9.17.21 Pennsylvania Sprint Series Results
By: Frank Buhrman
On a bad night for a number of other drivers, Austin Reed of Etters tamed a difficult Williams Grove Speedway track surface and collected his first win with PA Sprint Series in Friday’s Jack Gunn Memorial program.
Reed, who was running 358 sprints a decade ago and owns a Lincoln Speedway win in that division, returned to racing with IMCA/RaceSavers late last season and has been competitive in his ES3/Save Rite Auto Sales & Service/Signarama of York #34 this season. He drew the pole for Friday’s 20-lap feature following a fourth-place heat finish, and after two disastrous attempts to start the race, took the early lead on the third effort and held off a determined Devin Adams to lead all the way for the victory.
Adams made several attempts to take the lead in his Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel/Adams Auto Sales/Garden Spot Auto Auction #99, and the Lebanon driver drew even with Reed coming out of turn two on lap 16, but Reed pulled away on the backstretch and held on for the win.
Passing was at a premium on a heavy and narrow track (despite repeated efforts to improve the surface), but the RaceSaver drivers managed an impressive amount of it in their feature. Unfortunately, it also caused an inordinate amount of carnage to equipment.
Veteran Ronnie Rough of Berwick destroyed his #9 in the first turn of the B-Main’s opening lap, but that was only a preview of what the feature would bring.
On the first effort to start the main PASS event, Justin Mills of Bloomingburg, N.Y., and Dom Melair of Warrington flipped in turn one, and on the second attempt, seven cars tangled in the same spot, with PASS points runner-up Ken Duke Jr. of Selinsgrove, Scott Frack of Gilbertsville, and points leader Garrett Bard of Wells Tannery all getting upside down. Kenny Heffner of Watsontown and Kassidy Kreitz of Sinking Spring also were eliminated from competition in the melee, and Dustin Young of Danville and Stevie Kenawell of Holidaysburg were involved but able to continue.
All drivers involved were OK.
With only 17 cars left once a lap was completed, the rest of the race was crash-free – one more caution flag flew, but not for an accident – but position battles throughout the field kept things interesting.
Dave Grube II of York Springs, the only previous Williams Grove PASS winner in the field, shook off a subpar performance in qualifying and advanced 15 positions to finish fourth and earn the night’s hard charger award, and both Erin Statler of Carlisle and Rowdy Heffner of Red Lion moved up nine spots.
Occasional visitor Jeff Geiges of Hamilton, N.J., followed Reed and Adams across the line to finish third, while Brandon McLain, who towed all the way from Hemby Bridge, N.C., for the race, came home in fifth.
Completing the top 10 were last week’s Lincoln Speedway winner Buddy Schweinbinz, Statler, Mikell McGee, Tyler Snook and Logan Spahr.
Heat races for the 30 PASS sprinters were won by McLain, Snook and Mills. Grube won the B-Main after early leader Rob Felix dropped out – and after Rough’s hard flip.
With a spring event called off due to cold and wet weather, this was PASS’s only stop this season at Williams Grove. It also was the second race in eight days with PASS racing in support of the FloRacing All Star Circuit of Champions.
For the latest news and schedule information, visit www.pasprintseriescom, the PA Sprint Series Facebook page, or @pasprintseries on Twitter.
Results from Williams Grove Speedway, September 17
HEAT 1 – 1. 21B-Brandon McLain; 2. 20-Doug Dodson; 3. 99-Devin Adams; 4. 35-Buddy Schweibinz; 5. 87-Austin Graby; 6. 2-Erin Statler; 7. 21-Rob Felix; 8. 3D-Dave Grube II; 9. 86-Ron Aurand. DNS – 54-Mike Melair.
HEAT 2 – 1. 56-Tyler Snook; 2. 97-Kenny Heffner; 3. 77J-Jeff Geiges; 4. 11M-Mikell McGee; 5. 39X-Scott Frack; 6. 25-Dustin Young; 7. 8-Will Brunson; 8. 17K-Donavyn Knokey; 9. 9-Ronnie Rough (DNF); 10. 19A-Tim Iulg (DNF).
HEAT 3 – 1. M1-Justin Mills; 2. 5-Logan Spahr; 3. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 4. 34-Austin Reed; 5. 95-Garrett Bard; 6. 36-Dom Melair; 7. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 8. 17K-Stevie Kenawell; 9. 1-Rowdy Heffner; 10. 7-Drew Young (DNF).
B-MAIN – 1. 3D-Dave Grube; 2. 8-Will Brunson; 3. 17K-Stevie Kenawell; 4. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 5. 86-Ron Aurand; 6. 1-Rowdy Heffner; 7. 21-Rob Felix (DNF); 8. 17K-Donavyn Knokey (DNF); 9. 9-Ronnie Rough (DNF); 10. 54-Mike Melair (DNF). DNS – 19A-Tim Iulg; 7-Drew Young.
FEATURE – 1. 34-Austin Reed; 2. 99-Devin Adams; 3. 17J-Jeff Geiges; 4. 3D-Dave Grube II; 5. 21B-Brandon McLain; 6. 35-Buddy Schweibiz; 7. 2-Erin Statler; 8. 11M-Mikell McGee; 9. 56-Tyler Snook; 10. 5-Logan Spahr; 11. 87-Austin Graby; 12. 8-Will Brunson; 13. 25-Dustin Young; 14 17K-Stevie Kenawell; 15. 1-Rowdy Heffner; 16. 20-Doug Dodson (DNF); 17. 86-Ron Aurand (DNF); 18. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 19. 97-Kenny Heffner; 20. 39X-Scott Frack; 21. 95-Garrett Bard; 22. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 23. M1-Justin Mills; 24. 36-Dom Melair. DNQ – 21-Rob Felix; 17K-Donavyn Knokey; 9-Ronnie Rough; 19A-Tim Iulg; 7-Drew Young; 54-Mike Melair.