Newmanstown, PA (July 14) - At the end of the 2017 racing season, Heath Hehnly said he'd had enough of being a weekly competitor. Said he was stepping away from racing to support his son's involvement in several different sports. For a guy who supposedly retired from the driver's seat, Hehnly is having one heckuva year in 2018!
The Manheim resident found a way to attend his son's games and remain the driver of Chris Snyder's Hyper Racing/ Zartman Erosion Control No. 5, and on Saturday night he chalked up his fourth win of the season in the Hyper Racing 600 Sprint main event at Lanco's Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway.
Others who visited victory lane on Saturday included Bradley Brown (Viper Chassis 270's), Danny Lane Jr. (Sportsman), Kassidy Michael (250cc Four-Strokes), and Corey Schmuck Jr. (125cc).
The Clyde is back in action this Saturday, July 21st as the five weekly divisions take part in Mongoose Chassis Night at the speedway. Qualifying heats, consolations, and 25-lap features will be contested by the Hyper Racing 600 Sprints, the Viper Chassis 270's, Sportsman, 250cc Four-Strokes, and the 125cc Micro Sprints. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with warm-ups beginning at 6:00. The first heat race goes green at 7:00.
The Hyper Racing 600 Sprint main began with Ryan Groff executing a slide job on pole sitter Bruce Ginther Jr. to grab the lead on lap one. Fifth-starting Heath Hehnly threaded his way to the runner-up position by the time the second lap was scored. Groff was setting a blistering pace as he opened a comfortable lead over Hehnly.
Bradley Brown, the winner on June 30, and 14th-starter Jarid Kunkle were tag-teaming their way to the front, motoring into third and fourth positions on the eighth revolution. Five laps later, as the crossed flags were displayed, Groff caught the back of the pack and had to slow his pace a bit as he worked in heavy traffic. That permitted Hehnly to catch him and, when Groff was momentarily hung up behind a slower car while exiting turn four, Hehnly pounced and blasted into the top spot on the 14th trip around the racy oval.
It was all Hehnly from there to the finish, with Groff notching runner-up honors. Kunkle emerged with a third place finish after battling with Chris Gerhart, Kyle Spence, Dan Souder, TJ Greve, and Mike Rutherford. Souder and Spence completed the top five, with Gerhart, Greve, Rutherford, Brent Ely, and Shaun Brandel rounding out the top ten.
Two weeks ago, Bradley Brown led nearly all of the Viper Chassis 270 main event, only to be passed late in the race by TJ Greve. On Saturday Brown gained a measure of redemption, registering his first 270 triumph of the year while Greve finished second.
Brown started fourth, snared second place on the third circuit, then zipped past Corey Schmuck Jr. to take the lead on the sixth tour. The New Providence, PA wheel-twister would not be denied on this night, romping to a 1.076-second victory over Greve, who had a knock down, drag out battle with Mike Rutherford over the final six laps. The highly competitive and exciting 25-lapper had plenty of contenders such as Mike Skias, Andrew Dietrich, Heath Hehnly, Schmuck, and others, but in the end it was Bradley Brown's night as his No. 19A parked in the winner's circle. Greve chased him to the stripe with Rutherford settling for a second consecutive third place effort in 270 competition. Mike Skias and Dietrich wound up fourth and fifth, respectively.
When he got to the track on Saturday, Elverson's Danny Lane Jr. was asked to drive Rutherford's No. 6k in the Sportsman class. He gladly accepted, and the West Chester University student ended his night in victory lane, thanks to some misfortune that befell Nick Skias on the final lap.
Skias elected to start last in the 22-car field, while Lane lined up ninth on the starting grid. With Clinton Hauser leading the way in the early going, Skias weaved his way to 11th in the first five circuits. He was fifth by the seventh tour, then up to third by lap ten. Skias muscled his way into the runner-up spot, passing Toby Blumenshine on the backstretch on the 16th revolution, then went sneaking by Hauser to grab the lead in lapped traffic with six laps remaining. Lane shadowed Skias as they came through the pack before going to work on the leader following a caution period with five to go. Lane attempted a slider with two laps left to run, but Skias repelled the attack. With Lane in his tire tracks, Skias' No. 88 suddenly slowed in three and four on the final trip, permitting Lane to scoot by and register the win. Skias, who said his car would shut off if he didn't lift and "burp the throttle" a few times each lap, recovered to finish second with Blumenshine placing third. Hauser and Devin Adams made up the rest of the top five.
Eighth-starting Kassidy Michael maneuvered her way to the runner-up position as lap four was scored in the 250cc Four-Stroke feature. Michael, from Manheim, ducked under Eddie Nocera to snatch the top spot on the ninth circuit, then built up a big lead as Tommy Phipps Jr., Nocera, Marty Brian, Aidan Jones, and Mike Coen fought tooth-and-nail for positions two through six. Phipps, running the extreme outside lane of the speedway, blasted his way to second with a slider on Nocera in turns three and four on the 11th tour. Phipps then closed on the leader as Michael used a cautious approach with lapped traffic. Just when it appeared Phipps might have enough momentum to challenge for the lead, Michael got some clear race track with which to work, and she pulled away to claim a half-second victory over Phipps when the checkered flag waved. Marty Brian finished third, Aidan Jones was fourth, and Coen went home with fifth place pay.
Not only was this Michael's fifth win in Four-Stroke competition this season, but it was the Manheim native's second in a row and fourth in the last seven races. The teenage soccer standout also babysits for 600cc winner Heath Hehnly and, according to a smiling Hehnly, is not hesitant to let him know that she's got more wins than him this year.
Corey Schmuck Jr., from Lititz, PA, started on the outside of row one in the 125cc main event but motored into the top spot quickly, grabbing the lead from pole sitter Chase Layser on the opening jaunt around the progressively banked oval. It wasn't long before a pair of three-time winners, Kerry Lengle and Kyler Heiney, were locked in a duel for the runner-up slot.
Schmuck maintained control of the race lead throughout the 25-lap duration, winning his second feature of the 2018 campaign. As the battle for second came to the checkered, Lengle and Heiney ran up on a group of lapped cars. Neither wanted to lift and lose the battle for runner-up honors, and contact was made between them just a few feet before they crossed the stripe. Heiney's front end went up in the air but came down just in time to nip Lengle at the line for a wild second place payday. Lengle, Mike Glass, and Layser finished third, fourth, and fifth.
Saturday was the first night for Mike Knappenberger as the official track photographer; his work will be displayed (and on sale) at the speedway's Phtoto & Novelty Stand (now operated by Kim's Kreations) and also on his Facebook page titled "Mike Knappenberger Photos". It also marked the debut of the National Racing Network as Lanco's track videographers; video highlights of the night's racing and full length feature races will be posted on their website and Facebook pages. The full length features are available by paid subscription.
Racing returns this Saturday, July 21st with Mongoose Chassis Night, and coming up on July 28 is the annual Clyde Martin Memorial Race, featuring 35-lap main events for all five weekly divisions, double points, and the prestige of earning the large trophies that are handed down from the previous year's winners in each class. If a driver wins the Memorial three times (in one class), he or she gets to keep the trophy, which is adorned with the names of the past Memorial Race winners in that class. It's a tradition like no other, it's the granddaddy of 'em all at Lanco, it's the race all Lanco members want to add to their resume...it's the Clyde Martin Memorial Race presented by Gold Rush Trailer Sales. And it's less than two weeks away.
NOTE: the Clyde Martin Memorial Race is open to Lanco club members only, and club members wanting to compete must have entered at least four (4) of this year's point races prior to July 28.
Following the Clyde Martin Memorial Race, the month of August begins with Battleground Lanco: Part III, and the third annual appearance of the P1 Insurance USAC National Midget Championship Series! Saturday, August 4 is the date for the mighty Midgets return to the Clyde, and advance general admission tickets are on sale now. Purchasing advance tickets will allow fans to enter the gates one hour before everyone else on August 4. Blankets and seat cushions can be placed on the bleachers at that time, and then fans will be permitted to tour the pit area for approximately one to 1 1/2 hours before warm-ups for the USAC Midgets and wingless 600 Sprints. The wingless 600's portion of the show is part of Hyper Racing 600 Speedweek, making this a "can't miss" event for any race fan!
Come on out and LIVE the excitement that is Lanco!
RESULTS:
Hyper Racing 600 Sprint Feature, 25 laps: 1.Heath Hehnly, 2.Ryan Groff, 3.Jarid Kunkle, 4.Dan Souder, 5.Kyle Spence, 6.Chris Gerhart, 7.TJ Greve, 8.Mike Rutherford, 9.Brent Ely, 10.Shaun Brandel, 11.Nash Ely, 12.Austin Quick, 13.Jered Hook, 14.Kassidy Michael, 15.Bradley Brown, 16.Bruce Ginther Jr., 17.Logan Spahr, 18.Brian Kramer, 19.Ryan Hook, 20.Chris Panczner, 21.Zach Light, 22.Hayden Miller, 23.Will Urkuski. DQ: Jimmy Glenn.
Viper Chassis 270 Sprint Feature, 25 laps: 1.Bradley Brown, 2.TJ Greve, 3.Mike Rutherford, 4.Mike Skias, 5.Andrew Dietrich, 6.Corey Schmuck Jr., 7.Mike Uhrich, 8.Heath Hehnly, 9.Christi Sweigart, 10.Brian Sholley, 11.Toby Blumenshine, 12.Zak Vickers, 13.Kyler Heiney, 14.Jonathan John, 15.Daniel LaFrance, 16.Austin Graby, 17.Cameron Bellinger, 18.Ricky Sechrist, 19.Kyle Spence, 20.Dan Lane Jr., 21.Devin Adams, 22.Jeff Haefke, 23.Nick Skias, 24.Sami Schenck.
Sportsman Micro Sprint Feature, 25 laps: 1.Dan Lane Jr., 2.Nick Skias, 3.Toby Blumenshine, 4.Clinton Hauser, 5.Devin Adams, 6.Kane Rogers, 7.Noah Merkey, 8.Kory Merkey, 9.Robert Shanaman, 10.Michael Kreiser, 11.Matt Hoffman, 12.Alan Durham, 13.Sami Schenck, 14.Louie Kirn, 15.Austin Yingst, 16.Sam Borger, 17.Junior Ramer, 18.Patrick Kirn, 19.Jeremy Eisenhauer, 20.Ricky Sechrist, 21.Kody Hibshman, 22.Ava Bellinger.
250cc Four-Stroke Micro Sprint Feature, 25 laps: 1.Kassidy Michael, 2.Tommy Phipps Jr., 3.Marty Brian, 4.Aidan Jones, 5.Mike Coen, 6.Eddie Nocera, 7.Cliff Brian Jr., 8.Ron Zimmerman, 9.Riley Simmons, 10.Ron Wechter, 11.Donna Geib, 12.Katelin Vragovich, 13.Dylan Yeingst, 14.Jenna Heagy, 15.Zachary Young.
125cc Micro Sprint Feature, 25 laps: 1.Corey Schmuck Jr., 2.Kyler Heiney, 3.Kerry Lengle, 4.Mike Glass, 5.Chase Layser, 6.RJ Rossi, 7.Randall Kreider, 8.Ben Layser, 9.Kenny Bushey, 10.Dalton Eckman, 11.Zack Hollinger, 12.Austin Graby, 13.Brian Kramer, 14.Jimmy Walpole. DNS: Shane Davis, Rich Stuck.
Submitted by Barry Angstadt