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Glendon Forsythe Wins Williams Grove Sprint Car Feature
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Glendon Forsythe of York won the rain-shortened Bass Pro Shop 358 sprint car feature Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway. Forsythe led the first 12-laps of the race before rain moved in canceling the remaining racing action.
Glendon Forsythe was on the pole for the start of the feature race. Forsythe beat Adrian Shaffer into the first turn to claim the lead. On a track surface that had a narrow groove, Forsythe kept his car against the cushion. Adrain Shaffer and Chad Criswell stayed within striking distance of the leader.
The race was stopped on the fourth lap when the car driven by John Westbrook flipped wildly in turn one. Westbrook’s machine vaulted over the outside fencing and landed on the access road. Westbrook was removed from his car and transported to a local hospital. No word on his condition has been received.
Following the restart three cars tangled on the backstretch, bringing out the caution flag.
The wrecks were aiding driver Pat Cannon. Cannon started 12th and was rapidly advancing to the front. When the race went back to green Cannon shot into third position behind Forsythe and Shaffer.
The lead three cars were running the same line around the track. By the tenth lap the lead trio encountered lapped traffic. The slower cars allowed Shaffer and Cannon to shrink the lead of Forsythe. Shaffer narrowed the gap to three lengths.
As the leaders exited turn four on the 12th lap, several cars crashed on the front stretch. Leader Glendon Forsythe slowed to avoid the wreck and Patt Cannon had to take quick evasive action. The Cannon car spun across the track and slammed into the inside fencing.
The red flag came out as rescue crews checked on a shaken Kyle Pruitt. While they were attending to Pruitt the rain began to fall. After a short wait the decision was made to cancel the remainder of the show.
With the 358 sprint car feature having gone past the midway point, the event was official. Glendon Forsythe was declared the winner, his second of the year, followed by Adrain Shaffer, Chad Criswell, Adam Wilt and Aaron Ott.
“We were fortunate enough we got a good start and got in front of Adrian,” said the winner Forsythe. “That was the race, really the start. I was terrible in lapped traffic. I was bad so we got lucky, but we’ll take it.”
“I could feel him,” said Forsythe talking about Adrian Shaffer. “The car moves around when someone is right on your back bumper. The car moves around a little bit and I could feel him. I was waiting for him to duck his nose under there.”
The feature for the Sutliff Auto Group super sportsman will be run on Friday, September 19. The feature for the 600 micro sprints will not be rescheduled and all drivers were paid.
The heat races for the 32 Bass Pro Shop 358 sprints went to Glendon Forsythe and Adrian Shaffer.
Stan Wanner and Scott Dellinger won the Sutliff Auto Group super sportsman qualifying heats for the 31 entries.
Jesse Snyder, Kenny Miller and Jimmy Brookens won the qualifiers for the 42-car 600 micro sprint field. Shelby Brown and Cody Lehman won the two consolation races.
Next Friday night Williams Grove Speedway will be back in action with the 410 sprints and the 358 sprint cars. Racing begins at 8 p.m.
358 sprint car feature: 1) Glendon Forsythe; 2) Adrian Shaffer; 3) Chad Criswell; 4) Adam Wilt; 5) Aaron Ott; 6) Chad Trout; 7) Eric Tomacak; 8) Cory Haas; 9) John Barnett; 10) Matt Boland; 11) Billy Johns; 12) Danny Massey; 13) Nate Hammaker; 14) Rich Eichelberger; 15) Craig Myers; 16) Pat Cannon; 17) Scott Flammer; 18) Kyle Pruitt; 19); Ricky Stonebraker; 20) Nicole Bower; 21) Elvin Diller; 22) Tim Berkheimer; 23) John Westbrook; 24) Scott Geesey; DNS: Frankie Herr |
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