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.
FRANKLIN, PA (July 10, 2024): This Sunday, July 14, the spotlight will shine on the Pro Stock division at the Tri City Raceway Park. The region’s top runners will be on hand, as the event will be part of the Penn Ohio Pro Stock Series. Of course, the track’s regulars will be there representing the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks.
“The Pro Stock class has long been part of the tradition at Tri City Raceway Park, and we are proud to have this battle among the best in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio at our track,” said the new owner Josh Shiffer.
“And, last week’s feature was a great example of the competitiveness that the Pro Stocks bring,” he added. Rod Laskey scored his first win of the season by holding off a strong challenge from Jackson Humanic, who was subbing for Josh Seippel. Seippel will be back from vacation in time for the invasion of the Penn Ohio series, in which he also competes. And, we know that Humanic will be hungry for a win after his strong finish last week.
Another track regular expected to be on hand will be Bobby Whitling. The “Seneca Slider” missed the last race due to a fuel pump failure detected at his garage. Tim Bish, a multi-time winner at Tri City this season, may return as well. He has been sidelined by an engine failure.
There will be plenty other talented drivers also carrying the Tri City flag, too. Pat Fielding, Doug Iorio, II, Russ Coyne, Jason Kimmy, Aaron Smith, Andrew Hammond, Jake Whitling, Charlie McMillen, Matt Bernard, and Hunter Exley are some whose names will be familiar to the Tri City fans.
The invaders will include Chris Schneider, who has already been a winner at Tri City this year. Tyler Dietz, Joey Zambotti, Chase Lambert, Brandon Connor, Jason Fosnaught, Brett Hutira, and Tommy Dembowski are among the Penn Ohio Series regulars who are expected as well.
This will be a unique opportunity for the Pro Stock fans to see many of the top stars on the track together, as the Sunday race date eliminates schedule conflicts for so many of the competitors.
But, there will be three other classes in action also. The Krill Recycling 410 Sprint Cars will be on the card, along with the 4 Your Car Connection RUSH Sprints. And, the 21st Century Energy Group 358 Modifieds will be back after their brief hiatus.
On Sunday evening, Matt Farnham and Michael Bauer provided a last lap thrill in the 410 Sprint Car ranks, while A.J. Flick was closing in on them both! John Mollick picked up his second win of the season with young Blaze Myers right behind him in the Rush Sprinters.
While many of his competitors were enjoying the week off from racing, 358 Modified point leader Chad Reitz was at Tri City helping his friend, Bob Felmlee. Felmlee is the points leader in the Krill Recycling 410 Sprints. Reitz will be ready with his Ford powered Modified, the only Blue Oval among the Bowtie Brigade. Eric Gabany will probably be at the controls of Steve Slater’s car once again, as medical issues have kept Slater out of the seat for the last couple of weeks. Hayden and Jimmy Holden, Kyle Fink, Lenny Liebold, III, Makayla Shannon, Frank Guidace, Eric Beggs, Troy McGregor, and many others will be looking for their first wins this season.
Regular event ticket pricing will apply for this exciting event. That means adult admission will be $15. Seniors (ages 62 and up), students (ages 11 through 16), and military will be $13, all with proper identification. The children (ages 10 and under) will be admitted for free, as usual at Tri City. The Pit Passes will be $35, with the exception of those required for the infants (ages 2 and under). The youngsters will be pitside for just $15.
The pit gates will be open at 2 p.m. and the spectator gates will open at 4 p.m. Racing will begin at 6 p.m. There will be practice for the Pro Stocks before the racing begins in earnest.
If you cannot make it to Tri City Raceway Park this week, consider the weekend doubleheader coming up on July 20 and 21. Saturday will feature a Demolition Derby and an Enduro. Next will be a Sunday Thunder program, along with Bike races for the children. Helmets will be required for all riders.
Also, mark your racing calendars for the return of the FAST on Dirt Sprint Car Series on July 28.
The divisional sponsors of Tri City Raceway Park for 2024 are: Krill Recycling, LLC (410 Sprint Cars), 21st Century Energy Group (358 Modifieds), Hovis Auto & Truck Supply (Pro Stocks), and 4 Your Car Connection (RUSH Sprint Cars).
All competitors at Tri City Raceway Park will be eligible for the Marsh Heating & Cooling Heat Race Challenge. The driver that wins the most heat races over the courseof the season, regardless of the class, will receive a special award. Currently leading in that category is Tim Bish.
Other marketing partners of Tri City Raceway Park for 2024 include: Erie Beer, Wab-Tec (manufacturer of locomotive engines), Schaeffer Lubricants, Keystone Transit (school buses), Blue Ox Timbers (buyers of timberland timber land management), Constable Refuse (residential and commercial garbage collectors), First Rate Realty (real estate sales), Landscape Connection (portable toilets and landscape supplies), KEI-Klapec Express Inc. (trucking company), BKI-Bert Klapec Inc. (excavation and demolition), Shambaugh Towing, Gibson Hill Automotive (auto repair), McCandless Ford Sales (located in Mercer and Meadville), McCandless Trailer Sales (located in Mercer and Meadville), Big Dog RC (remote controlled cars and race track), McGregor Excavating, Les Frickshun (lubricants and undercoating), Bish Heating & Cooling, Wet Hose LLC (pressure washing), Heffern Septic Service, Tionesta Builders Supply (located in Tionesta and Shippenville), UCIP-United Community Independence Program (housing and services for the handicapped), Close Racing Supply, Billy’s Garage & Towing, Oakland-Rampart Equipment (makers of centrifugal dryers, wash systems, and separators), Shaw Industries (machine shop), Welding Technologies, Froggie Radio, and Hards Welding.
Remember that you will need to check the Facebook page, Tri City Raceway Park, for current information. The former website is not updated and will soon be replaced.
Tri-City Raceway Park is located just a few miles north of Franklin, PA, at 3430 State Route 417 in Oakland Township. Professional auto racing will be presented in a family friendly atmosphere most Sunday evenings from May through Labor Day weekend.
HARTFORD, OH (July 12, 2024): Bobby Pierce chipped away again at Brandon Sheppard’s point lead on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series tour. His win on night one of the Sharon Showdown was worth $10,000. It was his third consecutive win.
Pierce mounted hard tires for the forty lapper, while many of his adversaries went with softer rubber, The decision seemed to be foolish at the start of the race, as Ryan Gustin got a hole shot on him. “It was slimy when we took the green and the hard tire did not like that. I lost four spots on the start,” Pierce noted. It took a while for the tires to come in, but, when they did, he took off. Pierce steadily moved forward, picking up most of the positions that he gave away at the start. Then, he chased down Gustin for the lead on lap twenty-one. In the second half of the race, it was a matter of keeping the tires warm, especially under the yellow. But, he added, “the last ten laps, I was hanging on. The track was tricky.”
Cade Dillard, who finished second, was one of the racers on softer tires. “We had a good car, but he (Pierce) just kept getting better and better.” Nonetheless, Dillard was pleased with the podium finish. “We needed a good run with all the bad luck lately. Hopefully, we can do better tomorrow night, but I’ll take a podium finish all night long.”
Gustin was in control for the first half of the race, but he struggled after losing the lead to Pierce. “We missed it a little bit on the set-up. It is what it is. It’s what these two-day shows are like. If you don’t win on the first night, you learn from it and go on to the next one.”
Pierce drew the pole, with Nick Hoffman on his flank. Gustin lined up in third, with Brian Shirley as his dance partner. Dillard and Michael Norris were in row three. Dennis Erb, Jr. and Brandon Sheppard made up row four. The fifth belonged to Kyle Bronson and Cody Overton. Row six paired Dustin Sorenson and Tyler Breuning.
Pierce had no grip at the start of the race, and he slid up the track coming off turn four. That left the bottom open for Gustin and he quickly filled the void. Gustin blasted by Pierce and Hoffman, who settled into second. Dillard took third on the opening lap. Then came Pierce, Shirley, Erb, Bronson, Sorenson, Max McLaughlin, and Norris.
Dillard moved into second before the first caution, which came on lap two. By lap five, Hoffman regained second, and Pierce followed him into third.
Gustin built up a commanding lead, and he was already into lapped traffic on lap nine. This allowed Hoffman and Pierce to start to narrow the margin.
On lap eighteen, Pierce worked by Hoffman in traffic. Meanwhile, Gustin cleared several lapped cars and he had a bit of a clear track ahead of him. But Pierce’s tires were coming in, and he chipped away at the lead. It only took him three laps to catch and pass Gustin.
Pierce opened a slight advantage, but a caution on lap twenty-five eliminated that. On the ensuing restart, Dillard rolled off the top of turn two to take second away from Gustin and Bronson charged past Gustin coming off turn four. Bronson could not keep the position, as Gustin rallied to take it back on lap twenty-nine.
Pierce built up a comfortable lead in the final stage of the race. However, he caught a trio of lapped cars that were fighting for position. Pierce opted to follow them the last couple of laps instead of trying to poke his nose into the middle of their contest. This enabled Dillard to close, but he ran out of laps and he could not mount a challenge for the lead.
Pierce, Dillard, and Gustin grabbed the first three positions. Bronson was fourth, with Hoffman picking up the fifth spot. Sixth through tenth went to Sheppard, Norris, Sorenson, Shirley, and Erb.
Gregg Satterlee was the hard charger, advancing seven positions to take thirteenth in the pay line.
There were four heats, with Gustin, Pierce, Shirley, and Hoffman taking the laurels.Dave Hess, Jr. and Alex Ferree captured the B Mains. Gustin set the best time overall, topping Group A with a lap of 15.238 seconds. Shirley topped Group B with a lap fo 15.442 seconds.
In the RUSH Sprint Car feature, John Mollick charged from his outside front row starting spot to lead the opening lap, ahead of Gale Ruth, Jr., Brent Rhebergen, Blaze Myers, Trent Marshall, and Arnie Kent. While Mollick continued to lead, Rhebergen and Myers battled for the second spot. However, that came to an end when Myers got up over the berm in turn four, losing several positions before slowing to bring out the caution with six laps remaining.
Kent stepped up to challenge Rhebergen for second and he secured the position with two to go. Kent chased Mollick to the finish. Rhebergen was third, followed by Charlie Utsinger and Bill Cunningham. Ruth, Marshall, Amelia Clay, Billy Myers, and Curt Emings completed the top ten.
Ruth and Mollick split the heat wins. There was no B Main.
The Econo Modified feature closed out the night. The twenty lapper was shortened to fourteen laps because the twenty-minute time limit expired. Dennis Lunger passed Jeremy Double on the final restart to get the win.
Jacob Eucker, Jarrett Young, and Andy Buckley completed the top five. Buzz Seitz, Arianna Samuelson, Zack Eller, Carter Bidwell, and Troy Pinch were the next five finishers.
Double, Seitz, and Eucker won the preliminaries. There was no B Main.
HAGERSTOWN, MD (July 4, 2024): Logan Schuchart again enjoyed his time off from the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in victory lane during Pennsylvania Speedweek. He joined Danny Dietrich and Anthony Macri as two-time winners on the circuit. It was Schuchart’s third win overall in his last four starts.
Schuchart benefited from the draw for top starting spots. He drew the number one, again, and that certainly facilitated his drive to victory. Schuchart noted that, on the big half mile, the field got separated, so the air got better as the race went on. He amassed a huge lead before the only caution, on lap twenty-four, and he did not know how hard he had to push. He also observed that “when (he) came up on lapped cars, (he) could go wherever (he) wanted.”
The win “means a lot to me. It’s been ten years since I’ve been here.” Once again, he watched a lot of videos to prepare for the race. This time, they were vintage films of his grandfather, Bobby Allen, racing against the likes of Doug Wolfgang.
Troy Wagaman, Jr., who was making his first ever start at the Capitol of Dirt Track Racing, started second and ran second the entire thirty lap distance. “It sucks being in dirty air. I tried to keep pace, but he (Schuchart) got away.”
Anthony Macri did not time well and he did not win his heat race, so he and Speedweek rival Danny Dietrich started outside the coveted re-draw positions.
Nonetheless, Macri was strong in the second half of the race and reached third, one spot ahead of Dietrich. “It took a little bit for the car to come in, and for me to find a good line.” He certainly was comfortable in the stretch run. “Hopefully, we chipped away at the points.”
Schuchart and Wagaman drew into the front row for the feature event. Chad Trout and Justin Whittal were in row two. The third consisted of Kody Hartlaub and Lance Dewease. Then came Macri and Danny Dietrich. T.J. Stutts and Freddie Rahmer, Jr. were paired up in row five. Next in line were Jacob Allen and Cameron Smith.
Schuchart jumped out to the lead at the drop of the green and he quickly distanced himself from his old karting foe, Wagaman. Whittal, Hartlaub, Trout, Danny Dietrich, Dewease, Macri, Rahmer, and Devon Borden followed.
As Schuchart and Wagaman drove away, Danny Dietrich began his march to the front. He was up to fourth by lap six. It took him seven more trips around the fast half mile to reach third. By lap twenty, he was still in third, but he was starting to test Wagaman for the role as the first chaser.
A caution on lap twenty-four for the disabled car of Mike Waltyer, Jr. bunched the pack up again. Dietrich readied himself to make a charge on Wagaman, but he did not get away cleanly. Instead, it was Macri, who lined up fourth for the restart, that got a good jump. After a short but spirited battle, Macri sailed by Dietrich heading down the backstretch on lap twenty-six.
Macri closed in on Wagaman, but the laps ran out before he could make a move for the second position.
At the checkers, it was Schuchart, Wagaman, Macri, Dietrich, and Whittal. Trout, Dewease, Hartlaub, Stutts, and Borden took positions six through ten.
The three heats went to Hartlaub, Wagaman, and Schuchart. Lucas Wolfe won the B Main. There were thirty-one sprints signed in for the event.
Hunter Mackison, who was making his first Speedweek start of 2024, flipped at the start of the B Main. He was not hurt in the incident.
Speedweek moves back to Williams Grove Speedway for the Mitch Smith Memorial, paying $20,000 to the winner. Danny Dietrich leads Anthony Macri by thirty points headed into that contest. Troy Wagaman, Jr., Devon Borden, and Kody Hartlaub round out the top five in Speedweek rankings. Schuchart has remarkably climbed into seventh in Speedweek standings.
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