PORT ROYAL, Pa. — Dillan Stake continued what has been a successful Limited Late Model campaign at Port Royal Speedway for him by sweeping Saturday’s Twin 20 features for his second and third feature victories of the season Saturday night.
“It’s a dream to drive when these things are this good,” said Stake. “It means a lot to pay once and get two feature race payouts. To win makes it even better.”
Trent Brenneman and Ryan Zook lead the field of 22 drivers to the green flag and it was Zook getting the early jump off the high side of the Speedway to lead lap one in the opening Twin 20 feature for the division.
Stake started fourth on the grid and by law two he had already moved into the runner-up spot and was stalking the leader. Seventh-place Andrew Yoder was also on the move early as he moved into fourth on lap later.
Five move laps clicked by before Stake made a bid for the top spot and he and Zook swapped the lead in turn’s one and two before he was able to power through the middle of turn’s three and four to take the top spot for good coming to the flagstand.
Yoder moved onto the podium with ten laps remaining and with eight laps to go Stake was buried in heavy lapped traffic. Yoder was able to get by Zook for the runner-up spot with five laps to go, but nobody had anything for Stake as he cruised home to score the first victory of the evening over Yoder, Snook, Brenneman and Shawn Shoemaker.
Justin Kann, Colin Knaub, Todd Snook, Troy Miller and Kenny Yoder completed the top 10.
“We were able to get it done and that makes you pretty happy,” said Stake. “I saw Ryan kind of sneak by me there after I got him and I just knew I had to get going.”
Stake drew the four pill to invert the top four drivers for the second event for the division and that put Brenneman and Zook back on the front row again. Zook once again was able to take the top spot on the opening lap.
Stake was on the move early again as he moved into the runner-up position on lap two, but a caution halted all momentum with 18 laps remaining when Chase Bowsman came to a stop on the frontstretch.
Zook took off on the restart and he valiantly tried to hold off a determined Stake, however with 13 laps remaining he slid under Zook for the lead in turn’s one and two and never looked back.
Zook, Brenneman, Yoder, Shoemaker, Knaub, Kann, Farling, Todd Snow and Daulton Bigler completed the top 10.
Jeff Halligan capitalized on Justin Whittall’s misfortune to pick up his second career Port Royal Speedway victory over Logan Wagner and Michael Walter II Saturday night.
“We kind of rebooted our program last season and the people I have one this team are unbelievable,” said Halligan. “I knew we were pretty good and we just had to finish it off.”
Curt Stroup and Whittall led the field of 17 Weikert’s Livestock 410 Sprint Cars to the green flag and it was Whittall picking up where he left off last weekend to grab the lead on lap one.
Eighth-place starter Wagner cracked the top five on lap two, but Whittall was smooth sailing out front before a caution flew for a spinning Devin Brenneman in turn four to bring out the caution with 21 laps remaining.
Halligan, who lined up fourth to start the event, moved past Walter for the runner-up spot with 20 laps remaining, while Wagner got by Stroup for fourth as well. Seventh-place starter Lucas Wolfe was also on the move as he cracked the top five on the same lap.
At the halfway mark of the 25-lap event, it was all Whittall up front and the youngster appeared destined to capture his first career victory at the Port Royal Speedway. However, his chances went out the window with 10 laps remaining when he blew a right rear tire on the backstretch to bring out the caution and handed the lead to Halligan.
The lack of luck marked a second consecutive week that Whittall had given up the lead while leading as he found a fuel leak on his car under red during last week’s make-up feature event.
Halligan controlled the pace on the restart, while 11th-place starter Dylan Cisney moved into fourth with nine laps remaining. Walter began chipping away at the significant lead Halligan was building up with four laps remaining and with two laps to go Cisney cracked the podium as he got by Wagner for third.
Walter continued reeling in the leader coming to the white flag, but caution on the final lap for a slowing Ryan Taylor bunched the field and gave everyone one last shot at the leader.
However, Halligan had nothing to worry about as Wagner slid both Cisney and Walter to move into the runner-up spot in turn’s one and two to allow the young gun to pull away and take the checkered flag for the win.
Wagner, Walter, Cisney and Mike Wagner rounded out the top five while Whittall, Kody Lehman, Wolfe, Trenton Shaeffer and Taylor completed the top 10.