Kutztown, Pennsylvania (September 7, 2024)………Kenny Miller lll of Morgantown, Pa. capitalized on a late race issue for early race leader Briggs Danner to win his second Rapid Tire Services USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series Presented by Capitol Renegade win of the season, and his first ever at Kutztown, Pennsylvania’s Action Track USA.
Following heat race action and redraws, Danner and Miller led the field to green for the 30-lap Dick Tobias Classic at Action Track USA. Right away, Danner bolted to the early race lead with Miller doing everything he could to stay on the tail tank of the Hogue Enterprises No. 39 machine, even drawing under Danner for the lead down the back straightaway early on.
Around the 10-lap mark, Ed Aikin and Cameron Smith, who were battling hard within the top-five, made contact in corners three and four. Aikin went bouncing into the air, but luckily, never got upside down while Smith spun to a stop in the middle of the corner. Both drivers did attempt to re-fire for the feature event, but Aikin was forced pit side with what was later discovered to be a bent rear axle and frame damage. Likewise, Smith tried to tag the field, but quickly pulled into the infield with steering issues aboard the Lee Kauffman No. 96 machine.
As racing got back underway, the master class for Danner continued out front with Miller doing everything in his power to stay with Danner as the laps clicked off. Christian Bruno, who continues to have a banner year, was in third, with Carmen Perigo moving his way inside the top-five after pulling the worst pill of the redraw and starting eighth. Likewise, Steven Drevicki rebounded from not making the redraw, and worked his way into fifth, challenging for positions in front of him while Danner quickly closed in.
As the laps clicked off, Danner encountered three different two-car battles for position at the tail end of the field. “The great equalizer,” as they say, began to allow Miller to draw in closer and closer as Danner picked at the lapped cars. Meanwhile, Danner amazingly had worked his way to Bruce Buckwalter Jr. who was running seventh at the time. Now Miller had all but come to the rear bumper of Danner for the race lead.
Just as the field appeared to cross the 10-lap remaining mark, a lapped car began to slow in corners one and two with Danner rapidly approaching. As Danner arrived upon the lapped car of Gary Huston, Danner slammed to a stop while attempting to maneuver around the outside of Huston. Danner tried to let the car roll and re-fire, but it unfortunately did not, necessitating the caution flag. While Huston retired to the infield with a flat right rear tire, Danner rejoined the field at the tail end of the lead lap cars, which fortunately for Danner, was only seventh.
As the field restarted with just a few laps left, Miller found himself in the lead with Bruno, Perigo, Drevicki and Jared Kreider inside the top-five. Danner made quick work of Buckwalter and Kreider to get back inside the top-five as the laps dwindled.
Miller remained out front and uncontested for the balance of the feature with Bruno securing the runner-up spot. Danner, in spectacular fashion, flew around the outside of Perigo and Drevicki to steal third place on the last lap, last corner of the event. Perigo and Drevicki completed the top-five.
Miller scored his first win with the series since May at Delaware International Speedway, and his first ever at Action Track USA where he is a former wingless 600 sprint champion. Miller explained in victory lane that, while it was disappointing to see Danner stop on the track and inherit the race lead, he took the victory however he could get it. Miller nearly got the job done last season at Action Track in the Tobias Classic before late race contact with Timmy Buckwalter ended the run and the chance.
Bruno continued his breakout season. From the big tracks to the bull rings, he backed up his August win at Port Royal with a runner-up showing at Action Track USA. The two-time 600 Sprint champion at the track made it a pair of former 600 champions taking the top-two spots in the feature with Miller scoring the win.
Danner looked to have another feature win all wrapped up before the unfortunate ending out front in lapped traffic. Danner still put on an amazing show in the late stages of the feature to complete the podium with a daring, three-wide move coming off turn four to take the checkered flag.
“They had my middle too slick tonight,” were the words Perigo had in the pit area following the feature. The former Action Track USA USAC East Coast Sprint Car feature winner scored a thrilling heat race number two, but had to make it work after pulling the number eight pill for the feature. Perhaps if Perigo had drawn a pill more toward the front of the field, he could have played a role in determining the win, but things were not meant to be on this night.
Steven Drevicki is not shy when saying that Action Track USA is not his favorite track on the schedule. Despite that sentiment, Drevicki has been fast each and every time the series ventures to the Berks County Bullring, and was rewarded with another top-five effort, which added to his points lead. While Drevicki didn’t get the win in the sprint car, a one-off appearance in the SpeedSTR division resulted in a feature win at the Dick Tobias Classic.
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USAC RAPID TIRE EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY CAPITOL CUSTOM TRAILERS RACE RESULTS: September 8, 2024 – Action Track USA – Kutztown, Pennsylvania
FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 17-Christian Bruno (1), 2. 39-Briggs Danner (4), 3. 7-Ed Aikin (3), 4. 83-Bruce Buckwalter Jr. (5), 5. 10-Wesley Gomez (2), 6. 1Q-Thomas Radivoy (6), 7. 76-Mike Smith (7), 8. 44-Gary Huston (8). NT
SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature, starting positions in parentheses) 1. 21-Carmen Perigo (2), 2. 51-Jared Kreider (1), 3. 23m-Kenny Miller III (4), 4. 96-Cameron Smith (6), 5. 19-Steven Drevicki (7), 6. 29-Dalton Herrick (5), 7. 67-Jason Cherry (3), 8. 3H-Heidi Hedin (8). NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Kenny Miller III (2), 2. Christian Bruno (3), 3. Briggs Danner (1), 4. Carmen Perigo (8), 5. Steven Drevicki (10), 6. Jared Kreider (5), 7. Bruce Buckwalter Jr. (7), 8. Dalton Herrick (12), 9. Jason Cherry (14), 10. Mike Smith (13), 11. Heidi Hedin (16), 12. Wesley Gomez (9), 13. Thomas Radivoy (11), 14. Gary Huston (15), 15. Cameron Smith (4), 16. Ed Aikin (6). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-24 Briggs Danner, Laps 25-30 Kenny Miller III.
USAC RAPID TIRE EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY CAPITOL CUSTOM TRAILERS POINTS: 1-Steven Drevicki-755, 2-Christian Bruno-626, 3-Ed Aikin-602, 4-Alex Bright-536, 5-Briggs Danner-489, 6-Bobby Butler-457, 7-Jason Cherry-415, 8-Carmen Perigo-384, 9-Matthew Swift-272, 10-Joey Amantea-242.
NEXT USAC RAPID TIRE EAST COAST SPRINT CARS PRESENTED BY CAPITOL CUSTOM TRAILERS RACE: September 13, 2024 – Outlaw Speedway – Dundee, New York
