Grandview Sportsman Pit Notes 9/10/22 – Brian Hirthler sweeps the night with his 6th points race and the 2022 points championship

Brian Hirthler eluded 10 car tangles, spins, and just old fashioned wrecks to take the win and trip  to victory lane from his 18^th starting position and posted his sixth win of the season.

In addition, Brian also won the 2022 Grandview Sportsman points championship for his 3^rd Grandview Sportsman championship – 2017, 2020 and now 2022 .

On the first lap, a 10 car pileup on the bottom lane brought out a lengthy red flag.  Mike Burrows took the early lead from his 5^th starting position only to relinquish the lead to Adie Delliponti on lap 4 just before another lengthy red flag for the hard crash and roll by Parker Guldin on the back stretch.  On the ensuing restart Burrows reclaimed the lead as Delliponti fell to 3^rd and Kyle Smith moved into 2^nd with an eye on the leader Burrows.  On lap 16 Smith took the lead from Burrows with Brian Hirthler following Smith into 2^nd.  On lap 21 the fifth and final yellow flew for the leader Kyle Smith’s broken axle which gave the lead to Brian Hirthler.  On the final restart Hirthler pulled away and took the checkered flag by a 4 second margin of victory.

Heat winners for the 37 car sportsman field were Chris Esposito, Josh Adams, Zach Steffey and Keith Haring.   The last chance consolation was won by Kaitlyn Bailey and Jimmy Leiby.

SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): 1. BRIAN HIRTHLER, 2. Michael Burrows, 3. Adrianna Delliponti, 4. Cody Manmiller, 5. Dakota Kohler, 6. Dylan Hoch, 7. Jimmy Leiby, 8. Cole Stangle, 9. Jesse Landis, 10. Josh Adams, 11. Mike Schneck Jr., 12. Steve Young, 13. Decker Swinehart, 14. Keith Haring, 15. Matt Clay, 16. Zach Steffy, 17. Kaitlyn Bailey, 18. Kyle Smith, 19. Kenny Bock, 20. Nathan Mohr, 21. Parker Guldin, 22. Nathan Horn, 23. Chris Esposito, 24. Mike Myers, 25. Ryan Graver, 26. Jesse Hirthler

DID NOT QUALIFY: Joey Vaccaro, Mark Gaugler, Kyle Hartzell, Molly Struss, Xavier Sprague, Troy Conrad, Logan Bauman, Mark Mohr, Colton Perry, Brad Force, Gage Phillips

The Freedom 76 weekend begins on Friday, September 16 with the 9^th annual Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship race paying $2000 to the winner, along with qualifying events plus practice time for Modified drivers wishing to participate in the Freedom 76.

Grandview Sportsman Pit Notes 9/10/22

The first 4 laps of the feature saw 4 caution flags of which two turned into red flags.  The first was on the start as the bottom lane jammed up and turned into a 10 car pile in turn 4 just before lap 1.  Jesse Hirthler, Mike Myers, Ryan Graver and Chris Esposito all had their night end on the hook or push truck before lap 1 of the feature.  The final caution was on lap 4 and was for a tangle that sent Parker Guldin hard into the wall and  tumbling down the backstretch.  Parker was alright but the car was done for the night.  Nat Mohr and Nat Horn were also involved and towed back to the pits.

Brian Hirthler continues his early patience strategy, and it took him to his 6^th win of the season from his 18^th starting position.  Brian posted 6 wins on the season with 9 top 5 finishes along with one 11^th and one 18^th.  Brian also collected his 3^rd  career points championship title.

Brian reflected “I did know that going into tonight’s season points finale I had a short week coming up due to the 38er on Friday and 76er on Saturday.  I lose about a day and a half of prep time so I wanted to make sure I kept the car straight since it would be a short prep week with both the sportsman and modified car to prep this week.”

Brian continued “We missed the invert in the heat race, so I was rolling off the grid in 18^th and had a few things I wanted to try with the car before the 38er.  I looked at the lineup and knew I had to take it easy in the beginning because I felt there was a high chance there could be some mishaps, especially with drivers knowing that it just may be the last 25 lap sportsman race at the track and their last opportunity to pick up a 25 lap win.”

“Just before completing lap 1; a really big tangle happened exiting turn 4 which I was able to avoid by running the top.  Unfortunately, my nephew didn’t have my good of luck on that and got collected which ended his night.  I restarted 7^th knowing that most of the people in front of me were people that I could race with.  I moved to 6th by the next caution and then 5th before the single file restart on lap 4.  After the single file restart, I went to work trying to make my way to the front.  I knew Smith was fast last week, so beating him to the front this week was going to be a challenge.  I couldn’t beat Smith to the front and moved into second behind him just past halfway.  I had a tough battle trying to get around him until he broke on lap 21 and I inherited the lead.  I think it would have been tough to get him before the finish probably a 50/50 deal.  We were able to restart in the lead and take the win by just under 4 seconds which let me know the car was good in the end.  I picked up win #6 on the season meeting my season goal which was one better than last season’s  5 wins.  So, tonight was my 18^th sportsman win and 3^rd sportsman championship in the same night which tied Jared Umbenhauer for most sportsman wins and championships at Grandview.”  

Brian concluded with “I know this may be the last time I ever get to visit victory lane here at Grandview, but you never know.  Much thanks to the fans, Rogers family and all my sponsors and supports along with my family.  I couldn’t win or do any of this without their help and support.”

Mike Burrows finished 2^nd from his 5^th starting position and has posted two second place finishes in the last two weeks since changing back to his sportsman motor.  Mike noted “We started 2^nd and got stuck on bottom in the heat race but didn’t push it since we were in the handicap for the feature.  We made a lot of changes for the feature but missed one; we should have changed our gear. We took the lead early, then Adie came around the top for the lead on lap 4 but we got it back on the next lap and went back to the top.  We used the top to hold the lead until lap 15 but stayed up top too long and should have moved down to the bottom about the half-way point.  The bottom came in and Smith and Hirthler blew by us since they dropped to the bottom.  That’s two weeks in a row we were leading and then got passed for the lead.”

Adie Delliponti finished 3^rd from her 10^th starting position making her last ride in the Gilmore 7 her best ride in the Gilmore 7.  Adie also secured a top 10 points finish in what appears to be the 60^th and final season at Grandview.

Back at the trailer Adie noted “Tonight we passed on hot laps in the Gilmore 7 and instead hot lapped our new Delliponti family 22a 602 Crate car which we plan to debut at the 38er this Friday.  In the heat we were good right off the bat and went 5^th to 2^nd to qualify in the handicap for the feature.  The only thing we changed for the feature was tires.   In the feature we went from 10^th to 3^rd in one lap due to the 10 car wreck on the bottom.  I found the lead from the top on lap 4 but got passed back by Burrows on lap 5 as the top started to go away after the long red flag.  I got stuck up on top and couldn’t get down until after Kyle Smith and Brian Hirthler went by on the bottom.  Once I got to the bottom, I was able to hold my position and get a 3^rd which was my best finish of the season with the Gilmores at Grandview.”

Adie continued “This was my final race with the Gilmore team, and I want to thank them for all the talks, teaching moments and encouragement that both Kenny and Brett provided me.  It was great to put up our best finish of the season at our final race together and we also moved into a top ten finish in the 2022 Grandview sportsman points standings.”

“For the past two week have been putting together our family 22a crate car and now we are officially ready to race this Friday at the 38er. I will also be racing the 76er in Timmy Buckwalter’s 23XA with our modified motor.  I can’t thank my mom and dad enough for all their support and allowing me to live my dream.”   

Cody Manmiller finished 4^th from a 14^th starting position.  Cody noted “We had a good heat race for a change.  I was able to scoot past a couple cars in the first lap or so, and then drive into a handicapped spot.  In the feature, outside lane was the spot to be on that first wreck and that’s where I was.  I still made contact but thankfully not enough to end the night or send me to the rear.  Car was still pretty good, and I  made some mistakes on corner entry but for the most part I can’t complain with another top 5 finish.”

Cody started the season missing two races but still managed to finish 7^th in the sportsman points standing and post a win, a top five and 6 top ten finishes.

Dakota Kohler finished 5^th from his 12^th starting position and continues to post strong finishes since returning to his torsion bar suspension car.  Dakota has posted a 5^th and two 7^th place finishes in three of his last 4 outings.  Dakota made a late season surge and moved into 6^th in the sportsman final point standing this week.

Dakota noted “We were very good in the heat and were able to get through quick and cleanly to finish 3rd from 6^th which put us 12th for feature.  We were getting a heat cycle through a new set of tires for next week.  For what I was hoping at the start, the car was a little loose and I couldn’t get it adjusted quite enough during the race with what I had, but we were able to get through the first wreck with only a bent right front shock tower that didn’t affect anything the rest of the night.  All in all, it was a good night, and we have something to build off for the 38er.  The bars are getting there, and they are much easier to get to work at Grandview.  We also were able to add a fresh set off shocks on the car this week and it made a world of a difference this week.”

Dylan Hoch finished 6^th from his 15^th starting position but for sure it was not the type of race he wanted with being involved in lap 1 ten car pileup and then driving to the pits for extensive repairs.  Dylan returned with what looked like a topless and half side-less car and made the best of what he had negotiating his damaged car for 25 laps to a 6^th place finish.

Dylan reflected “Yeah it’s just been nothing but bad luck for us lately. It’s very disappointing and frustrating for our team.   We are always in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Can’t seem to catch a break.  We had a good heat race finishing 3rd and the car was fast in the feature.  Probably could have been even faster without a bent front axle and body damage. We will try again one last time this Friday.  Hopefully everyone can calm down a bit for this Friday, so we don’t tear cars up but that’s probably wishful thinking.  I can’t be the only one tired of coming home with a torn up race car every week.”

This season was like the tale of two seasons for Dylan. The first 8 races were full of back to front runs, a win with a streak of 4 straight 4^th place finishes with most races just needing a few more laps to track down the leader.  The second half of the season had better mid-pack starting positions but resulted in more tangles week in and week out. The decent finishes still came but at the cost of a battered race car to work on during the week.

Jimmy Leiby finished 7^th from his 22^nd starting position and posted one of his better finishes in recent weeks with a strong car moving forward.  Jimmy recalled “In the heat the track was super sloppy, so we ended up going to the consolation which we won racing hard with Cole Stangle.   In the feature we stopped with the lap 1 wreck right in front of us, so we were far enough back from it to not be in it.  We missed 3^rd  place in the final point standing by 2 points.  I’m very happy we have a strong car going into the final race of the season at the 38er.”

Cole Stangle finished 8^th from a 24^th starting position.  Cole returned this week after a 5 week absence due to being involved in a heavy wreck which destroyed his chassis 5 weeks ago.  The 20S team has been repairing this car for next week’s 38er and finishing their spec 358 modified for the 76er on Saturday.

Cole noted “It was an OK run, and we were just playing catch up with starting in the back of the heat and then had to go to the consolation.  We did miss the big pile-up in the feature but just didn’t have enough to catch the leaders.”

Jesse Landis finished 9^th from his 26^th starting position.  Jesse commented “In the heat race I had a good start but then got turned on the first lap and ended up in the back of the field.  Starting in the back, really couldn’t go forward.  Started 4th in the consolation and got to 3rd off the start.  I ran as hard as I could and was able to make the feature in the last available spot. Starting last in the feature; I figure ride just ride for a few laps and I was able to miss the big pile up on the first lap.  Made a few passes before the track took rubber then it was all around the bottom so kind of just hung on for a 9th place finish.  Not a great night but rolled onto the trailer in one piece.”

Mike Schneck finished 11^th from his 13^th starting position which was enough for him to take 5^th place in the final point standing after a season long battle with Dakota, Kohler, Cody Manmiller and Parker Guldin.  Mike finished a career best 5^th in the 2022 Grandview point standings.

Mike reflected “Heat race started off good for us; I was going for 5th and then I saw dust flying and quickly went to the outside and didn’t get involved in that one.  We made the handicap, so going into the feature I knew I was sitting good in the points chase with Parker and others.  The feature on the other hand was going good for one lap when I was on the bottom, and I saw the cars stacking and started to go outside and hit a car with the axle and then got hit from behind. We had two flats (one being a brand new 48) and a bent axle that was bent back a good bit.  Glad everyone came running over to help get me back out.  Once we got going, I just kept looking to pass cars and find Parker which I knew I needed to get at least one spot past him when I saw him spinning. Then the red came out and people in the stands said it was Parker flipping.  It just sucks for that to happen to anyone on the track.  The great thing is he was ok and was just banged up a bit.  He is trying to come back for Friday.  I’d much rather have raced Parker on the track and to the checkered to determine our season long points battle.  I was on a junk tire with a bent axle and was still able to keep making passes to move forward to an 11^th.  We’ll take it and move forward to the 38er.”

The Rest of the Story

Last week’s winner Kyle Smith took the lead on lap 15 and was on his way to two wins in a row but on lap 21 he slowed for what appeared to be a broken axle that ended his night with a DNF only 4 laps from the checkered flag.  Kyle reflected “the cover came loose, and the axle just came out right onto the track.  We fixed it tonight and will be ready for 38er and 76er next week.”

Parker Guldin was in a close point battle with Mike Schneck for 5^th in the points standings and carried a 9 point advantage into the feature.  After the lap 1 ten car pileup wreck; Parker moved in front of Mike Schneck from his 25^th starting position while Mike was involved in the 10 car pile-in wreck and dropped to the back of the field.  Parker spun avoiding a slowing car on lap 3 which then put him to the back of the field while Mike moved several positions in front of Parker.  On lap 4 Parker was involved in a tangle which resulted in his car flipping & rolling down the backstretch wall.  Parker was ok and walked away from the incident while his car was towed back to the pits. 

Parker reflected “Luckily I have nothing more than bruises and some soreness and that’s it.  I’ll be good as new by Tuesday or maybe even Monday.  The car wasn’t all that bad either, it was mostly cosmetic with sheet metal, some bumper pockets, shock towers and the engine mount. We are working on it.  You know it was almost identical to my first flip at Bridgeport, except it was on my right side rather than my left side.  Unfortunately, I landed the same way and being stuck upside down like that both times was scary.  The spin was so frustrating because I was going to ram a slowing car on the top but spun to avoid hitting him from the back and being put to the back of the field.  I’m super thankful for the safety team at Grandview, everyone was super nice and very caring.  Also, the amount of help I got back in the pits was amazing.  It humbled me to see the amount of different teams jumping in to help us and offer us parts to get home.”

Parker season may have ended being towed to the pits but he posted a career best season with a win and a 7th place finish in the 2022 sportsman point standings. Parker continues to be hopefully and looks forward to an opportunity to compete in the final 38er this Friday.

Jesse Hirthler ended his season being towed off from the lap 1 pile-in with a 26^th place DNF but still finished 9^th in the sportsman points standing in his rookie season.  Jesse stated “The car wasn’t damaged too bad, and we only had a couple of bolt-on things bent with nothing major damaged.  This season was good, but I need one more thing to make it a great season for me.”

Kaitlyn Bailey finished 17^th from her 21^st starting position.  Kaitlyn qualified for her first Grandview feature by winning her consolation event from the pole.  Back at the trailer Kaitlyn noted “ In the heat we finished 6^th and missed qualifying by one spot.  That set us up with the pole position in our consolation which we turned into our first consolation win and Grandview feature start.  I was able to improve my line in the consolation from the heat race.  In the feature I paid attention to what was in front of me and was able to avoid the lap 1 ten car wreck.  We finished on the led lap, and I will always remember qualifying for my first Grandview feature.”

If there is one car that represents the spirit of Grandview it would be the Leiby # 9.  Over the years there has had a multitude of drivers including Jesse Leiby, Jimmy Leiby, Glenn Strunk, Dakota Kohler, John Leiby and now Molly Strussy who is the latest driver and made her sportsman debut in the past two weeks in the “9M” at Grandview Speedway.   

Molly reflected “I grew up at Grandview with my dad’s cars and drivers and I have always wanted to race at Grandview. I am very grateful to the Leiby family & Jimmy for this opportunity to drive my first crate car in what may be the final days of Grandview Speedway. Whenever I get out of the car I’m mad because I want to go out again because I know I can do better.”

On Friday, pit gates open at 3 pm with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. and racing at 7:30 pm. Adult Grandstand admission is just $5, while children ages 11 and under are admitted for free. Pit admission on Friday is $35, and no license is required. There is no rain date for the Friday event.

On Saturday, September 17, the 52^nd annual Freedom 76 will be run for the 358 Modifieds paying $30,060 to the winner. The program will include qualifying heats, consolation races, a cash dash along with the Schaeffer Racing Minuteman 20 leading to the 76-lap championship feature. Pit gates open at 9 am for inspections, Grandstand ticket windows open at 3 pm. with racing starting at 7 pm. Fans will be able to enter the Grandstand areas between 9 am. and 12 Noon to reserve seats with blankets.

Adult Grandstand tickets on Saturday will be $40, while children ages 6-11 are $10, with children ages 5 and under admitted for free. Pit admission will be $45, and no license is required. There will be no advanced tickets sold for this event, and the rain date is Saturday, September 24.