Brett Kressley had everything go his way Saturday night at Grandview Speedway, easily authoring a dominating performance aboard the family-owned Kressley’s Auto & Truck Sales No. 19K 358 Modified machine.
Kressley won his heat race, drew outside the front row to start the 40-lap $5,000 to win Thunder on The Hill season-ending main event and was the leader on every lap of the feature, winning by a comfortable margin at the checkered.
For the 25-year-old driver from Orefield, it was his third win this season at the Bechtelsville based high-banked third-mile dirt track and his first Thunder on The Hill series triumph.
“That race tonight seemed like it was the longest race of my life,” commented Kressley afterward, talking about the feature race and the seven caution flags overall. “My hat’s off to the track crew tonight, after all that wet weather, it still was a nice track to race on. The track held together nicely.”
With the initial green, Kressley immediately jumped out to a safe advantage as the race leader. Polesitter Danny Erb, third-place starter Duane Howard and fourth-place starter Craig Von Dohren trailed.
Howard spun in Turn 4 on Lap 7 to bring out the first caution of the event, with Ryan Watt sent to the rear for taking out Howard.
When racing resumed it was Kressley again using the outside lane to move into the lead over Erb, Kenny Gilmore and Von Dohren. Doug Pannepacker spun out on Lap 10 and Howard spun again a circuit later, ending his night.
With 18 complete Kevin Hirthler spun in Turn 2 to bring out another caution and at halfway debris on the track brought out yet another caution flag to slow the event.
“I knew that the cars were battling for position directly behind me on each restart because someone was wearing out my back bumper each time,” explained Kressley. “I knew the competition was coming. It must have been a real battle for the spots behind me.”
The green reappeared for Lap 21 with Kressley out in front. Erb, Gilmore, Von Dohren and Jeff Strunk were chasing.
Lap 26 again it was caution for Danny Bouc getting upside down in Turn 2.
The final 13 tours went green with Kressley easily dominating the event. Erb hung on for a solid runner-up effort, with Gilmore third, Von Dohren fourth and Strunk fifth at the checkered. Von Dohren was found to be light crossing the scales and placed at the tail end of the 24-car starting field. That placed Strunk fourth and Billy Pauch Jr. in fifth.
“My crew just kept everything together all season,” said Kressley. “The car was great. We had a strong car all night. I ran into a little bad streak there in the middle of the year. My hat’s off to everybody on the team because they did a great job. It was a few rough weeks, there, but we turned everything around at the end of the season.”
Brian Hirthler, 35, of Green Lane started outside the front row by luck of the draw in the 25-lap $1,300 to win Sportsman main event and easily dominated the race for his second win of 2017 at the track and his first Thunder on The Hill series victory. With the triumph Saturday night, Hirthler bookended the campaign, also winning on Opening Night.
Trailing at the checkered was Matt Stangle, Mark Kemmerer, Joe Funk and Ryan Lilick. Funk and Lilick, both, were found to be light crossing the scales, moving Jim Housworth to fourth and Brad Brightbill to fifth as the official finish.
Ryan Stillwagon of Burlington, N.J. started on the pole and despite a busted radiator suffered late in the 25-lap race easily took home the $500 to win 305 Sprint Car feature triumph, leading every circuit.
Tim Tanner Jr. finished strong in second followed by Eddie Wagner, Austin Bishop and Dave Brown at the checkered.
