Friday, 2 July 2010
Barry Angstadt
SMITH PREVAILS IN A THRILLER AT PATH VALLEY – Round 3
Spring Run, Pa. - June 28 - In one of the most exciting A-Mains ever contested during PA 600 Speedweek, Ryan Smith etched out a victory on Monday, June 28, at Path Valley.
Smith, from Kunkletown, Pa., hooked up in a classic battle with Ben Murphy from laps 21 through 28, as the lead pair traded the number one position on several occasions while slashing through lapped traffic.
As Murphy tried his best to protect the bottom, Smith went even lower, shoving the nose of his Ellette Pools, Schoenly Enterprises, No. 22 alongside Murphy at both ends of the race track. Smith finally squeezed in front as they charged out of turn two with just two laps remaining, and Murphy pulled to the infield about halfway down the backstretch as his car lost fuel pressure.
Tim Dietz led the early stages of the 30-lapper, while Murphy, Smith, and Mike Rutherford waged a fierce three-car tussle for the runner-up spot. Murphy surged ahead of his foes and the race leader to take command on lap 13. Smith caught Murphy in lapped traffic, and the war was on as the final 28 circuits ran non-stop.
"I didn't even know it was Ben that I was racing with," exclaimed Smith in the winner's circle. "I thought it was (Mike) Dicely. The bottom was going away, but there was still a brown patch down there. That patch grew smaller and smaller as the race went on," explained the victor. "I kept missing it in three and four, and you couldn't miss it by even an inch or two; that's why it took me so many laps to get by him."
A disappointed Murphy revealed that a rock thrown up from the infield apparently broke a fitting on the fuel line of his Hyper Racing No. 14H.
Dietz felt he may have been able to hold off Murphy and Smith had he switched his line and moved up the track a bit earlier. "I was set up to run the bottom, and as the leader, I stayed down there. I should have moved up a lane, where the black stuff was, because that groove became much faster than I realized." Still, Dietz was very pleased with his third place effort.
Arron Spahr made a late-race charge to finish second, and, given a few more laps, appeared ready to challenge Smith for the win.
Heath Hehnly was the Valken Wheel Hard Charger of the race, weaving his way from 19th on the starting grid to finish fifth. In the process, Hehnly took sole possession of first place in Speedweek points.
Fifty-three cars entered the third event of PA 600 Speedweek at Path Valley. Despite an "iffy" weather forecast, the show was spun off without a drop of rain to hinder its progress.
Sean McAndrew won the companion 270cc main event, with Smith finishing second and Brian Marriott third.
The Sidewinder Sprints were also on the menu, and Tyler Walton prevailed after a torrid duel with Robbie Kendall. Walton and Kendall ran side-by-side for the second half of the 25-lap affair, before Walton finally grabbed the top spot with two to go.
Heat 1 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Jimmy Brookens; 2. Ben McLeod; 3. Tim Dietz; 4. Tyson Hall; 5. Timmie Barrick; 6. Tyler Ross; 7. Mike Dicely; 8. Robbie Kendall; 9. Ryan Reeves; 10. Stan Fleming; 11. Zach Overmiller (DNS)
Heat 2 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Isaac Sneeringer; 2. Jeff Hartman; 3. AJ Michael; 4. Tyler Walton; 5. Shane Penny; 6. Ryan Greth; 7. Heath Hehnly; 8. Chance Terrell; 9. Dean Seamans; 10. Jared Davis; 11. Peter Michael
Heat 3 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Ryan Wilson; 2. Mike Rutherford; 3. Dwayne Gutshall; 4. Jim Young; 5. Tanner Hunsicker; 6. Sammy LaMothe; 7. Matt Supan; 8. Shelby Rowles; 9. Shane Braxton; 10. Kameron Morral; 11. Ron Lewis
Heat 4 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Jerrod Wilson; 2. Jimmy Glenn; 3. Shane Lewis; 4. Ryan Smith; 5. Arron Spahr; 6. Brock Bilger; 7. Bo Gordon; 8. Steve Russell; 9. Steve Emery; 10. Paul Graham
Heat 5 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Tim Buckwalter; 2. Ben Murphy; 3. Rick Stief; 4. Eric Bodine; 5. Andy Farley; 6. Jeff Rohrbaugh; 7. Dave Thrush; 8. Luke Thomas (DNS); 9. Richie Fitz (DQ); 10. Dalton Tanner (DQ)
Heat 6 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Tim Dietz; 2. Robbie Kendall; 3. Timmie Barrick; 4. Mike Dicely; 5. Ryan Reeves; 6. Jimmy Brookens; 7. Stan Fleming; 8. Ben McLeod; 9. Tyler Ross; 10. Tyson Hall; 11. Zach Overmiller (DNS)
Heat 7 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Jared Davis; 2. Heath Hehnly; 3. Ryan Greth; 4. Tyler Walton; 5. Jeff Hartman; 6. Shane Penny; 7. Chance Terrell; 8. Isaac Sneeringer; 9. AJ Michael; 10. Dean Seamans; 11. Peter Michael
Heat 8 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Jim Young; 2. Mike Rutherford; 3. Dwayne Gutshall; 4. Sammy LaMothe; 5. Kameron Morral; 6. Matt Supan; 7. Shane Braxton; 8. Tanner Hunsicker; 9. Ryan Wilson; 10. Shelby Rowles; 11. Ron Lewis (DNS)
Heat 9 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Arron Spahr; 2. Ryan Smith; 3. Jimmy Glenn; 4. Shane Lewis; 5. Jerrod Wilson; 6. Steve Emery; 7. Brock Bilger; 8. Paul Graham; 9. Steve Russell; 10. Bo Gordon
Heat 10 (8 Laps/Sprint Bandit Qualify):
1. Eric Bodine; 2. Ben Murphy; 3. Rick Stief; 4. Andy Farley; 5. Tim Buckwalter; 6. Richie Fitz; 7. Jeff Rohrbaugh; 8. Dave Thrush; 9. Luke Thomas (DNS); 10. Dalton Tanner (DNS)
C-Main (12 Laps/ 6 to rear of B-Main); 1. 35-Shane Braxton
B-Main (15 Laps/ 6 to rear of A-Main): 1. 44-Mike Dicely
Feature (30 Laps)
1. 22-Ryan Smith ($1,000); 2.14x-Arron Spahr; 3. 18d-Tim Dietz; 4. 99-Eric Bodine; 5. 2c-Heath Hehnly; 6. 6-Mike Rutherford; 7. 8-Jim Young; 8. 7h-Rick Steif; 9. 44-Mike Dicely; 10. 026-Jeff Hartman; 11. 25s-Tim Buckwalter; 12. 14t-Tyler Walton; 13. 5x-Tyson Hall; 14. 74-Dwayne Gutshall; 15.1j-Ryan Greth; 16. 7-Timmie Barrick; 17. 55k-Robbie Kendall; 18. 29-Ryan Wilson; 19. 19z-Issac Snerringer; 20. AU88-Ben McLeod; 21. 55l-Shane Lewis; 22. 74f-Andy Farly; 23. 14h-Ben Murphy; 24.7g-Jim Glenn; 25. 777-Jarrod Wilson; 26. 11-Jimmy Brookens. No Time.
Lap Leaders - Tim Dietz (1-12), Ben Murphy (13-28), Ryan Smith (29-30) Hard Charger - 2c-Heath Hehnly
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