Dirt Racing
Wagaman Walks Away with Big Win at Williams Grove
MECHANICSBURG, PA (April 17, 2026): Defending track champion, Troy Wagaman, Jr., led from start to finish to earn $8,000 for his first victory in the prestigious Tommy Classic at the Williams Grove Speedway. He is the twelfth different winner of the annual event, which originated in 2007. The race honored a legendary driver, the late Tommy Hinnershitz, who had the distinction of winning the first race ever held at the speedway. Hinnershitz took the checkers on May 21, 1939.
The race was sanctioned by the PA Possee Series, so the victory was Wagaman’s first with the tour. It was his fifth career win at the track.
The twenty-nine year old pilot from Hanover, PA found a little strip of moisture coming off turn four that enabled him to launch past Danny Dietrich on the opening lap. Wagaman said that it was a delicate process to line the car up properly to take advantage of his discovery. He had to keep the nose in close to the guardrail and not allow the back end to slide out too far. Once he got to turn one ahead of his adversary, though, he was up on the cushion and setting his own pace. Wagaman explained that maintaining his pace was important because the race was five laps longer than normal and he only had a twenty-eight gallon fuel tank on his car.
Wagaman started moving around a bit when he encountered lapped traffic. He migrated to the bottom, particularly in turns three and four. “I was nervous about going to the bottom,” he said. But that strip of moisture that helped him at the start of the race was still there, and he finished out the contest running the inside line at both ends of the speedway. He admitted that he did let his car drift out of turns two and four in the closing laps to make it a little harder for anyone to try an outside move on him for the lead.
Wagaman gave props to the track crew for the racy surface that offered two distinct grooves. He noted that the top came in early and the track got wide coming off turns two and four. The bottom was juicy, but it cleaned up nicely, he added.
Wagaman drew the pole for the thirty-lap event, which was lined up according to speedweek procedures. Dietrich was on his right flank. Behind them were Brett Shearer and Brock Zearfoss. The last of the preferred starting spots went to Chase Dietz and Austin Bishop. Row four belonged to Kody Hartlaub and Cameron Smith. They were followed by Doug Hammaker and Freddie Rahmer, Jr. Lance Dewease and Justin Whittall made up row six.
Wagaman took the early lead. Dietrich got hung up on the outside line in turn one and lost two positions on the opening lap. Getting under him were Zearfoss and Shearer. Bishop held fifth. Then came Rahmer, Hartlaub, Dietz, Smith, and Hammaker.
The top five did not change much in the first few laps, other than Rahmer cracking into the group. However, things were happening in the back half of the top ten. Notably, Hartlaub got crossed up coming off turn four, but he managed to keep his car moving. However, he was cited for the caution on lap five and relegated to the rear of the field for the restart. Dewease advanced into the eighth position, and Whittal into the tenth spot.
After the green lights came on again, Rahmer moved into third. Zearfoss dropped out while running second on lap fourteen, so Rahmer was now in a position to challenge Wagaman.
Wagaman’s lead of almost 1.6 seconds evaporated on lap nineteen, when Dewease coasted to a stop just off turn two. He had just moved into seventh moments before that caution.
Dietz dug himself out of the early race hole midway through the event. He was up to fourth by the time of the caution for Dewease. Dietz snuck by Bishop in turn one after the restart. Soon thereafter, an entertaining three-car battle for the second position developed among Rahmer, Dietz, and Dietrich. By lap twenty-three, Dietz and Dietrich moved ahead of Rahmer. Bishop continued in the top five before slipping back in the running order during the final five laps of the race.
While Wagaman remained alone out front, Dietz did close the gap a bit. He was almost a second behind the leader when the checkers were displayed. Dietrich, Rahmer, and Smith rounded out the top five. Whittall was sixth, followed by Bishop, Hammaker, Matt Campbell, and Shearer.
Campbell was named the hard charger for passing eleven cars.
Bishop, Dietz, and Dietrich scored wins in the heat races. Dylan Cisney copped the B Main. Wagaman was the fastest qualifier for the twenty-nine car field. His lap was 16.786 seconds.
The Extreme Stocks closed out the evening’s activities. There was a wild crash at the end of the back stretch on the opening lap. Logan MIller flipped after making contact with Brian Walls. Miller’s car landed upside down atop that of Bob Stough. Blake Decker was also eliminated in the wreck. Fortunately, none of them were injured.
The diminished field completed the fifteen laps without further ado. Evan Foust led until turn four of the final lap. Sam Rial got under him and scooted ahead to the win.
Sam Rial wins Friday night’s Extreme Stocks feature at Williams Grove Speedway
Foust, Michael Goodwin, Ryan Bloom, Daren Rice, and Matt Nye were the other finishers. Tyler Miller was scored in seventh based on laps completed.
Next week, Williams Grove will host the Spring Sprint Special. The PASS 305 Sprints will join the 410s. The Wingless Sportsmen will also be in action. Then, May 1 will be the tune-up for the World of Outlaws. That will be a PA Possee Series race, along with the 358 Sprints. The Outlaws will be in town for the Morgan Cup on May 8-9.
IMPERIAL, PA (May 9, 2026) – Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (PPMS) is cancelling their Saturday night program after heavy overnight rains and cloudy skies throughout the morning forced track officials to make the difficult decision.
“After evaluating conditions throughout the property Saturday morning, speedway officials determined that the amount of water absorbed overnight created conditions that would not allow for a practical or enjoyable event experience for fans, teams, and staff” the Speedway announced in a statement.
Fans who purchased advanced tickets for tonight’s event have already had their refunds processed automatically..
Next Saturday PPMS will host a ‘Night of Champions’, which will honor 2025 track Champions and those who finished in the top 10 in points in the respective divisions.
“We’re ready to get this season rolling in a big way and hopefully Mother Nature starts working with us soon,” said Tyler Harris, PPMS Operations Manager. “We know fans, racers, and teams are anxious to get back to the speedway, and we appreciate everyone continuing to stick with us through a difficult start to the year.”
Dirt Racing
Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park hoping to get seasons started Friday night
Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park are hoping Mother Nature cooperates so they can get their 2026 seasons started on Friday night.
Lernerville is planning on Fab 4 Racing with the McConnell Memorial on top. Sprint Cars, Late Models, Modifieds and Pro Stocks are on the card this evening.
Pits open at 4 p.m. with spectator gates opening at 5 p.m. Hot Laps begin at 6:15 p.m. followed by racing at 7:30 p.m.
Four weather-related postponements have delayed opening night at Tri-City Raceway Park, who are preparing to drop the green flag Friday night with their regular 4 Star Racing show on its half-mile oval.
410 Sprint Cars will be competing for a $3,000 winner’s purse. Joining the 410’s on tonight’s card will be the Pro Stocks, with the winner taking home $700!
The RUSH Sprint Cars are set to compete in their 40th race at the Venango County speedway. Tonight’s winning will get $600 for taking home the checkered flag.
The RUSH Stock Cars round out the evening as they return for their second season. Tonight’s winner will take home a $300 top prize. The racing starts at 7 p.m.
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (May 6, 2026): Buddy Kofoid held off a last lap charge by Carson Macedo to claim his second straight win in the Gettysburg Clash held at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway. Kofoid’s $12,000 victory gave the World of Outlaws the edge over the Pennsylvania Posse heading into the Morgan Cup weekend at Williams Grove Speedway.
Kofoid admitted to watching the big screen that was positioned between turns one and two.
Initially, the strategy worked to his advantage, as it prompted him to abandon the high line with about six laps to go in the race. “I was watching the screen. I was losing speed. I was up on the cushion but I was having trouble closing on the lappers, so I went down and I stayed in line because it was clean.”
However, the tactic almost backfired on him as the race was drawing to a close, for he got confused by what he saw and he was uncertain whether he was getting the white flag or the checkers. “I was watching the screen and I wasn’t sure if it was white or checkers because I was seeing what the lapped cars were seeing.” That slight hesitation by Kofoid, who was trying to stay in clean air, allowed Carson Macedo to get a big run on him on the final lap.
The margin of victory was .06 seconds. “I thought I may have gotten him at the line. We were close,” Macedo said.
David Gravel started from the pole position as a result of his dash victory. Logan Rumsey, who made his first Outlaws dash, lined up next to him. Carson Macedo and Kofoid lined up in row two, followed by Sheldon Haudenschild and Bill Balog. The final dash participants, Danny Dietrich and Chase Dietz, came next. Ashton Torgerson and Cameron Smith were in row five. Row six paired Kasey Kahne with Donny Schatz. Kody hartlaub was slated to be in the twelfth spot, but an electrical problem forced him into the pits. While his crew did replace the faulty ignition box, he had to drop to the rear for the initial green.
Gravel took control at the start of the thirty-five lap event. Carson Macedo followed him into second, dropping Rumsey to third. Kofoid, Haudenschild, Dietz, Dietrich, Torgerson, Balog, and Kahne followed in the early rounds. Kofoid moved into third in the early going.
Gravel reached the backmarkers on lap nine. He was able to maintain his advantage as he started to pick them off. However, Carson Macedo lost second place to Kofoid in traffic on lap ten.
Soon thereafter, a four-car tangle at the exit of turn four brought out the first red flag of the event.
Gravel led Kofoid when the race resumed. Behind them, Carson Macedo and Haudenschild were fighting for third and Dietz and Dietrich were jousting for fifth. After a couple of intense laps, Haudenschild struck the wall in turn four.
On the ensuing restart, Dietz picked up speed. He moved into the third position on lap seventeen and he was closing in on the leaders, Gravel and Kofoid. However, a caution for Freddie Rahmer, Jr. on lap eighteen slowed his advance. At the time of the incident, Rahmer had advanced more than thirteen positions.
Although Gravel resumed his lead after the race went green again, Kofoid was on the charge. He stayed close to the leader for three quarters of a lap. In turn four, he executed a slider to take the lead. Gravel mounted a counterattack, and passed Kofoid back again. However, the pass was nullified by another red flag for a crash that eliminated four cars, including those of Schuchart, Torgerson, Balog, and Cole Macedo.
Kofoid thus was restored to first place for the restart. Gravel, Carson Macedo, Dietz, Rumsey, Dietrich, Kahne, Tyler Ross, Garet Williamson, and Cameron Smith made up the balance of the top ten for the remaining sixteen laps.
The second red flag changed the complexion of the race in other respects, as well.
Phil Dietz made significant changes to the car of Carson Macedo. Macedo explained that he was fading before the stoppage, but the adjustments made by his crew chief made his car better.
Further, Gravel was unable to maintain his pace when the race resumed. Chase Dietz, who eventually wrestled third away from him, explained, “he was in clean air a lot of the race, but that restart got him in with some other cars, and I was able to get by him.”
After the race resumed, both Carson Macedo and Dietz moved forward, and Gravel faded.
Kofoid remained out front for the remainder of the race. He migrated from the top to the inside line and followed the slower cars to the finish. Carson Macedo made a big push on the final lap but came up a bot short at the checkers.
Dietz, Gravel, and Dietrich rounded out the top five. The next five finishers were Rumsey, Ross, Smith, Kahne, and Williamson.
Ross was the hard charger, at plus seventeen. Dylan Norris, who was twelfth at the checkers, advanced sixteen positions.
The heat winners were Dietrich, Gravel, Carson Macedo, and Haudenschild. Schuchart won the B Main. Dietrich was the evening’s fastest qualifier, topping Group A with a lap of 13.584 seconds. Smith was the best of Group B with a time of 14.424 seconds.
Brett Perigo drove his Ford powered Wingless Sportsman to the win in the twenty-lap nightcap. He drove by the early leader, Eric Walker, coming off turn two on lap fifteen. It was Perigo’s third win of the season and the first on the tour.
Cliff Brian, Brandon Shearer, and Tony Jackson followed Perigo and Walker across the line. Positions six through ten went to Jay Fannasy, Donnie Farlling, Steve Wilbur, Lee Kauffman, and Chad Thomas.
Fannasy was the fastest qualifier in timed hot laps. He turned in a time of 18.543 seconds.
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