KEVIN HIRTHLER DEFENDS SMALL BLOCK CHAMPIONSHIP - 11/01/2003
By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Kevin Hirthler of Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania has quickly taken a liking to Southern Delaware as Saturday he defended his win of a year ago by capturing the 50 lap Delaware State Dirt Track Small Block Modified Championship. Hirthler had a perfect day, starting on the pole and winning his heat and starting on the pole and leading all 50 laps of the feature. Hirthler participated in the gambler program which boosted his winnings from $2000 to $4000 and lap money added another $1140 boosting his total to $5140.
Hirthler started on the pole and survived a caution plagued first half of the 50-lap Small Block event. Billy Pauch, Jr. got around collecting John Willman before the first lap was complete. On the restart, Ricky Elliott in the Will Brown No. 1W started to pressure Mike Gular for second and took the spot on lap three. Gular slowed to a stop bringing out the yellow.
Barry Readinger was putting on a strong drive in the third position holding off Mike Isles and Jamie Mills in the top five. Cautions on laps five, eight, nine, and ten kept the field tightly bunched. Mills, driving for Sal DeBruno got by Isles for fourth and at the halfway sign the top five were Hirthler, Elliott, Readinger, Mills, and Jimmy Chester. Donnie Radd slowed to a stop to bring out the yellow at this point.
Craig VonDohren was on the move but spun in the third turn as he challenged Isles to bring out the yellow on lap 28. The top five remained unchanged until lap 42 when Ray Swinehart and Rick Shaffer tangled collecting VonDohren. On the restart, Elliott slowed with a flat tire moving Readinger into second.
Mills cranked up the pressure on Readinger for second and with five to go the two made contact but both held on to their positions. As Hirthler maintained a comfortable lead, Mills made one final bid for second but got high and lost two positions.
At the checkered it was Hirthler with his hand waving in jubilation taking his first win of the season and defending his championship in the small blocks. Readinger turned in his best performance ever at the speedway finishing in second with JimmChester third. Jimmy Horton came on strong in the closing laps to finish in the fourth spot with Mills rounding out the top five. Sixth through tenth were Shawn Reimert, Kenny Brightbill. Rick Scagliotta, Duane Howard, and Ryan Watt. Swinehart, Elliott, Hirthler, Readinger, Gular, and Isles won the heats for the 65 small block with Norman Short, Tim Millman, and VonDohren winning the consolations.
RESULTS: 50-Lap Small Block Modified Championship: 1. KEVIN HIRTHLER; 2. Barry Readinger; 3. Jimmy Chester; 4. Jimmy Horton; 5. Jamie Mills; 6. Shawn Reimert; 7. Kenny Brightbill; 8. Rich Scagliotta; 9. Duane Howard; 10. Ryan Watt; 11. Kyle Strickler; 12. Billy Pauch, Jr.; 13. Bryant Brown; 14. Mike Gular; 15. Rick Schaffer; 16. Deron Rust; 17. Mike Isles; 18. Ricky Elliott; 19. Ray Swinehart; 20. Craig VonDohren; 21. Greg Humlhanz; 22. Donny Radd; 23. Keith Hoffman; 24. Doug Hoffman; 25. Norman Short; 26. Tom Hager; 27. Mike McAleer; 28. Billy Pauch; 29. Ted Taylor; 30. Tim Millman; 31. John Wilman