Hodnett Soars Through Stout Port Royal Sprint Field For Win No. 45
Story By: SHAWN BROUSE / PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By: DAN DeMARCO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
PORT ROYAL, PA- May 8, 2016- Greg Hodnett soared through the field at Port Royal Speedway on Saturday night to notch his 45th career sprint car win at the oval after defeating a stout field from the ninth starting position.
Chad Hollenbeck of Montrose drove to victory in the super late model main, finally getting his first career win at the oval after years of trying.
Local driver Devin Hart took the victory in the econo late model feature while another local, Pete Leister picked up the checkers in the xtreme stock feature event.
A total of 105 cars including 36 410-sprints and 37 super late models packed the pits for at big night of racing at Port Royal and the main events didn’t disappoint.
Polesitter Lucas Wolfe jumped into the lead at the start of the 25-lap sprint car main with Mike Wagner racing second.
But by lap three, sixth starter Aaron Ott was in the picture up to third with Hodnett running sixth.
The races first caution flag unfurled with five laps away, finding Hodnett in fifth behind invader AJ Flick of Apollo.
Ott pounced on Wagner when action resumed with Hodnett motoring into fourth and then into third on the seventh tour, getting around Wagner for the spot.
Wolfe entered the rear of the field with 10 laps down and traffic closed up the advantage that Wolfe had built over the field.
Hodnett was surging at the mid point of the race, knifing through the traffic to blast to Ott’s outside in the fourth corner for second as the field raced to complete lap 12 and then after crossing over on the frontstretch as the lap got scored, Hodnett dove under Wolfe as the pair set their cars into the first turn to take the lead.
Hodnett had Wolfe, Ott and Doug Esh following when another caution flag regrouped the field with 10 laps to go.
Ott took a look at Hodnett at the new green but it took until lapped traffic with less than five laps to go for a massive battle for the lead to develop.
Getting blocked out by a pair of cars racing for position in front of him, Hodnett had nowhere to go as he tried to hold the lead and it was then that Ott drove to his inside in the second corner to make a bid for control as Esh took an outside route to do the same.
Both Ott and Esh were all over the leader as he shot onto the backstretch with a narrow advantage with two to go but just then a final yellow unfurled for a stopped Mike Wagner, ruining the match-up for the win.
Hodnett then jetted away over the final two circuits to pick up his victory, the third of the season for him at Port Royal which tied him with Pete Swarmer on the track all-time sprint car win list.
Hodnett took the win by 1.730 seconds over Ott with Esh, Wolfe and Mark Smith in the top five.
Sixth through 10th went to Brock Zearfoss, Ryan Smith, Ryan Taylor, Steve Buckwalter and Af Flick.
Heats went to Esh, Taylor, Hodnett and Smith while Justin Barger took the consolation. Hodnett set fast time with a lap of 16.500 in time trials.
A royal battle took place in the 22-lap super late model main with Hollenbeck leading all circuits but not before some tense moments in a contest for the win.
Tim Smith Jr. followed Hollenbeck for the first six laps before Kenny Moreland of Waldorf, Md., drove into second.
Coleby Frye blasted into third with a massive slide job on the ninth circuit and began his pursuit of the leaders as they entered the backmarkers on the 12th tour.
Moreland was breathing down Hollenbeck’s neck with five laps to go and Yoder now up to third and that’s when Hollenbeck again nearly lost his first career victory at the track.
Driving somewhat defensively with two to go, Hollenbeck slammed the door shut of Moreland as the pair sped through the third and fourth turns and that’s when Moreland made contact with Hollenbeck, turning him sideways.
But somehow Hollenbeck righted the car and Moreland backpedaled just enough to keep from plowing into him while allowing Hollenbeck to keep the lead while both drivers regained their composure with a quickening Dylan Yoder on their tail.
In the end, Hollenbeck took the victory by .548 seconds over Yoder, who got by Moreland at the finish.
Frye was fourth with Jim Yoder in fifth.
Sixth through 10th went to Jeff Rine, Scott Palmer, Matt Parks, Tim Smith Jr., and Devin Friese.
Heats went to Smith, Hollenbeck, Frye and Moreland with Jeff Miller getting the consolation race. Dylan Yoder set quick time with a lap of 19.922
Harold Ranck led the first three laps of the econo late model main before contact put him into the frontstretch wall while the lead went to Tim Fedder.
However Fedder would only lead one lap before Devin Hart blistered into the lead and drove away for the victory.
It was Hart’s second career win in the division, coming over Tim Krape, Tim Fedder, Shaun Miller and Steve Lowery.
Twin heats went to Hart and Shaun Miller.
Pete Leister held sway for all 15 laps of the xtreme stock feature, chased early by Jason Zook and then late in the event by Bill Powell.
Powell finished second followed by Deron Henry, Mike Goodwin and Austin Johnson.
Stay up to date with all the latest Port Royal news and information by visiting the oval’s official website at www.portroyalspeedway.com or by following the track on Facebook or Twitter.
Feature finishes:
5/7/16
410 sprints, 25 laps: 1. Greg Hodnett, 2. Aaron Ott, 3. Doug Esh, 4. Lucas Wolfe, 5. Mark Smith, 6. Brock Zearfoss, 7. Ryan Smith, 8. Ryan Taylor, 9. Steve Buckwalter, 10. AJ Flick. 11. Davey Sammons, 12. Dylan Cisney, 13. Pat Cannon, 14. Kody Lehman, 15. Wayne Dadetto, 16. Curt Stroup, 17. Joey Hershey, 18. Daryl Stimeling, 19. Jack Sodeman Jr., 20. Anthony Fiore, 21. Mike Wagner, 22. Blane Heimbach, 23. Rick Lafferty, 24. Justin Barger
DNQ: Todd Berkheimer, Cody Fairchok, George Hobaugh, John Garvin, Mallie Shuster, James Pryde, Jim Shuster, Cale Grubb, Mike Walter II., Tyler Bear, Dan Shetler, Jason Shultz
Late models, 22 laps: 1. Chad Hollenbeck, 2. Dylan Yoder, 3. Kenny Moreland, 4. Coleby Frye, 5. Jim Yoder, 6. Jeff Rine, 7. Scott Palmer, 8. Matt Parks, 9. Tim Smith Jr., 10. Devin Friese, 11. Gary Stuhler, 12. Trent Brenneman, 13. Mike Lupfer, 14. Andy Haus, 15. Billy Wampler, 16. Bryan Bernheisel, 17. Danny Snyder, 18. Glenn Elliott, 19. Hayes mattern, 20. Andrew Yoder, 21. Dave Brouse Jr., 22. Scott Flickinger, 23. Patrick Bryner, 24. Jeff Miller
DNQ: Dave Stamm, Tim Gray, Austin Berry, Kyle Rhoades, Jason Davis, Ernie Millon, Brian Tavenner, Jeff Johnson, Larry Baer, Todd Snook, Kody Lyter, Kirk Baker, Vern Zerby
355 econo late models, 18 laps: 1. Devin Hart, 2. Tim Krape, 3. Tim Fedder, 4. Shaun Miller, 5. Steve Lowery, 6. Jared Fulkroad, 7. AJ Stroup, 8. Troy Miller, 9. Garrett Gray, 10. Jason Peachey, 11. Curt Dunn, 12. Derrick Garman, 13. Harold Ranck, 14. Dustin Kirk, 15. Chase Bowsman
DNS: Jason Nace, Lucas Bryner, Bobby Ballentine
Xtreme stocks, 15 laps: 1. Pete Leister, 2. Bill Powell, 3. Deron Henry, 4. Mike Goodwin, 5. Austin Johnson, 6. Corey Kepner, 7. Walt Peters, 8. Darren Rice, 9. Kevin Dobson, 10. Jason Zook. 11. Jason Davis, 12. Ryan Zook, 13. Tyler Amtower, 14. Brian Strawser, 15. Kevin Imes
