BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. — Doug Manmiller was able to grab the lead with just five laps remaining in Saturday night’s 30-lap T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modified feature event and raced home to his first victory of the season at Grandview Speedway.
Manmiller, working through some heavy lapped traffic, was able to track down race leader Ron Haring Jr. on lap 23, then make the winning pass off of turn four on lap 25 to score the hard-earned win, his 31st career Saturday night NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series victory at the track.
Logan Watt started 16th in Saturday night’s 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman main event and was able to make some exciting and daring moves to slice his way through the field on the way to his first ever Grandview Speedway feature win.
Former three-time series champion Steven Drevicki was able to maneuver through heavy lapped traffic for the first three-quarters of the 25-lap Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint Car feature race, then survived some late race restarts on his way to his first club win of the season.
Modified Feature
The T.P. Trailer Modified feature got off to a rocky start, as there were five caution flag periods in the first four laps for various incidents including three single cars stoppages, and a huge track blocking tangle in turn one involving seven cars on lap three which saw everyone drive away.
After these episodes, the drivers settled down and got back to some serious racing, as the remainder of the feature went green to checkered. Ryan Beltz was the early leader until Haring Jr. took over following a lap two restart.
Following the lap four restart, Haring took off as the leader followed by Nate Brinker who had advanced from his seventh starting spot to second. These two drivers were followed by Beltz in third and a four-car duel for fourth between Joe Funk, Mike Lisowski, Manmiller and Jeff Strunk.
As this pack of drivers were battling each other and trading positions, they were slowly advancing forward. At half-way the top five were Haring, Brinker, Beltz, Lisowski and Manmiller. They continued trading places with Lisowski moving to third on lap 16, and by lap 20, Manmiller worked the top groove to move to second place.
It was on lap 19 that leader Haring Jr. who had built a huge lead, reached heavy lapped traffic, and began to work through it. Manmiller was over a half-straightaway behind by the time he reached second place and began to work through traffic and slowly track down the leader.
Meanwhile the action was still hot and heavy for position behind him between Brinker, Lisowski, Strunk, Beltz, and Jared Umbenhauer.
By lap 23 Manmiller was able to catch Haring Jr. and the two battled hard, with Manmiller down low and Haring Jr. continuing to run the top lane. Exiting turn four to score lap 25, Manmiller pulled past Haring Jr. to grab the lead he would not give up over the remaining laps, driving on to his first win of the season.
Following Manmiller at the checkered was Strunk who took second spot with two laps to go.
Sportsman Feature
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature began with Tom Miller Jr. setting the pace for the first nine laps, with Tom Miller Sr., Decker Swinehart and Jesse Landis all battling for second position.
Landis was working the outside groove and was able to move to the second spot by lap nine. Watt who started 16th was quickly advancing through the field, making some moves high and low, and at one point split two cars in turn four, to find himself in fifth by lap nine. It was at this time that disaster almost struck for the teenager, as he was battling Miller Sr. for position, the two tangled, with Watt hopping over Miller’s front end, sending Miller spinning and collecting Logan Bauman and Brian Hirthler.
Following the restart, Watt continued moving forward, passing Nathan Mohr, and Decker Swinehart to move into second position and set his sights on Landis, who had taken over the top spot from Miller Jr. Watt was able to sweep to the top groove and take the lead on lap 13, never to be stopped the rest of the race.
Two separate duels were fought in the closing laps for position between Landis and Swinehart for second, along with Mohr and Addison Meitzler for fifth with Mike Schneck Jr. in between the two battles.
At the checkered flag it was Watt scoring his first ever Grandview Speedway win.
Sprint Car Feature
The Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint cars made their only visit of the season, and Drevicki ended a personal victory drought, picking up the 25-lap feature win, his first with the club since June of 2021.
Drevicki took the lead at the start of the race leaving behind a great battle for second between Briggs Danner, Alex Bright and Ed Aiken. The race ran green for the first 17 laps, putting Drevicki in some serious lapped traffic, which he began to pick his way through, while the next three swapped spots several times while also trying to pass the lapped cars as well.
Tommy Kunsman, Bruce Buckwalter Jr., Chris Allen Jr. and Joey Amantea were also dueling for positions behind the other top spots.
All the great action came to a slow-down on lap 17 with two cautions, and then a red flag on lap 18 for a flip by Aiden Borden.
This reset the field and gave everyone a shot at the top spot, but Drevicki pulled away on the restart and raced home to his 14th career win with the USAC East Coast Sprints.