3.27.21 Pennsylvania Sprint Series Results
By: Frank Buhrman
Jaremi Hanson survived a fierce, multi-lap battle – and serious contact – with Mikell McGee and then held off veteran Doug Dodson’s last-lap challenge to win the PA Sprint Series 20-lap feature Saturday night at Lincoln Speedway.
It was the Dillsburg veteran’s third win at the Pidgeon Hills track.
Dodson, of Middletown, came home less than a quarter of a second behind Hanson, with Dom Melair of Warrington, who also had a shot at the leader before being passed by Dodson on the next-to-last lap, finishing third. McGee, of Doylesburg, who led the first six laps, was fourth, with Moyock, N.C., invader Daren Bolac fifth.
Devin Adams, Ken Duke Jr., John Walp, Kruz Kepner and Larry McVay completed the top 10.
Hanson’s National Energy of Gettysburg/Just for Jacks Home Construction/Whitehall Flyway Mini Cattle/Ort Signs #36 started outside the front row, but pole-starting McGee grabbed the early lead, with a fierce battle behind them for the next several positions.
That battle collected Ohio’s Justin Clark (runner-up in last year’s Keystone RaceSaver Challenge), who backed into the second turn rail and rolled over on lap 7. He was not injured, but the car was done.
On the restart, Hanson made what turned out to be the winning pass, and he did so just before the caution flew again for a spin by Austin Graby. When racing resumed again, McGee very nearly reclaimed the lead, but soon he was fighting off Melair. The latter also was defending his position against Dave Grube, but Grube spun in the second turn on lap 10. That moved Dodson, who had started 11th, into the top five.
On the lap 10 restart, Hanson, who had been running high on the track, dropped down in front of McGee, and the two cars made hard contact in turn 1. Both recovered, but Melair slipped past McGee into second. Dodson took fourth from Bolac, and while Henson established a lead, Melair, McGee and Dodson battled fiercely for second.
The scene changed when Kassidy Kreitz spun in turn 4 on lap 19, setting up the final battle for the win. On the restart, Dodson was able to pass Melair for second but fell just short in challenging the winner.
The victory also was the third at Lincoln for Hanson’s car owner Rod Ort, who took a pair of checkered flags himself. Ironically, when Ort won in 2004, Jim Siegal was the 410 sprint winner, and Siegel claimed Saturday night’s victory as well – 17 years later.
The race drew 33 entries from seven states, including two potential contenders for this year’s IMCA/RaceSaver National Championship: Ohio’s Clark and Jeff Oliver, a former Californian now living in Georgia. Ken Duke Jr. of Selinsgrove, the night’s seventh-place finisher, was the 2019 National Champion.
Heat wins went to McGee, Jeff Weaver, Clark and Hanson, with McVay claiming the B-Main, which also featured a great charge by Jared Zionkowski from ninth to second. There were no serious incidents in the preliminary events.
In a race with lots of passing, McVay earned Hard Charger honors by advancing 11 positions from 21st to 10th. Runner-up Dodson and Duke each moved up nine spots.
This week the PASS sprinters have another doubheleader, racing at Williams Grove Speedway Friday night with 410 sprints and USAC Eastern Wingless 360s, then running at Port Royal Speedway Saturday with 410 sprints and late models.
For the latest schedule and other information, visit www.pasprintseries.com or the PA Sprint Series Facebook page.
Results from Lincoln Speedway March 27
HEAT 1 – 1. 11M-Mikell McGee; 2. 20-Doug Dodson; 3. 1-Rowdy Heffner; 4. 21B-Brandon McLain; 5. 54-Mike Melair; 6. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 7. 87-Austin Graby; 8. 44B-Zack Bealer; 9. 25-Dustin Young.
HEAT 2 – 1. 52-Jeffrey Weaver; 2. 5-John Walp; 3. 3D-Dave Grube; 4. 29-Jeff Oliver; 5. 31-Donnie Hendershot; 6. 11W-Donnie Wise; 7. 17R-Frank Rusnock; 8. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski (DNF).
HEAT 3 – 1. 78-Justin Clark; 2. 44V-Daren Bolac; 3. 99-Devin Adams; 4. 18-Ian Detweiler; 5. 51-Dave Graber; 6. 83-Larry McVay; 7. 121-Steve Glover; 8. 03-Branstin Shue (DNF).
HEAT 4 – 1. 36-Jaremi Hanson; 2. 55-Dom Melair; 3. 19-Kruz Kepner; 4. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 5. 8-Will Brunson; 6. 80-Dave Wickham; 7. 21-Andrew Boyer; 8. 18A-Alex Schmiedel (DNF).
B-MAIN – 1. 83-Larry McVay; 2. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 3. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 4. 87-Austin Graby; 5. 121-Steve Glover; 6. 21-Andrew Boyer; 7. 25-Dustin Young; 8. 44B-Zack Bealer; 9. 11W-Donnie Wise; 10. 18A-Alex Schmiedel; 11. 80-Dave Wickham; 12. 03-Branstin Shue; 13. 17R-Frank Rusnock (DNF).
FEATURE – 1. 36-Jaremi Hanson; 2. 20-Doug Dodson; 3. 55-Dom Melair; 4. 11M-Mikell McGee; 5. 44V-Daren Bolac; 6. 99-Devin Adams; 7. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 8. 5-John Walp; 9. 19-Kruz Kepner; 10. 83-Larry McVay; 11. 52-Jeffrey Weaver; 12. 21B-Brandon McLain; 13. 29-Jeff Oliver; 14. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 15. 1-Rowdy Heffner; 16. 8-Will Brunson; 17. 18-Ian Detweiler; 18. 51-Dave Graber; 19. 54-Mike Melair; 20. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz (DNF); 21. 3D-Dave Grube (DNF); 22. 31-Donnie Hendershot (DNF); 23. 87-Austin Graby (DNF); 24. 78-Justin Clark (DNF). DNQ – 121-Steve Glover; 21-Andrew Boyer; 25-Dustin Young; 44B-Zack Bealer; 11W-Donnie Wise; 18A-Alex Schmiedel; 80-Dave Wickham; 03-Branstin Shue.