BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. – Brett Kressley narrowly eked out his fifth 358 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series 30-lap T.P.Trailers Modified feature win of the season by inches over defending track champion Craig Von Dohren on Saturday at Grandview Speedway.
Coming in for the checkered with Von Dohren making a bold move on the outside at full speed and Kressley on the inside the pair crossed the finish line side-by-side. Kressley was declared the winner by a small fraction.
On the initial start of the Modified feature Kevin Graver Jr.’s car lost power causing cars to scramble in various directions and the red came out because the homestretch was blocked. The next attempt was thwarted for a second turn incident.
When action finally went green, Darrin Schuler was the early race leader trailed by Carroll Hine III, Mark Kratz, Joe Funk III and Jeff Strunk.
By the sixth lap Kressley went from 16th to second to pressure Schuler.
It was only a matter of time until Kressley motored the Kressley’s Auto & Truck Sales No. 19K into first with nine laps completed.
Back further Duane Howard, Strunk, Von Dohren and Kevin Hirthler jockeyed for second through fifth.
Cory Merkel brought out the final yellow after losing a tire in turn two on lap 15. Kressley wasted no time pulling away on the restart since he knew the consistency of the competition behind him.
Von Dohren took over second with seven to go as Howard started falling off the pace with front end suspension problems, and took chase after Kressley.
With five laps to go Von Dohren closed the gap since some of the lap traffic failed to heed the move over flag or the in-car radio warning which slowed Kressley. Down and Von Dohren gained ground.
Coming in for the checkered Von Dohren, who was alongside Kressley on the outside made one last attempt, but came up short as Kressley beat him by a narrow margin. Strunk had a change of luck for his best run in some time to claim third followed by Jared Umbenhauer and Mike Maresca. Howard hung on to sixth followed by Doug Manmiller, Ryan Grim, Dylan Swinehart and Jack Butler.
Hine III, Cory Merkel, Mark Kratz and Eric Biehn won the heats. Manmiller and Ryan Grim won the consies.
Kenny Gilmore proved that consistency pays off and that’s why he’s the current T.P.Truck Equipment Sportsman point leader. Gilmore, who hasn’t been to victory lane since May 20, 2015, overtook Logan Bauman, a rookie who already scored his first career win earlier in the season, with three laps to go and went on to win his first 25-lap Sportsman feature of the year for a career total of six.
Joe Medaglia took advantage of the situation when leader Denise Hall got trapped behind a lap car to move into first with two laps remaining and go on to win the 12-lap Outlaw Vintage Sportsman feature.
Wes Cassel led from start to finish to take home the checkered in the Outlaw Vintage Modified feature.