Column By: TOM WENNER / RPW – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – Addison Meitzler, son of retired veteran modified driver Terry Meitzler has been away from racing for several years.
Meitzler has not been away from the race tracks as he has been a mechanic on the Brett Kressley Racing team for several seasons.
His father Terry has 23 Grandview Speedway feature wins from July ’91 to July ‘2013, along with being the 1999 Grandview Speedway Modified Champion. Addison himself carved out a successful modified career before stepping away from competition to do family things.
Addison is good friends with Brett Kressley and has supported Brett in the pits at several tracks over the years. In ’22, long time Grandview Speedway car owner Rick Fenstermaker, who has fielded race cars dating back well into the 80’s for many successful drivers entered into the fray.
Rick, The Kressley family and veteran racer Mike Myers put together a Bicknell Sportsman Modified for Addison Meitzler and started racing late in ’22 season. The venture at the time was to prepare for the high paying Freedom 38er. Addison Meitzler put the newly built Bicknell #712 into the Grandview Speedway 38er field and raced to a strong 6th place finish.
Once the announcement was released that Grandview Speedway would remain a race track in ‘23, The famed #712 would return to Sportsman competition in 2023. Heading into the Saturday Firecracker 40 event, Addison sat 7th in Sportsman points.
Lady Luck has not been on the #712’s side this season, but that changed on Saturday when Addison and the Fenstermaker 712 team authored a strong charge in the $3050 to win Firecracker 40. Addison becomes the 10th different Sportsman winner at Grandview Speedway.
There are no repeat Sportsman winners in the division. Meitzler joins Brian Hirthler, Logan Watt, Kyle Smith, Hunter Iatalese, Ryan Graver, Decker Swinehart, Logan Bauman, Ronnie Soloman, and Mike Schneck Jr. The racing and competition in the Sportsman division is now ultra competitive and stacked with talent that is well experienced, and loaded with young guns who can mash the gas.
Kaitlyn Bailey and Nicholas Hamm led the 28 car T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman to the Firecracker 40 green flag.
Kaitlyn Bailey in the Top of Hill Grill and Meat Shop #10k drove to the early lead with Nicholas Hamm, BJ Joly, Molly Struss, and Zach Steffy in chase mode.
At the 5 down mark of the event Bailey was maintaining the pace out front with Hamm, Joly, Struss and Dakota Kohler the Top 5.
The yellow lights were flashing at lap 8 for the first caution of the event. Brad Brightbill was stopped in turn 4. The field was restacked with Kaitlyn Bailey being shown as the race leader, Nicholas Hamm in 2nd, BJ Joly 3rd, Molly Struss 4th, Dakota Kohler 5th, Zach Steffy 6th, Nathan Horn 7th, TJ Mayberry 8th, Addison Meitzler 9th, and Colton Perry 10th. Logan Watt, Grandview Speedway Sportsman Point Leader who had driveline failure in the 4m in his heat and had to qualify in the consolation race was being shown in 18th from his P25 starting spot.
On the restart Nicholas Hamm went after Kaitlyn Bailey and the lead. Hamm was successful in taking charge of the race lead. Bailey dropped to 2nd. Joly, Struss, Steffy continued to be the Top 5.
At the lap 10 click of the lap counter Nicolas Hamm was the man in charge with Bailey, Struss, Joly and Steffy chasing him now.
As we reached the lap 15 mark of the event the field was stretching apart and battles were happening everywhere on the track. Race Leader Nicholas was breaking away from the front of the pack with the lead. Dakota Kohler who was racing around 5th-6th had a great lap 10 restart and drove around Joly, Struss and Bailey and was now scored 2nd. Addison Meitzler in the RTR Lawn Care #712 was now 3rd, Bailey was 4th and Struss 5th. As you looked further back in the field Brian Hirthler and Logan Watt were waging war for 11th and 12th, just outside of the Top 10.
The field clicked off lap 20 the halfway mark of the race and Nicholas Hamm was speeding away out front. Addison Meitzler was running 2nd and searching for a lane to rundown the race leader. Kohler, Ryan Graver, and TJ Mayberry were the new Top 5 at the halfway mark. Looking further back Logan Watt was running 11th, Brian Hirthler was 13th, and Cody Manmiller was 14th.
As the field scored lap 24 Nicolas Hamm remained the race leader, but Addison Meitzler was on his back bumper and a challenger was coming. Dakota Kohler, Ryan Graver, and now Kyle Smith were chasing and closing on the race leaders. Lapped traffic was slowing Hamm and Meitzler.
On lap 25 Hamm and Meitzler were side by side for the race lead, Addison Meitzler took control of the race.
As lap 26 is scored, Addison Meitzler is racing away from Nicholas Hamm in 2nd. Ryan Graver is flying forward in the 101 as he is scored 3rd from his 13th starting spot, Kohler is 4th from P10, and 5th is Kyle Smith from 15th.
On lap 27 Addison Meitzler is starting to into lap traffic. Hamm and Graver are now battling for 2nd, Dakota Kohler is 4th, while Kyle Smith has moved to 5th.
On Lap 29 the caution lights are flashing for only the 2nd time all night. Zach Steffy was running in the Top 10, has suffered a flat tire. Brad Brightbill retired to the infield. The field is restacked with 11 to go.
Addison Meitzler is your race leader, Ryan Graver 2nd, Dakota Kohler 3rd, Nicholas Hamm 4th, Kyle Smith 5th, TJ Mayberry 6th, Brett Gilmore 7th, Logan Watt 8th, Molly Struss 9th, and Brian Hirthler 10th. Colton Perry retires to the infield. There are some impressive runs through the field at this point. Meitzler from 1st from P14, Graver 2nd from P13, Kyle Smith 5th from 15th, Brett Gilmore 7th from P18, Logan Watt 8th from P25.
On the restart Ryan Graver goes after Addison Meitzler’s race lead. They are side by side for a lap, Meitzler is able to wrestle the lead away and come back out on top. Graver falls back to 2nd, with Kohler, Hamm, and Smith right behind.
As the field clicks off lap 35 Addison Meitzler has full control of the race lead. Ryan Graver is 2nd, Dakota Kohler is 3rd, Kyle Smith is 4th, Brett Gilmore 5th.
Lap 38 mark with 2 to go, Meitzler is still the race leader but Graver is once again mounting a charge. Kohler has Smith and Gilmore on top of him. Mayberry, Hirthler, Watt and Manmiller make up the top 10 with 2 to go.
Lap 39, 1 to go and Ryan Graver is on the bumper of the Addison Meitzler.
Addison Meitzler is able to score the popular race win over Ryan Graver, Dakota Kohler is 3rd, Kyle Smith is 4th, Brett Gilmore 5th, Brian Hirthler 6th, Logan Watt 7th, TJ Mayberry 8th, Cody Manmiller 9th, Jesse Hirthler 10th.
The 40 lap race was over in 20 minutes, only 2 caution flags to slow the event, Meitzler scores the $2000 track purse with $1050 in additional bonus dollars.
The Meitzler #712 is owned Rick Fenstermaker, is supported by the Kressley family with the Kressley’s Auto & Truck Sales, RTR Lawn Care, Gehris Meats, Hoffman Discount Parts, Nick Nailed It, Elite Concrete, M & E Crankshaft, Myers Motorsports – Mike Myers is providing the powerplant for the team in ’23. Addison gave special thanks in victory lane to Brett Kressley Racing crew chief Troy Kay for the help on the team.
Firecracker 40 Notes:
47 Sportsman in the pit area for the 53rd edition of the Firecracker 40 on Saturday, Largest Sportsman car count of the season to date (42) was previous best. Jordan Henn brought 2 cars – the 77 and 4, Tyler Vidal, Brad Grim, Keith Brightbill was in the BJ Joly 924, BJ Joly ran the 92, Brad Brightbill, Dylan Swinehart was again racing a sportsman car. Heat Winners were paid $50 for wins – Dakota Kohler, Molly Struss, Nicholas Hamm, and BJ Joly. Grandview Speedway was doing Tech checks on the Sportsman heat winners. Word traveling around in the pit area, 602 Sportsman engines will be required in ’24 by all teams in ’24.
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FIRECRACKER 40 FEATURE FINISH (40 laps): ADDISON MEITZLER, Ryan Graver, Dakota Kohler, Kyle Smith, Brett Gilmore, Brian Hirthler, Logan Watt, TJ Mayberry, Cody Manmiller, Jesse Hirthler, Nicholas Hamm, Jesse Landis, Mike Schneck Jr., Logan Bauman, Molly Struss, Decker Swinehart, Dylan Swinehart, Zane Roth, Kenny Bock, BJ Joly, Adrianna Delliponti, Nathan Horn, Kaitlyn Bailey, Ronnie Solomon, Zach Steffey, Brad Brightbill, Michael Burrows, Colton Perry