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Lincoln Speedway report 2001-07-14

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA, 7/14/01 - The Craig Keel and Shawn Weaver show continued for the second week in a row in the 25 lap super sprint feature at Lincoln Speedway. That is until a guy named Fred Rahmer butted in. Rahmer charged from his 12th starting ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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ABBOTTSTOWN, PA, 7/14/01 - The Craig Keel and Shawn Weaver show continued for the second week in a row in the 25 lap super sprint feature at Lincoln Speedway. That is until a guy named Fred Rahmer butted in.

Rahmer charged from his 12th starting spot to move into third place behind race-long leader Craig Keel and Shawn Weaver by the 13th lap. But it wasn't until after the race's final caution on the 20th lap that Rahmer was able to literally shoot between Keel and Weaver in a daring move entering the third turn to grab the lead and race away to his ninth win of the season. The win ended an eight-race losing streak for Rahmer, who hadn't won at the Pigeon Hills oval since May 12th.

"I saw on that yellow there was six to go, and I knew I didn't have time to take them individually," Rahmer said in describing his winning pass between Weaver and Keel. "We had to get it right then...it would take three or four laps to pass a car that's going that good."

"Big Block (Weaver) was running a heck of a race. I looked under that yellow and he didn't move his wing the whole race. I had mine clean back off the car. I should have probably never sold him that car..."

Keel, fresh off a win the night before at Williams Grove, grabbed the lead from his pole position over fellow frontrow starter Shawn Weaver at the drop of the green. And in a reversal of last week's feature, which saw Keel chase early race-leader Weaver, this time Weaver chased Keel over the first 19 laps.

The race's final caution on the 20th lap set up a six-lap dash to the checkered which now included Rahmer in third, Cris Eash fourth, and Billy Sims in fifth.

Weaver shot around Keel on the restart to lead the 20th lap.

Then entering the third turn on the 21st lap, Rahmer decided it was time to make things happen, and shot between Keel on the high side and Weaver on the low side to grab the lead. From there, Rahmer raced away to his 108th career Lincoln win and picked up $2,500 in the process.

"Those guys wouldn't have felt good winning off the front row, I'm sure. So I figured I better get up there and see what I could do," said Rahmer jokingly upon exiting his Al Hamilton-own Manheim Auto Auction No.77 sprinter. "We were okay, but we still have a long way to go."

The win was Rahmer's 13th overall this season.

"Al (Hamilton) keeps giving us good stuff and we just have got to keep working harder. We've been shooting ourself in the foot a lot. We might come back and run 10th next week, but it won't be for a lack of effort. We've just got to keep trying."

Keel settled for second, 2.34 seconds behind, with Weaver third, Eash fourth, and Jeff Rohrbaugh fifth. Completing the top-10 were Bobby Weaver, Steve Siegel, Greg Hodnett, Cliff Brian, and James Chesson.

Heats for the 23 super sprinters on hand were won by Bobby Weaver, Keel, and Rohrbaugh.

Third generation driver Jim Siegel spotted Shawn Siefert the lead from his pole position for the first lap, dove under Adrian Shaffer and Siefert from his third starting spot on the second lap, and led the rest of the way for his first career win in the 358 sprint car feature.

Though still a rookie, Siegel has now set an 8-lap track record and scored his first feature win in less than a month. And it was only a few weeks ago that dad (Steve) allowed him to start passing cars.

Adrian Shaffer was scored second every lap and finished there, with Cory Haas advancing from his 11th starting spot to cross third. Dan Dietrich and 14th-starting Eric Stambaugh completed the top five. Stambaugh's top five finish, combined with Scott Ausherman's failure to qualify, vaulted Stambaugh into the 358 points lead.

Jim's family and engine builder Don Ott were in victory lane to share the moment. Missing was car owner Sal Scarpitta, who is in the midst of a world art tour.

Heats for the 31 "358" Sprints were won by Siefert, Siegel, and Shaffer, with Judd Shepard winning the consolation.

Nat Tuckey drove Bobby Rudisill's back-up car to his second win of the year in a wild 20-lap thundercar feature that saw Cork Laughman lead the first half of the race and as many as seven cars duke it out for the lead over the last ten laps. Tuckey slid under Laughman for the lead in a bazaar 11th lap that saw Laughman shuffled back to sixth before the end of the lap. Bobby Beard followed Tuckey past Laughman into second and pressured Tuckey the rest of the way, crossing one carlength behind at the checkered. Ken Berwager, who was scored second laps four through nine, crossed third, with points leader Bernie Beard fading and advancing through the field the entire event to finish fourth and Rudisill rounding out the top five.

Tuckey thanked both Bobby Beard and Rudisill in victory lane.

"This was my last ride in Rudisill's car," explained Tuckey after his fourth career Lincoln win, "I was just out of money and hope to get my car back on the track next week. Bobby can't afford to run a second team, and I appreciate him giving me the ride tonight."

Heats for the 35 thundercars were won by Steve Clabaugh, Bernie Beard, Neil Smith, and Bobby Beard. Twin consolations were won by Mike Walls and Marshall McMullen.

Next Saturday night, July 21st, the super sprints will compete in the annual DARYL GOHN/GLENN GOHN SR. MEMORIAL. The public is invited to a picnic and car show in the outer parking lot across Kineman Road from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The thundercars will also compete in a Thundercar Championship race. Rounding out the evening's racing action will be the Silver Spring Limited Late Models. Gates will open at 5:30 PM, with hot laps at 7 PM and racing action getting under way at 7:30 PM.

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