WINDOM & WOLFE WIN AT WILLIAMS GROVE

CHRIS WINDOM WINS USAC EASTERN STORM STOP AT WILLIAMS GROVE AND LUCAS WOLFE WINS SPRINT CAR FEATURE

Story By: Shaun Brouse/Williams Grove Speedway

Photos By: Paul Arch & Dan DeMarco/RacersGuide.com

MECHANICSBURG, PA – Chris Windom took the lead from Brady Bacon with five laps to go and went on to win the USAC Sprint Car feature as part of the Eastern Storm Series Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway.

In the regular 25-lap sprint car feature, Lucas Wolfe scored his second win of the season.

Robert Ballou started second and grabbed the race lead at the start of the 30-lap Eastern Storm main event. Bacon passed C.J. Leary for second on the first lap. Windom started fifth and moved into fourth with a pass of Tim Buckwalter. Fast timer Kevin Thomas Jr. was also moving forward and into the top five.

Bacon caught Ballou, but couldn’t make a pass for the lead on a fast racing surface.

The leaders had a close call with a slower car on the front stretch while Windom raced by Leary and into third.

The first caution of the race flew with 13 laps completed.

Windom, the defending USAC sprint car champion, challenged Bacon for second following the restart as the top three raced under a blanket. Bacon took the lead from Ballou off turn two on lap 21.

Windom took second one lap later.

Windom closed on Bacon and took the lead on lap 26 off turn two.

A caution flag slowed the pace with two laps to go.

Windom, of Canton, Ill., controlled the final laps scoring the $6,000 win.

“This win means a lot,” Windom said. “It was so cool to get the first Silver Crown win here (last year). It’s an historical place to win at. This car was awesome.”

Bacon, Ballou, Thomas Jr. and Pennsylvania’s Buckwalter completed the top five. Dave Darland, Chase Stockon, Tyler Courtney, Justin Grant and Leary rounded out the top 10.

Thomas Jr. set fast time and a new track record during qualifying with a lap of 19.509. The top eight drivers all broke the previous record of 20.035. Zach Daum, Jerry Coons Jr. and Tony DiMattia won the heat races.

Matt Boland, Frankie Herr and Jordan Givler won the sprint car heats and started at the front of the 25-lap main event.

Boland led the opening five laps before Herr got by with defending track champion Freddie Rahmer in third.

Sixth starting Lucas Wolfe moved into third as Rahmer took the lead from Herr on lap 12. Wolfe nearly took the lead with one move, but instead only took second from Herr.

Wolfe, of Mechanicsburg, got another good run off the bottom of turn four and got next to Rahmer nipping him at the line for the lead by .030. Wolfe jumped the cushion in turn two giving the lead back to Rahmer, but the caution flag flew and Wolfe reassumed the lead for the restart with six laps to go.

Wolfe controlled the restart and dominated the final laps winning by 3.377 seconds over Rahmer. He earned $3,800 and a free tire.

“I was able to move around a little bit and I found the bottom was a little bit better than what Freddie was doing,” said Wolfe. “It wasn’t enough to get him, but he had a little wrinkle once in traffic and I thought I was going to split both of them, but that didn’t quite happen. I was able to get beside him and I was lucky to beat him back to the line.”

T.J. Stutts and Brian Montieth passed Herr finishing third and fourth. Herr finished fifth. Brock Zearfoss, Givler, Steve Buckwalter, Antony Macri and Cory Haas rounded out the top 10.

Eastern Storm continues Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway.

USAC Eastern Storm Sprint Car Feature (30 laps): 1. Chris Windom; 2. Brady Bacon; 3. Robert Ballou; 4. Kevin Thomas Jr.; 5. Timmy Buckwalter; 6. Dave Darland; 7. Chase Stockon; 8. Tyler Courtney; 9. Justin Grant; 10. C.J. Leary; 11. Thomas Meseraull; 12. Jerry Coons Jr.; 13. Isaac Chapple; 14. Chad Boespflug; 15. Kyle Moody; 16. Joey Biasi; 17. Matt Westfall; 18. Jarett Andretti; 19. Trevor Kobylarz; 20. Carmen Perigo Jr.; 21. Zach Daum; 22. Tony DiMattia; 23. Robert Bell.

Sprint Car Feature (25 laps): 1. Lucas Wolfe. 2. Freddie Rahmer. 3. T.J. Stutts. 4. Brian Montieth. 5. Frankie Herr. 6. Brock Zearfoss. 7. Jordan Givler. 8. Steve Buckwalter. 9. Anthony Macri. 10. Cory Haas. 11. Kyle Reinhardt. 12. Rick Lafferty. 13. Greg Hodnett. 14. Jessie Attard. 15. Jim Shuster. 16. Troy Fraker. 17. Matt Boland. 18. Rodney Westhafer. 19. Jay Galloway. 20. TJ DeHaven. 21. Mallie Shuster.