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Hagerstown Speedway
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (July 5) - Starting second with a six car invert, Gary Stuhler led all 40 laps to capture the victory in the 1st Annual Red Nininger Memorial for the Cindy Rowe Auto Glass late models at Hagerstown Speedway on Saturday night. The Winchester/ Hagerstown Shootout II event was postponed from June 14 and almost could have been another same situation as showers arrived during the first late model warm-ups and resulted in a two hour delay in starting the program. The final checkered waved at 1:26 a.m.
"Starting position helped a bunch but it's such an honor to win this thing," said Stuhler, driver of the Nininger Tire & Auto Center late model. "I'm glad for Glenn and all those guys. I know they wanted me to win. I put a lot of pressure on myself before this night came. In his honor, I'm just glad to do it for him. I think he (Red) was with us."
Stuhler, of Greencastle, Pa., was in command of the race from the start with late model sportsman driver, Tyler Armstrong doing double duty and giving chase from the third lap. Stuhler's racer began smoking on the final lap but won his 125th career and second of the season by .81 seconds over Armstrong.
"I think we broke a piston," he said. "It kind of laid down there coming for the white flag. I thought it was getting bad coming off two, I didn't know if I'd make it down the back straightaway it was getting that bad. It just held on enough, I don't think I would've have made it another lap."
Shippensburg's Jerry Bard won the Maryland Clash, the combined Allegany County/Hagerstown event for the Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic late model sportsman which was postponed from May 17th. It was his first win in 13 months and he became the eighth different winner. The race was ended two laps early due to the time limit exceeded as Ashley Barrett ended in the runner up spot after he and Bard battled most of the race.
"I couldn't ask for a better car. I did the set up myself tonight. I guess I'll have to do it all the time," Bard said.
Kenny Dillon of Hanover was the winner of the 13th Annual Jim Cornett Tribute for the Ernie's Auto Enterprises pure stocks for the third time. He won previously in 2000 and 2003. It was his first win since April 2006. Dillon sprinted off the final turn ahead of Dave Stouffer Jr. to win by a hood length.
"This is the one race I want to win every year," Dillon said. "If I don't win another race the rest of the year, this is the only one I wanted to win. I've won it twice already. It's just real neat to win it."
Matt Smith of Carlisle added his name to the Enduro Dash winners after he took the lead from Larry Hurley Jr. on the 17th lap and pulled out to a 1.7 second lead at the end over Mark Vegh.
Paced by two of the former restored racers driven by Red Nininger, Stuhler took the green and sped off the outside row ahead of Mike Lupfer to start the show. Sixth starting Armstrong quickly grabbed the runner up spot on the third lap with Ray Kable Jr. taking third the next circuit.
By the halfway mark Stuhler had caught traffic as Armstrong was 1.2 seconds behind while a near straightway back to Kable.
On the 23rd, Kable's night ended as Keith Jackson took his place after stating from the 14th spot with Billy Wampler and Ronnie DeHaven next in line. Wampler's good run ended on the 30th lap while Darryl Hills and Alan Sagi also dropped out on a 34th lap restart and Lupfer stopped on lap 36.
Stuhler sped the final four circuits to finish .81 seconds ahead of Armstrong with Jackson, Marvin Winters and 20th starting Rick Eckert completing the top five.
Jim Yoder was sixth with Paul Crowl from 22nd, Brian Booze, from 17th, Devin Friese and previous weeks winner, Andy Anderson from 21st, completing the top ten.
Armstrong, Friese and Kable Jr. were heat winners for the 32 entries while Frankie Plessinger was the B main winner.
Nathan Durboraw brought out the red when he took a horrific series of flips in turns three and four when he caught the fence and began rolling with the car ending in a stand up position.
In the three car inverted start for the Clash event, Scott Palmer took the lead from the pole as Bard, from fourth, ducked in front of third starting Barrett. Bard maintained a ten length lead in the first laps with Barrett getting by on a 13th lap restart, but Bard powered off the fourth turn to regain the point and not give it up the rest of the race. When Bard caught traffic at lap 25, Barrett was still close enough to challenge with a straightway back to Palmer. When the caution waved on lap 28, the event was checkered as the time limit had been exceeded and was already 12:50 a.m.
Armstrong ended fourth with Jamie Swank coming from 18th to complete the top five. Barrett, Wayne Walls Jr. and Palmer were heat winner with Swank taking the B main.
Dave Stouffer Jr. sped from fourth to grab the pure stock lead on the opening lap as fifth starting Dillon was into second by the second lap. Stouffer maintained a comfortable distance in the first 13 laps as point leader, Dale Hollidge got by Dillon for second on the 14th lap but dropped out on the 17th circuit. Dillon reeled in Stouffer and gave it his best shot on the final lap to round the top and exit the final turn by a hood length. Kevin Keefer was next with Jim Snyder coming from 14th to earn the J & M Sportsworld Hard Charger Award and Steve Lowery ending fifth after coming from 15th. Dillon, Stouffer and Kevin Keefer won the heats with Bill Ecton winning the B main.
The speedway returns to action Saturday night with another special for the Cindy Rowe Auto Glass late models, The Ernie's 25 Special, with $2,500 awaiting the winner. The Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic late model sportsman and Ernie's Auto pure stocks will also be on the program.
Pit gates open at 4 p.m., grandstands open at 5 p.m and warm ups begin at 7:00 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
1st Annual Red Nininger Memorial, Shootout II, Cindy Rowe Auto Glass Late Models, (PP from June 14) 40 laps, 32 entries, (Lap Leaders -Gary Stuhler 1-40) 1.Gary Stuhler; 2.Tyler Armstrong; 3.Keith Jackson; 4.Marvin Winters; 5.Rick Eckert; 6.Jim Yoder; 7.Paul Crowl; 8.Brian Booze; 9.Devin Friese; 10.Andy Anderson; 11.Tommy Armel; 12.Scott LeBarron; 13.J.T. Spence; 14.Brent Smith; 15.Mike Lupfer; 16.Alan Sagi; 17.Darryl Hills; 18.Billy Wampler; 19.Ronnie DeHaven Jr.; 20.Ray Kable Jr.; 21.Roy Deese Jr.; 22.Frankie Plessinger; 23.Les Hare; 24.D.J. Troutman; DNQ: Mike Hardy, Chris Fletcher, Chris Croner, Larry Baker II, Mike Atherton, Doug Stine, DNS - Jamie Lathroum, Nathan Durboraw
Maryland Clash (Allegany County/Hagerstown) (PP From May 17) - Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Late Model Sportsman, 30 Laps, 28 entries (Lap Leaders - Scott Palmer 1-2, Jerry Bard 3-30): 1.Jerry Bard; 2.Ashley Barrett; 3.Scott Palmer; 4.Tyler Armstrong; 5.Jamie Swank; 6.Matt Sponaugle; 7.Richard Walls; 8.Kyle Lear; 9.Barry Lear Sr.; 10.Paul Cursey; 11.Courney Shreiner; 12.Francis Stone; 13.Travis Stickley; 14.Dan Zechman; 15.Barry Miller; 16.Eugene Conlee; 17.Brian Lessley; 18.Dylan Yoder; 19.Mike Shoemaker; 20.Michael Collins; 21.Pete Weaver; 22.Wayne Walls Jr.; 23.Terry Flaherty; 24.Andy Fries; DNQ - Nick Pappas, Steve McCastney, Rob Gergel, Glenn Nininger Jr.
13th Annual Jim Cornett Tribute - Ernie's Auto Enterprises Pure Stocks, 20 laps, 28 entries (Lap Leaders - Dave Stouffer Jr. 1-19, Kenny Dillon 20): 1.Kenny Dillon; 2.Dave Stouffer Jr.; 3.Kevin Keefer; 4.Jim Snyder (J & M Sportsworld Hard Charger); 5.Steve Lowery; 6.Billy Ecton Jr.; 7.Drew Fitzsimmons; 8.Kevin Dayhoff; 9.Hans Stamberg; 10.Bill Ecton; 11.Dave Mikolajski; 12.Bill Reitober; 13.Kenny Day; 14.Bobby Taylor; 15.Frank Dibella; 16.Dave Gross; 17.Lin Sutphin; 18.Eddie Catrell; 19.Dale Hollidge; 20.Mike Sanders; 21.Tony Catlett; 22.Tim Monn; 23.Darrin Younker; DNQ - Brian Swiger, Danny Beavers, Charlie Pensinger, Wayne Hawbaker. Kevin Boyer
Enduro Dash (PP from May 17) 30 laps,27 entries; (Lap Leaders - Larry Hurley Jr. 1-16, Matt Smith 17-30) - 1.Matt Smith; 2.Mark Vegh; 3.Larry Hurley Jr; 4.Krazy Kenny Thomas; 5.Chris Ebersole; 6.Derek Riley; 7.Richard Tracey; 8.Kenny Thomas; 9.William Crook; 10.Jamie Mills; 11.Dustin Proctor; 12.Jim Speelman; 13.Danny Holmes; 14.Roy Stevens; 15.Chris Loy; 16.James Clark; 17.Mike Hoffman; 18.Joe Rodgers; 19.John Conrad; 20.Jason Harper; 21.Bill Silkworth; 22.Rodney Miner; 23.Dave Shatto; 24.Nathaniel Younker; 25.John Poole; DNS - Larry McGowan, Butch Whipp
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