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Dirt Racing

Lee Repeats as UMP Modified Champion at East Bay

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GIBSONTON, FL (February 3, 2024): Lucas Lee came back to win the finale for the UMP Modifieds during the WInternationals at East Bay Raceway Park. It was his second consecutive triumph in the winter classic. He won a pair of the preliminaries earlier in the week, and remained competitive in the other events, but he was not racing for the wins. He wasn’t worried, though, for he was confident that he had something special for Saturday night. Indeed, he did.

Lee ran in the top three for almost the entire race. He challenged Cole Czarneski for second on several occasions, but Lee came to life in the final twenty-five laps. Most of that run to the checkers was spent racing side by side with Kyle Strickler. “I thank him for racing me clean,” Lee said. “He could have come down and chopped me off.” Lee recalled a similar duel with Strickler at Florence Speedway, when Strickler came out on top, and he was very satisfied that the finish was reversed this time around.

Lee attributed much of his success to changing track conditions. “It cleaned up enough that I could go in hard.” Lee explained that the harder that he entered the corners, the better the car stuck. He made up a lot of time racing the inside line in turns three and four, but he conceded that Strickler was probably better than he was at the other end of the track. The eye test showed as much. During their struggle for the lead, Strickler was able to gain a slight advantage by rolling the top in turns one and two, but Lee could at least pull even or move ahead in three and four.

Strickler agreed that track conditions were important. He lost the lead in the middle stage of the race. His car began to push through turns three and four and Czarneski was able to drive hard in those corners. “It slicked off in four and I had to find a new line,” Strickler explained. Despite losing the race to his friend, Lee, Strickler was happy. “That was a lot of fun. This is probably the best I have felt finishing second. It doesn’t sting as much as last night.” Strickler thought that he gave away the Friday preliminary. Strickler, who now spends most of the time racing a Late Model, added that he really enjoys racing the Modified and finds it to be much less stressful.

Strickler drew the pole for the seventy-five lapper. Czarneski was by his side. Brad DeYoung and Ryan Gierke occupied row two, the last two cars locked into the A Main were Michael Leach and Lee. Then came the heat winners, led by Devin Dixon and Trey Jacoby. Rodney Wing and Brian Skaggs came next. The final heat winner, Austin Holcombe, was paired with David Pollen in row six.

Strickler led Czarneski, DeYoung, Gierke, Leach, Lee, Jacoby, and Wing in the early going. A caution three laps in re-set the running order, as Gierke was sent to the tail for turning a fellow competitor. On the restart, Lee was able to wrestle second away from Czarneski, but the teen regained the position just before the next caution, which appeared on lap eleven. In that interval, Leach and Wing moved into the top five. In addition, Jason Garver, winner of one of the B Mains, climbed into the top ten from seventeenth on the grid.

Czarneski continued to shadow Strickler when the race resumed. Lee stayed close in third while trying to hold off Leach and Wing. Garver’s dash to the front took a severe blow when he lost the left rear tire. He pitted on the caution and resumed the race, but any chances of a win were gone.

Following the restart, Strickler led Czarneski and Lee into traffic. Strickler had some difficulties working past the slower cars, and that enabled Czarneski to slip by on the inside coming off turn four. Czarneski led up to the fuel stop on lap thirty-five. Lee maintained third but he let the leaders get away in traffic.

At the fuel stop, Czarneski was the leader over Strickler, Lee, Leach, Jacoby, DeYoung, Holcombe, Michael Turner, Austin Sanders, and Pollen. Of note, Turner was the winner of the second B Main and he methodically worked his way ahead.

When the race resumed, Strickler made a bold move to the top of the speedway. He was able to maintain momentum and he pulled alongside Czarneski. Strickler got his nose ahead to lead lap thirty-seven. While the lead duo ran side-by-side, Lee was lurking. Leach and Jacoby were fighting for fourth, with Wing close behind them.

At lap fifty, Leach lost the handle and took a visit to the pits. On the ensuing restart, Lee asserted himself. While Strickler led, Lee and Czarneski fought for second. The Tennessee veteran claimed the position by lap fifty-five, and he set out after Strickler. It did not take him very long to mount a serious challenge for the lead.

Lee was on the bottom, and Strickler was up on the cushion. The two ran side-by-side for a number of laps before Strickler got the advantage. The final caution appeared on lap sixty-three. The battle for the lead picked up again when the green light flashed on for the last time. Lee got a strong run coming off turn four to lead lap sixty-seven.

Strickler fought back to regain the lead, but he could not dispose of Lee. Lee’s persistence paid off on lap seventy-two when he went to P1 on the scoreboard. Strickler continued to run the high side and he was able to pull alongside Lee.

The duo took the white flag racing side-by-side. Lee cut two good corners to get a slight advantage heading down the back stretch for the last time. Strickler pulled all the stops in the final corners and came up just a tad short at the checkers. Lee got the win by 0.272 seconds.

Czarneski had a choice seat for the final showdown, but he was too far back to join the fun that unfolded in front of him. Jacoby and Wing completed the top five. Leach came back after his miscue and a trip to the pits to garner sixth. Dixon, Skaggs, Turner, and Alan Weisser rounded out the top ten.

DeYoung and Holcombe were the last two cars on the lead lap.

Dirt Racing

Parker Price-Miller rules the Fantasy Cup at PA Motor Speedway

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Photo: Steve Skarupa/PPMS

By Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway

IMPERIAL, PA (September 5, 2026) – The 3rd Annual Dow Carnahan Fantasy Cup delivered exactly what fans came to Dirt’s Monster Half Mile to see Saturday night, but one driver made sure the biggest story of the evening belonged to him.

PPMS packed the night with qualifying, nine heat races, a B Main, and six feature events, all building toward the 25-lap main event for the Falconi’s Moon Township Automotive FAST on Dirt 410 Sprint Car Series.

When the green flag dropped for the Fantasy Cup, “The Law Firm” Parker Price Miller (71), from Kokomo, Indiana, wasted no time taking control.

What followed was a wire-to-wire performance as Price Miller led all 25 laps and never surrendered the top spot on his way to winning the 3rd Annual Dow Carnahan Fantasy Cup.

But the Sprint Cars were only part of a night filled with familiar faces finding their way back to victory lane.

Matt Benard (15), from Oakdale, picked up his third win of the season in the Rohrich Parts Center/Chevrolet Performance RUSH Late Model feature.

Nick Kocuba (10), from Burgettstown, added another victory in the Kehm Oil Penn Ohio Pro Stock feature.

Ryleigh Heasley (212), from Beaver, continued his winning ways with another victory in the Young Guns feature.

Garrett O’Patchen (25), from Scott Township, returned to victory lane in the Auto House Hobby Stock feature.

Shawn Metty (45), from Rawlings, Maryland, completed the night’s list of winners by taking the checkered flag in the Northeast Crown Vic Series feature.

And while Price Miller may have led every lap of the headline event, there was plenty more happening behind him before the final checkered flag fell at Dirt’s Monster Half Mile.

A strong field of 26 Falconi’s Moon Township Automotive FAST on Dirt 410 Sprint Cars was on hand for the 3rd Annual Dow Carnahan Fantasy Cup.

Following qualifying, the field was divided into three heat races, with each heat winner and the fastest qualifier from each group drawing for the top six starting positions in the 25-lap A Main.

Parker Price Miller (71), from Kokomo, Indiana, started the night by setting fast time with a lap of 16.921, but that was only the beginning of what was to come.

Price Miller later drew the pole for the 25-lap Falconi’s Moon Township Automotive FAST on Dirt 410 Sprint Car feature, with Brandon Spithaler (22), from Butler, starting alongside him in second.

Carl Bowser (11), from Butler, started third with Leyton Wagner (38), from Enon Valley, lining up fourth.

When the green flag dropped, Price Miller immediately jumped out to the lead with Spithaler following him into second.

As the leaders quickly began working through lapped traffic, Wagner moved his way into the runner-up position and tried to close the gap on Price Miller.

But every time the traffic seemed like it might give the field an opportunity, Price Miller continued to control the race from the front.

Then, with just one lap remaining, the yellow flag flew and erased the advantage Price Miller had built, giving the field one final shot at “The Law Firm.”

It still wasn’t enough.

Price Miller nailed the restart and completed a dominant wire-to-wire performance, leading all 25 laps and picking up right where he left off during his last visit to Dirt’s Monster Half Mile with a victory in the 3rd Annual Dow Carnahan Fantasy Cup.

Bowser finished second, Wagner crossed the line third, Ricky Peterson finished fourth, and Jeremy Kornbau rounded out the top five.

Heat race victories went to AJ Flick, Carl Bowser, and Brandon Matus.

Mitch Harble picked up the victory in the B Main.

A field of 17 Rohrich Parts Center/Chevrolet Performance RUSH Late Models was on hand Saturday night, and with just two points separating the top three drivers in the championship standings, every position suddenly carried a little more weight.

Tom Klein (77), from Rochester, entered the night leading the standings with 775 points, while Clinton Hersh (16), from Somerset, sat second with 774 points and Brandon Burgoon (5X), from McDonald, was right behind them in third with 773 points.

That made the 20-lap feature more than just another race, especially with Burgoon starting from the pole.

Matt Benard (15), from Oakdale, started alongside Burgoon in second, while Zach Gunn (17G), from McDonald, lined up third and Jacob Billyk (4), from New Castle, started fourth.

When the green flag dropped, Benard quickly took control of the race with Burgoon settling into second and Gunn running third.

Benard continued to lead as the laps clicked away, but a caution on lap 12 suddenly erased his advantage and gave the field another opportunity.

Benard chose the outside for the restart with Burgoon lined up to his inside, setting up a late-race showdown with both the win and valuable championship points hanging in the balance.

When green replaced yellow, Benard held onto the top spot and quickly regained control of the race.

Nobody could take it away from him.

Benard led all 20 laps to pick up his third win of the season in the Rohrich Parts Center/Chevrolet Performance RUSH Late Models.

Gunn finished second, Burgoon crossed the line third, Daryl Charlier finished fourth, and Hersh rounded out the top five.

Heat race victories went to Clinton Hersh and Zach Gunn.

The Kehm Oil Penn Ohio Pro Stocks rolled onto Dirt’s Monster Half Mile for their 12-lap feature with Nick Kocuba (10), from Burgettstown, starting from the pole.

Jordan Perkins (13), from New Wilmington, lined up alongside Kocuba in second, while Adam Kostelnik (36), from East McKeesport, completed the three-car field in third.

When the green flag dropped, Kocuba immediately took control of the race and never gave the top spot back.

Kocuba led all 12 laps from green to checkered to pick up another Kehm Oil Penn Ohio Pro Stock victory at PPMS.

Perkins finished second with Kostelnik crossing the line third.

The Kehm Oil Penn Ohio Pro Stocks did not run a heat race.

Kane Zupancic (11), from Collier, started on the pole for the 10-lap Young Guns feature with Hunter Bennett (67), from New Cumberland, West Virginia, alongside him in second.

Ryleigh Heasley (212), from Beaver, started third, while Connor Greynolds (18) was listed as a DNS.

When the green flag dropped, Heasley wasted no time making her move, shooting from third into the early lead with Zupancic following her into second and Bennett settling into third.

Once Heasley grabbed the top spot, nobody was taking it away.

She led all 10 laps from green to checkered to pick up another Young Guns victory at Dirt’s Monster Half Mile.

Zupancic finished second, Bennett crossed the line third, and Greynolds was credited with fourth.

The heat race victory went to Kane Zupancic.

Shawn Metty (45), from Rawlings, Maryland, started on the pole for the 10-lap Northeast Crown Vic feature with Dacron Powell (13), from Wiley Ford, West Virginia, alongside him in second.

Garrett Wolfe (22), from North Huntington, started third with Mike Matta (7), from West Mifflin, lining up fourth.

When the green flag dropped, Metty immediately took control of the race and quickly established himself as the driver to beat.

Once out front, Metty never gave the rest of the field an opening.

He led all 10 laps from green to checkered to pick up the Northeast Crown Vic victory.

Devin Thompson finished second, Wolfe crossed the line third, Powell finished fourth, and Matta rounded out the top five.

The heat race victory went to Dacron Powell.

Last but not least was the 15-lap Auto House Hobby Stock feature, with Joe Brown Jr. (48), from Aliquippa, starting on the pole and Leroy Brown (40B), also from Aliquippa, starting alongside him in second.

Tom Anton (64), from Jefferson Hills, started third with Adam Kostelnik (25A) lining up fourth.

When the green flag dropped, L. Brown jumped out to the early lead with Garrett O’Patchen (25), from Scott Township, moving into second.

L. Brown controlled the opening portion of the race, but O’Patchen stayed within striking distance as the laps began to disappear.

On lap 10, O’Patchen made his move and took over the top spot.

Once out front, O’Patchen never gave it back, leading the final five laps on his way to another Auto House Hobby Stock victory.

Kostelnik finished second, L. Brown crossed the line third, Marc Corio (14) finished fourth, and J. Brown Jr. rounded out the top five.

Heat race victories went to Stephen Shelpman and Leroy Brown.

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Dirt Racing

Dietrich Takes Hawkins Memorial at Lincoln

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Photo: Lincoln Speedway

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (September 5, 2026):  Danny Dietrich scored his second consecutive victory in the Elijah Hawkins Memorial at Lincoln Speedway. The race, the first of two Labor Day Duels, celebrated the life of a young boy who loved Sprint Car racing. He succumbed to burn injuries in July of 2021.

Dietrich’s second Lincoln win of the season and seventh overall netted the Gettysburg driver $7,000.

This one, however, was controversial.

Late in the thirty-five lap contest, Dietrich chased down Freddie Rahmer Jr. in traffic. Rahmer Jr., who led from lap twelve, began driving defensively as Double D explored his options to get by. Rahmer Jr. brushed the wall at the exit of turn four and Dietrich went low to make the pass on lap thirty-three. Rahmer Jr. immediately began plotting for a counterattack.

On the next trip around, it was Dietrich’s turn to get loose coming through turn four. He, too, brushed the wall coming off the corner and heading to the white flag. As Dietrich came down the track, Rahmer Jr. tried to get to his inside. The two racers collided. Rahmer Jr. spun down the track and collected Justin Whittall, who was running a lap down in tenth at the time. Dietrich then held off Logan Rumsey in a one lap shootout for the win.

“There was a monster cushion in (turn) four,” the happy victor said. “I went in hard and got over the cushion.” Dietrich noted that he had two wheels into the fluff. He did not realize that he had made contact with Rahmer Jr. until he saw the mark on his own left rear tire in victory lane.

Dietrich explained that he and crew chief Jake Sprugnoli worked hard all day to get his car ready for this event. “We busted our butts to get this car ready for today. It was just the two of us in the shop.” He explained that the car had not raced since July. They switched machines so that his other ride would be fresh for the upcoming Tuscarora 50.

Rumsey battled with T.J. Stutts on the opening lap. Rumsey’s slider in turn three put the nineteen-year-old out front. They continued to lead in the early laps, with Rahmer Jr. lurking in third. Chase Dietz and Dietrich followed.

The more experienced Rahmer Jr. closed the gap on Rumsey after they got into traffic on lap seven. Rahmer Jr. assumed control five laps later.

The intensity of the race picked up after the halfway sign was displayed to the field. Rahmer Jr. continued to lead over Rumsey. Dietrich was up to third, and Dietz was fourth. Around lap twenty, the top four were racing nose to tail with no lapped cars among them. Stutts still held down fifth, but he was some distance behind the frontrunners.

Dietrich rode the top line to take over second on lap twenty-two. Rumsey stayed close as the duo began to close in on Rahmer Jr. Several laps later, Dietrich got within range to try a slider for the lead in turns three and four, but he could not pull off the pass.

Rahmer Jr. maintained his lead of six-tenths as the race was drawing to a close. After Dietrich began to press him, however, Rahmer Jr. changed his approach. He got over the berm in turn four and lost the lead to Danny Dietrich, who swooped low as they thundered down the front stretch to complete lap thirty-three.

Their battle continued for another lap. It ended when Dietrich swerved left coming off the wall in turn four. Rahmer Jr. tried to turn under him, leading to the collision that literally popped the balloon.

Track officials called for a red flag so that medical attention could be provided to Whittall, who became a victim of the leaders’ tangle.

After the field realigned for the anticlimactic last lap, Rumsey made a desperate attempt to steal the win in the final turn. However, his slider failed and he took the checkers three tenths of a second behind Dietrich.

Dietz, Troy Wagaman, Jr., and Stutts completed the top five. Cameron Smith was sixth, followed by Kyle Moody, Dylan Norris, Chad Trout, and Tyler Ross.

Lance Dewease was the hard charger for the night, coming from twenty-second to thirteenth. Rahmer Jr. received the hard luck award.

Heat wins went to Rumsey, Whittall, and Dietrich. Chris Arnold won the B Main. Stutts was the fastest of thirty cars that tested the clock. His time was 13.189 seconds.

Tim Wagaman took the win in the 358 Sprint Car nightcap. He inherited the lead when Chase Hendershot slowed in turn one and Logan Spahr struck the disabled machine. They were first and second at the time of impact.

Steve Owings was second, followed by the hard charger, Brock Hammaker, who advanced sixteen positions in the twenty lapper. Bryn Gohn and Tylar Rutherford were fourth and fifth.

Ashley Cappetta also passed sixteen cars on her way to sixth. Andy Best, Jayden Wolf, Cody Fletcher and Matt Findley rounded out the top ten.

The race got off to a rocky start. Cameron Merriman struck the turn four wall while six cars tangled further ahead on the track. None of the drivers required medical assistance.

Eli Tuckey, Owings, and Fletcher scored heat race triumphs. Travis Leh tipped over in his heat race before Jansen Strine flipped spectacularly a few laps later. Neither driver was injured in their respective spills. Hammaker took the B Main laurels.

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Dirt Racing

Hammaker Defeats Rahmer In Williams Grove Thriller

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Photo: Williams Grove Speedway

MECHANICSBURG, PA (September 4, 2026):  Doug Hammaker, a highly successful 358 Sprint Car racer at Williams Grove Speedway earlier in his career, defeated Freddie Rahmer, Jr. in a thriller to notch his first career 410 victory at the historic oval. Hammaker lost the lead to Rahmer twice during the closing laps, but he rallied to pass Rahmer in turn three on the final lap. However, Hammaker did not earn the bonus for a last lap pass because he was electronically scored as the leader on lap twenty-four by only 0.026 seconds.

Hammaker had what appeared to be an insurmountable lead with five laps remaining. But when lapped traffic slowed his pace, Rahmer was able to cut the margin significantly as the race drew to a close. Indeed, Rahmer passed Hammaker twice in the final laps, but Hammaker retained the lead at the scoring loop throughout. Nonetheless, Hammaker trailed Rahmer through turns one and two on the last lap and he made a strong inside move in turn three to regain the lead. Hammaker took the checkers 0.119 seconds ahead of his challenger.

Hammaker explained why his lead shrank in the closing laps thusly. “I hit the lapped cars at the wrong time,” adding that he seemed to reach them at the end of the long straights. “I knew I was just a sitting duck. I was trying to run the bottom and that was not the right move.” He continued, “they (the lapped cars) were too far of a gap where I couldn’t slide them. So, I had to do my best to try and carry my momentum around those corners.”

However, Rahmer first passed Hammaker on the inside coming off turn two when the leader got hung up behind some slower cars.

There were no lapped cars to interfere with Hammaker’s winning move on the final lap. Hammaker used the same strategy to salvage the win. “I ran it in on the bottom (of turn three) and I think that screwed up Freddie’s entry,” he noted. Hammaker then finished off the pass with a short slider.

Despite the frenzied last lap, Hammaker candidly admitted that Chase Dietz was the man to beat this night. Once again, though, Dietz suffered from some bad racing luck. He led Hammaker by more than 1.2 seconds moments before tangling with a lapped car in turn four on lap nine. Dietz spun toward the inside guardrail but avoided contact with the barrier. With no apparent damage, he rejoined the back of the field and raced his way into the top ten by the conclusion of the thirty lapper.

Dietz used the cushion in turn two to drive by Hammaker on the opening lap. Rahmer, Cameron Smith, and Dylan Norris made up the rest of the top five in the early going. Dietz built a substantial lead until the calamity in turn four nine laps into the event.

Hammaker inherited the lead for the restart, with Rahmer, Smith, Norris, Dietrich, Logan Rumsey, Austin Bishop, Troy Wagaman, Jr., T.J. Stutts, and Kody Hartlaub rounding out the top ten at that time. Hartlaub lost his spot in the top ten on lap fourteen, and Norris ended his top five run five laps later.

The caution for Norris was converted into an open red because track officials determined that the racers would not be able to finish the remaining eleven laps without adding fuel.

So, Hammaker had the point for the final restart with eleven laps to go. He was followed by Rahmer, Smith, Dietrich, Rumsey, Wagaman, Bishop, Stutts, Lance Dewease, and Brent Shearer.

Rahmer tried to go under Hammaker entering turn one on the restart. Hammaker had the right rear planted in the cushion, and his momentum carried him past Rahmer.

Three laps after the race resumed, Dietrich took third away from Smith with a slider in turn four. Dietrich then began to close in on Rahmer. Soon, they were both approaching Hammaker.

However, the late race drama began to unfold because Hammaker was struggling with lapped traffic. Rahmer and Dietrich had both cut into his lead. For a moment, It seemed that there would be a three-car battle for the top spot, but Dietrich lost contact with the leaders while they were navigating through the slower cars.

Rahmer made his most significant move taking the lead coming off turn two, but Hammaker was somehow ahead by a nose at the scoring loop as they took the white flag. Rahmer regained the advantage through the first two corners on the final lap. Hammaker came storming back entering turn three. Rahmer tried to turn back under him coming off turn four, but Hammaker was far enough ahead after the final two turns to secure his momentous win.

Dietrich followed Hammaker and Rahmer to the checkers. Smith and Rumsey were fourth and fifth, respectively. Wagaman, Bishop, Stutts, Dewease, and Dietz completed the top ten.

The $8,000 victory was the first for Sandy Kline at Williams Grove as the sole owner of the yellow number 22 with the throwback paint scheme. For several years, she co-owned a similar car with her late husband, Jim. Their last win at the Grove came in 2009 with the late Greg Hodnett at the controls.

Dietz, Rahmer, and Hammaker scored heat wins. There was no B Main needed for the twenty-five car field.

Justin Whittal flipped during hot laps and scratched for the night. He was not injured in the crash.

Mike Walls surprisingly passed Kyle Lee in turn two on the final lap of the Limited Late Model race. Kyle Lee took the lead from Dan Zechman on lap nine and it appeared that he would cruise to victory in the twenty lapper. However, Kyle Lee slowed when he jumped the cushion following a lap nineteen restart and Mike Walls was there to capitalize on the error.

D.J. Myers made some nifty moves in the closing laps to get third, finishing ahead of Chase Billet and Brian Booze. Travis Mease, Treyton Lee, Chad Earnst, Colton Friese, and Shannon Slaughter completed the top ten.

Lane Snook, Kyle Lee, John Moser, Jr., and Mike Wells won the heat races in the only appearance of the Limited Late Models at the track for 2026. Travis Horan captured the B Main. Thirty-three cars signed in for the event.

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