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 ABBOTTSTOWN,
PA (May 14) -- Greg Hodnett captured the 51st Anniversary Show at
Lincoln Speedway Wednesday night fending off last year's winner Fred
Rahmer during the closing laps of the race. Hodnett, using a pair of
Hoosier D12's, regained the lead from Rahmer on lap 38 of the 51-lap
affair on his way to capturing the $5,100 win. The race starts a busy
week in the Pennsylvania area for sprint racing fans. On Thursday and
Friday night, the Pennsylvania Posse drivers will lock horns with the
members of the World of Outlaws at Williams Grove Speedway before
traveling to Hagerstown Speedway on Saturday, Grandview Speedway on
Sunday and Lernerville Speedway on Tuesday. Unlike Wednesday night's
event, these races will be sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Series.
Lincoln Speedway has just this year adopted Hoosier as its spec tire
in their sprint division, but any brand of tire was allowed for the
special 51st Anniversary Show.
Twenty-seven drivers were entered in qualifying on the
4/10-mile track with 23 drivers selecting the Hoosier brand as their
tire of choice. The remaining four drivers were split evenly among the
other two competing tire brands. While all three brands were
represented on the list of top ten qualifiers, it was the Hoosier
brand capturing the top six times and eight of the top ten times in
qualifying. Keith Kauffman was the fastest qualifier blistering the
track in 13.318 seconds for an average speed of 101.637 mph. Following
Kauffman was Fred Rahmer, Brook Weibley, Niki Young, Greg Hodnett and
Doug Esh in second through sixth, respectively. Also clocking times in
the top ten were Team-Hoosier drivers Lance Dewease ninth and Johnny
Mackison, Jr. in tenth.
In heat race action, the Hoosier brand captured
victories in all three of the 10-lap heats that were contested.
Glenndon Forsythe was the first heat winner, while Cris Eash and Brian
Leppo won the second and third heats, respectively.
In the 51-lap special feature race, 21 of the 24 race
starters rode on Hoosier tires. Greg Hodnett, opting to run a pair of
D12's for the 51-lap marathon, started the race in the third position.
By lap two, Hodnett was in second place where he settled in for the
early stages of the race. But on lap 25, the driver of the Apple #12
made his move for the lead. Hodnett led all but one of the final 27
laps to take the historic win. Hodnett happily collected $5,100 for
the victory.
Last year's 50th Anniversary winner Fred Rahmer
finished in second place after starting back in sixth. Rahmer opted to
run the lengthy race using a D12/D15 combination. The final tally had
Team-Hoosier capturing 18 of the top 20 positions in the feature race.
Other Hoosier-shod drivers finishing in the top ten were Todd Shaffer
(4th), Johnny Mackison (6th), Sean Michael (7th), Keith Kauffman
(8th), Lance Dewease (9th), and Niki Young (10th).
After last season's 96-0 record, Team-Hoosier extends
their record this year to 13-1 in Central Pennsylvania in venues that
do not have a tire rule.
Special thanks go out to Bobby Wirts from Hoosier Tire
Mid-Atlantic for servicing the special event and providing the details
for this report.
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