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Brandon Matus’ Last Lap Pass Wins Battle and War at Tri-City; Shingledecker, Whitling, and Dalton Speer also Take Features

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FRANKLIN, PA (August 15, 2021) – It was a last lap pass that Brandon Matus will remember forever. He rocketed past race leader Carl Bowser on the backstretch to get the Shawgo Real Estate LLC 410 Sprint Car win at Tri-City Raceway Park and to gain four additional points, enough to change a two point deficit to a two point advantage in the championship tilt with the defending title holder, Jack Sodeman, Jr.

In other action, Jeremiah Shingledecker clinched the Krill Recycling LLC 358 Modified championship by starting the feature event, but then he led every lap to get his sixth win of the season. Bobby Whitling won his 100th career feature by sailing under the checkered flag thrown by his father in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks. Dalton Speer, who dominated the early season action before hitting a rough patch, came back to win the final point race in the 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks. Nonetheless, Curtis J. Bish and Justin Bailey secured their point championships in the Pro Stocks and Mini Stocks, respectively.

Bowser and Brandon Matus paced the field in the Shawgo Real Estate LLC 410 Sprints. Brent Matus and Logan McCandless drew the second row, with Clay Riney and Sodeman lined up in the third. Row four had Bob Felmlee and Brandon Spithaler, and the fifth belonged to Ken Rossey, Jr. and Mike Lutz, Jr. Rod Jones and his daughter, Vivian, made up row six.

Bowser took the lead at the start of the twenty-five lapper that would decide the track championship. Brandon Matus, who shaved two points from Sodeman’s eight point advantage through heat race action, slid into second. The race was slowed after just two laps due to debris.

Racing resumed again with Bowser continuing to lead Matus. But Sodeman did not enter the top five until lap five.

A spin by Roman Jones brought out the second caution. On the ensuing restart, Sodeman climbed to fourth. Had the race ended that way, there would have been a tie for the championship. But things were not finished yet.

At lap ten, the final caution was displayed, setting up a fifteen lap run to the checkers.

Bowser took the point, followed by Brandon Matus, but Sodeman was now up to third after passing Felmlee. That broke the potential tie and would have given Sodeman the nod with two points to spare.

While Brandon Matus hounded Bowser, Clay Riney and Bob Felmlee were swapping the fourth place behind Sodeman. Brandon Matus searched in vain, but could not find a way to get by Bowser, who won earlier in the weekend at another area speedway.

With the white flag waving and traffic looming ahead, Brandon Matus took the high line off turn two and moved past Bowser on the long back chute. The pass for position was critical, not only for the outcome of the race, but also the point championship.

The Wheelman got the win and his title by .904 seconds. It was his second victory of the season and third overall at the track. He was followed by Bowser and Sodeman. Felmlee held off Riney for fourth. Spithaler, McCandless, Gallagher, Rod Jones, and Bryan Salisbury rounded out the top ten.

A pair of heat races were presented by Donovan & Bauer Auto Group for the Shawgo Real Estate LLC 410 Sprint Cars. Taking the wins were Felmlee and Brandon Matus. There was no B Main.

After spending two weeks at the rear of the starting line-ups because of his string of successes, Jeremiah Shingledecker drew the pole for the twenty lap Krill Recycling LLC 358 Modified go. He had D.J. Schrader on his right. Behind them were Jimmy Holden and Lonnie Riggs. Nick Joy and Sid Unverzagt, Jr. were in the third row. Max Smoker and Tom Holden followed. Ryan Riffe and Kevin Green were in row five. Ryan Riffe started shotgun on the field.

The championship was determined when the green flag was shown to the field and, for all intents and purposes, so was the feature event. Shingledecker took the lead and only one caution, on lap two, would slow his progress.

He had smooth sailing over the remaining eighteen laps, winning by 3.412 seconds. Jimmy Holden took over second on lap six and held it the rest of the way. Riggs took third, matching his best run of the season. Joy was fourth, a season’s best for him. Unverzagt crossed in fifth, giving him top fives in consecutive weeks.

Schrader, Hoffman, Smoker, Riffe, and Green completed the top ten.

The Krill Recycling LLC 358 Modifieds needed two Donovan & Bauer Auto Group heats to set the starting line-up. Shingledecker and Joy scored the victories. There was no B Main.

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Tim Bish grabbed the pole for the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stock race. Bryan Daugherty started his first feature of the season in second. Curtis J. Bish and Curt Bish were in row two, followed by Whitling and Hunter Exley. Jason Johns and Tyler Wyant were in row four. Josh Seippel was paired off with Charlie McMillen in row five, then came Patrick Fielding and Darr Diegelman. Josh Blum was on the tail of the field.

Tim Bish took control for the first six laps, but an issue for McMillen slowed the pace.

Bish led the way again upon the display of the green, but Whitling was up to the challenge. He nosed ahead just before the second caution, this time for Daugherty.

Back to green, and Whitling was holding strong in the top spot. Tim Bish was challenged by Curtis J Bish, who took over second on lap twelve.

As Whitling took the checkered flag, there was a special family moment. His father had joined Todd Beichner atop the flag stand and he was allowed to wave it in celebration of his son’s landmark achievement. The win was Whitling’s one hundredth overall, and fifty-fifth at the track, with all but one of those coming in the Pro Stock division.

Curtis J. Bish was second, which ensured his first track championship. Tim Bish was third, followed by Johns, Curt Bish, Jr., Wyant, Seippel, Daugherty, Exley, and Fielding.

The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks also had two heats courtesy of Donovan & Bauer Auto Group. Curtis J. Bish and Johns prevailed. There was no B Main.

The 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks had Evan Sobieski and Daltin Speer on the fron row, Kelly Clark and Bodey McClintock in row two. The third row had D.J. Macrae and Justin Bailey, while the fourth belonged to Levi Maskal and Chad Greeley. Diezel Marvin and Michael Barr were in row five. Jesse Armstrong and Jamie Tasker were in row six.

Dalton Speer completed the dozen laps without interruption. It was his sixth win of the season, which was filled with ups and downs. He was hotter than a firecracker at the start of the season but a series of bad finishes in the middle of season dashed his championship aspirations. Although he needed only a top ten to claim the top prize, Bailey chased Speer home. Then came Greeley, Macrae, and Sobieski. Bodey McClintock, Maskal, Clark, Barr, and Tasker were the next five finishers.

The 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks contested two heats under the auspices of the Donovan & Baeer Auto Group. Topping them were Greeley and Dalton Speer. There was no B Main.

Remember that Tri-City Raceway Park will be dark on August 22. There will also be no racing on August 29.

The Renegade Monster Trucks will put on their awesome display on August 28, which is a Saturday.

Racing will return to Tri-City Raceway Park on Labor Day weekend. There will be a wide variety of racing, as eight divisions will be in competition. The activities will kick off with an open practice session for all classes on Friday, September 3. The Shawgo Real Estate LLC Sprint Cars will headline both September 4 and 5. The Krill Recycling LLC 358 Modifieds will be the undercard on Saturday, September 4. The BRP Modified Tour will be in for its only appearance of the season on Sunday, September 5. Five support divisions will also see action both nights. After the races on Sunday, there will be a bonfire and music.

Further information about Tri-City Raceway Park can be obtained by calling the track office at 724-967-4601, or by e-mailing the office at tricityracewaypark2020@gmail.com. Or, you can check the web at Tri-CityRacewayPark.com, or the Facebook page at Tri City Raceway Park. Tri-City Raceway Park is located just a few miles north of Franklin, PA, at 3430 State Route 417 in Oakland Township.

Shawgo Real Estate LLC 410 Sprint Cars: Brandon Matus, Carl Bowser, Jack Sodeman, Jr., Bob Felmlee, Clay Riney, Brandon Spithaler, Logan McCandless, Darin Gallagher, Rod Jones, Bryan Slisbury, Brent Matus, Ken Rossey, Jr., Steve Bright, Sterling Theiss, Vivian Jones, Michael Marano, Michael Lutz, Jr., Roman Jones.

Krill Recycling LLC 358 Modifieds: Jeremiah Shingledecker, Jimmy Holden, Lonnie Riggs, Nick Joy, Sid Unverzagt, Jr., D.J. Schrader, Kevin Hoffman, Max Smoker, Ryan Riffe, Kevin Green, Tom Holden.

Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks: Bobby Whitling, Curtis J> Bish, Tim Bish, Jason Johns, Curt Bish, Jr., Tyler Wyant, Josh Seipple, Brian Daugherty, Hunter Exley, Patrick Fielding, Darr Diegelman, Josh Blum, Charlie McMillen.

4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks: Dalton Speer, Justin Bailey, Chad Greeley, D.J. Macrae, Evan Sobieski, Bodey McLin tock, Kelly Clark, Michael Barr, Jamie Tasker, Joanne Wilson, Howard Garlick, Diezel Marvin, Charles McClintock, J.R. Shaner, Jesse Armstrong, Dillon Speer (DNS).

Local Racing

Historic Stock Cars to run at Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix

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PVGP

PITTSBURGH, PA (April 24, 2025) The Historic Stock Car Racing Association (HSCRA) is joining the lineup of racing groups at this year’s Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (PVGP) Historics at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.  This is the first time the HSCRA will race in the PVGP Historics 3-day weekend, July 26 to 28, 2024.

“We are thrilled to welcome the HSCRA to our 2024 event,” said Dan DelBianco, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. “Their participation not only broadens the appeal of the PVGP Historics but also aligns with our mission to celebrate all automotive history. This is a fantastic opportunity for race fans of all types to witness the power and beauty of historic stock cars in action.”

The HSCRA, renowned for its commitment to preserving and celebrating the history of stock car racing, will bring a new dimension to the PVGP Historics. The group is open to all stock cars that ran in one of the major NASCAR series.

“The HSCRA is anxious to bring NASCAR to Pittsburgh,” said Carlus Gann of HSCRA. “We look forward to making this a regular stop on our tour. Western Pennsylvania has deep roots in racing, and building a world-class track at Pitt Race in Beaver County makes it a perfect fit.”

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The most popular class is Generation 4 Cup cars built for the 1992-2007 seasons. During this era, teams built a few cars for the two road courses on the schedule.

“We are hoping for a full field of meticulously restored stock cars,” added Chris Evans of the HSCRA. “Former NASCAR winners like Joe Nemechek and a competitive lineup of today’s top historic stock car drivers will be on hand.”

Gary Moore, a seasoned participant in over a dozen PVGP races, knows the intricacies and challenges of the Pitt Race track. Moore will be showcasing his 1969 Mercury Cyclone (right), victoriously driven by Cale Yarborough, exclaiming, “It’s quite the adventure behind the wheel!”

The HSCRA will have a practice session in the morning and a qualifying race in the afternoon on Friday, July 26. A morning and afternoon practice session on Saturday, July 27. Sunday, July 28 will see the HSCRA have a short morning warm-up prior to being one of the featured Sunday afternoon races.

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Motorsport Festival features two weekends of racing action. The first weekend is the PVGP Historics at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. The second weekend is racing through a 2.33-mile road course set on the streets of Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park. In addition to the race weekends, the PVGP stages car shows, parties, road rallies, and a black-tie formal. The PVGP’s mission is to provide residential care, treatment and support for people with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities – donating $6.7 million to charity since 1983.

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Dirt Racing

Tim Shaffer Wins Herb Scott Memorial at PPMS

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Tommy Hein

IMPERIAL, PA (April 20, 2024) Aliquippa’s Tim Shaffer started on the pole position and survived several caution flags and restarts to win the Herb Scott Memorial Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (PPMS).

“Boy I earned that one huh,” said Shaffer following the race.  “These wins just keep getting better and better. Herb Scott won a lot of features and I have a long way to go to catch him, but my career went on the road and it became hard to win races. It’s kind of back home racing now for me and it’s a lot of fun.”

Brock Pinkerous and Dave Hess Jr. staged an epic battle over the last several laps with Pinkerous scoring an emotional runner-up finish.

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“Congrats to Tim on the win,” said Pinkerous, who hails from Ellenville, NY. “He’s really good at this track. Him and Dave are legends around this area. It’s really cool to battle with them; they raced me clean and I raced them clean. Even though we didn’t win tonight, this is for my uncle tonight who passed away about a month ago. I hope he’s watching over us tonight, and I really love you uncle Chris.”

“We were really good on those restarts,” said Hess, the 39-year-old Waterford, Pa. driver. “A little tweak to the car and maybe a gear change and we could have had something for the leaders. Once those two (Shaffer and Pinkerous) got rolling, they were a little better than I was.”

Kyle Lukon finished fifth and Logan Roberson rounded out the Top 5.

A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 45-Tim Shaffer[1]; 2. 555-Brock Pinkerous[4]; 3. 44-Dave Hess Jr[21]; 4. 184-Kyle Lukon[5]; 5. 17R-Logan Roberson[19]; 6. 10S-Joe Martin[16]; 7. 36-Cody Dawson[7]; 8. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[10]; 9. 42-Daryl Charlier[6]; 10. 184C-Justin Chance[13]; 11. 21J-Jim Rasey[24]; 12. 184P-Cole Petrelle[20]; 13. 77-Tom Klein[23]; 14. 57-Charlie Sandercock[11]; 15. 36B-Colby Beighey[15]; 16. 18-Mike Wonderling[25]; 17. 29-Ryan Hare[17]; 18. 60H-Brian Huchko[22]; 19. 9R-Mike Reft[14]; 20. 25-Zachary Kane[9]; 21. 72B-Kassidy Kamicker[18]; 22. 75-Jared Miley[3]; 23. 60-Brandon Burgoon[2]; 24. 14AJ-AJ Miller[8]; 25. 14G-Jake Gunn[12]

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Dirt Racing

Macri Romps in Sterner Memorial; Hare Gets First Career Win on His Birthday

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Lincoln Speedway

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (April 20, 2024): Anthony Macri made a triumphant return to the Keystone State. After spending a few weeks racing in the Midwest, Macri came back for some top-paying races in his own backyard. Weather claimed the first night of racing, at Williams Grove Speedway, but Macri made up for it by earning $20,000 in the 20th Annual Weldon Sterner Memorial at the Lincoln Speedway. It was his second victory of the season in the Pigeon Hills.

Macri, who was dominant running up near the wall in turns three and four, said “I think running out on the road made me more comfortable running up there, and running at that pace.” He did admit, though, that he did back off a bit in the late stages of the race in order to conserve his tires because this was the longest race he has run this season and he was not sure how the tires would hold up. “I was worried about tire wear. I had to run a good pace to make sure the tires would last.”

The luck of the draw put Macri on the pole for this forty lapper. Next to him was Aussie Ryan Newton. Billy Dietrich and Freddie Rahmer, Jr. were in the second row. Danny Dietrich was scheduled to start fifth, but a magneto problem forced him to pit just as the A Main was about to push off. The car could not be repaired in time to allow him to tag the tail of the field. So, Lucas Wolfe slid over to fifth and Troy Wagaman, Jr. became his dance partner. Cameron Smith and Kody Hartlaub were in row four. Behind them were Kyle Moody and Chad Trout, whose car was carrying the Sterner Cement wing to commemorate the event. Kyle Reinhart and Matt Campbell were in the sixth row.

Macri led Newton and Rahmer Jr. in the opening laps. Wagaman, Wolfe, Billy Dietrich, Moody, Smith, Campbell, and Hartlaub were next in line. A caution on lap three for Cory Haas bunched things up again, but the running order remained unchanged after the green lights came on again.

The first significant move occurred on lap twelve, when Rahmer Jr. worked the inside line to take over second. As Rahmer began his pursuit of Macri, Newton was busy keeping Wagaman and Wolfe at bay.

After a caution on lap sixteen for debris, Wagaman moved ahead of Newton, who struggled to stay ahead of Wolfe. In the second half of the race, Wolfe got stronger. He moved ahead of both Newton and Wagaman.

Macri continued out front, of course. Rahmer Jr. still held second, but Wolfe was closing in on him. Wagaman, Newton, and Campbell were battling for positions in the top five.

The final caution was displayed with seven laps remaining. Macri got away cleanly, and Wolfe resumed his attack on Rahmer Jr. As they contested the second spot, Macri began to pull away.

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At the checkers, it was Macri ahead of Rahmer Jr. by over 2.4 seconds. Wolfe was a close third, followed by Wagaman and Newton. Billy Dietrich rallied in the closing laps to take sixth. Campbell, Devon Borden, Rinehart, and Brandon Rahmer completed the top ten.

Heat winners were Wolfe, Billy Dietrich, Macri, and Smith. Tyler Ross won the B Main. The evening’s fastest qualifier was Rahmer Jr., with a time of 13.768 seconds. He earned a $300 bonus for that accomplishment. Danny Dietrich received the hard luck award, worth $100. T.J. Stutts was the hard charger at plus eight. He, too, received $100 extra.

Ayden Hare will forever remember his sixteenth birthday, as he celebrated the occasion in victory lane after just his fourth 358 Sprint Car race. The teen drove a flawless race, leading wire to wire. “I am at a loss for words, I am so happy,” he said.

Scott Fisher had the pole, with Hare to his right. Behind them were Doug Hammaker and Frankie Herr. Row three consisted of Adam Carberry and Preston Lattomus. Jayden Wolf and Ashley Cappetta were in the fourth row. The fifth belonged to Mike Bittinger and Tyler Ulrich. Dylan Norris and Cody Fletcher claimed row six.

Hare won the race to turn one and he claimed the middle groove as his own. Fisher and Herr were side by side fighting for second, with Hammaker lurking in fourth. Carberry, Lattomus, Wolf, Bittinger, Cappetta, and Norris strung out behind the leaders.

Hare began to pull away from Fisher and Herr as they continued their struggle for second place.

A red flag on lap eleven for Wolf’s flip between turns three and four brought Hare back to the rest of the racers, but the teen had no trouble building his advantage up again in the final nine laps.

Hare, Fisher, Herr, Hammaker, and Carberry were the top five finishers. Bittinger, Cappetta, Norris, Lattomus, and Logan Rumsey were sixth through tenth. Wolf received the hard luck award and Jude Siegel was the hard charger, at plus seven. They each received $250.

Next week, Lincoln Speedway will present another 410 and 358 Sprint car doubleheader. The same two divisions will return on May 4. The World of Outlaws will be in for the Gettysburg Clash on May 8. There will be no racing on May 11, but the speedway will host the Hot Rod Annual for the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.

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