Column By: TOM WENNER / RPW – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – Orefield, PA’s Brett Kressley was reminded last week how quickly racing can be humbling.
The defending champion was a non-qualifier for the opening day Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker 50 which is now a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts T.P. Trailers point race.
Kressley had a poor pre-race draw that placed him last in a stacked heat race. On the opening lap, 2 racers got together coming out of turn 4 and one of them got into the Kressley’s Auto & Truck Sales #19k pushing it into the wall at full force. The damage was extreme, and unrepairable with limited time on the clock.
The team unloaded the backup 19k car that was brought to the track for emergency duty, and tagged the rear of a stacked consolation race and after a lap of competition Kressley pulled to the infield with what appeared to be a mechanical issue under the hood.
After winning the Big Diamond and Grandview Speedway Modified point championships last year, and a full winter of preparation, the racing gods quickly humbled the Brett Kressley Racing Team. This is not how this should go, Right? The BKR team had to load up both cars and head home to re-group for another week.
The local modified racing scene is like any major sports program, Last week was last week and it is time move on forget about it, and boy did the Brett Kressley Racing Team do so. Grandview Speedway opened the gates for week #2 on a very chilly Saturday night with the wind blowing.
The Grandview Speedway pit area was again at full capacity with over 80 cars lining the fences. 5-602 Sportsman, and 4 Spec 358 Modified Heat Races were needed to complete the nights qualifying events. You will be hard pressed to find a race track anywhere in the country with car counts like Grandview Speedway is pulling in 2024.
Modified Heat Race Winners were Jared Umbenhauer, Brandon Edgar, Eric Biehn, and Ron Haring Jr. Notably being a drive by Brett Kressley in Heat Race #2, Kressley started 6th and drove to 2nd following Brandon Edgar across the line.
Jared Umbenhauer and Eric Biehn led the 28 car T.P. Trailers Modified field to the green flag. Biehn and Umbenhauer would go side by side into turn 1 for the race lead before Biehn would take control of the race lead. Brett Kressley jumped from his 10th starting spot and moved into 8th by the opening lap of the race.
With 3 clicks on the lap counter Eric Biehn was setting the pace out front with Umbenhauer, Nate Brinker, Brian Hirthler, and Brett Kressley the Top-5.
At the 5 down mark Biehn remained the race leader, but Jared Umbenhauer had the Black and Pink BFP Specialty Bicknell #19 on his tail and defending champ Brett Kressley was coming like a house on fire.
On lap 6 it was battle royale at the track, Jared Umbenhauer were side by side for the race lead, Kressley was 2 car lengths back, Nate Brinker and Louden Reimert were the Top-5.
With 7 down, Jeff Strunk was again on the move with the Norm Hansell 357, Strunk was 8th from 16th starting spot, Mike Gular and Craig Von Dohren were racing for a Top-10 spot from 14th and 15th. All green flag racing so far and the cream was rising to the top quickly.
On lap 9, Kevin Hirthler retired the #117 to the infield.
With a third of the race in the record books, Jared Umbenhauer is now in race control and Brett Kressley is now second and setting his sights on the lead. Biehn, Brinker, and Reimert were the remaining Top-5.
On lap 12, Brett Kressley took the outside of the Umbenhauer 19 and made it 19 vs. 19k race up front. With lap traffic within reach, Kressley was making his move to get by Umbenhauer and then the yellow lights were flashing for the 1st time of the event as Louden Reimert and Brian Hirthler had stopped against the turn 4 wall.
Kressley was assaulting Jared Umbenhauer before the caution saved Jared. The race was reset for the 1st time all night with Umbenhauer still scored as the race leader, Kressley, Biehn, Brinker, Brandon Edgar, Mike Lisowski, Strunk, Gular, Von Dohren, and Timmy Buckwalter. John Willman and Jon Kellner retired during this caution.
On the restart heading into turn one, Brett Kressley powered the Harry’s U-Pull-It 19k Bicknell into the race lead. While a lap was completed, Eric Biehn slows down the backstretch into turns 3 and 4 while running 3rd. Strunk and Von Dohren had to take evasive action and both lost spots in the field, Von Dohren lost several noticeable spots.
Lap 14 the caution flies as Biehn rolls to a stop, Biehn needed a tow truck to be removed as mechanical troubles removed him from the event. The field is restacked just shy of the halfway mark of the event with Kressley out front followed by Umbenhauer, Brinker, Lisowski, Gular, Buckwalter, Edgar, Gular, Strunk, and Duane Howard.
We go back to green and the halfway mark is clicked off with Brett Kressley in race control as Umbenhauer remains in 2nd, but Mike Gular is looking strong with a restart dash from 5th to 3rd. Gular powered around Mike Lisowski and Nate Brinker with a great move. Brinker fell to 4th and Lisowski to 5th.
Lap 16 the caution lights were flashing again for Timmy Buckwalter in the Saxton Motorsports 23x who was stopped with a powerless car in turn 4. The field was reset for the restart with Kressley maintaining the race lead. Umbenhauer, Gular, Brinker, Lisowski, Edgar, Strunk, Yankowski, Howard, and Michael Storms.
Michael Storms showing in 10th from winning a consolation race and starting 21st. Doug Manmiller was 11th coming from 24th, Eddie Strada was 12th from 23rd.
On the restart Brett Kressley powered out front again, But Mike Gular slipped by Jared Umbenhauer for the 2nd spot. Kressley, Gular, Umbenhauer, Brinker, and Lisowski are the new Top-5.
The green was short lived and the caution was waving again for Doug Manmiller was running in the Top-10, Manmiller slowed and tangled with Justin Grim off turn 4. Grim drove to the pits. Manmiller was towed off. Craig Von Dohren headed to the pits with a right rear flat tire.
Von Dohren’s championship team made quick work of the flat tire and he returned to the tail of the field. This yellow would setup a titanic battle for the race lead between Brett Kressley and Mike Gular. Alex Yankowski was a man on the move coming from 13th to 5th.
The race field was reset for the restart with Kressley, Gular, Umbenhauer, Brinker, Lisowski, Yankowski, Strunk, Edgar, Howard, and Storms.
On the restart Kressley would pull into the race lead and Mike Gular was stalking right behind. Jared Umbenhauer was solidly in 3rd, but Alex Yankowski was side by side with Nate Brinker for the 4th spot.
Lap 20, 10 to go and it was some incredible racing up front as Brett Kressley was on the top groove with the race lead as Mike Gular was flying down low throwing hay-makers at every corner for a chance at the race lead. Kressley’s 19k was giving it everything she had to hold off the MNB Roofing 2A Bicknell of Gular.
At the 5 to go, lap 25 mark Brett Kressley would stretch his lead to 2 car lengths over Mike Gular. You could see lap after lap that Gular was flying hard into the corners to find a way to run down the Kressley’s Auto & Truck Sales 19k. Kressley, Gular, Umbenhauer, Yankowski, Strunk, Howard, Lisowski, Strada, and Storms are the running order.
Brett Kressley would go on to score career win #25, his 1st checkered flag of the 2024 season. Mike Gular had to settle for 2nd, Jared Umbenhauer 3rd, Alex Yankowski 4th, Jeff Strunk 5th, Duane Howard 6th, Eddie Strada 7th, Mike Lisowski 8th, Michael Storms 9th, and Brandon Edgar 10th.
Kressley earned the TP Trailer $300 Winners Bonus and the Dan’s Deli halfway Leader Bonus.
T.P. TRAILER NASCAR MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (30 laps): BRETT KRESSLEY, Mike Gular, Jared Umbenhauer, Alex Yankowski, Jeff Strunk, Duane Howard, Mike Lisowski, Eddie Strada, Michael Storms, Brandon Edgar, Nate Brinker, Craig Von Dohren, Ryan Watt, Jimmy Leiby, Kevin Graver Jr., Nick Rochinski, Ron Haring Jr., Chris Esposito, Doug Manmiller, Justin Grim, Tim Buckwalter, Eric Biehn, Louden Reimert, Brian Hirthler, John Willman, Jon Kellner, Kevin Hirthler, Kyle Smith
DID NOT QUALIFY: Chris Gambler, Bobby Trapper Jr., Carroll Hine III, Eric Kormann, Mike Laise, Ryan Grim, Frank Yankowski, Darrin Schuler, Bobby Gunther-Walsh, Ryan Beltz, Joe Funk, Bryan Rhoads, Ray Swinehart
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): GAVYN KRUPP, Mike Schneck Jr., Jesse Landis, Adrianna Delliponti, Addison Meitzler, Nathan Horn, Tyler James, Dylan Swinehart, Joey Vaccaro, Ronnie Solomon, Decker Swinehart, Zane Roth, Ryan Graver, Nick Faust, Cody Manmiller, Mark Gaugler, Brett Grim, Nathan Mohr, Jesse Hirthler, Mark Mohr, Kyle Hartzell, TJ Mayberry, Logan Watt, Dakota Kohler, Mark Kemmerer, Brett Gilmore
DID NOT QUALIFY: Logan Bauman, Parker Guldin, Mike Stofflet, Colton Perry, Keith Haring, Lawson Szerencits, Mike Loney, Randy Graber, Dennis Graber, Steve Young, Nicholas Hamm, Kaitlyn Bailey, Shannon Slaughter, Monte Pool, Teague Miller, Troy Bollinger, Stephen Laubach, Kenny Bock, Michael Toth, Zach Steffey