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Bowser, Krummert highlight track finale

Freeport graduate Carl Bowser climbs out of his car after winning the Sprint feature durng the Steel City Stampede Saturday night at Lernerville Speedway.
320 cars, 12 feature events showcase Steel City Stampede at Lernerville

BUFFALO TWP — Carl Bowser came up with his repeat win.

Garrett Krummert came up a 16th of a second short of his.

All in all, the 10th annual Steel City Stampede provided a fitting send-off to the 2018 racing season at Lernerville Speedway. The three-day event concluded Saturday night with more than 320 cars in competition and 12 feature events taking place.

Bowser, a Freeport graduate, picked up the $3,000 winner's check in the Sprint feature by ducking under A.J. Flick off Turn 4 of the final lap and nipping him for the checkered flag.

The win marked Bowser's second straight Steel City Stampede Sprint victory.

“It feels good to get this again because I had come so close a few times before winning last year,” Bowser said of the Stampede. “I think I finished second four times in this race over the years.”

Flick is a three-time Lernerville Sprint division points champion. Bowser is a former track points champion himself who spent time with the All-Star series this year.

Bowser started the Sprint feature from the 14th spot Saturday night and charged through the field to win.

“I didn't want to show (Flick) that move too early or he would have slid down and taken it away from me,” Bowser said. “It came to that final lap and it was my last chance.

“Fortunately, it worked out.”

While Lernerville's racing season is done, Bowser's continues. He has a few races on the schedule in Central Pa. and will head to Charlotte, N.C., for the World of Outlaws event in November.

Krummert won the Modified feature early in the evening, easily beating Rex King, Sr., to the finish line for his first Lernerville feature win in the division since 2015.

The Ellwood City driver and Lernerville regular later bid to become the first double-feature winner — two wins in the same night — in Steel City Stampede history. He started up front in the RUSH Sportsman Modified feature and was chasing Chaz Wolbert for the points title in that Series.

Krummert's Modified win came in an 11-car field as 11 others were forced out of the race due to a 16-car pile-up during an early-lap rtestart.

“I had never seen anything like that,” Krummert said. “I'm just glad that everyone was OK.

“Being able to avoid that mess and come away with a win ... This was totally awesome.”

Blaze Myers, 14, of Franklin, wound up spoiling Krummert's shot at a second win Saturday. Myers won the B-Main earlier in the day to even qualify for the feature.

Starting at the back of the field and taking advantage of restarts on laps 15 and 17, Myers was able to pass Krummert on the backstretch of the final lap to capture the feature.

“I didn't think I'd even get the chance to pass anybody,” Myers said of barely qualifying for the race. “I just love this. My dad is No. 1 on this crew. He's always been there to help me.”

Myers' father embraced him in victory lane. Because Wolbert finished sixth and Krummert second, the latter did come away with the RUSH Sportsman Modified points crown.

David Scott, an Erie-based driver who was Lernerville Late Model champion in 2002 and just missed winning the Sprint title that same year, won the Late Model feature Saturday. He started up front.

“It feels good to win here again,” Scott said. “It's always great coming down here because the track personnel treat the drivers with respect.

“I've been to a lot of racetracks and you don't always get that.”

Colton Flinner, 24, of Allison Park won the RUSH Late Model feature for his first-ever feature win at Lernerville. He has raced here six years, but never on a regular basis.

Flinner is the nephew of multiple Lernerville Late Model points champion John Flinner of Zelienople.

“It's cool that another Flinner has now won a race here, but I'm out to build my own legacy,” the younger Flinner said. “I was Lucas Oil Series Rookie of the Year two years ago and my goal is to get back into that and win that series.”

Flinner has 22 career feature wins and won points titles in Crate Late Models at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in 2011 and 2012.

A complete list of Steel City Stampede winners follows:

STEEL CITY STAMPEDE Feature Winners

Sprints — Carl Bowser

Late Models — David Scott

Modifieds — Garrett Krummert

RUSH Late Models — Colton Flinner

Pro Stocks — Chris Schneider

UMP Modifieds — Jonathan Taylor

RUSH Sportsman Modifieds — Blaze Myers

RUSH Sprints — Chad Ruhlman

Allegheny Sprint Tour 305 Sprints — Robbie Bartchy

4-Cylinders — Eric Boozel

Elite Modifieds — Dennis Lunger

Micro-Sprints — Brian Borawiec Jr.

Enduro 100

Top 10 Finishers

1. Paul Crynock, 2. Matt Feder, 3. Joe Campbell, 4. Chris Potocnak, 5. Clinton Hersh, 6. Cole Miller, 7. Ricky Weaver Jr., 8. Chris Zedreck, 9. Jonathan Shewwin, 10. Dave Thompson

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