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When his luck is good Craig VonDohren often wins and when his luck is bad Craig VonDohren often finishes in the pits. The six time NASCAR Modified champion had his best luck working on Saturday night at Grandview Speedway when he won the 30-lap Zuber Realty NASCAR Whelen All American Modified feature race. And luck played an important part in Randy Stoudt’s 20-lap Late Model feature. Mike Keppler was able to charge to the front to win the 15-lap Xcel 600 Modified feature.
Teenage talent Mike Laise was the leader at the drop of the green and held on to the top spot for ten laps holding off some high pressure efforts by Rich Wisdo. On the 11th circuit of the one-third-mile, banked clay oval Wisdo moved to the front of the 28-car starting field. The lead was short lived as Craig VonDohren, coming from ninth starting spot charged under him and took the top spot.
At the 17 lap marker Jeff Strunk, a five time track champion and current Modified point leader, moved into second spot after coming from 12th. The balance of the race saw Strunk trying to whittle away the comfortable lead that VonDohren had built up. At the finish Strunk (Mohnton) was a few car lengths behind VonDohren.
The second place finish increases Strunk’s lead in the chase for the lucrative track and NASCAR point fund money.
In victory lane VonDohren, who calls Oley home, gave his crew a lot of credit and indicated that the car has just been good the last few weeks. The win was his fourth of the season.
The Modified racers were using the Zuber Realty Night events as a tune-up for the big $10,000 to win Stauffer Construction Forrest Rogers Memorial set for Saturday, August 4th.
Third spot was earned by Rick Schaffer (Woxall) followed by Rich Wisdo (Souderton) and Kerry Kratz (Bechtelsville).
Greg Hoffmaster survived a horrific early race crash the virtually destroyed the cars of Bill Henning and Rick Todorow, lead 19 laps of the Late Model feature and lost. Fortunately no one was injured in the accident.
However Randy Stoudt, his buddy, won the feature race for the fourth time this season wheeling the TP Trailers/Paradise Road Slot Track No. 10 using an engine that belonged to Hoffmaster. He had come from 8th starting spot.
With five laps to go in the feature race Hoffmaster had the power steering fail on his Schaeffer’s Harley Davidson entry while leading and that slowed his pace. In the first turn of the final lap Stoudt (Pottstown) charged to the front and led the rest of the way.
In victory lane Hoff master (Pottstown) came to congratulate the winner saying Stoudt “was the man to beat.”
Third spot went to Dean Stoudt (East Greenville) followed by Chuck Schutz (Pottstown) and last week’s feature winner Kyle Merkel (Gilbertsville) coming from 18th starting spot.
Mike Keppler of Boyertown, PA charged from seventh spot to get by the early leaders (Brian Mady and Andy Ressler) about midway of the 15-lap feature race for the Xcel 600 Modifieds. Once in front Keppler was able to hold off any challenges and pick up the win.
Keppler’s mother was in victory lane for the celebration as she is an employee of the race sponsor Zuber Realty. Second spot went to Andy Ressler followed by Kyle Gardner, Brian Mady and Eric Whitby.
The Cornerstone Auto Sales of Fleetwood, PA Hard Charger Awards went to Doug Manmiller in the Modifieds for gaining 14 positions in the NASCAR Modified feature while Kyle Merkel, the feature winner the previous week, gained 13 spots to grab the Late Model Hard Charger award.
Qualifying heat wins for the Xcel 600 Modifieds went to Bruce Kindberg and Brian Mady. In qualifiers for the Late Models wins were earned by Buddy Wharton, Dean Stoudt and Wayne Pfeil Jr. The Modified qualifiers were won by Rick Schaffer, Rich Wisdo, Cliff Quinn and Sean Merkel while consolation wins were taken by Randy Bailey and Duane Howard who went to a backup car after he flipped his regular mount in the qualifying heat race.
Stauffer Construction will sponsor the big Forrest Rogers Memorial for Modifieds on Saturday, August 4th with $10,000 going to the winner of the 50-lap feature. A stellar field of dirt track modified racing talents will be seen including Jeff Strunk, Craig VonDohren, Meme DeSantis, Mike Gular, Duane Howard, Billy Pauch Jr., and others. In addition the Late Models will see action. The first 200 youngsters, 6 thru 11 years of age, will be admitted free courtesy of Stauffer Construction.
Special awards for the Modifieds include the Cornerstone Auto Sales Hard Charger Award along with the Beer City of Quakertown, PA cash awards for the Hard Luck and First Alternate racers.
Coming up on Saturday, August 11th is the Memorial Classic for Late Models, being run in memory of racers, officials, employees and other track supporters who have all passed away. The 30-lap event will pay at least $1,000 to win with $100 going to each feature starter. The event, put together by Mark Garman, is expected to attract a strong field of Late Model talents. Making up the rest of the tripleheader show will be NASCAR Modifieds and Legends cars. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.
Fans are reminded that they are free to visit with the racers in the pits after the racing action has been completed to collect autographs, take pictures and see the race cars up close. Many of the race teams do have FREE photo cards for fans and also offer t-shirts and other souvenir items for sale.
Early arriving fans get the chance to win an opportunity to be the honorary flagman for a session of NASCAR Modified stock car warm-ups.
Grandview Speedway is located on Passmore Road, just off Route 100, in Bechtelsville, PA, 10 miles north of Pottstown. For race information telephone 610.754.7688 or visit their website at www.grandviewspeedway.com.
ZUBER REALTY NASCAR ALL AMERICAN SERIES MODIFIEDS (30 LAPS)1. Craig VonDohren 2. Jeff Strunk 3. Rick Schaffer 4. Rich Wisdo 5. Kerry Kratz 6. Mike Laise 7. Cliff Quinn 8. Jason Hamilton 9 Don Norris Jr. 10. Meme DeSantis 11. Doug Manmiller 12. Mike Gular 13. Sean Merkel 14. Duane Howard 15. Chris Esposito 16. John Willman 17. Tom Umbenhauer 18. Kyle Weiss 19. Danny Erb 20. Shawn Reimert 21. Terry Meitzler 22. Jon Kellner Jr. 23. Ryan Beltz 24. Brad Missimer 25. Randy Bailey 26. Donny Erb 27. Kevin Hirthler 28. Ryan Watt.
ZUBER REALTY NASCAR LATE MODEL FEATURE (20 LAPS):1.Randy Stoudt 2. Greg Hoffmaster 3. Dean Stoudt 4. Chuck Schutz 5. Kyle Merkel 6. Jon Kellner Sr. 7. Ron Kline 8. D.D. Keely 9. John Giesler 10. Buddy Wharton 11. Carl Mertz 12. Chad Rae 13. Billy Graham 14. Brian Shuey 15 Mike Kellner 16. Eric Kauffman 17. Wayne Pfeil Jr. 18. Rick Todorow 19. Bill Henning 20. Dean Schaeffer 21. Bryon Sipe
ZUBER REALTY ROLLING THUNDER LEGENDS CARS FEATURE: 1. Mike Keppler 2. Andy Ressler 3. Kyle Gardner 4. Brian Wady 5. Eric Whitby
UNOFFICIAL POINT STANDINGS FOR NASCAR MODIFIEDS
AS OF JULY 28, 2007
1. Jeff Strunk, Mohnton, PA #126 3716***
2. Duane Howard, Oley, PA #114/4 3544****
3. Doug Manmiller, Wyomissing, PA #14/00 2800
4. Shawn Reimert, Oley, PA #41 2796
5. Terry Meitzler, Kutztown, PA #81 2695
6. Mike Gular, Harleysville, PA #53 2631
7. Meme DeSantis, Temple, PA #11 2488
8. Danny Erb, Boyertown, PA #44 2465
9. Rick Schaffer, Woxall, PA #357 2397
10. John Willman, Birdsboro, PA #74W 2377
11. Craig VonDohren, Oley, PA #1C 2369****
12. Kerry Kratz, Bechtelsville, PA #87 2365
13. Kevin Hirthler, Green Lane, PA #117 2314
14. Kyle Weiss, Hamburg, PA #21K 2227
15. Jason Hamilton, Erwinna, PA #16 2212
16. Ryan Watt, Phoenixville, PA #14W 1790
17. Tom Umbenhauer, Richland, PA #19U 1625
18. Sean Merkel, Gilbertsville, PA #118 1544**
19. Don Norris, Douglassville, PA #976 1482
20. Ryan Beltz, Boyertown, PA #221 1381
Other feature winners: Tommy Scheetz Jr.
UNOFFICIAL POINT STANDINGS FOR NASCAR LATE MODELS
AS OF JULY 28, 2007
1. Brian Shuey, Shoemakersville, PA #5X 3665*
2. Ron Kline, Salfordville, PA #3 3615**
3. Mike Kellner, Lansdale, PA #57 3531**
4. Randy Stoudt, Pottstown, PA #10 3510****
5. Dean Stoudt, East Greenville, PA #5 3459
6. Chuck Schutz, Pottstown, PA #ONE 3399**
7. Kyle Merkel, Gilbertsville, PA #117 3015*
8. Wayne Pfeil Jr., Mohnton, PA #72 2966
9. John Giesler, Aston, PA #ZT1 2786
10. Bryan Sipe, Leesport, PA #33 2784*
11. Rick Todorow, Quakertown, PA #93 2737
12. Buddy Wharton, Birdsboro, PA #7B 2718
13. Dean Schaeffer, Douglassville, PA #39 2587
14. D.D. Keely, Linfield, PA #707 2400
15. Greg Hoffmaster, Pottstown, PA #69 2336
16. Chad Rea, Reading, PA #8 2051
17. Eric Kauffman #307 1925
18. Jamie Undercoffler. Pennsburg, PA #1J 1866
19. Bill Henning, Lansdale, PA #80 1781
20. Carl Mertz, Boyertown, PA #00 1630
* denotes feature win
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