MICHAEL RUTTKAMP CLAIMS FIRST CAREER WIN IN TRAIL-WAY 358'S

Hanover, PA (8/27/10) - "I didn't know who was in that 10W, and I guess it's good I didn't!" exclaimed Wilton, Connecticut's Michael Ruttkamp after scoring his first career win in the 25-lap "358" sprint car feature at Trail-Way Speedway Friday night.

Ruttkamp, a rookie in the 358's after a past career as a pavement racer in the Northeast, held off the early challenges of Brad McClelland, and then Tim Wagaman, and then former World of Outlaw 410 sprint car driver Cris Eash to earn the hard-fought win.

Ruttkamp started fourth and grabbed the lead from polesitter and race-long leader Billy Heltzel III on lap seven. But by the next lap, eighth-starting Brad McClelland and seventh-starting Tim Wagaman were on his tail.

Trail-Way's all-time leading winner tried everything through a series of cautions to make the pass, but could never get by. Suddenly, Tim Wagaman drove under McClelland for the runner-up spot on lap 13. The pair then swapped second place over the next three laps, with Wagaman settling into second with eight laps to go. Just as Ruttkamp entered lapped traffic on lap 21, all heck broke loose on the front stretch. Zach Euculano stopped in turn four, bringing out
the caution. As the yellow flag waived, Ruttkamp and Wagaman slowed on the front stretch, and McClelland didn't. McClelland threw it sideways in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid hitting Wagaman. McClelland ended up sideways on the front stretch and Wagaman came to a stop in turn two with a flat tire.

That sequence of events set up a dramatic race to the checkered, with ninth-starting Cris Eash, in his first ride in a sprint car (the Brian Bruckner #10W) in nearly two years, restarting second.
Ruttkamp got a good jump on the restart and appeared to be pulling away. But his back side came around through turn four with the white flag waiving. Ruttkamp gathered it back in to hold off Eash by a mere .84 seconds.

"I thought I was going to lose it on the last lap," said Ruttkamp upon exiting his MSK Enterprises/Northeast Taxidermy Studios/Pancho's Racing Products #8R, "I can't believe I'm standing here! Hopefully, I'll be back here soon." Ruttkamp took five years off after leaving pavement racing, including the Hooter's Pro Cup Series, before coming to dirt for the first
time this year.

Joe Trone, Jr. (who started 13th), Arron Spahr (who came from 12th in only his second 358 Trail-Way start ever), and 23rd-starting Randy Davis, Jr. completed the top five. Sixth through tenth were Dale Hammaker, Tim Wagaman, Mike Duncan, Jr., Euculano, and McClelland.
Heats for the 24 "358" Sprints were won by Euculano, Wagaman, and McClelland.

358 Sprint Cars
Feature (25 Laps) - 1. 8R-Michael Ruttkamp; 2. 10W-Cris Eash; 3. 99-Joe
Trone, Jr.; 4. 16-Arron Spahr; 5. 98-Randy Davis, Jr.; 6. 66-Dale Hammaker;
7. 1*-Tim Wagaman; 8. 11D-Mike Duncan, Jr.; 9. 10-Zach Euculano; 10. 6-Brad
McClelland; 11. 33-Billy Heltzel, III; 12. 2-Denny Gross; 13. 12-Mike
Bittinger; 14. 64-Randy Whisler; 15. 27-Brian Suchy; 16. 22M-Brian Garland
(DNF); 17. 97-Brie Hershey (DNF); 18. 66H-Doug Hammaker (DNF); 19. 00-Jeff
Rohrbaugh (DNF); 20. 1S-Logan Schuchart (DNF); 21. 28-Keith Prutzman (DNF);
DNS - 51N-Nick Palmerino, 59T-Tim Stallings. No Time

Lap Leaders - Billy Heltzel, III (1-6), Michael Ruttkamp (7-25)