BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. – Brad Brightbill and Kevin Hirthler thrilled the fans in the stands Friday night at Grandview Speedway with a spirited battle for the top spot in-and-out of heavy lapped traffic over the final dozen laps in the sixth annual Night Before The Sixer.
Brightbill eventually came out on top to earn the $2,000 payday at the checkered flag of the Freedom 38’er main event.
For Brightbill, who just a week earlier earned his first career Sportsman track championship at Grandview, it was career win No. 10 and Brightbill’s fifth win of the 2019 racing season.
The popular triumph was his first since Aug. 17, and the second-generation Sinking Spring, Pa., chauffeur became the sixth different winner in six Freedom 38’er events overall at the high-banked third-mile oval.
Brightbill captured checkered flags in his heat race and the feature to give him a clean sweep for the evening.
“I can’t really put it into words,” revealed Brightbill afterwards. “I am so thankful for all the guys who helped me this season. To go out on a high note like this, it really means a lot.”
Nate Brinker started on the pole in the 38-lap Sportsman main event as the 26-car starting field took the green, and was the race leader until Kenny Bock, who started on the outside pole, grabbed the top spot on lap four.
By lap eight, Brightbill – who started from fifth by the luck of the draw – climbed into the runner-up role, followed by Brian Hirthler and Brinker. Bock remained out in front as the laps clicked off, but Brightbill was closing the gap by lap 14.
Laps 15 and 16 saw Bock and Brightbill in a fan-pleasing battle, with Brightbill exiting turn four on lap 17, driving under Bock to become the new race leader.
“Kenny was running me pretty good there and I just couldn’t shake him on the outside,” explained Brightbill. “As the track started to get slicker our car just started to come around and we were lucky to prevail there at the end.”
Hirthler, who won the event in 2018, started from 11th-place and hustled his way up to fourth by lap nine. Ten circuits later, Hirthler advanced into second and lap 20 saw the only caution of the night as Ryan Beltz spun out in turn two.
When racing resumed, it was Brightbill rocketing out in front of Hirthler, as Bock battled wheel-to-wheel with Jared Umbenhauer for third for a lap, prior to Umbenhauer eventually taking the spot on lap 22.
With 26 tours complete, Hirthler closed in on the rear of Brightbill’s homebuilt mount and the battle for first was on. Hirthler challenged Brightbill, racing in-and-out of lapped traffic, but Brightbill fought off every challenge with ease.
“I didn’t know how close anyone was,” Brightbill said. “I just tried to pick and choose very carefully where I went without getting tangled up with anyone else in lapped traffic. Things just turned out in our favor.”
“It was a tough track, being so narrow,” offered Hirthler. “I understand the lapped cars are out there racing for position too and I wish we could have had some side-by-side racing for the lead, but that’s not how it turned out. Everyone was running clean and it is what it is.”
Brightbill brought home the victory over Hirthler, who earned an additional $100 as the first crate-powered car to cross the line, with Umbenhauer finishing third after starting 13th.
Brian Hirthler crossed fourth and Bock rounded out the top five.
With 42 Sportsman cars on hand, heat race victories went to Brightbill, Jesse Leiby, Brad Grim and Brian Hirthler, with consolation wins earned by Brad Arnold and Mike Toth.
Also on the card was the Delaware Auto Exchange Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series, with self-employed electrician Joe Kay taking the lead at the drop of the green after starting from the pole position and leading every lap in the 25-lap feature to earn his first MASS victory.
Kay was never seriously challenged in the fray, leading by nearly a full straightaway through much of the event.
The finish:
1. Brad Brightbill, 2. Kevin Hirthler, 3. Jared Umbenhauer, 4. Brian Hirthler, 5. Kenny Bock, 6. Kyle Lilick, 7. Dean Bachman, 8. Mike Mammana, 9. Tim Buckwalter, 10. Jesse Leiby, 11. Brad Grim, 12. Brad Arnold, 13. Jesse Landis, 14. Matt Peck, 15. Brandon Edgar, 16. Mark Kemmerer, 17. Nate Brinker, 18. Dakota Kohler, 19. Tyler Peet, 20. Jimmy Leiby, 21. Josh Adams, 22. Matt Clay, 23. Mike Toth, 24. Ryan Beltz, 25. Jack Butler, 26. Doug Snyder.