McClelland makes it a two-win weekend in “358” sprints; Blaine Leppo wins second straight in Central PA Legends
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA, 8/9/2014 – “If this was your first time at a sprint car race, you’re coming back next week. I can guarantee that.”
So said Hanover’s Tim Wagaman after pulling into victory lane for his first career 410 sprint car feature win and the $5,000 top prize in Saturday’s National Fallen Firefighters Night in memory of Brandon Little at Lincoln Speedway Saturday night.
You couldn’t make Saturday’s story up. Wagaman was carrying the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation colors, with a specially-designed car with Brandon Little’s photo on the top wing.
Handicapping placed Wagaman on the pole for the 33-lap feature, the distance of which was in recognition of United Hook & Ladder Station #33 serving Abbottstown and New Oxford.
Although he led every lap, he held off four other challengers over the final non-stop 20 laps. The last five laps was frantic, with tenth-starting Alan Krimes driving under second-place Billy Dietrich and sliding up in front of Wagaman to briefly take the lead in turn four of lap 29. Wagaman drove back under Krimes to retake the lead exiting the turn, and regained control on the first two turns of lap 30. Krimes tried the slider one last time in the third and fourth turns of lap 31, but backed off exiting the turn, giving Wagaman the room he needed to score the .84-second win.
“I started falling out of my seat a little bit at the end. I was getting frustrated with myself,” said Wagaman, “Then Krimes came out of nowhere. I thought if I made some good laps and some smart decisions I could still win. He really could have did me dirty down in turns thee and four and he didn’t. I gotta respect that. I know he’s going for a point title and that might have played a little into it.
“That was some awesome, awesome driving by everybody involved,” continued Wagaman.
Krimes settled for second, with Cory Haas passing Dietrich on 31 for third. Dietrich finished fourth, with Adam Wilt completing the top five. Sixth through tenth were Jim Siegel, Gerard McIntyre, Jr., Robbie Kendall, Kyle Moody, and 19th-starting Nathan Berwager.
“Hopefully, I’m getting a little bit of respect from those guys,” said former 358 sprint car champ Wagaman, “I want to try and earn it. Those guys have been there and I want to be there, too.”
“The Little family is ecstatic. If there was any race that I could wish to win, it would be this one. I’m so glad we got it done,” added Wagaman.
The National Fallen Firefighters Night was sponsored by Fire & Rescue Products of Harrisburg and AMKUS Rescue Systems.
Heats for the 24 410 sprinters were won by Austin Hogue, Siegel, and Brian Montieth. Montieth dropped the infield on lap eight, and Hogue pulled up lame with steering issues on lap 14.
Friday night Trail-Way winner Brad McClelland made it his first two-win weekend in the 20-lap “358” sprint car feature. McClelland started sixth and took the lead from Jeff Halligan on lap nine. He led the rest of the way, spoiling a perfect night for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, as Jeff Rohrbaugh crossed second nearly one second behind McClelland.
It was McClelland’s sixth career 358 Lincoln win to go along with his two 410 sprint wins, and was worth $1,333.
Chase Dietz made the run of his life after coming back from a two-car tangle with Matt Campbell on lap three to blow through the field at pass Kevin Nouse to cross third at the finish. Nouse and Niki Young completed the top five.
Heats for the 27 358 sprinters were won by Campbell, Chris Frank, and Rohrbaugh, with Brian Allman winning the consolation.
For the second straight time, brothers Blaine and Harlon Leppo finished first and second in the 15-lap Central PA Legends feature. Also in the mix for the win were previous 2014 Lincoln feature winners Bob Stough and Lucas Montgomery, but they got together in turn four while racing for second with two laps to go. That put Harlon back on Blaine’s bumper for the two-lap dash to the checkered. Blaine’s final margin of victory was two-thirds of a second, with Bill Diehl, rookie Mason Chaney, and Rick Miller rounding out the top five.
Heats for the 21 Central PA Legends were won by Harlon Leppo and Diehl.
Next Saturday night, August 16, it will be PREMIER AUTO WORKS/AUTO LOCATOR NIGHT along with York County Racing Club Night featuring the 410 Sprints, ARDC Midgets, plus an Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR) Exhibition. Racing gets underway at 7:30 PM with gates opening at 5:30 PM.
To get all the latest news, results, schedule changes and rule changes, visit Lincoln Speedway’s website at http://www.lincolnspeedway.com or join them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/lincolnspeedway) or Twitter (@lincolnspeedway) to stay up-to-date on all the action or pending weather conditions at Central Pennsylvania’s “Premier” Saturday night race track – The Fabulous Lincoln Speedway.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
LINCOLN SPEEDWAY
Abbottstown, PA
NATIONAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS NIGHT
LAWRENCE CHEVROLET 410 SPRINTS:
Feature (33 Laps) – 1. 1*-Tim Wagaman ($5,000); 2. 87-Alan Krimes; 3. 11C-Cory Haas; 4. 8-Billy Dietrich; 5. 15-Adam Wilt; 6. 59-Jim Siegel; 7. 16-Gerard McIntyre, Jr.; 8. 55K-Robbie Kendall; 9. 99M-Kyle Moody; 10. 85-Nathan Berwager; 11. 12-Mike Bittinger; 12. 21T-Scott Fisher; 13. 5-Tyler Ross; 14. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe; 15. 45-Kevin Nagy; 16. 75-Nicole Bower; 17. 4-John Rudisill; 18. 29-Ryan Wilson; 19. 22T-Matt Boland (DNF); 20. 52-Austin Hogue (DNF); 21. 21-Brian Montieth (DNF); 22. 91-David Quackenbush (DNF); 23. 49-Bradley Howard (DNF); 24. 23-Todd Zinn (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders – Tim Wagaman (1-33)
1st Heat (10 Laps) – 1. 52-Austin Hogue; 2. 87-Alan Krimes; 3. 45-Kevin Nagy; 4. 8-Billy Dietrich; 5. 4-John Rudisill; 6. 12-Mike Bittinger; 7. 85-Nathan Berwager; 8. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe. Time – 2:25.550
2nd Heat (10 Laps) – 1. 59-Jim Siegel; 2. 99M-Kyle Moody; 3. 1*-Tim Wagaman; 4. 15-Adam Wilt; 5. 29-Ryan Wilson; 6. 23-Todd Zinn; 7. 49-Bradley Howard (DNF); 8. 5-Tyler Ross (DNF). No Time
3rd Heat (10 Laps) – 1. 21-Brian Montieth; 2. 11C-Cory Haas; 3. 16-Gerard McIntyre, Jr.; 4. 55K-Robbie Kendall; 5. 22T-Matt Boland; 6. 21T-Scott Fisher; 7. 75-Nicole Bower; 8. 91-David Quackenbush (DNF). No Time
358 SPRINTS:
Feature (20 Laps) – 1. 6R-Brad McClelland ($1,330); 2. 45-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 3. 2D-Chase Dietz; 4. 4R-Kevin Nouse; 5. 91-Niki Young; 6. 45H-Jeff Halligan; 7. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 8. 13-Ryan Higgins; 9. 38-Mark Strickler; 10. 29-Chris Arnold; 11. 19-Troy Wagaman, Jr.; 12. 28-Matt Findley; 13. 16-Matt Campbell; 14. 21-CJ Tracy; 15. 89-Ashley Cappetta; 16. 47-Michael Hamer; 17. 5A-Brian Allman; 18. 97-Brie Hershey; 19. 38D-Kyle Denmyer; 20. 10-Zach Euculano (DNF); 21. 11-Leah Starner (DNF); 22. 3W-Duane Watson (DNF); 23. 00-Chris Frank (DNF); 24. 66-Doug Hammaker (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders – Ryan Higgins (1), Jeff Halligan (2-8), Brad McClelland (9-20)
1st Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 16-Matt Campbell; 2. 29-Chris Arnold; 3. 13-Ryan Higgins; 4. 91-Niki Young; 5. 38-Mark Strickler; 6. 21-CJ Tracy; 7. 5A-Brian Allman; 8. 19-Troy Wagaman, Jr.; 9. 51N-Nick Palmerino (DNF). No Time
2nd Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 00-Chris Frank; 2. 45H-Jeff Halligan; 3. 2D-Chase Dietz; 4. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 5. 28-Matt Findley; 6. 47-Michael Hamer; 7. 3W-Duane Watson; 8. 9R-Brent Rumberger (DNF); 9. 38D-Kyle Denmyer (DNF). Time – 2:31.47
3rd Heat (10 Laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 45-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 2. 6-Brad McClelland; 3. 4R-Kevin Nouse; 4. 66-Doug Hammaker; 5. 89-Ashley Cappetta; 6. 11-Leah Starner; 7. 10-Zach Euculano; 8. 59T-Tim Stallings; 9. 97-Brie Hershey (DNF). Time – 2:28.88
Consolation (6 Laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 5A-Brian Allman; 2. 3W-Duane Watson; 3. 97-Brie Hershey; 4. 19-Troy Wagaman, Jr.; 5. 10-Zach Euculano; 6. 38D-Kyle Denmyer; 7. 51N-Nick Palmerino (DNF); DNS – 9R-Brent Rumberger, 59T-Tim Stallings. No Time
CENTRAL PA LEGENDS:
Feature (15 Laps) – 1. 10-Blaine Leppo; 2. 15H-Harlon Leppo; 3. 53-Bill Diehl; 4. 8CR-Mason Chaney; 5. 38-Rick Miller; 6. 5-Scott Haudeshell; 7. 44-Scott Gobrecht; 8. 14-Joe Ehrisman; 9. 56-Mike Gable; 10. 18-Chris Transeau; 11. 35-Keith Hering; 12. X-Justice Forbes; 13. 79-Ed trump; 14. 07-Bob Stough; 15. 45-Andy Whaling; 16. 93-Dave Miller; 17. 15-Lucas Montgomery (DNF); 18. 9-Rick Hartwig (DNF); 19. 6-Billy Foster (DNF); 20. 51-Travis McClelland (DNF); 21. 09-Chris Spidle (DNF). No Time
Lap Leaders –Harlon Leppo (1-2), Blaine Leppo (3-15)
1st Heat (6 Laps) – 1. 15H-Harlon Leppo; 2. 09-Chris Spidle; 3. 44-Scott Gobrecht; 4. 8CR-Mason Chaney; 5. 6-Bill Foster; 6. 14-Joe Ehrisman; 7. 56-Mike Gable; 8. 79-Ed Trump; 9. X-Justice Forbes; 10. 45-Andy Whaling; 11. 93-Dave Miller. No Time
2nd Heat (6 Laps) – 1. 53-Bill Diehl; 2. 10-Blaine Leppo; 3. 15-Lucas Montgomery; 4. 07-Bob Stough; 5. 38-Rick Miller; 6. 5-Scott Haudeshell; 7. 51-Travis McClelland; 8. 35-Keith Haring; 9. 18-Chris Transeau; 10. 9-Rick Hartwig. Time – 2:00.47