Connect with us

Dirt Racing

Zeigler Apologetic After Labor Day 55 Win, Altobelli Annihilates Modified Field

Published

on

BEDFORD, PA (September 1, 2023): When a racer wins one of the most historic Super Late Model Races in the region, he should be ecstatic. Especially when the race is sanctioned by the ULMS and when it pays a hefty $12,055 to the winner. But Mason Zeigler was noticeably subdued after taking his second triumph in the annual Labor Day 55 classic.

Zeigler got to victory lane after he tangled with Alex Ferree on a lap 47 restart. Ferree led from the start and he withstood a similar move several laps earlier. Zeigler again threw a wicked slider at Ferree, and there was heavy side-to-side contact between them. Both cars got sideways, Zeigler checked up, and maintained his forward momentum. However, Ferree spun to the top of the track. Rather than taking his position at the rear of the field, Ferree called it a night.

Zeigler was greeted by a cascade of boos and derogatory remarks when he drove up onto the fairgrounds stage. “I didn’t deserve that win,” he said sheepishly. “I got loose and I doored him. Alex is my buddy. I’m going to try to make it right with him. It would be different if we were rivals, but he’s my buddy. I’m sorry to all the fans to stink up a show like that.”

Ferree and Coleby Frye started on the front row for the holiday special. Matt Cosner was inside row two sporting a throwback paint scheme. Max

Blair was his dancing partner. Zeigler rolled off in third, with Tyler Emery on his flank. Gregg Satterlee and Brian Bernheisel had row four to themselves. Jeff Rine, who was eventually crowned as the Bedford Speedway points champion, lined up in row five, along with Dylan Yoder.

Michael Norris and Jason Covert made it an even dozen. Further back in the field were Kyle Hardy, Kyle Lee, Ryan Montgomery, Logan Zarin, Justin Weaver, Colton Flinner, Dan Stone, and Jakob Piper.

Ferree and Frye charged into turn one at the start of the fifty-five lap A Main held under the ULMS banner. Cosner, Emery, Blair, Zeigler, Bernheisel, Satterlee, and Yoder were sorting themselves out. The top five remained unchanged as Ferree began to distance himself from Frye, even as he entered lapped traffic around lap ten.

Seven rounds later, the traffic picked up as Ferreee was still cruising out front. However, due to the other cars, which were fighting for positions, Ferreee got held up and Frye closed in to a couple of car lengths behind the leader.

Blair moved into fourth on lap twenty-three and he was closing in on Cosner. Meanwhile Ferree got into a safe position and he started to pull away from Frye and Cosner once again.

Ferree’s advantage was swept away with the display ofn the first caution twenty-nine laps into the contest. For the first Delaware couple-file restart, Ferree was all alone out front, with Frye, Cosner, Blair, Zeigler, Emery, Bernheisel, Jeff Rine, Hardy, and Norris making up the top ten. Norris surrendered his preferred spot, though, when he pitted with a flat right rear while the field was under the caution.

Frye took a run at the leader on the green, but Ferree was up to the task. He remained ahead of “Superfly.” Due to Norris’ misfortune, Lee moved into the top ten. Six laps later, Lee brought out caution number two when he stopped at the entry to turn three.

On the ensuing restart, Zeigler was lined up in third, but he would not stay there for long. Entering turn one, he made a bold move to the inside of Ferree. Zeigler grabbed the lead briefly, but Ferree rode the rim to regain the advantage coming off turn two.

Three Rivers Karting

Chuck Clise called for the next caution on lap 44, when he spun on the front stretch. He did not hit any other cars or the inside wall, so he was able to regain the roster. Blair was not so fortunate on the restart, though. He tangled with Hardy and Frye, and spun to the inside a bit closer to the flagstand. Blair’s car sustained some damage to the right front corner, and he needed assistance from a tow truck to get back to the pits.

Lee brought out another caution just three laps later, setting up Zeigler’s aggressive inside move that changed the complexion of the race. Zeigler was able to keep moving and Ferree retired from the race, much to the dismay of the large crowd on hand. Ferree was a sentimental favorite as his car owner, Lynn Geisler, won the Labor Day 55 back in 1998 under the MACS sanction.

However, Zeigler stopped to get some sheet metal pulled from around the right rear. He was able to retain his point position for the final green of the night.

Zeigler got away cleanly and Cosner hovered in second. Frye rallied in the final eight laps, but he could not make up any positions on Zeigler or Cosner. Frye, Hardy, and Rine took the next three positions.

Yoder, Zarin, Emery, Montgomery, and Bernheisel completed the top ten.

Four heat races were presented, with the checkers going to Emery, Frye, Ferree, and Bernheisel. The B Mains were split between Montgomery and Zarin. The evening’s fastest qualifier was Emery, with a lap of 19.479 in Group A. Zeigler did have fast time, but his lap was disallowed for leaving the track in turn four instead of turn two after his rapid run. He was one of a handful of racers who suffered that fate. The top runner in Group B was Ferree, with a time of 19.601.

In the Mid-Atlantic Modified go, Donnie Farling raced to the front from his outside pole position. Drake Troutman ran along in second, followed by john Whitfield, Brandon Hoover, and Mitch Thomas, who was doing double duty.

Mike Altobelli moved ahead, taking second in traffic with a dozen laps in the books. Although a caution came out almost immediately, Altobelli had the advantage at the flagstand so he started on the pole.

Altobeli took the checkers ahead of Farling, Drake Troutman, Jacob Marker, and Ridge Bookwalter. Nabbing positions six through ten were Whitfield, Dave Troutman, Bruce Dreistadt, Tom Wakefield, and Ryan Dolan.

Preliminaries belonged to Altobelli and Mitchell. There was no B Main.

Bedford Speedway will be back in action on Sunday, September 3, with Championship Night for the Late Model Spportsmen, Semi Late Models, Pure Stocks, and Four Cylinders.

Then, the three-day Dave Toutman Memorial will be held Thursday through Staurday, September 21 through 23. Racing will return with the Annual Keystone Cup for the Super Late Models on October 20 and 21. Friday support will come from the Semi Late Models, Pure Stocks, and Four Cylinders. The Late Model Sportsmen and the Mid-Atlantic Modifieds will add to the show on Staurday, which is the season finale.

Dirt Racing

Rahmer and Norris Get Second Wins of the Season at Lincoln Speedway in Fallen Firefighters Memorial

Published

on

Photo: Jeremy Zarfos

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (May 17, 2025): A brief delay for a passing shower did not dampen the spirits of those attending the Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway. Freddie Rahmer, Jr. fought off a desperate late race charge from Chase Dietz to bank $6,000 for the 410 Sprints. Dylan Norris rebounded from a disappointing run in that race to capture the 358 Sprint finale, collecting in excess of $1,500 for his efforts. For each driver, it was their second victory of the season in the Pigeon Hills.

Rahmer had no idea that Dietz was closing until he saw the nose of car a split second before he lost the lead at the scoring loop. However, Rahmer rallied to regain the lead in turn three heading for the white flag. Dietz wasn’t quite finished, though, as he dove low off turn four heading for the checkers. Rahmer nipped him at the line to score the exciting win.

Rahmer, who rode the rim for most of the race, said that he was starting to struggle with the lapped cars. So, when the field aligned for teh final restart with six laps remaining, he decided to move to the bottom groove. He thought that there would be some clean rubber there. However, he added, “it slowed the pace down too much.” Then, after Dietz charged by on the insdide, Rahmer moved up to the middle of the track, picking up enough speed to drive by on the back stretch so he could close the door at the entry to turn three.
Dietz, who came so close to picking up his second win of the weekend, commented that he waited too long to move back to the top after passing Rahmer for the lead.

With the starting line-up determined by PA Speedweek procedures, Rahmer was fortunate to draw the pole position. He was flanked by Aaron Bollinger. Matt Campbell and Kyle Moody were in row two. The last driver in the re-draw, Tyler Ross, was inside of row three, with Ashton Torgerson as his runningmate. Cameron Smith and point leader Troy Wagaman, Jr. made up row four. The fifth belonged to Ryan Newton and Brandon Rahmer. Then came Chad Trout and Chris Frank.

Rahmer, Jr. claimed the early lead over Bollinger, Moody, Campbell, Torgerson, Ross, Wagaman, Smith, Brandon Rahmer, and Frank. While the first three ran in single file formation, Torgerson, Campbell, and Ross were battling for the fourth spot. Torgerson took iy moments before the first caution, on lap four, for a spin by Dallas Schott to turn four.

Campbell regained the position soon after the race resumed. When the leaders entered lapped traffic, Campbell began to gain on them.

He moved into third by lap eighteen, the midpoint of the race. After another brief stoppage, on lap twenty-one, Campbell moved into second. Although he got within a car length of Rahmer, Jr., Campbell could not make a move for the lead.

Campbell was not the only racer making progress in the event. Dietz, who started thirteenth, was running in the middle of the pack through the first half of the contest. In the second half, though, his car came to life, and he began to move ahead.

He was sitting eighth for the restart on lap twenty-one, and he cracked the top five by lap thirty, when the final caution was displayed.
When the green light came on again, Dietz was ready. He picked off Moody and Bollinger almost immediately. Soon thereafter, be shot past Campbell. The excitement built as he closed in on Rahmer. As the lead duo crossed the scoring loop for lap thirty-three, Dietz was a nose ahead of Rahmer, Jr. Dietz cleared him in turn one, but Rahmer fought back. Rahmer got a good run down the backstretch and he was able to shut the door on Dietz entering turn three,

Three Rivers Karting

Rahmer stayed in the middle groove and Dietz went back to the top. He built some moementum on the final lap and turned under Rahmer coming through the final corner. Dietz came up short in the stretch run by .045 seconds.

Campbell crossed in third, followed by Bollinger, and Moody. Torgerson, Wagaman, Ross, Smith, and Newton rounded out the top ten.

The three heat winners were Moody, Campbell, and Bollinger. They each picked up $100. Kody Hartlaub won the B Main. He also earned a $500 bonus as the evening’s fastest qualifier with a lap of 14.430 seconds. Dietz was the hard charger, good for an extra $400.

In the nightcap for the 358 Sprint Cars, Ayden Hare and Bo Gordon drew the front row. Jude Siegel and Seth Schnoke were in the second row, followed by Aistin Reed and Ashley Cappetta. However, a multi-car tangle in turn one on the opening lap substantially altered the remainder of the line-up.

When the race got going, Hare led Gordon, Cameron Merriman, Cappetta, Siegel, Dylan Norris, Andy Best, Frankie Herr, Jayden Wolf, and James Roselli. Merriman quickly moved into second and took over the point on lap four. Norris followed into third.

Cautions on laps seven, nine, and ten interrupted the flow of the race, but they did not dter the advancement of Norris into second position.

Norris charged past Merriman on lap eleven and was never headed.

Merriman held on for second and Hare for third, followed by Gordon and Cappetta. Siegel, Wolf, Best, Herr, and Steve Owings completed the top ten.

The four heat wins, with an undisclosed bonus for each winner, went to Tyler Ulrich, Herr, Austin Reed, and Norris. Chase Guttshall won the B Main. Owings received the $200 hard charger bonus.

Next week, Lincoln Speedway presents the Bob Leiby Memorial for 410 Sprint Cars joined by the Limited Stocks. On May 31, the Steve Smith Tribute Race will be held for the 410 and 358 Sprints. The revived All Star Circuit of Champions will roll into town on June 7. They will be accompanied by the 358 Sprints. That will be the Elijah Hawkins Memorial.

Continue Reading

Dirt Racing

Macri Defends the Home Turf Against the Outlaws

Published

on

Photo by Paul Arch

MECHANICSBURG, PA (May 10, 2025): Anthony Macri remains undefeated at the Williams Grove Speedway in 2025. He led wire to wire in the World of Outlaws main event to retain the Morgan Cup for the Pennsylvania Posse. And, he added another cool $20,000 to his bank account for his first ever Outlaws triumph at the Grove.

Macri described the experience of defeating the Outlaws at the Grove as “surreal.”

He was challenged briefly in turn one by the ten-time Outlaws champion, Donny Schatz. However, Macri rode the high groove to fend off the attack. “I just figured we had the groove up top, and I had the wing back.”

David Gravel came on in the late stages of the contest to take second spot, but he was no match for Macri on this night. Gravel was fortunate to avoid a multi-car crash in turn four that claimed Carson Macedo and Logan Schuchart, who were contending for teh fourth spot at the time. Gravel explained “i said “aw shit” when I went into three and that lapped car spun. I went low and they all went high.” He added, “I felt good on the bottom, but (when I got to second) only the top was open and I wasn’t as good up there.”

Danny Dietrich was in contention for much of the race but he got shuffled back on the lap fourteen restart. He battled back though to give the Posse two of the three podium positions. “I wish it would have stayed green,” he said. “I was on the inside and that wasn’t the place to be. I got freight-trained and I had to fight back from there.”

Bill Balog was the unexpected pole sitter for the thirty lap affair. after his Dash win. Macri was to his right. Schuchart and Schatz made up the second row. Then came Gravel and Dietrich. Justin Whittall and Conner Morrel were the final cars from the Dash. Row five belonged to Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo. Row six consisted of Troy Wagaman, Jr. and Giovanni Scelzi.

Although Balog was first into turn one, he left the top groove open for Macri. Macri took advantage of the opportunity and he powered off turn two with the lead. Balog’s time among the leaders ended on the next trip around the historic half mile. He spun in turn two to bring out the first caution. Fortunately no other competitors were collected in the incident.

Macri had the inside line for the restart with Schatz on his flank and Dietrich on his rear nerf bar. Schuchart, Gravel and Macedo were next in the running order.

Three Rivers Karting

When the green flashed on again, Macri drove away from Schatz and Dietrich. There was good separation between them until Macri entered lapped traffic. Schatz closed in and he managed to pull up next to Macri in turn one on once occasion. However, he could not complete the pass. Macri continued to lead Schatz and Dietrich until the lap fourteen calamity which required a red flag. That melee was triggered by T.J. Stutts.

The departure of Macedo and Schuchart from the lead group moved Gravel into fourth, followed by Kofoid, Whittal, Scelzi, Freddie Rahmer, Jr., Morrel, and Shelcon Haudenschild for the final restart of the night.

While Macri and Schatz held the top two positions, Gravel moved into third, followed by Whittal. Dietrich slipped back to fifth and he was being challenged by Rahmer.

Gravel picked off Schatz in traffic on lap twenty-two, but he was nearly a full straight behind Macri when he took over second.

Macri maintained a safe margin the rest of the way. Schatz held third for several laps. However, Dietrich got rolling again and he chased him down in the final laps. Dietrich took third with twenty-eight complete.

Schatz held on for fourth, followed by Whittall, who logged his first top five against the touring pros. Kofoid, Rahmer, Haudenschild, Scelzi, and Wagaman completed the top ten.

The heats were evenly split between the two factions. Schuchart and Gravel took the checkers for the visitors, and Macri and Whittal prevailed for the home team. Daryn Pittman won the C Main and parlayed that into a transfer from the B Main. The B Main winner was Ashton Torgerson. The evening’s fastest time was logged by Schuchart, who topped Group A with a lap of 16.471 seconds. Macri was the best in Group B with a time of 16.515.

Williams Grove Speedway will be back in action on Friday, May 16 with the 410 and 358 Sprints. May 23 will offer the 410 and 305 Sprints. The month of May will conclude with another 410 and 358 Sprint program.

Continue Reading

Dirt Racing

Kofoid Takes Gettysburg Clash

Published

on

Photo by Paul Arch

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (May 7, 2025): Buddy Kofoid captured the Northeastern opener for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway. Although Kofoid led all thirty-five laps, he did lose the lead briefly to Chase Dietz in turn four following a lap eight restart.

Kofoid admitted that he did not anticipate Dietz’s move. After Dietz slid him at the entry to that corner, Kofoid deftly turned back under Dietz coming off the turn to regain the lead before the duo reached the scoring loop. Hence, there was no official lead change recorded. “I just could cut the middle,” Kofoid noted of his unexpected path to recovery. “As the leader, you don’t know until you know.”

Kofoid explained that his car was very maneuverable. “I could move around pretty good. But, I was good enough to stay on top.”

Track conditions favored his lane choice. He explained that the top was not very difficult in turns three and four “because it is a little wider. (Turns) one and two got kinda slick and I needed to be careful. I cut it down through one and two.”

Dietz, who has one win so far this season, said that he was “sick and tired of finishing second.” He added that his car was a “little tight on the top.” Nevertheless, “right at the end, I got closer (to Kofoid) But I couldn’t do a slider.”

Anthony Macri came on strong at the end of the race as well. He made up considerable ground on David Gravel and made a last lap pass to reach third. “There was rubber off (turn) two and I got my wing back and I had a good run down the straight. He (Gravel) got hung up behind some lapped cars.”

Kofoid earned the pole position by dominating the Dash. Gravel, the top winner on the Outlaws circuit so far this season, was his running mate. Skyler Gee and Danny Dietrich made up teh second row, with Lucas Wolfe and Dietz in the third. The final two Dash participants, Macri and Giovanni Scelzi, occupied row four. Then came Kyle Moody and Hunter Schuerenberg. Carson Macedo and Bill Balog lined up in row six.

Kofoid snatched the lead, with Gravel and Gee in hot pursuit. Dietz held fourth. Dietrich, Scelzi, Wolfe, Macri, Schuerenberg, and Haudenschild followed. In the early rounds.

A caution was displayed on lap four for the two-car tangle of Ryan Smith and Parker Price Miller in turn four. Although only one more trip around the speedway was completed before the next interruption, it was a productive lap for Dietz, who edged Gravel for second at the scoring loop moments before the pace was slowed.

Three Rivers Karting

The second caution came when Wolfe went around in turn one collecting Freddie Rahmer, Jr. and Cole Macedo. Conner Morrell was also involved.

On the restart, Gee and Gravel swapped positions a couple of times. Dietrich, who was watching that action just ahead of him, but he faded out of the top ten before stopping at the entry to turn three with a flat right rear tire. Dietrich got new rubber and returned at the rear of the field.

The remaining twenty-seven laps spun off with no other incidents. Dietz brought the Lincoln faithful to their feet with his slider in turn four, but Kofoid reclaimed the lead, disappointing the crowd.

Kofoid built his lead again as the race progressed. Dietz, Gravel, Gee, and Macri made up the top five for much of that long run.
Just after the halfway mark, Macri began his march to the front. He took fourth by lap twenty. His final five laps were masterful as he chased down and passed Gravel for the third position.

Sheldon Haudenschild was fifth, followed by Carson Macedo, Gee, Scelzi, Logan Schuchart, and Dietrich.

Schuchart was named the hard charger for advancing eleven positions.

Dietz, Dietrich, Gee, and Scelzi won their respective heat races. Matt Campbell took the B Main and Brandon Rahmer was first in teh C Main. Dietz was the fastest qualifier of the night, topping Group A with a lap of 13.344 seconds. Gee paced Group B with a lap of 13.521 seconds.

Lincoln Speedway will be dark on Saturday, May 10, in consideration of the Outlaws event at Williams Grove Speedway. Lincoln will return to action on the seventeenth with the annual Fallen Firefighters Memorial featuring the 410 and 357 Sprints. Two more memorial events will close out the month. The Bob Leiby Memorial will be on May 24 with the 410 Sprints and Stock Cars on tap.

The Steve Smith Tribute will go on May 31 for the 410 and 358 Sprints.

Continue Reading

Discover more from Pittsburgh Racing Now

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading