Local Racing
Sheppard and Eckert Share Victory Lane at Georgetown
GEORGETOWN, DE(October 31, 2020): A pair of veterans earned their first career victories at Georgetown Speedway during the Mid-Atlantic Championship weekend. Matt Sheppard scored in the Short Track Super Series Modifieds and Rick Eckert prevailed in the United Late Model Series.
“It’s fitting that I got the win coming from the back,” Sheppard said. He had pitted just six laps into the fray to replace a flat right front tire and then he chased down the Northeast’s winningest Modified pilot, Stewart Friesen. “It’s been a tough year, so to get win number twenty is really good,” Sheppard added.
Friesen and the Quaker Shaker, Rick Laubach, were on the front row for the 44 lap contest. Brandon Grosso and Anthony Perrego were in the second row. Billy Pauch, Jr. lined up next to Mike Maresca in the third, with J.R. McGinley and Andy Bachetti behind them. Richie Pratt, Jr. and Sheppard were in row five. Matt Peck and Mike Gular were in the sixth row. These starting positions were based on the luck of the draw.
While everybody expected Friesen to grab the early lead, Laubach had other ideas. Scooby surged ahead coming off the fourth turn and Friesen fell in behind when the duo reached turn one. Perrego and Maresca came next, with Pauch, Bachetti, and Pratt following.
The first ten laps were puntuated with four cautions. Through it all, Laubach maintained control, although Friesen did make several strong challenges for the lead. Perrego and Pauch were also fixtures in the top five. P5 changed hands several times, though.
Near the end of the longest green flag run, eleven laps in distance, Friese powered past Laubach for the lead. Perrego and Pauch were figthing for third during this interval. Ryan Krachun nailed down fifth. However, Tyler Dipple was advancing quickly. After taking a provisional to start in the twenty-seventh position, he clawed his way to sixth.
Yellow fever set in again, as seven cautions were displayed over the second half of the race. Friesen continued to lead, but he had a new pursuer. Sheppard passed Laubach for second on lap 24. Laubach would go pitside for a flat three laps later, and Pratt was next to pit a few laps later.
Sheppard reeled in Friesen and the two talents put on an exciting show for the fans. Sheppard had a run on the outside of turn two, but Friesen drifted a bit high and there was minor contact. Both drivers were able to maintain control. On lap 31, Sheppard tried the outside line coming off turn two again, and this time he was able to make it past Friesen without incident.
On a lap 36 restart, Friesen got out into the loose stuff in turn one and le lost four or five positions. Among the drivers to benefit from this rare mistake was Pauch, who needed to gain positions if he had any hope of overtaking Friesen in the quest for the Series Southern Division point title. While Pauch was able to climb into second, Friesen got back on track. He rallied for fourth, which was enough to preserve his points lead over Pauch.
At the finish, it was Sheppard, Pauch, Perrego, Friesen, and Dippel. Although Pauch lost out in the series points chase, he was able to claim the track championship. he took a jab at his famous father in the post-race interview, noting that he was the first member of the family to win a title on Delaware soil. Pauch also remarked that he was “the only guy in the top five with a real job.”
Danny Creeden, Laubach, Gular, Ryan Watt, and Matt Stangle completed the top ten.
Heat wins were scored by Perrego, Bachetti, Friesen, and Sheppard. The B Mains went to Watt and Tyler Siri.
In the 40 lap Late Model event, Mike Maresca led the field to the start, but Rick Eckert took control of the race as they thundered off turn two. Mark Pettyjohn, Max Blair, Donnie Lingo, and Kyle Hardy trailed. A quick yellow brought a moan from the crowd, as they feared another caution plagued race.
However, the racers redeemed themselves, completing fifteen more circuits before the next caution was displayed. While Eckert led the way, Max Blair was giving chase. He took the lead briefly coming off the second turn, but Eckert came charging back atthe opposite end of teh track.
Eckert and Blair began to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.Soon they were trading the top spot. Blair took charge just before the halfway mark, but Eckert stayed within shooting distance. Aided by a caution on lap 26, Eckert found a good line in turns one and two and he used it to regain the lead on teh restart.
“I was getting lazy, and then I picked the wrong lane for a restart and (Blair) got by me,” Eckert noted. “Then, he switched lanes, and I got back by him.”
Eckert added that he was “able to find a line that I could use to make up time in one and two.” Though he claimed to struggle in turns three and four, Eckert explained that Blair was having trouble down there also.
Eckert led the remainder of the race without challenge from Blair, who did finish second. Third went to Hardy. Maresca was fourth, followed by Ross Robinson. Jason Covert was sixth after running as high as second briefly. Amanda Robinson was next. Gary Stuhler, Danny Snyder, and Trevor Collins completed the top ten.
Heat winners were Eckert, Blair, and Pettyjohn. Eckert turned in the fastest lap in qualification runs at 18.050 seconds. There was no B Main.
Justin Grosso topped Joe Toth, Tim Hartman, Jr., Anthony Tramontana, and Tanner Van Doren in the 602 Crate Sportsmen. Steve Kemery, Robert Dutton, Tramontana, and Grosso were victorious in their heats. Greg Humlhanz and Greg Reed won the B Mains.
Georgetown Speedway officials announced that there will be one more race at the half mile in 2020. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 28, the Gobbler will be held, with Big Block Modifieds topping the card. Support divisions have yet to be determined.
Dirt Racing
Dietz Does It, Leads Posse Sweep
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.
Dirt Racing
Dale Blaney Wins World Of Outlaws At Sharon Speedway
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.
Dirt Racing
Rain Halts Fallen Heroes Memorial at Lincoln Speedway
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.

