Pauch Jr Picks up SpeedSTR Victory

July 24, 2019 – The 30-lap feature for the SpeedSTRs saw the race start out with a nice tussle for the top spot between Briggs Danner and Steve Buckwalter. It was an entertaining, yet stressful slide-fest between the top two, with S. Buckwalter finally gaining command. What a heart breaker for Steve Buckwalter, though, as he suddenly slowed and pulled to the infield with 12 tours complete. That handed the lead back to Danner, but it wasn’t long before Tim Buckwalter challenged Danner for the race lead. Danner ripped the top in three and four while T. Buckwalter hugged the bottom, and they went side by side for the race lead over the next few trips around the clay. T. Buckwalter eventually nosed ahead, leaving Danner to scuffle with Billy Pauch Jr. for the runner-up position. 

Pauch gained the position after some hard racing, and Danner bounced off the outside guardrail, giving himself a flat tire. He went to the pits after stopping on the track, bringing out the yellow with eight to go. Now T. Buckwalter and Pauch Jr. danced for the top spot as the laps clicked off in a hurry. Pauch ran the banking to build momentum and it paid off as he got a big run down the backstretch, pulling alongside Buckwalter. Billy was rim-riding up high as he led, albeit narrowly, on lap 28. T. Buckwalter tip-toed around the bottom, leading lap 29 by a whisker, but Pauch again got a big run on the final lap, nosing in front of Buckwalter and going on to win over T. Buckwalter, the returning Michael Bednar, Matt Janisch, and Rick Eckert.