Buckwalter Sweeps Str & 600; Bieber back to back
Tim Buckwalter went two for two with two very different feature victories Friday night at Linda's Speedway in an Action Track Takeover night. Brett Bieber joined Buckwalter in victory lane as the Slingshot winner.
Tim Buckwalter set the quick time for the night and followed up quick time with a heat race win in the Usac All Pro Speedstrs on Friday night. Buckwalter drew an inversion pill of zero to give himself a front row starting spot. Joining him on row one was the most recent Speedstr winner Steve Drevicki.
Buckwalter bolted to the race lead early on with Drevicki in chase. It was on lap ten that Drevicki found grip on the high side of the race track to run around Buckwalter into the top spot. The next restart would be the tale of the tape though with Drevicki choosing the inside line for the restart and Buckwalter using the outside to take the race lead back.
Once Buckwalter was back in the front he was there to stay while Drevicki had to fend of challenges from Tom Mayberry, Tyler Ross, and Jeff Hartman.
Drevicki gave one last shot on a lap 24 restart but to no avail. Buckwalter was still able to get away from the runner up as the laps clicked down.
It was Buckwalter's first win of the season at Linda's Speedway and it followed a win on Wednesday at Action Track to give him a sweep of the week.
Drevicki finished in second ahead of Mayberry. Tyler Ross recovered from a spin to finish fourth came from 17th to finish in fifth.
Mike Bednar was the sixth car across the line ahead of John Bockhorn and Jeff Hartman. Hartman started 18th and was battling for second when his car broke on the closing lap. Brandon Auman and Briggs Danner closed out the top ten finishers.
Buckwalter was the quick timer for the timed dashes. Buckwalter and Tyler Ross were heat race winners.
Buckwalter swept the week in Speedstr racing but had a similar idea in the wingless 600 Micro Sprint race presented by Hoosier tire on Friday night as he looked to sweep the night. The challenge ahead for Buckwalter was he would have to come from 20th to do it.
Tommy Kunsman wrestled the top spot away from early race leader Sam Kravitsky on lap seven. By lap nine, with help in part to an opening lap accident that involved ten cars, Buckwalter was into the top five. Once halfway was on the board Buckwalter was second in chase of Kunsman for the race lead.
Kunsman caught lap traffic and as the leader had the disadvantage of making the decisions first while Buckwalter followed in chase. Once Buckwalter saw he shot he dove for it making a three wide pass of Kunsman and the lap car. Kunsman tried to retake the lead in the next corner, but he was stuck on the inside while Buckwalter used the momentum on the outside line.
Once out front Buckwalter stretched his lead out taking his first 600 Micro Sprint win of the season as well. Kunsman finished in second. Buckwalter wasn't the only Hard Charger. Zach Bealer followed Buckwalter through the field. Bealer started 19th and ended up third. Kravitsky and Ryan Groff closed out the top five finishers.
Brandon Heist lead the cars sixth through tenth. Ben McGowen, Dakota Barlet, Devin Gundrum, Billy Koch, and Kenny Harris were the top ten finishers.
Heat races were won by Tyler Brehm, Billy Koch, and Brandon Heist. Bealer was the consolation winner.
Brett Bieber is the driver with the most wins in Slingshot history at Linda's Speedway. Bieber had hit a low spot last year when he was struggling to get his program rolling to the standard he sets. He's is back in full swing in 2017. Bieber dominated the Slingshot feature event leading all 20 laps in route to his second straight Slingshot win at the speedway.
In a race that timed in just over five minutes Bieber ran away from fellow front toe starter Chuck Whary. Whary battled with Mike Glass before Glass secured second. By the time Glass moved to the second spot Bieber had opened up the lead pretty substantially. Alex Yankowski made some quick early moves to come from sixth to run in third spot in chase of Glass. The top three was stay that way from lap six to the end of the race. Dakota Kohler and Jason Edison were the top five finishers.
Cole Stangle, Austin Daniels, Chuck Whary, Joe Toth, and Ronnie Spitler made up the top ten finishers from the feature event on Friday night for the Slingshots.
Bieber won the heat race.
Linda's Speedway returns June 16th with the Jersey Joes Boardwalk Cafe 270 Micro Sprints, Hoosier Tire Wingless 600 Micro Sprints, Alpine Building Supply Modifieds, Appalachian Auto Chargers, and the Gutshall's Automotive 125 Micro Sprints plus a makeup feature from May 12.
Action Track swings back into racing Wednesday June 14th with Scout Night.
For more information on Linda's speedway or any of the upcoming events you can visit LindasSpeedway.com or follow the speedway on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You can also call the speedway hotline at 717-865-5330.
