MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Mike Erdley bested a strong field to win the nonstop 30-lap O’Reilly All Stars sprint-car feature Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway.
Kevin Nouse started on the pole and took the early lead, but Erdley patiently rode the inside line before moving to the point on lap 15 of the half-mile oval.
Brian Leppo found his way around Nouse on lap 17 and began to close on the leader. Greg Hodnett, who started fifth, got by Nouse on lap 20 and turned the last 10 circuits into a three-car battle for the lead.
While both Leppo and Hodnett looked good working the outside cushion, Erdley had the only car that worked well on the bottom, and that paid for with the $5,000 triumph.
Leppo settled for second, with Hodnett, Todd Shaffer and Jeff Shepard rounding out the top five. Lucas Wolfe was the fast qualifier for the 43-car field.
The summary:
Fast time: Lucas Wolfe, 16.590 seconds (43 cars).
First Heat: Jeff Shepard, Sean Michael, Fred Rahmer, Lucas Wolfe, Mike Erdley, Jim Siegel, Rich Eichelberger, Steve Clabaugh, Tommy Beavers, Bill Rose, Chris Meleason.
Second Heat: Craig Keel, Dale Blaney, Brian Monteith, Greg Hodnett, Brian Paulus, Doug Esh, T.J. Stutts, Brandon Martin, Alan Krimes, Mark Smith.
Third Heat: Nicky Young, Rick Lafferty, Brian Leppo, Don Kreitz, Jr., Chad Layton, Josh Wells, Scott Geesy, Steve Buckwalter, Brock Mayes, Greg Wilson.
Fourth Heat: Todd Shaffer, Lance Dewease, Kevin Nouse, Danny Smith, Alan Cole, Bob Bennett, Brian Ellenberger, Paul May, Michael Carber, Craig Mintz.
B Main: Esh, Stutts, Buckwalter, Meleason, Wells, Siegel, Ellenberger, May, Wilson, Mayes, Bennett, Geesy, Eichelberger, Clabaugh, Rose, Beavers, Mintz, Martin.
Feature: Erdley, Leppo, Hodnett, Shaffer, Shepard, Esh, Nouse, Monteith, Blaney, Rahmer, Layton, Paulus, Dewease, Stutts, Young, Buckwalter, Kreitz, D. Smith, Cole, Meleason, Keel, Wolfe, Lafferty, Michael.