There was no lack of talent in Saturday night’s All-Star Circuit of Champions “A” Main at Lincoln Speedway, but none of them were a match for Denver’s Alan Krimes, who dominated en route to a four-second win and the $5,000 top prize.
After finishing second in the dash, Krimes started beside Stevie Smith on the front row. He beat Smith to the first turn and was never seriously challenged.
“Getting him (Smith) on the start was everything there. I was actually surprised I could turn in off his right rear and pass him down there,” said Krimes upon exiting his Conestoga Valley Garage #87 in victory lane, “That was the biggest move of the race as far as I’m concerned. Getting ahead of Stevie, because he’s a hell of a driver.”
“My goal is to win a World of Outlaw show and an All-Star show, and I’m half-way,” quipped Krimes, “You’re never sure how far you are ahead of everybody else when you’re running out there. We were getting through lapped traffic pretty good, and I knew somebody else was going to have to be really good to beat us.”
‘We actually started slowing down there at the end,” said Krimes, “But I was hoping I had enough of lead to hold them off at the end.”
Krimes didn’t know that everyone else was slowing down at the end, too. Krimes maintained a three-to-four second lead over the entire second half of the 30-lap event.
If Krimes was half of the show, Danny Dietrich was the other half. Dietrich started sixth after finishing last in the dash, and bounced off the second turn wall several times in catching Lance Dewease for third on lap 18 and Smith for the runner-up spot on lap 22.
“Danny must have been real good,” added Krimes, “The track was pretty tough to pass on. To come from sixth to second was a great job.’ The last 24 laps of the race went non-stop, with the only caution of the night for a spin by Steve Storrie and Greg Hodnett after colliding in turn one of lap six.
Smith settled for third, with Dewease and tenth-starting Fred Rahmer completing the top five. Rahmer, the current Central PA and Lincoln point series leader, continued his amazing streak of top-ten finishes, which now sits at 28 straight races.
Sixth through tenth were Tim Shaffer, Brent Marks, Dale Blaney, Jim Siegel, and Aaron Ott.
Heats were won by Gerard McIntyre, Jr., Jac Haudenschild, Nicole Bower, and Brian Montieth. Dale Blaney won the B-Main while Stevie Smith won the Dash. Fast time in time trials over the 35-car field was set by Shaffer with a one-lap time of 13.286-seconds (101.611 MPH).