Track Hosts First 410 Sprint Car Show in a Decade
Story By:JUSTIN SNYDER / RACERSGUIDE.COM Photos By:TRENT GOWER / RACERSGUIDE.COM
Hanover, PA| July 11, 2016- After a decade away from 410 Sprint car racing, Trail-Way Speedway returned Sunday night with one of the most exciting shows of the 2016 season. The Hanover, PA bull ring stood as the second stop of the 410 Sprint Car Shootout Series and hosted 23 contenders for the Armin Hostetter Memorial, which paid out $3500 to the winner, Brent Marks.
The Myerstown, PA native started ninth and held off a surging Brian Montieth to capture the night’s “Hard Charger” Award and the 25-lap feature’s checkered flag in front of a packed grandstand for his second victory of 2016.
“This race was awesome. I hope we get to run here more than once next year,” said Marks, referring to the decade-long absence of 410 racing at the track.
Tyler Ross and Justin Barger held the front row at the drop of the green flag with Barger taking an early lead, but a multi-car accident in turns one and two slowed the field before any laps were completed and brought everyone back to their original starting spots for a full restart.
Barger, who was running a cylinder down after engine issues in his heat race, took the early lead again, and Marks began his trek to the front by moving into sixth place by the completion of lap one and into the top-five the following circuit.
Another multi-car accident slowed the field with two laps completed and after the restart, Marks, driving the BAPS Auto Paints and Supply/M&M Painting and Construction #19M, used the outside line in turns three and four to pass Kyle Moody and Rodney Westhafer for the third position. Six laps later, still riding the cushion, he overtook Ross for second and began to set his sights on the leader.
Barger, making only his second career trip to the speedway since he captured the inaugural Kevin Gobrecht Memorial in 1999, began to catch lap traffic and withstood Marks attempts to pass over the next few laps before the field slowed for a caution for debris.
Barger once again got out to a quick start following the restart and set the pace over the next several laps. Meanwhile, Montieth began making his march to the front by passing Westhafer for fourth on lap 12 and getting by Ross on lap 16 for third. On lap 20, with the top three all under a blanket, Marks used a lap car to get by Barger exiting turn two to take the lead. Montieth took the runner-up spot three laps later and set up a shootout over the final two laps to the checkered flag.
Marks, who cut his teeth running micro-sprints at the 1/3 mile dirt track, was able to position a slower lap traffic car between himself and Montieth to thwart off any attempt at a pass on the final lap and capture the victory. He also took home an extra 300 dollars as the night’s hard charger with the bonus check being presented by the Beer Hill Gang.
“I’m 25 and still learning, “said Marks, who recently switched to running Maxim Chassis. “I’m learning more about the car, but more importantly I’m learning more about myself.”
Barger held on for third, while Danny Dietrich charged from 11th to finish fourth, and Ross completed the top five.
The 410 Sprint Car Shootout series will conclude July 17th at Susquehanna Speedway. Coming off a 2016 Pennsylvania Speedweek championship victory, Danny Dietrich will enter the final event as the Shootout series points leader.
