Hanover, PA (8/8/08) –Night number one of the Trail-Way/Lincoln “358” sprint car “Shootout” went to two-time defending Trail-Way track champ Jeff Rohrbaugh on Friday night.

And the Trail-Way point leader did it in unusual fashion, driving around the outside of race-long leader Danny Dietrich to grab the lead entering turn one of lap 13.

“I was a little wound up on the start there,” said Rohrbaugh upon exiting his Roy Vincent Racing Don Beard’s Racing Engines/L&R Auto Body #7V in victory lane, “Normally the guy on the pole sets the pace for the start of the race. Danny had my lane so I had to make my move on the outside.”

A 12-car redraw for the start of the feature put Rohrbaugh on the pole for the feature, but it was the younger Dietrich brother who grabbed the lead at the start. It wasn’t until lap 13 that Rohrbaugh was able set up for the race-winning pass.

From there, things went downhill fast for Dietrich and the four cars behind him. As the leaders were racing through lapped traffic on lap 15, Zach Euculano got sideways in turn two, collecting Dietrich, who rolled onto his side, bringing out the red. Also involved in the crash were third-place Joe Trone, Jr. fourth-place Brad McClelland, fifth-place Dale Hammaker, and sixth-place Kyle Moody.

Dietrich and Euculano were both done for the night, and McClelland went to the pits during the red to make repairs. The others went to the rear, with Hammaker dropping out on lap 19 and Trone taking it in on lap 22.

DS Diversified Services hard charger Brian Eichelberger, who started 13th, squeezed through the crash scene while running seventh at the time, and assumed second for the restart. He ran there the rest of the way, with Tim Wagaman, Randy Whisler, and Nathan Berwager running third through fifth the rest of the way.

Sixth through tenth were Colt White, Jessie Morrison, McClelland, Mike Duncan, and Billy Heltzel, Jr.

“It is what it is,” said Rohrbaugh when asked about padding his points lead, “I’m not a big points racer. You make as much to win races as a title. Wins take care of the points.”

The win moved Rohrbaugh into a tie with McClelland on the all-time Trail-Way 358 sprint win list. Both drivers top the charts at 16.

It also gave Rohrbaugh a leg up in the Trail-Way/Lincoln “Shootout,” which is sponsored by York Floor Racing, DS Diversified Services, Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic, Insinger Racing Fuels, Don Ott Racing Engines, and Delco Signs. The “Shootout” pays bonus money to the ten drivers with the best combined two-night finishes at Trail-Way and Lincoln.

Heats for the 25 “358” sprints were won by McClelland, White, and Danny Dietrich. Randy Davis, Jr. won the consolation event.

HOOSIER TIRES 358 SPRINTS

(Night 1 of the Trail-Way Speedway/Lincoln Speedway Shootout)

Feature (25 Laps) – 1. 7V-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 2. 55-Brian Eichelberger; 3. 1-Tim Wagaman II; 4. 64-Randy Whisler; 5. 4U-Nathan Berwager; 6. 45-Colt White; 7. 18J-Jessie Morrison; 8. 6-Brad McClelland; 9. 11D-Mike Duncan; 10. 28-Billy Heltzel Jr.; 11. 99M-Kyle Moody; 12. 10W-Brian Bruckner; 13. 36-Peter Bartley; 14. 99-Joe Trone Jr. (DNF); 15. 98-Randy Davis Jr. (DNF); 16. 35-Steve Owings (DNF); 17. 66-Dale Hammaker (DNF); 18. 88-Danny Dietrich (DNF); 19. 10-Zach Shive Euculano (DNF); 20. 01-Rick Horn (DNF); 21. 51-Nick Palmerino (DNF); 22. 8D-Billy Dietrich (DNF0; 23. 81-Brandon Turner (DNF); 24. 66H-Doug Hammaker (DNF). No time.

Lap Leaders – Danny Dietrich (1-12); Jeff Rohrbaugh (13-25)

Heat 1 (10 Laps/7 Qualify) – 1. 6-Brad McClelland; 2. 35-Steve Owings; 3. 99M-Kyle Moody; 4. 36-Peter Bartley; 5. 55-Brian Eichelberger; 6. 01-Rick Horn; 7. 66H-Doug Hammaker; 8. 81-Brandon Turner; 9. 51-Nick Palmerino. Time – 2:24.11

Heat 2 (10 Laps/7 Qualify) – 1. 45-Colt White; 2. 66-Dale Hammaker; 3. 64-Randy Whisler; 4. 8D-Billy Dietrich; 5. 11D-Mike Duncan; 6. 18J-Jessie Morrison; 7. 10-Zach Shive Euculano (DNF); 8. 98-Randy Davis Jr. (DNF). No time.

Heat 3 (10 Laps/7 Qualify) – 1. 88-Danny Dietrich; 2. 99-Joe Trone Jr.; 3. 7V-Jeff Rohrbaugh; 4. 1-Tim Wagaman; 5. 4U-Nathan Berwager; 6. 28-Billy Heltzel Jr.; 7. 10W-Brian Bruckner; 8. U1-Billy Heltzel III (DNF). Time – 2:22.31

Consolation (10 Laps/3 Qualify) – 1. 98-Randy Davis Jr.; 2. 51-Nick Palmerino; 3. 81-Brandon Turner; 4. U1-Billy Heltzel III (DNF). No time.