Family Fireworks Night (5.18.19)

Race Story

HORSTMAN, WOODLING AND PARDO WIN IN FRONT OF HUGE FIREWORKS NIGHT CROWD

ROSSBURG, OH – Jared Horstman (NRA Sprints) and Dylan Woodling (UMP Modifieds) experienced the thrill of Eldora Speedway victory lane for the first time on Saturday night while veteran Stock Car pilot Paul Pardo returned to victory lane during Casey General Stores Family Fireworks Night.

Horstman started the National Racing Alliance (NRA) Sprint Invader feature in the ninth position and had worked his way up to fifth-place when a caution flag for the spun car of Chase Dunham bunched the field at the half way point of the 25-lap feature event.

On the restart, Horstman powered around the outside of Devon Dobie for fourth-place, then dove under pole-sitter and early race leader Shawn Dancer for third-place. As Horstman, was battling fast qualifier Hud Horton for second-place, race leader Randy Hannagan slowed on the backstretch with mechanical issues, meaning the battle between Horstman and Horton was for the lead.

Horstman, the defending NRA champion, ran side-by-side with Horton, before powering into the lead coming off turn two on lap 19. Horstman began stretching the lead a lap later, but then Dancer brought out the caution flag when he crashed in turn one.

On the restart, 10th starting Rickey Peterson moved around Horton for the runner-up position but could not run down Horstman over the final six laps.

“It is my first win here. It is awesome to finally win a race here,” Horstman said while surrounded by his family and crew in victory lane. “We’ve been trying to do this for a long time and it was finally our night. Glad I could do it on Family Fireworks Night in front of all these fans.”

Following the lead duo across the finish line were Horton, Dobie and veteran Tim Allison. Kyle Sauder, Ron Blair, Todd Heuerman, Jeff Williams and Luke Hall completed the top 10.

Woodling led all 20 laps of the UMP Modified main event but his first career win was anything but easy. Former multiple-time track champion Jerry Bowersock pressured Woodling throughout the race and made several late-race attempts to take over the lead.

Bowersock’s final attempt at the lead came on the final lap, when he attempted to move around Woodling on the inside. The move came up a car-length short, and Woodling held on for the win.

“It’s been a dream of mine to win a race here since I was a little kid,” the second- generation driver from Warsaw, Indiana said. “I saw Jerry down there but thought we were in good shape up in the high groove and we held on. It feels great to finally get us one here.”

Brian Ruhlman finished in third-place, while Jeff Koz and Josh Morton completed the top five. Brian Gray, Jonathan Taylor, Tim Richardson, New Bremen’s Drew Charlson, and Coldwater’s Ryan Sutter completed the top ten. After a strong heat race run, “Weasel” Phlipot, driving for Burkettsville’s Mike Garke, did not start the main event.

Pardo, of New Paris, visited Eldora victory lane five times in 2018 and kicked off 2019 right where he left off holding off a late charge by Donnie Jeschke to pick up the win in the Stock Car season opener.

“I love this race,” the personable Pardo said from victory lane. “I love all the kids, love signing autographs and this whole night. I just have a ball.

The car was really good and we didn’t really do anything to it all winter,” Pardo added. “We put a new body on it in the off-season and just showed up tonight and it was perfect.”

Earnie Woodard finished in third-place. Daniel Sanchez, led the first five laps before settling for fourth-place at the checkered flag and Jeff Matheny rounded out the top five.

Completing the top ten were former track champions Rob Trent and Frank Paladino, Jeremy Creech, Andy Welch and Hodd Harvey.

Eldora returns to action next weekend with the annual Memorial Day weekend, the Johnny Appleseed Classic. The Sunday evening program will feature the American Late Model Series, NRA Sprint Invaders, UMP Modifieds and Eldora Stock Cars.

Race Results

Event Box Score

NRA Sprints – Qualifying
1. 28H-Hud Horton, 14.106; 2. 22H-Randy Hannagan, 14.145; 3. 35R-Ron Blair, 14.361; 4. 11-Tim Allison, 14.364; 5. 23D-Devon Dobie, 14.389; 6. 17-Jared Horstman, 14.446; 7. 24-Kobe Allison, 14.477; 8. 14D-Luke Daugherty, 14.488; 9. 18-Todd Heuerman, 14.492; 10. 49-Shawn Dancer, 14.497; 11. 2-Kyle Sauder, 14.514; 12. 66-Chase Dunham, 14.574; 13. 16B-Ricky Peterson, 14.588; 14. 37-Noah Dunlap, 14.751; 15. 5w-Jeff Williams, 14.853; 16. 34-Luke Hall, 15.267; 17. 21M-Chris Olding, 15.420; 18. 51t-Jonathon Taylor, 15.551; 19. 14B-Bo Barber, 16.375; 20. 15-Brandon Ferguson, 99.999

Heat #1 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. 49-Shawn Dancer[1]; 2. 28H-Hud Horton[4]; 3. 11-Tim Allison[3]; 4. 16B-Ricky Peterson[5]; 5. 24-Kobe Allison[2]; 6. 34-Luke Hall[6]

Heat #2 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. 23D-Devon Dobie[3]; 2. 22H-Randy Hannagan[4]; 3. 2-Kyle Sauder[1]; 4. 14D-Luke Daugherty[2]; 5. 37-Noah Dunlap[5]; 6. 21M-Chris Olding[6]

Heat #3 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. 66-Chase Dunham[1]; 2. 35R-Ron Blair[4]; 3. 17-Jared Horstman[3]; 4. 18-Todd Heuerman[2]; 5. 5w-Jeff Williams[5]; 6. 51t-Jonathon Taylor[6]

A-Feature – (25)Laps
1. 17-Jared Horstman[9]; 2. 16B-Ricky Peterson[10]; 3. 28H-Hud Horton[6]; 4. 23D-Devon Dobie[5]; 5. 11-Tim Allison[7]; 6. 2-Kyle Sauder[8]; 7. 35R-Ron Blair[3]; 8. 18-Todd Heuerman[12]; 9. 5w-Jeff Williams[15]; 10. 34-Luke Hall[16]; 11. 37-Noah Dunlap[14]; 12. 14D-Luke Daugherty[11]; 13. 49-Shawn Dancer[1]; 14. 14B-Bo Barber[19]; 15. 24-Kobe Allison[13]; 16. 22H-Randy Hannagan[4]; 17. 66-Chase Dunham[2]; 18. 21M-Chris Olding[17]; 19. 51t-Jonathon Taylor[18]

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DIRTcar Modifieds – Qualifying
1. 95J-Jerry Bowersock, 17.247; 2. 49-Brian Ruhlman, 17.316; 3. 21c-Drew Charlson, 17.496; 4. 10L-Nathon Loney, 17.539; 5. 5X-Tim Richardson, 17.548; 6. 52-Weasel Phlipot, 17.722; 7. 20M-Josh Morton, 17.734; 8. 7-Evan Taylor, 17.799; 9. OO-Jeremy Owens, 17.815; 10. 3W-Dylan Woodling, 17.831; 11. 3-Brian Gray, 17.835; 12. 5-Jonathan Taylor, 17.873; 13. 36-Brandon Vaughan, 17.880; 14. 18-Ryan Sutter, 17.898; 15. 22T-Tony Anderson, 17.989; 16. 1-Scott Williams, 17.990; 17. 16-Jeff Koz, 18.034; 18. 74-Lenny Guyton, 18.094; 19. 36S-Adam Schaeff, 19.202; 20. 39-Cole Roberson, 19.257; 21. 88-Scott Orr, 99.999

Heat #1 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. 20M-Josh Morton[2]; 2. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[4]; 3. 3W-Dylan Woodling[1]; 4. 1-Scott Williams[6]; 5. 36-Brandon Vaughan[5]; 6. 10L-Nathon Loney[3]; 7. 36S-Adam Schaeff[7]

Heat #2 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. 49-Brian Ruhlman[4]; 2. 16-Jeff Koz[6]; 3. 3-Brian Gray[1]; 4. 5X-Tim Richardson[3]; 5. 18-Ryan Sutter[5]; 6. 39-Cole Roberson[7]

Heat #3 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. OO-Jeremy Owens[2]; 2. 52-Weasel Phlipot[3]; 3. 21c-Drew Charlson[4]; 4. 74-Lenny Guyton[6]; 5. 88-Scott Orr[7]; 6. 22T-Tony Anderson[5]; 7. 5-Jonathan Taylor[1]

A-Feature – (20)Laps
1. 3W-Dylan Woodling[2]; 2. 95J-Jerry Bowersock[5]; 3. 49-Brian Ruhlman[7]; 4. 16-Jeff Koz[4]; 5. 20M-Josh Morton[8]; 6. 3-Brian Gray[1]; 7. 5-Jonathan Taylor[20]; 8. 5X-Tim Richardson[11]; 9. 21c-Drew Charlson[9]; 10. 18-Ryan Sutter[14]; 11. 36-Brandon Vaughan[13]; 12. 88-Scott Orr[15]; 13. 74-Lenny Guyton[12]; 14. 22T-Tony Anderson[18]; 15. 1-Scott Williams[10]; 16. OO-Jeremy Owens[6]; 17. 10L-Nathon Loney[16]; 18. 36S-Adam Schaeff[19]

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Stock Cars – Qualifying
1. J1-Jeff Matheny, 19.183; 2. 410-Paul Pardo, 19.223; 3. 463-Daniel Sanchez, 19.389; 4. O1-Earnie Woodard, 19.408; 5. 99J-Donnie Jeschke, 19.685; 6. 87-Andy Welch, 19.695; 7. 17C-Jeremy Creech, 19.811; 8. 7B-John Bradley, 19.827; 9. 17H-Hodd Harvey, 19.968; 10. 82-Chris Douglas, 19.972; 11. 91-Rob Trent, 20.137; 12. 23-Casey Barr, 20.336; 13. 11-TJ Smith, 20.379; 14. 26-Justin Long, 20.503; 15. 33-Erik Skaggs, 20.546; 16. 27-Frank Paladino, 20.700; 17. OOP-Dean Pitts, 20.792; 18. 77-Corey Wooten, 21.372; 19. 7C-Jordan Conover, 22.787; 20. 5W-Craig Swartz, 99.000; 21. 7W-Dan Wooten, 99.990; 22. 22T-Tony Anderson, 99.991

Heat #1 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. O1-Earnie Woodard[3]; 2. 17C-Jeremy Creech[2]; 3. 82-Chris Douglas[1]; 4. 27-Frank Paladino[6]; 5. 11-TJ Smith[5]; 6. 7C-Jordan Conover[7]

Heat #2 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. 410-Paul Pardo[4]; 2. 99J-Donnie Jeschke[3]; 3. 91-Rob Trent[1]; 4. OOP-Dean Pitts[6]; 5. 5W-Craig Swartz[7]; 6. 7B-John Bradley[2]; 7. 26-Justin Long[5]

Heat #3 – (8)Laps – Top 10 Transfer
1. 17H-Hodd Harvey[2]; 2. 87-Andy Welch[3]; 3. 463-Daniel Sanchez[4]; 4. 23-Casey Barr[1]; 5. 7W-Dan Wooten[7]; 6. 77-Corey Wooten[6]; 7. 33-Erik Skaggs[5]

A-Feature – (15)Laps
1. 410-Paul Pardo[9]; 2. 99J-Donnie Jeschke[6]; 3. O1-Earnie Woodard[10]; 4. 463-Daniel Sanchez[2]; 5. J1-Jeff Matheny[21]; 6. 91-Rob Trent[3]; 7. 27-Frank Paladino[1]; 8. 17C-Jeremy Creech[7]; 9. 87-Andy Welch[5]; 10. 17H-Hodd Harvey[8]; 11. 11-TJ Smith[13]; 12. OOP-Dean Pitts[11]; 13. 82-Chris Douglas[4]; 14. 33-Erik Skaggs[20]; 15. 23-Casey Barr[12]; 16. 5W-Craig Swartz[14]; 17. 7W-Dan Wooten[15]; 18. 77-Corey Wooten[18]; 19. 7B-John Bradley[17]

Photos