NO STOPPING THE ULTIMATE UNDERDOG – JOHN WILLMAN CAPTURES GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY NASCAR MODIFIED FEATURE AFTER BATTLES WITH CODY MANMILLER & EDDIE STRADA
ADDISON MEITZLER & JESSE LANDIS ARE VICTORIOUS IN FIRST EVER GRANDVIEW SPORTSMAN TWIN 20’s FEATURE PROGRAM
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – Known to area race fans as the “Ultimate Underdog”, John Willman of Birdsboro, Pa. scored the win in the non-stop 30-lap T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modified feature Saturday night at Grandview Speedway.
Addison Meitzler of Kempton, Pa. and Jesse Landis of Gilbertsville, Pa. were also winners on Saturday night in the first ever Twin 20-lap feature program for the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman division, as Grandview Speedway finally returned to racing after battling weather issues the last three weeks.
Willman chased early leader Cody Manmiller of Philadelphia, Pa., pressuring him for the lead in lapped traffic, making his move to capture the lead on lap 17 with a low groove move out of turn two. Once out front Willman built up a small lead, only to see it disappear in the final laps, as Lake Ariel, Pa. driver Eddie Strada closed the gap quickly, applying pressure to Willman down to the finish, with Willman winning by just a couple of car lengths at the checkered flag.
Addison Meitzler was able to grab the lead from Brayden Shelton of Hatfield, Pa. on a lap eight restart, then outgun his fellow competitors on a late lap 14 restart in a final six lap dash to the checkered, to score his first win of the season, and third career T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman victory.
Jesse Landis made an exciting move in Twin 20 number two on a lap eight restart, sweeping around the top lane going from fourth to the lead and never looked back to become the first repeat winner of the season in the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman division, scoring his fourth career win in the process.
The winners received bonus money (Modified $300, both Sportsman features $200) from T.P. Trailers and Truck Equipment of Limerick, Pa., sponsors of the two divisions at Grandview Speedway, in a race program run under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner.
The 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature race went non-stop in a time of 7:58.16, with action constantly throughout the entire distance.
Cody Manmiller took the early lead at the drop of the green flag and set a quick pace with Willman close behind, and another two-car battle behind them between Ryan Grim of Laurys Station, Pa. and Justin Grim of Orefield, Pa.
By lap seven, Ryan Grim joined the top two drivers up front, making for a great three-car battle for the lead, while Justin Grim was now fighting for position with Eddie Strada, followed by a three-car tussle between Kyle Smith of Fleetwood, Pa., Louden Reimert of Oley, Pa., and Doug Manmiller of Shoemakersville, Pa.
By the half-way mark action was constant all around the high-banked speedway, with leader Cody Mannmiller reaching lapped traffic for the first time, really tightening up the three-car tussle for the top position.
On lap 17 as the leaders entered turns one and two, Manmiller entered in the high lane with Willman down low, with Willman able to power off of turn two past Manmiller and into the top spot.
The lead group continued to fight through traffic in the second half of the feature, making for some exciting action, with the top six cars all battling up front for the top spots by lap twenty.
After battling many laps with Cody Manmiller and Ryan Grim, Strada was able to secure second spot on lap 25, and quickly moved in on leader Willman, setting up a late race battle for the lead.
Strada tried everything he could in the closing laps to pressure Willman, including a crossover high-low move in the final corners to dive underneath Willman, but Willman won the race off the final turn to the checkered to claim his sixth career NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Grandview Speedway win.
At the finish, it was Willman in for the win, becoming the fifth different winner this season in the T.P. Trailer Modified division, followed by Eddie Strada, Cody Manmiller, Louden Reimert, Doug Manmiller, Ryan Grim, Duane Howard of Oley, Pa., Jared Umbenhauer of Richland, Pa., Brett Kressley of Orefield, Pa., and Justin Grim.
Three wildly exciting qualifying heats were run for the 35 cars on hand, and were won by Duane Howard, Louden Reimert, and Brian Hirthler of Green Lane, Pa. while Mike Laise of Pottstown, Pa. won the consolation.
The first T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman Twin 20-lap feature saw BJ Joly of Oley, Pa. grabbing the lead at the start followed by Brayden Shelton of Hatfield, Pa. and Addison Meitzler, while Ryan Graver of Lehighton, Pa., Brett Gilmore of Kutztown, Pa., Jesse Landis, Brett Grim of Coplay, Pa., TJ Mayberry of Sellersville, Pa., and Jimmy Leiby of Gilbertsville, Pa. were all fighting for spots in the top five.
Several cautions dotted the early laps, along with several restarts, with Shelton pressuring Joly for the lead, and used an outside groove pass out of turn four on lap six to take the lead.
After getting the top spot, Shelton was under pressure from Joly and Meitzler making for a great three-car battle for the lead.
Meitzler would get second on lap eight just before another caution. On the restart, Shelton entered turn one too high, scraping the wall, allowing Meitzler to grab the lead, with Grim, Landis, Mayberry and Leiby all advancing positions.
Meitzler would see his lead wiped out by a caution with six laps to go, but pulled away from all other competitors in the closing laps to score the win.
There was a wild scramble for the top five spots in the closing laps with positions changing constantly down to the finish, with Leiby grabbing second with five laps to go, but was not able to challenge Meitzler’s lead.
At the checkered flag it was Meitzler in for the win followed by Leiby, Landis, Mayberry, Brett Gilmore, Grim, Krupp, a late charging Colin Cox of Perkasie, Pa., Kenny Gilmore of Fleetwood, Pa., and Mike Schneck Jr. of Lebanon, Pa.
Twin 20 number two for the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman was lined up after officials re-handicapped the top 16 finishers from feature one, and saw BJ Joly take the lead at the start followed by Colton Perry of Topton, Pa., Brett Gilmore, Jesse Landis, Brett Grim and Kenny Gilmore all fighting for the top positions.
Joly would lead the way until a caution on lap eight set up a race changing restart, that saw Landis sweep to the outside groove, and in one circuit of the track, move from fourth and into the lead as the field raced out of turn four to score lap ten, while at the same time Kenny Gilmore made some great moves going from sixth to second spot.
Landis would try to build up a safe advantage in the lead over Kenny Gilmore with a great four-car race for third developing between Joly, Perry, Brett Gilmore, Brett Grim.
As the final laps clicked off, Kenny Gilmore would close in on Landis with each passing lap, to within a couple of car lengths heading for the checkered flag, only to see a yellow flag with one lap to go, when Krupp broke down in the final corner to draw a caution.
The one lap dash to the finish saw Landis protect the bottom groove after running the top most of the feature, holding off a Gilmore late challenge to score the win.
At the finish it was Landis picking up his second win of the year, becoming the division’s first repeat winner, followed by Kenny Gilmore, Brett Gilmore, Colin Cox, Jimmy Leiby, BJ Joly, Colton Perry, Brett Grim, TJ Mayberry, and Mike Schneck Jr.
Qualifying heats for the 42 cars on hand were won by Brett Grim, Nathan Mohr of Reading, Pa., Addison Meitzler, and Ryan Graver, with Dylan Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa. and Nate Horn of Slatedale, Pa. winning the consolations.
Grandview Speedway will be presenting another NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series program next week featuring the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, along with a Saturday night visit by the Outlaw Racing Series Vintage cars.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm, warm-ups starting at 6:15 pm, and the first race of the evening getting the green flag at 7:30 pm.
Adult grandstand admission is $20, students 10-15 with ID are $10, while children ages 9 and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $35 for NASCAR members and $45 for non-members.
Grandview Speedway actually has two events scheduled for next weekend, as action begins on Friday, June 27 featuring the Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage Cars in action starting at 7 pm.
On Friday night pit gates open at 2 pm, with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. Grandstand admission will be $10, with children ages 12 and under admitted for free. Pit admission is $35 for the Friday event.
The Thunder on the Hill Racing Series will present the Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Car Speed Week Series on Tuesday, July 1, featuring the $10,000 to win Hodnett Cup for the 410 Sprints along with a NASCAR point race for the 358 Modifieds in a full program starting at 7:30 pm.
Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through October, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa.
Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688.
T.P. TRAILER NASCAR MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (30 laps): JOHN WILLMAN, Eddie Strada, Cody Manmiller, Louden Reimert, Doug Manmiller, Ryan Grim, Duane Howard, Jared Umbenhauer, Brett Kressley, Justin Grim, Rick Laubach, Kyle Smith, Craig Von Dohren, Logan Watt, Mike Gular, Jeff Strunk, Brian Hirthler, Chris Esposito, Craig Whitmoyer, Carroll Hine III, Bobby Trapper Sr., Tim Buckwalter, Mike Laise, Eric Kormann, Jon Kellner, Eric Biehn, Logan Bauman, Clay Butler DNS – Ryan Watt
DID NOT QUALIFY: Ron Haring Jr., Darrin Schuler, Bobby Gunther-Walsh, Chris Gambler, Ray Swinehart, Glenn Owens
T.P. TRAILERS WINNER’S BONUS ($300): John Willman
VP RACING FUELS HARD CHARGER: Louden Reimert +6
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: John Willman ($75), Eddie Strada $50), Cody Manmiller ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Cody Manmiller
FIRST T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (20 laps): ADDISON MEITZLER, Jimmy Leiby, Jesse Landis, TJ Mayberry, Brett Gilmore, Brett Grim, Gavyn Krupp, Colin Cox, Kenny Gilmore, Mike Schneck Jr., Ebby Ridge, Nathan Mohr, Dylan Swinehart, BJ Joly III, Colton Perry, Mike Stofflet, Dakota Kohler, Mark Mohr, Nate Horn, Stephen Laubach, Del Howell, Parker Guldin, Brayden Shelton, Adrianna Delliponti, Kyle Hartzell, Ryan Graver, Teague Miller
DID NOT QUALIFY: Decker Swinehart, Chase Gular, Kaitlyn Bailey, Taylor Kramer, Tom Miller Sr., Joey Vaccaro, Jason Graber, Kenny Bock, Brad Brightbill, Alex Bartorillo, Tom Miller Jr., Mark Behm, Dennis Graber, Zach Steffey, Lawson Szerencits
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT WINNER’S BONUS ($200): Addison Meitzler
GRANDVIEW $100 HARD CHARGER: Colin Cox +15
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: Addison Meitzler ($75), Jimmy Leiby ($50), Jesse Landis ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Addison Meitzler
DRIVEN RACE OIL/JOHN WILLMAN MOTORSPORTS OIL & FILTER KIT 7th PLACE: Gavyn Krupp
SECOND T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (20 laps): JESSE LANDIS, Kenny Gilmore, Brett Gilmore, Colin Cox, Jimmy Leiby, BJ Joly III, Colton Perry, Brett Grim, TJ Mayberry, Mike Schneck Jr., Mike Stofflet, Nathan Mohr, Dakota Kohler, Parker Guldin, Brad Brightbill, Dylan Swinehart, Mark Mohr, Decker Swinehart, Stephen Laubach, Teague Miller, Nate Horn, Brayden Shelton, Del Howell, Gavyn Krupp, Adrianna Delliponti, Addison Meitzler, Ryan Graver DNS – Ebby Ridge, Kyle Hartzell
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT WINNER’S BONUS ($200): Jesse Landis
GRANDVIEW $100 HARD CHARGER: Colin Cox +10
PENSKE RACING SHOCKS CERTIFICATES: Jesse Landis ($75), Kenny Gilmore ($50), Brett Gilmore ($25)
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Jesse Landis
DRIVEN RACE OIL/JOHN WILLMAN MOTORSPORTS OIL & FILTER KIT 7th PLACE: Colton Perry
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Friday, June 27 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7 pm
Saturday, June 28 – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7:30 pm
Tuesday, July 1 – THUNDER ON THE HILL RACING SERIES – 35th annual Pennsylvania 410 Sprint Car Speed Week Series – $10,000 to win 410 Sprint Hodnett Cup, 358 Modifieds* – 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 5 – T.P. TRAILER & TRUCK EQUIPMENT NIGHT – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman – 7:30 pm
Friday, July 11 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Pro 4 Racing Series – 7 pm
Saturday, July 12 – MACMILLAN OIL COMPANY NIGHT – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, 55th annual FIRECRACKER 40 – T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman 40 laps – 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 19 – A.D. MOYER LUMBER COMPANY NIGHT – T.P. Trailer Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman, BACK TO THE 90’S NIGHT, $10 admission – 7:30 pm