Mid-August temperatures in the 90’s have created another summertime heat wave here in east-central PA, but that is nothing compared to the current hot streak enjoyed by Aaron Bollinger.
The charger out of Birdsboro, PA picked up another Hyper Racing 600 Sprint victory on Saturday night at Lanco’s Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway. The win was Bollinger’s second straight and third in the last four winged 600cc races at the Clyde. And he finished second in the race he didn’t win!
Others paying a visit to victory lane on Saturday included Mike Rutherford (Viper Chassis 270cc); Jeremy Eisenhour (Sportsman); Marty Brian (250cc Four-Stroke); and Brent Shearer (125cc). Dylan Kontra won a thriller over Logan Ramsey in the U6SA Restricted 600 Sprint main.
Coming up this Saturday, August 24, is PINK OUT NIGHT at Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway. Kim Glass of Kim’s Kreations, along with her sister-in-law Terri Bucks, will donate all proceeds from the sale of special PINK OUT t-shirts, raffle baskets, bicycle raffle, and donations to the Breast Cancer Research Fund at Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center. Over the past few years, Terri and her T.T.’s Troops have presented more than $10,000 to the Fund and they, along with Clyde Martin Speedway, are anxious to push that total even higher after this week’s event.
This past Saturday was Ice Cream Night at the Clyde, but Aaron Bollinger could not have any of the tasty treats. That is because Bollinger and his No. 16a are so red-hot right now that the ice cream would have melted before he could get the first spoonful into his mouth.
Bollinger started second in the 25-lap main for the Hyper Racing 600’s, launching into the lead over Austin Quick and Ryan Groff as the green flag waved. Quick and Groff traded the runner-up position on laps four and seven as Bollinger checked out. Bradley Brown, Heath Hehnly, and Jarid Kunkle were dicing for fourth spot as the race went clean and green for the first 23 circuits before Brown clipped an infield tire in turns one and two. The contact sent him into a second set of the tires that mark the infield boundary line, where he stopped.
The final two trips around the lightning-quick oval were no problem for Bollinger, as he dashed to his third win of the season over Quick, Groff, Hehnly, and Mike Rutherford.
Kunkle and Hehnly were heat race winners on Saturday.s
The 25-lapper for the Viper Chassis 270 Sprints was a throwback of sorts, as the three drivers at the head of the pack were named Miller, Rutherford, and Skias. Roughly one decade ago, Mike Miller, Mike Rutherford, and Pete Skias were three of the dominant racers in the Clyde’s 270 Class. On Saturday night, Miller and Rutherford resumed their rivalry and were joined by Nick Skias (one of Pete’s sons).
It appeared that Miller was headed for his first 270 triumph of the season, but one can never count out the cagey Rutherford. Miller survived several restarts to maintain his hold on the top spot, but one final caution period, with just two tours left to run, proved to be his demise.
Rutherford, from Lebanon, PA, gunned his Kaylor Petro No. 5k to the high side on the green-white-checkered restart, staying even with the leader as they navigated turns one and two. His top shelf momentum carried him past Miller on the backstretch and on to his fifth triumph of the year in the Viper Chassis 270’s.
“I was hoping someone else would help me clean off the top groove,” said Rutherford after the race. “I was just waiting for that and for a long time, it didn’t seem like that would happen. But I finally made it work on that last restart.”
Miller was not terribly disappointed afterward. “At least we finally finished one of these 270 races, and we were fast. I hate being out front on all those restarts because you’re the hunted man if you are leading. And he’s (Rutherford) just the best, so I’m okay with second.”
N. Skias finished third with Andrew Dietrich and Jarrett Imler rounding out the top five.
Heat race winners were Nick Skias and Corey Schmuck Jr.
Exactly one year ago (August 18, 2018), Jeremy Eisenhour won his first-ever Clyde Martin feature, taking the Sportsman checkered in dominating fashion. On Saturday night, 365 days after that initial victory, Eisenhour copped his second career win, once again taking the black-and-white silks ahead of everyone in the Sportsman 25-lap main event.
Eisenhour led all the way after starting on the pole. Clinton Hauser, Nate Gibble, point leader Mike Kreiser, and David Ravel battled for second place with Hauser claiming the position on lap two. The first caution occurred with ten tours complete and on the restart, Hauser, Kreisler, and Ravel went three-wide for the runner-up slot. Kreiser came away with it as Hauser and Ravel scuffled for third. Ravel secured the position until the halfway point of the race, when Hauser wrestled it back from him.
At the finish, it was Eisenhour scoring the victory by just under a half-second over Kreiser, with Hauser third and Ravel settling for fourth place money. Gibble raced home in fifth.
Kreiser and Ravel won the Sportsman heats.
Ephrata’s Marty Brian won his seventh feature of the season in the 250cc Four-Stroke headliner, but even he admitted it probably would not have happened were it not for another driver’s misfortune.
Alex Lukacs, still tired from an exhausting week of State Police Cadet Camp, seemed poised to win his very first Clyde Martin Speedway Four-Stroke feature. Lukacs darted into the lead at the outset with M. Brian flying into second position. Lukacs opened up a nice lead over Brian and caught the back of the field by lap ten. The leader got held up dramatically when the cars in front of him went side by side and even three-widen as they battled for position. Brian blasted up to the rear bumper of the No. 44x as Lukacs searched for the opening he needed to get by the cars blocking his path. He tried to squeeze under a couple of cars in one and two, but got shoved into a set of infield tires, bringing out the first (and only) yellow flag of the event. The disappointed Lukacs stormed back through the field during the second half of the race and wound up on the podium with a third place finish.
Lukacs’ unfortunate issue handed the top spot to Marty Brian, who then had to deal with four-time winner Tommy Phipps Jr. The two young lions went wing-to-wing for a few laps before some wheel-rubbing contact in three and four turned Phipps’ No. 38 sideways and Brian scooted away. Phipps reigned in his mount and held on to second, but the No. 16 of Brian, along with Phipps’ chances of winning, were gone.
Marty Brian flew under the checkered, padding his point lead with win number seven on the year. Phipps cashed in for second and Lukacs rebounded to finish third. Jessica Moore and Dylan Yeingst completed the first five at the finish.
M. Brian and Phipps won the two heats for the Four-Strokes on Saturday.
Brent Shearer got the ride in the Harrington Motorsports No. 76 in Saturday’s 125cc competition, and he made the most of his opportunity, winning the 25-lapper over new teammate Justin Harrington.
Shearer rocketed from his pole position start to lead all the way. While he was comfortably out front, some hot and heavy action took place from second on back, as Chase Layser, last week’s winner Holden Eckman, Kerry Lengle, Mike Miller, and Cliff Brian Jr. battled furiously for position among the top six.
C. Brian passed Layser for second just before the halfway mark, after contact between Miller and Lengle forced Miller to the infield and Lengle to fall back in the pack. Justin Harrington, who started 15th (Iast), was threading his way forward, entering the top five with eight circuits remaining. Harrington continued his march to the front in the Rossi No. 647, passing Eckman and Layser on a lap 17 restart to run third. Heading for the white flag and with Shearer running away with the lead, Harrington slipped past C. Brian for the runner-up spot.
Shearer gassed the No. 76 to victory over Harrington, with Cliff Brian Jr. claiming third-place pay. Eckman wound up fourth and AJ Gerhart finished fifth, coming from the back after he was collected in a mid-race mishap.
The 125cc heat race victors were Holden Eckman and Kerry Lengle.
A highly entertaining duel for the win had fans cheering with appreciation when the 15-lap U6SA Restricted 600 feature concluded with Dylan Kontra in the winner’s circle.
Kontra, who scored his first Clyde Martin victory of the season back in April, challenged early leader Logan Rumsey, forging ahead by inches to lead lap two. Rumsey regained control when Kontra was pinned behind a slower car, but Kontra came storming back to lead lap nine. Kontra catfished around the bottom while Rumsey rolled the top at both ends of the speedway, and the duo diced for the top spot side-by-side, lap after lap. Rumsey had his nose in front on lap 12, but Kontra edged ahead of his rival on lap 13 and 14. The final tour had both young wheel-twisters fighting tooth-and-nail for the victory, with Kontra crossing the stripe by a half-car length over Rumsey after an intense but cleanly-fought tussle for the win.
Jayson Conover finished third with Ben Maier and Kenny Beinhower placing fourth and fifth.
Rumsey, the Restricted 600 feature winner at Linda’s Speedway on Friday night, won the lone heat race on Saturday at the Clyde.
This Saturday’s PINK OUT NIGHT will see gates open at 4:30, warm-ups at 6 p.m., and the first heat race goes green at 7:00. Adult general admission tickets are just $8, with discounts for Senior Citizens and Students. Youth between the ages of six and 12 are just $2, and children under the age of six get free admission.
Come on out to LIVE the excitement that is Lanco and help raise money for a tremendous cause, Breast Cancer Research at Hershey Medical Center, this Saturday at Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway!
RESULTS:
Hyper Racing 600 Sprints, 25 Laps: 1.Aaron Bollinger, 2.Austin Quick, 3.Ryan Groff, 4.Heath Hehnly, 5.Mike Rutherford, 6.Jarid Kunkle, 7.Holden Eckman, 8.Will Urkuski, 9.Chris Gerhart, 10.Brian Kramer, 11.Brent Ely, 12.Chris Panczner, 13.Bradley Brown, 14.Zach Light, 15.Jered Hook, 16.Chris Good, 17.Rebecca LaMothe, 18.Steve Schultz, 19.Jeremy Harshman, 20.TJ Greve, 21.Don Hess, 22.Ryan Hook.
Viper Chassis 270 Sprints, 25 Laps: 1.Mike Rutherford, 2.Mike Miller, 3.Nick Skias, 4.Andrew Dietrich, 5.Jarrett Imler, 6.Billy Logeman, 7.Toby Blumenshine, 8.Heath Hehnly, 9.Christi Sweigart, 10.Bradley Brown, 11.Dave Labe, 12.Zak Vickers, 13.Dan Lane Jr., 14.Josh Ohlinger, 15.Corey Schmuck Jr., 16.Mike Skias, 17.Trent Eberhart, 18.Mike Boyer, 19.Jonah Meck.
Sportsman Feature, 25 Laps: 1.Jeremy Eisenhour, 2.Mike Kreisler, 3.Clinton Hauser, 4.David Ravel, 5.Nate Gibble, 6.Robert Shanaman, 7.Charles Hellinger, 8.Steve Smith Sr., 9.Dennis Fenstermacher, 10.Courtney Kupp, 11.Sam Berger, 12.Jamie Flickinger.
250cc Four-Stroke Feature, 25 Laps: 1.Marty Brian, 2.Tommy Phipps Jr., 3.Alex Lukacs, 4.Jessica Moore, 5.Dylan Yeingst, 6.Eddie Nocera, 7.Ron Wechter, 8.Jenna Heagy, 9.Riley Simmons, 10.Zach Young, 11.Jared St. John, 12.Ron Young, 13.Cliff Brian Jr.
125cc Feature, 25 Laps: 1.Brent Shearer, 2.Justin Harrington, 3.Cliff Brian Jr., 4.Holden Eckman, 5.AJ Gerhart, 6.Chase Layser, 7.Brandon Gibble, 8.Kerry Lengle, 9.Mike Glass, 10.Kenny Bushey, 11.Tyler Martin, 12.Shane Davis, 13.Jimmy Wampole, 14.Terry Ellex, 15.Mike Miller.
U6SA Restricted 600 Sprint Feature, 15 Laps: 1.Dylan Kontra, 2.Logan Ramsey, 3.Jayson Conover, 4.Ben Maier, 5.Kenny Beinhower, 6.Jace Marshall, 7.Ryan Schultz, 8.Hunter McFadden.
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