By Justin Snyder & Chris Zuver

The Zimmer’s Service Center United Late Model Series saw a first time winner, Sunday night with Colton Flinner of Allison Park, PA taking home his first career ULMS win and his second in a row at Port Royal Speedway.

Flinner started on the pole due to redrawing the number one position in the Jay’s Auto Wrecking Redraw which saw Dylan Yoder getting the $100 Unlucky Dog Redraw award for the worse redraw pill.  The initial start saw Flinner jump immediately in front of Fairmont, WV driver Jacob Hawkins but the yellow lights flashed as the field entered turn one and two when sixth starting Jason Covert tagged the wall. The second initial start saw Tyler Emory get turned as the field entered the front stretch on the start collecting Kyle Knapp.

Per ULMS rules multiple cautions without completing a lap, resulted in the series to go into single file start with no laps in the event for the first time in series history. This time the field made the first lap without incident and evidently completed the entire 30 lap event without another caution.

Flinner quickly distanced himself from the field as battle was taking place with the first two place cars from Williams Grove. Gregg Satterlee and Rick Eckert. Flinner and Satterlee broke away from the rest of the pack and on lap six, Satterlee made his first attempt at the lead as he peeked under the leader in turn’s one and two only for Flinner to shut the door on the backstretch.

The two cars raced nose to tail for the next few laps, with Flinner moving from the top to the bottom and Satterlee moving to the top. Lapped traffic reared it’s head on lap 10 and the battle for first became a chess match of who could make the best move, meanwhile, Michael Norris had gotten by Eckert for a podium position and seventh-place starter Jared Miley was knocking on his door for the spot in fourth.
At the halfway mark, no lapped cars separated the leaders, but Flinner held a 1.2 second advantage on Satterlee. With 12 laps remaining, Flinner approached the lapped car of Kyle Lee exiting turn two and he bobbled slightly, which allowed Satterlee to close rapidly and he pulled alongside of the leader down the backstretch.

However, Flinner threaded the needle between both Lee and Satterlee in turn’s three and four to give himself some breathing room again and kept the runner-up at bay. Jared Miley moved into the third position, but it was all Flinner and Satterlee up front, With six laps to go, lapped traffic proved to be the key as Flinner had opened up more than a 2.0 second advantage over Satterlee, who was struggling to dispatch of the lappers.

From there it was smooth sailing for Flinner as he cruised on to the victory by more than 5.0 seconds over Satterlee, Miley, Norris and Eckert. Gary Stuhler, Tylor Emory, Hawkins and Mike Lupfer rounded out the top ten. Jeff Rine finished 12th to earn the Georges Used Cars $200 Hard Charger after starting 20th.

“I consider Gregg Satterlee to be among one of the best talents regionally and nationally and I appreciate that I get to call him a friend and competitor,” said Flinner. “I saw him poke his nose there a few times and I knew I needed to adjust and get going. It means a lot to beat him and hopefully it’s not the last time either.”
The Zimmer’s Service Center ULMS Late Model Series returns to action this Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway and then back to Port Royal Speedway for the makeup of Saturday’s show that was washed away.

United Late Model Series is proudly supported by Zimmer’s Service Center, Jay’s Auto Wrecking , Close Racing Supply, Precise Racing, Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic, Lias Tire, American Racer Tire, Chew on this Jerky, Insinger Performance, VP Race Fuels, DirtDefender, Genesis Shocks, Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Shocks, Cousins Designs, Mary Norgrove Notary Public, Jays Automotive, Phantom Signs & Graphics, Accelo Race Wear, Hot Shoe RaceWear, and MACH Auto

Photos by Gary & Eileen Shrey

FINISH- 1. Colton Flinner ($3500), 2. Gregg Satterlee, 3. Jared Miley, 4. Michael Norris, 5. Rick Eckert, 6. Gary Stuhler, 7. Dylan Yoder, 8. Tyler Emory, 9. Jacob Hawkins, 10. Mike Lupfer, 11. Hayes Mattern 12. Jeff Rine, 13. Andrew Yoder, 14. Logan Zarin, 15. Kyle Lee, 16. Austin Berry, 17. Trevor Collins, 18. Danny Snyder, 19. Jason Covert, 20. Kyle Knapp, 21. Deshawn Gingerich, 22. Levi Yetter, DNS- Dan Stone, Shawn Shoemaker, Tim Smith Jr., Del Rougeux, Alex Ferree, Chad Myers, Dave Stamm, Kody Lyter, Tommy Beck, Kyle Hardy