DESANTIS WINS FOR FIRST TIME IN 26 YEARS AT GRANDVIEW

SPEEDWAY, UMBENHAUER AND SNYDER ALSO VISIT VICTORY LANE

BECHTELSVILLE, PA APRIL 29, 2000 . . . "I ran my third race

ever and led 19 laps here back in 1974 and didn't win. Now,

finally, 26 years later I finally win a 'freakin' race here,"

was the comment of Meme DeSantis in victory lane at Grandview

Speedway on Saturday night. The Blandon, PA racer had just

won his career first NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Modified

stock car feature race at the Berks County oval earning $2,200.

Also visiting victory lane on Saturday night was Terry

Snyder (Green Lane) taking the top spot in the Exide

ShorTrack Late Model feature. And Tom Umbenhauer (Richland,

PA) won his second PA. Sportsman stock car feature race of

the season at the one-third-mile, clay oval.

In the 30-lap NASCAR Modified feature Ray Swinehart, a

two time champion at Grandview, looked to be on his way to a

feature win. Swinehart was in front of the pack until the

18th circuit when Meme DeSantis, at the wheel of the

Eisenhart #88T, took command on the backstretch. DeSantis'

work did not really begin until he was in front of the 29 car

starting field. The veteran racer, who has won features at

just about all the local dirt modified ovals, had to hold off

strong challenges from Ray Swinehart, Kerry Kratz and Kevin Hartnett.

With two laps to go Tom Mayberry, running in the top

five, spun bringing out the caution and put the entire field

on DeSantis' rear bumper. However as hard as Swinehart and

Kratz tried they could not get by the fleet running DeSantis.

At the finish the winner, now firmly in front in the chase

for the Motor Truck Equipment Co. Kenworth/Cummins PA NASCAR

Modified Championship worth $15,000, was less than a car

length in front of second place finisher Ray Swinehart

(Bechtelsville) and third place Kerry Kratz (Bechtelsville).

Grabbing fourth was Kevin Hartnett (Perkasie) followed by

Shawn Reimert (Oley). Reimert is now the modified point

leader at Grandview Speedway with 513 tallies.

John Willman in the Bandit Truck Stop/O'Conner

Freightliner entry, started 26th and finished 11th to earn

the Timber Wolf Smokeless Tobacco Hard Charger Award.

The 20-lap feature Exide ShorTrack Late Models had Casey

Ebright grabbing the top spot at the drop of the green.

Ebright (Pottstown) set the pace until the 8th lap when he

bobbled in the third turn, rubbed the wall, allowing Terry

Snyder to get by. Once in front Snyder had a fairly easy time

of it riding to victory in his Larry's Mobile Home Skirting

entry. Dean Stoudt (East Greenville) grabbed second, moving

to the top of the early season late model point standings, in

a strong late race effort. John Durling (Reading), who came

from far back in the 26 car starting field, finished third.

Ed Trimbur (Pottstown) tabbed fourth followed by Rick Todorow (Quakertown).

And it was Tom Umbenhauer driving the Mason-Dixon Auto

Auction sponsored entry to victory in the 15 lap feature for

PA Sportsman. This was the final early season appearance for

the sportsman racers. Donn Edgar dogged Umbenhauer for the

entire 15 laps but could not get the edge and had to settle

for second. Third spot went to Leroy Long.

With 116 race cars in the competition area qualifying

heats created quite a night of excitement as the bright sun

and high winds early in the evening changed track conditions

with each event. Wins in the NASCAR Modified qualifiers went

to Bob Trapper, Todd Heydt, Jon Kellner, Tom Mayberry and

Jeff Strunk. Consolation wins were earned by Glenn Strunk,

Smokey Warren and Chip Slocum. The Cash Dash went to Tom

Mayberry and was worth $310.

Late model qualifiers were won by Dean Stoudt, Casey

Ebright and John Durling. The consolation went to Doug

Walton. Sportsman heats went to Tom Umbenhauer and Donn Edgar.

NASCAR sanctioned stock car racing returns to Grandview

Speedway on Saturday, May 6, 7:30 p.m. with NASCAR Modifieds

and Exide Late Models being featured in at least 13 events of

competition. WAEB-AM Radio will sponsor the night of racing

with close to 100 prizes being given out to fans in the

stands including a Pocono Getaway. Bobby Gunther Walsh, on-

air morning personality at WAEB-AM (Allentown), a regular in

modified competition at Grandview, has challenged a number of

the station personalities, including Dr. Joe Sobel

(nationally known weatherman), to a match race.