TodayLocal Racing: Dewease comes on late to win
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Article RatingMechanicsburg - Lance Dewease has to buy diapers now.
He and his wife Renee became first time parents two weeks ago and Dewease's drive to the front in Friday night's 25-lap Sprint car feature at Williams Grove Speedway, showed how determined he is to provide for his new son.
Without the aid of a caution flag, Dewease came from the eighth starting spot to track down race leader Mark Smith with one lap remaining and capture his first win of the season at the Mechanicsburg oval.
The win was the second overall this season for the Fayetteville driver, who also won opening day at Lincoln Speedway back on March 3.
“It was fun but when they go nonstop like that, they are awful tough,” said Dewease, who drives for New Cumberland car owner Pete Postupack. “We weren't as good as I'd like to have been but we were still gaining on them.
“I kept hammering the top, hammering the top and I could move to the middle in three and four and start making up ground.”
Dewease made up a ton of race track over the final seven laps as Smith led the whole way from his front row starting spot.
Smith, driving for new car owner Mark Coldren looked good opening up a lead over Brian Paulus, in for the weekend from Ohio. Paulus closed in on Smith on lap 12 as Dewease motored by Ryan Bohlke for the third spot.
With Paulus closing in on Smith, Dewease was eating away at their lead and caught Paulus with five laps remaining. He drove by Paulus for second place on lap 21 then had to work around the lapped car of Josh Wells before he could have a change at Smith.
“Two lapped cars were slowing Mark down alittle bit and I knew my only shot was to slide him,” said Dewease, after career win 67 at the Grove. “I actually thought that was the last lap when I passed him.”
Dewease drove away from Smith on the final circuit to secure the $3,000 win in the Vogele, Pete's Bridge Street Motors, Hanks Performance Products, DMI, Hoosier Tires, Jakes Carts, Bumper Bobs, H & H Lighting, Harrisburg North Golf Resorts, Wings Unlimited, Rider Racing Engines powered No.25 Maxim chassis.
Smith, of Tower City settled for the runner-up spot ahead of Paulus in the P & P Motorsports entry. Fourth went to Lancaster's Doug Esh in Dick and Leslie Leach's sprinter with fifth going to Todd Shaffer in Gary and Patty Beam's No. 88 sprinter.
Completing the top 10 finishers were Jeff Shepard, Steve Buckwalter, Brian Montieth, Brian Leppo and Fred Rahmer, who started from 24th after serving his penalty for last week's rough riding incident.
Racin' Jason Covert bested big field of super late models to pick up the victory in the Klinedinst owned No. 43A machine.
Covert's win came ahead of Steve Casebolt, Jack Pencil, J.T. Spence and Gary Stuhler. Smith, Dewease, Don Kreitz, Jr. and Esh won sprint car heats for the 37-car field. Consolations went to Josh Wells and Montieth. D.J. Troutman, Les Hare, Jeff Bryner and Casebolt were late model heat winners with 47 cars signed in. Consolations were won by Stuhler and Chris Harr. Williams Grove returns to action Sunday night with a program of Super Sportsman, Late Models and Street Stocks beginning at 6 p.m.
