JENNERSTOWN – It wasn’t as easy as his first win, but 15-year-old Will Hemminger won his second One Stop Auto Sales Pro Stock feature in consecutive weeks on Saturday night at Jennerstown Speedway.
Hemminger started at the tail end of the eight-car field and quickly climbed his was to the fourth position when a spin on the back stretch brought out the caution flag on lap two. After the restart, Chris Brink grabbed the lead and was out front for the majority of the race. On the last lap, Hemminger made the pass on Brink in turn No. 2 and took his second career checkered flag. Chris Brink finished second. Jeff Giles, David Campbell, and Dale Kimberly rounded out the top five. Garry Wiltrout found his way to Stoney’s Beer Victory Lane for the first time this season in the Martella’s Pharmacies Late Models. Wiltrout dominated the 40-lap feature. He passed Jeremy Shaffer for the lead on lap 13 and never looked back, extending his lead to more than six seconds. Wiltrout is the third different winner in the Late Model division this season.
He was joined in victory lane by teammate Aaron VanFleet who suffered a scary crash in the heat race. VanFleet barrel rolled four times into turn three flipping over the outside retaining wall. As the car caught fire, fans could see VanFleet climb out of the car under his own power that brought the silent crowd to a standing ovation. He was checked by emergency medical staff and returned to the pits. Shaffer wound up second. Barry Awtey, the new division points leader, took third. Coming into the race, Teddy Gibala was the points leader, but Gibala hit the wall hard on the back stretch on just the second lap of the race and parked his machine.
Jennerstown Speedway welcomes the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to the track next week for the Jennerstown Salutes 150 on Memorial Day weekend. The event, promoted by JDV Productions, will remember those lost serving the country in war. The race will include special appearances by Gold Star Family members and will honor a large number of fallen heroes, specifically on each car. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour cars will each carry the name of a veteran lost in war on the side of their 600-horsepower machines for competition.
The race will be the fourth on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s 14-race schedule.