Montieth Captures Sprint Spring Championship At Lincoln For Second Straight Win Of ’18

Story By: BILL MEYER / LINCOLN SPEEDWAY – ABBOTTSTOWN, PA – Brian Montieth charged from his sixth starting spot to chase down front row race-long leader Danny Dietrich while navigating lapped traffic on the seventh lap, grabbed the lead on the eighth lap, and drove away to his second win of 2018 in the 30-lap $5,000-to-win Sprint Spring Championship Saturday night at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway.

In the 358 Sprint nightcap, sixth-starting Jeff Halligan passed front row starter and race-long leader Tyler Walton on the fifth lap for the lead, and then man-handled his sprinter over the final laps en route to the season-opening 20-lap feature win for the 358 sprints.

In the first time-trial, big-money, 410 Sprint event of 2018 at Lincoln Speedway, defending six-time track champion Brian Montieth left no doubt that he is once again ready for the challenge to defend his title with a convincing win in the 30-lap Spring Championship.

Outside front row starter Danny Dietrich of Gettysburg drove by polesitter Freddie Rahmer at the drop of he green to take the lead by the end of the opening lap. Dietrich quickly tried to put some distance between himself and the field while in the clean air in front of the field. His speed allowed him to catch the back of the field with only six laps down.

Meanwhile Montieth did what Montieth does best, charging hard and passing cars. Montieth got by third-starting Lucas Wolfe for fourth at the end of the second lap. He then drove around third-starting Alan Krimes for third on the third lap. And then finally passed polesitter Rahmer on the seventh as Dietrich entered lapped traffic.

Montieth didn’t waste time. He closed on Dietrich entering the first and second turns of the eighth lap and took the lead before the lap was complete.

From there Montieth used what the track gave him. A Trey Starks spin in the first and second turns with 10 laps in the books gave the challengers behind Montieth an opening. Dietrich, Rahmer, Krimes, and Wolfe all lined up behind Montieth on the restart with 20 laps to go and tried desperately to keep pace with the driver called, “The Edge”.

Montieth drove his Jerry Parrish-owned Premier Auto Works Racing No.21 hard at the drop of the green and continued his assault over the final 20 non-stop laps to record his 57th career win at the Pigeon Hills oval. The win moved him into sole possession of fifth place on the All time Lincoln Speedway winners list.

Dietrich, Rahmer, Wolfe and Krimes settled for second through fifth-place respectively.

Completing the top-10 were fifth-starting Corey Haas, seventh-starting Parker Price Miller, 15th-starting Kasey Kahne, 11th-starting Kyle Moody, and 10th-starting Jim Siegel.

NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne and NASCAR Truck Series Champion Christopher Bell were on hand to battle the Pennsylvania Posse this night. Kahne timed 18th quick in time trials, finished fifth in his heat, and finished eighth in the 30-lap feature after starting 15th. Bell timed 12th quick, finished third in his heat, but suffered mechanical problems in the feature after starting 12th and finished a distant 22nd.

Heats for the 410 Sprinters were won by Haas, Montieth, and Dietrich, with Tim Glatfelter winning the consolation.

Fast time in time trials over the 25-car field was set by Wolfe with a 1-lap time of 13.367-seconds (100.995 MPH).

Just like his 410 sprint counterpart, 358 Sprint driver started sixth in the 20-lap 358 sprint feature opener, quickly drove to the front and took the lead from second-starting race-long leader Tyler Walton by the fifth lap.

Halligan appeared to be dominant while racing out in front through heavy lapped traffic. But a stoppage of action on the 15th lap for a Brent Shearer flip in the second turn revealed a potential problem in he form of a broken power steering.

But Halligan didn’t allow it to derail his opening day drive. Halligan drove hard on the restart and through lapped traffic over the final 6 non-stop laps to take the checkered .88-seconds in front of third-starting Steve Drevicki and 11th-starting Chase Dietz for his sixth career Lincoln Speedway 358 sprint win.

Eighth-starting Kyle Denmyer finished fourth, with Walton settling for fifth.

Completing the top-10 were Eric Parker, Cody Fletcher, Trey Hivner, Ashley Cappetta, and Brie Hershey.

Heats for the 26 358 Sprinters were won by Chase Dietz, Shearer, and Parker.

Lincoln Speedway switches to night time racing next Saturday, March 24th at 6 PM, with the 410 Sprints being joined by the 358 Sprints. Gates will open at 4 PM, with hot laps getting underway at 5:30 PM, and heats at 6 PM.

To get all the latest news, results, schedule changes and rule changes, visit Lincoln Speedway’s website at http://www.lincolnspeedway.com to stay up-to-date on all the action or pending weather conditions at Central Pennsylvania’s “Premier” Saturday night race track – The Fabulous Lincoln Speedway.

RACE RESULTS
Saturday, March 31, 2018
LINCOLN SPEEDWAY
Abbottstown, PA

SPRINT SPRING CHAMPIONSHIP

LAWRENCE CHEVROLET 410 SPRINTS

410 Sprint Feature Finish (30 Laps) – 1. 21-Brian Montieth ($5,000); 2. 48-Danny Dietrich; 3. 51-Freddie Rahmer; 4. 24-Lucas Wolfe; 5. 87-Alan Krimes; 6. 39-Cory Haas; 7. 4P-Parker Price Miller; 8. 4K-Kasey Kahne; 9. 99M-Kyle Moody; 10. 59-Jim Siegel; 11. 1X-Chad Trout; 12. 5-Tyler Ross; 13. 88-Brandon Rahmer; 14. 07-Gerard McIntyre, Jr.; 15. 39M-Anthony Macri; 16. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe; 17. 21T-Scott Fisher; 18. 19-Landon Myers; 19. 73B-Brett Michalski; 20. 7K-Dan Shetler; 21. 49-Bradley Howard; 22. 11N-Christopher Bell (DNF); 23. 44-Trey Starks (DNF) 24. 69-Tim Glatfelter (DNF). No Time

Lap Leaders – Danny Dietrich (1-7), Brian Montieth (8-30)

410 Sprint Heat One Finish (10 laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 39-Cory Haas; 2. 4P-Parker Price Miller; 3. 59-Jim Siegel; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri; 5. 24-Lucas Wolfe; 6. 5-Tyler Ross; 7. 21T-Scott Fisher; 8. 7K-Dan Shetler. Time – 2:30.820

410 Sprint Heat Two Finish (10 laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 12-Brian Montieth; 2. 1X-Chad Trout; 3. 99M-Kyle Moody; 4. 87-Alan Krimes; 5. 88-Brandon Rahmer; 6. 07-Gerard McIntyre, Jr.; 7. 49H-Bradley Howard; 8. 69-Tim Glatfelter (DNF). No Time

410 Sprint Heat Three Finish (10 laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 48-Danny Dietrich; 2. 44-Trey Starks; 3. 11N-Christopher Bell; 4. 51-Freddie Rahmer; 5. 4-Kasey Kahne; 6. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe; 7. 73B-Brett Michalski; 8. 35-Tyler Esh; 9. 19-Landon Myers. Time – 2:31.035

410 Sprint Consolation Finish (10 laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 69-Tim Glatfelter; 2. 21T-Scott Fisher; 3. 73B-Brett Michalski; 4. 49H-Bradley Howard; 5. 7K-Dan Shetler; 6. 19-Landon Myers; 7. 35-Tyler Esh. Time – 2:36.309

Time Trials Results – 1. 24-Lucas Wolfe, 13.367 (100.995 MPH); 2. 87-Alan Krimes, 13.410 ; 3. 51-Freddie Rahmer, 13.536 ; 4. 39-Cory Haas, 13.560 ; 5. 21-Brian Montieth, 13.578 ; 6. 44-Trey Starks, 13.632 ; 7. 4P-Parker Price Miller, 13.790 ; 8. 1X-Chad Trout, 13.793 ; 9. 48-Danny Dietrich, 13.857 ; 10. 59-Jim Siegel, 13.867 ; 11. 99M-Kyle Moody, 13.902 ; 12. 11N-Christopher Bell, 13.928 ; 13. 39M-Anthony Macri, 14.003 ; 14. 69-Tim Glatfelter, 14.028 ; 15. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe, 14.044 ; 16. 21T-Scott Fisher, 14.064 ; 17. 88-Brandon Rahmer, 14.091 ; 18. 4K-Kasey Kahne, 14.192 ; 19. 7K-Dan Shetler, 14.263 ; 20. 49H-Bradley Howard, 14.354 ; 21. 73B-Brett Michalski, 14.359 ; 22. 5-Tyler Ross, 14.540 ; 23. 07-Gerard McIntyre, Jr., 14.687 ; 24. 35-Tyler Esh, 14.726 ; 25. 19-Landon Myers, NT.

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS 358 SPRINTS

358 Sprint Feature Finish (20 Laps) – 1. 66-Jeff Halligan; 2. 19S-Steve Drevicki; 3. 4R-Chase Dietz; 4. 38D-Kyle Denmyer; 5. 14T-Tyler Walton; 6. 28P-Eric Parker; 7. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 8. 7-Trey Hivner; 9. 89-Ashley Cappetta; 10. 97-Brie Hershey; 11. 48B-Dave Brown; 12. 44N-Dylan Norris; 13. 19-Troy Wagaman; 14. 28-Matt Findley; 15. 12B-Mike Bittinger; 16. 8-Kenny Kuhn; 17. 59-Steve Wilbur; 18. 5A-Zachary Allman; 19. 50-Alyson Dietz; 20. 11-Greg Plank; 21. 12-Jeff Shearer (DNF); 22. 19D-Wyatt Hinkle (DNF); 23. 20-Devin Beidel (DNF); DNS – 11D-Kody Hartlaub. No Time

Lap Leaders – Tyler Walton (1-4), Jeff Halligan (5-20)

358 Sprint Heat One Finish (10 laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 4R-Chase Dietz; 2. 66-Jeff Halligan; 3. 9-Dalton Dietrich; 4. 97-Brie Hershey; 5. 44-Dylan Norris; 6. 19D-Wyatt Hinkle; 7. 50-Alyson Dietz; 8. 28-Matt Finley (DNF); 9. 11-Greg Plank (DNF). No Time

358 Sprint Heat Two Finish (10 laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 12-Brent Shearer; 2. 19S-Steve Drevicki; 3. 14T-Tyler Walton; 4. 89-Ashley Cappetta; 5. 19-Troy Wagaman, Jr.; 6. 44-Dave Brown; 7. 59-Steve Wilbur; 8. 5A-Zachary Allman; 9. 20-Devin Beidel (DNF). No Time

358 Sprint Heat Three Finish (10 laps/6 to qualify) – 1. 28P-Eric Parker; 2. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 3. 38D-Kyle Denmyer; 4. 7-Trey Hivner; 5. 12-Mike Bittinger; 6. 11D-Kody Hartlaub; 7. 8-Kenny Kuhn; 8. 13J-Jon Stewart (DNF). No Time