ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (October 19, 2024): Brent Marks made his first appearance of 2024 in Lincoln Speedway’s Final 50 pay off big time. Like twenty large. Logan Rumsey captured the last 358 Sprint Car event of the season, and clinching track championships were Troy Wagaman, Jr. in the 410 Sprints, and Steve Owings in the 358 Sprints.

Marks, who normally makes about 10 races per season at the Pigeon Hills oval, missed every event in 2024 due to his commitment to the High Limit Sprint Car Series. Lincoln Speedway has been and, presumably, will continue to be firmly in the World of Outlaws camp. Marks explained that he wasn’t even planning to be at this race, but that he changed his thoughts when he heard about the increased purse being offered to close out the season.

“I struggled some during the summer,” Marks noted. “But, we’re picking up steam at the end of the year.” Indeed, in the last weekend of High Limit action, in Texas, Marks bagged $50,000 and now he has added $20,000 in his own back yard. He plans to race the two remaining events at BAPS Motor Speedway on October 26 and November 16.

He gave props to the Lincoln track crew. “The track turned out to be really good.” He added, “it was fun racing through the lapped traffic.” Anthony Macri, who finished second, took a run at Marks in the final laps, but he could not pull off the pass.

Marks drew the pole position for the fifty lapper. Next to him was Matt Campbell. Behind them were Jacob Allen and Chase Dietz. Dylan Norris and Troy Wagaman, Jr. made up row three. The fourth consisted of Freddie Rahmer, Jr. and Macri. Kyle Moody and Devon Borden claimed row five, with Lucas Wolfe and Lance Dewease making it an even dozen.

Campbell surprised Marks on the opening lap by riding the rim in turns one and two to take the early lead. Campbell was extremely fast in the clean air and he had no difficulty separating himself from the other racers. Marks continued in second, followed by Allen, Dietz, Norris, Wagaman, Macri, Borden, Rahmer, and Moody. After a couple of laps were recorded, Dietz moved into third.

Campbell was alone out front until he encountered the lapped cars. That gave Marks and Dietz the opportunity to close in on him. With the lapped cars using the inside line for the most part, and Campbell committed to the high line, Marks was desperately looking for an opportunity to grab the lead.

You see, there was a substantial sum awaiting the leader at the halfway mark. Five thousand dollars, to be exact. And, so long as Campbell stated in traffic, it was unlikely that Marks would get to scoop up that loot.

However, things changed with just three laps before the break. Macri moved ahead and he was battling Dietz for third. He wrestled the position away, and Dietz tried to get back under him in turns one and two. There was some contact between them, and Dietz spun to the top of turn two for a pivotal caution.

On the ensuing restart, Marks wasted no time in overtaking the leader. Marks slid Campbell entering turn one when the race resumed and Marks completed the three laps to halftime.

Marks collected the biggest bonus, but lesser amounts went to Campbell, Macri, Rahmer, and Wagaman. Allen lost out on his share because a penalty was assessed upon him for jumping on the restart. That moved him back to seventh in the running order. Slipping ahead of him were Wagaman and Borden.

The second half of the race was run without any interruptions. Early in the run, Macri went by Campbell. The top three were evenly spaced, with about a car length or two between each of them.

Rahmer ran along in fourth, and Wagaman stayed close enough to ensure that Rahmer could not upset his quest for his first track title.

At the checkers, it was Marks over Macri, Campbell, Rahmer, and Wagaman. Danny Dietrich was sixth, up from nineteenth on the starting grid. That was good enough to earn the $500 hard charger award. Seventh went to Aaron Bollinger. Dewease, Dietz, and Norris completed the top ten.

The heat winners were Rahmer, Dietz, Wagaman, and Norris. Ryan Smith captured the B Main. Marks was the top qualifier on the night, timing in at 13.393 seconds in Group A. The best of Group B was Campbell at 14.002 seconds.

Wagaman admitted to racing conservatively to garner the championship. “I tried to keep the 8 (Rahmer) in front of me, and maybe make a move on him late in the race.” However, in the second half, Wagaman was conserving his tires to make sure that he could make it to the end of the fifty laps. Wagaman also explained that his team replaced the motor in the car after the heat race. He remarked that consistency was the key to his first track title. He reeled off fifteen consecutive top ten finishes to earn the crown.

In the 358 Sprint Car feature, Preston Lattomus and Logan Rumsey were paired on row one, with Wyatt Hinkle and Matt Findley starting behind them. Frankie Herr and Scott Fisher made an experienced third row. Jayden Wolf and Chase Guttshall were in row four. Then came title contenders Doug Hammaker and Cody Fletcher, Steve Owings, the point leader coming into the finale, was paired up with Dylan Norris in row six.

Lattomus jumped out front, with Rumsey close in second. Hinkle, Findley, Herr, and Wolf trailed them. Before the race could heat up, though, Fletcher took a violent spill entering turn three after making contact with Guttshall on the back stretch. Also involved were Tyler Ulrich, Austin Reed, and Mike Bittinger.

Fortunately, none of the drivers were injured in the melee.

The next nine laps were run off with Lattomus out front, followed by Rumsey, Hinkle, and Findley. Hammaker was making progress, but he was not getting any help in his title bid, for Owings was lurking just outside the top ten, which was good enough to ensure the title would be his.

Two laps after a caution for debris, Rumsey found some grip in the middle of the track and he easily drove by Lattimus to assume control.

Rumsey pulled away in the final eight laps to score his third career win in the division. It was a fitting way for him to celebrate his eighteenth birthday.  Hinkle, Hammaker, and Findley made up the balance of the top five. Wolf, Herr, Norris, Cameron Merriman and Owings were the next five finishers.

Rumsey, Owings, Hammaker, and Morris won their geat races. Justin Foster claimed the B Main victory.

Lincoln Speedway announced that it will start the 2025 season with the Icebreaker Weekend on February 22 and 23. That’s just 126 days off for those who are counting down to the customary eastern opener. Event details will be forthcoming.

SARVER, PA (September 14, 2024): Tyler Courtney survived and won the Commonwealth Clash for the High Limit Racing Series at the Lernerville Speedway. He was racing in third when the early leader, Corey Day, crashed spectacularly coming through turn two. Two laps later, Courtney moved up another notch when the new leader, Brent Marks, sustained a flat right rear. The racing luck was with Courtney over the second half of the contest, though, as he fought off several challenges from Sye Lynch. In the final stage of the race, Courtney used lapped traffic to distance himself from Lynch, who was having difficulties negotiating the slower cars.

Courtney explained that “taking fifty grand out of here is maybe a little bit of redemption. We were going for it the last time that we were here.” He was leading the Don Martin Memorial earlier this season when he tangled with James McFadden while fighting for the lead. Both drivers were knocked out from that incident.

“This race was anything but boring. Corey (Day) crashed while leading. Sye (Lynch) was giving it all on the bottom. I had to get up in the seat for that one.”
Courtney appreciated the efforts that his crew put forth. They did not have a good run at the Tuscarora 50 the week before. “These guys never gave up. They kept their heads down.”

For Lynch, who finished second for the second consecutive night before a partisan crowd, was pleased with his performance. He noted that although the track may have looked the same, “it was a lot different from (his) perspective. It raced way different all night long. We weren’t very good early in the evening. We made some adjustments and the car was better.”

McFadden seemed to be climbing the same mountain throughout the race. “I went from eleventh to fifth. Then on every restart I’d go back to eleventh and I’d have to battle my way back.” He commented that he got a hole in his right rear tire with about seven laps remaining, and that may have defeated his chances to overtake Lynch in the run to the checkers.

Logan Wagner was the pole sitter for the forty lap A Main. Next to him was the preliminary night winner, Corey Day. Brent Marks and Tyler Courtney were in row two. Anthony Macri and Sye Lynch made up row three. Jacob Allen and Skylar Gee were in row four, with Spencer Bayston and Brad Sweet in row five. Behind them were Ja,ed McFadden and Justin Peck.

Day turned down under Wagner in turn two of the opening lap to take the lead. Wagner remained in second, followed by Marks, Courtney, Lynch, Allen, Macri, Gee, Bayston and McFadden. Marks moved into second on lap three, moments before the first caution.

There was a multi-car tangle coming off turn two on lap three that damaged several cars. Getting the worst of it was Rico Abreu, whose fuel tank was leaking badly following some contact. Others whose nights were ended in the melee included T.J. Stutts and Cody Bova.

When the race resumed, Day sped away from Marks and Wagner, Courtney held fourth once again, followed by Lynch and McFadden.

On lap nine, Justin Peck took a wild ride coming entering turn two. He was not hurt in the crash.

Day separated himself from the pack at the drop of the green again. However, the bad luck came his way on lap seventeen, when he had a commanding lead. His right rear tire sheared off and that sent the car into a spectacular series of tumbles. He came to a stop at the base of the hill way below turn two. Despite the heavy damage, Day was not harmed.

Marks inherited the lead for the restart and he established himself as the man to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, Lynch was fighting with Courtney for the second position. They swapped it several times before Courtney took control a couple of laps into the run. Soon thereafter, Marks flattened his right rear, giving Courtney the point for the second half of the event.

On the restart, Lynch was applying pressure to Courtney. Back a few positions, Wagner and McFadden touched wheels, but both drivers were able to maintain control of their machines.

With Courtney on the cushion and Lynch using the low line, there were several lead changes, However, Courtney always managed to regain the lead before they reached the scoring loop.

The final twenty laps ran without interruption. Courtney stayed out front. Once he got into lapped traffic, he pulled away from Lynch, who had to move up the track to try to pass the slower traffic. This change of lines was not to his favor. Lynch had trouble with the the new line. McFadden closed in on Lynch, but he could not challenge for second.

At the checkers, it was Courtney over Lynch and McFadden. Tanner Thorsen nipped Bayston for fourth at the scoring loop. Brad Sweet, Allen, Emerson Axsom, Zeb Wise, and Chris Windom completed the top ten.

Track champion A.J. Flick dropped out with damage to his radiator during the extended stoppage after Day’s flip. Flick was driving the Bernie Steubgen 71 once again.

The forty-three car field ran four heat races. The wins belonged to Skylar Gee, Logan Wagner, Brent Marks, and Jacob Allen. The Dash winner was Logan Wagner.

Cory Eliason prevailed in the B Main. Hunter Schuerenberg topped the C Main.

The fastest qualifier overall came from Group B. It was Brent Marks, who circled the track in 13.235 seconds. Skylar Gee was best in Group A, with a time of 13.266 seconds.

SARVER, PA (September 13, 2024): Corey Day went from third to first near the midpoint of the non-stop thirty lapper that opened the Commonwealth Clash weekend for the High Limit Racing Series at the Lernerville Speedway. Day’s seventh series victory of the season was worth $10,000 and it locked him into the finale to be held on Saturday evening.

Day said that it was good to be back at the track for the second time of the season. He had a strong run on the first occasion, The Don Martin Memorial, but he came home second to Rico Abreu. This time around, Day had the advantage.

“I did not know where they (the lapped cars) were at or where I needed to be. I got up to Rico (Abreu) and he started to get away from me. I went down but I couldn’t make any speed, so I went back up.”

Day claimed that he “saw Sunshine’s nose (Tyler Courtney) like maybe twenty-five times, but maybe it was a lapped car.” He was right, the car that he saw was the similarly styled car of Chris Windom, a lapped car, for after Day passed Courtney for the lead, he easily distanced himself from the other lead pack cars.

The pole position belonged to Sye Lynch, a third generation driver with deep roots at Lernerville Speedway. Next to him was Anthony Macri. Day and Courtney shared row two. Behind them were Brent Marks and James McFadden. Brad Sweet and Jacob Allen made up row four. Emerson Axsom made his Lernerville debut from the inside of row five, with Danny Sams as his runningmate. A.J. Flick started in row six aboard the Sreubgen 71, with Brian Brown as his dancing partner.

Lynch got the drop on Macri, who stayed close on the opening lap. Behind them were Courtney, Day, McFadden, Marks, Allen, Sweet, Sams, and Axsom. After just a couple of laps, Courtney worked his way into second and, by lap seven, Day was third and closing.

Meanwhile, Lynch, the favorite son, continued to lead. However, his time out front ended on lap twelve, when Courtney swept past. Day soon followed into second. Courtney got sideways in turn four just one lap paper, almost colliding with the lapped car of Cody Bova. That miscue was enough to allow Day to jump ahead.

At the halfway mark, it was Day ahead of Courtney, Lynch, Macri, and McFadden. Macri moved up a notch on lap eighteen, but Lynch rebounded on lap twenty to regain third place.

The leaders were working hard through heavy lapped traffic in the final third of the race. Day maintained the lead nonetheless. Lynch continued his march forward, taking second by lap twenty-five. Lynch narrowed the margin somewhat in the final five laps, but he was no match for Day.

At the checkers, it was Day over Lynch, Courtney, and Macri for the transfer spots into the Saturday A Main. McFadden was fifth, followed by Marks, Sweet, Allen, Spencer Bayston, and new father Tanner Thorson.

Lynch was disappointed that he could not bring home the win before the highly partisan crowd. He admitted that he is his hardest critic. “You can’t make mistakes, you need to be on kill every lap. I made some mistakes for several laps.” Fortunately for Lynch and his ‘underdog team,’ as he put it, he was able to recover and to race his way back to second in the stretch run.

Courtney noted that things got “pretty hectic” during the race “We were pretty good in the beginning, but I almost spun out and gave it all up.”

The forty car field competed in four heat races, with wins going to James McFadden, Anthony Macri, Brad Sweet, and Tyler Courtney. Logan Wagner won the B Main. The Dash victory went to Sye Lynch. Rico Abreu was the best in Group A and overall, with a time of 12.794 seconds. Jacob Allen topped Group B with a time of 13.012 seconds.

1. 14-Corey Day[3]; 2. 42-Sye Lynch[1]; 3. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri[2]; 5. 83-James McFadden[6]; 6. 19-Brent Marks[5]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet[7]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen[8]; 9. 5-Spencer Bayston[14]; 10. 88-Tanner Thorson[16]; 11. 27-Emerson Axsom[9]; 12. 55-Chris Windom[13]; 13. 2KS-Hunter Schuerenberg[15]; 14. 9P-Parker Price Miller[17]; 15. 24-Rico Abreu[22]; 16. 21-Brian Brown[12]; 17. 24D-Danny Sams III[10]; 18. 13-Justin Peck[24]; 19. 8-Cory Eliason[23]; 20. 1-Brenham Crouch[20]; 21. 6-Ryan Smith[19]; 22. 71-AJ Flick[11]; 23. 20B-Cody Bova[18]; 24. 69K-Logan Wagner[21]