By Todd Heintzelman
MECHANICSBURG, Pa.: Freddie Rahmer was the winner of the Billy Kimmel Memorial for the 410 Sprint Cars Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway.
The race was marred by a horrible frontstretch crash with two laps remaining in the sprint car feature. Robbie Kendall and Anthony Macri got together on the inside of the track near the flag stand. The contact sent Kendall’s car flipping and over the fence and into the pit area landing on top of a push truck.
Both Macri and Kendall were okay, but a person standing on the back of the push truck was hit and killed. The race was called official with 23 laps complete. Rahmer earned $3,800 for his fourth Grove win of the season and eighth overall in a car owned by his dad. The 358 Sprint feature was postponed to a later date.
Alan Krimes and Chad Trout won the heat races and shared the front row for the 25-lap main event. Trout grabbed the lead at the drop of the green, but Krimes shot by him off turn two taking over the top spot. Rahmer also got by Trout to take over second, with Haas falling in behind for third.
The yellow flew with four laps completed for track point leader Danny Dietrich. His car was sitting the wrong direction against the third turn fence with a flat left rear tire and other damage. His car was towed to the pits, and he was done for the night.
Rahmer ducked inside of Krimes in turn one on the restart, but Krimes’ momentum off the cushion kept him out front. Kyle Moody passed Brian Montieth and Trout to take over fourth.
The yellow flew again with seven laps completed. Krimes controlled the restart and pulled away from Rahmer, Haas, and Moody as they blasted around the cushion.
Krimes had to duck off the cushion to miss the slower car of Barry Shearer entering turn three. He made the pass, as Rahmer closed at the half-way point.
The leader had to go low again to lap a car in turns three and four. Rahmer did as well keeping pace with the leader with eight laps to go.
Rahmer ducked low on Krimes entering turn one and slid in front of him taking the lead on the 19th circuit. Rahmer pulled away as he passed slower traffic.
The Salfordville ace was in control when the frontstretch crash occurred. The race was called official with 23 laps completed.
Rahmer was declared the winner over Krimes, Haas, Montieth, and Moody. Trout, Rodney Westhafer, Jeff Halligan, Kody Lehman and TJ Stutts rounded out the top 10.
“We changed some stuff around to try to get better when the track’s a little faster,” Rahmer said. “Tonight, it hurt me early, the way the curb was, I was a little tight.
“Then when we got to traffic, I moved down, and I was really good down there. We learned some stuff. It was pretty good. We weren’t bad.”
With Dietrich not finishing the race, Rahmer also closed the gap in the point standings. He won the title in 2016.
“We want to win a couple more races and one of the big ones before the end of the year.”