Dirt Racing
Macri Gets Third Straight Kauffman Classic at Port Royal; Amantea and Craig Perigo Also Score
PORT ROYAL, PA (April 27, 2024): Anthony Macri won the Keith Kauffman Classic for the third straight time, but it was not an easy victory. Macri inherited the lead when Chase Dietz blew his left rear tire. But T.J. Stutts surprised Macri on the restart, and it took several laps for the nation’s win leader to regain the top spot. Macri collected $15,000 for the effort. Also scoring wins were Joey Amantea (USAC East Coast 360 Sprints) and Craig Perigo (Wingless Sportsmen).
“It took us a couple of laps to get up to speed,” Macri noted. “He (Stutts) had a really good restart. But I knew it is not good to follow cars on a big track like this, so I pulled my wing back and I was able to get by.”
The original start of the race was marred by a massive crash in turn one that eliminated six competitors. The incident began when Jeff Halligan got turned and backed across the track toward the outside wall. Five other racers, all from the outside line, were collected in the wreck. Heavy damage was inflicted on the cars of Halligan, A.J. Flick, Lance Dewease, and Cullam Williamson. Steve Buckwalter and Austin Bishop had less damage. Fortunately, none of the drivers sustained any reported injuries.
So, the revised starting line-up went like this. On the front row were Dietz and Logan Wagner. Danny Dietrich and Macri were in row two. Stutts and Justin Whittal were in row three. Mike Wagner and Freddie Rahmer, Jr. were the new partners in the fourth row. Devon Borden and Kody Hartlaub were in row five, with Mike Walter, Jr. and Dylan Cisney in row six.
Dietz got the jump on Logan Wagner. Macri and Dietrich led Stutts, Rahmer, Mike Wagner, Cisney, Walter, and Whittal. The running order did not change through the first five laps. On lap six, though, Macri slid past Wagner for second, but he was still far behind Dietz at the time.
Macri began to close in on Dietz as the race neared the midpoint.
On lap thirteen, Macri closed quickly on the lapped car of Aaron Bollinger. There was contact. Macri was able to keep moving, but Bollinger spun toward the wall in turn two. He hit the wall and turned over. Logan Wagner, who was racing in third, struck Bollinger’s car and spun toward the inside of the track. Dietrich tried to get low enough to avoid contact with Wagner, but the two cars collided. Dietrich bent the left rear wheel and flattened the tire. Borden also sustained a flat in the melee. Both Dietrich and Borden were able to restart the race.
Dietz took off again on the restart. He had a commanding lead when his left rear tire exploded midway down the back stretch.
That put Macri on the point for the restart. Stutts lined up in second, with Rahmer, Mike Wagner, Cisney, Lucas Wolfe, Whittal, Walter, Jacob Allen, and Dietrich trailing.
Macri entered turn one on the cushion, but Stutts charged on the inside. He slid up across Macri’s nose to take the lead, much to the delight of the crowd. Stutts held control for the next seven laps before Macri used his own slider in turn one to retake the lead.
Macri reeled off the remaining seven laps without further ado. Stutts remained in second, followed by Rahmer, Mike Wagner, and Wolfe. Whittal, Cisney, Allen, Dietrich, and Borden completed the top ten.
The four heat winners were Whittal, Logan Wagner, Dietrich, and Stutts. Allen turned in an inspired performance in his heat race, coming from the last row to transfer into the A Main. Gerard McIntyre, Jr. was best in the B Main. Macri set the fastest lap in qualifications. His time of 15.089 was best in Group B. Dietz was fastest in Group A with a time of 15.123.
When the leaders of the USAC East Coast 360 Sprint Car race collided on lap fifteen, a good race became a great one. The misfortunes of Alex Bright and Briggs Danner put Christian Bruno on the point for the restart, with Joey Amantea right behind him. What happened after that left the race fans speechless. Bruno and Amantea traded slide jobs lap after lap, swapping the lead at opposite ends of the track, until Amantea got just enough of an advantage on lap twenty-two that Bruno could not slide him back to regain the lead. But, Bruno then came under attack from Carmen Perigo and Steve Drevicki in the final laps of the race. At the checkers, Amantea claimed his first win of the season and the second in his career with the series, with Perigo just a second behind him.
“I don’t think we had a winning car tonight, but with Alex and Briggs taking each other out, that gave us an opportunity,” Amantea said.
Bruno was on the pole for the twenty-five lap affair, with Bright as his running mate. Amantea and Bruce Buckwalter lined up in row two, with Perigo and Drevicki right behind them. Bobby Butler and Danner made up row four.
Bright blasted into the lead in turn one, with Bruno, Amantea, Danner, and Buckwalter dicing for positions in the top five. Bright set a brisk pace in the early laps, but Danner worked his way into second by lap five. Bruno held third, ahead of Perigo, Amantea, Buckwalter, Drevicki, Bruno, Tommy Kunsman, and Ed Aiken.
Danner was closing in on Bright when the caution waived on lap ten for Buckwalter’s spin in turn four.
On the ensuing restart, Danner provided a glimpse of things to come. With Bright up on the cushion, Danner entered turn one on the low side, looking for an opening to slide up the track and take the lead away. But, Danner did not carry enough speed into the corner and he could not complete the pass. Bright’s momentum propelled him into the lead coming through turn two.
But Danner wasn’t about to give up just yet. He came storming back after Bright. The duo played cat and mouse for several more laps, but there was no change in the running order.
The race took a dramatic change on lap fifteen. Once again, Bright was up on the cushion, and Danner threw his car into turn one on the inside. He began to slide up through the middle and drew up beside Bright. Bright’s car bumped the cushion and became unstable. He started to come down toward the middle as the rivals entered turn two. There was contact, and the first two cars spun much to the surprise of all. Both cars headed to the infield pit area, and only Bright was able to resume the race.
Bruno inherited the lead, with Amantea in second. Perigo restarted in third, ahead of Drevicki, Butler, Kunsman, Aiken, Dalton Herrick, Matthew Swift, and Michael Smith.
When the race went green again, Bruno and Amantea began an intense battle for the lead. Amantea’s first slide job in turn one came up short, but he had a full head of steam entering turn three, and he easily passed Bruno. Bruno returned the favor in turn one, and Amantea rallied again in turn three. Bruno regained the lead with a slider of his own on lap nineteen.
A caution on that lap for Rich Carnathan interrupted the flow, but soon thereafter Bruno and Amantea were locked in a battle for the lead again. Amantea was able to claim the lead for the final time with three laps remaining.
Amantea led Bruno by a couple of car lengths and the final laps played out. But now Bruno was being challenged for the second spot. Perigo and Drevicki came on to make it a three car contest for the second position. Any one of the three contenders could have taken it, but the outcome remained in doubt until the final corner.
Perigo slid past Bruno in turn four on the last lap to earn the second position. Bruno held off Drevicki, who darted to the inside. Bright marched back through the pack to salvage a fifth place finish.
Butler, Kunsman, Aiken, Buckwalter, and Herrick completed the top ten.
“We were going at it pretty good, and then I took his line away,” Amantea explained. “It was pretty good racing with Chris. He’s a really good racer, and he raced me clean,” he added. Amantea said that the victory would give him added confidence when he next faces the USAC National Sprint Car Series at Eldora Speedway.
There were a pair of heats, with wins going to Danner and Bright. There was no B Main.
The Wingless Sportsmen wore the nightcap, and that race did not disappoint either. Craig Perigo was the leader on each of the twenty laps, although he did briefly surrender the point to Jay Fannasy. When Fannasy spun from second place, Cliff Brian took up the chase, with Steve Wilbur in tow. The three racers put on an entertaining contest for the last eleven laps. Perigo came out on top, with Brian a close second. Wilbur bobbled on the last lap and surrendered third to Trent Yoder. Brett Perigo took the fifth spot.
The sixth through tenth place finishers were Chad Thomas, Chad Baker, Curt Stroup, Brandon Shearer, and Joe Gabner.
“That was a lot of fun on my end,” the winner said enthusiastically. “I didn’t have enough gear. I knew I couldn’t go low to block Brian because there was not enough gear. I had to keep my momentum up.”
Craig Perigo, Fannasy, and Yoder were the winners of the three heat races. There was no B Main.
Port Royal Speedway will present a three division program on May 4, featuring the 410 Sprint Cars, Super Late Models, and 305 Sprints. The track will be dark on May 11, in deference to the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event at Williams Grove Speedway. Racing will resume at the Speed Palace on May 18 with the 410 Sprints, a Super Late Model Championship, and the Limited Late Models.
FRANKLIN, PA (May 12, 2024): A.J. Flick, the two-time and defending champion in the Krill Recycling LLC 410 Sprint Cars secured the home turf against the invasion of the FAST on Dirt Sprint Car Series on Mother’s Day at Tri City Raceway Park. The event, which made up for a cancellation the week before, was the first race conducted under the new track ownership of Josh and Kyrsten Shiffer. It was a major success. Also taking home wins on this momentous night were Chad Reitz (21st Century Energy Group 358 Modifieds), Chris Schneider (Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks), and Matt Urey (4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks).
In the FAST Sprint Car feature, Logan McCandless and A.J. Flick brought the outstanding field to the green flag. Behind them were Matt Farnham and Dale Blaney. In the third row were series points leader Zane DeVault and Dylan Norris. The fourth row consisted of defending FAST champion Brandon Spithaler and Sean Rayhall. The fifth row paired Ricky Peterson and Gale Ruth, Jr. The sixth duo was Jack Sodeman, Jr. and Bob Felmlee.
Flick raced into turn one ahead of McCandless, Farnham, DeVault, and Spithaler. Before the racers could settle in, there was a caution for a three-car tangle in turn two, which included a flip by Sye Lynch. T.J. Michael and Ruth were also involved, but they were able to make repairs and resume racing.
Flick bolted ahead again on the restart. McCandless raced along in second, ahead of Farnham, DeVault, Spithaler, Blaney, Rayhall, Felmlee, and Sodeman.
Michael averted disaster on lap seven, when he went over the right rear wheel of Jarrett Cavalet midway down the back stretch. Both drivers were able to keep moving, and Michael safely brought his car into the pits. Cavalet stopped at the entrance to turn three to bring out the second caution.
On the ensuing restart, Flick continued to lead over McCandless, Farnham, and Norris. There was a good three-car battle for fifth among DeVault, Blaney, and Spithaler. That ended several laps later when Spithaler sustained a flat right rear and brought his car to a stop.
The first two remained unchanged when the race went green again, but Norris moved into third, ahead of DeVault and Farnham.
The final eleven laps went off without a hitch. Flick picked up the checkers, 0.613 seconds ahead of McCandless. DeVault, Norris, and Farnham completed the top five. Blaney, Spithaler, Rayhall, Sodeman, and Felmlee completed the top ten.
The heat winners were Farnham, Flick, and McCandless. The B Main winner was Brent Matus, who had mechanical woes and did not complete a lap in the A Main. The evening’s fastest qualifier overall was DeVault, with a time of 15.220 seconds on the big half mile.
In the 21st Century Energy Group 358 Modifieds, Hayden Holden and Ryan Guthrie paced the field for the start of the twenty lapper. Chad Reitz and Eric Beggs were partners in row two. Kevin Green and Steve Slater made up row three. Lenny Liebold, III and Gage Priester were in row four, with Brandon Ritchey and Jeremy Beichner in row five. The sixth row consisted of Jimmy Holden and Daniel Hostetler.
On the initial green, Guthrie got off to a slow start, causing Beggs to check up. He got turned and made contact with the front stretch wall. Although he was unhurt, he was unable to continue in the race.
On the second attempt to get the race going, Hayden Holden assumed control, with Reitz running a close second. Slater, Guthrie, Green, and Priester followed. Green coasted to a halt in turn four on the second lap.
Hayden Holden maintained the lead for two more laps. Reitz got a big run off turn two with his powerful Ford powered car, and he swooped into the lead entering turn three.
Reitz set a fast pace through lap nineteen, when the final caution set up a green-white-checker finish. Reitz completed the rounds without any further complications. Hayden Holden and Slater were next across the line. Priester and Guthrie were fourth and fifth.
The balance of the top ten were Beichner, Hostetler, Liebold, Jimmy Holden, and Ritchey.
The heat winners were Hayden Holden and Slater. There was no B Main.
The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks had Hunter Exley and Chris Schneider on the front row. Shane Applebee and Josh Seippel left from row two. The third had Bobby Whitling and Brandon Connor. Row four matched Pat Fielding with Hot Rod Laskey. Tim Bish and Mike Miller had row five covered and Matt Bernard and Doug Iorio, II followed them.
Schneider and Exley got off to a quick start for the twenty lapper. Seippel, Conner, and Bobby Whitling were in tow. Whitling’s race ended early, however.
Schneider, Exley, and Seippel continued in the top three after that brief stoppage for Bobby Whitling. But Bish was on the move, reaching the top five by the middle stage of the race. He continued his advance in the second half of the contest.
At the checkers, it was Schneider, Exley, Bish, Miller, and Connor. Iorio, Ron Boardman, Applebee, Bernard, and Jake Whitling completed the top ten.
The 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks wore the nightcap. Tevn Schaffer and Tim Callahan were in the first row for the twelve lap finale. Dillon Morrison and Greg Rockwell had the second row covered. The third consisted of John Gill and Matt Urey, the defending division. Bill Fuchs and Mike Kelly met in row four. The fifth had Chad Greeley and Ben Aley, with Nick Bem and Allen Robison right behind.
Callahan led the early going until he sustained a flat coming off turn two. Morrison and Urey, who were locked in a heated battle for second at the time, had to take evasive measures. Fortunately, they were able to avoid impact with Callahan. The contest between Morrison and Urey was intense, with Urey making a late race pass to grab the win.
Taking third was Fuchs, followed by Rockwell and Gill. Robison, Jason Campbell, Greeley, Billie Jo Huffman, and Kelly completed the top ten.
Next week, Tri City Raceway Park will resume its normal schedule. The Krill Recycling 410 Sprint Cars will be the headline division, with support coming from the 21st Energy Group 358 Modifieds, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks, and the 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks. Added to the card will be the Old School Kool Tour to provide a retrospective look at Western Pennsylvania racing.
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.
FRANLIN, PA (May 8, 2024): Tri-City Raceway Park moved its opening night to Sunday, May 12, due to rains that swept over the track last week. The program will be the same as it was intended to be on the original date. So, after celebrating the day with Mom, bring her out to the track for some high speed entertainment, and a little extra treat, courtesy of new owners Josh and Kyrsten Shiffer. All mothers in attendance will get some free ice cream and the kiddos will get a free bag of popcorn!
The FAST on Dirt Sprint Car Series also had the date available, so the traveling stars will be on hand to compete with the Krill Recycling LLC 410 Sprint Cars. Joining the fun will be the 358 Modifieds racing under the new banner of 21st Century Energy Group. For the fans of full-fendered racing, the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks and the 4 Your Car Connection Mini Stocks will complete the program.
Tim Shaffer, from Aliquippa, PA, won the FAST Series opener back in March, and former FAST champion, Nate Dussel, won round two. The tour will make a stop at Wayne County Speedway, in Ohio, before crossing the border to come to Tri City for this much anticipated contest.
Zane DeVault, from Indiana, currently sits atop the point standings, but he has close competition from area favorite Dale Blaney, of Hartford, OH, and last year’s titleholder, Brandon Spithaler of Evans City.
Other top talents expected to invade Tri-City include Cole Duncan, Danny Sams, III, Lee Jacobs, Jeremy Weaver, Ricky Peterson, Gregg McCandless, Mitch Harble, and Jack Sodeman, Jr.
They’d better be ready, because Western PA’s finest will be there to defend the home turf. Leading the way will be two-time and defending track champion, A.J. Flick. Others expected include Bob Felmlee, Carl Bowser, Brent and Brandon Matus, Andy Cavanaugh, Andy Priest, and many more.
Young Ayden Cipriano will be ready to start his journey toward a second track championship in the 358 Modified ranks, as will another teen, Tyler Wyant, in the Pro Stocks. Matt Urey will be ready to take on all comers in the Mini Stocks.
“The extended forecast looks good for racing on Sunday,” said Josh Shiffer. “We are excited to get started, and we are proud for the fans and competitors to see the changes that we have made since taking ownership of this great facility.”
Kyrsten echoed his thoughts, “it hurt us to lose the opener last week, but the extra time has helped us to get ready for this big event.” “Our family and our loyal staff have been working hard for this,” she added.
The Pit Gates will open at 2 p.m., and the spectator gates will open at 4 p.m. Practice sessions and qualifications will get started at 5 p.m., with racing to follow at 6 p.m.
The ticket prices for this event will be just $15 for adults. Seniors (ages 62 and up), military, and students (ages 11 to 16) will be admitted for $13, all with proper I.D. The children (ages 10 and under) will be free, as always. The Pit Passes will be $35, except for the children under two years of age. They will be allowed into the Pits with their parents or guardians for just $15.
Remember that current information about Tri-City Raceway Park can be obtained from the Facebook page, at Tri City Raceway Park. Please do not consult the old webpage, as it will be replaced soon.
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.
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (May 8, 2024): David Gravel continued his hot streak on the World of Outlaws Sprint Car tour at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway. His sixth victory of the season was his third in his last four outings, and he stretched his points lead over Donny Schatz to more than fifty counters entering the weekend’s action at the Williams Grove Speedway.
“I started on the pole and I didn’t know what kind of pace to be running, or where to run. If I was running third, I would have been searching around. I started low and went to the middles for two laps in (turn) one and two, and then I went to the top and I was able to carry some speed.” Gravel was challenged in the middle part of the race by Carson Macedo, but as the race wore on, Gravel’s dominance became apparent.
Second place finisher, Giovanni Scelzi, gave props to Gravel and company. “They are really fast right now. There’s no excuses from me,” he added. “We flat out got beat.”
Macedo, who eventually finished third, observed, “I was good early in the feature, I was pacing myself, but then I had a bad restart, and Gio got by me.” Macedo overlooked the fact that Anthony Macri also passed him in the later stages of the race, but Macedo was able to recover his position before the restarts switched to single file for the final ten laps of the contest.
Gravel and Macedo occupied the front row as a result of their performances in the Dash. Gravel noticed that Macedo’s team was changing torsion bars before the Dash. “They were looking for something,” he said. “I was comfortable with my car though,” and he was able to make the pass in the final thirty yards of the Dash.
Behind them were Buddy Kofoid and Scelzi. Kody Hartlaub and Macri made a PA third row. They were followed by Schatz and Chase Dietz. Bill Balog and Troy Wagaman, Jr. shared the fifth row. Lucas Wolfe and Sheldon Haudenschild were in row six.
With the exception of hometown Outlaw Logan Schuchart, the second half of the field was reserved for the PA Posse. Stuck back there were Kyle Moody, in thirteenth, Freddie Rahmer, Jr., in seventeenth, his brother Brandon, in twenty-first, Devon Borden, in twenty-second, and Danny Dietrich, in twenty-fourth.
Gravel led Macedo into turn one on the opening lap, with Kofoid, Scelzi, Macri, Hartlaub, Dietz, Schatz, Wagaman, and Balog following. Thigs remained unchanged until Gravel raced into lapped traffic on lap eight. At that point, subtle changes started to take place in the top ten.
Scelzi slipped by Kofoid for third. Soon thereafter, Kofoid was under attack from Macri. Dietz was hot on his heels. Schuchart reached into the top ten, as did Wagaman, but they were not able to remain there.
In the middle stage of the thirty-five lapper, Macedo closed in on Gravel and he made a bid for the lead in turn one. Gravel rallied, and kept the challenger behind him.
The first caution of the contest was shown on lap twenty-three, when Moody slowed to a stop on the front straight. On the ensuing restart, Macri picked off Kofoid. Scelzi was hounding Macedo, and he took over second on lap twenty-four. Macri was working on Macedo when the race was halted for a flip by Balog, who crashed out of the top ten. Balog’s car also caught fire, but the safety crew quickly doused the flames. Balog was not hurt, but his car was substantially damaged.
The field logged two more laps before the next red flag appeared. This time, It was Hartlaub who went over at the exit of turn two. Wolfe, Rahmer Jr., and Chad Trout were also involved. Hartlaub and Rahmer Jr. were unable to continue.
Despite these distractions, Gravel remained in control. He led the final seven laps without further incidents. Scelzi, Macedo, and Macri held their positions as well. Schatz moved up to fifth in the final laps. Haudenschild, Kofoid, Wagaman, Danny Dietrich, and Dietz completed the top ten.
Dietrich was the hard charger, passing fifteen cars during the race.
The four heat winners were also the night’s four fastest qualifiers. They were Schatz, Gravel, Macri, and Macedo. The quick time was registered by Schatz, at 13.487 seconds. The B Main winner was Brandon Rahmer, who dropped from his heat while running in second position, which would have made him eligible for the Dash. So, instead of locking into the first eight, he was relegated to twenty-first on the grid.
Lincoln Speedway will not race on Saturday evening. There will be a car show and exhibition racing for vintage cars in the afternoon. There will also be an auto thrill show in the evening. A 410 and 358 Sprint Car double header will be held on May 18 as part of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial program. May 25 will be the Don Leiby Memorial, which will have ARDC Midgets and Late Models added to the 410 Sprint Car staple.
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