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Gravel Grabs Lincoln Loot

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Photo by Paul Arch

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.

Dirt Racing

Dietz Does It, Leads Posse Sweep

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Photo by Paul Arch

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.

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Dirt Racing

Dale Blaney Wins World Of Outlaws At Sharon Speedway

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Photo by Paul Arch

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.

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Dirt Racing

Rain Halts Fallen Heroes Memorial at Lincoln Speedway

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File Photo

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.

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