By LEN SAMMONS

Tears of joy flowed in victory lane Saturday night as Chris Esposito piloted Dennis and Debbie Becker’s No. 49 Modified to a long-awaited win in the second of two 25-lap features at Grandview Speedway.

“This is a dream come true. God blessed me. It is awesome to have a car that is competitive and get back to victory lane,” said Esposito.

“There have been so many ups and downs, but that’s how racing goes. When I was leading with five laps to go, I kept thinking I needed to be smart and hit my marks because I knew I had a car that could win and it was only me that could lose it.”

The triumph marked the second career Modified win for Esposito and the Beckers—but their first together as a team.

“The talent that comes here to Grandview is unreal. If you can park in victory lane, it’s insane, and tonight we did it. I just hope the third win for both of us comes quicker,” said Esposito.

Esposito’s only previous Grandview victory came nearly 17 years ago, on September 20, 2008, when he was driving his family-owned No. 31. In that race, he inherited the lead with six laps remaining and held off Terry Meitzler, Rick Schaffer, Brad Missimer, and Ryan Godown for the win.

“It was a long time since I sat in victory lane. I won’t lie, I had a tear in my eye,” said the local Telford, PA resident.
“It was just like the first, it was great. I have three young boys that are into racing, but I wondered if it was time to give it up. I also see some young kids coming up that are at a different level—I didn’t know if I could hang anymore, but tonight we won. Honestly, I can’t believe it.”

The Beckers have been a fixture at Grandview Speedway since 1972. Dennis spent many years as a dedicated crew member for various teams before he and Debbie transitioned into car ownership.

Their first taste of victory came on September 4, 2021, when Ryan Lilick drove their No. 49 to the win, on a night Dennis had to watch from home while recovering from surgery. Debbie relayed the action from her seat in the grandstands.

“My heart is still pounding,” Dennis said from behind his car hauler, surrounded by fans after returning from victory lane. “I wasn’t here for the first win—I’m so excited, so happy.”

That 2021 victory saw Lilick hold off a strong field that included Brett Kressley—Saturday’s first feature winner— followed by track legends Craig Von Dohren, Doug Manmiller, and Duane Howard.

“That kid got them their first win, but now I’ve been able to give them a second. I’m really happy I was able to do that for them. When I took their offer, I told them I would do the best I could for them, and I’m glad it was enough,” said Esposito proudly.

Esposito, 47, has been a loyal supporter of Grandview for decades. He made his Modified debut in 2000 and spent eight years chasing his first win with a self-funded, underdog operation. After that 2008 victory, he endured another ten-year drought before stepping away from Grandview to try his luck at N.J.’s New Egypt Speedway.
When success eluded him there, Esposito returned to Grandview to compete in the Crate Sportsman division for four seasons. His break came when the Beckers offered to equip his car with a powerful 358 Spec Modified engine built by Nick Gatto.

“Been here for close to 27 years. There have been times I couldn’t afford it, and I went crate racing for a few years,” said Esposito.

“But I love the Modifieds, so I came back to them, and it feels so great to be competitive. We were good in the first feature, too. Started 11th and ran with the pack and finished 11th. I’ll take a win and an 11th any day.”
This past offseason, the Beckers decided to re-enter the sport full-time as car owners and purchased Esposito’s entire racing team’s equipment. Just three races into the partnership, the team found its way to victory lane.
“Debbie and Dennis Becker are DB Motorsports. They are fans who have supplied me with motors for the last few years,” Esposito informed me.

“Dennis wanted his own car again, and tonight they gave me a great hot rod. The driver gets all the accolades, but there are a lot of great people who made this happen—the crew, the sponsors, and the owners. This was a true team effort.”

Esposito started the nightcap outside of the front row. After taking the lead on lap eight with an outside pass, Esposito had to survive another 17 laps and two late double-file restarts to take the win over a game challenger in Tim Buckwalter.

“Timmy is no joke, he’s a good runner, I certainly didn’t need those two restarts at the end with him in second,” said Esposito, who chose the outside lane despite running the bottom in the corners. “I was in a good rhythm, and the yellows kept coming out. I kept saying please don’t take this from me. I tried zoning everything out, but when those yellows came out, I thought here we go again, they are going to take it from me,” said Esposito.

“I had too much time to think. Kept wondering if I should take high or low. I went to the top because I feel you get more momentum coming off of four. That’s where the car wanted to be, and it worked.”

Well, after the checkered flag fell, Esposito was replaying the triumph with the Beckers, the crew and friends that gathered. Known to stick around afterwards and enjoy the night no matter the results, Esposito had a reason to celebrate longer.

“Heck yeah, we’re going to have some fun and a few beers tonight for sure,” said Esposito.
“It’s great we got this win at the beginning of the season, the monkey is now off my back, and I can relax a little and have some fun.”