ABBOTTSTOWN, PA
 Doug Esh said he almost forgot how to get victory lane at Lincoln Speedway.

 His last win came back on September 20, 2008 and even his rookie teammate beat to him to victory lane this season.

 But Saturday night, the Lancaster driver came from his 14th starting spot to capture the 25-lap sprint car feature.

 Esh’s win came just before midnight as the speedway was hit with rain prior to the night’s events and then a few more small showers kept the track crew working hard to get the speedway into race shape. The delay was over two hours.

 “We’ve been bad and I haven’t been driving real good,” said Esh, after his 22nd career track win. “You get your head messed up a little bit. It feels like it’s my first win and it seems like forever since I came out here. I almost forgot where to go.”

 It was almost like a full moon as the Sprint car feature took the green flag at 11pm but several early yellow and red flags turned the race into a marathon.

 Jim Siegel got into the first turn wall on the initial start to bring out a yellow and then on the restart, Cris Eash made contact with several cars and spun in turn four. Defending track champion Brian Montieth and one-time feature winner Danny Dietrich were both involved in the melee.

 Randy Baughman set the pace on the restart but on lap two, Cody Darrah and Jeff Busby made contact in turn four resulting in a Busby flip. He was not injured.

 The red flew on the next lap when Tim Glatfelter got out of shape in turn two, collecting Aaron Ott and Niki Young. Ott’s car rolled in the crash to bring out another red flag.

Baughman continued to set the pace as Esh moved into the top five early and then took third place on lap 11 from Chad Trout.

Esh was making his moves all over the speedway and after a slight bump with Ed Aiken, Esh drove past him for the runner-up spot on lap 17.

He then used a slider to steal the lead from Baughman in turn two to lead lap 19.

While Esh appeared to have the race in hand, Trout’s good run ended on lap 23 when he came to a stop on the track.

This set up a two lap shootout with Esh and all-time track win leader Fred Rahmer, who originally lined up 19th in the lineup.

“I’m sure he had one out for me because we’ve been at each other alittle lately,” Esh said of Rahmer. “He’s one of the best to ever come out of Central PA and I love to race with him and I love to beat him.”

Rahmer didn’t have anything for Esh on the late restart as Esh easily rolled to the win aboard the Trone Outdoor Motorsports, Kinard Trucking, Leach’s Automotive, Benkowitsch Custom Counters No. 39.

“I was driving my butt off to get those guys out front tonight,” Esh said. “I think I might have touched the 7 (Aiken) and I didn’t mean to but I’m coming from the back for the win.
Those guys are fast up front and you drive harder and harder and you don’t catch them. But sometimes you have to slow down and use patience to catch them.

Rahmer was the runner-up with Baughman finishing third over Aiken and rookie Brent Marks with Montieth, Cory Haas, Alan Krimes, Adam Wilt and Josh Wells completing the top 10.

Heats for the 29 “410” Sprints were won by Pat Cooper, Ed Aiken and Chad Trout with  Fred Rahmer winning the consolation.

 Billy Dietrich became the eighth different winner in as many races in the 358 Sprint car division and took the win in dramatic fashion.

 Dietrich led only one lap in the 20-lap feature and that was the final lap when he blasted around leader Brad McClelland coming off the fourth turn for the checkered flag.

 Dietrich started 10th in the field and raced his way into contention late in the event as the top five cars battled hard in traffic. He took second on lap 19 and then  used the exciting last lap pass to secure his eighth career track win.

 McClelland finished second over Jeff Rohrbaugh, early leader Derek Sell and John Barnett.

 Adrian Shaffer came from 20th to finish sixth ahead of Dale Hammaker, Tim Berkheimer, 22nd starter Glenndon Forsythe and TimWagaman.

Heats for the 29 “358” Sprints were won by Derek Sell, Jeff Rohrbaugh and Keith Prutzman with Nicole Bower  winning the consolation.

Next Saturday night, July 18th, at 7 PM the United Racing Company Sprints (URC)will visit Lincoln Speedway and join the Lawrence Chevrolet 410 Sprints in a two-division show.
Gates open at 5 PM, with warm-ups getting underway at 6:30 PM and the first heat taking the green flag at 7 PM.