Local Racing
Dewease and Flinner Split Opening Day Laurels at Port Royal Speedway
(Port Royal, PA March 6, 2022): Lance Dewease claimed his seventh opening day victory in the 410 Sprint Cars at Port Royal Speedway and Colton Flinner celebrated his first in the Super Late Model division. The win by Dewease was number 120 in his quest to overtake legendary Keith Kauffman, who leads with 129 checkers.
Dewease quickly dispelled any notion that he would be gunning for a track championship at the Speed Palace. “You won’t see any championships out of this team this year.” He explained that the Dream Team, which includes Hall of Famers Don Kreitz, Jr., Davey Brown, and Dewease, plan on their usual 35-40 races. “Last year we had no choice but to go for it,” he acknowledged. He found himself well ahead of his younger rivals at Williams Grove Speedway after the early events, so the team changed plans on the fly and ran all of the races there. Dewease said “I will let Mikey (Wagner) and his son (four-time and defending champion, Logan Wager) fight it out here.” Dewease added that his son will be starting to race in 2022.
Dewease ducked under Mike Wagner in turn one and powered off turn two with the lead eleven laps into the contest. “Mikey was fast but the lapped cars slowed him down and I got going good on the bottom.” Dewease noted that the dirty air from the slower cars can affect the leader, as it did with Wagner. Dewease added that he did not have much choice of where to race on the slick daytime surface. “I packed a wheel and I had to move down off of it (the cushion).” He went back to the top briefly after a red flag halted the mace midway through, but the car vibrated too much to stay on the outside.
For his part, Mike Wagner thought that he had the faster machine. “I thought that I could make a run at him on the inside, but I didn’t want to show him the nose, but he came down anyway and then he got away from me.”
Mike Wagner drew the pole for the twenty-five lapper. Next to him was Justin Peck. Dewease and Zach Newlin were in the second row. Justin Whittal and Mike Walter were in the third. Row four belonged to Devon Boden and Blane Heimbach. Hunter Schuerenberg and Danny Dietrich drew the worst pills, so they were in row five. The sixth stanza was sung by Jeff Halligan and Anthony Macri.
Mike Wagner hit turn one first and slid up ahead of Peck, Dewease nestled into third, followed by Newlin, Walter, Dietrich, and Logan Wagner. Wagner, known as the legend in these parts, led the way over Peck and Dewease until lap nine, when Dewease took second spot.
Dewease reeled in Wagner quickly and make the critical pass on lap eleven.
Soon thereafter, there was a violent crash in turn one. T.J. Stutts and Jared Esh tangled entering the turn and Esh took a tumble. Neither driver was hurt, but their cars were unable to continue.
Dewease led the rest of the way without incident. Wagner did close in with about five laps remaining, but it looked as though Dewease was pacing himself so that he would not get into heavy traffic in the final laps. He waited for two backmarkers to get into single file before blasting by one of them to get some protection from Mike Wagner.
The interesting battle for position in the waning laps featured Peck and Dietrich. Peck held onto the final podium spot. Logan Wagner crossed in fifth. Sixth through tenth were Macri, Halligan, Schuerenberg, Dylan Cisney, and Whittal.
Five heats were held, with wins tabulated by Mike Wagner, Schuerenberg, Walter, Peck, and Dietrich. Chase Diets scored in the B Main.
George Hobaugh was the only Western PA racer to make the A Main. A.J. Flick was in a transfer position in the B Main when he smacked the turn one wall. Logan McCandless was also on hand.
Colton Flinner, from Allison Park, PA, made wholesale changes to his car after the Saturday practice session at the track and the extra effort paid off. “We changed the whole car around. We went back to our notes for something on the right front and it made all the difference,” he explained.
Trevor Collins and Kyle Hardy paced the field for the twenty-five lap Late Model go. Austin Berry and Kyle Lee were in the second row. Trever Feathers and Flinner rolled away in the third. The fourth row was made up by Jason Miller and Gary Stuhler, Chad Myers and Jason Schmidt were in row five for the start.
A spin by Austin Berry on the opening lap nullified a great start by Hardy. Hardy was able to repeat the maneuver on thne second try. Lee followed into second, with Flinner, Stuhler, and Collins fighting for third.
A caution came out just before the halfway sign was shown to the field. Harfy held command, with Lee, Flinner, Stuhler, and Feathers in tow. Things got a little frenzied up front on the restart. Hardy stayed out front, by now Flinner was second and Stuhler was third. Lee fell to fourth, just ahead of Feathers.
Another caution just after the midpoint led to another chaotic restart. Hardy remained out front, but there was an intense three-car battle for second involving Flinner, Stuhler, and Feathers. Flinner came out on top by lap sixteen.
Flinner raced into the lead one lap later, as Hardy developed a push.
Flinner led the remaining eight laps. Hardy held on for second. Stuhler crossed in third. Feathers and Lee completed the top five. Collins, Mike Lupfer, Schmidt, Kyle Knapp, and Berry were the next five across the line.
Feathers and Miller took the preliminaries. There was no B Main.
Western PA youngster Levi Yetter made his first port Royal start.
Port Royal Speedway will present its first Saturday night program next week for the 410 Sprints and Super Late Models. Those divisions will return March 19 and they will be joined by the Limited Late Models. March 20 will present the Short Track Super Series Modifieds and ULMS Late Models at 4 p,m. A triple header of 410 Sprints, Super Late Models, and Limited Late Models will close out the month of March on the 26th.
IMPERIAL, PA (July 25, 2026) – Michael Norris is back in Victory Lane at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway after winning Saturday night’s Jook George Steel City Classic.
The win was Norris’ fifth in seven events and the Late Model standout from Sarver, PA dedicated the win to his Grandparents.
“I want to dedicate this win to my grandma and grandpa,” said the 34-year-old Norris. “We lost them this year and miss them a lot- this one is for them. My pap would always say I want you to go down there and show them how it’s done and I showed them how it’s done for him.”
The victory was a family affair for Norris, who was driving the ND Motorsports #N1.
“I have to think Nico (Dabecco) and Vinny,” said Norris, Nico’s brother-in-law. “We really changed the car a lot from the Firecracker (Lernerville Speedway June 27) and found some things we needed to address.”
Norris and Kyle Lukon led the 26-car field to the green flag with Norris leading lap 1 but Lukon grabbing the lead on lap and holding it through lap 7.
Norris wasn’t done however, pulling a slider in turn three to lead lap 8. Norris padded his lead the next couple of laps, pulling out over a second over Lukon.
Lukon was slowed when he slid into the wall on lap 15, giving third place Dan Angelicchio the chance to catch up and the battle was on for second.
Lukon slid into the wall a second time on lap 23 and slowed to bring out the caution.
The restart lined Angelicchio up alongside Norris but ‘the crusher kid’ dropped the hammer and was gone. Demetrios Drellos was able to drive around Angelicchio on the outside to take over the runner-up spot, but was never able to get close enough to Norris to challenge in lapped traffic.
“When this track is like this, it’s so much fun and you can race all over it,” Norris explained. “They did a great job on it tonight.”
Norris took home $6,010 for the win and $6,500 for the night to bring his total take home from ‘the Jook’ to $34,000 over his five wins.
“I have to thank Branden (Lockwich),” said Norris. “He does such a great job, puts a lot of effort into this, and tries different things every year to make it better and get more people here. We’ll keep supporting it as long as they keep having it. Thanks to all the fans for coming out and Blair (Cress) for keeping this place open.”
SARVER, PA (July 17, 2026): Alex Ferree survived a caution-filled late Model feature to score his third feature victory of the season at the Lernerville Speedway, where he leads the seasonal points. In the Big Block Modifieds, Garrett Krummert came on strong in the second half of the race to secure his fourth win of the season, vaulting him into the lead in the championship standings. With his win, A.J. Flick expanded upon his slim two point lead in a quest for a tenth title in the 410 Sprint Car ranks. Corey McPherson became the most successful driver in the rich history of the Pro Stock division at the track.
“Running down on the bottom in (turns) one and two was better for me. I didn’t know where to go in (turns) three and four. I didn’t see (Michael Norris) until he came across my nose down there. I didn’t like it, but that’s how it’s done these days.” Fortunately for Ferree, a caution negated the aggressive pass and, then, on the following restart, Norris jumped the cushion in turn one, forcing his retirement from the race with two to go. Ferree kept Jared Miley at bay for the final trips around the Action Track.
Alex Ferree drew the pole position for the Late Model twenty-five lapper. Tyler Wyant was on his flank. Chris Schneider debuted his new machine in the third spot, and he was paired with former Modified kingpin Del Rougeux. Colton Flinner and Jared Miley were in row three. Josh Ferry and Levi Yetter occupied row four, followed by Clinton Hersh and Michael Norris, in row five, and John Garvin and Mike Miller, in row six.
Ferree took the early lead over Wyant, Flinner, and Ferry. Flinner took second in the early going, but he did not challenge Ferree until a restart five laps into the event.
Things heated up after that restart. Flinner and Ferree swapped the lead on several occasions. Ferree took control again by lap ten and he maintained the lead despite a number of restarts.
Flinner faded from the second position, turning the position over to Norris, who was flying on the outside. Ferree switched up his line in turns one and two, running the bottom and driving up to the top coming off turn two to block a flyer from Norris around the rim of the speedway.
In the closing laps, Norris drew closer to Ferree. He threw caution to the wind in turn four with two laps to go. He slid across into the lead, almost crashing himself and Ferree in the process, but a caution negated the wild pass. On the ensuing restart, Norris took to the high lane in turn one, but he jumped the cushion. Whatever damage he sustained by his excursions sidelined him for the remainder of the race.
Miley inherited the second spot, but he had nothing for Ferree. Ferree cruised to the win, followed by Miley, Schaltenbrand, Wyant, and Ferry. Hersh, Rougeux, Schneider, Will Britsky, and Travis Hayes completed the top ten.
Ferree and Norris were the heat race winners. There was no B Main for the nineteen car field.
Dr. Brad Rapp and Jeremiah Shingledecker drew into the first row for the twenty-five lap Modified go. Mike Kinney and Kyle FInk made up row two, followed by Garrett Krummert and rookie Karston King, who was making his first Modified start ever. Steve Feder and Rick Regalski staked out row four, with Rex King, Jr. and Ayden Cipriano, in row five, and Tyler Dietz and Shawn Kozar, in row six.
Rapp took the early lead but he gave way to Shingledecker on the second trip around the speedway. That duo maintained a comfortable advantage over Kinney, Krummert, and Feder through the first several laps.
King Jr. moved into the top five, along with Cipriano in the middle stage of the race, with Krummert still holding fifth place.
Krummert got rolling soon thereafter. He surged into the lead coming off turn two on the thirteenth lap. Shingledecker remained in second, followed by Rapp, King, and Cipriano.
Shingledecker began slipping back in the field as the race progressed to the third stage. However, he rallied to regain a position in the closing laps.
Krummert took the win over Rapp, Cipriano, Shingledecker, and Dave Murdick. King Jr. was sixth, ahead of Dietz, J.C. Boyer, Feder, and Karston King.
“I wasn’t any good at the start of the race,” Krummert said. “I went to the bottom and got going again.”
The preliminaries went to Rex King, Jr., Fink, and Regalski. Cameron Miller was the B Main winner. Twenty-eight cars registered for the event.
The potent first row consisted of A.J. Flick and Dan Kuriger for the Sprint Car twenty-five lap feature event. Then came Dan Shetler and David Kalb. Carl Bowser and Jared Zimbardi started in row three, with John Jerich and Carmen Perigo next in line. Chris Frank made the long tow from Wellsville, in Central PA, to land in row five with Jacob Begenwald. Vivian Jones started her 305 Sprint inside row six, next to Rayce Jacobs.
Flick and Kuriger, the prime contenders for the point championship in the Sprint Car division, battled side by side for most of the first lap. However, Flick assumed command in turn three and he never looked back.
Kuriger ran a strong second place until the final lap of the race. Jerich slipped past him on the last trip around the speedway. Kuriger was third, followed by Begenwald and Perigo. Bowser, Shetler, Frank, Zimbardi, and Jacobs completed the top ten.
“This was probably the most moisture that stayed in the track all night,” Flick said. “I was able to rip the top for the first time since June,” he added.
Kuriger, and Begenwald took the checkers in their heat races. There was no B Main needed for the nineteen Sprints that checked in.
Corey McPherson achieved a career milestone in the Pro Stock division, breaking the tie with Joe Kelly atop the career win list. McPherson was patient in the early laps of the race. He took the lead on lap nine and led the remaining eleven laps.
Logan Koteles and Jason Fosnaught brought the field to the green for the final race of the night. Cody Koteles and McPheson were in row two, followed by Bill Swaney and Joey Zambotti, in row three, and Brett Hutira and Trevor McCann, in row four.
Logan Koteles grabbed the early lead, followed by Cody Koteles, Fosnaught, McPherson, and Zambotti. McPherson moved up to third on lap three, and second on lap six.
McPherson grabbed the lead on lap nine and held it until the end, while Logan Koteles remained in second, and Cody Koteles in third. Hutira and Fosnaught completed the top five. Zambotti, Tyler Schneider, McCann, Bill Swaney, and Jonathan Koteles rounded out the top ten.
Dietz, and Cody Koteles topped their heat races. No B Main was needed to set the seventeen car field.
FRANKLIN, PA (May 31, 2026): A.J. Flick claimed his third championship in the Western Pennsylvania Speedweek. His first two titles came in 2023 and 2024.
“This whole week is so cool,” he said. He added, “I think consistency is important and I think that helped me.”
Flick started the week out very strongly, with wins at Michaels Mercer Raceway and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. He was fourth at Lernerville Speedway and fifth in the finale at Tr-City Raceway Park. His worst finish of the week was ninth at Sharon Speedway on Saturday night.
Flick was especially happy with his fifth place finish in the final round because he was not very comfortable in the car.
Other race winners during Speedweek were: Dale Blaney, at Lernerville, Logan Wagner, at Sharon, and Brandon Spithaler, at Tri-City.
Flick’s total earnings for the week were $14,750, which included the $3,000 championship stipend.
One other driver earned more than $10,000. That was Spithaler, who grossed $10.175.
Flick was one of sixteen drivers to enter all five events comprising Western Pennsylvania Speedweek. A total of sixty-one racers competed in at least one round of Speedweek.
The top ten drivers in the point standings shared the point fund, as follows:
- A.J. Flick, 452 points, $3,000
- Mark Smith, 412 points, $2,500
- Brandon Spithaler, 406 points, $2,000
- Jeremy Weaver, 393 points, $1,500
- Carl Bowser, 371 points, $1,000
- Michael Bauer, 368 points, $900
- Adam Kekich, 344 points, $800
- Brandon Matus, 338 points, $700
- Ricky Peterson, 320 points, $600
- Jacob Begenwald, 302 points, $500
Interestingly, one driver in the top ten in points missed a show along the way. Ricky Peterson was absent from Sharon because he had another commitment. He won the FAST on Dirt Sprint Car Series event at Skyline Speedway instead.
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