5.25.19 Pennsylvania Sprint Series Results
By: Frank Buhrman
Veteran Scott Ellerman held off a determined challenge from Ken Duke Jr. to complete a wire-to-wire performance and win Saturday night’s East Coast Nationals IMCA/RaceSaver sprint car finale at Hagerstown Speedway.
The Landisburg, Pa., racer earned a front-row starting spot by draw, grabbed the early lead and raced out front to comfortable margins between caution periods until Duke – Friday night’s runner-up as well – advanced from his seventh starting position to second and reeled in the leader.
Twice Duke pulled to within a car length of the leader and mounted challenges on the low side of the Hagerstown half-mile oval, but Ellerman maintained momentum, adjusted his line, and held on for the $1,000 win.
The victory was Ellerman’s seventh with PASS since rejoining the series in 2011, but his first of 2019. LB Powerwashing, the American Legion and Farmer’s Choice Tire are among the #8D sponsors.
Duke (Selinsgrove, Pa.) was the weekend’s most consistent performer with his two second-place finishes, plus a heat race win. Ellerman had finished ninth on Friday night.
Following Ellerman and Duke across the finish line Saturday were Christian Rumsey of Middletown, N.Y., Steve Kenawell of East Freedom, Pa., and Jonathan Jones of Irvona, Pa. Rumsey had finished third Friday as well, making him the only other driver with two Top-5 finishes.
Friday night’s winner Zach Newlin, North Carolinian Mike Leraas, Scott Lutz, Jacob Gomola and Jake Karklin, who also made the tow from North Carolina, rounded out the Top 10.
Newlin, who had to qualify Saturday via the first B-Main, advanced from 21st starting position to his 6th-place finish. Lutz came from 20th to 8th and picked up an impressive 27 positions over the two nights.
Heat races for the 38 sprinters on hand – representing five states – were Duke, Jerald Harris of Rockingham, Va., Jones, and John Walp of Wapwallopen, Pa. Newlin and Fred Arnold of Richfield, Pa., took the two B-Main races.
The PA Sprint Series racers return to action at Port Royal Speedway on Saturday, June 1.
Results from Hagerstown Speedway, May 25, 2019
HEAT 1 – 1. 67-Ken Duke, Jr.; 4J-Jacob Gomola; 3. 77-Mike Leraas; 4. 6L-Tyler Denochick; 5. 36-Jaremi Hanson; 6. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 7. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 8. 88VA-Bill Rice; 9. 44V-Daren Bolac; 10. 39-Tom Humphries.
HEAT 2 – 1. J9-Jared Harris; 2. 69K-John Karklin; 3. 5K-Jake Karklin; 4. 88-Greg Dobrosky; 5. 20-Doug Dodson; 6. 88A-Fred Arnold; 7. 2-Erin Statler; 8. 13-Kurt Knepper; 9. 90-Charlie Ware; 10. 56-Jake Frye.
HEAT 3 – 1. 12J-Jonathan Jones; 2. 17K-Steve Kenawell; 3. 92-Dylan Proctor; 4. 55-Domenic Melair; 5. 31-Donnie Hendershot; 6. 83-Larry McVey; 7. 23-Samantha Lieberman; 8. 25K-Matthew Kline; 9. 00S-Randy Sterling.
HEAT 4 – 1. 5-John Walp; 2. 1R-Christian Rumsey; 3. 8D-Scott Ellerman; 4. 6X-Brad Mellott; 5. 33-Scott Lutz; 6. R6-Reed Thompson; 7. 6-Tony Harris; 8. 26-Ryan Lynn; 9. 86-Ron Aurand.
B-MAIN 1 – 1. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 2. 83-Larry McVey; 3. 44V-Daren Bolac; 4. 23-Samantha Lieberman; 5. 25K-Matthew Kline; 6. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 7. 00S-Randy Sterling; 8. 88VA-Bill Rice; 9. 39-Tom Humphries.
B-MAIN 2 – 1. 88A-Fred Arnold; 2. 26-Ryan Lynn; 3. R6-Reed Thompson; 4. 6-Tony Harris; 5. 86-Ron Aurand; 6. 2-Erin Statler; 7. 13-Kurt Knepper; 8. 90-Charlie Ware; DNS 56-Jake Frye.
FEATURE – 1. 8D-Scott Ellerman; 2. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 3. 1R-Christian Rumsey; 4. 17K-Steve Kenawell; 5. 12J-Jonathan Jones; 6. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 7. 77-Mike Leraas; 8. 33-Scott Lutz; 9. 4J-Jacob Gomola; 10. 5K-Jake Karklin; 11. 26-Ryan Lynn; 12. 20-Doug Dodson; 13. 6L-Tyler Denochick; 14. 6X-Brad Mellott; 15. 83-Larry McVey; 16. 69K-John Karklin; 17. 5-John Walp; 18. J9-Jerald Harris; 19. 88-Greg Dobrosky; 20. 36-Jaremi Hanson; 21. 55-Domenic Melair; 22. 31-Donnie Hendershot; 23. 88A-Fred Arnold; 24. 92-Dylan Proctor.