Rex King Jr. Keep Rolling At Lernerville Speedway

Story By: GARY HEEMAN / LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY – SARVER, PA – One could make the argument that both Santa Claus and the Grinch were on hand on Friday night at The Action Track as gifts were given and taken away as late race heroics made for some dramatic finishes when all was said and done.

Carl Bowser went straight to work in the Peoples Gas DIRTcar Sprint main event, bolting out to an early lead that would increase to nearly half a track even after he made his through considerable lapped traffic. Former track champion Brandon Spithaler put forth his best effort at running Bowser down for the better part of 25 laps. However, moving forward with authority from his seventh starting spot was Jack Sodeman Jr. who made his way around Spithaler after a lap 22 caution reset the field. One more caution gave Sodeman one last chance to collect the win, and he took full advantage of it as he made his way underneath Bowser in turn four with one lap to go and never looked back en route to his second win of the season.

In the Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models, Michael Norris found Terry Bowser Victory Lane for the seventh time in 2018 as he kept his season to remember going strong. Norris had to work hard in the early portion of the main event though as Colton Flinner and Matt Lux were giving him all he could handle in the early portion of the race, trading the lead at different points on the speedway and in the same lap for several laps before Norris was able to make the lead stick for good on lap nine while Lux would move past Flinner for good on lap 16 to earn the runner up spot.

John Mollick looked like the driver to beat in the Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified feature as he got out to the early lead and looked strong in doing so. However, Rex King Jr. was a man on a mission as he moved forward from his seventh starting spot and quickly found himself battling Mollick door to door for the lead. King Jr would take it for good on lap nine while behind him, Garrett Krummert had moved from tenth to second as he ran out of laps to catch King Jr. who made his way to Victory Lane for the fourth time this season.

Corey McPherson made his way past early leaders Joey Zambotti and Ryan Moyer in the Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH feature and then found himself being hunted down and overtaken by a red hot Jason Fosnaught who was substituting for Brett McDonald. Fosnaught looked to be in control of the field and headed for his first Lernerville win since 2015 until a late race caution set the stage for a green-white-checkered finish. When action resumed, Fosnaught held the lead for one and three quarters laps when McPherson dove underneath him heading into turn three for the final time and emerged with the lead which he converted into his third win on the season while Fosnaught spun coming out of turn four, collecting damage from several cars while coming home in 11th place. Noah Brunell fought tooth and nail for position all night in the top five and was rewarded with a second place finish while Bob Egley took the final podium spot.

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint Main Event (25 Laps)
1. (23J) Jack Sodeman Jr.
2. (98) Carl Bowser
3. (22) Brandon Spithaler
4. (51) Brent Matus
5. (42) Sye Lynch
6. (2) AJ Flick
7. (08) Dan Kuriger
8. (29P) Dan Shetler
9. (33) John Garvin Jr.
10. (40) George Hobaugh
11. (8) Jared Zimbardi
12. (G1) Mike Miller
13. (76) Davey Jones
14. (4K) Bill Kiley
15. (4N) Jimmy Morris
16. (56) Ralph Spithaler
17. (55) Gary Kriess
18. (27) Vinny Douherty
19. (27K) Jeremy Kornbau
20. (13) Brandon Matus- DNF

Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Model Main Event (25 Laps)
1. (72) Michael Norris
2. (111) Matt Lux
3. (4T8) Colton Flinner
4. (4T8) Ken Schaltenbrand
5. (10L) Gary Lyle
6. (44P) Joe Petyak
7. (W3) John Wayne Weaver
8. (14R) Clay Ruffo
9. (111D) Jim Detman
10. (1C) Mike Pegher Jr. -DNS
11. (81) Mike Miller- DNS

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Main Event (25 Laps)
1. (165) Rex King Jr.
2. (29) Garrett Krummert
3. (65) Rex King Sr.
4. (31) Jim Weller Jr.
5. (32) Jim Rasey
6. (13) Rick Regalski
7. (83) Brian Swartzlander
8. (4J) John Mollick
9. (9) Will Thomas
10. (37M) Jeremiah Shingledecker
11. (61) Dave Murdick
12. (45) Steve Feder
13. (96B) Bob Warren
14. (75) Jeff Miller
15. (25) Chris Rudolph
16. (18) Colton Walters
17. (123) AJ Flick
18. (88) Shawn Fleeger- DNF

Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar RUSH Pro Stock Main Event (20 Laps)
1. (C33) Corey McPherson
2. (31) Noah Brunell
3. (30) Bob Egley
4. (27) Tyler Dietz
5. (948) Joey Zambotti
6. (32) Mark Sanders
7. (29B) Scott Byers
8. (77) Heath Close
9. (13X) Ryan Moyer
10. (17) Sam Eichelberger
11. (25) Jason Fosnaught
12. (26) Mike Bordt
13. (10) John Hartman
14. (35B) Jacob Dietz
15. (22J) Chase Lambert
16. (66) Joe Kelley
17. (310) Dale Tuche

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint Heat 1

1. (13) Brandon Matus
2. (27K) Jeremy Kornbau
3. (40) Rod George
4. (8) Jared Zimbardi
5. (7K) Dan Shetler
6. (55) Gary Kriess
7. (08) Dan Kuriger
8. (8J) Joe Sylvester
9. (00) Alan Free

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint Heat 2
1. (98) Carl Bowser
2. (22) Brandon Spithaler
3. (23J) Jack Sodeman Jr.
4. (42) Sye Lynch
5. (G1) Mike Miller
6. (76) Davey Jones
7. (91) Sadie Siegel
8. (4K) Bill Kiley

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint Heat 3

1. ( 2) AJ Flick
2. (33) John Garvin Jr.
3. (56) Ralph Spithaler
4. (51) Brent Matus
5. (27) Vinny Dougherty
6. (4N) Jimmy Morris
7. (24) Jeremy Hill
8. (18J) RJ Jacobs

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint BMain (10 Laps)

1. (55) Gary Kriess
2. (08) Dan Kuriger
3. (4N) Jimmy Norris
4. (76) Davey Jones
5. (4K) Bill Kiley
6. (18J) RJ Jacobs
7. (8J) Joe Sylvester
8. (91) Sadie Siegel
9. (24) Jeremy Hill
10. (00) Alan Free

Precise Racing DIRTcar Late Model Heat 1

1. (72) Michael Norris
2. (4T8) Colton Flinner
3. (W3) John Wayne Weaver
4. (14R) Clay Ruffo
5. (111) Jim Detman
6. (81) Mike Miller- Did Not Start

Precise Racing DIRTcar Late Model Heat 2
1. (1C) Mike Pegher Jr.
2. (111) Matt Lux
3. (29) Ken Schaltenbrand
4. (44P) Joe Petyak
5. (10L) Gary Lyle

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Heat 1
1. (31) Jim Weller Jr.
2. (65) Rex King Sr.
3. (165) Rex King Jr.
4. (9) Will Thomas
5. (75) Jeff Miller
6. (29) Garrett Krummert
7. (32) Jim Rasey
8. (123) AJ Flick
9. (83) Brian Swartzlander

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Heat 2
1. (13) Rick Regalski
2. (61) Dave Murdick
3. (4J) John Mollick
4. (37MD) Jeremiah Shingledecker
5. (18) Colton Walters
6. (45) Steve Feder
7. (25) Chris Rudolph
8. (88) Shawn Fleeger

Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stock Heat 1
1. (27) Tyler Dietz
2. (13X) Ryan Moyer
3. (29B) Scott Byers
4. (C33) Corey McPherson
5. (10) John Hartman
6. (77) Heath Close
7. (26) Mike Bordt
8. (22J) Chase Lambert
9. (310) Dale Tuche

Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stock Heat 2
1. (25) Jason Fosnaught
2. (31) Noah Brunell
3. (948) Joey Zambotti
4. (66) Joe Kelley
5. (30) Bob Egley
6. (32) Mark Sanders
7. (35B) Jacob Dietz
8. (17) Sam Eichelberger

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprints: 25
Precise Racing DIRTcar Late Models: 11
Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds: 18
Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stocks: 17
Total Car Count: 71