New Paris, IN (May 8, 2021) – Unseasonably cool temperatures greeted everyone who attended the inaugural race of the Reveal the Hammer Outlaw Super Late Model Series at New Paris Speedway on Saturday. Cloudy skies and a NorthWest wind made conditions barely tolerable for the early season crowd, but the action on the track was far from cold.
Tyler Roahrig set fast time for the 17 car field at 13.239, which would earn him the 12th starting position in the 100 lap feature. Only 16 cars would take the green as Flint, MI native, Blake Childers, hit the turn one wall in qualifying and could not make repairs before the start of the feature. Doug True and Rick Hahn Sr. lead the field to the green flag as True grabbed the lead at the start.
A lap one caution for Hahn spinning in turn 4 forced a complete restart and set the theme for the race as eventually, 16 caution flags would fly throughout this event. Early cautions worked to the advantage of Tyler Roahrig as he was able to claim a few positions on the double-file restarts. By lap 14, when Adam Terry’s no. 4 went up in smoke, Roahrig had made his way to third. It didn’t take long for Tyler to make his move, and he captured the lead on Lap 16.
Steve Needles didn’t have as much success in the early restarts and was in 5th at Lap 16. The longest green-flag run of the race came at this time and Roahrig tried to separate himself from the field, Needles moved past JR Roahrig on Lap 25 for second and was looking to track down Tyler. After 18 green flag laps, the caution comes out for a battle at the end of the field with all those drivers trying to stay on the lead lap. This tightens the field again and after a couple more cautions on the Lap 35 restart, Needles and JR Roahrig get together battling for second and the two go around in turn two.
During the caution, Needles taps his roof with his hand taking responsibility for the caution. This gives JR his spot back, and Needles goes to the rear. Cautions every few laps keep the field tight and the racing close, but restart after restart, Tyler is able to hold off any challenges from his Father and hold down the top spot. This rang true right up to the restart on Lap 78 where JR was able to wrestle the position away from Tyler and take the lead.
Caution on Lap 84 tightened the field once again and JR easily grabbed the lead on the restart. On Lap 91, Tyler’s car slowed on the backstretch bringing out yet another caution and ending the Plymouth, IN driver’s night. On the Lap 92 restart, with JR on the inside front row, and Shawn Amor outside in the second position, the two cars leading the field make contact coming out of turn 4 sending Amor sideways down the front stretch, and JR bouncing across the Figure 8 track in the infield eventually ending up coming back on the track in turn two. This caused a mad scramble behind the two leaders and when the dust settled, it was Steve Needles leading Amor, and Jack Landis. JR was not able to continue and headed to the pits.
The final caution of the race flew on Lap 96 and Needles pulled away from the other five cars left running to claim the victory. Landis was able to get under Amor’s injured #6 to claim the second position, while Amor hung on for third. Kenny Whitman and Rick Hahn Sr. completed the top 5.
The Reveal the Hammer Series is right back to action next weekend with its second race of the seven-race series at Anderson Speedway in Anderson, IN. Ticket and event information can be found at andersonspeedway.com/, and on Reveal the Hammers Facebook page. Look for more coverage of the series here at www.horsepowerhappenings.com/.
Finishing Order for the Spring Sizzler
Reveal the Hammer Race #1
Steve Needles
Jack Landis
Shawn Amor
Kenny Whitman
Rick Hahn Sr
Craig Everage
JR Roahrig
Tyler Roahrig
Scott Ross
Michael Thayer
Donny Klotz
Austin Davis
Doug True
Adam Terry
Brian Maxim
Travis Schlabach
Blake Childers - DNS
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