MECHANICSBURG -- Doug Esh put his early season woes behind him on Friday night with a victory in the 25-lap sprint car feature at Williams Grove Speedway.

Esh, who started second, took the lead from pole sitter Rick Lafferty at the start, but Lafferty drove by on the inside exiting Turn 4 to lead the first lap. He held on until Esh drove around him in Turn 4 of the fourth lap.

Once in front, Esh began to open a huge lead over the field as a tremendous battle for top-five positions raged behind him.

Don Kreitz, Jr. slipped past Lafferty on the ninth tour, but Jeff Shepard and Brian Montieth -- who comprised the fourth row in the starting lineup -- made things very interesting.

With positions changing on every lap, Montieth got by Kreitz for the last time with five laps left and began to wipe out Esh's huge lead.

Montieth had nearly caught the leader when a caution flag fell on the last lap.

Esh won the half-mile dash to the finish and scored his 14th career victory at Williams Grove. Montieth settled for second.

Shepard took third place from Kreitz on the final lap. Defending Cindy Rowe Auto Glass champion Todd Shaffer completed the top five.

Lafferty, Mark Smith, Fred Rahmer, Chad Layton and Mike Erdley finished in positions six through 10, respectively.

Todd Rittenhouse, Jr. won the 20-lap limited 358 sprint feature.