Logan Watt Grabs Biggest Win Of Career Saturday; Wins Speed Showcase Sportsman Feature At Port Royal

Story By: BRETT DEYO / SHORT TRACK SUPER SERIES – PORT ROYAL, PA – Logan Watt led every circuit of the ‘Ice Less 50’ at Port Royal on Saturday, running the bottom groove flawlessly and besting Kyle Smith and Stephen Kemery to collect the $4,000 winner’s share.

Boyertown, Pa.’s Watt won his qualifying race on Friday and pulled the No. 1 chip during the Saturday afternoon redraw, sharing the front row with Smith, who placed 2nd in his Friday preliminary event. Kemery started 12th and was 3rd in his qualifier.

Watt set a fast pace early, handling lapped traffic on a lengthy green flag run to start the event with Smith well behind him, but Smith got better as the race went on and the caution flags began to wave, setting up shorter runs.

Eighth starter Steve Davis was running fifth when he came up lame on a lap-27 restart and retired from the event. On the ensuing restart, Dylan Madsen spun from eighth position bringing out another caution. Madsen won his consolation race and had climbed from 27th spot in the early going.

On lap 34, a 16-car pileup on the backstretch brought out the red flag. Logan Bauman, Brian Papiez, Daryl Nutting and Brandon Edgar were recipients of extensive damage. Three laps later, the race was halted again as David Burns collided with a slowing Scott Hitchens, resulting in a wild roll by Burns. All drivers involved in both incidents were okay.

Following those stoppages, Smith came to life, challenging Watt more seriously than he had at any other point.

While Watt clung to the inside, Smith ran the outside through turns one and two and followed Watt to the bottom in the other end. Brian Krummel tried an even higher line to get around Smith but in doing so left the door open for Kemery.

The final caution came with just four laps remaining. Smith was all over Watt’s back bumper when it did, and the impending green flag climax was turned into a single-file restart duel.

Kemery executed a slide job on Smith for second, but Smith used the crossover move to retake the runner-up position. He reeled Watt back in but ran out of time to make the pass. Brian Krummel finished behind Kemery in 4th and Dylan Swinehart finished 5th.

“The top, it was a very fine line up there. If you could really work it, it was OK,” Watt observed. “I just knew the bottom was going to be the fastest way, so I figured I’d hunker down there and just be patient.”

It was the 13-year-old’s second STSS victory of the season, his first coming at Cherokee Speedway in South Carolina.

“It’s been a very great year for us…I’ve been thinking of this race for a long time now and to win it is pretty cool,” he said.

Smith was all smiles after the race despite the late restart sealing his fate.

“It was just tough to actually get there and I’m not the kind of person who’s going to wreck anybody, even for four grand…I was either going to pass him clean or not pass him at all,” he said. “I like to run the bottom, but Logan did not move from the bottom for the entire race, so I just had to do something different.”

Third place finisher Kemery had the softer, 48 compound right-rear tire on his No. 69 machine for the 50-lap affair, shaving a significant amount of tread off and leaving him to wonder if things may have been different with a harder tire.

“I think I was just way too free which caused [the tire wear]. I’m used to the 53 (compound tire) and we were debating on it, especially starting 12th. I probably should have gone to it since that’s the tire I run week in and week out…That’s just a bad choice on me but in the end, I think it is what it is,” he said.

Josh Coonradt wired the field to win the 30-lap main for the Pro Stocks, with Jason Morrison, Luke Horning, Kenny Gates and Bret Belden in tow.

The STSS Crate Sportsman South Region will be back in action on Saturday, October 29th at the Georgetown Speedway during Mid-Atlantic Championship Weekend, when they will accompany the STSS Halmar International Elite Modified Series. The STSS Modifieds will be at the Orange County Fair Speedway Friday, October 21st for the ‘Hard Clay Finale,’ a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event for the River Valley Builders North Region.

Feature Finish (50 laps): LOGAN WATT, Kyle Smith, Stephen Kemery, Brian Krummel, Dylan Swinehart, Tanner Warner, Joe Toth, Thomas Sherby, Dylan Madsen, Cody Manmiller, Ryan Simmons, Chip Constantino, Dave DePietro, Eric Kormann, Brian Hughes, Tom Princiotta, Ryan Godown, Jr., Walter Hammond, Jim Harbison, Justin Comes, Matt Guererri, Craig Whitmoyer, Joe Judge, David Burns, Scott Hitchens, Brandon Edgar, Trent Willey, Carter Crooker, Logan Bauman, Brian Papiez, Daryl Nutting, Dakota Kohler, Steve Davis, Brad Grim, Brad Brightbill, Ethan Bill, Nick DeSantis

Did Not Qualify: Matt Yoder, Kreg Crooker, Johnny Bangs, David Miloszar, Mike Schane, Brandon Watkins, Chris Grbac, David Dickey, Adam Taft, Jim DeArmitt, Billy Fiske, Dakota Green, Kolyn Schane, AJ Digsby, Joey Vaccaro, Shawn McPhee, John McPhee, Doug Kline, Chris Kugler, Alan Hammond, Thomas Prychka, Tajae Adams, Josh Kane, Matt Ellery, Eric Williams, Sean Metz, Ben Feldman, Isabel Barron, Zack Welch, Bobby Watkins, Isabella VanOrden, George Gareis, Walter Hammond, Greg Crooker, Jim O’Hara, Kyle Smith (No. 212), Zac Weller, Logan Starr

Accurate Collision Halfway Leader Bonus ($100): Logan Watt
American Racer/Lias Tire Bonus (FREE Tire Certificate): Cody Manmiller (10th)
Beyea Custom Headers Redraw Bonus ($25): Eric Kormann (Redrew 11th)
Belmont’s Garage First Non-Qualifier Bonus ($100): Matt Yoder
Belmont’s Garage Hard Charger Bonus ($100): Joe Toth (36th to 7th)
Belmont’s Garage Qualifying Race Winners ($250 each): Brian Krummel, Logan Watt, David Burns, Steve Davis, Tanner Warner
Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz Halfway Leader ($200): Logan Watt
Fastline Performance Bonuses ($100 Certificates): Kyle Smith (No. 77, second) & Chip Constantino (12th)
NG Promotions Hard Luck Award ($200): David Burns