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Hagerstown Speedway
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (April 18) - Friday night was all Gary Stuhler as "Mr. Smooth" made it look simple while he opened the Winchester/Hagerstown Shootout I Series opener at Hagerstown Speedway with his career 124th triumph. The Greencastle, Pa. veteran lined up third in the heads up start for the Cindy Rowe Auto Glass late models and after taking the lead from Mike Atherton on the third lap, was in a league of his own, taking the checkered flag 3.66 seconds ahead of Tommy Armel in the 40-lap event.
"We have to thank Mark Richards and Rocket Chassis and Integra Racing Shocks for this," Stuhler said. "My whole crew has been working hard. We struggled a little bit there. We've been plugging away."
"I have to dedicate this win to my car owner, Glenn Nininger. He had open heart surgery and he's recuperating. He's the one that puts all the money up for this deal. He's not with us tonight, but we're with him so I thank him and thank all my sponsors and my son for keeping this car nice looking. This is just a big effort by a bunch of people, I just get all the glory standing out here."
Also getting to victory lane was Barry Miller of Three Springs, Pa. who went to the line second in the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic late model sportsman feature but ended with his first win since last season's opener when Gene Conlee was disqualified for an engine head infraction.
"I'd have rather crossed under the flag first. I don't know what the situation was there, but I'll take it," Miller said. "The car has been really good. We got a new rear end over the winter and it really helped. We have more adjustments to fine tune the car."
Picking up his second win of the season in four weeks of racing was Dale Hollidge of Mechanicsville, Md. Hollidge took over on lap nine and was 1.8 seconds ahead of Dean Holmes at the finish.
"The car was pretty much perfect tonight," Hollidge said. "We're still making some changes on it and making it a little better and better. We started way back in 11th and were able to drive up through there. It was just a smooth night."
With a heads up draw, Mike Atherton led the first two circuits until Stuhler took charge off the second turn and began to drive away and by the tenth circuit was more than six seconds ahead of Atherton and seventh starting Armel.
Stuhler was into the rear of the field on lap 15 and later had three cars and five seconds separating him from Atherton when the first caution waved on lap 21.
While Stuhler took off on the restart, Armel grabbed the runner up spot as Atherton had Jamie Lathroum and Andy Anderson challenging with Anderson taking the third spot on lap 25.
Stuhler had stretched his lead to more than four seconds over Armel when another caution flag waved on the 31st circuit and continued his dominance in the final circuits by driving away to 3.66 seconds at the checkered.
Armel and Anderson were next with Atherton and 11th starting Jason Covert completing the top five. Mike Lupfer was next while Jim Bernheisel came from 18th for seventh followed by Lathroum, Alan Sagi (13th) and Jim Yoder (15th). Heats for the 42 entries were won by Atherton, Tyler Hershey, Stuhler and Scott LeBarron while J.T. Spence and Brent Smith split the two consolations.
Gene Conlee led the late model sportsman from the pole over Robby Beall while Miller moved into third after starting sixth. Miller took on the ninth lap and trailed Conlee by more than two seconds when a 16th lap yellow was displayed. Conlee drove past the flag stand .69 seconds ahead of Miller but failed a post race inspection of the engine heads.
Brian Lessley ended second followed by Andy Fries, Terry Flaherty and Scott Palmer from 13th. Tyler Hershey was sixth with Cody Lear, Beall, Steve Axtell, the St.Thomas Towing/Checkered Flag Lube hard charger, and Richard Walls completing the top ten. Heats for the 30 entries went to Miller, Lessley and Shawn Jones with Allen Brannon winning the consolation.
Dave Stouffer took the lead from Dave Mikolajski on the second lap and held off Danny Beavers while Hollidge moved into the picture who got by both to take the pure stock lead on lap nine. Following a ninth lap restart, he began stretching his lead to 1.8 seconds over Dean Holmes who grabbed the runner up spot from Stouffer on the white flag lap. Stouffer ended third with Darrin Younker coming from the rear after a second lap incident that also involved two time winner Hans Stamberg who followed Lin Sutphin to the line in sixth. Bill Ecton Jr., Younker and Stamberg won the heats while Bill Reitober was the consolation winner.
The speedway returns to action Saturday, April 26th for the 27th Annual Stanley Schetromph Classic, a 50-lap event sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Series for the Cindy Rowe Auto Glass Late Models along with the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic Late Model Sportsman competing in the first Maryland Clash event, a combined 30-lap event with The Rock, Allegany County Speedway, paying $1,000 to win and $100 to start
Pit gates open at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5 p.m and warm ups begin at 7 p.m. Check the speedway website for any changes in weather at: www.hagerstownspeedway.com or contact the speedway office at 301-582-0640.
Hagerstown Speedway Results
Winchester/ Hagerstown Shootout I
Cindy Rowe Auto Glass Late Models, 40 laps, 42 entries, (Lap Leaders - Mike Atherton 1-2, Gary Stuhler 3-40) 1.Gary Stuhler; 2.Tommy Armel; 3.Andy Anderson; 4.Mike Atherton; 5.Jason Covert; 6.Mike Lupfer; 7.Jim Bernheisel; 8.Jamie Lathroum; 9.Alan Sagi; 10.Jim Yoder; 11.D.J. Troutman; 12.Allen Brannon; 13.Scott LeBarron; 14.Tyler Hershey; 15.Brent Smith; 16.Darryl Hills; 17.Ronnie DeHaven; 18.Bo Feathers; 19.Roland Mann; 20.Brian Booze; 21.D.J. Myers; 22.Les Hare; 23.J.T. Spence; 24.Paul Crowl; 25.Billy Wampler; 26.Frankie Plessinger; DNQ: Larry Baer, Marvin Winters, Tony Crim, Scott Cross, Matt Hardy, Roy Deese Jr., Moe Hardin, Jonathan DeHaven, Brian Tavenner, Brad Omps, Ray Kable Jr., Matt Quade, Scott Lupfer, DNS - Steve Gibney, Al Shawver Sr., Gerald Davis
Hoosier/Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Late Model Sportsman, 20 Laps, 30 entries (Lap Leaders - Gene Conlee 1-20): 1.Barry Miller; 2.Brian Lessley; 3.Andy Fries; 4.Terry Flaherty; 5.Scott Palmer; 6.Tyler Hershey; 7.Cody Lear; 8.Robby Beall; 9.Steve Axtell Jr. (Hard Charger); 10.Richard Walls; 11.Jerry Bard; 12.Shawn Jones; 13.Kyle Lear; 14.Tyler Armstrong; 15.Dylan Yoder; 16.Wayne Walls Jr.; 17.James Myers; 18.Rick Stouffer; 19.Mike Walls; 20.Jeff Friese; 21.Jimmy Richards; 22.Allen Brannon; 23.Pete Weaver; DQ - Eugene Conlee; DNQ - Nick Pappas, Chad Myers, Rob Gergel, Dallas Wenrich, DNS - Ashley Barrett, Justin Hart
Ernie's Auto Enterprises Pure Stocks, 15 laps, 30 entries (Lap Leaders - Dave Mikolajski - 1, Dave Stouffer 2-8, Dale Hollidge 9-15) 1.Dale Hollidge; 2.Dean Holmes; 3.Dave Stouffer Jr.; 4.Darrin Younker; 5.Lin Sutphin; 6.Hans Stamberg; 7.Dave Mikolajski; 8.Bobby Taylor; 9.Drew Fitzsimmons; 10.Kevin Boyer; 11.Steve Lowery; 12.Frank DiBella; 13.Paul Quattro; 14.Kevin Koontz; 15.Bill Reitober; 16.Justin Snodderly; 17.Kenny Day; 18.Billy Ecton Jr.; 19.Charlie Pensinger; 20.Danny Beavers, 21, Tony Catlett; 22.Kenny Dillon; 23.Jason Murray, DNS - Kevin Keefer, DNQ - Brian Swiger, Wayne Hawbaker, Tim Monn, Mike Sanders, William Kerns, Bill Ecton, DNS - Eddie Cattell
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