Young gets 1st career sprint win
By Brad Vores,April 20,2003

ABBOTTSTOWN- It has been a season of firsts at Lincoln Speedway. Niki Young added his name to the long list of winners at the Abbottstown oval after bringing the crowd to its feet with a big win in Saturday night's 25-lap 410 sprint car feature. Young and Greg Hodnett traded slide jobs over the final two laps. Young prevailed at the checkered flag with a cheering crowd on its feet. Young became the fifth different winner in as many races this season in the Pigeon Hills. The win was the first ever for the Spring Grove driver and also the first win with his new team,the Denny Neiderer owned,Neiderer Sanitation-sponsored team. "Greg Hodnett is my idol and I was beginning to believe this day would never come," said Young after racing Hodnett wheel-to-wheel during the fianl two circuits before bringing home the $2,500 paycheck. "This brings back memories from two years ago. This is just awesome." Young was referring to a 2001 race when he was leading near the end of the race before contact sent him into the wall. But last night,he wanted it. He wanted it bad. Young was fast,taking the lead on lap three and then pulling away from Cris eash and Hodnett before lapped traffic changed the complexion of the event with two laps to go. With two laps remaining,Young drove between two slower cars in turn one while Eash opted to take the high line around turn one. Eash went for an opening as the cars raced through the second corner,but Young drifter out after putting the cars a lap down. Eash ran out of racing room and ended up hitting the second turn wall and sitting backwards on the track. Chris Knopp slammed the stalled Eash car,forcing a red flag. Hodnett dove under Young's No.10N Maxim in turn one,but Young raced the Memphis,Tenn., driver hard into turn three,pushing Hodnett's Apple Motorsports machine to the wall in turn four as Young led the lap. Hodnett made the same move as the two took the white flag,but Young was not to be denied. He drove back under Hodnett exiting the second corner and held his line as the checkered flag waved for the first time in his sprint car career. "I heard Greg back there and once I saw him under me,I said,"Man,I don't know if I can get him back" said Young who was hired to pilot the Neiderer machine during the offseason. "Last season we struggled and I was hoping that climbing into a car with a crew chief that knew what he was doing would be what we needed. I know I'll never forget this the rest of my life." Hodnett,who went to the rear of the field after being involved in a first lap crash that sidelined six time track champion Fred Rahmer,was impressive in his run back through the field on another super racing surface prepared by Fred Putney. He settled for a hard earned runner-up finish. Fayetteville's Lance Dewease took the third spot with McSherrystown's Craig Smith getting his career best finish in fourth spot after leading the first two laps of the feature. Fifth went to Enola's Billy Sims,who lined up 20th on the initial start. Sixth through 10th were Johnny Mackison,Bobby Weaver,Josh Wells,Doug Esh and Glenndon Forsythe.

Home   Highlights   Links   Owner&Crew   Photos   Profile   Results   Sponsors   Store