SPRINT: Lincooln, PA report 96-07-06

• "Russ Gould"
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Wed Jul 10 21:27:59 EDT 1996

SPRINTS: Lincooln, PA 96-07-06
July 6, 1996
Abbottstown, PA

Greetings sprint car fans as r4 and Mr. G. return to Lincoln Speedway for the
Pennsylvania Speedweek Saturday night show.  Signed into the pits were
twenty-five of the 410 sprints, twenty-one Semi Late Models and nineteen
Thundercars.

SPRINT CAR TRIVIA
Can you name the driver who won the first ever twenty five lap sprint car
feature at the old Nazareth Raceway on July 17, 1985?  The answer is at the end
of this posting.

410 SPRINTS
TOP TEN FROM TIME TRIALS
Lincoln one lap track record is 13.529 seconds set back in May by Steve Smith
Sr.
1.)	#17e	Cris Eash		14.072		14.020
2.)	#12	Keith Kauffman		14.221		14.140
3.)	#16	Bill Brian Jr.		14.243		14.249
4.)	#59	Todd Gracey		14.316		14.297
5.)	#77	Fred Rahmer		14.302		13.316
6.)	#92	Kevin Gobrecht		14.336		14.409
7.)	#2W	Jesse Wentz		14.338		14.371
8.)	#11H	Greg Hodnett		14.433		14.381
9.)	#66A	Bobby Fletcher		14.592		14.444
10.)	#45	Jeff Rohrbaugh		14.479		14.486

410 HEAT RESULTS
410 Heats were ten laps in distance with six to qualify and get their time
back.  Information provide is the finishing position, car number, driver and
their starting position in the heat race.
HEAT ONE
1.) #45 Jeff Rohrbaugh [3]	2.) #2W Jesse Wentz [4]
3.) #17e Cris Eash [6]		4.) #X Bobby Weaver [1]
5.) #59 Todd Gracey [5]		6.) #08 Jason Clauss [2]

HEAT TWO
1.) #12 Keith Kauffman [6]	2.) #77 Fred Rahmer [5]
3.) #11H Greg Hodnett [4]	4.) #88 Todd Shaffer [3]
5.) #3 Bob Bennett [7]		6.) #69 Shawn Weaver [8]

HEAT THREE
1.) #92 Kevin Gobrecht [5]	2.) #07 Dave Haight [2]
3.) #16 Bill Brian Jr. [6]	4.) #66A Bobby Fletcher [4]
5.) #48 Cris Knaup [3]		6.) #10N Jeff Thompson [7]

CONSI
1.) #77L Howie Locke [1]	2.) #25 Scotte Ausherman [2]
3.) #11D Butch Duncan[5]	4.) #12B Brian Montieth [4]
5.) #49 Bob Howard [6]		6.) #43 Larry Shive [7]
The only car not to qualify was the #16C of Cliff Brian who was scheduled for
the pole of the consi but scratched from the evenings racing program.  The #43
of Larry Shive was the only car not to set time since his hauler broke down
enroute to the track and the car arrived on a towing company flatbed.

Thirty Lap 410 Sprint Feature
Top four in the time trials were handicapped in the feature.
Row 1:  #59 Todd Gracey			#16 Bill Brian Jr.
Row 2:  #12 Keith Kauffman		#17e Cris Eash
Row 3:  #77 Fred Rahmer			#92 Kevin Gobrecht
Row 4:  #2W Jesse Wentz			#11H Greg Hodnett
Row 5:  #66A Bobby Fletcher		#45 Jeff Rohrbaugh
Row 6:  #88 Todd Shaffer		#48 Cris Knaup
Row 7:  #08 Jason Clauss		#07 Dave Haight
Row 8:  #X Bobby Weaver			#25 Scotte Ausherman 
Row 9:  #77L Howie Locke		#3 Bob Bennett
Row 10: #10N Jeff Thompson		#69 Shawn Weaver
Row 11: #11D Butch Duncan		#12B Brian Montieth
Row 12: #49 Bob Howard			#43 Larry Shive
	Just how many laps does one need to run at Lincoln before a fuel stop is
necessary?  It took sixty three laps to run the advertised thirty lap distance
and the winners car, Bill Brian Jr. was out of fuel at the end of the race. 
The race was slowed for four caution flags.
	For the first two laps of the race it was a duel between the #12 of Kauffman
and the #59 of Todd Gracey for the top position.  On lap three the #16 of Bill
Brian Jr. passed Gracey on the front stretch and set his eyes on Kauffman.  On
lap seven the #17e of Cris Eash passed Gracey on the front stretch and took
over the third position.  
	After a caution period Brian pressured Kauffman on the restart  and for the
next several laps positions changed back and forth.  Eash then started to work
on Brian but was unable to make a pass stick.  By lap twenty Brian had closed
on Kauffman and was really applying some pressure and finally swung low in turn
two on lap twenty-two and passed Kauffman.
	On lap twenty-five after a caution flag Kauffman dove low and tried to pass
Brian but he could not make the pass stick.  The controversy started in turn
one as the #92 of Gobrecht was trying desperately to pass the #77 of Rahmer and
dove low in turn one and tried to get under Rahmer.  What happened was that
Gobrecht lost the handle of the car and got sideways but was able to keep it
going.  However, this caused a massive stack up behind him.  While Gobrecht and
Rahmer continued on the #88, #59, #2W, and the #69 all came to a grinding halt
in turn one.
	On the restart Kauffman pressured Brian but was not able to make a pass as he
had to start protecting his own position from the fast closing Eash.
   
FEATURE TOP FIVE FINISHERS
#16, #12, #17e, #77, #92

OFFICIAL CHATTERING
Prior to the last restart the officials were questioning the scorer on just how
Gobrecht had managed to stay so high even though he had gotten sideways and
started the last caution period.  After the race the scoring sheets were
examined and I really though that the officials were going to set Gobrecht
further back in the finishing order but when they gave the official finishing
order Gobrecht was credited with a fifth place finish.

VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW
Bill Brian Jr. is such a soft speaker that I could not hear what he was saying
over the PA system.

SEMI-LATE MODELS
Heats were eight laps in distance with five to qualify and the top four
finishers being handicapped by their point standings.  Information provide is
the finishing position, car number, driver and their starting position in the
heat race.
Heat One
1.) #3 Don Zechman [4]			2.) #17A Donnie Mertz [5]
3.) #100 Mike Ziegler [3]		4.) #B14 Shannon Reek [7]
5.) #35 No name available

Heat Two
1.) #30 Craig Wagaman [5]		2.) #22H Frank Howery [3]
3.) #95 Chuck Schminke [1]		4.) #92 Kenny Rush [2]
5.) #40 John Taylor [6]

Heat Three
1.) #31 Jeremy Miller [5]		2.) #15 Bobby Mazingo [2]
3.) #37 Paul Eveler [4]			4.) #04 No name available
5.) #86 Bob Spahr [3]

Top Four Finishers in the 15 Lap Semi-Late Feature
1.) #31 Jeremy Miller [9]		2.) #3 Don Zechman [5]
3.) #17A Donnie Mertz [7]		4.) #22H Frank Howery [4]

THUNDERCARS
I apologize even though I did stay for the entire event I did not record the on
track activities.

TRIVIA ANSWER
The first ever 25 lap sprint car feature at the old Nazareth Raceway was held
on July 14, 1985.  The race was the first Charlie Bay open competiton and paid
$2,000 to win.  The winning driver was Keith Kauffman driving the Al Hamilton
owned #77.  It also happened to be Kauffman's first visit to the track.        


As always I welcome any news, comments, suggestions or questions.  As a favor
to me I would appreciate email from those of you that regularly read these
reports.  My wife thinks I am absolutely crazy for putting the time and effort
into these reports that I do.  I would like to be able to show her comments
from folks that regularly read these reports. You can reach me at: 
rgould@oehs.upenn.edu