9.7.19 Pennsylvania Sprint Series Results
By: Frank Buhrman
Wells Tannery is an unincorporated community in Fulton County, Pa., with a nice community park.
It’s also home to race driver Garrett Bard, but if Bard’s fortunes continue on their current upward curve, he may become the first thing you’ll know about Wells Tannery.
The 23-year-old scored his second victory in a two-months-long “career” in the PA Sprint Series Saturday night at Path Valley Speedway Park. It was his third RaceSaver Sprint win, with the other having come the previous weekend in a Laurel Highlands Sprint Series race at Bedford Speedway. It also was part of a Saturday double, with Bard also winning Path Valley’s 600cc micro sprint feature.
The PASS/IMCA race was the last of the year for the series at Path Valley, and John Walp’s third-place finish earned him the track’s championship over “Zach Daddy” Newlin.
Bard started on the pole in his CG Racing Engines/Lias Tire #95 and led all the way for a convincing win, but Walp didn’t make it easy, challenging after the event’s caution, which came out on lap 14 when rookie Derek Hauck spun in turn 2 and collected Randy Sterling and two-time Path Valley winner Drew Ritchey. Ritchey retired to the pits, while the others continued.
On the green, Walp’s GMS Piling Products/La Napoli II Pizza/Dotzel Trucking #5 tried Bard on the inside but to no avail. On lap 20, Scott Lutz slipped his Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel/Speedway Mart & Car Wash/Adams Auto Sales #33 into second but couldn’t catch Bard.
In Victory Lane, Bard expressed mixed feelings about the event’s two cautions, saying that his car “took two or three laps to get comfortable” after each green. On the other hand, they give him a brief respite from heavy race traffic.
“As the race went on,” he summarized, “the car kept getting better.”
Two-time Path Valley winner “Iceman” Ken Duke Jr., who had started 13th, was challenging for fifth place when suspension damage ended his night.
Following Bard, Lutz and Walp at the finish were New Jersey’s Larry McVay and Pittsburgh’s Rob Felix. The rest of the top 10 went to Newlin, Jared Zionkowski, “Nitro” Nick Sweigart, Brad Mellott and Sterling.
Newlin was the race’s hard charger, moving up 10 spots from his 16th starting position.
Heat races for the 21 cars on hand went to Walp, McVay and Lutz.
Next weekend the PASS sprinters move from their smallest bullring to two of their largest venues, supporting major 410 sprint races Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway and Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway. Friday night’s race will be the Dirt Classic Qualifier and the next-to-last race in the track’s Diamond Series for 410s. On Saturday, the 410s will run in the $20,000-to-win Jim Nace Memorial National Open at Selinsgrove. PASS sprinters will compete in 20-lap features both nights. Racing starts at 7:30 Friday night and 7:00 p.m. Saturday.
Results from Path Valley Speedway Park Saturday, September 7, 2019
HEAT 1 – 1. 5-John Walp; 2. 7- “Cowboy” Jim Kennedy; 3. 00S-Randy Sterling; 4. 8-“Nitro” Nick Sweigart; 5. 67-“Iceman” Ken Duke Jr.; 6. 11Z “Zack Daddy” Newlin; 7. 80-Dave Wickham.
HEAT 2 – 1. 83-Larry McVay; 2. 21-Rob Felix; 3. 6X-Brad Mellott; 4. 880-Drew Ritchey; 5. 92-Dylan Proctor; 6. 97-Kenny Heffner; 7. Q2-Johnny Yanek.
HEAT 3 – 1. 33-Scott Lutz; 2. 31-Donnie Hendershot; 3. 95-Garrett Bard; 4. 55-Domenic Melair; 5. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 6. 56-Jake Frye; 7. 2-Derek Hauck.
FEATURE – 1. 95-Garrett Bard; 2. 33-Scott Lutz; 3. 5-John Walp; 4. 83-Larry McVay; 5. 21-Rob Felix; 6. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 7. 41Z-Jared Zionkowski; 8. 8-Nick Sweigart; 9. 6X-Brad Mellott; 10. 00S-Randy Sterling; 11. 92-Dylan Proctor; 12. 97-Kenny Heffner; 13. 80-Dave Wickham; 14. 56-Jake Frye; 15. 2-Derek Hauck; 16. 55-Domenic Melair (DNF); 17. 31-Donnie Hendershot (DNF); 18. Q2-Johnny Yanek; 19. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 20. 7-Jim Kennedy; 21. 880-Drew Ritchey.