PORT ROYAL
Todd Shaffer just needed a wake up call from Jeff Shepard Saturday night at
Port Royal Speedway.
With Shepard applying pressure following a lap 16 restart and pulling
alongside the Millerstown racer in turn two, Shaffer changed his line on the
speedway and drove off from Shepard to score the opening night win at the
Juniata County track.
For Shaffer and the Gary and Patty Beam owned team, the win ended a run of
bad luck in three early season races at Williams Grove Speedway and proved
the team is still one of the best there is in Central Pennsylvania.
“We’ve run three races so far and run 19th, 19th and 17th and then we came
through the gate here tonight and drew 59 out of 60, so it wasn’t looking
too good,” said Shaffer, an 87-time Port Royal feature winner. “But we were
able to get up through the heat and started third in the feature. I owe a
lot to Jim Russell and the guys that work on this race car. This car has
been pretty much perfect all season despite our finishes and I couldn’t ask
for more. It’s really a pleasure to drive.”
Shaffer blasted into the lead on the first lap with sixth starting Mike
Wagner taking the second spot and Shepard settling into third.
Shepard got around Wagner for second place on the next circuit and appeared
as if he was ready to mount a serious challenge for the lead.
Shaffer caught the rear of the field on lap seven as he and Shepard weaved
their way around a pack of slow cars until the yellow slowed the pace on lap
13 when Cale Grubb stopped in turn two.
Shepard again applied pressure on the restart until another yellow for Mark
Smith slowed action with 15 laps complete.
Shepard showed his nose on lap 16, pulling alongside Shaffer’s Village
Square Plaza, J & M Racing & Collectibles, McCoy Brothers Construction,
Alvin Beam Painting, Don Ott Racing Engines No. 88 JEI Chassis in turn two
but Shaffer maintained the lead heading into the third turn.
Shaffer moved down on the next circuit and slowly pulled away from Shepard
over the final five laps of the race, winning by nearly a straightaway.
“I was really skeptical about the way the track looked tonight but you guys
did good to get it in,” said the defending Grove track champion. “It was
pretty tricky and you really had to hang on. Actually it was getting some
rough in the middle and that’s where I was running and I hated to give that
up. But when Shepard got clear along side me down there in two, I thought I
better try the bottom and I was actually pretty good on the bottom too.”
Shepard, of Upperco, Maryland was second with Wagner of Harrisonville
third, Berwick’s Alan Cole fourth and Elizabethville’s Mike Erdley fifth.
Completing the top 10 were Bill Brian, Jr., Todd Hestor, Keith Kauffman,
Dave Hahn and Matt Horst.
Heats for the 18-car field were won by Wagner and Shepard.
Dan Stone defeated Scott Haus to win the 20-lap late model feature.
PIT STOPS…Greg Hodnett’s first night at Port in the J & S Racing team
sprinter was one he’d rather forget after crashing in the heat race when
another car got sideways in front of him and Keith Kauffman. Hodnett crashed
into Kauffman and was towed to the pits on two wreckers. The team worked
feverishly to make the feature call but a fuel line came off and Hodnett
never took the green flag. The team plans to call Port Royal home on regular
Saturday night shows for 2008...Six pro stocks and 22 late models joined the
18 sprints in the pits for the season opener…Port returns Saturday night
with 410 Sprints, late models and pro stocks…
