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MECHANICSBURG - Sheldon Haudenschild won the 63rd Annual Williams Grove National Open Saturday night earning the biggest sprint car win of his career.
Haudenschild, a third-generation racer from Wooster, Ohio, grabbed the lead from Bill Balog with five laps left in the 40-lap feature.
After leading the first 35 laps, Balog didn't give up and was next to
Haudenschild for the lead again, but jumped the first turn cushion
losing ground. Gettysburg's Danny Dietrich was in the mix as well as
three drivers raced for the $75,000 top prize.
In the end, it was Haudenschild scoring the crown jewel win and
Dietrich taking second from Balog in the final corners. Haudenschild
finished second in last year's Open.
"You don't win here without a really good racecar," Haudenschild said. "I wasn't comfortable on the cushion all weekend, so we aborted that and ran the middle. I'm super-happy to get this team another win."
Dietrich earned $30,000.
"I needed to move down sooner, but there was a lapped car there,"
Dietrich said. "I was moving around behind Bill, but I couldn't clear
the lapped car. We had a really good car."
Balog, a native of North Pole, Alaska, earned $15,000.
"I really thought we had it," Balog said. "I got bottled-up a few
times and then I plugged the cushion. It was still a great run for
us."
Daryn Pittman and Buddy Kofoid completed the top five. David Gravel, Logan Schuchart, Friday night winner Chase Dietz, Brent Marks and Ryan Timms rounded out the top 10.
Hanover's Troy Wagaman Jr. earned his first career Williams Grove
track championship and fourth for car owner Mike Heffner.
The 56-car field was split into two flights for qualifying time trials. Gravel set quick time in Flight A with a lap of 16.687. Kofoid, Lance Dewease, Carson Macedo and Tyler Ross completed the top
five. Balog was fastest in Flight B at 16.823. Pittman, Haudenschild,
Marks and Gerard McIntyre Jr. were in the top five.
Donny Schatz won the non-qualifiers race for drivers not qualifying in
the top 20 in their flight. Ryan Newton, Brock Zearfoss and Brent
Shearer also transferred to the heat races, while the rest of the
field went to the C-main.
Gravel won the opening heat race. Dietrich, Dietz, Ross and Logan
Rumsey completed the top five. Dewease finished outside a transfer
spot in sixth.
Macedo won the second heat race. Kofoid, Justin Whittall, Gio Scelzi
and Justin Peck completed the top five. Grove point leader Troy
Wagaman Jr. and second place point man Freddie Rahmer finished sixth and seventh.
Balog won the third heat. Haudenschild, Timms, Schuchart and Gerard McIntyre Jr. completed the top five.
Pittman won the final heat race. Marks, Cameron Smith, Hunter
Schuerenberg and Garet Williamson completed the top five.
TJ Stutts won the C-main. Dewease won the Last Chance Showdown. Conner Morrell, Lucas Wolfe and Wagaman Jr. also qualified.
Balog won the dash over Haudenschild, Dietrich, Kofoid, Pittman, Marks, Gravel and Macedo.
Dewease won the Last Chance Showdown. Wagaman qualified, while Rahmer needed a provisional to make the field.
Selinsgrove Speedway's season concludes Friday night with the Kramer Cup featuring the 410 sprint cars, plus the 360/358 sprint cars. The event honors the late Kramer Williamson.
Lincoln Speedway hosts the World of Outlaws Saturday night.