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Monday, April 26, 2021

Bard Claims Opening Night Honors at Clinton County Speedway

 



Mill Hall, PA – The defending National RaceSaver Sprint Car Champion and 2020 Clinton County Speedway Champion, Garrett Bard of Wells Tannery earned the victory on opening night at 3/8th mile oval.  Other winners on opening night included Bandon Moser of Millerstown in the Pro Stocks, Johnny Smith of Scranton in the 600 Micro Sprints, Wyatt Rotz of Spring Run in the 270 Micro Sprints, and Scott Englert of Bellefonte in the 4-Cylinder stocks cars. 

Aaron Jacobus of Corning, NY and Bard started on the front row of the 25 lap feature event. At the drop of the green flag, Bard jumped into the lead while Jacobus battled with third place started Jeffrey Weaver of Lock Haven for the runner-up position.  On lap number 5, Bard chased down the back of the field and began to encounter lapped traffic.  Weaver moved into second on lap number eight with Reed Thompson, Ken Duke and Scott Lutz running in the top five. 

Bard continued to dice this way through lapped traffic as his #95 car could run low or high on the speedway surface.  “I was able to catch the cushion coming off of turn number 4 and the car handled really well tonight,” said Bard in Victory Lane.  As Bard raced this way through lapped traffic, Weaver was running a strong second, but the third through seventh place cars were contending for position.  Lutz and Dakota Schweikart were racing for the third and fourth positions while Ken Duke of Selinsgrove, Dale Schweikart of Linden and Reed Thompson of Petersburg were racing for 5th.  On lap 22, Duke and Dale Schweikart were racing hard. The two cars touched and Schweikart’s car crashed on the front straightaway and rolled over bringing out the red flag. Schweikart was uninjured.

The restart provided the field one more opportunity to take the win from Bard with three laps remaining.  Bard was able to hold off the challenges of Weaver with Lutz, Dakota Schweikart and Ken Duke rounding out the top 5.  Sith through tenth were Jacobus, Reed Thompson, Josh Beamer, Matt Tebbs and Jarrett Clavaret.  Heat races were won by Weaver and Duke.

Kevin VanAmburg of Lock Haven and Kris Orwig Sr led the field of Pro Stock to the green flag for their 15 lap main event.  VanAmburg took the early lead with third place starter Nathan Stroup in second.  On lap number two, while running third, Orwig spun out in turn number two and caused a five car pile-up involving Robert Tressler, Rich Fye, Noah Jensen and Gary Mellott.  VanAmburg continued to lead upon the restart of the race, while the drivers running in second through fifth positions ran two and three-wide.  Brandon Moser, who started fifth moved into the third spot on lap three and took the second spot from Stroup on lap number eight.  On lap number nine Moser caught VanAmburg and took the lead, as Ray Rothfuss, who started seventh moved into third.  In the races closing laps, the Pro Stock drivers continued to race two and three-wide while swapping position.  When the checkered flag waved, Moser was the victor over Rothfuss, Noah Jensen, Nathan Stroup and Cory Long.  Heat races were won by Jensen and Rothfuss.

 

Hunter Zimmerman and Tom Quiggle held the front row position for the start of the 270 Micro Sprint feature.  By the completion of lap number one, Denny Rinehimmer advanced from his third place starting spot to lead the first circuit.   On the third lap, Jeffrey Weaver moved into second place and began to pressure Rinhimmer.  A lap later he made the pass for the lead with Rinehimer, Timmy Bittner, Shawn Musser and Wyatt Rotz running in the top five. 

At the races midway point, Rinehimer who was running in second slowed and returned his car to the pit area allowing defending track champion Timmy Bittner to set his sites on catching Weaver.  In the meantime, Rotz started moving forward and passed Bitner on lap number twelve.  After the completion of the 13th lap, the yellow came out for Sam Chamberlin who stopped on the front stretch.  The caution set up a green-white-checkered scenario for Weaver, Rotz, Bittner, Musser, and Dan Wertman.  Weaver was getting pressure from Rotz as the white flag waved.  Rotz used the top side of the speedway and carried his momentum out of turn number two to power by Weaver going down the back stretch.  That pass earned Rotz his first win of year over Weaver Bittner, Musser and Wertman.  Bobby Sanso finished sixth followed by Zimmerman, Buddy Kramer, Logan Hammaker and Matthew Dixon.  Heat race were won by Weaver, Bittner and Quiggle.

Cody Hauck led the opening laps of the 600 Micro Sprint feature event. Hauck and Josh Beamer brought the field to the green flag for the 15 lap feature.   Second generation drivers Johnny Smith and Jeffrey Weaver contested for the second position, with Smith taking second place at the completion of the second circuit.  Hauck, Smith, Weaver, Beamer, and Ethan Spotts were racing in the top five at the event’s halfway mark.  On the next lap, Smith passed Hauck for the lead and Weaver passed Hauck on lap number eleven to move into second.   Smith held off Weaver and earned the win with a .652 second margin of victory over Weaver, Beamer, Hauck, and Spotts.  Sierra Hauck, Timmy Bittner, Tyson Mowery, Mitchell Holden, and James Layton completed the top ten.  Heat races were won by Beamer and Smith.

The Four Cylinder feature took the green flag in the 12 lap main event with Larry Spencer III and Maddox Smith on the front row.  Smith led the opening lap with Michael Luther moving into second.  At the completion of lap number two; Smith, Luther, William Kephart crashed in turn number one.  Upon the restart, Spencer inherited the lead for the restart.  Eleventh place starter Scott Englert restarted second and took the lead from Spencer at the completion of lap number 4.  Jimmy Moyer moved into third at the completion of lap number five.  At the races halfway point, Englert led Spencer, Moyer, Keith Hagen, and Mike Hepner were running in the top five.  Englert continued to lead the remaining laps to earn his first career victory over Moyer, Spencer, Blake Snyder, and Larry Bechdel. Sixth through tenth were Mike Hepner, Keith Hagen, Chelsie Harris, Jonathan Strongfield and Skylar Witchley.  Heat races were won by Kephart, Bechdel, Englehart.

During opening ceremonies, the speedway honored the 2020 champions including Garrett Bard in the Sprint Cars, Matt Cochran in the Late Models, Noah Jensen in the Pro Stocks, Timmy Bittner in the 270 Micro Sprints, Tyson Mowery in the 600 Micro Sprints and Maddox Smith in the 4-Cylinders. 

The Clinton County Speedway returns to racing this Friday night for another 5 division racing program. Limited Late Models, Pro Stock, 270 Micro Sprints, 600 Micro Sprint and 4 Cylinders will be the featured 5 divisions.   Gates will open at 5:00PM and Racing will begin at 7:30PM.  For more information, visit www.clintoncountyspeedway.com or visit the speedway on Facebook

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Sprint Cars:  1. Garrett Bard  2. Jeffrey Weaver  3. Scott Lutz  4. Dakota Schweikart 5. Ken Duke Jr. 6. Aaron Jacobus 7. Reed Thompson 8. Josh Beamer 9. Matt Tebbs 10. James Clavaret 11. Josh Bricker 12. Andrew Jacobus 13. Dave Guss Jr. 14. Dustin Prettyleaf 15. Dale Schweikart 16. Ryan Lynn 17. Jim Kennedy 18. Austin Greenland 19. Tylor Cochran

Pro Stocks: 1. Brandon Moser 2. Ray Rothfuss 3. Noah Jensen 4. Nathan Stroup 5. Cory Long 6. Rooster Peters 8. Marc Bitler 9. AY Schilling 10. Kris Orwig, Sr. 11. Robert Tressler 12. Rich Fye 13. Gary Mellott 14. Logan Hile  DNS Todd Geyer Sr.

270 Micro Sprints: 1. Wyatt Rotz 2. Jeffrey Weaver 3. Timmy Bittner 4. Shaun Musser 5. Dan Wertman 6. Bobby Sanso 7. Hunter Zimmerman 8. Buddy Kramer 9. Logan Hammaker 10. Matthew Dixon 11. Tom Quiggle 12. James Bilger 13. Levi Brungard 14. Sam Chamberlin 15. Denny Rinehimer 16. Mac Wert 17. Cory Stabley  DNS: Richard Damore, Tyler Clowes, Brian Bender, Aiden Adams, Mitchel Holden

600 Micro Sprints: 1. Johnny Smith 2. Jeffrey Weaver 3. Josh Beamer 4. Cody Hauck 5. Ethan Spotts 6. Ethan Spotts 7. Timmy Bittner 8. Tyson Mowery 9. Mitchell Holden 10. James Layton 11. Derek Swartz 12. Trevor Teats DNS Dexter Strawser

4 Cylinders: 1. Scott Englert 2. Jimmy Moyer 3. Larry Spencer 4. Blake Snyder 5. Larry Bechdel 6. Mike Hepner 7. Keith Hagen 8. Chelsie Harris 9. Jonathan Strongfield 10. Skylar Witchley 11. Emily Brouse 12. Coty Maines 13. Mike Luther 14. William Kephart 15. Tim Muthler 16. Maddox Smith 17. Dylan Craft 18 Cadan Kennedy  DNS: Byran Strouse, John Baney, Gavin Bilbay, Kyle Strouse, Kris Orwig Jr.

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