BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. — Ryan Watt charged forward from his tenth place starting spot, grabbed the lead on a lap eight restart, then survived a serious late race challenge from Brett Kressley to score his first win of the season in the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature Saturday night at Grandview Speedway.
Watt had a nearly full straightaway lead wiped away by a caution on lap 24, setting up some late race action, allowing Kressley and Tim Buckwalter to pressure Watt for several laps following the restart, before Watt pulled away in the final two laps to score his fourth career Saturday night NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series victory.
The 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature was action packed and competitive from start to finish, with first year Sportsman driver Ronnie Solomon withstanding some serious pressure from Mike Schneck Jr. to score his first career Grandview Speedway win.
Both winners received bonus money (Modified $300, Sportsman $200) from T.P. Trailers and Truck Equipment of Limerick, Pa., sponsors of the two divisions at Grandview Speedway, in Saturday’s program run under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner.
Eric Kormann took the early lead in the T.P. Trailer Modified feature race, with a real close battle for second quickly developing behind him between Darrin Schuler, Ray Swinehart, Kevin Hirthler, Craig Whitmoyer and a fast-moving Watt.
A lap eight caution for a four-car front straightaway melé reset the field, and on the restart Watt out ran Kormann down the backstretch to take over the lead as the field scored lap number nine.
With a long stretch of green flag action to unfold, Watt slowly built himself a comfortable advantage that would at one point reach a full straightaway.
While Watt raced alone out front, a super battle developed, as Whitmoyer, Buckwalter and Swinehart all challenged for second, soon to be joined by Kressley who would make it a four car race for position by lap thirteen.
By lap 18 Buckwalter and Kressley advanced to second and third and waged their own duel for second, while Whitmoyer was now battling with Doug Manmiller for the next two positions.
Watt began to encounter lapped traffic by lap 20, during the long green flag stretch, but it never slowed his pace. Following a seven lap classic battle, Kressley moved by Buckwalter into second on lap 23, only to be a long distance behind leader Watt.
As fate would have it, a caution on lap 24 for an infield equipment tire knocked onto the race track, set up a chance for Kressley to have a shot at leader Watt for the final six lap run to the finish.
Following the green, Kressley ran the outside line for three laps, while Watt stayed glued to the bottom and Buckwalter was right behind on the bottom as well, making for a classic Grandview battle for the lead.
Watt was finally able to pull away to a short lead in the final two laps to score the win and become the sixth different Modified division winner so far this year. Kressley followed with another strong run in second followed by Buckwalter in third.
Sportsman Feature
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature was another highly competitive race from front to back, from start to finish that was over in nine and a half minutes.Â
B.J. Joly grabbed the early lead until Solomon, who started third, took over the lead to score lap four after passing Joly on the back straightaway.
Mike Schneck Jr. quickly moved to second, passing Joly and Dakota Kohler setting up a couple of battles that would rage for a good part of the feature.
Solomon and Schneck challenged for the lead, while Kohler and Logan Bauman were another battle right behind them. While this action was going on a real tight tussle was being fought for fifth between Joly, Zane Roth, Brian Hirthler, Kyle Smith, Mark Kemmerer and Logan Watt.Â
Solomon continued to lead with Schneck Jr. giving chase, at times several car lengths behind and at times right on the youngster’s bumper. Meanwhile, Hirthler moved to the top lane and was whizzing around the rest of the cars in front of him to reach third, but a good distance behind the top two.
Lapped traffic came into play with just two laps to go, allowing Schneck Jr. to really put on the pressure for the lead, with Hirthler quickly closing on the lead duo.
On the final lap going into turn three, Schneck Jr. threw one last challenge at Solomon, the two touched briefly, with both getting a little sideways, but were able to correct themselves and race home to the finish, with Solomon grabbing his first career win. Solomon becomes the eighth different winner in as many races this season.