Kyle Drum Wins Patriot Sprints At Raceway 7

Conneaut, OH (June 3, 2016): the racing season hit the halfway point on another beautiful, hot night at Raceway 7 as the thunder of the ground-pounding, fire breathing Patriot Sprint Tour shook the ground with Kyle Drum, in just his second appearance of the season, held off a strong late race charge from four-time series champion, Bryan Howland. In regular racing Kyle Zimmerman dominated the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models to win his fourth feature of the season, Mike Kinney collected his first win of the season after leading flag to flag in the Bonnell’s Collision Center E-Mod finale, defending champion Shawn Fawcett got by Pat McGuire for the win on the final lap of the Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stock feature, and Steve Haefke took the lead from defending champion Rick Prosser at the halfway point and went on to win his second in a row and fourth on the season. Points leader Jason Easler continued to dominate the McDonalds Sand & Gravel Mini Stocks with his fifth win of the season.

Dennis Lunger and Mike Kinney brought the Bonnell Collision Service E-Mod field to green with points leader Joel Watson starting eleventh. Lunger got “out of shape” in turn two, causing cars to “stack up” behind him. Dan McDonald and Joel Watson retired pitside for repairs with Watson able to rejoin the event. Bill Taylor and Josh McDonald needed towed form the racing surface. Kinney grabbed the lead at the restart with Lunger, who had not stopped during the fracas, second. By five laps in Watson was up to sixth. Watson came into the top five at lap nine and fourth at halfway. The halfway order was Kinney, Lunger, Jacob Eucher, Watson, and Troy Johnson. At fourteen Watson was third and closing the gap to Lunger. Watson got by Lunger for the runner-up spot with two to go but was not able to advance enough to challenge for the win. Kinney went on to the win, his first of the season with Watson second, Lunger third, Eucher fourth, and Johnson fifth.

The Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks were brought to green by Mark Sanders and Pat McGuire with McGuire leading the way at the end of one lap. Jimmy Kennerknecht was third at three laps in with last week’s winner and points leader Rob Bates up to third by six laps complete. Bates came to second at seven laps, with McGuire now five car lengths back at five laps remaining. Bates was closing fast on McGuire at this point and was right on his rear bumper at eleven then started to spin in turn four at twelve laps complete and collecting a “yuke” tire. At one lap to go a spin brought the only yellow of the race with McGuire leading Shawn Fawcett, Kennerknecht, Bates, and Sanders. Fawcett used the inside to get to the lead at the green with one to go and got by McGuire. At the checkers it was Fawcett, McGuire, Kennerknecht, Bates, and Sanders.

Early season winner Jason Barney started the 25-lap A-Main from the pole position with Kyle Drum alongside. Barney drove to the lead, looking for his second win of the season with Drum right behind. Dan Bennett lost power and came to a halt with one lap complete, slowing the field under caution. Points leader Jared Zimbardi came to third on lap two but slid high in four, falling back to fourth. Four cars, including Paul Haback, Tyler Graves, Dave Just, and Scott Just, tangled on turn three with all four coming to rest on the racing surface. After green again flew it was Drum using the top side to lead lap four with Barney alongside. Paul Haback again spun in turn four with five complete, again slowing the field. Drum, leader by half a length at the yellow, brought the field back to green with Justin Barger coming by Barney in lap two. Drum proceeded to build a lead on Barger with Barney third and Dane Lorenc coming to fourth at lap nine. Defending champion Zimbardi was fifth at this point. Bryan Howland got by Zimbardi at the halfway point. With ten to go Drum had a near half straight lead over Barger. Barger then started cutting into Drum’s lead. With five remaining Drum was catching the rear of the field as Barger was narrowing the gap to the lead. With four left Graves lost power on the back straight and came to a halt in turn three without trying to get off the track, slowing the field for the third time and putting Barger right on the leader’s tail. Barger got next to the leader in turn one after green but Drum pulled away again in turn two. Yet another yellow slowed the field with two laps left when Steve Hutchison and Steve Glover spun in turn two. Drum, Barger, and Howland brought the field to the final restart with Barger again trying the low side but Howland coming by for second and challenging for the lead in a last ditch effort. Drum went on to his first win in eleven years over Howland, Justin Barger, Jason Barney, and Dane Lorenc.

Defending champion Rick Prosser and Gary Olson Jr brought the Bonnell Auto Group Economods to green with Prosser building a five length lead by the end of lap one. At three laps in Jim Myers spun in turn four, slowing the field under caution. Prosser, Olson, and Justin Chaddock. Early season winner Tyler Frankenberry was fourth with points leader Steve Haefke fifth. Chaddock came to second at green then broke as the cars completed lap four, coming to a stop in turn one, again bringing caution over the field. The field didn’t make it to green before Mike Harmon, Chuck Steinle Sr, Gary Murphy, and Dennis Dellinger piled up coming to the stripe. With green again flying Prosser pulled away with Haefke coming to second and Frankenberry third. Olson spun in turn two, collecting Kevin Sergeff and again slowing the race. Haefke got next to Prosser at green and was just barely ahead at the end of six. Frankenberry came to second with Prosser third, and Gary Murphy fourth. Jim Myers and Sergeff got together in turn four with Myers now “cautioned out”. Prosser regained second at the green while Haefke opened his lead. Frankenberry regained second over Prosser by a bumper at the end of ten and had sole possession of the spot a lap later. There was no stopping Haefke as he sped to his third win of the season over Frankenberry, Prosser, Murphy, and Kyle Reinwald.

Kyle Adkins and Hoyt Mihalak brought the McDonalds Sand & Gravel Mini Stocks to green with Adkins leading Mihalak at the end of one. Points leader Jason Easler made it three wide in turn four at lap four but Mihalak was the leader at the line. At the end of five laps Easler was leading Mihalak and Adkins with Brian McGarvie fourth and Wes Stull fifth. Easler went on to his fifth win of the season, extending his points lead over Mihalak. The order at the finish was Easler, Mihalak, Adkins, McGarvie, and Stull.

Former champion Kyle Zimmerman and Chris Withers brought the Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models to green with Zimmerman leading lap one. Hunter Hulley and Mike Swansiger got together with Swansiger slamming the outside wall hard on the back straight. By three laps complete Wendall Pinckney, last week’s winner, was second but Zimmerman was building a lead. At halfway Zimmerman enjoyed a half straight lead over Pinckney, Withers, Dennis Lunger, and points leader Darrell Bossard. Brandon Porter spun in turn four at twelve complete, slowing the race for the second time. At the green Lunger spun from fourth negating the start. Khole Wanzer was also sent to the rear for his part in the incident. At the next green Withers came back to second. Zimmerman went on to the win with Withers holding on for second, Pinckney third, Bossard fourth, and Breyton Santee winding up fifth.

A-Verdi Storage Containers Patriot Sprint Tour by Bonnell Collision Center:

Heat 1: Dane Lorenc, Justin Barger, Jared Zimbardi. Steve Glover, Dennis Wagner, Paul Habeck, Pete Richardson, Steven Hutchinson Jr

Heat 2: Kyle Drum, Bryan Howland, Jason Barney, Dave Just , Joe Trenca, Dan Bennett, Scott Just, Tyler Graves

PST Evingham Site Excavation Dash 4 Cash: Dave Just, Paul Habeck, Dan Bennett, Scott Just, Pete Richardson, Dennis Wagner

Feature: Kyle Drum, Bryan Howland, Justin Barger, Dane Lorenc, Joe Trenca, Jared Zimabardi, Paul Haback, Steven Hutchinson Jr, Dennis Wagner, Steve Glover. Tyler Graves, Dave Just, Scott Just, Pete Richardson, Dan Bennett

Evergreen Lake Park Campground CARS Crate Late Models:

Heat 1: Dennis Lunger, Kyle Zimmerman, Darrell Bossard, Breyton Santee, Matt Aber, Brandon Porter

Heat 2: Wendall Pinckney, Chris Withers, Khole Wanzer, Travis Martineau, Lon Emerick, Hunter Hulley, Mike Swansiger, Bruce Hordusky (DNS)

Feature: Kyle Zimmerman, Chris Withers, Wendall Pinckney, Darrell Bossard, Breyton Santee, Matt Aber, Dennis Lunger, Khole Wanzer, Travis Martineau, Brandon Porter, Lon Emerick, Bruce Hordusky Jr, Alex Anderson, Hunter Hulley, Mike Swansiger

Bonnell Collision Service E-Mods:

Heat 1: Dennis Lunger, Troy Johnson, Ken Zimmer, Jesse Gould, Paul Schreckengost, Bill Taylor

Heat 2: Joel Watson, Mike Kinney, Jacob Eucher, Dan McDonald, Josh McDonald

Feature: Mike Kinney, Joel Watson, Dennis Lunger, Jacob Eucher, Troy Johnson, Ken Zimmer, Jesse Gould, Paul Schreckengost, Dan McDonald, Josh McDonald, Bill Taylor

Bonnell’s Auto Group Economods:

Heat 1: Steve Haefke, Eric Reinwald, Justin Chaddock, Tyler Frankenberry, Chuck Steinle Sr, Gary Murphy, Dennis Dellinger, Ashley Rogers

Heat 2: Gary Olson Jr, Rick Prosser, Jim Muma, Kyle Reinwald, Jim Van Cise, Brian Lacey, Mike Harmon

Feature: Steve Haefke, Tyler Frankenberry, Rick Prosser, Gary Murphy, Kyle Reinwald, Ashley Rogers, Jim Muma, Mike Harmon, Chuck Steinle, Jim Van Cise, James Myers, Kevin Sergeff, Gary Olson, Justin Chaddock, Eric Reinwald, Brian Lacey (DNS)

Campbell’s Mini Storage Street Stocks:

Heat 1: Don McGuire, Chris McGuire, Lee Patrick, Gary Miller, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Chris Hochschild, Tony Spaghetti, Tony Hyde, Brian Mulichak

Heat 2: Shawn Fawcett, Jamie Duncan, Mark Sanders, Garrett Calvert, Rob Bates

Feature: Shawn Fawcett, Pat McGuire, Jimmy Kennerknecht, Rob Bates, Mark Sanders, Don McGuire, Jamie Duncan, Chris Hochschild, Tony Hyde, Garrett Calvert, Ed Bolyard, Tony Spaghetti, Bryan Mulichak, Gary Miller

McDonald’s Sand and Gravel Mini Stocks:

Heat 1: Jason Easler, Hoyt Mihalak, Kyle Adkins, Zoey Gill, Derrick Tuttle, Jessica Harvey

Heat 2: Brian McGarvie, Mary Hammond, Wes Stull. Alex Forbes, Tyler Barr, Corey Wick, Justin Boardman

Feature: Jason Easler, Hoyt Mihalak, Kyle Adkins, Brian McGarvie, Wes Stull, Zoey Gill, Derrick Tuttle, Mary Hammond, Corey Wick, Tyler Barr, Jessica Harvey, Alex Forbes, Justin Boardman (DNS)