Dirt Racing
Spithaler FAST at Knox Raceway
KNOX, PA (May 14, 2023): Brendan Spithaler captured his first career victory with the FAST on Dirt Sprint Series at Knox Raceway. Also scoring opening night victories were Jimmy Holden in the 358 Modifieds and Jim Horwat in the 270 Micros.
“It feels great (to get the win). We were trying like hell last night, but I messed up and put us in a hole for points,” Spitahler said.
Sean Rayhall and Greg Wilson made up an all Buckeye front row for the start of the thirty lapper. Next in line were Kasey Jedrezek and Jack Sodeman, Jr. The third row paired up Brandon Spithaler and Justin Clark. The fourth had Michael Bauer and George Hobaugh, Jr. Row five belonged to Rickie Peterson and Brandon Matus. A.J. Flick and Carl Bowser were dance partners in row six.
The initial start was waived off due to a spin by Jedrezek in turn one. Remarkably, no others were involved.
When the green flashed on again, it stayed lit for rest of the race. With no other interruptions, and it seemed like the leaders were constantly in traffic on the tight third mile. Spithaler explained, “It was a hectic race, there was a lot of traffic out there. It was great racing with Greg (Wilson), he has a lot of wins under his belt.”
While the Ohio pilot was disappointed to lose the lead, he was appreciative of his second place finish. “Second sucks, but we’ve been so bad. This weekend we went pick and choose, and we made the podium.” Wilson gave props to Spithaler, too, “Brandon doesn’t give himself enough credit, he’s always fast when he comes our way.”
Wilson grabbed the lead, with Sodeman, Rayhall, Spithaler, Clark, Hobaugh, Peterson, Brandon Matus, and Bob Felmlee in tow. Things were unchanged through the first five laps, but Spithaler started making moves soon thereafter. He took second coming off turn two on lap nine, and he began stalking the leader.
Spithaler set Wilson up in traffic and took the lead coming through turns three and four to complete lap seventeen. Wilson stayed close, and when Spithaler encountered two lapped cars racing for position, Wilson dipped to the inside of the leader entering turn one. But, Spithaler jogged to the outside of the slower cars and passed them both, keeping Wilson pinned behind the slower cars. That gave him enough breathing room to lead the rest of the way without any further challenges.
Meanwhile, Clark and Sodeman put on a battle for the third spot. Clark came out on top, but it was a very close contest for much of the second half of the race.
“Honestly, I didn’t know what to look for,” Clark said. “I got to Jack and I couldn’t see going down the back stretch. I hope I left him enough room.”
Clark earned his first podium finish in his rookie season in a 410 Sprint Car. Sodeman had to settle for fourth. Peterson picked up several spots in the stretch run to get fifth. Positions six through ten went to Rayhall, Bauer, Flick, Felmlee, and Hobaugh.
Three heats were presented, with wins going to Rayhall, Clark, and Jadrezek. There was no B Main. Spithaler was the fastest qualifier with a time of 13.941 seconds.
A small but competitive field lined up for the fifteen lap 358 Modified go. Chad Reitz made his return to the Modified wars and started from the pole. On his wing was Tom Holden. Jimmy Holdena nd Kyle Fink were in row two, with Ayden Cipriano bringing up the rear.
Reitz showed no signs of rust despite being away from the sport for some nineteen years. He led the first two laps before Jimmy Holden took over. Ewitz did bring out the only caution of the event, though, getting loose on the front straight and coming to a stop on the inside of turn one.
Jimmy Holden held off Kyle Fink for the final five laps to get the win for car owner Mike Stine, who compiled an impressive record during his driving days. Cipriano, Tom Holden, and Reitz were the other finishers.
Fink won the preliminary for the 358 Mod men.
In the 270 Micro action, veteran Jim Horwat sat in for his son who was under the weather, and drove a flawless race. His first win at Knox Raceway came in 1987! Back then, the track was named Sportsmen’s Speedway.
James Horwat, III made things interesting in the final laps, but came up short at the checkers. Taking third was Wes Libert. Keaton Hines and Parker Lucas completed the top five. Positions six through nine went to Connor Metheney, Jace Pettigrew, Bella Betts, and Nash Lucas. Audrina Hobaugh did not start the event.
Knox Raceway will be back in action on Wednesday, May 31. That will be round one of the Western PA Sprint Speedweek. Also on the card will be the RUSH Sprints.
FAST Sorints: Brandon Spithaler, Greg Wilson, Justin CLarkm Jack Sodeman, Jr., Rickie Peterson, Sean Rayhall, Michael Bauer, A.J. Flick, Bob Felmlee, George Hobaugh, Jr., Kasey Jedrezek, Brandon Matus, Carl Bowser, Jeremy Weaver, Mitch Harble, Darin Gallagher, Jordan Ryan, Andy Cavanaugh, Michael Lutz, Jr., Brent Matus, Brandon Mazaros.
358 Modifieds: Jimmy Holden, Kyle Fink, Zyden Cipriano, Tom Holden, Chad Reitz.
270 Micros: Jim Howat, James Horwat, III, Wes Libert, Keaton Hines, Parker Lucas, Connor Metheney, Jace Pettigrew, Bella Betts, and Nash Lucas, Audrina Hobaugh (DNS).
Dirt Racing
Dietz Does It, Leads Posse Sweep
MECHANICSBURG, PA (October 3, 2025) – Chase Dietz, of York, PA, led a Posse sweep of four of the top five positions on night number one of the National Open Weekend at Williams Grove Speedway. Joining Dietz on the front stretch were second place finisher, Lance Dewease, and the third place runner, Danny Dietrich. Justin Whittall was fifth in the race. The only card carrying Outlaw was Carson Macedo, who led the first twenty-one laps before fading to fourth at the finish.
“I just want to soak it in,” Dietz said as he tried to catch his beath following the exhilarating victory, his first ever against the travelling band. Although Dietz noted that he had speed all year at the Grove, his team assembled a new car this week and, in doing so, they made a lot of changes. “The car was very maneuverable.”
Although Dietz ran most of the race in the top groove, he admitted, “I knew that the bottom was going to come in. I knew that I had to get down there before Lance (Dewease) did. I saw his nose.” As it turned out, Dietz barely got to the bottom ahead of Dewease, forcing the cagy veteran to move to the middle in the closing laps.
“We’re just extremely grateful to be here, this sport can be very humbling,” Dietz added. Even last year, when he was running his own cars, Dietz explained that they fought hard to be competitive with the Outlaws. Although they were winless, they showed good speed and had a podium finish against the Outlaws in the 2024 National Open. “I looked back at the nights when we didn’t win, and I tried to figure out what we needed to do to bet better.”
Dewease, who followed Dietz into second on lap twenty-two and wh briefly challenged him for the lead, commented, “the last three or four laps I wasn’t very good. The lapped cars made it interesting.”
Dietrich, who completed the podium for the Posse, felt that he may have had the fastest car in the final laps but, he added, “things didn’t go my way.” He explained that, when he did pass Dewease, he did not get enough of a gap on him, and that let him (Dewease) get back in.”
Macedo drew the pole for the Dash and his win in that event placed him on the pole for the twenty-five lap preliminary, which paid $12,000 to the winner. Dietrich lined up on his right, Dewease and Dietz made up row two, followed by David Gravel and Buddy Kofoid. Diason Pursley and Justin Whittall stacked our row four. Then came Daryn Pittman and Bill Balog. Row six paired Kody Hartlaub with Justin Peck.
The back of the field was almost as impressive as the first six rows. Back there were racers such as Kerry Madsen (fourteenth), Giovanni Scelzi (sixteenth), Brock Zearfoss (seventeenth), Brent Marks (eighteenth), Ryan Timms (nineteenth), Freddie Rahmer, Jr. (twentieth), Sheldon Haudenschild (twenty-first), Logan Schuchart (twenty-first), and Troy Wagaman (twenty-sixth).
Macedo held off Dietrich in turn one to assume control of the race. Dietz ran in third on the opening lap, but he drove under Dietrich in turn four to take over second one lap later. Dewease ran along in fourth, followed by Kofoid, Gravel, Whittall, Pittman, Pursley, and Balog in the early going.
The running order was pretty static through the first five or six laps. The top ten had a major shake-up on lap seven, though. Something broke on Pittman’s car in turn three, and he spun wildly toward the outside wall. In the process, he collected Pursley, Balog, and Hartlaub. Pittman and Pursely retired from the race due to the damage incurred, but Balog and Hartlaub were able to rejoin the field for the restart after pitting for repairs.
That fracas was the only caution of the race.
Macedo and Dietz resumed the battle for the lead on the restart. However, one lap later, Dewease moved into third, ahead of Dietrich, Kofoid, and Gravel. Whittall, Peck, Scelzi, and Rahmer made up the balance of the top ten. At that juncture, Wagaman was about six positions behind Rahmer in their race within the race for the point championship.
Through the middle stage of the race, Dietz began to close in on Macedo. Dewease continued in third, several car lengths behind the leaders. Dietrich was about the same distance back in fourth.
Dietz caught up to Macedo with about five or six laps remaining in the contest. He managed to pass Macedo on the inside of turn three on lap twenty-one, but Macedo countered in turn four to regain the lead.
Macedo dove to the inside heading into turn one, but he scrubbed off spme speed. Dietz was able to get some momentum coming through turn two and that propelled hin down the backstretch. He slid Macedo for the lead coming through turns three and four, and Dewease followed in his tire tracks to take over second coming off turn four.
Dietz missed the bottom entering turn one, and Dewease poked his nose under him going through the turn, Dietz recovered, and he got a good run off turn two to preserve his lead. Dietz then committed to the low line for the final laps, requiring Dewease to move more toward the middle of the track.
Dietrich dispatched Macedo and he got a run on Dewease near the end of the race. However, Dewease was able to reclaim second soon thereafter.
At the finish, it was Dietz by a tad under eight tenths of a second over Dewease. Dietrich was third, followed by Macedo and Whittall. Kofoid, Gravel, Scelzi,Peck, and Marks completed the top ten.
Rahmer was eleventh, and Wagaman sixteenth. Although Wagaman was the hard charger at plus ten, he lost valuable points to Rahmer. The two racers will be separated by 125 points, unofficially, heading into Saturday’s season finale.
Heat wins were scored by Gravel, Kofoid, Dewease, and Pursley. Ryan Newton won the non-qualifiers race. Kyle Spence recovered from a tipover in his heat race to capture the C Main. The B Main went to Haudenschild. Gravel was the evening’s fastest qualifier, with a lap of 16.409 seconds topping Group A. Dewease timed the best in Group B, with a lap of 16.760 seconds. Fifty-six cars participated in the event.
Dirt Racing
Dale Blaney Wins World Of Outlaws At Sharon Speedway
HARTFORD, OH (September 27, 2025) – Dale Blaney had the hometown crowd on their feet and screaming after winning the World of Outlaws feature Saturday Night at Sharon Speedway, the track owned for years by the Blaney family.
Blaney started fifth and passed Cole Macedo on lap 11 for the lead then held off a furious last lap charge by Buddy Kofoid to win by just 0.136 seconds for the $12,000 payday!
The victory was Blaney’s first World of Outlaws victory in 10-years, becoming the oldest winner in Series history at 61 years 7 months and 28 days. Blaney broke the previous record set by his older brother Dave when he won at 58 years of age in 2021 at Sharon.
“There’re so many good young race car drivers out here, but to win a race at 61 (years old) is awesome,” said Blaney. ““I had the feeling that I was never going to win an Outlaw race ever again. I don’t race much. This is our sixth race this year. I haven’t run in seven weeks. The car was awesome. We just got it back together this week. I don’t know what to say. It’s great and cool to win this at Sharon Speedway- it’s the only place I’ve run this year. This is a special freaking night. I know that.”
“I wanted traffic,” said Kofoid. “My car is usually amazing in traffic. He slipped up, and then I kind of got in his air and got me slipped up. And then I hit the wall coming to the checkered, and it shot me down the track. I tried to send it and was close. I’m just happy for Dale and Dave.”
Sheldon Haudenschild finished third follow by WoO points leader David Gravel in fourth. Logan Schuchart rounded out the Top 5.
The night however belonged to the Blaney family, who fittingly closed out the the first year of the new ownership group of Dave Blaney, Ryan Blaney, and Will Thomas III in Victory Lane.
Dirt Racing
Rain Halts Fallen Heroes Memorial at Lincoln Speedway
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (September 27, 2025): A persistent, localized drizzle forced a stoppage of the Fallen Heroes Memorial at the Lincoln Speedway. The event, which was originally dubbed the Fallen Firefighters Memorial, was expanded to give tribute to the three York County police officers recently slain while serving a subpoena.
Brett and Jordan Strickler, policemen in the area, honored the fallen officers on the wings of their 410 Sprint Cars.
The 410 Sprint Cars were ready to take to the track for their feature event when the rain set in for the second time of the night. A brief shower interrupted the heat races for the 358 Sprint Cars. However, after the rain stopped, the track crew and push truck operators quickly prepared the surface so that all qualifications could be completed.
The line-ups for both feature races are set, and the events will be completed on October 18, along with the full program for both divisions in the Final 50. So, fans will be treated to four features that evening.
The point races in both divisions will conclude on October 18.
Dallas Schott, Kyle Moody, and Billy Dietrich won the heat races for the 410 Sprinters. Ryan “Fig” Newton prevailed in the B Main. Troy Wagaman, Jr. was the fastest qualifier of the twenty-nine cars on hand. His time was an astonishing 12.855 seconds. He was one of four racers to turn sub-thirteen second laps.
In the 358 Sprint Car preliminaries, the checkers waved for Cameron Merriman, Logan Spahr, and Cody Fletcher. There were twenty-one 358 Sprints checked in for the contest.
On October 4, Lincoln Speedway will present AMA Flat Track Motorcycles and Quads. There will be no auto races in consideration of the National Open to be held at Williams Grove Speedway. The World of Outlaws will take on the Pennsylvania Posse on October 11. The Lincoln season will conclude with the blockbuster event, the Final 50 plus the held over features.

