ABBOTTSTOWN, Pa. -- Jim Siegel held-off title contender Danny Dietrich on Saturday to become the 13th different driver to win a race at Lincoln this year, while Brian Montieth secured his fourth straight track championship.
Dietrich’s second-place finish closed the Gary Kauffman-owned Sandoe’s Fruit Market/APM Buildings #48 to within 20 points at the end, but Montieth, who needed to finish in the top seven to secure the title no matter what Dietrich did, passed both Kyle Pruitt and Cory Haas on a last-lap shootout to cross sixth.
The last-lap restart was set up when Jim Siegel pulled a slider on race-long leader Chad Criswell coming through the final turns. Though there was no contact, Criswell lost the handle and spun out, bring out the caution.
"It was pretty exciting from where I was sitting!" exclaimed the third-generation New Oxford driver upon exiting his N-Line Marketing/Orndorff Construction #59 in victory lane, according to the track's website. "My hat's off to Chad Criswell. He did a heck of-a-job. I don’t think I dirtied him up there. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and that was a last-ditch effort. I think I cleared him there...and I don’t know if he got sideways or spun out or whatever, and I didn’t know what to do on that last restart.’
The caution put 11th-starting Dietrich on Siegel’s bumper for the final restart, but Siegel held on for his seventh career Lincoln win.
"The 48 obviously was looking to put it in victory lane for his championship hopes," continued Siegel, "They had a good year, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been here and this feels good!"
Crossing third behind Dietrich as seventh-starting Gerard McIntyre, Jr., with 12th-starting Brian Leppo and Brad McClelland rounding out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Montieth, Pruitt, Haas, Nick Schlauch, Jr., and Austin Reed.
Adam Wilt was uninjured in a front stretch flip to bring out the only red of the event on lap 10.
Information used in this story was provided by Lincoln Speedway. Video used in this report is courtesy of www.SportsPlusVideo.com and Lynn Schaeffer Productions.
