Bard scores first win in fourth race at Port Royal Speedway

Garrett Bard of Wells Tannery wasted no time in showing his ability in a full-sized sprint car, coming from ninth starting spot to second in his heat race and then winning Saturday’s 20-lap PA Sprint Series feature at Port Royal Speedway. It was only his fourth time out in a full-sized sprinter, his second race with PASS/IMCA, and his first at Port Royal.

Bard, in the GC Racing Engines/Lias Tire #95, had drawn the outside front row starting position, but pole-sitter Devin Adams (Lebanon; Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel/Adams Auto Sales/Garden Spot Auto Auction #99A), who had picked up his first career win the last time PASS was at Port Royal, grabbed the early lead with last week’s Path Valley winner Drew Ritchey (Everett; R&N Tire/LaSalle’s Racing Engines/Bedford Valley Petroleum #880) moving into second.

Running high in turns 1&2 and low in 3&4, Adams – who also had been a big mover in his heat, advancing from eighth to second and challenging for the lead before a late caution – worked his way smoothly through traffic in the feature, but on lap 13, Bard caught Ritchey to take second and begin reeling in the leader. On lap 18, Bard made the race-winning move.

Adams held on for the runner-up finish, with Jonathan Jones (Irvona; JJ’s Speed Shop/B&R Self Storage/Bungo’s Tires & Service #12J) taking third from Ritchey late in the going. “Nitro” Nick Sweigart (Myerstown; A.H. Moyer/Ditchcreek Utility Services/C&L Siding & Decks #8) completing the Top 5.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Doug Dodson (Middletown; PowerMist Racing Fuels/Crockett Log Homes/Fastener Specialties #20), Dave Grube II (York Haven; Spearhead Rentals/MAN Contracting/Chiropractic Athletic #3D), Kassidy Kreitz (Sinking Spring; Rock-It Pizza & Subs/Maxim Chassis/Schannauer Plumbing & Heathing), Ken Duke Jr. (Selinsgrove; Fairfield Chevrolet/Apache Tree Service/sprintcarunlimited #67) and Keith Prutzman (Hamburg; Buck Rubs Gentlemen’s Club/McKeansburg Bar & Restaurant #28).

The winner’s 305 sprint career has been so brief that his #95 sprinter still has its numbers applied with tape, but fans and fellow competitors certainly will remember them now. In his first PASS start last week at Path Valley Speedway, Bard finished 10th and won the 600cc micro sprint feature that same night. His other two starts have been at Clinton County Speedway, where he finished outside the Top 10 but had Top 5 heat finishes.

Another huge field was on hand for Saturday’s race with 39 RaceSaver sprint teams signing in. Ritchey, Cale Riegle (Newport; Don’t Performance Corner/Holley’s Outdoor Solutions #99), Jones and Prutzman won heat races, with Jake Waters (Mifflintown; The Bargain Barn/HP Engines/Huffy’s Pizza #10) and Josh Spicer (Julian; TC Transports/Spicer Welding #71) taking the twin B-Mains.

The top mover in the feature was Landon Price, who came from 23rd starting position to finish 13th.

Results from Port Royal Speedway, July 20, 2019

HEAT 1 – 1. 880-Drew Ritchey; 2. 20-Doug Dodson; 3. 8-Nick Sweigart; 4. 1R-Christian Rumsey; 5. 88-Fred Arnold; 6. 10-Jake Waters; 7. 51-Dave Graber; 8. 69P-Landon Price; 9. 46-Mike Alleman; 10. Q3-Johnny Yanek.

HEAT 2 – 1. 99-Cale Riegle; 2. 2-Erin Statler; 3. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 4. 67-Ken Duke Jr.; 5. 17K-Kyle Keen; 6. 107-Colton Hoover; 7. 23-Nathan Gramley; 8. 5E-Wally Eshenaur; 9. 911-Michael Wenrick; 10. 21M-Cassandra Minimum.

HEAT 3 – 1. 12J-Jonathan Jones; 2. 99A-Devin Adams; 3. 55-Domenic Melair; 4. 3D-Dave Grube; 5. 38-Larry McVey; 6. 97-Kenny Heffner; 7. 71-Josh Spicer; 8. 54M-Mark Zimmerman; 9. 00-Lawrence Jewell; 10. 86-Ron Aurand.

HEAT 4 – 1. 28-Keith Prutzman; 2. 95-Garrett Bard; 3. 5-John Walp; 4. 36-Jaremi Hanson; 5. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 6. 56-Jake Frye; 7. 19-Cruz Kepner; 8. 11X-Robert Garvey; 9-53W-Jimmy White.

B-MAIN 1 – 1. 10-Jake Waters; 2. 69P-Landon Price; 3. 51-Dave Graber; 4. 23-Nathan Gramley; 5. 46-Mike Alleman; 6. 911-Michael Wenrick; 7. Q2-Johnny Yanick; 8. 21M-Cassandra Minimum; 9. 107-Colton Hoover; 10. 5E-Wally Eshenaur.

B-MAIN 2 – 1. 71-Josh Spicer; 2. 56-Jake Frye; 3. 19-Cruz Kepner; 4. 54M-Mark Zimmerman; 5. 00-Lawrence Jewell; 6. 55-Domenic Melair; 7. 11X-Robert Garvey; 8. 53W-Jimmy White; 9. 86-Ron Aurand.

FEATURE – 1. 95-Garrett Bard; 2. 99A-Devin Adams; 3. 12J-Jonathan Jones; 4. 880-Drew Ritchey; 5. 8-Nick Sweigart; 6. 20-Doug Dodson; 7. 3D-Dave Grube; 8. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 9. 67-Ken Duke; 10. 28-Keith Prutzman; 11. 5-John Walp; 12. 99-Cale Riegle; 13. 69P-Landon Price; 14. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 15. 2-Erin Statler; 16. 17K-Kyle Keen; 17. 10-Jake Waters; 18. 38-Larry McVey; 19. 56-Jake Frye; 20. 97-Kenny Heffner; 21. 88-Fred Arnold; 22. 36-Jaremi Hanson; 23. 51-Dave Graber; 24. 71-Josh Spicer; 25. 19-Cruz Kepner; 26. 1R-Christian Rumsey. DNQ-23-Nathan Gramley; 46-Mike Alleman; 911-Michael Wenrick; Q2-Johnny Yanek; 21M-Cassandra Minimum; 107-Colton Hoover; 5E-Wally Eshenaur; 86-Ron Aurand; 53W-Jimmy White; 11X-Robert Garvey; 55-Domenic Melair; 00-Lawrence Jewell; 54M-Mark Zimmerman.