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ALLSTAR Sprints: Ohio Speedweek Results - Sharon Speedway

3 July 1998

HARTFORD, OH - Just when it appeared that Kenny Jacobs would cruise into victory lane, Frankie Kerr made a late race pass to win the All Star sprint 30-lap Ohio Speedweek feature Thursday night at Sharon Speedway. Jacobs led the first 28 circuits, but Kerr kept the pressure on near the end and made the winning move low in turn three to grab the lead on lap 29.

"We got out of traffic there and I think he (Jacobs) was slowing down and we stayed the same speed," Kerr related. "The right rear was starting to give up, but we won, I dont care." Kerr drove the familiar Stan Shoff Brown-Chevrolet powered Eagle to his fifth win of the season, worth $4,000. Kerr borrowed a right rear Goodyear tire from Brian Paulus, and thanked him in victory lane.

Kevin Gobrecht started 11th and ran a fine third in his Hartlaubs Auto Parts, Golf Car Services Eagle. "We chose a bit softer McCreary tire than everyone else," the Keystone State driver stated. "We were going to gamble, we messed up every night this week with tires and we said were going to burn this set off or go to the front. Im happy to finish third."

An inversion of four cars was to put Dean Jacobs on the pole with local driver Brian Ellenberger scheduled alongside. Ellenberger could not start with engine problems, and Jacobs stopped on the front stretch with a loose fuel line after pushing off, moving him to the tail and moving Kerr to the ButlerBuilt Hot Seat pole with fast qualifier Kenny Jacobs alongside and Joey Saldana and Chad Kemenah in the next row.

Kenny Jacobs took off to a huge lead at the drop of the green, with Kerr in second, Saldana third and Kemenah fourth. Jacobs entered lapped traffic on lap five, and sliced through expertly, stretching his advantage until a lap seven yellow slowed the action, and a delay in clearing the track turned into a red flag fuel stop. The stoppage was for third place man Saldana and the lapped car of Brian Smith spinning together, with seventh running Keith Kauffman running into the mess and Ed Lynch Jr. tagging the guardrail while spinning to avoid the mix-up. Kauffman was removed by two wreckers, Smith was also towed off and Lynch tore off his rear bumper and flattened a left rear tire, eliminating him for the night.

Kenny Jacobs was now on top over Kerr, Kemenah, Jimmy Hawley and Gobrecht. After the top three, the battle of the night was for fourth among Gobrecht, Hawley and D. Jacobs, who made it all the way up from the rear after starting last. Gobrecht took fourth at the midway point, and a lap later D. Jacobs dropped from contention, stalling on the track with more mechanical problems.

Kenny Jacobs was still on top after the green reappeared, and it appeared he would cruise on home the rest of the way. Hawley moved back around Gobrecht for the next ten laps, running fourth, but Gobrecht came on strong, passing Hawley again on lap 24 and moving under Kemenah for third on lap 25.

Up front, Kerr was now closing fast on the slowing Jacobs, and the pair were nose to tail on lap 28. Kerr dove low in turn three to pass for the lead and lead lap 29, and he took the checkered four car lengths ahead of Jacobs. Behind Gobrecht in third was Kemenah in fourth in the Harble Motorsports Gambler with last row starter Todd Kane fifth in his own Maxim. Hawley held on for sixth, with Ivy seventh, Tim Allison eighth, Kevin Huntley ninth and Rocky Hodges tenth.

The United Expressline heat fell to Gobrecht, the Southwest Expressline heat to Ed Lynch, Jr., the Southwest Glass heat was won by Jarod Larson and the United Specialties heat went to Tim Allison. Chad Kemenah won the Commercial Truck & Trailer Dash in 1:06.74 with John "Poison" Ivy the United Expressline B Main winner. Bobby Powell won the pure stock main.

Time Trials: 1. Kenny Jacobs, Hughes 94, 16.053; 2. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23s, 16.156; 3. Brian Ellenberger, Ellenberger 20, 16.185; 4. Dean Jacobs, Ashworth 92, 16.194; 5. Joey Saldana, Mox 17, 16.250; 6. Chad Kemenah, Harble 15, 16.256; 7. Brett Mann, Mann 19, 16.379; 8. Brian Paulus, P&P 28, 16.414; 9. Scott Jones, Jones 8J, 16.427; 10. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 16.444; 11. Jimmy Hawley, Crawford C3, 16.470; 12. Rocky Hodges, Holbrook 8, 16.478; 13. Kevin Gobrecht, Gobrecht 92, 16.515; 14. Keith Kauffman, Johnson U2, 16.550; 15. Judi Bates, Mourar 121, 16.639; 16. Kevin Huntley, Daugherty 7, 16.656; 17. Mike Woodring, Woodring 19, 16.674; 18. Bob Felmlee, Felmlee 6, 16.684; 19. John Ivy, Bogner 5I, 16.746; 20. Tim Allison, Lotz 11x, 16.840; 21. Rodney Duncan, Harrison 22, 16.861; 22. Gary Edwards, Schuller 61, 16.887; 23. Jarod Larson, Clemson 47, 16.911; 24. Bobby Allen, Pell 1a, 16.937; 25. Tim Kern, Hay 28, 17.108; 26. Todd Kane, Kane 78, 17.124; 27. Brian Smith, Smith 2+, 17.237; 28. Scott Bonnell, Bonnell 3, 17.262; 29. Arnie Kent, Kent 18, 17.318; 30. Bob Dawson, Dawson 80, 17.463; 31. Barry Ruble, Ruble 63, 17.497; 32. Eric Hysong, Hysong 72, 17.817; 33. Marty Ling, Ling 47, 17.874; 34. Jamie McKinney, McKinney 95, 18.729; 35. Gary Rankin, Rankin 16, 18.854; 36. C. W. Harshman, Harshman 53, 24.602.

United Expressline Heat (8 laps): 1. Gobrecht 2. Woodring 3. Saldana 4. K. Jacobs 5. Jones 6. Kent 7. Kern 8. Duncan 9. Ling.

Southwest Expressline Heat (8 laps): 1. Lynch 2. Kauffman 3. Kerr 4. Felmlee 5. Kemenah 6. Kane 7. Edwards 8. McKinney 9. Dawson.

Southwest Glass Heat (8 laps): 1. Larson 2. Bates 3. Hawley 4. Mann 5. Ellenberger 6. Smith 7. Ivy 8. Ruble 9. Rankin.

United Specialties Heat (8 laps): 1. Allison 2. Hodges 3. Huntley 4. D. Jacobs 5. Paulus 6. Allen 7. Bonnell 8. Hysong 9. Harshman (DNS).

Commercial Truck & Trailer Dash: (4 laps): 1. Kemenah 2. Saldana 3. Kerr 4. D. Jacobs 5. K. Jacobs 6. Ellenberger.

United Expressline B Main (12 laps): 1. Ivy 2. Kane 3. Allen 4. Smith 5. Kent 6. Bonnell 7. Ruble 8. Kern 9. Dawson 10. Rankin 11. McKinney 12. Hysong 13. Edwards 14. Duncan DNS 15. Ling DNS 16. Harshman DNS.

A Main (30 laps): 1. Kerr 2. K. Jacobs 3. Gobrecht 4. Kemenah 5. Kane 6. Hawley 7. Ivy 8. Allison 9. Huntley 10. Hodges 11. Saldana 12. Mann 13. Woodring 14. Jones 15. Larson 16. Felmlee 17. D. Jacobs 18. Bates 19. Kent 20. Kauffman 21. Lynch 22. Smith 23. Paulus 24. Allen.