MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Doug Hammaker came out on top in a battle with Freddie Rahmer to win the 30-lap Fall Championship for 410 sprint cars at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night.
The $8,000 victory wasn’t the first of Hammaker’s career at the oval in the division where he also holds an even dozen wins in 358 sprint action.
Second starter Chase Dietz took the lead from Hammaker at the start of the 410 sprint feature and entered the rear of the field on lap six.
But a miscue while working traffic in the fourth turn ended up finding both Dietz and Kody Lehman spun and facing traffic with nine away.
Hammaker assumed control of the field for the new green, chased by Rahmer and Cameron Smith.
However, his pace at the front was slowed on lap 14 when Kody Hartlaub stopped in turn four.
Another caution flag with 11 laps to go for a stopped Dylan Norris who was running fifth forced the red flag to appear for refueling.
The restart saw Rahmer give chase of Hammaker for control and his second Grove win of the season.
With four laps to go Hammaker entered the rear of the field to begin putting cars a lap down and Rahmer was close enough to challenge.
He got under the leader to briefly take command with a little over three laps to go only to see Hammaker blast back around to maintain his hold on the field.
By lap 28 Danny Dietrich entered the fray at the front and the lead trio split a lapped car in the first and second turns, giving Rahmer a run down the backstretch.
Rahmer used that run to blast to Hammaker’s inside in the third corner before sliding up across the track to again net command but Hammaker turned the car down off of the cushion to race back to Rahmer’s inside as the duo headed for the white flag.
The two glanced apart from one another as they crossed the stripe with Hammaker again scored the leader.
And this time it was a lead he would hold for one more lap to seal a narrow victory by .119 seconds.
Dietrich finished third followed by Cameron Smith and Logan Rumsey.
In the 20-lap limited late model main it was Mike Walls pulling off a last lap restart upset to take the lead and win.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. Doug Hammaker, 2. Freddie Rahmer, 3. Danny Dietrich, 4. Cameron Smith, 5. Logan Rumsey, 6. Troy Wagaman Jr., 7. Austin Bishop, 8. TJ Stutts, 9. Lance Dewease, 10. Chase Dietz, 11. Lucas Wolfe, 12. Brent Shearer, 13. Kody Hartlaub, 14. Nash Ely, 15. Joey Amantea, 16. JT Ferry, 17. Brie Hershey, 18. Cole Knopp, 19. Samuel Miller, 20. Kody Lehman, 21. Dylan Norris, 22. Troy Fraker, 23. Steve Buckwalter, 24. Buddy Schweibinz, 25. Matt Miller
