9.5.15 Grandview Speedway Results
BECHTELSVILLE, PA. September 5, 2015. . . Modified rookie Jared Umbenhauer pulled a slide job on Mike Kellner to take the lead on the 15th lap of the T.P. Trailers NASCAR Whelen 30-lap Modified feature on Saturday night at Grandview in the activities sponsored by Marshall Home Services and went on to capture his first career win in the division as the regular NASCAR season came to a close. The former three-time Sportsman point champion worked for the win and he overcame several obstacles. First he had a borrowed engine from another car owner, Dick Biever, since he was having problems with his own; second he had no brakes the last five laps threading through lap traffic, but the biggest accomplishment was keeping Duane Howard behind him for ten laps. ?The track was good in the middle since the bottom was too slow for our car,? commented an elated Umbenhauer. ?And dealing with lapped traffic. Howard raced me clean when he could have easily moved me out of the way when the car pushed in the corners.?
Cory Merkel won his second 25-lap NASCAR BRC Late Model feature by a comfortable margin over Steve Wilson, who finished second for the second week in a row. Merkel dedicated the win to his sister-in-law Lindsay Merkel, wife of his older racing brother Sean, who is dealing with her second bout with cancer. He said, ?It was like she was in the car with him helping.?
Mike Lisowski, who struggled for decent finishes in the Sportsman features the past few weeks, finally had a change of luck to win his third 25-lap NASCAR feature.
All three feature winners received monetary awards from T.P. Trailers and there were VP Racing Fuels product awards for the highest finisher in each feature that met the award requirements.
The biggest winners of the night were the 2015 point champions. Craig Von Dohren won his eighth T.P. Trailers NASCAR Modified title; Chuck Schutz chalked up his seventh BRC Late Model title and Brett Kressley claimed his first Sportsman title. They will be honored at the 53rd banquet on Saturday, November 21 at the Gilbertsville, PA Fire Company.
A multiple fourth turn accident eliminated Doug Manmiller before the first lap of the Modified feature was completed, but after that it was green flag racing until the checkered.
Mike Kellner charged into the early lead ahead of Todd Smith, Kyle Borror, John Willman and Umbenhauer and it didn?t take him long to open daylight.
Umbenhauer took over second on the fourth lap and took chase after Kellner who was setting a torrid pace. Smith, Howard, Borror, Willman and Jeff Strunk were in a five-car battle for third.
By the tenth lap Umbenhauer cut into the comfortable lead Kellner built up and three laps later the pair battled for first.
Kellner held the high groove while Umbenhauer made several bids to dive underneath him as the battle went on.
Umbenhauer pulled a slide job on Kellner, moving in front, and emerged as the new leader at the Dan?s Deli ?-way mark.
Howard cleared Kellner on the 17th lap and set his sights on Umbenhauer while J. Strunk, Willman and Don Norris Jr. jockeyed for positions.
Several times Howard made a run on Umbenhauer trying to use the lapped traffic to his advantage and cash in on the opportunity, but he was unsuccessful.
With five laps to go Umbenhauer?s foot went to the floor when he went for his brakes and he knew his work was cut out with Howard on his bumper giving him no margin for error.
Umbenhauer handled the cards he was dealt and pulled the Bashore-owned No. 5 into victory lane, a place he thought he?d never be, after a hard fought ten laps, in and out of traffic with runner-up Howard. Umbenhauer became the 11th different feature winner of the season with the Modifieds. Finishing third was J. Strun