Posse Pounces: Hodnett Scores First Outlaws Win of 2015 at Lincoln Speedway
Hodnett leads Pennsylvania Posse sweep of the podium
ABBOTTSTOWN, Pa. – May 13, 2015 – A dominant Greg Hodnett led an all Pennsylvania Posse sweep of the podium during the Gettysburg Clash at Lincoln Speedway on Wednesday night, as he claimed his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory of the season.

Hodnett was the driver to beat all night. Early on he scored his first quick time of the year. After being on the fortunate end of the Dash inversion draw, Hodnett scored the Dash win and started the night on the feature pole.

Through an early rash of cautions and an open red, Hodnett held off Stevie Smith and built on his position up front. By lap 14, Hodnett began working his way through lapped traffic. As the laps wound down, Stevie Smith, in second began catching Hodnett, but ended up with the more pressing issue of Ryan Smith behind him.

Hodnett crossed the finish line in first in his Lelands.com/Eagle Steel No. 27 car.

“This feels really good,” Hodnett said. “If someone had ever said we would win an Outlaw race at Lincoln, I would have told them they were a liar. I struggle here. Getting a great draw in qualifying and taking advantage of it, obviously getting a good draw in the Dash, it’s huge. We were fortunate enough to take advantage of it and pull it off with a win.”

Following his win Wednesday night, Hodnett now has 14 career World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series wins. He passes Jason Sides and is now tied with Ron Shuman for 24th on the all-time wins list.

Stevie Smith, who stood in victory lane during at the Gettysburg Clash last season, closed out the night in second. Stevie Smith had his hands full throughout the feature from the ‘Kunkletown Kid’ Ryan Smith. Ryan Smith nearly had him on the start. As the field worked its way through several restarts through the first third of the feature, Ryan Smith worked to hold off a charging Brad Sweet and get around Stevie Smith.

Stevie Smith expanded the gap between he and Ryan Smith in the middle of the feature but as the two worked their way through lapped traffic, Ryan Smith caught up to him with his No. 94 Wurko Group car. For the final two laps, Stevie Smith tried to hold off Ryan Smith.

“I was running my butt of trying to catch the guy in front of me and then the last couple of laps I had to worry about getting passed,” Stevie Smith said. “I heard something, I wasn’t sure if it was one of the lap cars that we had passed, I had no idea who it was. I thought, you know what, I’ve done this before, I’m just going to move up and take his air and take his groove. I’m glad I did because I think he would have passed us.”

Stevie Smith brought his No. 51S Miller Brothers Chevrolet car home in second.

Ryan Smith, who scored his first ever World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory last October at Port Royal Speedway, had not been to Lincoln yet this season.

“It was a good night,” Smith said. “I got to Stevie there at the end and I knew I had to get him when I caught him there and I showed my nose and he took my air off. Great race – awesome race track. Glad to represent the Posse.”