Steve Fannasy, Matt Nailor and Jeff Haag Win Williams Grove Speedway Saturday Features

Mechanicsburg, PA., August 9, 2015

Hard work propelled Steve Fannasy to his first 2015 Williams Grove Speedway Super Sportsman victory.  The week prior his car received heavy damage in a grinding last-lap crash.  Each night his crew spent long hours in the shop rebuilding their vehicle.  The long hours and missed sleep resulted in a dominating win.

Steve Fannasy started the 20-lap Blazer’s Body Shop Super Sportsman feature on the outside of the front row.  Working the preferred bottom lane, Fannasy held a comfortable lead over Kenny Edkin, Chad Trout, Gregg Foster, and Mike Enders.

Fannasy’s 1.25-second lead disappeared on lap six due to a caution.  Following the restart Fannasy continued to dominate, again building a large lead.  Chad Trout wrestled second position from Kenny Edkin.

The battle of the event was for sixth involving Chad Criswell, Scott Dellinger, Bobby Hockenberry, Tony Jackson, Rich Eichelberger, Frankie Herr, and Jay Fannasy.  On the 14th circuit Frankie Herr’s car made contact with the inside fencing entering turn one, creating the second and final caution of the race.  Herr, the point leader, pitted and rejoined the competition.

Steve Fannasy had no challengers the remaining laps.  The Dauphin driver crossed the finish line 20 lengths ahead of Chad Trout, Kenny Edkin, Gregg Foster, and Mike Enders.  The victory is Fannasy’s fourth career at Williams Grove. Steve Fannasy won a Super Sportsman feature at Lincoln Speedway earlier in the year.

Heat wins for the 29 entries went to Jay Fannasy, Edkin and Dellinger.  The consolation went to Doug Dodson.  Timmie Barrick received the Sprint Aces Hard Charger award. 

Pat Beard led the opening circuits of the 20-lap Credit Connection Auto Sales 358 Late Model main event.  Al Cheney was in second with third-place starter Matt Nailor holding third.  Beard had a four-length advantage over Cheney when the engine shut off in Pat Beard’s machine.  Beard quietly came to a stop on the front stretch resulting in the race’s only caution.

Al Cheney was the new leader with Matt Nailor, Shaun Jones, Ron Kline, and Travis Mease in pursuit. Matt Nailor, in the seventh lap, passed Cheney to become the third leader of the event.  One lap later Ron Kline charged into second place.

Over the final ten laps Ron Kline began a relentless assault on Matt Nailor’s lead.  Several times Kline was door-to-door through the turns with Nailor; each time Nailor would gain a slight lead on the straightaways. 

With five laps remaining Kline changed his line and tried an outside pass in turns three and four. The leaders were even exiting turn four with Nailor winning the race into turn one. Ron Kline made a final attempt with two-laps remaining but Matt Nailor resisted the bid.  

Matt Nailor, from Shermansdale, drove the McNeal entry to a three-length win over Ron Kline.  Shaun Jones was third with Billy Wampler in fourth and Cam Zeigler was fifth.  The win is Nailor’s first of the year and his second career at Williams Grove.

Kline and Alan Sagi won the preliminaries for the 17-car field.  Billy Wampler won the Artwerks Hard Charger award.

Greg Diehl led the start of the 15-lap Aquafun Pools Street Stock feature.  Chris Heller, Dustin Hollinger, Walt Lemmon, and Steven Dove were trailing.  The first of two cautions came on lap four for a five-car crash in turn four.

Diehl continued to lead following the restart with Heller, Lemmon and Dove close behind.  Jeff Haag, the ninth-place starter, was fifth. During the sixth circuit several of the lead cars slowed avoiding a tangle allowing Jeff Haag to sprint into second

Greg Diehl’s eight-length edge disappeared with a lap-ten caution.  Following the restart Haag attacked the bottom lane.  In the 12th lap Haag used the bottom of turn four to pass Diehl.

Greg Diehl received a challenge from Kory Sites allowing Jeff Haag to gain a five-length lead.  Haag, from Auburn, won his fifth, ninth all-time at Williams Grove, of the year by six lengths.  Greg Diehl and Kory Sites were even off the final turn and Diehl finished second by two feet over Sites.  Craig Morgan was fourth and Doug Hoffman was fifth.

Eric Tipp and Sites won the heats for the 22 entries.  Dalton Frye won the Artwerks Hard Charger award. The entire show was completed in two hours and thirty-five minutes.

This week the Williams Grove Speedway Saturday Night Series returns featuring the Blazer’s Body Shop Super Sportsman, Credit Connection Auto Sales 358 Late Models and Aquafun Pools Street Stocks.  Racing action begins at 7 PM.  Adult admission is $6 with children 12 and under free.

Super Sportsman results:

1. Steve Fannasy, 2. Chad Trout, 3. Kenny Edkin, 4. Gregg Foster, 5. Mike Enders, 6. Chad Trout, 7. Scott Dellinger, 8. Bobby Hockenberry, 9. Tony Jackson, 10. Rich Eichelberger, 11. Jay Fannasy, 12. Russ Mitten, 13. Frankie Herr, 14. Todd Leonard, 15. Timmie Barrick, 16. Doug Dodson, 17. Steve Wilbur, 18. Justin Foster, 19. Bill Devine, 20. Tom Wyckoff, 21. Nate Young, 22. Teddy Thomas, 23. Duaine Smith, 24. Lanny Hake DNQ: Bob Gutshall, Kevin Gutshall, Devin Beidel, Russ Lebo, Joe Bryson

358 Late Model results:

1. Matt Nailor, 2. Ron Kline, 3. Shaun Jones, 4. Billy Wampler, 5. Cam Zeigler, 6. Alan Sagi, 7. Randy Christine Jr., 8. Al Cheney, 9. Chad Julius, 10. Travis Mease, 11. Wes Alleman, 12. Scott Richwine, 13. Dave Latsha, 14. Sam Gallagher, 15. Daulton Bigler, 16. Pat Beard DNS: Dan Zechman

Street Stock results:

1. Jeff Haag, 2. Greg Diehl, 3. Cam Zeigler, 4. Craig Morgan, 5. Doug Hoffman, 6. Wayne Dutterer, 7. Walt Lemmon, 8. Dalton Frye, 9. Chris Heller, 10. Steven Dove, 11. Dave Bowermaster, 12. Sean Todd, 13. Doug Bennett, 14. Kevin Sigler, 15. Todd Bowersox, 16. Dustin Hollinger, 17. Sean Dawson, 18. Mike Buckley, 19. Charlie Pensinger, 20. Randy Zechman, 21. Eric Tripp, 22. Scott Strickler