7.25.20 Pennsylvania Sprint Series Results
By: Frank Buhrman
Lock Haven’s Jeffrey Weaver brought a modest PA Sprint Series resume into Saturday’s racing at Path Valley Speedway Park, but his track record took a huge leap when the former micro sprint racer earned his first full-sized sprint car win in one of the most hotly contested feature races of 2020.
Weaver, who had a pair of fourths – one at Path Valley – as his best previous IMCA/RaceSaver finishes, started the feature on the outside pole and stood up this season’s hottest PASS driver, Garrett Bard, and 2020 winners John Walp and Christian Rumsey on a night when there wasn’t a lap without a two-, three-, or even four-car battle for the lead. On every lap, the Weaver Radiator & Auto Repair #52 looked fully at home among the giants.
With Walp, who lead 20 laps, and Bard fighting furiously for the lead, running lap after lap side-by-side in the race’s middle section, Weaver hung onto third, maintaining a consistent ultra-low line. Just before a lap 17 caution for a spinning Andrew Boyer (and then a stopped Doug Dodson, who was about to enter the lead battle), Weaver slipped past Bard, who was running high, and on lap 20, he ended a multi-lap, side-by-side duel with Walp and took over first.
Bard was able to best Walp for second on the last lap, with Rumsey, who had been looking for an opening to join the fight, coming home fourth. Brad Mellott, who had contested for the lead early and never fell far behind, finished fifth.
Completing the top 10 were Domenic Melair, one of several drivers mounting heroic charges during the feature, Scott Lutz,, Dylan Proctor (another charger), Kenny Heffner and Ken Duke Jr.
The hardest of the hard chargers was Justin Mills, who came from 24th starting position to finish 12th. Proctor had advanced from 19th to 8th, Melair from 15th to 6th, and Duke from 17th to 10th.
Other than a three-car tangle, our of which two cars were able to keep racing and only Trail-Way Speedway winner Jake Frye was sidelined, most of the evening’s cautions were for single-car spins.
Heat races for the 26 racers that took part in the program went to Dodson, Bard and Heffner.
This Saturday, August 1, PASS returns to BAPS Motor Speedway, joining the super sportsman cars, street stocks and Mid-Atlantic Modifieds. For the latest schedule and other information, visit the www.pasprintseries.com or the PA Sprint Series Facebook page.
Results from Path Valley Speedway Park, July 25
HEAT 1 – 1. 20-Doug Dodson; 2. 6X-Brad Mellott; 3. 52-Jeffrey Weaver; 4. 56-Jake Frye; 5. 31-Donnie Hendershot; 6. 55-Domenic Melair; 7. 21-Andrew Boyer; 8. 19K-Chris Kreider. DNS – 80-Dave Wickham.
HEAT 2 – 1. 95-Garrett Bard; 2. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 3. 1R-Christian Rumsey; 4. 46-Mike Alleman; 5. 1M-Justin Mills; 6. 19-Kruz Kepner; 7. 92-Dylan Proctor; 8. 69-Landon Price (DNF). DNS – 79-Ian Cumens.
HEAT 3 – 1. 97-Kenny Heffner; 2. 83-Larry McVay; 3. 5-John Walp; 4. 33-Scott Lutz; 5. 4C-Cody Hackenberry; 6. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 7. 13-Kurt Knepper; 8. 7-“Cowboy” Jim Kennedy (DNF).
FEATURE – 1. 52-Jeffrey Weaver; 2. 95-Garrett Bard; 3. 5-John Walp; 4. 1R-Christian Rumsey; 5. 6X-Bradley Mellott; 6. 55-Domenic Melair; 7. 33-Scott Lutz; 8. 92-Dylan Proctor; 9. 97-Kenny Heffner; 10. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 11. 31-Donnie Hendershott; 12. 1M-Justin Mills; 13. 19-Kruz Kepner; 14. 83-Larry McVay; 15. 69-Landon Price; 16. 46-Mike Alleman; 17. 80-Dave Wickham; 18. 4C-Cody Hackenberry; 19. 21-Andrew Boyer; 20. 13-Kurt Knepper; 21. 20-Doug Dodson (DNF); 22. 19K-Chris Kreider (DNF); 23. 56-Jake Frye (DNF); 24. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski (DNQ). DNS – 7-“Cowboy” Jim Kennedy; 79-Ian Cumens.