MECHANICSBURG
 Every once in a while, there is that night when a new driver finds his way to victory lane at Williams Grove Speedway.

 Friday night, young AJ Michael put together a near flawless 25 lap effort and captured his first career 410 Sprint car feature win at the famed half mile.

 While Michael was winning for the first time in 410 sprint car action, Kenny Adams made the long tow from his Malabar, Florida home pay off to the tune of $4,000 after winning the 25-lap Rislone URC 360 Sprint Nationals.

 Michael, of Lititz, became the ninth different driver to win at Williams Grove this season and it came in convincing fashion as he led all 25 laps of the event.

 “Man, that was the longest race of my life,” said the former micro sprint standout and second year sprint car racer. “To be standing here, I don’t even know what to say. It feels pretty good. Jimmy Schreiner had the chassis perfect, the motor ran strong. I couldn’t have asked for anything better tonight.”

 Like last week, the feature started with a red flag. This time the crash occurred in turn two when several front-runners tangled causing a six car melee. Involved in the crash was Ryan Bohlke, who flipped for the second week, Chad Layton, John Westbrook, Craig Keel and Don Kreitz, Jr.

 Michael grabbed the early lead with Florida racer TJ Winegardner in second.

 Winegardner ran in the runner-up spot through the mid-stages of the race and closed in on Michael just after the halfway mark of the race.

 Michael’s only mistake of the event came during lap 16 when he jumped the turn two cushion allowing Winegardner to mount a challenge for the top spot.

 But a caution for debris on the speedway slowed the pace and allowed Michael to regain his composure and set up his last nine lap plan of attack.

 “The one corner down there I jumped the cushion and I almost lost it and he almost got by me but the yellow saved me,” said the driver of the B & M Motorsports, Travis Racing Engines, Schwarr Concrete, Hollingers Sports & Turf sponsored No. 45 sprinter. “I kept looking up at the scoreboard to see who was behind me and other than that one lap, I never heard anyone. I ran her for all she had the entire race.”

 Michael was never challenged over the final laps as he took the $3,000 payday with Pipersville’s Michael Carber finishing a season-best runner-up over Selinsgrove’s Mark Smith, East Berlin’s Niki Young and Denver’s Alan Krimes.

 Completing the top 10 were Winegardner, Greg Hodnett, Fred Rahmer, Todd Shaffer and Brian Montieth.

 Adams, a former regular in Central PA before relocating to Florida, led all 25 laps of the 360 Nationals about his Woodson Farms, B & W Enterprises No. 4A sprinter.

 Numerous cautions kept 410 regular Rahmer close but Adams pulled away from Rahmer after each restart to claim the big payday.

 Chad Layton finished third with URC points leader Curt Michael fourth and 14th starting Dave Ely fifth.

 Rounding out the top 10 were 22nd starting Blane Heimbach, JJ Grasso, Robbie Stillwagon, Josh Weller and Kramer Williamson.

 Winegardner, Carber and Westbrook won heats for the 24 Sprints on hand.

 Rahmer paced time trials for the URC Nationals with heats going to Weller, Ely, Latyon, Brett Shoenly and Chuck Palmucci. Brian Seidel won the C-Main and Chris Coyle won the B-Main. Fifty-one cars signed in for competition.

 Williams Grove returns to action tonight with the Saturday Night Series of Super Sportsman, 358 late models, street stocks, 4-cylinders and an enduro. It will also be Camera and Autograph Night. Racing begins at 7 p.m.