4.26.14 Williams Grove Speedway Results
Williams Grove Speedway began the 2014 campaign Saturday night. On a blustery night, Rich Eichelberger won the Blazer’s Body Shop Super Sportsman 20-lap feature. Kyle Lee made his initial start at Williams Grove and captured his career first Credit Connection Car Sales 20-lap 358 Late Model feature. Veteran Jeff Haag held off a final-lap challenge to score the victory in the 15 lap Aquafun Pools Street Stock main.
Rich Eichelberger entered the evening’s racing with a heavy heart. The day prior his father passed away. The York Springs driver started in second position. He was the immediate leader, gaining a 12-length advantage by the second lap. Lanny Hake, Gregg Foster, Scott Dellinger, Steve Wilbur and Chad Criswell were in pursuit of the leader.
The race came to a halt on lap three when Rick Barr, Scott Geesey, and Dave Berkheimer tangled in turn one, sending the Geesey car into a flip. Geesey walked away from his spill.
Eichelberger continued his assault of the half-mile oval, gaining a 6.9 second lead when the caution came out on lap 15.
The caution did not deter Eichelberger. He won his first of the year by 2.2 seconds over Foster, Dellinger, Wilbur, and Criswell. The victory is the 84th of Eichelberger’s career moving him into second place of the all-time leading Super Sportsman feature winners.
The qualifying wins for the 28 cars went to Frankie Herr, Dellinger, and Eichelberger.
Kyle Lee, a 15-year old student at James Buchannon High School, started the 358 Late Model feature in second place. Lee was in front by the completion of the opening circuit. Shaun Jones was in hot pursuit, lurking two lengths behind the leader.
Caution flags on laps seven and 11 did not hamper the young leader. He continued his flawless race, not allowing Jones an opportunity to strike. The battle was for third between Wes Alleman and Gene Knaub. Knaub made countless challenges, Alleman turning back each attempt.
Kyle Lee did not falter and he crossed the finish line four lengths ahead of Jones, Alleman, Knaub, and Travis Mease.
Chris Fletcher, Cam Zeigler, and Jones won the heats for the 29-car field. The consolation goes to Jared Miller.
Steve Hastings led the first lap of the Street Stock feature. Jeff Haag, the third-place starter, became the new leader in the second circuit.
Following a lap-five restart, Mike Buckley gained second place. Buckley began a relentless chase of the leader. Buckley would attempt passes on the outside, later moving to the inside. Haag had the momentum off the turns to turn back the challenges.
Buckley tested the outside line during the final three laps. On the final lap he switched lanes dropping to the inside. He pulled even with Haag in turns three and four. The two veteran drivers had a sprint to the finish line. Haag’s Camaro won by a length over Buckley. Steven Dove was third, with Hastings in fourth, and Brett Pickell was fifth.
The preliminaries for the 23 entries went to Dove and Pickell.
Chad Trout received the Sprint Aces Super Sportsman Hard Charger award. The Artwerks 358 Hard Charger Award went to Pat Beard and Charles Ruppert passed 13 cars to claim the Street Stock Artwerks Hard Charger money.
The Williams Grove Speedway Saturday Night Series returns to action this Saturday at 6:30. The racing will feature the Blazer’s Body Shop Super Sportsman, Credit Connection Car Sales 358 Late Models, and the Aquafun Pools Street Stocks. Adult admission remains at the low price of five dollars with children 12 and under free.
Super Sportsman results:
1) 8 Rich Eichelberger 2) 32 Gregg Foster 3) 30 Scott Dellinger 4) 17 Steve Wilbur 5) 55c Chad Criswell 6) 99 Frankie Herr 7) 25 Bobby Hockenberry 8) 77 Russ Mitten 9) 3B Mike Enders 10) 91 Lanny Hake 11) 11 Steve Fannasy 12) 7c Chad Trout 13) 222 Jay Fannasy 14) 7 Todd Leonard 15) 75 Kenny Edkin 16) 77w Tom Wyckoff 17) 1R Jim Hulse 18) 29 Duaine Smith 19) 22 Jaremi Hanson 20) 45 Dave Socks 21) 5 Dave Berkheimer 22) 00 Rick Barr 23) 33 Scott Geesey 24) 318 Stan Wanner
DNQ: 17J Tony Jackson, 99c Chad Smith, 21 LeRoy Martin, 83 Cody Fairchok
358 Late Model results:
1) 2T Kyle Lee 2) 2m Shaun Jones 3) 80 Wes Alleman 4) 1 Gene Knaub 5) 116 Travis Mease 6) NINE Cam Zeigler 7) 95 Chris Fletcher 8) 112 Alan Sagi 9) 25 Sam Gallagher 10) 5 Bobby Beard 11) 43 Jake Jones 12) 2j Justin Weaver 13) 73 Al Cheney 14) 7 Pat Beard 15) 2 Scott Richwine 16) 15 Jared Miller 17) 55 Will Rowe 18) 11 Sam Rial 19) 19L Dave Latsha 20) 000 Pat McNeal 21) 85 Rodney Walls 22) 14 Tyler Horst 23) 22 Chase Billet 24) 2z Dan Zechman
DNQ: 9 Matt Adams, 22c Mike Blazer, 88 Randy Croop, 13m John McLanigan III, 19x Tom Smith
Street Stock results:
1) 29 Jeff Haag 2) 94 Mike Buckley 3) 22 Steve Dove 4) 21R Steve Hastings 5) 88p Brett Pickel 6) 27 Doug Hoffman 7) 77n Bob Gutshall 8) 0
Todd Bowersox 9) 7s Kevin Sigler 10) 44 Charles Ruppert 11) 16 Walt Lemmon 12) 5 Dustin Hollinger 13) 101 Dave Goode 14) 98x Nick Bloom 15) 8 Eric Tripp 16) 99 Chris Heller 17) 4GT Gary Potts 18) 80D Greg Diehl 19) 48 Danny Farlling 20) 11 Craig Morgan 21) Super 7 Tim Drawbaugh 22) 20 Jesse Hitz
DNS: 00 Josh Bloom