Trey Starks Scores Big At
Williams Grove In Speedweek Mitch Smith Memorial
Washington pilot etches name
in oval records for first time
Justin Weaver steals
limited late models in final corner
7/7/17
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mechanicsburg
– West Coast talent met East Coast
history and prestige on Friday night as Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks
picked up the $10,000 to win Mitch Smith Memorial for sprint cars at
Williams Grove Speedway in a dominating performance.
Starks wired the field for his first
career Williams Grove victory that came in the biggest race to be run in the
27th annual Pennsylvania Speedweek Series for 410 sprint cars.
Originally slated to start third in
the field, Starks slid to the pole in the 30-lap Smith Memorial when the
initial start was called back and the first and second rows were swapped for
the next attempted start.
Only one caution period slowed the race pace, after just
the first lap was completed, when Rodney Westhafer stopped in the fourth
turn.
The final 29 circuits went non-stop
at a dizzying pace on the lightning-fast surface that was wetted by a late
day shower.
Aboard Scott Gobrecht’s No. 44
machine, Starks had amassed a straightaway lead over the field by the
seventh circuit and he entered the backmarkers just one tour later.
Matt Campbell tried to keep Starks in sight during the
early going but it took traffic for Campbell to narrow the gap, which he did
to a one-turn advantage with one-third of the race completed.
But Campbell would succumb to the advances of Brock
Zearfoss at the halfway point and then Zearfoss gave Starks his only
challenge of the event when he was able to sneak in amid heavy and hectic
traffic with 11 laps to go.
Zearfoss had been able to dial in the leader as Starks
tried repeatedly to work the outside lane to put cars a lap down but after
nearly flipping his sprinter on more than one occasion as he thundered
through the corners, Starks pulled back to the inside and instead chose to
bide his time, looking for opportunities to move forward on the low side.
And that strategy proved to be a winning one for Starks
who then was able to open up another sizeable lead during the final eight
laps, pulling out to another straightaway advantage at the finish.
Starks’ win came by 4.148 seconds over Zearfoss, Aaron Ott,
Campbell and Lucas Wolfe.
Ott moved into third with nine laps to go but failed to
mount any further challenges.
Sixth through 10th went to
Ryan Smith, James McFadden, Lance Dewease, Danny Dietrich and Greg Hodnett.
Heats went to Ott, Zearfoss, Eric Tomecek and McFadden
with Cory Haas taking the consolation race.
Fast time was set by Ryan Smith with
a lap of 16.648 seconds.
Justin Weaver of Williamsport, Md., was able to pull off a
last lap, last corner pass for the win in the Mason Dixon Shootout feature
for limited late models.
Weaver moved into second on the fourth lap of the 20-lap
main and raced door to door with leader Derrick Quade for the final 10 laps
of the event.
Quade was scored the leader from the
beginning thorugh the 11th lap before Weaver nosed ahead at the
line with eight laps to go.
But the next time around Quade had turned the tables and
had the lead again at the line but it was a hard fought lead that Quade was
holding onto.
Weaver repeatedly got to Quade’s inside in the corners and
at times would nose ahead only to have Quade be scored the leader at the
line.
But on the final corner of the final
lap, Quade bucked just enough on the cushion to allow Weaver enough room to
pull ahead to a narrow victory as the pair crossed the finish line side by
side with Weaver’s nose first to hit the finish line.
Quade was second followed by Ralph Morgan Jr., Eric Irvin
and Dan Zechman.
Sixth through 10th went to
Randy Christine, Todd Snook, Devin Frey, Devin Hart and Frankie Gordon.
Heats went to Bryan Bernheisel, Daulton Bigler and Alan
Sagi.
July 7, 2017
Feature Finishes
410 sprints, 25 laps:
1. Trey Starks, 2. Brock Zearfoss, 3. Aaron Ott, 4. Matt Campbell, 5. Lucas
Wolfe, 6. Ryan Smith, 7. James McFAdden, 8. Lance Dewease, 9. Danny
Dietrich, 10. Greg Hodnett, 11. Rico Abreu, 12. Brian Montieth, 13. Chase
Dietz, 14. Dave Blaney, 15. Eric Tomecek, 16. TJ Stutts, 17. Rick Lafferty,
18. Dale Blaney, 19. Freddie Rahmer, 20. Anthony Macri, 21. Sam Walsh, 22.
Cory Haas, 23. Rodney Westhafer
DNS:
Brandon Rahmer
DNQ:
George Streaker Jr., Mark Smith, Tyler Walker, Kodey Lehman, Mitchell
Wormall, Jared Esh, Eric Riggins Jr., Frankie Herr, Alan Krimes, Troy
Fraker,
Limited late models (20
laps): 1. Justin Weaver, 2. Derrick Quade, 3.
Ralph Morgan Jr., 4. Eric Irvin, 5. Dan Zechman, 6. Randy Christine, 7. Todd
Snook, 8. Devin Frey, 9. Devin Hart, 10. Frankie Gordon, 11. Dillan Stake,
12. Donnie Farlling, 13. Andrew Yoder, 14. Matt Murphy, 15. Robbie Black,
16. Jason Smith, 17. Bryan Bernheisel, 18. Joe Lusk, 19, Zachary Kauffman,
20. Drew Weisser, 21. Tim Krape, 22. Rick Lias, 23. Daulton Bigler, 24.
Bobby Beard, 25. Alan Sagi, 26. Shaun Jones
DNQ:
Matt Nailor