PORT ROYAL - Tyler Walker, of Los Angeles, Ca. took the lead from Stevie Smith to win the Port Royal Speedway leg of the 22nd annual PA Speedweek series on Saturday night, worth $5,000.
In the 20-lap late model main, invader Jim Yoder led every lap and held off point leader Tim Wilson to record his third career Port Royal victory.
Mark Smith and Stevie Smith started the 30-lap speedweek feature on the front row and Stevie Smith took the lead at the start despite slide job attempts by Mark Smith.
Article Photos
Sentinel photo by TIM?SHUMAKER
Winning the 22nd annual Pa. Speedweek series race at Port Royal Speedway is Tyler Walker, shown racing off turn four Saturday night in Port Royal.
Stevie was just getting into lapped traffic with six away when the first caution flag fell for a stopped Logan Schuchart, who dropped out of third spot.
Stevie Smith was followed by Mark Smith and sixth starter Walker for the restart and the leaders again entered lapped traffic with 12 laps completed.
At times in traffic Mark Smith tried to narrow the advantage that Stevie Smith was building with the lead but he was never able to string enough solid laps together to substantially cut into the gap.
As the race hit the 10 to go point, both Walker and Mark Smith were slightly gaining on the leader with Walker getting to the front first by blasting underneath Mark Smith for second with seven laps left.
The race pace was slowed again with four laps to go when Danny Dietrich spun in the second corner and that's when Walker made his move on the restart.
When green replaced the yellow, Walker burst under Stevie Smith for the lead deep in turn one and slid up to catch the cushion in the second corner and drive off of the rough as the leader with Stevie hot on his fuel cell.
The event was then red flagged for a six-car accident with a pair of laps to go when Mark Smith blew a tire in the third corner while running third and collected Fred Rahmer along with Doug Esh, Mike Erdley, Mike Wagner and Paul McMahan.
With no injuries reported from the accident, Walker took the new green running the middle to bottom of the track in an effort to thwart any anticipated attempt by Stevie Smith to reclaim the lead but the challenge never developed.
Instead, Walker took his fourth career Port Royal Speedway victory by 1.394 seconds over Smith, who was going for the 12th of his career at the track.
Stevie Smith settled for second followed by 19th starter Greg Hodnett, Daryn Pittman and 12th starter Blane Heimbach.
Sixth through 10th went to Chad Layton, Danny Holtgraver, Alan Krimes, 21st starter Lance Dewease and Rick Lafferty.
Heats for the 38-car field went to Layton, Wagner, Esh and Pittman with Dave Ely taking the B Main.
Fred Rahmer set fast time with a lap of 16.250 seconds.
Jim Yoder started on the pole of the late model main alongside his son Dylan and led all 20 circuits of the feature over Tim Wilson for the victory after Wilson drove into second on the first lap.
The race was restarted after four caution flags that unfurled on laps three, eight, 11 and 18 but every time green reappeared, Jim Yoder was up to the task of holding off Wilson who at times was able to get his nose to Yoder's inside.
Mike Lupfer, who started deep in the field in the 13th spot rallied throughout the event to pick off enough cars and race into third at the finish, taking the spot from Dylan Yoder during the last pair of laps.
Dylan Yoder ended up fourth followed by Brett Schadel.
Sixth through 10th went to Andy Haus, who raced inside the top five for much of the way, followed by Terry Naugle, Lindsey Barton, Mitch Hack and Jeff Miller.
Heats for the 25-car field went to JimYoder, Andy Haus and Scott Flickinger.
