First Time Winner Dylan Adams joins former champs Hitzler and Whary as winners
Dylan Adams made the choice to come home early from senior week to compete in Friday’s Jersey Joe’s Boardwalk Café 270 Micro Sprint racing. Adams, who came from a 19th starting spot to finish fifth in the last 270 Micro Sprint feature at Linda’s Speedway shared the front row for the feature event Friday with his younger brother Devin. Dylan jumped into the race lead at the drop of the green flag wile Brandon Firestine moved into second. Firestine has lead over 80% of the laps in the last two 270 Micro Sprint feature races, but doesn’t have as much as a top five to show for it with bad luck striking both times. Firestine spent much of the feature tailing Adams. On lap 16 the two entered into thick lap traffic and Firestine closed right to Adams rear bumper. Adams was able to fend off the first charge, but with three to go Adams was again in the same spot behind lap traffic. Firestine got to the rear bumper of Adams again. Adams had to make a big move to hold the lead and the potential win. He did just that clearing the lap cars. Firestine stayed close, but not close enough to take away Adams first Linda’s Speedway win. Mike Boyer had a great run from seventh to third and capitalized on a rough night for point leader Tommy Kunsman. The race went green to checkered with Boyer spending much of the race trying to catch the race leaders. Logan Diehl and Pat Bealer, a pair of former National Open champions, were fourth and fifth.
Devin Adams, Kyle Weiss, 20th starting Dane Lane, 22nd starter Tommy Kunsman, and Ken Miller were the top ten finishers. Heat race wins went to Bealer and Weiss.
Steve Whary has had a dismal year in the Hoosier Tire Wingless 600 Micro Sprints. Whary, who is a former champion in the class, has been plagued with bad luck. Friday night he took advantage of a good starting spot and drove to his first win of the season. Whary led each lap, but not without challenged from Jacob Severn through the whole event. Severn was never in a better position than in lap traffic on lap 17 when the yellow flag gave Whary the open race track once again. Whary and Severn took spot one and two in the finishing order with Tommy Kunsman rounding out the top three. Zach Bealer and Tyler Brehm jumped into the top five finish spots. They were followed across the line by Nash Ely, Bj Anotnio, Devin Gundrum, Dustin Stolzfus, and Dakota Barlet. Heat races for the 600 Micro Sprints went to Ely, Brehm, and Gundrum.
In the Gutshall’s Automotive 125 Micro Sprint make up feature from a May 12th rain out, Tyler Hershey wrestled the race lead away from Jas Hehnly early on, then Austin Graby, and held off challenged from Mike Glass and Zach Hollinger to grab his first career Linda’s Speedway win. Hershey’s win came over Glass, Hollinger, Hehnly, and Kalani Adams.
The second feature of the night for the 125 Micro Sprints presented a three car battle between Glass, Hershey, and Hollinger. Glass drove away from the battle between Hershey and Hollinger as they swapped the second spot lap after lap. Hollinger finally secured the runner up spot, but was not close enough to make the pass of Glass. A red flag late in the race for a Kalani Adams flip gave Hollinger a shot. Adams was ok. Hollinger took advantage of the restart with just two laps to go as he made the pass of Glass. Hollinger only led one lap, but it was the most important one. Hollinger led lap 20 and took his first checkered flag of the season as the defending champion. Glass finished second ahead of Tyler Hershey, Nate Gibble, and Brandon Stuck. Adams, Dylan Barlip, Ron Wechter, Austin Graby, and Jas Hehnly were the top ten finishers.
Glass won the heat race for the 125 Micro Sprints.
It’s never over until it’s over was a theme Friday night and that was certainly the case in race three of the Poker Series for the Alpine Building Supply 600 Modifieds. The most recent Modified feature winner Josh Bewely showed the way in the early laps of the feature event while holding off advances from Charles Bowers. Dylan McCrone took over the second spot on lap six and began to close in on the race leader. As a longer green flag run ensued, things settled into a rhythm with Bewely keeping McCrone at a distance. Just past half way Bewely began to show signs of a problem as his car slowed at times. By lap 12 of the 20 lap feature McCrone had caught the race leader and was making the pass to go into the race lead. While the battle for the lead was taking place former champion Richie Hitzler was working his way into the fray from his tenth starting spot. Hitzler moved past a recovering Bewely for the second spot. Then a yellow flag came out. McCrone elected to take the outside line for the restart putting Hitzler on the bottom. Hitzler used a good restart to make the pass of McCrone on his way to the checkered flag. Hitzler took the win over McCrone by .291 seconds. Charles Bowers, Josh Bewely, and Austin Bishop rounded out the top five finishers. Scott Gesford, Jason Dunkleberger, Scott Heilman, Sam Scicchotano, and Ray Gradwell completed the top ten finishers. Bishop and Bewely were the heat race winners for the Modifieds.
Friday night marked the first night of point handicapping for the Appalachian Auto Chargers. The opportunity was used by Chris Cunnane. Cunnane took advantage of the front row starting spot he had to lead the first five laps of the feature event on Friday. Cunnane spun while leading coming to put lap six on the board, handing the race lead over to Shjon Dove. Dove, the defending rookie of the year, led the next five laps before Jeremy Ott moved past into the race lead. Dove car sounded like it was ailing as he tried to limp it to the checkered flag. Once out front, Ott drove away from a fantastic battle between Dove, Charles Wengard, and Eric Hollenbach. Ott took his second checkered flag of the season over Wengard and Hollenbach. Dove and Aaron Updegraff rounded out the top five finishers. Sixth through tenth spots went to Chucky Kimmel, Josh Demmy, Chris Smith, Josh Michael, and Jim Dove. Heat races for the Chargers were won by Cunnane, Wengerd, and Josh Michael.
Next Friday, June 23, will offer two feature events for the Wingless 600 Micro Sprints presented by Hoosier tire Mid Atlantic. The 600 Micro Sprints will race in a make up feature from May 12 along with a full nights racing program. Joining the 600 Micro Sprints will be the Jersey Joe’s Boardwalk café 270 Micro Sprints, Slingshots in twin 12’s, and Appalachian Auto Chargers. Gates open at 5:30 and practice starts at 7.
For more information on the speedway or any of the upcoming event 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.
