Local Racing
McCreadie Masters Port Royal
PORT ROYAL, PA (August 27, 2020): Tim McCreadie dominated the opening night of the ‘Rumble by the River’ at Port Royal Speedway besting Kyle Strickler by over seven seconds. It was McCreadie’s third win in the last five races on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. In the other two races with this new car, McCreadie scored second place finishes. Despite these recent successes, McCreadie still trails points leader Jimmy Owens by more than 600 counters.
“This is as close to home as I can get,” said the driver from Watertown, NY. He explained that there were plenty of friends and family in for the race, but they were leaving Friday to race a Modified in New York. While he was disappointed that he could not travel with them, he said, “I hope they can make it back for Saturday.”
McCreadie had a perfect night, setting the fastest time in Group A and overall, and winning the first heat by a healthy margin. That put him on the pole for the main event. Next to him was his nemesis, Jimmy Owens, who topped Group B in qualifications and who prevailed in heat race number four. Kyle Strickler and Devin Moran were in row two by virtue of their heat wins, and Shane Clanton lined up next to Kyle Larson as a result of their heat victories. Then came Hudson O’Neal and Tyler Breuning. Mason Zeigler and Chris Ferguson were in row five and the sixth row was comprised of Earl Pearson, Jr. and Jonathan Davenport.
When the green flag flew, so did McCreadie. Owens fell into second, followed by Strickler, Moran, Clanton, Larson, and O’Neal. Larson picked off Clanton a couple of laps into the race. The leaders maintained their positions through the first caution, which came ten laps into the contest when Rick Eckert slowed.
On the restart, Owens took a dive into the first turn but he did not have enough momentum to slide up ahead of McCreadie. Indeed, Owens put himself into jeopardy, as Strickler rode the cushion around turns one and two and nearly took over the second spot. But, by the end of the eleventh lap, the leaders had sorted themselves back out again and it was McCreadie leading Owens, Strickler, Moran, and Larson.
Debris caused the second and final stoppage of the race with 18 laps in the books. Once again, Owens looked inside of McCreadie, to no avail. Strickler again rode the rim and this time he was able to pass Owens. Also gaining a position was Larson, who raced by Moran in turns one and two. With Owens stuck on the inside, Larson was able to take the long way around to pick up another position.
As the laps clicked off, McCreadie set sail. Strickler raced along in second. Larson was in a dogfight with Owens for third. Ferguson was on the move and he reached the top five with ten to go.
All eyes were glued on the battle for third. Could Larson score a podium finish in his first Dirt Late Model feature? While Larson was able to hold the position, he was struggling. he was banging the walls at both ends of the track, somewhat reminiscent of his first NASCAR truck ride at Eldora Speedway. On the final lap, Larson hit the wall several times coming through turns three and four. He lost quite a bit of momentum and limped toward teh finish line.
Getting the checkers was McCreadie, followed by Strickler. Owens and Ferguson both got by Larson, who completed the top five. O’Neal came back for sixth with his new team. Ziegler, Brandon Sheppard, Clanton, and Josh Richards rounded out the top ten. Next came the hard charger for the night, Michael Norris, who advanced ten positions in the 30 lapper.
Stickler was happy with his second place finish, noting that he was on a different tire than most of his competitors. “We were struggling,” he said, “but I think we got it figured out.” Strickler explained that his team started the week with a bare chassis and put the car together for this weekend’s racing.
Owens remarked “we had a good second place car.” He tried a couple of sliders, “but I fell behind on the straight” and gave up second place.
Larson was disappointed that he gave up two spots on the last lap and that he tore up the right rear corner in the process. “The last few laps I was running as hard as I could. But I got too free into three and I clobbered the wall down there and I gave up a few spots.” Larson said that he learned quite a bit over the course of teh race. “The dirty air wasn’t as bad as people told me it would be. I had to cheat my entry to keep air on the car.” He was proud to get to drive for the Rumleys. “It was cool for me to race for those guys and to add my name to the list of guys that ran this car. They don’t get to race too often, so I hope that I can come back and pick up a few positions in the next one.”
The Limited Late Models ran a pair of 20 lap feature events. Taking the opening win was Andrew Yoder, his third of the season at Port Royal and ninth overall. Considering that he only raced eleven times up that point, his winning percentage was quite impressive. Taking second was Trent Brenneman, who led much of the affair. Dillan Stake and Matt Cochran completed the top five. In the nightcap, Stake led the entire distance. Brenneman came on for second, followed by Yoder. Shawn Shoemaker and Devin Hart were fourth and fifth.
Dirt Racing
Gravel Grabs the Morgan Cup
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.
Dirt Racing
Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway cancels Saturday night program
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.”
Dirt Racing
Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park hoping to get seasons started Friday night
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.

