Dirt Racing
Krimes and Fletcher Score at Lincoln
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (March 20, 2021): Alan Krimes came on strong in the final laps to gain the win at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway. The Dover, PA driver was the fourth victor in as many 410 Sprint Car races this season. It was his twenty-second career triumph in the Pigeon Hills.
Joining Krimes in victory lane was the defending 358 Sprint Car champion, Cody Fletcher. Fletcher also scored in his heat race and, at intermission, he picked up his championship trophy, along with the Harry Fletcher Memorial Sportsmanship Award. He joked that he would buy a lottery ticket on his way back to East Berlin.
“I feel like screaming,” Krimes exclaimed. “I knew that it was going to be tough with Chase (Dietz) and Fred (Rahmer, Jr.). I waited until it got a little wider. I pulled the wing back and I could get a good run off (turns) one and two.” Indeed, that was the part of the track where Krimes made up the most ground when he was chasing Rahmer and it was also where he made the winning move.
Krimes commended the track crew for the racy surface. “That was the best track we’ve had by far. I thought that it was going to be around the bottom, but they put the water to it and that brought in the top.”
With this being the first handicapped event of the season, Dylan Norris and Rahmer Jr. led the field to the start of the thirty lapper. Brandon Rahmer and Dietz were in row two, with Tyler Ross and Krimes lined up in row three. Tim Glatfelter and Billy Dietrich were in row four. Current points leader Tim Shaffer and Troy Wagaman were paired off in row five. Jordan Givler and last week’s winner, Danny Dietrich, were in the sixth row. Jimmy Siegel, Kyle Moody, and Matt Campbell were spread out in the second half of the starting line-up.
Although Norris led the pack into turn one, Rahmer Jr. pulled even down the back stretch on the opening lap. He powered off turn four with the lead, but Norris rallied to be scored the leader of lap one. Rahmer rode the outside line in turns one and two to take command on the next circuit. Norris ran second, but Dietz was nipping on his heels. Brandon Rahmer held down fourth with Krimes riding in the fifth spot.
Seven laps into the contest, Bradley Howard bumped the wall coming off turn four and he brought his damaged car to a stop. On the restart, Dietz and Krimes both made bold passes, but another caution for Aaron Bollinger negated those advances. Dietz repeated his maneuver when racing resumed, but it took Krimes a few more rounds to move ahead of Brandon Rahmer and Norris.
The final stoppage occurred on lap fourteen, when Givler got a flat right rear. Rahmer remained the leader on the green, but Dietz and Krimes were challenging him. Krimes moved into second with seventeen down, but Rahmer had several car lengths on him.
Rahmer’s pace was slowed somewhat by lapped cars and Krimes began to close in. He made several tries using the middle groove in turns three and four, but Rahmer was able to stay up on the cushion to preserve his advantage. Krimes then switched things up, and began to run the outside line and he was all over Rahmer with ten laps remaining.
The high groove was quicker line for Krimes as the laps wound down. He drove hard into turn one with five to go and the car stuck like glue. He drove by Rahmer easily coming through the second turn and be began to pull away.
Dietz saw what Krimes was able to do and he used the same strategy to get by Rahmer with just two laps remaining. However, Dietz was no match for Krimes.
Krimes took the checkers, followed by Dietz and Rahmer, Jr. Danny Dietrich gained three positions in the second half of the race, crossing in fourth. Brandon Rahmer was fifth.
Sixth through tenth went to Billy Dietrich, Shaffer, Ross, Siegel, and Troy Wagaman.
Three heats were conducted, with the wins going to Freddie Rahmer, Jr., Ross, and Norris. There was no B Main.
In the 358 Sprint Car ranks, it took three tries to get the feature started. The altercations shifted Mason Chaney to the front row, and he took advantage of the prime starting position. Chaney took the lead and maintained control until Fletcher rolled by on the outside of the first turn with thirteen laps complete.
Fletcher pulled away to a comfortable win over Chaney. Brett Wanner, recognized as the Most Improved driver in 2020, showed why with his impressive third place run. He started sixteenth in the field this day. Zane Rudisill and and Zach Allman completed the top five.
Tyler Esh, Travis Scott, Chris Frank, Justin Foster, and Wyatt Hinkle were the next five finishers.
“It feels good to run that good,” Fletcher said after chalking up his second career win. “If we can stay that consistent, we’ll be in good shape,” he added modestly. Fletcher explained that the track took some rubber in turns one and two that he hit it “just right” when he took the lead.
There were a trio of heats for the 358 Sprints as well. Dylan Orwig’s win was the highlight of his day. He turned the car over in the feature. Cody Hartlaub, another heat winner, suffered a blown engine. Only Fletcher was able to build upon his heat win. There was no B Main.
Lincoln Speedway will host another Sprint Car double header next week. Joining the 410 Sprints will be the PASS/IMCA 305 Sprint Series. A 6 p.m. start is planned but track management advised that an earlier starting time could be invoked if needed due to weather conditions. The 358 Sprints return on April 3 when the anticipated starting time will be 7 p.m.
IMPERIAL, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Michael Norris doesn’t race every week at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway but ‘The Crusher Kid’ may want to add a few more visits to dirt’s ‘Monster Half Mile’ in 2022 after winning the feature in night 2 of the ‘Bill Hendren Memorial’.
Norris’ victory was his 2nd straight RUSH Late Model Touring Series win at PPMS and third in four events. Norris also won the ‘Jook George Steel City Classic’ in August and in 2020.
“Kyle (Lukon) got out there and was setting a pretty good pace,” said Norris. “I kind of got in line behind him and didn’t know if I had anything for him in clean air, but I figured once we got to lapped traffic we’d see what we’re both made of.”
Norris made his move on lap 11 and passed Lukon for the lead. Norris masterfully worked lap traffic over the remaining laps to capture the checkered flag and another win in a signature local event.
“It means a lot to win these memorials,” said Norris. “Any memorial means the person was pretty significant and were pioneers in the sport. I appreciate you guys putting this on, and I just love coming here any chance I get- I’ll run lawnmowers around here I don’t care.”
Kyle Hardy, Friday night’s winner, tried chasing down Norris over the final 17-laps but settled for second place and the RUSH Late Model Touring points lead.
“I didn’t have anything for Michael,” said Hardy. “We would have liked to have won tonight, but always have the big picture in the back of our minds. Not a bad weekend at all.”
Joe Martin was third for the second straight night. It was Martin’s fifth straight Tour podium finish, 10th straight top six, and 13th top six in the last 14 events as he maintains runner-up in the standings.
“Bill Hendren Memorial” Night 2 (30 laps, $3200 to-win): 1. MICHAEL NORRIS (51) 2. Kyle Hardy (99) 3. Joe Martin (Snyder 10s) 4. Colton Flinner (Chernik 5x) 5. Daryl Charlier (Centerline 114) 6. Logan Zarin (1z) 7. Levi Crowl (5) 8. Michael Duritsky, Jr. (90J) 9. Jacob Gunn (14G) 10. Garret Paugh (03) 11. Tony Musolino (Dobnak 42) 12. Bud Watson (225) 13. Ray Love, Jr. (08) 14. Zach Gunn (17G) 15. Tom Klein (77) 16. Tom Duratz (55D) 17. Ryan Frazee (11F) 18. Bill Kessler (09) 19. Kassidy Kamicker (72B) 20. Zach Kane (10) 21. Dan Lepro (2L) 22. Kyle Lukon (184) 23. Cole Petrelle (84) 24. Eddie Carrier, Jr. (Lukon 184X).
Non-Qualifier (6 laps, $500 to-win): 1. Philip Bubeck (Tennant 2) 2. Dave Goble (20G). DNS: Nick Love (38), Jeremy Wonderling (3J), Grant Garrison (1), Zach Morrow (Bentz 60), Tim Shaffer (45), Andrew Squatriglia (115).
WILLIAMS GROVE, PA (October 2, 2021): Carson Macedo earned his biggest career win in the 59th National Open held at Williams Grove Sppedway. He picked up $75,000, the largest payday ever doled out at the historic venue.
“This is the biggest win of my career,” Macedo said. “This is really cool. When I started coming here, I couldn’t get ahold of this place.” Well, Macedo grabbed control of the race on lap 36 and he did not let go. That was when he made the winning move in turn one, sliding past leader Logan Schuchart. “The lapped cars were holding up Logan. I just drove really hard. I slid across and the wing held me.”
Schuchart, who suffered perhaps the biggest disappointment of his budding career, was philosophical about the outcome. “All in all, two, second place finishes this weekend are pretty good for me. I’ve got a lot of years ahead of me. Carson ran a great race. I thought I could maybe rip the top on him.” But Schuchart’s attempted counter attack never materialized.
Brent Marks had the pole for the 40 lap affair. Schuchart was on his right. Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel were in row two. Anthony Macri and Carson Macedo continued the youth movement by starting in row three. Six-time Open champion, Donny Schatz and Justin Peck were in row four. Kasey Kahne and Lance Dewease started in row five, with James McFadden and Brian Brown in the sixth row.
Marks blasted into the lead, followed by Schuchart, Gravel, Macedo, Haudenschild, Macri, and Schatz. Before Marks could build upon his early advantage, a red flag stopped the race after just two laps. Brian Brown spun and collected Daryn Pittman, who turned over from the contact. Freddy Rahmer, Jr. was also involved in the melee. No drivers were injured, but all three were eliminated from the contest.
Marks assumed control again when the race resumed. He began to pull away from Schuchart as the laps clicked off. Marks’ bid for a second win in the Open ended when he got into a lapped car and spun in turn two. He was able to restart the race, but his quest for the victory was over.
That handed the lead to Schuchart. He was able to maintain control for the next twenty-three laps despite a second red flag on lap 12. Robbie Kendall flipped after he tangled with T.J. Stutts between turns one and two. Again, neither driver was hurt, but Kendall was done for the night.
While Schuchart led Macedo, Haudenschild, Macri, and Gravel, the battle was for the sixth spot. Schatz and Dewease were mixing things up until lap 27, when Schatz took the position once and for all.
Schuchart got into traffic and kept his advantage over Macedo. However, in the final ten laps, Macedo began to close on the leader. He made his winning move on lap 35, and led the final four laps. Schuchart made a desperate bid in the final corners, but came up a tad short.
Following Macedo and Schuchart were Haudenschild, Macri, and Gravel. Schatz was sixth. Then came Dewease, Kyle Larson, McFadden, and Brad Sweet.
Macri received a $1,000 bonus for the highest finishing PA Posse driver. Sweet grabbed $559 as the hard charger. He advanced nine positions during the race.
The heat wins were chalked up by Schatz, Macedo, Gravel, and Haudenschild. Dewease set the fast time again, this time topping Group B with a lap of 16.774 seconds. He failed to lock into the dash when Macri swept by him in turn one following a restart with two laps to go in the third heat. The B Main winner was Jacob Allen, and Devon Borden took the checkers in the C Main.
IMPERIAL, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Kyle Hardy picked up his first win at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway by grabbing the feature victory in night one of the ‘Bill Hendren Memorial’.
“What a race- it was super fun out there,” said Hardy. “I can’t thank my crew to get this car so good to where I could steer across the middle of the race track. What a car we’ve had all year.”
Hardy held off PPMS track Champion Daryl Charlier in a thrilling side-by-side battle for several laps around dirt’s ‘Monster Half Mile’.
“If you had a camera or mirror on me you’d have seen how freaked out I was just trying to get where I needed to be to win this thing,” said Hardy.
The victory was not a surprise as Hardy was the runner up when the RUSH Late Model Touring Series visited PPMS twice earlier this season for the ‘Herb Scott Memorial’ and ‘Jook George Steel City Classic’.
Charlier brought it home in second place and earned $1,500 for his efforts.
“If I’m going to finish second I guess I’ll finish second to Kyle Hardy- he’s the top dog in the crates and especially the RUSH Series,” said Charlier.
RUSH Late Model Touring Series “Bill Hendren Memorial” (30 laps, $3000 to-win): 1. KYLE HARDY (99) 2. Daryl Charlier (Centerline 114) 3. Joe Martin (Snyder 10s) 4. Eddie Carrier, Jr. (Lukon 184X) 5. Jeremy Wonderling (3J) 6. Jacob Gunn (14G) 7. Bud Watson (225) 8. Garret Paugh (03) 9. Logan Zarin (1z) 10. Levi Crowl (5) 11. Ray Love, Jr. (08) 12. Zach Kane (10) 13. Michael Reft (9R) 14. Colton Flinner (Chernik 5x) 15. Michael Duritsky, Jr. (90J) 16. Tony Musolino (Dobnak 42) 17. Zach Gunn (17G) 18. Kyle Lukon (184) 19. Ryan Frazee (11F) 20. Zach Morrow (Bentz 60) 21. Bill Kessler (09) 22. Justin Kann (66) 23. Philip Bubeck (Tennant 2) 24. Tim Shaffer (45).
DNQ: Dan Lepro (2L), Tom Duratz (55D), Grant Garrison (1), Kassidy Kamicker (72B), Tom Klein (77), Rob Coffaro (24), Dave Goble (20G), Nick Love (38), Noah Brunell (31), Zach Crawford (c4), Ben Policz (14B).
A.J. Allmendinger wins on ‘The Roval’….again!
Michael Norris wins night two of Bill Hendren Memorial at PPMS
Macedo Makes History at the Grove
Brandon Brown gets Xfinity Series win at Talladega
Kyle Hardy wins night one of the ‘Bill Hendren Memorial’ at PPMS
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou Wins NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship
Brown Breaks Through
Michael Norris wins night two of Bill Hendren Memorial at PPMS
Gravel Sweeps Commonwealth Clash