September 28, 2024

Kenny Bock (6) and Teague Miller (918) at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

Sportsman Pit Notes 5/11/24 & 6/01/24 – Logan Watt and Kenny Bock Split Grandview Speedway Twin Sportsman Wins

Logan Watt charged from his 15th starting position to pass rookie Teague Miller for the lead on lap 20 and post his second win of the season in the May 11th 25 lap makeup feature.

Rookie Teague Miller took the lead at the green and lead for 19 laps until Logan Watt took over the lead on lap 20 and pulled away from the field to take the checkered flag by a 3 second margin over 2nd place Brett Gilmore and Teague Miller in 3rd.

Logan Watt taking the checkered flag at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN (FEATURE FROM MAY 11) FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): 1. LOGAN WATT (14), 2. Brett Gilmore (10), 3. Teague Miller (2), 4. TJ Mayberry (6), 5. Adrianna Delliponti (16), 6.Shannon Slaughter (1), 7. Mike Stofflet (4), 8. Brett Grim (5), 9. Dylan Swinehart (15), 10. Addison Meitzler (13), 11. Logan Bauman (11), 12. Ryan Graver (190, 13. Decker Swinehart (15), 14. Jesse Landis (9), 15. Mike Schneck Jr. (12), 16. Jesse Hirthler (25), 17. Parker Guldin (20), 18. Zach Steffey (3), 19. Ronnie Solomon (23), 20. Nathan Mohr (17), 21. Nate Horn (22), 22. Joey Vaccaro(7), 23. Troy Bollinger (24), 24. Kenny Bock (23), 25. Mark Mohr (8)

DID NOT QUALIFY: Gavyn Krupp, Colton Perry, Mark Gaugler, Kaitlyn Bailey, Stephen Laubach, BJ Joly, Jesse Hirthler, Zane Roth, Steve Young

GRANDVIEW $100 HARD CHARGER: Logan Watt +14

5/11/24 – SPORTSMAN PIT NOTES

Logan Watt in victory lane. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

Logan Watt won the May 11th makeup sportsman feature from his 15th starting position.  Logan moved into 2nd on lap 10 and took over the lead from Teague Miller on lap 20 to take the checkered flag by a 3 second margin over 2nd place Brett Gilmore.

In victory lane Logan reflected “The top was dominant and fast for the entire race.  Rookie Teague ran a great race.  I was worried about Brett, and he runs the bottom well, but once I got clear of Teague, I was able to open up some space with only had 5 laps to go.”

Logan Watt (4) and Gavyn Krupp (5) at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

Logan commented “ Our car was great in both features, went from 15th to 1st in the first feature and in the second feature I went 15th to 6th.”

“In the first feature car was good on top and bottom and I was able to maneuver the car through traffic. Once I got to 2nd place, I was able to get into a rhythm and run down Teague then throw a slider for the winning pass.”

“For the second feature we just changed tires and that was it. The car was still really fast, and I was able to maneuver through traffic, but I just ran out of laps.”

Brett Gilmore (7) and Shannon Slaughter (7s) at Grandview. Photo Credit: Poppa Peppers Photos

Brett Gilmore finished 2nd from his 10 starting position and posted his best finish of the season.  Brett is currently 6th in the early season points standings and is putting up some solid weekly finishes despite actually testing equipment for the 2025 season.

Brett stated “Well to start the night I opted to skip out on warmups because we knew the car would be good.  Went out in the heat and started 5th. Got put into the infield on the first lap. Restarted last with the guy who got me and once again he tried to put me in the infield.  Don’t like racing with him.  Even though we had to restart in the back of the heat our car doesn’t make a ton of mistakes and I made some moves that got us to 3rd.”

Brett Gilmore at Grandview. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

“First feature I put on some new tires on the rear and dropped stagger a little.  The car was hooked up from the start, but I knew Watt wasn’t far behind me.  I ran the top a bit, but I was better on the bottom of 1-2 so I made moves there and tried to get some spots in 3-4 on the top.  Restart after a caution had me 4th and I got the Mayberry on the top then made the move under my teammate in 1-2 on the bottom which got me up to 2nd.  I thought I was fast until Watt passed me off of turn 4.  He’s so fast, but I love racing with the kid.  Got Teague with 1 to go and finished 2nd looking at Watt’s bumper up in the distance.”

“In the 2nd feature I changed right rears and started 10th but knew about 10 laps in that I wasn’t going to be as good.  I was up to 8th but was entirely too loose. Missed the stagger and ended up 10th but still had a ton of fun running two features in one night.  This car is fast for sure.”

Teague Miller at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

Teague Miller finished 3rd from his 2nd starting and the true racing rookie driver posted his career best finish in the makeup feature only to tie it with another 3rd place finish in the second sportsman feature of the night.  Teague is in his first year of racing of any kind, so to post two 3rd place finishes in one night at Grandview is quite exceptional for a rookie driver…any driver.

Back at the trailer Teague reflected “I am in my first year of any kind of racing so to plop down two 3rd place finishes at Grandview in one night is hard to believe and makes me very happy for my entire team that has worked so hard to get us dialed today.  We actually just figured the car out this morning around 1:00 AM after the car was continuing to lay down in the corners at Big Diamond on Friday night.  We changed everything electrical and ended up with a rocket for tonight.”

Teague Miller (917) and Troy Bollinger (35) at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

“In the makeup feature, I started running the top and led for 20 laps but made a few mistakes which allowed Logan to get by me.  I was still very happy with the 3rd place finish in the makeup feature.”

“In the regular feature Bock got the lead on lap 1 and I was moving back in on him before the red flag came out on lap 14.  We were running a 48 tire, but they sealed so I couldn’t chase Bock down after the red flag.  I made a mistake and went high which allowed Stofflet to get by me on lap 23 for 2nd place.   I never dreamed we would put together a night like tonight and post two 3rd place finishes at Grandview in one night.”

TJ Mayberry (777) in pits at Grandview. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

TJ Mayberry finished 4th from his 7th starting position in the May 11 makeup and followed in the second feature with another 4th place finish.  TJ has been in contention to win every race this season and just needs some improved racing luck to get it done.

TJ stated “I feel like we’ve had a strong car all year but just haven’t had the luck to go with it until tonight.  The track was great for both features with 2 grooves to race on. I felt like we were just a tick off from where we wanted to be.  The car was solid, and we just needed to find more grip. Had great initial starts in both features which is where I gained my positions.   Overall, we were very happy with two top 5 runs and no damage to the car.”

Adrianna Delliponti (23ax) ; Logan Bauman (14) and Zack Steffy (47). Photo Credit: SDS Photography

Adrianna Delliponti finished 5th from her 17th starting position in the 5/11 makeup feature.  In the 2nd feature the tire selected (50) did not fire and then she was involved in a tangle sending her to the rear of the field.

Andrianna reflected “In the makeup feature I ran the bottom and got stuck behind some cars so I probably should have tried to move around more but we finished a solid 5th from 17th start spot.”

Andrianna Delliponti at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

“In our heat race a few weeks ago we were involved in a tangle on the first lap which bent the car, but I was still able to drive it and finish the heat.  It was a mad scramble to try to get to the front of the field and the only way was to go where they were not.  I was able to pick up the 5th and last transfer spot on the last lap of the heat.  At Grandview every spot counts in qualifying and in points for sure.”  

In the second feature we made the wrong tire call.  With three features running on the track, we thought the track may be abrasive by the 3rd feature, so we went with a 50 tire that never fired.  That lead to us running around the back of the field and getting in a tangle, but we were very fortunate to not have any damage to the car.  The second feature was very frustrating, but we were happy to not have a wrecked car.”

Shannon Slaughter (7S) at Grandview Speedway. Photo by Scott Bender

Shannon Slaughter finished 6th from her pole starting position and posted her best finish of the season.

Shannon reflected “The make-up feature was my first A main start at Grandview and my first big car feature.  So, with no feature experience, I was a little nervous starting in the front row, but I focused on trying to run the bottom efficiently and consistently and for the small number of laps I have in the car. I’m pretty happy with my run in the car tonight.  The car felt great, especially early on. The track changed a lot during the race, so I was trying my best to adapt to the changing track conditions.  Running the bottom takes some discipline and I need to work on getting better running down on the bottom of the track but nonetheless I learned an awful lot tonight. I’m starting to feel more comfortable in the car. It’s great running for the Gilmores and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to even be there racing.”

6/01/24 – SPORTSMAN FEATURE

Kenny Bock in victory lane at Grandview. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

The second sportsman feature saw true rookie driver Teague Miller back in the front row, but it was Kenny Bock taking the lead on lap 1 which is where he stayed until the checkered flag flew to take his first win of the season.

Kenny Bock took the lead on the opening lap and held on through a lap 14 red flag to take the green to checkered win by a one second plus margin of victory over 2nd place Michael Stofflet who closing on Bock in the final laps.  Teague Miller posted a 2nd podium finish of the day with a 3rd place finish.  

Kenny Bock at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN 6-01 FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): 1. KENNY BOCK (2), 2. Mike Stofflet (4), 3. Teague Miller (1), 4. TJ Mayberry (4), 5. Brett Grim (5), 6. Logan Watt (15), 7. Ryan Graver (14), 8. Joey Vaccaro (7), 9. Gavyn Krupp (9), 10. Brett Gilmore (10), 11. Dakota Kohler (8), 12. Addison Meitzler (13), 13. Nate Horn (12), 14. Parker Guldin (18), 15. Nathan Mohr (20), 16. Dylan Swinehart (16), 17. Decker Swinehart (23), 18. Mike Schneck Jr. (22), 19. Adrianna Delliponti (17), 20. Ronnie Solomon (11), 21. Jesse HIrthler (21), 22. Brian Hirthler (25), 23. Mark Mohr (26), 24. Logan Bauman (24), 25. Cody Manmiller (19), 26. Lawson Szerencits (3)

DID NOT QUALIFY: Jesse Landis, Zach Steffey, Kaitlyn Bailey, Shannon Slaughter, Michael Toth, Troy Bollinger, Stephen Laubach, Zane Roth, Marl Kemmerer, Steve Young, Colton Perry, Nick Faust, Randy Graber

GRANDVIEW $100 HARD CHARGER: Logan Watt +9

6/01/24 RACE # 5 – SPORTSMAN PIT NOTES  

Kenny Bock and dad in pits at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: Scott Bender

Kenny Bock finished 1st from his 2nd starting position to post his first win of the season as he mercifully turn around his luck which until now has been nothing but odd parts failures and wrong place wrong time wrecks that would end his night.

In victory lane Kenny reflected “Our luck this season has just been awful so in the makeup feature, I elected to start in the back and just checkout the car and track for the 2nd feature where I was starting on the front row.”

“In the 2nd feature I found out right away that the top was the fast way around and when Cody lost a motor, I was able to stay clear of any ancillary incidents this time (change of luck change).  The timing of the cautions was good for us as it was just when I was starting to catch lapped traffic.  I tried to keep the right rear cool under caution but was still nervous about the tire holding up after the restart.   I had a used 50 on the right rear and with about five laps to go I was struggling getting into the corner, but I could drive off so dropped down a lane and was able to take the checkered flag for our first win of the 2024 season.”

Mike Stofflet (38) and Teague Miller (917) at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: Scott Bender

Mike Stofflet finished 2nd from his 4th starting position to post his best finish of the season and he coupled that with a 7th place finish in the makeup feature for an outstanding double header result – 7th and 2nd place.

Mike noted “In the make-up feature I think we were strong but struggled at the same time. I think our tire choice hurt us a little with the yellows in the beginning. I was not able to get the tire to temperature but once we got a good green flag run the tires started to come in.  I also made a few driver errors, but we still managed a 7th place finish in the make-up feature.”

“After the first feature we had an overheating issue that the guys went right to work on so we could make it back out for the second feature and of course after they fixed that we found a starter issue on top of it.”

Mike Stofflet (38) and TJ Mayberry (777) at Grandview Speedway. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

Second feature went as planned for the most part, I bought sometime in the beginning even though Mayberry was putting the pressure on, and I could feel him back there but once the tires started to come in, we started reeling Miller and Bock back in as they approached lapped traffic.  But then unfortunately we had a red flag come out.  After the red flag, our transmission decided that first gear was no longer an option and it was making noises in high, but things had been going so well I just decided I made the decision to stay running and just pray that transmission would hold together. Once the green came out again, it took a little time for the tires to regain the heat and once, they did I was able to move around outstanding rookie Teague Miller and into 2nd. I then set sail on catching Bock who also had a good night going, but it was too little too late, and we ended up second.”

“All in all, it was a great night to hopefully we can build some momentum and add to my desire to get that first Grandview win. The research and time we spent building the new car for this season has definitely produced a huge an increase in our on-track performance.  Being able to drive a such responsive car makes it much easier to do what needs to be done and make passes while running with the big dogs at Grandview.   I feel we now have a car that will do what I tell it to do every lap and the handling never changes in any lane, it will make the driver consistent, which is hopefully beginning to show for us already.”  

Brett Grim (611) and Mike Stofflet (38) at Grandview. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

Brett Grim finished 5th his 5th starting position to post his best finish of the season along with an 8th place finish in the earlier makeup feature.

Brett stated “We finished 8th in the makeup feature and made some minor spring changes for the 2nd feature which made a “night and day” difference during the 5th place run in the second feature. “

“This is my 5th race in this car and I’m learning every lap and developing my perceptions of who is on my outside and who is on my inside.  My dad always told me I would be tired after a race, and I always said nah, but he was right, and I am tired.  I got to thank Ron Seltmann, Grandpop and Dad for making this ride a dream come true for me.  I have loved this place since I was a kid.  If I won the lottery, I would buy this place and keep it just as it is.”

Brett Grim & family ready to go. Photo Credit: SDS Photography

Next up on Saturday, June 8 will be a two-division program under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner for the T.P. Trailer 358 Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman. The program will consist of qualifying races leading up to the 30-lap Modified and 25-lap Sportsman main events.  Pit gates open at 4:00 and Spectator gates at 5:00 with hot laps at 6:00 and racing at 7:30.

Teague Miller in pits prepping for hot laps. Photo Credit: SDS Photography