MECHANICSBURG – Doug Esh waited until the final turns of the final lap to steal the win in Friday’s 25-lap sprint car feature at Williams Grove Speedway. In the 25-lap 358 sprint championship race, Kevin Nouse of Lewisberry scored his fourth career Grove win in the division, which was worth $1,200.
Esh, who started 12th, earned a $500 bonus for the win that ended up being worth more than $4,100.
Derek Sell of Royersford led the first six laps from the pole after the first two rows were swapped following a false initial start. Tim Glatfelter was following Sell when the race's first caution flag waved just after the sixth circuit was recorded.
The restart was red-flagged when Steve Buckwalter flipped across the frontstretch near the flag stand and got clobbered in mid-air by Lance Dewease. Neither driver was injured.
With the lead, Sell entered lapped traffic with ten laps to go followed closely by Glatfelter, who ended up driving by with 18 down as Esh began entering the picture along with seventh-starter Brent Marks. Marks motored into second with four laps to go and began tracking down the leader with Esh in tow.
With two to go, Marks had caught the leader but held back from trying a pass until just after the white flag -- when he pulled the trigger for what he hoped was going to be his second career speedway victory.
As Glatfelter raced into the first corner on the cushion, Marks drove low through the turns to slide up into the lead in the second corner. But it was far from a smooth pass as Glatfelter back-pedaled to maintain his composure; punting Marks onto the backstretch. With that, Glatfelter’s mount twitched sideways exiting the turn, which gave him a bird’s eye view of Esh, who was streaking by to his inside and into second.
Esh then swooped in on leader Marks to perform a massive dive into the third corner to crank out the victory in the last fleeting seconds. It was the 19th time the Lancaster-based driver graced the Grove winner’s circle in his career. Marks finished second followed by Sell, Chad Layton and slipping Glatfelter. Sixth through tenth went to Frank Cozze, Danny Dietrich, Adam Wilt, Nicole Bowers and Gerard McIntyre, Jr.
Heats went to Wilt, Sell and Glatfelter with Dietrich taking the consolation race.
Chris Arnold led on the first circuit of the 358 championship before Nouse took over for what would be his win.
Eric Tomecek and Logan Schuchart reeled in Nouse and both were ready to make it a three-car race for the lead when the yellow flag appeared. However, after the caution, neither driver was able to touch Nouse for the victory -- although Tomecek gave it the old college try on the restart, as well as again on a restart with seven laps to go.
The final restart on lap 18 came after a red flag for a vicious frontstretch series of flips by point leader Pat Cannon, who had started 22nd and had worked his way up to inside the top 10. After slamming the outside frontstretch wall just past the flagstand, his car careened toward the pit opening, while disintegrating. Cannon escaped injury after also flipping in his heat racer earlier in the night.
Also flipping earlier in the night was Michael Ruttkamp, who after hitting the backstretch bridge came to rest outside of the speedway’s backstretch. Ruttkamp was also uninjured.
Information used in this story was provided Shawn Brouse/Williams Grove Speedway. Video used in this report is courtesy of www.SportsPlusVideo.com and Lynn Schaeffer Productions.
