6.26.21 Pennsylvania Sprint Series Results
By: Frank Buhrman
It’s not that Garrett Bard doesn’t race well at Path Valley Speedway. In his last seven starts there, he had finished second four times, third once and fourth once. But his only previous win in a full-sized sprint car had come in September 2019, and since then he had won 14 PA Sprint Series features at other tracks (plus non-PASS victories).
That picture got brighter Saturday night when Bard emerged from a furious three-way battle to win the 25-lap IMCA/RaceSaver feature at the quarter-mile Spring Run bullring.
The Wells Tannery-based defending PASS and IMCA/RaceSaver National Champion was swapping the lead in traffic with hard-luck Kenny Heffner of Watsontown, with Jared Zionkowski of Wyalusing looking for an opening when Heffner dove to the inside on lap 23 and spun. Freed of traffic after the ensuing caution, Bard held off Zionkowski for the win.
It was the second win this year for the CG Racing Engines/Barnett Self Storage/Environmental Earth Tech/BDR Race Products #95.
Zionkowski held on for the runner-up finish, .895 seconds behind Bard but ahead of Steve Kenawell, prior Path Valley winner Mikell McGee and John Walp.
Ken Duke Jr., Domenic Melair, Branstin Shue, Mike Alleman and Will Brunson completed the top 10.
Heat races for the 21 PASS sprinters were won by Duke, Alyssa Rowe and Andrew Boyer.
The PASS tour returns to Path Valley this Saturday for the Austin Gelwicks Memorial, featuring extra-purse features for the 270 and 600 micro sprints, plus limited late models, 4-cylinder thunder cars and 4-cylinder strictly stocks.
Results from Path Valley Speedway, June 26
HEAT 1 – 1. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 2. 17K-Steve Kenawell; 3. 0Z-Zach Rhodes; 4. 11M-Mikell McGee; 5. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 6. 8-Will Brunson; 7. 46-Mike Alleman.
HEAT 2 – 1. 71-Alyssa Rowe; 2. 95-Garrett Bard; 3. 5-John Walp; 4. 54-Mike Melair; 5. 80-Dave Wickham; 6. 19-Kruz Kepner; 7. 34-Austin Reed (DNF).
HEAT 3 – 1. 21-Andrew Boyer; 2. 97-Kenny Heffner; 3. 03-Branstin Shue; 4. 56-Tyler Snook; 5. 88-Fred Arnold; 6. 4C-Cody Hackenberry; 7. 36-Domenic Melair (DNF).
FEATURE – 1. 95-Garrett Bard; 2. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 3. 17K-Steve Kenawell; 4. 11M-Mikell McGee; 5. 5-John Walp; 6. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 7. 36-Domenic Melair; 8. 03-Branstin Shue; 9. 46-Mike Alleman; 10. 8-Will Brunson; 11. 0Z-Zach Rhodes; 12. 54-Mike Melair; 13. 71-Alyssa Rowe; 14. 80-Dave Wickham; 15. 88-Fred Arnold; 16. 97-Kenny Heffner; 17. 56-Tyler Snook; 18. 21-Andrew Boyer; 19. 4C-Cody Hackenberry; 20. 19-Kruz Kepner (DNF). DNS – 34-Austin Reed.