Matt Campbell Gets First
Career Grove Sprint Car Win, Hammaker Wins 358s
9/15/17
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mechanicsburg
–
Matt Campbell of Fawn Grove
picked up his first career 410 Sprint car win Friday night at Williams Grove
Speedway, taking the lead from Tim Wagaman on the 10th tour of
the 25-lap feature.
.
The 19-year-old from Fawn Grove, a co-National 410
Rookie-of-the-Year last year, has been fast at the Grove before, and finally
put together a complete performance earning $3,600 for the win.
Wagaman started on the pole and led the opening two
circuits of the 25-lap main event while racing fiercely with Jared Esh, who
started second.
The pair see-sawed for the lead repeatedly before Esh
crossed the line with three laps complete as the leader by just a few feet
over Wagaman.
Wagaman then passed Esh back in the first and second turns
but Esh battled back to the inside on the backchute and the pair raced wheel
to wheel and wing to wing into the third turn with neither pilot giving an
inch.
The end result found Esh backing his car up across the
racetrack in the third corner before bringing out the red flag after massive
contact with the outside rail.
Esh was transported by ambulance complaining of neck and
back pain.
Anthony Macri, who was running third at the time, spun
to avoid the crash. Under the red flag, Brian Montieth, who would have
restarted fourth, was pushed to the pits.
Wagaman controlled the restart with sixth starter Campbell
now in second and Wagaman was running the cushion as Campbell made the
inside groove work to close in on the leader lap after lap, especially right
through the middle of the second corner.
An inside move off the second corner got Campbell by
Wagaman for the lead and Campbell completed lap 10 as the leader just before
the caution flew for a stopped Steve Buckwalter on the front chute.
Campbell stretched out his lead over
Wagaman and Rick Lafferty on the restart as the race raged behind them
between Lucas Wolfe, James McFadden, Freddie Rahmer and Brock Zearfoss who
were all battling for a top five finish.
Campbell drove around slower cars with ease during the
last half of the race, cruising to his first career Grove 410 win after
scoring three in the 358 sprint division.
His final margin of victory was 4.578.
Wagaman scored his best career Grove finish in second.
Lafferty finished third and Wolfe took fourth back from McFadden on the
final lap.
Point leader Freddie Rahmer started 14th and
finished sixth. Danny Dietrich, Brock Zearfoss, 17th starter Greg
Hodnett and 22nd starter Alan Krimes rounded out the top 10.
Campbell, Wagaman and Lafferty won heat races for the
26-car field.
Doug Hammaker of Grantville took the lead from Jordan
Givler following a lap eight restart and drove away top win the 358-sprint
feature.
The restart occurred after Brie Hershey flipped in the
first corner.
Hammaker earned $1,500 for the fifth victory of his career
in the division at the track.
Givler, Kevin Nouse, Chase Dietz and Rich Eichelberger
completed the top five.
Kevin Nouse, Cody Keller and Brett Wanner won the 358
sprint heats for the 24-car field.
Sept. 15, 2017
Feature Finishes
Sprint Car Feature (25 laps):
1. Matt Campbell. 2. Tim Wagaman. 3. Rick Lafferty. 4. Lucas Wolfe. 5. James
McFadden. 6. Freddie Rahmer. 7. Danny Dietrich. 8. Brock Zearfoss. 9. Greg
Hodnett. 10. Alan Krimes. 11. Nicole Bower. 12. Chad Trout. 13. TJ Stutts.
14. Chris Arnold. 15. Dwayne Gutshall. 16. Troy Fraker. 17. Landon Myers.
18. Jay Reichard. 19. Steve Buckwalter. 20. Scott Fisher. 21. Brian Montieth.
22. Jared Esh. 23. Anthony Macri. 24. Cory Haas.
Did
Not Qualify: Zach Eucolono,
Kyle Moody.
358
Sprint Car Feature (25 laps):
1. Doug Hammaker. 2. Jordan Givler. 3. Kevin Nouse. 4. Chase Dietz. 5. Rich
Eichelberger. 6. Matt Findley. 7. Troy Wagaman. 8. Jake Eldreth. 9. Nyle
Berkes. 10. TJ DeHaven. 11. Dwight Leppo. 12. Chris Frank. 13. Brett
Shearer. 14. Cody Fletcher. 15. Hank Donovan Jr. 16. Shai Morris. 17. Dan
Richcreek. 18. Brett Wanner. 19. Jake Galloway. 20. Brie Hershey. 21. Chad
Trout. 22. Cody Keller. 23. Steve Owings.
DNS: Eric Parker.