ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (March 6, 2026):  Chase Dietz has figured out the combination to get around Lincoln Speedway in the daylight hours. This time he made a power move in turn three to grab the lead from Freddie Rahmer, Jr. following a lap nineteen restart. And, like a week before, a caution soon followed, ensuring that the York pilot would get away cleanly for the remaining ten laps of the contest. This victory, his second of the young season, added another $6,000 to Dietz’ coffers.

“It was very tricky yet again,” Dietz remarked. He explained, “it got slicked off in (turns) one and two. I tried to be patient and run the middle. I think I showed Freddie the bottom too soon. But I found something off two and I got a run on him and I just drove through the holes.”

“I was trying to watch the track and it just worked out,” Dietz added.  “It’s been a great start and I will try to keep it going,” he concluded.

Second went to Kyle Moody, who drove under his brother-in-law, Freddie Rahmer, Jr. late in the race. After a brief challenge from Brock Zearfoss, Moody came to life. “I’ll take it,” Moody said unabashedly. “The first couple of laps didn’t work out. Typical Lincoln. They watered it and I thought I could make it work, but it didn’t work out.” So, Moody fell back to third, a position that he held until lap twenty-three.

Zearfoss was stalking Moody for most of the second half of the race, but he could not make the pass. “I knew he was going to stick to the bottom on the restarts. I found something (coming off turn two) and I thought I could make it around him on the outside, But, I hit the ruts wrong and that got me unsettled.” Despite his difficulty with Moody, Zearfoss recovered at the end of the race to overtake Rahmer for third.

The second event of the season in the Pigeon Hills had Ramer Jr. and Moody paired up in the front row. Dietz joined T.J. Stutts in row two, followed by Brandon Rahmer and Zearfoss. Danny Dietrich and Matt Campbell occupied row four. The fifth belonged tp teammates Steven Snyder, Jr. and Troy Wagaman, Jr.  Western PA driver Jacob Begenwald and Aaron Bollinger were in row six.

Rahmer Jr. led the field into turn one on the opening lap. Moody slid up the track, opening the inside line for Dietz. Moody fell in line in third. Stutts and Brandon Rahmer made up the early top five.

Billy Dietrich brought out the first caution on just the second lap when he came to a stop at the exit of turn four.

Dietz took a look inside Rahmer Jr. following the restart, but he opted to ride along in second place. Moody continued in third, with Zearfoss moving up a couple of notches. Stutts and Danny Dietrich battled for fifth for several laps before Dietrich locked up the position before the halfway mark.

Dewease slowed on lap nineteen for the second caution.

Rahmer Jr. again led the field into turn one following the restart, but Dietz remained close in turns one and two. Dietz moved up a half lane through turn two and that enabled him to rocket off the corner. Dietz had plenty of momentum entering turn three and he dove to the inside to pass Rahmer for the lead.

Dietz, Rahmer, and several others completed the lap before Bollinger spun in turn one.

On the ensuing restart, Dietz led Rahmer Jr. to the inside line in turn one. Zearfoss went to the high side to try to pass Moody for third, but he could not get by. Moody picked up some speed after that threat and, on lap twenty-three, he scooted under Rahmer Jr. in turn two for the second spot. Despite the successful maneuver, Moody could not challenge Dietz for the lead.

After his failed venture on the high sude, Zearfoss moved to the bottom in the closing laps. He was able to catch and pass Rahmer Jr. on lap twenty-six.

Dietz, Moody, and Zearfoss took the checkers before two cars tangled in turn four on the final lap. Danny Dietrich and Snyder both flipped. The resulting red flag froze the balance of the field.

Split lap scoring was employed once again. Rahmer Jr, was credited with fourth and Wagaman fifth. Positions six through ten went to Stutts, Tyler Ross, Logan Rumsey, Campbell, and Cameron Smith. Dietrich and Snyder were scored in sixteenth and seventeenth, respectively.

Three heats were contested for the twenty-eight car field. The wins went to Snyder, Danny Dietrich, and Brandon Rahmer. Smith won the B Main.

Next week. Lincoln Speedway will move to its regular Saturday night slot. Starting time will be 6 p.m. The 358 Sprint Cars will provide support to the 410s for the first time in 2026.

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (February 28, 2026):  For the second straight year, Chase Dietz won the Icebreaker 30 at the fabulous Lincoln Speedway. The young veteran from York, PA chased down Danny Dietrich and used some lapped cars to gain the advantage in turns three and four on lap eighteen. Dietz scooped up $6,000 for his first victory of the 2026 season.

“The traffic got Danny (Dietrich) and Cameron (Smith) moving around,” Dietz observed. That enabled him to close the gap on them quickly. He added, “the lapped traffic made it interesting. I went low, it had some ruts, but it seemed to be the fastest way around.”

Dietz, who had a very maneuverable car the entire race, commended the track preparation by Fred Putney just before the feature started. “I knew it was going to have some hot characteristics to it. Fred did such a great job. The top came in. I went up there a little early and I fell back, but I was able to come back up.”

“I was  very fortunate to start the season like we did there,” he summed.

Dietrich, who led some laps in the middle of the event, remarked that he was pleased with second, “especially the way (turns) three and four were.” He joked that, in previous years, he probably would have wadded up the car trying to get more speed in those corners. “I was happy to be able to race with him (gesturing toward Dietz) there. I thought I could compete with him after the yellow (on lap nineteen), but he was really good.”

Third place finisher, Freddie Rahmer, Jr., thought that his car was better than Dietz’ “at different parts of the race.” He conceded, though, “maybe he was better at moving around.” He cited as an example, “he found the top sooner. I went up there, but I wasn’t as good.”

An Ohio invader, Zeth Sabo, drew the pole for the opener in the Pigeon Hills. To his right was Lance Dewease, making his debut at the controls of Rich Eichelberger’s potent machine. Row two paired Cameron Smith and Danny Dietrich. They were followed by Freddie Rahmer, Jr. and Chase Dietz. Logan Rumsey and Steven Snyder, Jr. occupied row four. Chad Trout and Billy Dietrich comprised row five, with Rick Lafferty and Matt Campbell next in line.

Sabo started his second race at Lincoln somewhat unexpectedly. He popped a wheelie coming off turn four. When he gathered it back up entering turn one, he slid high, forcing Dewease out of the groove. That opened the inside line for Smith, who took advantage of the opportunity to grab the early lead. Sabo and Dewease followed, with Danny Dietrich, Snyder, and Rahmer in hot pursuit.

Smith started to get some separation in the first few laps, but a caution for Tyler Ross on lap six brought Smith back to the fold. While the cars were pacing under the yellow, Dewease pulled to the top of turn three with a brake problem. He retired from the race at that point.

On the restart, Smith began to assert himself once again. Sabo got up on two wheels coming through turn two, losing five spots in the process. That moved Danny Dietrich and Freddie Rahmer into second and third, respectively. Rumsey and Dietz rounded out the top five.

Within a few laps, Smith reached the slower cars at the rear of the field. His pace slowed considerably, and Danny Dietrich went on the offensive. By the halfway mark, Dietrich was closing rapidly on Smith, who was still being cautious attempting to lap the slower cars.

Dietrich got a good run coming off turn two and he moved to the outside of Smith and the lappers. Dietrich sailed into turn three with the lead.

However, his time out front was brief. Dietz was on the move, and he closed in on Dietrich in just a lap or two. Dietz made his bid for the lead on lap eighteen, dropping to the rough inside line to take the lead by passing Dietrich and two lapped cars coming through turn four.

Dietrich remained close, but could not mount a counterattack at the opposite end of the track.

Hayden Miller flipped in turn one on lap nineteen to cause the final stoppage of the event. He was not hurt.

Dietrich began plotting a different strategy for the remaining eleven laps. However, Dietz had a clear track and a better car.

Dietz got to some lapped traffic in the final circuits, but he was able to pick off the slower cars with ease. He took the checkers just over three seconds ahead of Danny Dietrich. After the leaders took the final flag, Bitty Dietrich spun in turn four, and the rest of the field completed the race under yellow.

The split lap scoring had Freddie Rahmer, Jr. in third, followed by Rumsey and Smith. Troy Wagaman, Jr. passed his teammate, Snyder, in the closing laps to get the sixth spot. Sabo was seventh, with Campbell and Trout rounding out the top ten.

The three heat victories went to Dewease, Dietz, and Danny Dietrich. There was no B Main.

After the crowd dispersed, Speedway officials announced that Sunday’s conclusion to the Icebreaker weekend was cancelled due to forecasts of colder temperatures and rainy conditions. Racing will resume with a pair of afternoon shows next Saturday and Sunday, with 3 p.m. starts each day.

TULSA, OK (January 17, 2026):  One of the exciting parts about championship Saturday at the Chili Bowl is the myriad of elimination races that are staged throughout the day. Starting in the early morning and stretching through the mid-afternoon, racers try to climb one of two ladders which may lead to the coveted A Main.

Some of the competitors had hard luck on their qualifying night, whether caused by an on-track skirmish or a mechanical failure. For them, alphabet soup is a chance at redemption.

Some of them are young drivers making their first or second try at the Chili Bowl. They may be driving obsolete or underfunded equipment owned by friends or family members. Some may be in rent-a-rides. Either way, for them it is a chance at validation.

Some are aged veterans in cars that are also well past their prime. For them, it is a chance at capturing the magic once again.

The fans who turn out early are always hoping that, regardless of the particular circumstances, some racer gets on a hot streak and moves ahead several rounds.

In 2026, we were fortunate to have a couple of racers make significant progress during the day. Two of them raced nine times each. While neither one reached the higher rungs of the ladder, they still captured the hearts of the diehard fans who watched them make their marks on Chili Bowl history.

Two of the competitors with nine races on their resumes were on the same ladder. Previously, the most races that any one driver ran in was seven. That was done by Chris Carroll.

One, Darren Naida, started in an O feature, which turned out to be the second race of the day when the Q Mains were eliminated due to an insufficient number of cars that staged for those events. Naida, who is a Sprint Car driver from Michigan, spent most of the 2025 season racing with the revived All Star Circuit of Champions. He was driving an unusual car for Danny Bates. The car was equipped with a handmade three-cylinder motor that Bates and his father crafted in the span of twenty-four months. Naida’s progress stopped in the first G feature.

While Naida was making his progress, a teenager from Ohio, Mack Leopard, was also gaining attention and fan support. His trek started in the N Main and ended in the first F feature. Leopard won four of the nine races that he entered. His worst finish of the day was in the F that ended his run. He was ninth in that race. In all but one race, Leopard started outside the top ten. For his efforts, Leopard was the recipient of a special award and a bonus of more than $3,000.

A driver on the other bracket raced six times. Jace Park, a young shoe from Kansas, started in the second K Main and he made it to the second F. Along the way, he piled up two wins. His best starting spot was ninth in the K.

Unfortunately, none of the drivers who transferred into the A had to climb more than one run on the ladder.

The pair of B Mains were hard fought affairs.

In the first one, Cannon McIntosh held off Ryan Bernal for the win. Surprisingly, McIntosh was for first driver for Keith Kunz Motorsports to make to the A Main. Corbin Rueschenberg came from row five to transfer, and Tim Buckwalter quietly drove a Seymour car from row seven to get the A Main start. Daryn Pittman, Kyle Cummins, and Gavan Boschele also advanced.

In the second, a Chili Bowl darling, fourteen-year-old Jett Barnes, handily defeated Coleny Copeland and Shane Golobic. Barnes was driving for Kevin and Jordan Swindell. Also making the big show were Kevin Thomas, Jr., Spencer Bayston, Tanner Thorson, and Wout Hoffmans from the Netherlands.

Jaceb Boxell went wire to wire in the first C Main in a race that was botton dominant. Jacob Denney was second, followed by Ronnie Gardner, J.J. Yeley, and Austin Wood.

The second C Main was similar. Chelby Hilton drove an old Beast to victory. He was followed by Late Model star Nick Hoffman, Kyle Jones, Hayden Wise, and Ryan Timms.

Joel Myers captured the first D Main, ahead of Kale Drake. Mason Hannagan, Gunnar Setser, and Steven Shebester also transferred. Steven Snyder, Jr. missed the transfer by one spot after starting in row nine with a car that was patched together after a devastating crash late in Friday’s A Main.

Caleb Stelzig won the second D Main. Dillon Welch, Brecken Reese, Chase Randall, and Jake Newman also moved ahead.

In the first E Main, Ryan Padgett held off fast-closing Steven Snyder, Jr. for the win. Aiden Price, Noah Harris, and Brandon Carr made the transfers.

K.J. Snow prevailed in the second E Main. Justin Zimmerman, Nick Drake, T.J. Smith, and Brant Woods earned another chance to race.

Cap Henry, from Western OH won the first F Main, but he crashed out in the next round. Casey Shuman, driving a throwback car to his father’s days in the Ofixco 21x, was second. Daniel Adler, John Barnard, and Cole Wakim also advanced. Mack Leopard was ninth, ending his day.

Jesse Schlotfeldt, Paul White, Wesley Smith, Cooper Miller, and Jeffrey Newell moved ahead from the second F Main.

Garrett Benson, Leopard, Adyn Schmidt, Kaleb Johnson, and Garet Williamson raced successfully in the first G Main. Naida’s spectacular run ended with a sixth place finish in this one.

The second G Main had Sam Hinds taking the checkers ahead of Rees Moran, Jace Park, Cale Coons, and Braxton Cummings.

Logan Prickett led Jeb Sessums, Kaylee Bryson, Leopard, Naida, and Jacob Dykstra to the line in the first H Main.

Moran, Park, Emilio Hoover, Tyler Edwards, Tyler Robbins, and Preston Norbury prevailed in the second H Main.

Leopard, Ethan Mitchell, Naida, Justin Bates, Connor Lundy, and Nathan Crane were the top six runners in the first I Main.

Park, Logan Julien, Cadan Sarale, Shawn Jackson, Austin Nigh, and Santino Ferrucci were the frontrunners in the second I Main.

Leopard was the winner in the first J Main. T.J. Stark, Naida, Ayden Gatewood, Nathan Crane, and Casey Friedrichsen also came from that race.

Roger Crockett crossed ahead of Ferrucci, Julien, Park, Tyler Hewitt, and Will Gerrits in the second J Main.

Rylan Gray held off Leopard, Fredrichsen, Naida, Brenham Crouch, and Joshua Tyre in the first K Main.

Park, Julien, Cody Brewer, Kade Taylor, Gerrist, and Cole Vanderheiden moved from the second K Main.

In the first L Main, the race was shirtened to eight laps due to the number of cautions during the event. The last one was for Glenn Styres, whose flip in turn four eliminated his chance of advancement. P.J. Gargiulo was declared the winner, with Jim Vanzant, Leopard, Crouch, Naida, and Jon Hughes also transferring.

The second L Main went the full ten lap distance, with Joe Walker getting the win. Grant Schaadt, Gerrits, Brewer, Dayton Shelton, and Corey Mullins making the grade.

Leopard took the first M feature, followed by Shon Deskins, Josh Hawkins, Naida, Kyle Hawse, and Sye Lynch.

Earl McDoulett, Jr., Shelton, Brewer, Hawkins, Pierce Urbanosky, and Matt Johnson came from the second M feature.

Leopard started his record-setting run in the first N feature. Naida, Hawkins, Tommy Colburn, John Hartzman, and Kevin Studley moved along.

Bill Johnson, Urbanosky, Tadd Holliman, Brewer, Ben Covich, and Matt Johnson went forward from the second N feature.

Naida won the first O feature. Colburn, Hawkins, Seth Shebester, Matt Carr, and Chris Hartman advanced.

Ryan Bowers, Holliman, Matt Johnson, Cody Beard, Brewer, and Covich advanced from the second O feature.

Shebester, Chris Hartman, Eric Webber, Kevin Mahoney, and Carr started the day in the first P feature.

In the second P feature, Noah Madler, Jordan Knoght, Sammy Swindell, Henry Chambers, Donovan Peterson, and Mike Sullivan advanced. Swindell crashed out of his O feature.