Adams a grad AND a winner with PASS
Recent graduate Devin Adams worked hard for his high school diploma, then put that work ethic to good use on the race track, earning his first career PA Sprint Series victory in Saturday’s 20-lap feature at Port Royal Speedway.
Adams, a Lebanon resident and Northern Lebanon High graduate, took the lead from Jonathan Jones on the second lap and then held off repeated determined challenges from Jones to score the win in his Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel/Adams Auto Sales/Garden Spot Auto Auction #99A.
“I knew he was there the whole race,” Adams said of Jones in Victory Lane, “and I knew if I could protect the bottom (in turns one and two), then I could hold him off, but I wasn’t sure – it was a little close at the end . . . closer than I’d like.”
Christian Rumsey (Middletown, N.Y., Moreno Rumsey Seal Coating/Joe Algarin Paving/Behrent’s Performance Warehouse #1R) took second, followed by defending PASS points champion Zach Newlin (Millerstown, Smith Concrete & Construction/Heather Sims Realtor/Newport VFW #11Z), Dave Grube II (York Haven, Pa., Spearhead Rentals/MAN Contracting/Chiropractic Athletic #3D) and Jones (Irvona, JJ’s Speed Shop/B&R Self Storage/Bungo’s Tires & Service #12J).
Jones electrified the crowd when he spun in the fourth turn during one last desperate pass attempt for the lead. His car did a complete 360 and kept going, with Jones still salvaging a Top 5 finish.
Completing the Top 10 were Ken Duke Jr. (Selinsgrove, Fairfield Chevrolet/Apache Tree Service/sprintcarunlimited.com #67), Cale Reigle (Newport, Don’s Performance Corner/Holley’s Outdoor Solutions #99), Kassidy Kreitz (Sinking Spring, Rock-It Pizza & Subs/Maxim Chassis/Schannauer Plumbing & Heating #69K), Drew Ritchey (Everett, R&N Tire/LaSalles Racing Engines/Bedford Valley Petroleum #880) and Doug Dodson (Middletown, PowerMist Racing Fuels/Crockett Log Homes/Fastener Specialties #20).
All 26 race starters completed the nonstop feature, with 21 finishing on the lead lap.
Heat races for the 38-car field were won by Scott Ellerman (Landisburg, Gary’s Professional Floor Maintenance/American Legion/Farmers Choice Tire #8D), who finished 11th in the feature; Rumsey; Jones, and Newlin. Kyle Ganoe (Thompsontown, Leisters Garage/DMY Engines/Norlin Warehousing #0), won the 17-car B-Main, in which “Nitro” Nick Sweigart (Myerstown, A.H. Moyer/Ditchcreek Utility Services/C&L Siding & Decks #8) qualified for the feature by charging from 14th starting spot to third in just eight laps.
The evening’s only serious incident came in the third heat, when Wally Eshenauer (Linglestown, RL Snyder Electric/KR McDonald/High Tech Metals/Eshenauer’s #5E) tagged the second-turn wall and rolled, collecting Austin Burks (Saylorsburg, DMI/Sanders Engineering/Ven-Mar Fasteners/Hinchman Racewear #54A) and Rick Romig (Selinsgrove, Quality Homes/Orchard Hills Transport #55E). Both of those cars were able to return to action, but Eshenaur was done for the night.
The Hard Charger Award went to Ganoe, who advanced from his 21st starting position to 13th. Sweigart also advanced eight positions from 23rd to 15th.
Next Saturday, the PASS sprinters return to Hagerstown Speedway for an interregional event co-hosted by the Virginia Sprint Series.
Results from Port Royal Speedway, June 8, 2019
HEAT 1 – 1. 8D-Scott Ellerman; 2. 88-Fred Arnold; 3. 911 Michael Wenrick; 4. 20-Doug Dodson; 5. 44K-Kirsten Hess; 6. 0-Kyle Ganoe; 7. 23T-Samantha Lieberman; 8. 97-Kenny Heffner; 9. 10-Jake Waters; 10. 301-Chad Connor.
HEAT 2 – 1. 1R-Christian Rumsey; 2. 3D-Dave Grube; 3. 99A-Devin Adams; 4. 46-Michael Alleman; 5. 11X-Robert Garvey; 6. 51-Dave Graber; 7. 1st-Steve Surniak; 8. 53W-Jimmy White; 9. 8-Nick Sweigart; 10. 69-Eric Mathiot.
HEAT 3 – 1. 12J-Jonathan Jones; 2. 880-Drew Ritchey; 3. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 4. 83-Larry McVey; 5. 55-Dominic Melair; 6. 69P-Landon Price; 7. 54A-Austin Burke; 8. 55B-Rick Romig; 9. 5E-Wally Eshenaur.
HEAT 4 – 1. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 2. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 3. 99-Cale Reigle; 4. 19-Kruz Kepner; 5. 2-Erin Statler; 6. 13-Kurt Knepper; 7. 80-Dave Wickham; 8. 1-Tom Carberry; 9. 50-Jay Krout.
B-MAIN – 1. 0-Kyle Ganoe; 2. 69P-Landon Price; 3. 8-Nick Sweigart; 4. 51-Dave Graber; 5. 10-Jake Waters; 6. 13-Kurt Knepper; 7. 23-Samantha Lieberman; 8. 97-Kenny Heffner; 9. 1st-Steve Surniak; 10. 1-Tom Carberry; 11. 50-Jay Krout; 12. 53W-Jimmy White; 13. 80-Dave Wickham; 14. 55B-Rick Romig; 15. 69-Eric Mathiot; 16. 301-Chad Connor; 17. 54A-Austin Burke; 18. 5E-Wally Eshenaur (DNS).
FEATURE – 1. 99A-Devin Adams; 2. 1R-Christian Rumsey; 3. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 4. 3D-Dave Grube; 5. 12J-Jonathan Jones; 6. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 7. 99-Cale Reigle; 8. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 9. 880-Drew Ritchey; 10. 20-Doug Dodson; 11. 8D-Scott Ellerman; 12. 11X-Robert Garvey; 13. 0-Kyle Ganoe; 14. 88-Fred Arnold; 15. 8-Nick Sweigart; 16. 83-Larry McVey; 17. 46-Mike Alleman; 18. 69P-Landon Price; 19. 911-Michael Wenrick; 20. 44K-Kirsten Hess; 21. 10-Jake Waters; 22. 19-Kruz Kepner; 23. 2-Erin Statler; 24. 55-Dominic Melair; 25. 51-Dave Graber; 26. 13-Kurt Knepper.