Column By: TOM WENNER / RPW – BECHTELSVILLE, PA – Orefield, PA’s Brett Kressley, The 2023 Grandview Speedway Modified Champion has not had an easy start to his title defending year at the race track.
Brett has suffered through some bad luck and mechanical woes that have just made the start of the season a difficult one. Kressley entered the night in 11th place in the championship standings, 400+ points behind current point leader Jeff Strunk in the Norm Hansell 357.
Strunk has been on a consistent run this season in the rejuvenated partnership with Hansell. Kressley on the other hand has been bad fast on most nights and has just had some bad nights on the others that have dug him a deep hole to start his defending championship season.
Brett’s birthday was yesterday, Friday, June 8th – He celebrated it doing what he loves – Driving a modified race car that is maintained by his family and closest friends, at the 2 race tracks that he supports every week (Big Diamond Speedway and Grandview Speedway), with the legion of Kressley Nation 19k Fans.
Kressley did it his way on Saturday, He quickly got to the front of the pack, stayed out of trouble by picking spots 1 by 1 until he reached the front of the pack. While it sounded easy, racing at Grandview Speedway produces some of the most grueling and challenging laps of any northeast race track.
Kressley had to wrestle away the 3rd place spot from a very quick running Kevin Hirthler before he could even get a shot at Nate Brinker and Justin Grim who were waging a torrid battle for the race lead. Once Kressley cleared Hirthler, he pulled a nice move to race around the top 2 and steal away the race lead. One thing that I have come to know, give Brett the race lead late in a feature and he is almost never going to relent it back.
Kressley controlled the pace for the final 3rd of the race to score his 26th career victory at the Grandview Speedway, moving him up to 10th place on the Grandview Speedway All-Time Hall Of Fame Win List, Tying him with Meme DeSantis.
Frank Yankowski and Carroll Hine III led the 28 car Nascar T.P. Trailer field to the green flag.
Yankowski would steal away the race lead at the start of the event with Nate Brinker jumping into 2nd quickly, Hine III, John Willman, and Justin Grim in the Top-5.
Chris Esposito retired on Lap 2 of the event.
Frank Yankowski maintained the race lead with 3 down, Brinker, Hine III, Grim, and Willman are the Top-5. Ray Swinehart retired on Lap 3 with a broken suspension, Bobby Trapper Jr. retired to the infield as well.
At the 5 down mark of the event, Yankowski has kept race control under the #127, Brinker is stalking in 2nd, Hine III is 3rd, Grim 4th, and Willman is 5th.
The yellow is flashing for the 1st time all night on lap 7, Ryan Grim pulls off. Craig Von Dohren has a right rear flat tire, and Chris Gambler retires. Mike Gular and Jeff Strunk are moving through the pack – Gular 15th, Strunk 16th, are just outside of the Top-10. Von Dohren would return after pit service from team. The field is restacked for the 1st restart of the night with Yankowski controlling the pace at the front. Brinker, Hine III, Grim, and Lisowski are the Top-5. Willman, Brett Kressley, Kevin Hirthler, Doug Manmiller, and Kyle Smith the next-5.
The green is displayed and Nate Brinker takes the Keith Hoffman Racing 4-Rent Modified to the race lead, Yankowski falls the 2nd, Justin Grim is looking for way by the Fire Management of PA Bicknell #127, Carroll Hine III and Mike Lisowski are waging war for 4th. John Willman fresh off a win a few weeks ago, has Brett Kressley and Kevin Hirthler all over him.
With a 3rd of the race in the books, Nate Brinker is the new race leader, Yankowski, Grim, Lisowski, and Hine III are the Top-5. Brett Kressley is now stalking Caroll Hine’s 114 for 5th. Kressley would clear Hine for 5th, before the caution lights are displayed for race yuke tire that has emerged from the infield into the racing surface.
The field is restacked with Brinker your race leader, Justin Grim has taken care control of 2nd, Frank Yankowski is 3rd, Mike Lisowski 4th, Brett Kressley 5th. Kevin Hirthler 6th, Carroll Hine III 7th, John Willman 8th, Doug Manmiller 9th, Jared Umbenhauer 10th. There is some incredible side by side going on mid-pack with – Timmy Buckwalter is 11th, Duane Howard 13th, Jeff Strunk 14th, and Mike Gular 15th.
The race would go green for lap 11 and the yellow lights would flash immediately this time for Cody Manmiller in the Haus Automotive 00 Modified who was spun in Turn 1, Manmiller making his 1st Grandview Speedway Spec 358 Modified start at Grandview. Doug Manmiller would pull off on the same caution with trouble. The field was restacked and prepared for green again.
On the restart Justin Grim would go side by side with Nate Brinker for the race lead, while Brett Kressley drives into 3rd place. Kevin Hirthler follows Kressley through and goes to 4th. The field shuffle is not over as Nate Brinker and Justin Grim are trading paint for the race lead, Kressley who is stalking from behind drives right by Nate Brinker for 2nd, as Grim leads.
The caution is displayed on lap 12 for Louden Reimert, last week’s Modified winner has stopped in turn 2 with a flat tire. Under caution, Nate Brinker and Justin Grim are exchanging words under caution. The field is reset, Justin Grim the race leader, Nate Brinker is 2nd, Brett Kressley 3rd, Kevin Hirthler 4th, Frank Yankowski 5th, Mike Lisowski 6th, Carroll Hine III 7th and Jared Umbenhauer 8th.
Louden Reimert would return to join the tail of the field. Doug Manmiller comes back out, 1 lap down looking to continue his quest to gain finishing positions on drivers who drop out. The field is restacked and ready for action once again.
The field goes back to green on lap 13 as Justin Grim powers to the front, Brinker is 2nd, Kressley and Hirthler are side by side for 3rd. This time the caution is displayed for Jared Umbenhauer who was running in the Top-10, Umbenhauer lost the Left Rear tire from the rim of the wheel causing Jared to loose the handle and go into a soft spin, Jared collected Timmy Buckwalter and Duane Howard.
Buckwalter would pile into the Umbenhauer with heavy enough force to take out the race car for the remainder of the night. Duane would rejoin the tail of the field. Mike Gular would head to the pits with a flat tire. The field is restacked for the restart once again, with Justin Grim the race leader. Brinker, Kressley, Hirthler, and Caroll Hine III the Top-5. Lisowski, Yankowski, Willman, Strunk, and Smith the balance of the Top-10.
We go back to green on Lap 14 and Nate Brinker drives around Justin Grim for the race lead, Kevin Hirthler edges in front Kressley for 3rd, Lisowski, and Hine are close by.
The Dan’s Deli halfway bonus is showing Nate Brinker as the race leader, after another spirited side by side battle with Justin Grim. Brett Kressley once again slipped past Hirthler for 3rd. Kressley is now on the bumper of Grim and Brinker.
Lap 16 is scored, Brett Kressley pulls off an impressive middle groove drive right splitting Grim and Brinker and going into 2nd.
Lap 17 is scored, Brett Kressley has had enough, He drives into the race lead with Justin Grim falling to 2nd, Kevin Hirthler is 3rd, Nate Brinker 4th, Mike Lisowski 5th, and Carroll Hine III 6th.
Brett Kressley is in full race control at Lap 20, Justin Grim is 2nd, Kevin Hirthler 3rd, Mike Lisowski 4th, and Point Leader Jeff Strunk 5th. Kevin Hirthler moves around Justin Grim for 2nd as they come to lap 21. Jeff Strunk is assaulting Mike Lisowski for 4th,
Lap 22 is scored, Brett Kressley is sailing away from the field, Kevin Hirthler is doing the same in 2nd. Both drivers are enjoying big leads from the pack.
5 to go, 25 down – Brett Kressley is on cruise control out front, Kevin Hirthler is solidly 2nd, Justin Grim is 3rd, Jeff Strunk 4th, Mike Lisowski 5th. Eddie Strada is 6th from his 17th starting spot, John Willman 7th, Nate Brinker 8th, Carroll Hine 9th, and Frank Yankowski 10th.
Brett Kressley would lead the field uncontested over the final 5 laps to score the win. Kressley earned the added T.P. Trailers Modified Winners Bonus for an added $300. Kevin Hirthler would come home 2nd, Jeff Strunk would move past Grim on the white flag lap for 3rd – Strunk drove 16th to 3rd, Justin Grim with 4th, Mike Lisowski 5th, Eddie Strada 6th, John Willman 7th, Carroll Hine III 8th, Craig Von Dohren 9th – From the rear after a flat tire on Lap 7, Louden Reimert 10th, another one who pitted for tire service and returned for a Top-10 finish.
In victory lane, Kressley spoke about the battle up front with Brinker and Grim and waiting for the right moment to get past them and into clear air. Brett showing some great sportsmanship apologized for some hard racing with Kevin Hirther, an example of a true professional, “You have to go for it (Race Lane) when it is there”.
Brett expressed gratitude to all the fans for coming out and his marketing partners for the continued support.
T.P. TRAILER NASCAR MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH (30 laps): BRETT KRESSLEY, Kevin Hirthler, Jeff Strunk, Justin Grim, Mike Lisowski, Eddie Strada, John Willman, Carroll Hine III, Craig Von Dohren, Louden Reimert, Frank Yankowski, Craig Whitmoyer, Duane Howard, Michael Storms, Jimmy Leiby, Kyle Smith, Jon Kellner, Nate Brinker, Jared Umbenhauer, Tim Buckwalter, Mike Gular, Doug Manmiller, Cody Manmiller, Chris Gambler, Ryan Grim, Bobby Trapper Jr., Ray Swinehart, Chris Esposito
DID NOT QUALIFY: Bryan Rhoads, Mike Laise, Darrin Schuler, Kevin Graver Jr., Ron Haring Jr., Bobby Gunther-Walsh, Glenn Owens, Ryan Watt, Eric Kormann
T.P. TRAILERS WINNER’S BONUS ($300): Brett Kressley
VP RACING FUELS HARD CHARGER: Jeff Strunk +13
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Nate Brinker
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT NASCAR SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): MARK KEMMERER, Steve Young, Colton Perry, Jesse Landis, Mike Stofflet, Logan Watt, Mark Gaugler, Kaitlyn Bailey, Parker Guldin, Zane Roth, Brett Gilmore, Mike Schneck Jr., Dakota Kohler, Dylan Swinehart, Adrianna Delliponti, Ronnie Solomon, Brett Grim, Nathan Mohr, Teague Miller, Ryan Graver, Jesse Hirthler, Joey Vaccaro, Shannon Slaughter, TJ Mayberry, Kenny Bock, Addison Meitzler, Tyler James, DNS – Decker Swinehart
DID NOT QUALIFY: Brian Hirthler, Zach Steffey, Bobby Kupp, Mark Mohr, Troy Bollinger, Randy Graber, Lawson Szerencits, Logan Bauman, BJ Joly III, Gavyn Krupp, Nicholas Hamm, Alex Bartorillo, Nick Faust, Stephen Laubach, Kyle Hartzell, Dennis Graber
T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT WINNER’S BONUS ($200): Mark Kemmerer
GRANDVIEW $100 HARD CHARGER: Brett Gilmore +14
DAN’S DELI HALFWAY LEADER GIFT CERTIFICATE: Mark Kemmerer