Feathers Tickled Over Late Model Win; Gross Rockets to 600 Glory in Action Track USA Season Finale

Story By: BARRY ANGSTADT / ACTION TRACK USA – KUTZTOWN, PA – “What a track! That was 60 laps of up-on-the-wheel, goin’ as hard as you can go…”

That was the reaction of race winner Trever Feathers after the Super Late Models debuted at Action Track USA on the Kutztown Fairgrounds on Sunday, September 7.

Feathers, from Winchester, VA, out-gunned pole sitter Mason Zeigler at the start of the Fall Clash Late Model Series event presented by East Coast Facilities, Bernheisel Race Components, and Lazer Chassis. Feathers proceeded to zip away, building a big lead as Zeigler battled Bryan Bernheisel for the runner-up spot.

Amanda Robinson slipped past Trevor Collins for the fourth position in the first few laps as the Super Late Models blasted around the Berks County clay, with the first 37 circuits going clean and green.

The long stretch of green flag racing meant the leaders were dealing with lapped traffic early and often, and Feathers showed off his mastery of the one-fifth mile oval, sliding to the inside of the slower cars or ripping the high side when necessary.

The No. 118 of Trent Merkel slowed in turn four to bring out the yellow flag with 37 complete and allowing the drivers to catch their breath after turning lap times in the mid-11 second range.

On the restart, Zeigler was able to hang with Feathers and appeared ready to make his move on the leader as they approached the back of the pack once again. Feathers even changed his line for a few laps, abandoning the top of the banking and running the low line through the corners. But he quickly realized the high groove was the way to go.

“My guys are used to fixing the right-rear corner of the car because I usually try to knock down the walls with it,” laughed the winner in victory lane as he examined his No. 72’s right-rear sheet metal. “It was the fast way around this place tonight, so I had to go back up there.”

Zeigler remained close until his No. 25z twitched badly in turns one and two with four tours remaining, allowing Feathers to scoot away to a comfortable advantage.

At the finish of a wild 60-lap affair—that took just 15:46.717 to complete—it was Feathers flying to the triumph over Zeigler, who came into the event as the Fall Clash Series point leader after winning the tour’s opener at Bedford on August 29.

Bernheisel, who stated afterward that he “loved the elbows up style of racing” offered by Action Track USA, finished third with Amanda Robinson and Collins completing the top five.

Heat wins fell to Zeigler and Feathers, with Zeigler edging Feathers in the four lap Dash that determined who would start on the pole of the main event.

The Hyper Racing 600 Sprints were also on Sunday’s season-ending menu, with a great field of 43 entries taking part in the East Coast Facilities program.

After admittedly struggling through much of the summer at Berks County’s Baddest Bullring, Connor Gross and his dad, Dale, found some major magic for the final two races.

Gross, from Asbury, NJ, won the August 27 point-paying finale, then made it two straight on Sunday as he authored another clinic in the 25 lap feature.

Starting fourth, Gross watched Zack Weisenfluh dice with Tim Buckwalter for the top spot before he zipped past Kyle Lick and Buckwalter to run second as lap two was scored.

A caution with four trips in the books slowed the pace, and on the restart, Gross gassed his No. 14c around Weisenfluh, ripping the lip in one and two to take command.

Buckwalter passed Weisenfluh for the runner-up spot on the eighth revolution, but he was no match for Gross.

Aidan Donaldson started 14th and was one of the big movers of the race, slicing his way to fourth in the first nine tours. Great racing just outside the top five involved Steven Snyder Jr., Lick, Gunnar Pio, and TJ Greve. Christian Bruno and Kenny Miller III, race winners in 2025 and former point champions, had to take provisionals to get into the 25 lapper. They raced their way from 26th (Bruno) and 27th (Miller) to run inside the top ten by race’s end.

When the final checkered flag of the season waved over the 600’s, it was Gross by nearly three-quarters of a second over Buckwalter, with Weisenfluh, Donaldson, and Snyder rounding out the top five.

Gross, Vincent Gueci, Tyler Henry, and Snyder won heat races while Justin Burr and Danny Buccafusca captured the B-Mains. Kyle Herve was the winner of the Mad Scramble.

There was an afternoon matinee portion of the final event of the year at Action Track USA. The Pro 4 Series made its first-ever appearance at the speedway with a nice field of 22 four-cylinder Stock Cars entering the affair.

Father and son, Joe Garey Sr. and Joe Jr. battled for the lead early in the Pro 4 Series 25-lap feature. Junior set the pace early before Joe Sr. got by him to lead lap five.

Garey Sr., who was asked to driver the Roger Kemmerer No. 74 at the last minute, was making the most of his opportunity until a yellow flag with 12 circuits complete put Chris Yob alongside him for the restart.

Yob, from Northampton, PA, beat Garey Sr. off turn two to secure a lead that he would not give up. Yob pulled away to register an emotional victory by 1.303 seconds over Garey Sr., with Joe Jr. finishing third. Julian Storms and Nathan Keim placed fourth and fifth.

The winner’s emotions stemmed from a Friday night flip at Linda’s Speedway, resulting in a long day and night putting the car back together on Saturday. “It’s all due to them,” said Yob in victory lane as he wiped away tears and pointed to his crew. “We worked more than 15 hours yesterday to get this thing ready, and I can’t believe we are standing here now. WE DID IT,” screamed the winner at his crew.

Brett Bieber may have captured the 2025 All Star Slingshot point title at Action Track USA, but he also grew tired of finishing second to Dave Carraghan. With no points to worry about on Sunday afternoon, Bieber was ready to go all out and get his first win of the season.

But Carraghan had other ideas, passing Bieber for the lead as they throttled off turn four on the seventh trip around the clay. While Bieber stayed close, nipping at Carraghan’s heels for the remainder of the 20 lap race, he could not reclaim the top spot.

Carraghan notched his fifth triumph of the year at Action Track USA, with Bieber again in the bridesmaid’s position. Amanda Angstadt rounded out the podium, with Charlie Moore and Daniel Betz making up the top five.

After you record your first Junior Slingshot point crown on August 27, what do you do for an encore? How about win your second race of the season? That is exactly what Hannah Kormann did on Sunday, passing Waylon Wolf on a restart at the halfway point of the 15 lapper, then holding off both Wolf and EJ Hatch for the victory.

Kormann, from Carney’s Point, NJ, is the first female wheel-twister to win a Junior Slingshot championship at Action Track USA. She capped off a great season at the oval on the Kutztown Fairgrounds with her second win, beating Wolf to the checkered by a half-second. Hatch, a three-time winner at the track this year, settled for third with Dawson Gulick finishing fourth. Anna Strachko wound up fifth.

Action Track USA will now be silent until May of 2026, when engines will fire in anger once again.

RESULTS:

Super Late Model Fall Clash Series, 60 laps: 1.Trever Feathers, 2.Mason Zeigler, 3.Bryan Bernheisel, 4.Amanda Robinson, 5.Trevor Collins, 6.Drew Weisser, 7.Dave Stamm, 8.Trent Merkel, 9.Spike Moore, 10.Jakob Piper, 11.Ross Robinson, 12.Keith Walls.

Hyper Racing 600 Sprints, 25 laps: 1.Connor Gross, 2.Tim Buckwalter, 3.Zack Weisenfluh, 4.Aidan Donaldson, 5.Steven Snyder Jr., 6.James Roselli, 7.Kenny Miller III, 8.Christian Bruno, 9.TJ Greve, 10.Dakota Barlet, 11.Michael Nolf, 12.Gunnar Pio, 13.Kyle Lick, 14.Lukas Kostic, 15.Anthony Tramontana, 16.Kyle Herve, 17.Tyler Henry, 18.Adam Buchel, 19.Brianna Snyder, 20.Justin Burr, 21.Tyler Lindsay, 22.Chase Rogers, 23.Jasper Ziegafuse, 24.Hank Steller, 25.Vincent Gueci, 26.Geordan Marrero, 27.Mason Peters, 28.Danny Buccafusca.

DNQ: Aubree Bane, Shaun Lawton, Kate Mattern, Matt Chowns, Aiden Myers, Jacob Fisher, Chris Tittle, Jace Marshall, Sean Case, Korey Inglin, Rocky Johnson, Billy Calvert, Blake Ludwig, Landon Smith, Brody Miller,

Pro 4 Series, 25 laps: 1.Chris Yob, 2.Joe Garey Sr., 3.Joe Garey Jr., 4.Julian Storms, 5.Nate Keim, 6.Clay Wollyung, 7.Josh Huber, 8.Adam Kratzer, 9.Vincent Wollyung, 10.Rob Weil, 11.Josh Bittner, 12.Kelly Fleming, 13.Chase Hartline, 14.Kelly Frantz, 15.Jay Lowman, 16.Brian Moyer, 17.Rob Pyle, 18.Fred Krajcic, 19.Jeff Foster, 20.Rob Storms, 21.Gary Grim, 22.Tyler Denike.

All Star Slingsots, 20 laps: 1.Dave Carraghan, 2.Brett Bieber, 3.Amanda Angstadt, 4.Charlie Moore, 5.Daniel Betz, 6.Barry Seaman, 7.Gage Marrero, 8.Gavin Marrero, 9.Colton Lineman, 10.Owen King, 11.Brandon Hisko.

Junior Slingshots, 15 laps: 1.Hannah Kormann, 2.Waylon Wolf, 3.EJ Hatch, 4.Dawson Gulick, 5.Anna Strachko, 6.Khloe Dennis, 7.Riley Moyer, 8.Nick Fry, 9.Benji Fry, 10.MJ Tralies, 11.Bayleigh Ross, 12.James Labar, 13.Danica Banks, 14.Harry Mawson. DNS: Mason Noll.