KUTZTOWN, Pa. — Briggs Danner utilized his knowledge of Action Track USA to score the first Rapid Tire USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series presented by Capitol Renegade victory Wednesday night.
Chris Allen Jr. and Nash Ely shared the front row for the feature, with Chris Allen Jr. jumping out to the early race lead. Ely held onto the second position until the completion of lap three as Briggs Danner would move into the runner-up spot and begin his charge toward the leader Allen.
Allen quickly found the back of the field on lap seven, with Danner all over Allen for the lead, and multiple times, alongside the leader challenging for the top spot. While Allen and Danner battled for the top spot, an all-out war raged between Nash Ely, Damon Paul, Tommy Kunsman and Colin White for positions three through six.
The intense racing action would come to a halt on lap 10 as Jason Cherry and Mike Meyers would make contact, followed by Steve Wilbur riding the turns one and two wall before ending up, upside-down with the red flag displayed.
Allen led the field over Danner, Kunsman, Paul  and White with 20 laps to go. Allen got off to a great start putting a bit of a gap over Danner as the field went back into action. Allen held the lead, with Danner again reeling the leader back in and again, pulling side by side with Allen for the lead.
While Danner and Allen fought side by side for the race lead, Alex Bright was flying through the field and was just outside the top five as the field drew in on the half way point of the feature event. Bright cracked into the top five on lap 15 and joined the still furious battle for positions inside the top five.
On lap 15, Danner utilizing a major drive off the high side of turn four, got the necessary drive to finally work passed Allen for the race lead. As Danner took the lead, the action inside the top five remained incredible.
Damon Paul, Tommy Kunsman, Alex Bright, and Nash Ely continued to throw slider after slider for position as the laps wound down in the feature event.
On lap twenty-one, Bright threw a slide job on Kunsman for the fourth spot, on the field. Bright’s car would stall out some, with Kunsman turning back down to the inside of Bright for position.
Kunsman made contact with the left front of Alex Bright, collapsing the front end of the Hummer Motorsports 20 car, leaving point leader Bright stopped on the exit of turn four. As Bright’s car was coming to a stop, Nash Ely was left with nowhere to go, and was collected with Bright in turn four.
On what would be the final restart of the event with nine laps to go, Danner nailed the restart and pulled away from Allen and the rest of the field. Eventually, the top five would settle in with Paul, Kunsman, and White holding down positions in the top five as the bulk of the field rode the cushion around the high side of the speedway.
Danner won for the fifth time this season.
Allen finished second with Paul, Kunsman and Colin White rounding out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. Briggs Danner [3], 2. Chris Allen Jr. [1], 3. Damon Paul [6], 4. Tommy Kunsman [5], 5. Colin White [4], 6. Bruce Buckwalter Jr. [7], 7. Mike Myers [9], 8. Joey Amantea [13], 9. Blaine Emery [11], 10. Mike Thompson [8], 11. Aidan Borden [15], 12. Heidi Hedin [12], 13. Ricky Rutt [14], 14. Alex Bright [18], 15. Nash Ely [2], 16. Steve Wilbur [10], 17. Jason Cherry [16], 18. Chris Allen Sr. [17]. NT
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