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Macri Takes Two at Port Royal

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PORT ROYAL, PA (July 1, 2020 – Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Anthony Macri found the cure for the embarrassment of failing to qualify for two of the first five rounds of the 30th Annual Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek. Go to a big, familiar track. Macri scored his fourth consecutive 410 Sprint Car victory at Port Royal Speedway and then he backed it up with another win against the United Racing Club 360 Sprint Cars. It marked the first time in more than a decade that a driver won four straight in the headline class at the spacious Juniata County oval. His combined take for the night exceeded $9,000.

“This is a grueling week, one of the hardest, and my crew has been working very hard,” Macri said. “We were struggling at the small tracks, and we tore that care apart and got a new one out for Grandview and it seemed to work a little better.” But, this night, Macri raced his tried and true big track car. However, he changed up his strategy for the race because of the extra distance. “I played it cool and kept my tires under me. I ran a little harder in the second half. Still, I had some problems the last two laps, so I just pushed the gas a little harder.”

Macri, who was scheduled to start in the fifth spot, got a break when the pole sitter, Christopher Bell, lost oil pressure while the field was forming up. That moved Macri up a row. So, the pole went to Brock Zearfoss, with two-time and defending track champ Logan Wagner next to him. Paired up with Macri was Lance Dewease. Cory Eliason and Kyle Larson were in row three. Ryan Smith and Aaron Reutzel were in row four and Danny Dietrich and Rico Abreu had row five.

Although Dewease had a great start, challenging Wagner and Zearfoss for the lead, it was negated by a crash in turn one that eliminated Robbie Kendall and Cory Eliason. On the second try, Wagner and Zearfoss set the pace, but Macri slid into third ahead of Dewease, Reutzel, Abreu and Larson.

Wagner began to flex some muscle in the early laps, opening a considerable lead over Zearfoss. Dewease was on the charge and he took over second with seven laps in the books. Macri and Zearfoss were in a battle for third, while Reutzel and Larson stayed close.

Dewease was starting to close in on Wagner who was having some difficulties dealing with the lapped traffic. However, Macri went to the whip and took over the second spot just before the caution came out on lap 13. Although that alleviated Wagner’s problem with the slower cars, it also opened up a lane for Macri, and he swooped into the lead on the ensuing restart.

Macri was firmly in command the rest of the way. Wagner continued in second, but Reutzel moved into third. Dewease fell to fourth in the middle stage of the race. He came back strong in the final ten laps, though, and climbed back to the second position at the checkers. As quickly as Dewease moved forward, Wagner fell back.

At the finish, it was Macri ahead of Dewease, Reutzel, Larson, and Wagner. Dietrich was sixth. Then came Smith, Brent Marks, Freddie Rahmer, Jr., and Zearfoss.

The four heat winners were Dewease, Wagner, Zearfoss, and Bell. Alan Krimes picked up the B Main. Kyle Larson was quickest in Group A with a lap of 16.246. Macri topped Group B with a round of 16.495.

In the nightcap for the URC 360 Sprints, Macri had to track down Dallas Schott and Jonathan Preston to get the victory. Macri had to pass his adversaries twice to make it count, as his initial bid for the lead was nullified by a caution. Taking fourth was Derek Locke and fifth went to Josh Weller. Steve Buckwalter came from deep in the pack to get sixth. Heat wins went to Preston, Macri, and Austin Bishop. There was no B Main.

Port Royal will close out Speedweek on Saturday with the Greg Hodnett Classic paying $10,000 to the winner. The Late Models will race for $2,500 to win. Speeweek moves south of the Mason Dixon line for the annual stop at Hagerstown Speedway on Thursday night. It will be the Johnny Grum Memorial. There also will be an exhibition of vintage racers provided by the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.

Dirt Racing

Gravel Grabs the Morgan Cup

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Photo: Paul Arch

MECHANICSBURG, PA (May 9, 2026):  David Gravel, the two-time World of Outlaws champion and current points leader, dominated the finale in the fifteenth running of the Morgan Cup at Williams Grove Speedway. Gravel’s win, the tenth of his career at the venerable speedway, secured possession of the perpetual trophy for the World of Outlaws for the eighth time. Moreover, the win gave the touring stars a two-to-one edge in the win column for the three-race Pennsylvania swing.

Gravel seized control of the race on the opening lap and he was never challenged during the course of the thirty lapper. The only threat to Gravel during the non-stop affair was a bumping incident when he was lapping Brent Shearer. Shearer’s right rear wheel contacted Gravel’s left rear. Fortunately, the two cars quickly separated and both drivers maintained control as they rocketed toward turn one. Gravel expressed concern that he might have gotten a flat tire from such contact, but he said that the double bead locks on the left rear of his car probably saved the day.

“From the rain this morning, that grip up high was there. They patted it down with the push trucks and water trucks. It just launched really good, and actually my motor was really cold. It didn’t run good for the first five or six laps, but it had enough horsepower to beat him (Kasey Kahne) going into (turn) one. He didn’t try to slide me. It looked like he backpedaled and tried to run the bottom, but that was obviously the winning move of the race.”

Gravel added that it was important for him to control the pace of the race. “You just don’t know, this could’ve been ten cautions or green-to-checkered. Luckily, it went green-to-checkered. Maybe I was getting a little complacent down here in (turns) three and four. Maybe should have moved up. Those guys said the 67 (Justin Whittall) was coming, so. It’s just so hard to lead these races. Lincoln, here, it doesn’t matter where it is. When you’re up front, you know, the track changes and people can judge you, behind you. I feel like I got through the lapped cars pretty good.”

Justin Whittall was making just his second start in his new joint venture with Rod Gross Motorsports. The first outing was a disappointing seventeen in the preliminary night program. He gave props to his crew for working late on Friday night and early on this race day to get more speed in the car. He was able to close in on the leader in the closing laps, but was several car lengths behind him when the checkers waved. “I saw David (Gravel) struggling with the lapped car. He finally got him. That was when I really started to catch him.”

Third place went to defending track champion and current points leader, Troy Wagaman, Jr. Wagaman’s podium finish stretched his points lead over Lance Dewease, who failed to qualify because he was plagued by mechanical problems all night long. Wagaman explained that he put together a complete night. “I felt good. I timed good, I had a good heat race, and a good dash. I had speed in the feature.”

For the second night in a row, Kasey Kahne started on the front row for the A Main. This time, he had the pole as a result of his dash victory. But the difference in lanes may have been his undoing. David Gravel had the outside position, which was clearly superior for the start of the event. Freddy Rahmer lined up third, with Whittall as his running mate. Wagaman and Sheldon Haudenschild were in row three. The last pair of preferred starters were Ashton Torgerson, aboard Kyle Moody’s machine, and Chad Trout. Then came Carson Macedo and Bill Balog, followed by Emerson Axsom and Danny Dietrich.

Gravel and Kahne raced wheel to wheel into turn one, but Gravel had the better line through the corner. He emerged from turn two with the lead and never looked back. Kahne followed closely in the early going, but, with each successive lap, Gravel added to his lead. Whittall, Wagaman, Rahmer, Haudenshild, , Torgerson, Trout, Carson Macedo, and Balog made up the balance of the top ten during the opening laps.

The first five–consisting of Gravel, Kahne, Whittall, Wagaman, and Haudenschild–raced in order through the first half of the event.

Soon after the midway signal, Whittall begal to stalk Kahne. On lap nineteen, Whittall rode the rin in turns three and four to reach second spot. Wagaman and Haudenschild soon followed suit.

Whittall trimmed Gravel’s lead in the closing laps. As he was doing so, Haudenschild was applying some pressure to Wagaman for third. A few spots back in the running order, Rahmer and Carson Macedo were battling for sixth.

At the checkers, it was Gravel over Whittall, Wagaman, Haudenschild, and Kahne. Carson Macedo was sixth, with Rahmer, Torgerson, Dietrich, and Balog completing the top ten.

Carson Macedo was named the hard charger, advancing three positions. Several others also passed as many cars but they were all behind him in the finishing order.

The four heat wins went to Gravel, Kahne, Whittall, and Trout. Daryn Pittman won the B Main. Gravel set the fast time, at 16.431, to top Group A. Whittall was the best in Group B with a time of 16.897.

Williams Grove Speedway will be back in action on Friday, May 15, with a Sprint Car doubleheader. The 410s and 358 Sprints will do battle on York County Racing Club Night. There will be no racing on May 22 , but the American Flat Track Motorcycles will compete on May 23.

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Dirt Racing

Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway cancels Saturday night program

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IMPERIAL, PA (May 9, 2026) – Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (PPMS) is cancelling their Saturday night program after heavy overnight rains and cloudy skies throughout the morning forced track officials to make the difficult decision.

“After evaluating conditions throughout the property Saturday morning, speedway officials determined that the amount of water absorbed overnight created conditions that would not allow for a practical or enjoyable event experience for fans, teams, and staff” the Speedway announced in a statement.

Fans who purchased advanced tickets for tonight’s event have already had their refunds processed automatically..

Next Saturday PPMS will host a ‘Night of Champions’, which will honor 2025 track Champions and those who finished in the top 10 in points in the respective divisions.

“We’re ready to get this season rolling in a big way and hopefully Mother Nature starts working with us soon,” said Tyler Harris, PPMS Operations Manager. “We know fans, racers, and teams are anxious to get back to the speedway, and we appreciate everyone continuing to stick with us through a difficult start to the year.”

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Dirt Racing

Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park hoping to get seasons started Friday night

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File Photo courtesy of Lernerville Speedway

Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park are hoping Mother Nature cooperates so they can get their 2026 seasons started on Friday night.

Lernerville is planning on Fab 4 Racing with the McConnell Memorial on top.  Sprint Cars, Late Models, Modifieds and Pro Stocks are on the card this evening.

Pits open at 4 p.m. with spectator gates opening at 5 p.m.  Hot Laps begin at 6:15 p.m. followed by racing at 7:30 p.m.

Four weather-related postponements have delayed opening night at Tri-City Raceway Park, who are preparing to drop the green flag Friday night with their regular 4 Star Racing show on its half-mile oval.

410 Sprint Cars will be competing for a $3,000 winner’s purse.  Joining the 410’s on tonight’s card will be the Pro Stocks, with the winner taking home $700!

The RUSH Sprint Cars are set to compete in their 40th race at the Venango County speedway. Tonight’s winning will get $600 for taking home the checkered flag.

The RUSH Stock Cars round out the evening as they return for their second season. Tonight’s winner will take home a $300 top prize.  The racing starts at 7 p.m.

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