BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. – Kevin Hirthler pocketed $3,650 for his victory Friday night in the seventh annual running of the Freedom 38’er sportsman event at Grandview Speedway.
Following a luck-of-the-draw line-up for the 27-car starting field, second-place starter Steve Davis took the lead with the initial green waving with polesitter Joe Toth and third-place starter Brett Kressley in tow for the first four circuits before the caution waved for Brad Arnold slowing with a flat tire.
The green flag waved again and Toth moved out in front on the restart followed by Kressley and Davis for lap five, with Davis knifing his way back out front for lap six, with Kressley and Toth battling for the runner-up spot. On lap seven, Kressley powered his way out in front, steering the Keith Hoffman-owned No. 6 Over entry, as Toth and Davis trailed. By lap nine, Mike Gular, who started from fourth, advanced into the runner-up role, with Toth and Davis following.
A caution on lap 11 for Ryan Beltz slowing to a stop in turn two forced the field to regroup. Kressley remained the race leader for lap 12, with a quick caution for Lex Shive spinning in turn four again bunching up the competition.
With racing back underway, it was Kressley again in command, followed by Davis and Hirthler, who started the event from 18th, looking strong as he quickly cut his way through the field, now running in third. Hirthler and Davis battled side-by-side for a couple of tours, with Davis fighting off every challenge.
At the halfway point, it was Kressley, Davis, Hirthler, Gular and Kyle Smith making up the top-five.
Hirthler ducked underneath Davis exiting turn two on lap 25 to steal second-place, as the leaders now got into the slower lapped traffic.
“You could move anywhere you wanted to. The top, bottom or middle tonight,” said Hirthler. “The track was great and I used the top side in the beginning and, later, the bottom to cut through the traffic. My car felt great all night and we rolled the dice before the feature trying to decide if we’d run the hard tire or try the softer tire. I knew the car would get beat up pretty good coming through traffic from the back and I guess we made the right choice?”
Hirthler challenged Kressley racing through slower traffic for laps 27, 28 and 29. On lap 30 they crossed the stripe running wheel-to-wheel. On lap 31 racing through turns one and two Hirthler made a nice move getting underneath Kressley and became the new race leader down the back chute. A yellow on lap 32 for Cole Stangle slowing with a broken left-rear suspension bunched up the field for one final time.
“It certainly was a hard fought battle there with Brett. A great job tonight turned in by him. He was really fast,” Hirthler said.
The restart saw Hirthler take the lead over Kressley, Davis and Gular for lap 33, with Gular slipping by Davis for third on lap 35.
“We had a great starting spot and I was just out there riding around, honestly, when out of nowhere along came Kevin with his Crate engine and he just smoked us all,” said Kressley. “I was out there searching around and not paying attention to the lap counter as I should’ve been. We’re all good though. It was a good night.”
Hirthler went unchallenged for the final circuits to easily pick up the victory. Kressley, Gular, Davis and Smith rounded out the top five at the checkered.
“Those guys that started up front were just out there riding around so we took a gamble on what tire to run,” noted Hirthler. “I am truly honored to be the first to win this race twice. It means a lot to me.”
Hirthler, who previously won the Freedom 38’er back in 2018, became the first driver to repeat as a race winner in the event.
The triumph by Hirthler was his first in a sportsman car since April 6, 2019 and the win pushed his career win total up to four.