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Larson Wins Again at Williams Grove

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Chad Warner

WILLIAMS GROVE, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now – July 17, 2020): Kyle Larson’s amazing hot streak continued at the Williams Grove Speedway. The former NASCAR pilot captured the Tommy Hinnershitz Memorial Classic named for the first-ballot Hall of Fame driver who happened to score the first victory in the 81 years of the historic track. Larson was greeted in victory lane by a member of the Hinnershitz family, who readily agreed that Tommy would have been proud of the rim-riding style displayed by Larson throughout most of the race. Ironically, the winning move was something Larson had learned from his good friend, Lance Dewease. On lap 26, Larson dove low in turn three and blasted by Anthony Macri who was seeking his first 410 Sprint Car win at the track.

“I’ve won a lot of races, but I have never been on a streak like this before,” Larson said modestly. Despite the down time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the missed races due to his NASCAR obligation, Larson now has more than 20 victories in Sprint Car and Midget competition.

“I felt really good the whole race,” he said. He admitted to being “a little sloppy” until he adjusted his wing. That enabled him to get off the corners better. Adding to his late-race advantage, the straightaways cleared off and Larson was able to get a run into the corners as well. The higher entry speed led to more momentum through the corners, as was evident when he pulled the trigger on the unsuspecting Macri.

Macri had the pole for the star-studded 30 lapper. Next to him was Kerry Madsen. Row two should have been comprised of Carson Macedo and Sammy Swindell. However, Swindell’s car began to leak oil and water on the pace laps, and he was forced to retire form the contest. That moved up Daryn Pittman to the second row. Larson and Cory Eliason were the third row pairing. David Gravel and Brent Marks lined up in row four and Aaron Reutzel was joined by Kyle Reinhardt in row five.

Macri took the lead, but Madsen, Macedo, Pittman and Larson stayed close in the early going. Macri built up a substantial lead as the laps clicked off. He had a bit of a scare on lap nine, however. “I misjudged the corner and got into the curb,” he explained. Madsen pulled up beside the young driver who kept his poise and the lead. Macri began to pull away again, but his lead was wiped out by the only caution of the race. On lap 15, soon after Macri got the halfway signal, Josh Baughman coasted to a stop on the long back chute.

Macri and Madsen were nose to tail for the restart. Madsen tried to slide under Macri in the first turn, but Macri made a block before sliding up to the cushion. “I went to the bottom on the restart and I tried to carry the momentum around the top,” he explained. The maeuver worked and Macri again began to build his lead over the Aussie.

“I’ve never had much luck at Williams Grove,” Madsen said. “I thought I had a car that could win it in the middle of the race,” he added. But after his two runs at Macri, Madsen was unable to mount another challenge. Instead, it was Larson who kept getting faster and faster as teh race moved into the final stanza. “Paul (Silva) prepares an awesome car and I can trust it a lot,” Larson noted.

Indeed, he moved into fourth on the restart and he seemed destined to remain there for the rest of the race. But suddenly, the California-based car came to life. He reached second by lap 22 but Macri still had a lead of several car lengths. Larson began to close the gap despite jumpingthe cushion a couple of times in turn four. He was on Macri’s tail with five to go and made the big move one lap later to nail down his second win of the season at the Grove.

Larson and Macri were followed by Madsen, Gravel, and Pittman.Brock Zearfoss rallied in the last ten laps to get sixth. Danny Dietrich advanced ten positions to nab seventh.Macedoand Reutzel crossed before Freddie Rahmer, Jr.

Marks, Swindell, Reutzel, and Macedo took the preliminaries. Lucas Wolfe topped the B Main. The twin dashes went to Macri and Madsen. Larson was the evening’s fastest qualifier with a lap of 16.950 seconds. He was the only friver below 17 seconds this night.

Kevin Nouse scored his second 358 Sprint Car win, leading the entire 20 laps. Doug Hammaker, Chris Frank, Tyler Brehm, and Scott Fisher were the other members of the top five.

Williams Grove Speedway will host the Summer Nationals next Friday and Saturday. The World of Outlaws will be present in full force, but other invaders are expected as the All Stars will be off that weekend. Yung Money (Larson) will also be in the house. Lance Dewease will return in the hopes of scoring his 100th career win at the track.

Dirt Racing

Dietz Does It, Leads Posse Sweep

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Photo by Paul Arch

MECHANICSBURG, PA (October 3, 2025) – Chase Dietz, of York, PA, led a Posse sweep of four of the top five positions on night number one of the National Open Weekend at Williams Grove Speedway. Joining Dietz on the front stretch were second place finisher, Lance Dewease, and the third place runner, Danny Dietrich. Justin Whittall was fifth in the race. The only card carrying Outlaw was Carson Macedo, who led the first twenty-one laps before fading to fourth at the finish.

“I just want to soak it in,” Dietz said as he tried to catch his beath following the exhilarating victory, his first ever against the travelling band. Although Dietz noted that he had speed all year at the Grove, his team assembled a new car this week and, in doing so, they made a lot of changes. “The car was very maneuverable.”

Although Dietz ran most of the race in the top groove, he admitted, “I knew that the bottom was going to come in. I knew that I had to get down there before Lance (Dewease) did. I saw his nose.” As it turned out, Dietz barely got to the bottom ahead of Dewease, forcing the cagy veteran to move to the middle in the closing laps.

“We’re just extremely grateful to be here, this sport can be very humbling,” Dietz added. Even last year, when he was running his own cars, Dietz explained that they fought hard to be competitive with the Outlaws. Although they were winless, they showed good speed and had a podium finish against the Outlaws in the 2024 National Open. “I looked back at the nights when we didn’t win, and I tried to figure out what we needed to do to bet better.”

Dewease, who followed Dietz into second on lap twenty-two and wh briefly challenged him for the lead, commented, “the last three or four laps I wasn’t very good. The lapped cars made it interesting.”

Dietrich, who completed the podium for the Posse, felt that he may have had the fastest car in the final laps but, he added, “things didn’t go my way.” He explained that, when he did pass Dewease, he did not get enough of a gap on him, and that let him (Dewease) get back in.”

Macedo drew the pole for the Dash and his win in that event placed him on the pole for the twenty-five lap preliminary, which paid $12,000 to the winner. Dietrich lined up on his right, Dewease and Dietz made up row two, followed by David Gravel and Buddy Kofoid. Diason Pursley and Justin Whittall stacked our row four. Then came Daryn Pittman and Bill Balog. Row six paired Kody Hartlaub with Justin Peck.

The back of the field was almost as impressive as the first six rows. Back there were racers such as Kerry Madsen (fourteenth), Giovanni Scelzi (sixteenth), Brock Zearfoss (seventeenth), Brent Marks (eighteenth), Ryan Timms (nineteenth), Freddie Rahmer, Jr. (twentieth), Sheldon Haudenschild (twenty-first), Logan Schuchart (twenty-first), and Troy Wagaman (twenty-sixth).

Macedo held off Dietrich in turn one to assume control of the race. Dietz ran in third on the opening lap, but he drove under Dietrich in turn four to take over second one lap later. Dewease ran along in fourth, followed by Kofoid, Gravel, Whittall, Pittman, Pursley, and Balog in the early going.

The running order was pretty static through the first five or six laps. The top ten had a major shake-up on lap seven, though. Something broke on Pittman’s car in turn three, and he spun wildly toward the outside wall. In the process, he collected Pursley, Balog, and Hartlaub. Pittman and Pursely retired from the race due to the damage incurred, but Balog and Hartlaub were able to rejoin the field for the restart after pitting for repairs.

That fracas was the only caution of the race.

Macedo and Dietz resumed the battle for the lead on the restart. However, one lap later, Dewease moved into third, ahead of Dietrich, Kofoid, and Gravel. Whittall, Peck, Scelzi, and Rahmer made up the balance of the top ten. At that juncture, Wagaman was about six positions behind Rahmer in their race within the race for the point championship.

Through the middle stage of the race, Dietz began to close in on Macedo. Dewease continued in third, several car lengths behind the leaders. Dietrich was about the same distance back in fourth.

Dietz caught up to Macedo with about five or six laps remaining in the contest. He managed to pass Macedo on the inside of turn three on lap twenty-one, but Macedo countered in turn four to regain the lead.

Macedo dove to the inside heading into turn one, but he scrubbed off spme speed. Dietz was able to get some momentum coming through turn two and that propelled hin down the backstretch. He slid Macedo for the lead coming through turns three and four, and Dewease followed in his tire tracks to take over second coming off turn four.

Dietz missed the bottom entering turn one, and Dewease poked his nose under him going through the turn, Dietz recovered, and he got a good run off turn two to preserve his lead. Dietz then committed to the low line for the final laps, requiring Dewease to move more toward the middle of the track.

Dietrich dispatched Macedo and he got a run on Dewease near the end of the race. However, Dewease was able to reclaim second soon thereafter.

At the finish, it was Dietz by a tad under eight tenths of a second over Dewease. Dietrich was third, followed by Macedo and Whittall. Kofoid, Gravel, Scelzi,Peck, and Marks completed the top ten.

Rahmer was eleventh, and Wagaman sixteenth. Although Wagaman was the hard charger at plus ten, he lost valuable points to Rahmer. The two racers will be separated by 125 points, unofficially, heading into Saturday’s season finale.

Heat wins were scored by Gravel, Kofoid, Dewease, and Pursley. Ryan Newton won the non-qualifiers race. Kyle Spence recovered from a tipover in his heat race to capture the C Main. The B Main went to Haudenschild. Gravel was the evening’s fastest qualifier, with a lap of 16.409 seconds topping Group A. Dewease timed the best in Group B, with a lap of 16.760 seconds. Fifty-six cars participated in the event.

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Dirt Racing

Dale Blaney Wins World Of Outlaws At Sharon Speedway

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Photo by Paul Arch

HARTFORD, OH (September 27, 2025) – Dale Blaney had the hometown crowd on their feet and screaming after winning the World of Outlaws feature Saturday Night at Sharon Speedway, the track owned for years by the Blaney family.

Blaney started fifth and passed Cole Macedo on lap 11 for the lead then held off a furious last lap charge by Buddy Kofoid to win by just 0.136 seconds for the $12,000 payday!

The victory was Blaney’s first World of Outlaws victory in 10-years, becoming the oldest winner in Series history at 61 years 7 months and 28 days. Blaney broke the previous record set by his older brother Dave when he won at 58 years of age in 2021 at Sharon.

“There’re so many good young race car drivers out here, but to win a race at 61 (years old) is awesome,” said Blaney. ““I had the feeling that I was never going to win an Outlaw race ever again.  I don’t race much. This is our sixth race this year. I haven’t run in seven weeks. The car was awesome. We just got it back together this week. I don’t know what to say. It’s great and cool to win this at Sharon Speedway- it’s the only place I’ve run this year. This is a special freaking night. I know that.”

“I wanted traffic,” said Kofoid. “My car is usually amazing in traffic. He slipped up, and then I kind of got in his air and got me slipped up. And then I hit the wall coming to the checkered, and it shot me down the track. I tried to send it and was close. I’m just happy for Dale and Dave.”

Sheldon Haudenschild finished third follow by WoO points leader David Gravel in fourth.  Logan Schuchart rounded out the Top 5.

The night however belonged to the Blaney family, who fittingly closed out the the first year of the new ownership group of Dave Blaney, Ryan Blaney, and Will Thomas III in Victory Lane.

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Dirt Racing

Rain Halts Fallen Heroes Memorial at Lincoln Speedway

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File Photo

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (September 27, 2025):  A persistent, localized drizzle forced a stoppage of the Fallen Heroes Memorial at the Lincoln Speedway. The event, which was originally dubbed the Fallen Firefighters Memorial, was expanded to give tribute to the three York County police officers recently slain while serving a subpoena.

Brett and Jordan Strickler, policemen in the area, honored the fallen officers on the wings of their 410 Sprint Cars.

The 410 Sprint Cars were ready to take to the track for their feature event when the rain set in for the second time of the night. A brief shower interrupted the heat races for the 358 Sprint Cars. However, after the rain stopped, the track crew and push truck operators quickly prepared the surface so that all qualifications could be completed.

The line-ups for both feature races are set, and the events will be completed on October 18, along with the full program for both divisions in the Final 50. So, fans will be treated to four features that evening.

The point races in both divisions will conclude on October 18.

Dallas Schott, Kyle Moody, and Billy Dietrich won the heat races for the 410 Sprinters. Ryan “Fig” Newton prevailed in the B Main. Troy Wagaman, Jr. was the fastest qualifier of the twenty-nine cars on hand. His time was an astonishing 12.855 seconds. He was one of four racers to turn sub-thirteen second laps.

In the 358 Sprint Car preliminaries, the checkers waved for Cameron Merriman, Logan Spahr, and Cody Fletcher. There were twenty-one 358 Sprints checked in for the contest.

On October 4, Lincoln Speedway will present AMA Flat Track Motorcycles and Quads. There will be no auto races in consideration of the National Open to be held at Williams Grove Speedway. The World of Outlaws will take on the Pennsylvania Posse on October 11. The Lincoln season will conclude with the blockbuster event, the Final 50 plus the held over features.

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