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Shaffer Scores on Night Two at East Bay

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Tim Shaffer

GIBSONTON, FL (February 12, 2021): It did not take long for the Steel City Outlaw to register his first win as the new driver of Mike Heffner’s potent 360 Sprint Car. After grabbing a second spot in the opening round of the King of the 360s portion of the 45th Annual Winternationals, Shaffer got the win in just his seventh outing with the new team.

“This is awesome,” Shaffer said modestly. He gave props to his crew chief, Heath Moyle, and explained that the two have been able to communicate well in their brief time together. “When you can beat Mark (Smith) here, you’re doing something. He has a really good program and that’s what we’re striving for. We want to get a great program and be successful everywhere.”

Mark Smith and Tim Shaffer made up a Keystone State front row for the 25 lapper. Terry McCarl and Brett Wright were in the row behind. Eric Riggens and Carson McCarl rolled away from row three. Dale Howard and Cody Bova were in row four, with Nick Snyder and Ben Brown in row five. The sixth row had the opening night winner, Danny Martin, Jr., and Zane DeVault looking across at one another.

Smith powered off turn four to take the initial lead, with Wright challenging Shaffer for second. Riggens, Terry McCarl, and Howard followed closely. Shaffer dispatched Wright, and soon thereafter it became a two-car battle for the lead. The Pennsylvania drivers began to pull away from the rest of the pack as they were playing cat and mouse while lapping slower cars.

Smith lost some grip between turns three and four, and the back end of his car slid out, allowing Shaffer to duck under him and grab the lead as a they crossed the line for the seventh time. Shaffer slid out a bit in turn one on the next lap, but Smith could not return the favor.

Traffic became heavier as Shaffer and Smith continued on. Smith made a good run through three and four on the bottom to regain the lead. He was not able to keep it for long, though. Smith went to the outside of a slower car, and Shaffer went beneath them both in turn two to take the lead again.

While Shaffer and Smith were putting on a great show up front, Riggens climbed into third. McCarl rode along in fourth, but Martin was fifth and climbing. A caution on lap fifteen for Wright’s spin in turn four brought the field back together again. Wright limped to the pits, ending a run that surely would have locked him into the Saturday A Main.  Wright’s misfortune played into Martin’s hand, as he immediately gained two spots when racing resumed.

By lap 18, Martin worked into second. Smith remained close, and Riggens was hounding him for third. McCarl and Howard were still racing in position, but they were losing ground to the leaders.

Martin began to close in on Shaffer as the laps were winding down. Fans started to wonder whether he could bypass Shaffer for a second consecutive triumph.

However the second caution of the contest was displayed just as Shaffer took the white flag.

Shaffer got away cleanly on the restart. Martin, however, slid up the track coming off turn four and Smith quickly filled the inside lane. He was able to get a nose ahead of Martin entering turn one. Martin fought back on the outside of turn two, but Smith was better on the inside than Martin was on the outside of turns three and four.

Shaffer took the win, with Smith edging Martin for second. Riggens and Terry McCarl were fourth and fifth. Howard, Max Stambaugh, Carson McCarl, Bova, and DeVault completed the top ten.

The 49 car field was divided into six heats again. Smith, Terry McCarl, Carson McCarl, Wright, Howard, and Shaffer prevailed. Stambaugh, Davey Franek, and Conner Leoffler each won a B Main.

The combined performances in the first two rounds locked six racers into the Saturday A Main. Dale Howard and Tim Shaffer tied as the top point getters. Terry McCarl, Mark Smith, Danny Martin, Jr., and Eric Riggens also got preferred starting positions for the Ronald Laney Memorial and they too will not have to compete in any heat races on championship night. Wright’s DNF proved costly, as he missed the cut by just one point.

Jim Kradel won the Mini Sprint A Main over Steve Diamond, Jr., Stephen Thomas, Don Quinn, and James McNulty. Jerod Myers defeated Doug Dyal in the Micro Sprint feature. Paul Seburn, William Brennan, Jr., and Joshua Davis completed the top five.

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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Dirt Racing

Kofoid Wins A Close One

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Photo: Paul Arch

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (May 6, 2026):  Buddy Kofoid held off a last lap charge by Carson Macedo to claim his second straight win in the Gettysburg Clash held at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway. Kofoid’s $12,000 victory gave the World of Outlaws the edge over the Pennsylvania Posse heading into the Morgan Cup weekend at Williams Grove Speedway.

Kofoid admitted to watching the big screen that was positioned between turns one and two.

Initially, the strategy worked to his advantage, as it prompted him to abandon the high line with about six laps to go in the race. “I was watching the screen. I was losing speed. I was up on the cushion but I was having trouble closing on the lappers, so I went down and I stayed in line because it was clean.”

However, the tactic almost backfired on him as the race was drawing to a close, for he got confused by what he saw and he was uncertain whether he was getting the white flag or the checkers. “I was watching the screen and I wasn’t sure if it was white or checkers because I was seeing what the lapped cars were seeing.” That slight hesitation by Kofoid, who was trying to stay in clean air, allowed Carson Macedo to get a big run on him on the final lap.

The margin of victory was .06 seconds. “I thought I may have gotten him at the line. We were close,” Macedo said.

David Gravel started from the pole position as a result of his dash victory. Logan Rumsey, who made his first Outlaws dash, lined up next to him. Carson Macedo and Kofoid lined up in row two, followed by Sheldon Haudenschild and Bill Balog. The final dash participants, Danny Dietrich and Chase Dietz, came next. Ashton Torgerson and Cameron Smith were in row five. Row six paired Kasey Kahne with Donny Schatz. Kody hartlaub was slated to be in the twelfth spot, but an electrical problem forced him into the pits. While his crew did replace the faulty ignition box, he had to drop to the rear for the initial green.

Gravel took control at the start of the thirty-five lap event. Carson Macedo followed him into second, dropping Rumsey to third. Kofoid, Haudenschild, Dietz, Dietrich, Torgerson, Balog, and Kahne followed in the early rounds. Kofoid moved into third in the early going.

Gravel reached the backmarkers on lap nine. He was able to maintain his advantage as he started to pick them off. However, Carson Macedo lost second place to Kofoid in traffic on lap ten.

Soon thereafter, a four-car tangle at the exit of turn four brought out the first red flag of the event.

Gravel led Kofoid when the race resumed. Behind them, Carson Macedo and Haudenschild were fighting for third and Dietz and Dietrich were jousting for fifth. After a couple of intense laps, Haudenschild struck the wall in turn four.

On the ensuing restart, Dietz picked up speed. He moved into the third position on lap seventeen and he was closing in on the leaders, Gravel and Kofoid. However, a caution for Freddie Rahmer, Jr. on lap eighteen slowed his advance. At the time of the incident, Rahmer had advanced more than thirteen positions.

Although Gravel resumed his lead after the race went green again, Kofoid was on the charge. He stayed close to the leader for three quarters of a lap. In turn four, he executed a slider to take the lead. Gravel mounted a counterattack, and passed Kofoid back again. However, the pass was nullified by another red flag for a crash that eliminated four cars, including those of Schuchart, Torgerson, Balog, and Cole Macedo.

Kofoid thus was restored to first place for the restart. Gravel, Carson Macedo, Dietz, Rumsey, Dietrich, Kahne, Tyler Ross, Garet Williamson, and Cameron Smith made up the balance of the top ten for the remaining sixteen laps.

The second red flag changed the complexion of the race in other respects, as well.

Phil Dietz made significant changes to the car of Carson Macedo. Macedo explained that he was fading before the stoppage, but the adjustments made by his crew chief made his car better.

Further, Gravel was unable to maintain his pace when the race resumed. Chase Dietz, who eventually wrestled third away from him, explained, “he was in clean air a lot of the race, but that restart got him in with some other cars, and I was able to get by him.”

After the race resumed, both Carson Macedo and Dietz moved forward, and Gravel faded.

Kofoid remained out front for the remainder of the race. He migrated from the top to the inside line and followed the slower cars to the finish. Carson Macedo made a big push on the final lap but came up a bot short at the checkers.

Dietz, Gravel, and Dietrich rounded out the top five. The next five finishers were Rumsey, Ross, Smith, Kahne, and Williamson.

Ross was the hard charger, at plus seventeen. Dylan Norris, who was twelfth at the checkers, advanced sixteen positions.

The heat winners were Dietrich, Gravel, Carson Macedo, and Haudenschild. Schuchart won the B Main. Dietrich was the evening’s fastest qualifier, topping Group A with a lap of 13.584 seconds. Smith was the best of Group B with a time of 14.424 seconds.

Brett Perigo drove his Ford powered Wingless Sportsman to the win in the twenty-lap nightcap. He drove by the early leader, Eric Walker, coming off turn two on lap fifteen. It was Perigo’s third win of the season and the first on the tour.

Cliff Brian, Brandon Shearer, and Tony Jackson followed Perigo and Walker across the line. Positions six through ten went to Jay Fannasy, Donnie Farlling, Steve Wilbur, Lee Kauffman, and Chad Thomas.

Fannasy was the fastest qualifier in timed hot laps. He turned in a time of 18.543 seconds.

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