ABBOTTSTOWN, PA, 4/12/2014 – He gone! That’s the catch phrase Alan Krimes and his followers use when Alan Krimes starts putting his competitors behind him. And he did it short order in Saturday’s ARCH Night 25-lap 410 sprint car feature.
“I have to thank Dennis Kohler,” said Krimes upon exiting his Midnight Antiques/Conestoga Valley Garage/Krimes Racing Engines #87 in victory lane, “He changed everything but the driver there before the feature, and he must have found something.”
Krimes started ninth, crossed fifth at the end of the first lap, and passed outside front row started Kevin Nagy for second on lap three. At the time, polesitter Tyler Ross held a 1.16-second lead, which was quickly erased by Krimes over the next three laps.
“I knew starting on the bottom was going to be the key,” said Krimes, “The top was real dirty and it was hard to run up there. I got a real good start and I thought we’d be in pretty good shape. I got up to second there pretty quick. The 92 was going pretty good, and he just slipped in turn four and allowed me to sneak underneath him.”
Krimes caught Ross in turns one and two of the sixth lap, and led until eighth-starting Brian Montieth passed him in lapped traffic exiting turn four of lap 22. Heading into the very next turns, Montieth lost the handle and spun out, handing the lead back over to Krimes. No one was more surprised than Krimes himself.
“We came up on a lapped car running on the bottom, and I made up my mind to go to the top to get around him,” said Krimes, “I almost spun out, and Brian got back by me and I turned and got back underneath him going into one, and the yellow came out. I thought “Dang it!” He had me at the line and they’re going to put him back in front of me. I came back around, and he was sitting there, so we lucked out. He would’ve been tough to get by.”
Robbie Kendall inherited second for the restart, but was never able to challenge Krimes, who crossed 1.34 second in front for his 14th career Lincoln win. In doing so, he became the fourth winner in as many races in 2014.
Danny Dietrich came from tenth starting spot to catch last week’s feature winner Jimmy Siegel for third with a lap to go. Siegel, who started 12th, settled for fourth, with Nagy fifth. Sixth through tenth were hard charger Cory Hass (who started 15th), Glenndon Forsythe, Lance Dewease, Ross, and Adam Wilt.
Heats for the 29 410 sprinters were won by Nagy, Austin Hogue, and Forsythe, with Gerard McIntyre, Jr. winning the consolation.