Leppo had a nose inside of Hodnett as the pair raced into the third corner.
But the shock of Leppo’s challenge seemed to reset defending champion Hodnett’s pace as Leppo was forced to watch the leader begin driving away as the race headed for the 10 to go point.
And it was with 10 to go, on lap 15, when a busy race for fourth between Brent Marks and challenger Brian Montieth got a little too close for comfort in the second corner, bringing out a yellow flag when Montieth struck Marks’ right rear and bolted into the outside rail.
Hodnett continued to lead when green reappeared and seemed headed for his first Grove win of the season when under yellow for a flattened left rear on Marks’ racer with two to go, he too came up with a lame left rear, handing Leppo the lead and victory.
Eleventh starter Steve Buckwalter surged on the restart to drive by Lance Dewease into second but ran out of time to track down leader Leppo.
“I saw Greg was gonna’ be hard to beat in clean air,” Leppo said.
“To run him down was one thing, to pass him was another.”
“I wanna’ give Buckwalter some credit,” Leppo said of the Royersford driver.
“He obviously was running well to come from 11th.”
Danny Dietrich rode home third followed by Dewease and Chad Layton.
Sixth through 10th went to Tyler Walker, Doug Esh, Adam Wilt, Fred Rahmer and Sell.
Heats went to Sell, Hodnett and Gerard McIntyre Jr. with Cory Haas taking the consolation.
Stutts began his quest from the pole and had fourth starter Cannon up to second, trying to track him down, by the second circuit of the 20-lap main.
Only one restart occurred during the event, with six away after Glenndon Forsythe backed into the third turn outside wall.
Cannon came after Stutts when green replaced the yellow but after some close quarters entering turn one on the restart, Stutts began pulling away, all the way to the win.
Cannon was second followed by Jay Galloway, Logan Schuchart and Chad Trout.
The balance of the top 10 was Ted Thomas, Adrian Shaffer, Matt Boland, Blane Heimbach and Nate Hammaker.
Heats were taken by Galloway, Thomas and Cannon with Eric Tomecek scoring the consolation race.
April 15, 2011 Feature Finishes:
410 sprint cars: 1. Brian Leppo, 2. Steve Buckwalter, 3. Danny Dietrich, 4. Lance Dewease, 5. Chad Layton, 6. Tyler Walker, 7. Doug Esh, 8. Adam Wilt, 9. Fred Rahmer, 10. Derek Sell, 11. Aaron Ott, 12. Justin Henderson, 13. Daryn Pittman, 14. Gerard McIntyre Jr., 15. Cory Haas, 16. Mark Smith, 17. Greg Hodnett, 18. Brent Marks, 19. Kyle Pruitt, 20. Ryan Bohlke, 21. Brian Montieth, 22. Mike Erdley, 23. Rick Lafferty, 24. Frank Cozze.
358 sprint cars: 1. TJ Stutts, 2. Pat Cannon, 3. Jay Galloway, 4. Logan Schuchart, 5. Chad Trout, 6. Ted Thomas, 7. Adrian Shaffer, 8. Matt Boland, 9. Blane Heimbach, 10. Nate Hammaker, 11. Tim Berkheimer, 12. Kyle Moody, 13. Rich Eichelberger, 14. Eric Tomecek, 15. Michael Ruttkamp, 16. Brie Hershey, 17. Amy Ott, 18. Colby Womer, 19. Jordan Frontz, 20. Brian Garland, 21. Ricky Stonebraker, 22. Billy Schoffstall, 23. Steve Fannasy, 24. Glenndon Forsythe
Hodnett started the main event for the Lawrence Chevrolet sprint cars from the second position and held sway from the outset after buzzing by polesitter Derek Sell in the first corner on the initial start.
Sixth starter Leppo drove into third on the first circuit and finally got by Sell with eight away to begin tracking down leader Hodnett.
Aboard the Trone No. 39, Hodnett entered the backmarkers on the ninth lap, allowing Leppo to close and before lap 11 could be completed, Leppo had a nose inside of Hodnett as the pair raced into the third corner.
But the shock of Leppo’s challenge seemed to reset defending champion Hodnett’s pace as Leppo was forced to watch the leader begin driving away as the race headed for the 10 to go point.
And it was with 10 to go, on lap 15, when a busy race for fourth between Brent Marks and challenger Brian Montieth got a little too close for comfort in the second corner, bringing out a yellow flag when Montieth struck Marks’ right rear and bolted into the outside rail.
Hodnett continued to lead when green reappeared and seemed headed for his first Grove win of the season when under yellow for a flattened left rear on Marks’ racer with two to go, he too came up with a lame left rear, handing Leppo the lead and victory.
Eleventh starter Steve Buckwalter surged on the restart to drive by Lance Dewease into second but ran out of time to track down leader Leppo.
“I saw Greg was gonna’ be hard to beat in clean air,” Leppo said.
“To run him down was one thing, to pass him was another.”
“I wanna’ give Buckwalter some credit,” Leppo said of the Royersford driver.
“He obviously was running well to come from 11th.”
Danny Dietrich rode home third followed by Dewease and Chad Layton.
Sixth through 10th went to Tyler Walker, Doug Esh, Adam Wilt, Fred Rahmer and Sell.
Heats went to Sell, Hodnett and Gerard McIntyre Jr. with Cory Haas taking the consolation.
Stutts began his quest from the pole and had fourth starter Cannon up to second, trying to track him down, by the second circuit of the 20-lap main.
Only one restart occurred during the event, with six away after Glenndon Forsythe backed into the third turn outside wall.
Cannon came after Stutts when green replaced the yellow but after some close quarters entering turn one on the restart, Stutts began pulling away, all the way to the win.
Cannon was second followed by Jay Galloway, Logan Schuchart and Chad Trout.
The balance of the top 10 was Ted Thomas, Adrian Shaffer, Matt Boland, Blane Heimbach and Nate Hammaker.
Heats were taken by Galloway, Thomas and Cannon with Eric Tomecek scoring the consolation race.
April 15, 2011 Feature Finishes:
410 sprint cars: 1. Brian Leppo, 2. Steve Buckwalter, 3. Danny Dietrich, 4. Lance Dewease, 5. Chad Layton, 6. Tyler Walker, 7. Doug Esh, 8. Adam Wilt, 9. Fred Rahmer, 10. Derek Sell, 11. Aaron Ott, 12. Justin Henderson, 13. Daryn Pittman, 14. Gerard McIntyre Jr., 15. Cory Haas, 16. Mark Smith, 17. Greg Hodnett, 18. Brent Marks, 19. Kyle Pruitt, 20. Ryan Bohlke, 21. Brian Montieth, 22. Mike Erdley, 23. Rick Lafferty, 24. Frank Cozze.
358 sprint cars: 1. TJ Stutts, 2. Pat Cannon, 3. Jay Galloway, 4. Logan Schuchart, 5. Chad Trout, 6. Ted Thomas, 7. Adrian Shaffer, 8. Matt Boland, 9. Blane Heimbach, 10. Nate Hammaker, 11. Tim Berkheimer, 12. Kyle Moody, 13. Rich Eichelberger, 14. Eric Tomecek, 15. Michael Ruttkamp, 16. Brie Hershey, 17. Amy Ott, 18. Colby Womer, 19. Jordan Frontz, 20. Brian Garland, 21. Ricky Stonebraker, 22. Billy Schoffstall, 23. Steve Fannasy, 24. Glenndon Forsythe
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