Lucas Wolfe Claims Williams Grove Gunn Memorial 30 Years After Father Randy
Second generation driver also ties dad on all-time Grove win list
8/29/14
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mechanicsburg – Lucas Wolfe wired the field and held off Lance Dewease to claim victory in Friday night’s 30-lap, 32nd annual Jack Gunn Memorial for 410 sprint cars, worth $6,000.
Wolfe started second in the field and beat polesitter Don Kreitz Jr. to the punch at the start to take the lead.
Fourth starter Lance Dewease got by Kreitz for second on the sixth circuit and was trailing Wolfe within striking distance when he began working the backmarkers on the 11th tour.
Dewease crept even closer to the leader as the 13th lap was put in the books and he first took the lead with a swoop across the inside of the first and second turns as the front duo worked the 14th lap.
Wolfe zipped back around the outside to reclaim control seconds later and Dewease began regrouping for another run at Wolfe’s Zemco No. 1 racer.
Just after the 16th lap was recorded Dewease again drove low for the lead and came out in front with Wolfe again ready to reclaim the spot only this time the caution flag unfurled, settling the pace and the move for control.
Wolfe got an excellent restart when green reappeared and was well away from Dewease when another caution appeared with 18 laps down, this time for a collapsed front end on Danny Dietrich’s racer after hard contact with the outside frontstretch fence resulting from contact with Brent Marks as the pair battled for seventh spot.
Dewease got a better start behind Wolfe on the restart but Wolfe was still able to pull away and it took until there was just two laps to go for Dewease to get close enough again to mount a challenge, again not until after the leader was working lapped traffic.
But Wolfe was up to the challenge and took his 11th career victory at the track, in the Gunn Memorial, exactly 30 years after his father Randy Wolfe took the Gunn win in 1984.
Ironically, Lucas Wolfe’s 11th career Williams Grove win also tied him with his father Randy on the oval all-time win list.
Stevie Smith was third followed by Kreitz and Greg Hodnett.
Sixth through 10th went to 18th starter Alan Krimes, Doug Esh, Brent Marks, Brian Montieth and Cory Haas.
First round heats went to Montieth, Mike Wagner Sr. and Wolfe. Second round heats went to Ryan Wilson, Haas and Dietrich.
Kreitz earned the pole for the main by claiming the dash.
Smith set fast time over the 25-car field with a lap of 16.774 seconds.
Kevin Seigler led the first seven laps of the 15-lap street stock main before Doug Hoffman took over with eight down.
Hoffman held sway until a lap 12 restart when heavy pressure for the lead saw Jeff Haag go out in front for his fifth win of the season at the track.
Hoffman was second followed by Siegler, Craig Morgan and Dustin Hollinger.
Twin heats for the 21-car field went to Mike Zeigler Jr. and Jaynee Zeigler.
August 29, 2014 Feature Finish:
410 sprints, 30 laps: 1. Lucas Wolfe, 2. Lance Dewease, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Don Kreitz Jr., 5. Greg Hodnett, 6.Alan Krimes, 7. Doug Esh, 8. Brent Marks, 9. Brian Montieth, 10. Cory Haas, 11. Brock Zearfoss, 12. Ryan Smith, 13. Justin Barger, 14. Austin Hogue, 15. Mike Wagner Sr., 16. Glenndon Forsythe, 17. Ryan Wilson, 18. Danny Dietrich, 19. Ryan Bohlke, 20. Nicole Bower, 21. Brandon Rahmer, 22. Rick Lafferty
DNS: Jim Shuster, Troy Fraker, Pat Cannon
Street stocks, 15 lap: 1. Jeff Haag, 2. Doug Hoffman, 3. Kevin Siegler, 4. Craig Morgan, 5. Dustin Hollinger, 6. Mike Buckley, 7. Mike Ziegler Jr., 8. Brett Pickel, 9. Tim Drawbaugh, 10. Eric Tripp, 11. Sean Todd, 12. Jaynee Zeigler, 13. Jesse Hitz, 14. Donnie Leiby, 15. Gary Potts, 16. Randy Zechman, 17. Ed Halter, 18. Lori Croop, 19. Zach Emlet
DNS: Todd Bowersox, Walt Lemmon