Swartzlander Tops Modifieds At Lernerville; AJ Flick Makes It Back-To-Back Titles In Sprints

Story By: GARY HEEMAN / LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY – SARVER, PA – It was a beautiful night for racing at The Action Track as chamber of commerce type weather surrounded Lernerville Speedway for the final installment of the Fab4 weekly racing series Fueled by Turners Premium Iced Tea.

When the dust settled, the final two points championships were clinched by two familiar drivers as AJ Flick and Corey McPherson nailed down their third and sixth track championships, respectively. They both joined Michael Norris and Rex King Jr. who had previously clinched titles two weeks prior by virtue of their commanding points leads and the and two rained out Friday nights which eliminated their pursuers.

Flick and Jack Sodeman Jr came into the evening separated by just nine points and Sodeman was able to shave an additional point off the margin during heat race competition. However, Flick drew the pole for the Peoples Gas DIRTcar Sprint main event, and bolted out to a convincing early lead. Behind him, Dale Blaney and Sodeman put on an entertaining battle for the second spot while Flick increased his margin over the field.

As the laps wound down, Flick found himself being chased by Blaney who found some additional speed and began catching up to the leader who was powering his way around a good deal of lapped traffic. Blaney began taking looks for a way around when the caution flag waved for Sye Lynch who went off the top of turn four late in the race. On the ensuing restart, Flick got a good jump and never looked back en route to both the feature victory and his second track title in a row.

Michael Norris turned in another dominant performance in collecting his eighth Fab4 win of the season in the Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models. Norris started from the tail and made quick work of the field which included UMP National Late Model points leader Rusty Schlenk. Norris, now a two time track champion, took the lead from Matt Lux with a turn four slide job at the halfway mark and kept the field behind him with authority the rest of the way for the feature victory.

In the Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, Brian Swartzlander started up front and looked to be the car to beat early on in the 25 lap feature. However, Mat Williamson made his way down from St. Catharines, Ontario to join the field one more time in 2018 and quickly made his way through the field, taking the second spot from Dave Murdick on lap four. It would take two restarts and eight more laps for Williamson to wrest the lead away from Swartzlander, but it would be a short lived lead as on a restart just one lap later, Swartzlander made his way back around Williamson, retaking the lead while Jeremiah Shingledecker and Rex King Jr put on an entertaining battle for the third spot.

Williamson was never able to challenge for the lead again the rest of the way as Swartzlander kept a torrid pace and handled very well when confronted with considerable lapped traffic. It was the second win of the season for the DIRTcar Hall of Fame Modified driver and an emotional one as well, representing Swartzlander’s first appearance in Terry Bowser Victory Lane since the loss of long time friend, sponsor and supporter Chad McCutcheon.

Ryan Moyer had been one of the fastest cars at The Action Track that had yet to produce a feature victory in 2018, until Friday night. Moyer took the early lead in the 20 lap Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stock main event and was the car to beat. However, Joey Zambotti managed to make his way around Moyer on a restart just past the halfway point. The lead lasted for just two laps as title contender Tyler Dietz made his way past Zambotti from his eighth starting position. Sam Eichelberger brought out two caution flags to re-stack the field with less than six laps to go as all eyes focused on the points chase between Dietz and McPherson. The two contenders ran first and third as the laps wound down with Dietz in need of two more positions to unseat McPherson as defending champion. The bid would come up short though as McPherson crossed the finish line in fourth to take yet another track title.

Out front though, Moyer never stopped making forward progress and on lap 20 found himself with a great deal of momentum on the top side of the speedway and was close enough to make a run at Dietz for the victory. Moyer pulled around Dietz on the front stretch, just before the checkered flag waved.

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint Main Event (25 Laps)

(2) AJ Flick
(4N) Dale Blaney
(23J) Jack Sodeman Jr.
(13) Brandon Matus
(08) Dan Kuriger
(2L) Sye Lynch
(33) John Garvin Jr.
(56) Ralph Spithaler
(51) Brent Matus
(29P) Dan Shetler
(40) George Hobaugh
(G1) Mike Miller
(C1) Clay Riney
(23) Darren PIfer
(44L) Pete Landram
(41) Vinny Douherty
(4K) Bill Kiley
(24) Jeremy Hill
(91) Sadie Siegel
(14) Andy Fescenmeyer

Precise Racing Products DIRTcar Late Models (25 Laps)

(72) Michael Norris
(111) Matt Lux
(10L) Gary Lyle
(29) Ken Schaltenbrand
(9) Clayton Kennedy
(15) Kelvin Kohan
(CJ1) Rusty Schlenk
(55) Chris Schneider
(14R) Clay Ruffo
(69) Jon Hodgkiss
(11) Joshua Powell
(84) Andrew Wylie
(81) Mike Miller- Did Not Start

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Main Event (25 Laps)

(83) Brian Swartzlander
(6M) Mat Williamson
(37MD) Jeremiah Shingledecker
(65) Rex King Sr.
(165) Rex King Jr.
(4J) John Mollick
(10S) Garrett Krummert
(66) J.R. McGinley
(61) Dave Murdick
(13) Rick Regalski
(45) Steve Feder
(64) Rodney Beltz
(13B) Mike Turner
(18) Colton Walters
(123) Eddie Brown
(83T) Tom Glenn
(96B) Bob Warren
(31) Jim Weller Jr.
(88) Shawn Fleeger
(25) Chris Rudolph- Did Not Start
(32) Jim Rasey- DQ-

Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar RUSH Pro Stock Main Event (20 Laps)

(13X) Ryan Moyer
(27) Tyler Dietz
(948) Joey Zambotti
(C33) Corey McPherson
(32) Mark Sanders
(25) Brett McDonald
(30) Chris Schneider
(66) Joe Kelley
(77) Heath Close
(310) Dale Tuche
(28Y) Terry Young
(29B) Scott Byers
(17) Sam Eichelberger
(31) Noah Brunell
(35B) Jacob Dietz
(26) Mike Bordt
(10) John Hartman

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint Heat 1

(29P) Dan Shetler
(23J) Jack Sodeman Jr.
(2) AJ Flick
(C1) Clay Riney
(40) George Hobaugh
(56) Ralph Spithaler
(51) Brent Matus
(24) Jeremy Hill
(91) Sadie Siegel
(44L) Pete Landram
(14) Andy Fescenmeyer

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint Heat 2

(33) John Garvin Jr.
(13) Brandon Matus
(4N) Dale Blaney
(08) Dan Kuriger
(42) Sye Lynch
(G1) Mike Miller
(41) Vinny Douherty
(23) Darren Pifer
(4K) Bill Kiley
(154) Shamus O’Donnell
(00) Alan Free

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprint BMain- 10 Laps

(23) Darren Pifer
(4K) Bill Kiley
(91) Sadie Siegel
(44L) Pete Landram
(24) Jeremy Hill
(14) Andy Fescenmeyer
(154) Shamus O’Donnell
(00) Alan Free

Precise Racing DIRTcar Late Model Heat 1

(111) Matt Lux
(10L) Gary Lyle
(9) Clayton Kennedy
(29) Ken Schaltenbrand
(11) Joshua Powell
(81) Mike Miller
(91T) Tommy Beck- Did Not Start

Precise Racing DIRTcar Late Model Heat 2

(CJ1) Rusty Schlenk
(72) Michael Norris
(84) Andrew Wylie
(55) Chris Schneider
(69) Jon Hodgkiss
(14R) Clay Ruffo
(15) Kelvin Kohan- Did Not Start

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Heat 1

(6M) Mat Williamson
(61) Dave Murdick
(96B) Bob Warren
(18) Colton Walters
(13B) Mike Turner
(64) Rodney Beltz
(123) Eddie Brown
(71) Randy Chronister
(89) Erik Bowser

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Heat 2

(65) Rex King Sr.
(83T) Tom Glenn
(32) Jim Rasey
(13) Rick Regalski
(45) Steve Feder
(25) Chris Rudolph
(88) Shawn Fleeger
(22) Kevin Long

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified Heat 3

(83) Brian Swartzander
(4J) John Mollick
(10s) Garrett Krummert
(37M) Jeremiah Shingledecker
(165) Rex King Jr.
(31) Jim Weller Jr.
(66) J.R. McGinley
(93X) Max Smoker

Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modified BMain- 10 Laps

(31) Jim Weller Jr.
(66) JR McGinley
(64) Rodney Beltz
(25) Chris Rudolph
(123) Eddie Brown
(88) Shawn Fleeger
(71) Randy Chronister
(22) Kevin Long
(89) Erik Bowser
(93) Max Smoker

Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stock Heat 1

(13X) Ryan Moyer
(C33) Corey McPherson
(948) Joey Zambotti
(66) Joe Kelley
(29B) Scott Byers
(310) Dale Tuche
(32) Mark Sanders
(10) John Hartman
(35B) Jacob Dietz

Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stock Heat 2

(31) Noah Brunell
(27) Tyler Dietz
(25) Brett McDonald
(17) Sam Eichelberger
(30) Bob Egley
(28Y) Terry Young
(77) Heath Close
(26) Mike Bordt

Peoples Natural Gas DIRTcar Sprints: 22
Precise Racing DIRTcar Late Models: 14
Diehl Automotive DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds: 25
Millerstown Pic-A-Part DIRTcar/RUSH Pro Stocks: 17
Total Car Count: 78