When news spread last year of Grandview Speedway’s closure, Nate Brinker sold just about everything in his modified operation. When the deal for Grandview Speedway’s sale fell through, Brinker rented a ride to continue racing. Now, after six years of trying, Brinker won his first feature at the Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania, dirt oval.
“It was a breath of fresh air to win,” said Brinker, of Macungie, Pennsylvania. “When Grandview Speedway posted they would open, the track indicated it would be here to stay for a while. I wanted to get back in, so I approached Keith [Hoffman] to see if we would draw up a deal — my engine and seat in one of his chassis.”
Brinker only had his seat and engine left after selling the rest of his operation. Hoffman agreed to Brinker’s terms, allowing him to rent one of his chassis from Bicknell Racing Products.
While Grandview Speedway and Brinker endured some drama in the past year, the action really heated up on-track last Saturday. His first win didn’t come without drama.
“Brett Kressley was coming on strong at the end, and with five laps to go, I saw that my engine had no oil pressure,” Brinker said. “It just didn’t have the power it had 15 laps earlier. I prayed that there would be no cautions. My engine was fading — I kept pushing it and gave it all I had. By the time we got to victory lane, it wasn’t sounding so good.”
Brinker’s lead he built up from lap 1 disappeared on the white-flag lap.
“Kressley was coming on like a freight train,” said Brinker. “We’re lucky the engine held on to the finish.”
Nate Brinker pulled his engine from the car on Monday. He’ll install another engine in the car for this weekend at Grandview Speedway.
With Brinker’s first win under his belt, he’s ready for more. Brinker is quick to point out what turned his path toward victory lane.
“The difference is having Hoffman’s setup advice and driving advice,” Brinker said. “[It] is second to none. A lot goes into racing [but] a lot more goes into winning.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
