STEVE BUCKWALTER WINS BILLY KIMMEL MEMORIAL ON MESSICK’S EQUIPMENT NIGHT AT WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY

Shane Clanton wins $10,000 in World of Outlaws Late Model Feature

STEVE BUCKWALTER WINS BILLY KIMMEL MEMORIAL ON MESSICK’S EQUIPMENT NIGHT AT WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY 

MECHANICSBURG, PA – It has been a very trying year for Steve

Buckwalter and the Clair and Jan Ritter Team.

Buckwalter, of Royersford, turned things around a bit Friday night as

he captured the Billy Kimmel Memorial and $6,000 in the 25-lap sprint

car feature. It was his 12th career Grove win.

“It has been a long time coming,” Buckwalter said. “We’ve been really

struggling with the car.”

In the 40-lap main event for the World of Outlaws Late Model series,

it was Shane Clanton picking up the $10,000 win.

Buckwalter started second and raced into the lead over Alan Krimes and

Devon Borden.

“I knew Borden would be fast, and also Krimes, I figured if he beat me

to turn one, it would be really tough to get around him.”

A fourth turn accident brought the race under caution with two laps

completed. Brent Shearer, Robbie Kendall and Gordon Senft were

involved. Everybody was okay and only Kendall didn’t restart.

Buckwalter controlled the restart as Borden took second from Krimes.

Ninth starter Chase Dietz was into the top four and 17th starter

Freddie Rahmer into seventh with six laps completed.

Meanwhile at the front, Borden was running Buckwalter down as they

blasted around the cushion.

Buckwalter reached the back of the field and the slower car of Austin

Burke. This brought Borden right to his bumper as they raced down the

frontstretch. Borden ducked under Buckwalter entering turn one as

Buckwalter also tried to pass Burke on the inside. It was very tight

racing off the second corner with Buckwalter holding on.

“I was catching that lapped car and I didn’t realize Borden was that

close,” Buckwalter said. “I knew I wasn’t close enough to slide the

lapped car, but I wanted to see how good my car stuck. I got in there

and slid up to him like I intended to, but then I seen Borden and had

to get on the gas. I picked up the pace and ran it a little harder and

the car handled it.”

Tyler Reeser stopped entering turn three bringing out the yellow with

11 laps completed.

Buckwalter’s restart was good enough to keep Borden from tying a first

turn slider. Rahmer raced into fifth.

Buckwalter pulled away a bit from Borden following the restart and was

in control as Dietz took third from Krimes.

Dylan Norris slowed on the backstretch bringing the field under

caution again with 10 laps to go.

Borden was closer on this restart, but couldn’t clear the pass as

Buckwalter raced off the second corner with the lead.

The yellow flew again with eight laps to go for Rick Lafferty.

This gave Borden another shot, but it was Buckwalter staying strong on

the cushion in turns one and two.

Rahmer ducked under Dietz for third spot.

Lance Dewease, who started 18th after being collected in a heat race

crash, raced into fifth. He took fourth from Dietz as Buckwalter built

a comfortable lead again.

Dewease went after Rahmer for third. He’d take the spot entering turn one.

It was Buckwalter scoring the win by 2.7 seconds over Borden and the

hard-charging Dewease. Rahmer and Dietz completed the top five. Kyle

Moody, Krimes, TJ Stutts, Jordan Givler and Shearer rounded out the

top 10.

Krimes won the first heat after a side-by-side battle with Reeser.

Buckwalter won the second heat over Givler. A total of 20 sprint cars

were on hand.

The World of Outlaw Late Model series made their annual visit to

Williams Grove. Ryan Gustin and Shane Clanton shared the front row for

the 40-lap, $10,000 to win feature.

Clanton grabbed the lead and had the race under control early, but Max

Blair closed on him with 15 laps to go. Gustin also moved back into

the picture.

As they began closing on slower traffic with 10 to go, the yellow flag

flew. Clanton got a good restart keeping Blair and Gustin at bay.

Clanton streaked away from there scoring his second win of the season

and career series win number 48. Blair, Gustin, Tanner English and

Rick Eckert completed the top five. Eddie Carrier Jr., series point

leader Dennis Erb Jr., Josh Richards, Dale Hollidge and Jason Covert

rounded out the top 10.

Erb set quick time over the 3R0-car late model field with a lap of

19.636.  Erb, Clanton, and Gustin won the heat races. Kyle Hardy won

the Last Chance Showdown.

Sprint Car Feature (25 laps): 1. Steve Buckwalter. 2. Devon Borden. 3.

Lance Dewease. 4. Freddie Rahmer. 5. Chase Dietz. 6. Kyle Moody. 7.

Alan Krimes. 8. TJ Stutts. 9. Jordan Givler. 10. Brent Shearer. 11.

Dylan Norris. 12. Tyler Reeser. 13. Chad Trout. 14. Bryn Gohn. 15.

Austin Burke. 16. Rick Lafferty. 17. Jason Shultz. 18. Gordon Senft

III. 19. Robbie Kendall. 20. Tyler Bear.

World of Outlaws Late Model Feature (40 laps): 1. Shane Clanton. 2.

Max Blair. 3. Ryan Gustin. 4. Tanner English. 5. Rick Eckert. 6. Eddie

Carrier Jr. 7. Dennis Erb Jr. 8. Josh Richards. 9. Dale Hollidge. 10.

Jason Covert. 11. Kyle Hardy. 12. Matt Cosner. 13. Steve Casebolt. 14.

Brent Larson. 15. Gene Knaub. 16. Gordy Gundaker. 17. Tyler Horst. 18.

Coleby Frye. 19. Mason Zeigler. 20. Shaun Jones. 21. Boom Briggs. 22.

Justin Weaver. 23. Chad Julius. 24. Dan Stone.