ABBOTTSTOWN
 Fred Rahmer stepped up and served notice once again.

 Rahmer used patience in Saturday’s 25-lap 410 Sprint car feature at Lincoln Speedway then waited until race leader Chad Layton used up his tires and turned it into his fourth overall win of the season.

 Layton appeared to have the upper edge early in the event, utilizing a freshly water top groove, but when the bottom rubbered up, Rahmer was there to take advantage and drove to his first win of the season in the Pigeon Hills. He won last week’s season opener at Williams Grove and also had two feature wins while racing in Florida last month.

 “Everything went our way today,” said Rahmer, after his 155th career Lincoln win. “Starting sixth ended up being an advantage today because Chad was running a really good pace around the top and I stayed on the bottom and found the rubber. Getting the lead first isn’t always the hot set-up and he had to stay up there because he was going good, but when the rubber came in, it was church over.”

 Church over it was when Rahmer’s pushed the Chad and Jen Clemens owned sprinter out front for good on lap 15 and pulled away from the field for the victory.
 While Rahmer guaranteed a Williams Grove championship last week and certainly was on his game Saturday, he quickly reminded everyone that it’s still daytime racing.

 “It’s still daytime racing and this don’t mean nothing,” he stated after the $3,000 payday. “The real racing starts next week, this ain’t squat. I started on the pole in the heat and got lucky there and it’s just all working my way right now, but it can turn in a second. And the guys that are having tough luck now could be the guys standing here next time.”

 Aaron Ott’s spin on the first lap ended Brian Leppo’s day before a lap could be complete.

 Jim Siegel led the first four laps before Layton, who started fourth blasted his way from third to first on lap five.

 Numerous early yellows kept the field slow as Rahmer worked his way into second place on lap eight just before a yellow on lap nine for a Doug Esh, who was turned around in turn two after contact with several other race cars.

 Rahmer and Layton went at it on the restart but Layton maintained the lead when Mark Smith’s day ended on lap 14 after contact with another car on the front stretch.

 Rahmer drove under Layton entering turn one on the restart and never looked back as Layton then had to fend off polesitter Jim Siegel for the runner-up spot.

 World of outlaws racer Daryn Pittman finished fourth ahead of TJ Stutts, Mike Bittinger, Brian Montieth, Michael Carber, Outlaws regular Tim Shaffer and All Star regular Paul McMahan.

 Billy Dietrich led from start to finish to win the season opener for 358 Sprints.

 Dietrich dominated the event with 10th starting Brad McClelland finishing second over Kevin Nouse, Danny Dietrich and Nate Hammaker.

 Completing the top 10 were 16th starting Jimmy Layton, 18th starting Chad Criswell, 20th starting Chad Trout, Jeff Rohrbaugh, who was involved in a first lap crash and John Barnett.

 Heats for the 40 sprint cars were won by Rahmer, Doug Dodson, Bittinger and Ott while Alan Krimes and Niki Young were consolation winners.

 Heat winners for the 38 358 Sprints went to Danny and Billy Dietrich, Derek Locke and Nouse while consolations went to Scott Flammer and Criswell.


PIT STOPS…Keizer Aluminum Wheels announced that they will be the 358 Sprint car division sponsor for the 2008 season. Keizer will provide $5,000 in product and $5,000 in contingency vouchers to Lincoln 358 sprint  competitors this year…Lincoln switches to night racing next Saturday with 410 Sprints, the Lawrence Chevrolet Spring Thaw for thundercars and INEX Legends. Racing begins at 6pm…World of Outlaws regulars Pittman, Tim Shaffer, Lucas Wolfe and Chad Hillier were in competition along with All Star regulars Brian Paulus, Lance Dewease and Paul McMahan…Western Pennsylvania driver Danny Holtgraver made his first Lincoln start…Drivers not making into the A-Main included Greg Hodnett, who was spun out during his heat race and could not advance back through the heat or consolation and Dewease…