TAMPA, FL……..Like a man on a mission, young Danny Holtgraver of Pittsburgh PA made his move early passing race leader Tim Shaffer for the lead with an inside move in turn one of a lap three restart and was never challenged in his quest for the15th Annual King of 360’s crown and the $l0,000 that also marked the 12th Annual Ronald Laney Memorial at East Bay Raceway Park Saturday night.
“This is unbelievable, “ said the 23 year old after his biggest win ever, ”my mechanic Brian Kemenah had everything so close to perfect on this J&J, powered by a Kistler engine and riding on VRP shocks, that it would have been hard to screw up. What a world of difference from the last time I was here in 2009, when I flipped half way down the back straightaway.”
“My owners Rob Hunter and Bryan Grove brought on board our sponsors Canton Erectors and Berlin Natural Bakery and I want to give a special thanks to Rob Timmons and Chris Bowe for spending endless hours with Brian in the shop every night,” added Holtgraver.
Shaffer started on pole with Michael Miller outside and Jerrod Roller and Holtgraver in row two. Terry McCarl and Greg Wilson ( who broke in hot laps and didn’t report his scratch to the officials) were to Start in row three followed by Jason Sides, Lou Kennedy, Scotty Thiel and Jayme Barnes were in the top ten. Shaffer, who won opening night, jumped into the early lead and led over Holtgraver and a fast moving Sides.
Once Holtgraver took over on lap four, Sides took over second ahead of Miller, Shaffer and McCarl as they entered lapped traffic on lap 12. Holtgraver had no problems with lapped traffic and picked them off one at a time without hesitation. By lap 30, the leader had a 4 second lead and once he slowed to hit his marks better, he seemed to go faster.
By lap 33 Holtgraver had a straight away lead over Sides and with five to go, he had two lapped cars between himself and Sides who had been held up by a slower car of Glenn Styres. With the waving of Ronnie Luckock’s checkered flag Holtgraver’s margin of victory was 3.520 seconds over Sides.
Terry McCarl, Miller and Shaffer made up the rest of the top five. While Darren Long, last night’s winner Steve Poierier, Thiel, Lou Kennedy who spun to the infield and didn’t take the checkered, and Danny Martin, Jr. rounded out the top ten.
Sides, Lou Kennedy, Thiel and Jayme Barnes won the heats while the first B-Main sent Ryan Ruhl, Martin, Gene Lasker and Grad Greer to the A-Main and Matt Kurtz, Styres, Darren Long and Terry Gray came from the second B.
Thanks, Jean Lynch for East Bay Raceway Park.
Professional MotorSports Services
360 Sprints 2/23/2013
A-Main:1. Danny Holtgraver (Pittsburgh, PA), 2. Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 3. Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA), 4. Michael Miller (Ocean Springs, MS), 5. Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA), 6. Darren Long (Elido, OH), 7. Steve Poirier (St Mathieu de Beloeil, QC), 8. Scotty Thiel (Sheboygen, WI), 9. Lou Kennedy (Winnipeg, BC), 10. Danny Martin Jr (Tampa, FL), 11. Michael Parent (Granby, QC), 12. Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ON), 13. Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, MI), 14. Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL), 15. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR), 16. Jerod Roller (Hernando, MS), 17. Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 18. Danny Smith (Chillicothe, OH), 19. Jayme Barnes (Everett, WA), 20. Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH),
B-Main 1:1. Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, MI), 2. Danny Martin Jr (Tampa, FL), 3. Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 4. Brad Greer (Coulterville, IL), 5. Chris Williams (Memphis, TN), 6. Tony Agin (Ft Myers, FL), 7. Shawn Dancer (Delphos, OH), 8. Johnny Gilbertson (Dover, FL), 9. Kyle Sauder (Archbold, OH), 10. Etienne Girard (Drummondville, ON), 11. John James (Iowa Park, TX), 12. Bruce Dewick (Geneva, NY), 13. Todd Hoddick (Cheektowaga, NY), 14. Todd Rittenhouse Jr (Norristown, PA), 15. Robbie Smith (Tampa, FL), 16. J.R. Stewart (Bellefontaine, OH), 17. Lance Hester (Long Beach, MS),
B-Main 2:1. Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL), 2. Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ON), 3. Darren Long (Elido, OH), 4. Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 5. Russ Hall (Pleasant, IA), 6. Thomas Kennedy (Winnipeg, BC), 7. Jamie Collard (Burford, ON), 8. Hud Horton (Dayton, OH), 9. AJ Maddox (Brandon, FL), 10. Eric Riggins Jr (Charlotte, NC), 11. Kerry Gilbert (Dover, FL), 12. Dan Mazy (Lyons Station, PA), 13. Alex Pettas (Phoenix, AZ), 14. Ryan Moore (Moss Point, MS), 15. Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL), 16. Mike Stelter (Webster, NY),
Heat Race 1:1. Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN), 2. Steve Poirier (St Mathieu de Beloeil, QC), 3. Kyle Sauder (Archbold, OH), 4. Gene Lasker (Tampa, FL), 5. Danny Martin Jr (Tampa, FL), 6. Chris Williams (Memphis, TN), 7. Shawn Dancer (Delphos, OH), 8. Todd Hoddick (Cheektowaga, NY), 9. Johnny Gilbertson (Dover, FL), 10. Bruce Dewick (Geneva, NY), 11. Lance Hester (Long Beach, MS),
Heat Race 2:1. Lou Kennedy (Winnipeg, BC), 2. Danny Smith (Chillicothe, OH), 3. Matt Kurtz (Jacksonville, FL), 4. Thomas Kennedy (Winnipeg, BC), 5. Russ Hall (Pleasant, IA), 6. Hud Horton (Dayton, OH), 7. Eric Riggins Jr (Charlotte, NC), 8. Kerry Gilbert (Dover, FL), 9. Dan Mazy (Lyons Station, PA), 10. Sport Allen (Pinellas Park, FL),
Heat Race 3:1. Scotty Thiel (Sheboygen, WI), 2. Michael Parent (Granby, QC), 3. Robbie Smith (Tampa, FL), 4. J.R. Stewart (Bellefontaine, OH), 5. Ryan Ruhl (Coldwater, MI), 6. Brad Greer (Coulterville, IL), 7. Tony Agin (Ft Myers, FL), 8. Todd Rittenhouse Jr (Norristown, PA), 9. Etienne Girard (Drummondville, ON), 10. John James (Iowa Park, TX),
Heat Race 4:1. Jayme Barnes (Everett, WA), 2. Tim Crawley (Benton, AR), 3. Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, ON), 4. Terry Gray (Bartlett, TN), 5. Jamie Collard (Burford, ON), 6. Darren Long (Elido, OH), 7. AJ Maddox (Brandon, FL), 8. Ryan Moore (Moss Point, MS), 9. Alex Pettas (Phoenix, AZ), 10. Mike Stelter (Webster, NY)