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HOCKENBERRY SHOWS DOMINANCE IN GROVE SUPER SPORTSMAN RUN
Superiority was on display in last Saturday night’s Super Sportsman Feature at Williams Grove Speedway.
And it was Bobby Hockenberry leaving little doubt.
Hockenberry, of New Bloomfield, charged to the front of the field, built huge leads and held off Rick Barr through multiple cautions to land in Victory Lane after capturing the 20-lap Super Sportsman feature. It was his second career victory at the oval.
“We have good equipment and should be up front,” Hockenberry said. “We struggled through the beginning of the year, but I think we got in now.”
Barr finished second, with Frankie Herr, John Stehman and Rich Eichelberger completing the top five.
Williams Grove Speedway will be back in action next Saturday night with the same program of Super Sportsman, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks and 4-Cylinder Stocks. Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing starting at 7.
Hockenberry held two leads of a half-straightaway around the big half-mile oval and even amassed a huge full straightaway advantage over the field. It was dominance from start to finish, despite numerous cautions that allowed the field to get close.
“You always worry about a guy who is good on a restart,” Hockenberry said. “But we knew we had a good car, and this crew does a good job every week preparing this car.”
It showed early in the race.
Hockenberry blasted his way into the runner-up spot on the first lap after starting back in the eighth position behind front-row starter Stan Wanner. If not for a caution on lap 2 when Jeremy Strausser spun in turn 1, Hockenberry would’ve been out front.
It was only a matter of time.
Hockenberry completed the pass for the top spot going down the backstretch on lap 2. Meanwhile, Frankie Herr advanced from his 10th-place starting spot into the fourth position.
“I wasn’t sure what was going on there,” Hockenberry said. “I wanted to be conservative at the start but this car was fast.”
And it stayed that way.
While Hockenberry set a blistering pace, Barr took second from Wanner on lap 3 and was able to close on the bumper of the leader when Rocky Magaro slowed on the frontstretch on lap 10.
Hockenberry pulled away on the restart and was on cruise control with another big lead when Wanner rolled to a stop before the while flag was waved to bring out the final caution.
Barr showed his nose to Hockenberry in turn 3 on lap 19 but couldn’t complete the pass for the lead and was left to fend off Herr for the runner-up spot..
“The track came to us,” Barr said. “I wanted to throw a slider on him, but he was too fast off the cushion. He was the class of the field.
“There was no point in wrecking both of us, and I was worried about holding off Frankie. It has been an up and down year for us, and we needed a good finish.”
Glenn Keller, Steve Fannasy, Barr and Danny Hager were heat winner for the 36-car field. Gregg Foster and Dave Berkheimer won the twin consolations.
Travis Mease scored his first ever victory in the 20-lap Limited Late Model feature. He went uncontested throughout the distance and held off Dave Shulski, Tyler Armstrong, Tyler Hershey and Pat Beard.
Gene Knaub, Armstrong and Dave Sokoloski were heat winner for the 25-car limited late model field.
Randy Allen took top honors in the 15-lap street stock feature, while Ed Hollenbach captured the 15-lap 4-cylinder car feature.
SUPER SPORTSMAN FEATURE, 25 LAPS: 1. Bobby Hockenberry; 2. Rick Barr; 2. Frankie Herr; 4. John Stehman; 5. Rich Eichelberger; 6. Carmen Perigo Jr.; 7. J.R. Fry; 8. Paul Miller; 9. Gregg Foster; 10. John Stoner; 11. David Socks; 12. Ryan Rupp; 13. LeRoy Martin; 14. Glenn Keller; 15. Scott Dellinger; 16. Russ Mitten; 17. Mike Enders; 18. Jeremy Strausser; 19. Chris Reed; 20. Stan Wanner; 21. Dave Berkheimer; 22. Danny Hager; 23. Rocky Magaro; 24. Steve Fannasy (DNS).
LATE MODEL FEATURE, 20 LAPS: 1. Travis Mease; 2. Dave Shulski; 3. Tyler Armstrong; 4. Tyler Hershey; 5. Pat Beard; 6. Larry Baer; 7. Kyle Lear; 8. Jerry Bard; 9. Steve Weikel; 10. Dave Graber; 11. Derrick Zirkle; 12. DJ Mease; 13. Mike Walls; 14. Dave Sokoloski; 15. Jared Miller; 16. Bobby Beard; 17. Shaun Jones; 18. Jake Lettich; 19. Zack Kauffman; 20. Randy Croop; 21. Tommy Blackwell; 22. John Ebersole; 23. Mike Spangler; 24. Gene Knaub.
STREET STOCK FEATURE, 15 LAPS: 1. Randy Allen; 2. Todd Snook; 3. Kory Sites; 4. Randy Patterson; 5. Rodney Clouser; 6. Gary Johnston; 7. Gary Welsh; 8. Dave Motter; 9. Adam Gutshall; 10. Dave Radabaugh; 11. Randy Fenner; 12. Kevin Wirt; 13. Rick Yohn; 14. Mike Conrad; 15. Ben Cornbower; 16. Jim Hulse.
4-CYLINDER FEATURE, 15 LAPS: 1. Ed Hollenbach; 2. John Stoll Jr.; 3. John Henry; 4. Brian Michaels; 5. Joe Jakubic; 6. Kevin Thomas; 7. Eric Hollenbach; 8. Dave Edwards; 9. Mike Buckley; 10. Russell Clarey; 11. Jay Welsh; 12. Dennis Christ Jr.; 13. Frank Grubic; 14. Larry Stine; 15. Grant Adams.
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