BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. – Keith Brightbill returned to his hometown area for a visit on Saturday night and drove his brother Brad’s car to victory, over a stellar field of racers, taking top honors in the 52nd annual Firecracker 40 T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman Championship race at Grandview Speedway.
The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman 40-lap Firecracker Championship race was a rough and tumble affair at the beginning. The beginning of the race saw several yellow flags for minor spins and two red flags for multi-car pile-ups caused by cars running in the top five spinning out and collecting fellow competitors.
Throughout all this wild action, Mike Myers was the race leader and found himself battling several different drivers to hold on to the top spot including Zane Roth, Kenny Bock, Mark Kemmerer and Nathan Mohr.
As the race approached the half-way mark, the drivers settled down into racing mode and the action was fierce. Myers was under attack from Bock, Brightbill, up from his 22nd starting spot, Kyle Smith, and Cole Stangle.
On lap 20, Bock suffered a breakdown and stopped for a caution. During this break, Smith and Brian Hirthler, who was running in fifth up from 28th starting spot, pitted with flat tires after getting together in turn two.
On this restart Brightbill was able to grab the lead away from Myers and pull away to a small advantage. Jimmy Leiby was on the move in the second half of the race after starting 27th and made a bold outside three-wide move to grab position number two and begin to chase after Brightbill.
Leiby got close and showed his nose alongside of Brightbill a couple times, before Brightbill changed lanes late in the race to preserve the lead and race on to the popular victory, his first in Grandview T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman racing. For Keith Brightbill he joins his brother Brad who also won the Firecracker 40 in 2019.
Following Brightbill to the finish were Leiby, Hirthler who made a late race comeback from the flat tire, Stangle, Mohr, Parker Guldin, Myers, Cody Manmille, Smith, and Mike Schneck Jr.
Jared Umbenhauer had a strong night from start to finish, winning his heat race and then his first 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature of the season.
The Finish:
Feature (40 Laps): Keith Brightbill, Jimmy Leiby, Brian Hirthler, Cole Stangle, Nathan Mohr, Parker Guldin, Mike Myers, Cody Manmiller, Kyle Smith, Mike Schneck Jr., Chris Esposito, Hunter Iatalese, Lex Shive, Jesse Landis, Mark Gaugler, Dylan Hoch, Ryan Graver, Dakota Kohler, Kenny Bock, Nathan Horn, Colton Perry, Mark Kemmerer, Zane Roth, Josh Adams, Joey Vaccaro, Logan Bauman, Wayne Rotenberger, Tyler James, DNS – Mike Stofflet