Dirt Racing
Dietrich and Duke Declare Victories at Port Royal
PORT ROYAL, PA (April 6, 2024): After several attempts were foiled by wet weather, Port Royal Speedway finally got its first Sprint Car action in the books. Danny Dietrich benefited from a postponement at Lincoln Speedway to get in an extra race at the Speed Palace, and he edged out Devon Borden on a critical late race restart to earn the victory. The Keystone Racesaver Classic was carried over from last Fall due to weather issues, and former IMCA and Port Royal champion Ken Duke chalked up his first win in the prestigious event for the 305 Sprint Cars.
Dietrich chased Borden for most of the contest, but he was able to get to the inside line entering turn one when it mattered most. Borden was caught in no man’s land–the dreaded middle groove–and he could not fight back to regain the lead. Dietrich explained that his winning move was simply a matter of having more experience at the track, especially in day racing.
“We’ve been pretty good here in the daytime,” Dietrich said modestly. “We’ve got a lot of different stuff on this car and we changed a lot after the hot laps.” “He (Borden) did a good job with what he had. His car was set up differently than ours and you could see that.”
Dietrich had tried but failed to make a pass on Borden in turn one on several occasions during the race. He tried to slide him, he tried to run the inside line, he even tried the high side, all to no avail, as Borden was always able to counter whatever moves Dietrich tried. “I could drive up to his bumper, trying to get him to miss the rubber, and I’d miss the rubber,” Dietrich observed.
Jeff Halligan and Lynton Jeffrey were paired up on the front row for the start of the first 410 Sprint Car show of the 2024 season. Billy Dietrich and Borden had row two, with Lucas Wolfe and Freddie Rahmer, Jr. in row three. Corey Day and Chase Dietz claimed row four, with Gerard McIntyre, Jr. and John Karklin behind them Danny Dietrich and Lance Dewease were set to depart from row six.
On the initial start, there was contact between Halligan and Jeffrey, who turned sideways coming off turn four. He headed nose-first toward the inside, and all the other drivers had to scatter. Most made it through with little or no damage. But Jeffrey and McIntyre flipped and several others were collected. Needless to say, the line-up changed considerably for the second try at green.
Take two resembled the first, as there was contact between Halligan and Billy Dietrich in turn four, but there were no chaotic consequences.
Devon Borden surged to the front using the high line in turns one and two on the opening lap. But the remarkable moves were made by Danny Dietrich, who navigated from eighth to second by the time the racers reached the scoring loop for the first time. Halligan checked in at third, followed by Billy D., Wolfe, and Dietz. The field completed only one more round before T.J. Stutts slowed to a stop.
On the ensuing restart, Borden and Danny Dietrich separated themselves from the rest of the field. Halligan and brother Billy continued in third and fourth, but Dietz, Dewease, and Wolfe were fighting for fifth. Dewease took over fifth by lap ten, and fourth five laps later. By then, however, the first three had pulled away.
Dewease was turning the fastest laps of the race trying to cut the margin. Just as he was approaching Halligan, the caution flew on lap twenty-two due to the flat right rear on Rahmer’s car.
Double D took advantage of the restart to get a run on Borden. The tow racers hit turn one simultaneously, but Dietrich had the preferred line. Borden was stuck in the middle, and there was no grip. Dietrich drove the low line perfectly and he scooted away from Borden with ease.
The final caution came on lap twenty-four when Blane Heimbach got a flat right rear too.
The final restart was uneventful. Dietrich led the parade into turn one, and no passes were made in any of the key positions.
Danny Dietrich took the checkers ahead of Borden, Halligan, Dewease, and Billy Dietrich. Dietz took sixth in his first race for the Zemco team. Wolfe, Karklin, Logan Wagner, and Dylan Cisney completed the top ten.
Heat wins went to Dietz, Day, Rahmer, and Wolfe. Dylan Norris prevailed in the B Main.
The held over 305 feature had Drew Young and Jason Roush on the front row, with Roger Irvine and Jeff Weaver, Jr. in row two. Kenny Heffner and Nick Sweigart were in the third row. Doug Dodson and Owen Dimm were next in line. Ken Duke was paired with Kruz Kepner in row five. Zach Rhodes and Kasey Weaver had row six.
Young took the lead on the opening lap, with Roush, Irvine, Sweigart, Jeff Weaver, and Dodson following. Things remained unchanged up front through the first half of the race.
Irvine took over second on lap seventeen, and he began to whittle away at Young’s advantage. The lead was wiped away just one lap later when Landon Price came to a stop entering turn one.
On the restart, Irvine began to apply some pressure to Young, but Young began to pull away. Irvine could not maintain the pace, though, and he came under attack from Dodson and Duke.
Young and Dodson were getting ready for a two-car battle to the finish when something unexpected happened. They both lost right rear tires in the same corner on the same lap! The resulting caution set up a two-lap dash for the win, with Duke and Irvine as the front runners.
They got away cleanly and it seemed as though the outcome was determined. However, the third place car of Rhodes sustained a flat right rear as well on lap twenty-four.
So, the 305 race came down to a one-lap run for the money. Duke and Irvine remained out front. Jeff Weaver came up to third, followed by Sweigart and Roush. Dimm, Christian Rumsey, Danny Buccafusca, Nolan Groves, and Erin Statler completed the top ten.
“I didn’t have anything for Doug (Dodson) or Drew (Young),” Duke said. “I don’t know what happened to them, but I was smiling ear to ear,” he added. Duke explained that he was driving an unfamiliar car, which he debuted atthe end of 2023. “This car is different than anything I’ve ever had. I didn’t have any chance to try anything out with it.” Nonetheless, the car performed flawlessly for him and, more importantly, it did not have excessive tire wear over the course of the twenty-five lap affair.
The Founders Cup, a fifteen lap race for the non-qualifiers, closed out the action. Paul Moyer led from the pole, but with one lap remaining, Fred Arnold drove by in turn one to lead the last lap. The most important part of the win was the guaranteed starting position for the 2024 edition of the Keystone Racesaver Challenge, which will be run in the middle of the summer rather than its customary mid-October date.
Taking second was Moyer, followed by Ben Miklos. Donnie Hendershot and Alan Rhodes completed the top five. Dustin Young, Andrew Boyer, Kyle Hart, Bill Sheehan, and Jimmy White were the next five finishers.
The outstanding 45 car field required six heats and two B Mains to cut down to the twenty-six cars for the big race. The heat winners were Duke, Sweigart, Kepner, Rhodes, Jeff Weaver, Jr., and Heffner. Jacob Gomola and Jarred Rosencrance did the Western PA contingent something to cheer about, taking the twin Bs.
Port Royal Speedway will be back in action on Saturday, April 13, with a three-division program featuring the 410 Sprints, the Super Late Models, and the Limited Late Models. April 20 will have the same two headliners, but the PASS 305 Sprints will be back for their second appearance of the season. The weekend of April 27-28 will be a biggie, with the Keith Kauffman Classic going on Saturday. That will consist of the 410 Sprints paying $15,000 to the winner, along with the USAC East Coast Sprints and the Wingless Sportsmen. Then, on Sunday the 28th, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will close out the month along with the Limited Lates.
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.
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.
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.
Dietz Does It, Leads Posse Sweep
Corey Heim parlays overtime restart into record 10th NASCAR Truck Series win
Opportunistic Chase Elliott steals a NASCAR Cup Playoff win at Kansas
Dale Blaney Wins World Of Outlaws At Sharon Speedway
