Stangle Nips Janisch In Action Track USA SpeedSTR Classic
Kutztown, PA (June 18)— It was retribution, of sorts, for Cole Stangle in Wednesday night’s All Pro SpeedSTR main event at Action Track USA on the Kutztown Fairgrounds.
During the previous week’s feature, Stangle led many laps, only to be passed near the end by Billy Pauch Jr. This week, however, it was Stangle’s turn to make the race winning pass off the final turn as he and Matt Janisch headed for the checkered flag.
While it was Stangle’s second career SpeedSTR victory at Berks County’s baddest bullring, a couple of drivers scored their first-ever triumphs on Wednesday night.
Connor Mirabelli, from Clark Summit, PA, held off repeated attacks from Tim Buckwalter to win the Hyper Racing 600 Sprint feature. And Brodheadsville, PA’s Patrick Weiss finally broke down the door to victory lane in the All Star Slingshot main.
Hannah Kormann, from Carney’s Point, NJ, won the Junior Slingshot 15-lap feature.
A lengthy rain delay at the start of the night produced an efficiently run 2 1/2 hour program for the four weekly divisions. And the competition was top-notch from start to finish.
In the 30 lap SpeedSTR headliner, Stangle and Janisch motored into positions one and two on the sixth trip around the oval. Janisch powered to the outside of Stangle and captured the top spot on lap ten, with Tim Buckwalter joining the party at the head of the pack.
Buckwalter slipped past Stangle for the runner-up position on a lap 12 restart. For the next 16 tours, Buckwalter hounded Janisch but the Nazareth ace repelled each challenge and appeared headed for that elusive first win at the Kutztown Fairgrounds race place.
Suddenly, with two to go, Stangle pulled up to Buckwalter’s tail, then dove under the No. 52 to snare second as the leaders throttled to the white flag. On the final lap, in turns three and four, Stangle ducked under Janisch. The pair banged wheels as they blasted off the final corner, with Stangle just nosing out Janisch in the drag race to the checkers.
“Wreckers or checkers; that was my motto tonight,” said Stangle in victory lane. “Last week was so disappointing and I felt like I had to make up for it tonight. Glad we were able to get it in; hats off to Tobias and the track crew and thanks to the fans for sticking it out. Hope we put on a good show for ‘em.”
Following the White House Station, NJ, wheel-twister to the strips were Janisch, Buckwalter, Bobby Butler, and Billy Pauch Jr.
The past two seasons saw a noticeable difference in the competitiveness of Connor Mirabelli, as the young charger found increased speed and became a contender in the Hyper Racing 600 Sprint class. On Wednesday night, he put together one of the most memorable drives of his still-early career, as he held off the all-time leading 600 Sprint winner at Action Track USA to score his first feature win.
With Jasper Zeigafuse leading the early laps, Mirabelli sliced his way from fifth to second just before the yellow appeared with seven circuits scored.
On the ninth tour, he bolted past Zeigafuse on the backstretch to take command. Tim Buckwalter executed a slide job to grab second on the 14th trip around the clay, then began his assaults on Mirabelli. The No. 9x was solid on the bottom at both ends of the speedway as Buckwalter continued to nip at his heels until a restart with two to go set up a single-file restart. Mirabelli survived that one, then had to fend off Buckwalter on yet another restart with one lap remaining. He maintained his composure and beat Buckwalter to the line by 0.239 seconds.
“I don’t know what to say,” revealed the ecstatic victor with a mile-wide grin. “My dad and crew gave me an awesome car, but I still can’t believe I’m standing here. I knew I just had to hold my line in the corners and it all worked out,” said Mirabelli.
Behind the top two were Connor Gross, Zeigafuse, and Billy Koch.
Patrick Weiss zipped past Zack Gerber on lap two of the All Star Slingshot 20 lapper, taking a lead he would not relinquish. Hailey Eroh wrestled the runner-up spot from Tyler Ulsh with eight circuits left to run, but she was no match for he high flying Weiss. At the finish, it was Weiss, Eroh, Ulsh, Brett Bieber, and Dave Carraghan making up the top five.
Hannah Kormann snatch the lead from pole sitter Landon McNichol on the opening trip of the Junior Slingshot feature. Aiden Buckwalter and point leader Jon Severn battled for third before Buckwalter secured that spot prior to the halfway point. Racing to the white flag, Buckwalter buzzed past McNichol for second, but Kormann was long gone as she cruised to the checkered for her second career win at Action Track USA. Aiden Buckwalter finished a strong second with McNichol, Severn, Brayden Bednar, and Mackenzie Henn rounding out the top five.
This Sunday, June 22, is highlighted by the third-ever appearance of the USAC AmsOil National Championship Sprint Car series, as Action Track USA closed out USAC’s annual Eastern Storm tour. Joining the non-wing Sprint Cars will be the Hyper Racing 600 Sprints. Grandstand gates open at 4:30 p.m., with warm-ups getting underway at 6:30.
Following Sunday’s show, Action Track USA will be dark until Wednesday, July 9, when the IMT USAC East Coast Sprint Cars make their first visit of the season. Also on the menu that night will be the 600 Sprints, along with the All Star & Junior Slingshots.
RESULTS:
All Pro SpeedSTRs (30 laps): 1.Cole Stangle, 2.Matt Janisch, 3.Tim Buckwalter, 4.Bobby Butler, 5.Billy Pauch Jr., 6.John Barnett, 7.Austin Kroboth, 8.Daniel Schumaker, 9.Dustin Morris, 10.Sammy Martz Jr, 11.Dan Lane, 12.Scott Houdeshell, 13.JR Booth, 14.Ryan Krachun, 15.Tyler Kehs, 16.Andy Ressler, 17.Matt Chowns, 18.Cale Zangli.
Hyper Racing 600 Sprints, 25 laps: 1.Connor Mirabelli, 2.Tim Buckwalter, 3.Connor Gross, 4.Jasper Zeigafuse, 5.Billy Koch, 6.Christian Bruno, 7.Kyle Lick, 8.Aidan Donaldson, 9.Lukas Kostic, 10.Peyton Knecht, 11.Jacob Fisher, 12.James Roselli, 13.Dakota Barlet, 14.Luke McCloskey, 15.Amanda Onimus, 16.Alex Ruppert, 17.Jarid Kunkle, 18.Weston Doklan, 19.Nate Freed, 20.Chase Wehr, 21.Zach Curtis, 22.JT Bierman, 23.Jimmy Glenn, 24.Jace Marshall, 25.TJ Greve. DNS: Dylan Hahn.
DNQ: Colton Calaluce, Amanda Buchel, Danny Buccafusca, Adam Buchel, Zack Weisenfluh, Chris Tittle, Larry Kelleher, Brody Miller.
All Star Slingshots, 20 laps: 1.Patrick Weiss, 2.Hailey Eroh, 3.Tyler Ulsh, 4.Brett Bieber, 5.Dave Carraghan, 6.Matthew Laubach, 7.Daniel Betz, 8.Zack Gerber, 9.Mason Lineman, 10.Amanda Angstadt, 11.Josh Roth, 12.Jocelynn Darinsig, 13.Shawn Dengler, 14.Bobby Klein.
Jr. Slingshots, 15 laps: 1.Hannah Kormann, 2.Aiden Buckwalter, 3.Landon McNichol, 4.Jon Severn, 5.Brayden Bednar, 6.Mackenzie Henn, 7.Frank Fritzinger, 8.Billy Pauch III, 9.Dallas Peters, 10.Lilly Esterly, 11.Bayleigh Ross, 12.Danica Weinberger, 13.Brody Bednar, 14.Kaleb Stufflet.
