LAMPETER, PA

After having a poor early part of the local racing season - by his standards - Don Mullen (71, below) returned to one of his favorite types of track - the small fairgrounds arena-sized ovals like the Lampeter Fireman's Fairgrounds - and won the Open A and 450 Sportsman finals, both over Jake Johnson.

Johnson helped in the Open A contest when he really jumped the start. Off turn two, Mullen led Shawn Baer (32, above), Chris Klinefelter, Steve Lerch (60, above) and Jake Shoemaker. On a small, tight track such as this, passing is at a premium, but Johnson was slicing through the field quickly from the third line. He was up to fifth by the end of the opening lap, and he got by Baer for second off turn four on the sixth lap. He cut into Mullen's margin, but the Miller Motorsports-sponsored rider had too much of a lead.

Johnson, on his ex-factory Suzuki, was a good boy in the 450 Sportsman contest, but he was midpack off turn two, with Mullen leading Baer, John Long and Mike Poe. With Mullen out in front, there was a lot of bumping and banging behind him. Long was into second by the third lap, while Baer and Poe were shuffled back. Johnson sliced his way into second off turn four on the second lap, but by then Mullen was long gone.

Using quick starts, Colton Smith (41, above) again scored wins in the 125 and 250 B finals, having the hardest time from former National number holder Robert Miller (68) in the 125 contest. Miller won their heat, but Smith nailed the final start. Their battle for the lead quickly distanced them from Cody Ebersol, Chris Kirkner and Matt Trout. On the third lap, Trout took fourth.

Smith's 250 B victory was much easier, as he won by half a lap over Kevin Bills and Cody Gray.

Smith started on the pole for the 250 Sportsman final, but Roy Miller (56, above) nailed the start, over Joey Alexander (14), Smith and Jesse Long. While Smith was the quicker rider, crafty veteran Roy was great at holding the inside line on a bumpy track. The diminutive Smith tried to stuff it under Alexander off turn four on the last lap, but fell.

Mullen's Honda took another win with Ricky Winsett (71, above) in the saddle in the Over 30 class. Winsett started third, behind Rich Mellinger (86) and Roy Miller, and with Ace Phillips and Dillon Cava behind him. Mellinger took second off turn two on lap two and got by Mellinger at halfway. Over the last half of the race, Roy Miller and Phillips swapped third, with Miller in that spot at the flag.

Warren Diem made one of his rare starts and destroyed the Over 40 class. Ray Jenkins held off Tom Majeski for second the entire distance.

The speedway ace had an easier time winning the 500 Two-Valve class by half a lap.

Klinefelter led Majeski, Jason Isennock (30, right) and Jenkins at the start of the Open Twin/Vintage final. Isennock got the big Eckhart Triumph rolling, taking second starting lap two, and getting by Klinefelter's Triumph at the start of lap four.

While Dalton Gauthier took a pair of wins in the Youth Sportsman and 85 (7-11) classes, the real story was the return of Allen "Bubba'" Fogle, after a very bad crash last June. With Gauthier pulling away, Fogle got by Colin Cunningham for second on the fourth lap of the Youth Sportsman final. In the 85 (7-11) final, Gauthier again grabbed the lead, with Fogle, Cameron Smith and Cunningham behind. Smith took second on the third lap, but Fogle stayed close.

Results

50 SHAFT: 1. Robert Wheatley (Yamaha); 2. Tyler Grassel (Yamaha); 3. Logan McGrane (Yamaha); 4. Tyler Scott (Yamaha); 5. Ethan Stroh (Yamaha).

50 CHAIN: 1. Damon Ream (Con); 2. Doug Cook (Cob); 3. Trevor Grassel (KTM); 4. Ethan Stroh (Cob); 5. Jonathan Price (KTM).

50 SR (7-8): 1. Doug Cook (Con); 2. Damon Ream (Con); 3. Braden Winsett (KTM); 4. Robert Wheatley (Con); 5. Trevor Williams (KTM).

65: 1. Brandon Price (KTM); 2. Colin Cunningham (KTM); 3. Dalton Gauthier (KTM); 4. Nathan Reichert (Kawasaki); 5. Georgie Price (Kawasaki).

85 (7-11): 1. Dalton Gauthier (KTM); 2. Cameron Smith (Suzuki); 3. Allen Fogle (Honda); 4. Nathan Reichert (Yamaha); 5. Brandon Price (Suzuki).

85 (12-15): 1. Devon Gerhart (Honda); 2. Ryan Varnes (Suzuki).

125: 1. Colton Smith (Kawasaki); 2. Robert Miller (Yamaha); 3. Cody Ebersol (Honda); 4. Matt Trout (Yamaha); 5. Chris Kirkner (Suzuki).

150 AIR-COOLED YTH: 1. Joey Alexander (Honda); 2. Ryan Varnes (Suzuki); 3. Cameron Smith (Suzuki); 4. Chase Smith (Suzuki); 5. Addison Spoonhaward (Yamaha).

250 B: 1. Colton Smith (Kawasaki); 2. Kevin Bills (Honda); 3. Cody Gray (Suzuki); 4. Darren Phillips Jr. (Kawasaki); 5. Kade Kelly (Honda).

250 SPTSMN: 1. Roy Miller (Suzuki); 2. Joey Alexander (Honda); 3. Jesse Long (Honda); 4. Alan Acri (Suzuki); 5. Darren Phillips Jr. (Kawasaki).

450 SPTSMN: 1. Don Mullen (Honda); 2. Jake Johnson (Suzuki); 3. John Long (Suzuki); 4. Jake Shoemaker (Suzuki); 5. Shawn Baer (Kawasaki).

500 2-VALVE: 1. Warren Diem (Yamaha); 2. Jim Chapman (Yamaha); 3. Mike Enery (Yamaha); 4. Chris Wise (Yamaha); 5. Chris Hathaway (Yamaha).

OPEN A: 1. Don Mullen (Honda); 2. Jake Johnson (Suzuki); 3. Shawn Baer (Kawasaki); 4. Steve Lerch (Honda); 5. Jake Shoemaker (Suzuki).

OPEN B: 1. Kevin Bills (Suzuki); 2. Becca Zafia (Honda); 3. Jeremiah Tyeryar (Rotax); 4. Alan Acri (Yamaha); 5. Jason Cunningham (Honda).

OPEN TW/VINT: 1. Jason Isennock (Triumph); 2. Chris Klinefelter (Triumph); 3. Tom Majeski (Honda); 4. Ray Jenkins (Bultaco); 5. Dwayne Rhoads (Yamaha).

YTH SPTSMN: 1. Dalton Gauthier (KTM); 2. Allen Fogle; 3. Colin Cunningham (Yamaha).

30+: 1. Rick Winsett (Honda); 2. Rich Mellinger (Yamaha); 3. Roy Miller (Suzuki); 4. Perry Phillips (Honda); 5. Dillon Cava (Suzuki).

40+: 1. Warren Diem (Honda); 2. Ray Jenkins (Honda); 3. Tom Majeski (Rotax); 4. Scott Mullen (Honda); 5. Dave Smith (Yamaha).

50+: 1. Don Mullen Sr. (Honda); 2. Jim Chapman (Yamaha); 3. Cliff Diem (Suzuki).