10/7/2013
Sprint Source
Fred Rahmer Earns His First Williams Grove Speedway National Open Victory in Final Attempt of His Career
Pennsylvania legend earns $50,000 at World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car crown jewel
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Oct. 5, 2013 – Fred Rahmer sure knows how to throw a retirement party. Rahmer, the leader of the Pennsylvania Posse competing on Saturday in what is widely expected to be his final National Open at Williams Grove Speedway, won the historic event for the first time in his hall-of-fame career.
Rahmer and Steve Buckwalter swapped the lead before Rahmer moved to the front for good on lap 14 of the 40-lap, $50,000-to-win crown jewel event.
“It’s absolutely incredible,” said Rahmer, of Salfordville, Pa. “I don’t know what to say. It sure felt good going across the scales and all the Outlaw guys coming up and congratulating me, that meant more than the 50 grand. One of my goals this year was to win an Outlaw race, and it’s a high goal to set. Everyone had me dead and buried and washed up. This proves them wrong.”
The victory is his eighth against the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series.
Rahmer announced his retirement effective at the end of this season a few months ago and though has won World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car races at Williams Grove, he had never accrued a National Open feature win. The fans gave the eight-time Williams Grove track champion a standing ovation as he cruised around the half-mile after clearing the scales and heading to victory lane.
Rahmer first took the lead from Buckwalter on lap nine, but on the next lap Buckwalter regained the top spot. Finally, on lap 14, Rahmer made the final pass for the lead, and led the final 26 laps to cap his storied career.
World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship leader, Daryn Pittman, charged to a second-place finish and regained the points he lost on Friday night at Williams Grove. Lance Dewease, Paul McMahan and Craig Dollansky rounded out the top five while Buckwalter settled for sixth after losing a cylinder.
Rahmer’s Truline Contractors XXX started outside of early race leader Buckwalter for an all PA Posse front row. Buckwalter jumped to the early lead, but Rahmer kept close tabs on Buckwalter’s Sunny Hill Farm Trucking Maxim.
Buckwalter briefly stumbled on lap 8 allowing Rahmer his first taste of the lead, but a strong slidejob the next corner would regain him the top spot. On lap 14 Rahmer finally captured the lead. On lap 25, a caution led to an open red flag, allowing the leaders a chance to fine tune their machines.
On the restart Rahmer surged back into the lead and was able to cruise off to victory.
Pittman earned his 44th top five-finish while bringing home second on Saturday night. He also earned some very important points and leaves Williams Grove with a 57-point lead in the standings with three A-mains left in the season.
“We learned something when McMahan got around us on the bottom so I moved down there and felt pretty good, but I just had nothing for Fred,” said Pittman an Owasso, Okla., native. “I’ve probably never been so happy to not have anything for Fred. I was cheering for him all night. He’s a guy who has meant a lot to me over the last four years racing up here and I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy. But for our Great Clips team it was a good run to start sixth and finish second. This is probably the happiest second I’ve had all year, that’s for sure.”
Dewease ran strong much of the race, including a long run in second, but would ultimately round out the podium.
“I’m really happy for Fred, we talked about this a month ago and I told him that if I couldn’t win this race, and this race means everything to me, he deserves this race,” admitted Dewease, of Fayetteville, Pa. “And I’m really happy to see him get it. I could run the bottom for a little a bit, but then I needed to get back to the top and at the end I knew someone could be coming. He was just better than us and he deserved to be second and we deserved third. I’m really happy for our team and the effort that they put forth, last night was a miserable night, but tonight was a whole lot better.”
Next up is Rolling Wheels Raceway Park on Saturday, Oct. 12.
WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY NOTEBOOK
NOTES – Joey Saldana was the fastest qualifier around the semi-banked 1/2-mile oval with a time of 17.192 seconds to earn five championship points. Also earning points were Greg Hodnett (4 points), Daryn Pittman (3), Craig Dollansky (2) and Paul McMahan(1). ... Fred Rahmer, Sammy Swindell, David Gravel, Rodney Westhafer and Logan Schuchart won heat races. ... The dash draw was a 8 for the 18th time this year... Steve Buckwalter won the dash for the second time this year.
TV – Fans will be able to watch all of the action from Williams Grove Speedway by tuning into CBS Sports Network. Friday’s action will air at 9 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Nov. 10, and Saturday’s action will air at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 17.
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