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Weekend Racing Recap

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PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – A busy weekend of racing around Western and Central Pennsylvania as well as nationally.  Here’s a recap of all the action:

Sodeman Jr., Beck, King Jr., and Bish Win At Lernerville:

  • Jack Sodeman Jr. returned to victory lane at Lernerville on Friday winning the Peoples Natural Gas Sprint feature.  Sodeman now sits 4th in the Championship standings 32-points behind leader A.J. Flick.
  • Tommy Beck recovered from an early spin and stormed back through the field to win the Precise Racing Products Late Model Feature.  The win was Beck’s second career victory at “The Action Track”.  Kenny Schaltenbrand sits atop the Championship standings, 15-points ahead of Tyler Dietz.
  • Rex King Jr. captured the checkered flag in the Diehl Automotive Big Block Modified feature to pick up his third win of the season.  Garrett Krummert finished second to remain atop the Championship standings, 11-points ahead of John Mollick.
  • Curtis J. Bish held off Chris Schneider to win The Homack/Penn Ohio Pro Stocks feature.  Jason Fosnaught, Mike Miler and Darryl Charlier rounded out the top 5.

Rahmer Races To Victory at Williams Grove:

  • Freddie Rahmer Jr. was victorious in the Bob Stewart Tribute Night at Williams Grove on Friday.  Brent marks and Anthony Macri rounded out the podium.  Read our Lou Long’s full report here.

Tim Shaffer Wins All-Stars “Attica Ambush” Opener:

  • The “Steel City Outlaw” Tim Shaffer led wire-to-wire to win the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions ‘Attica Ambush’ opener Friday night at Attica Raceway Park.  Read our full report here.
  • Rico Abreu led the final 27-laps to win Saturday night’s Attica Ambush finale at Attica Raceway Park.  Aaron Reutzel finished second and Cap Henry rounded out the podium.

Kyle Lukon Wins Red Miley Rumble at PPMS:

  • Kyle Lukon is the 2020 Red Miley Rumble Winner.  Lukon held off Ben Policz and Daryl Charlier to claim the victory in the 33-lap RUSH Late Model feature.  Policz won the 20-lap feature earlier in the night.
  • Tony Tatgenhorse took home the victory in the RUSH Sportsman Modified feature, holding off Kole Holden and Jacob Jordan to win the 15-lap feature.
  • Daryl Charlier was victorious in the Pro Stocks feature beating Ryan Moyer and Nick Kocuba to the checkered flag.
  • Stephen Shelpman won the Keystone Coach Works Hobby Stock feature over Frank Magill and Cody Koteles.
  • Philip Bubeck beat Bill Tennant and Andy Garlinger to capture the Four Cylinders victory.
  • Noah Bubeck captured the checkered flag in the Young Guns feature followed by Wyatt Mock, Dylan Clipp and Cameron Hollister.
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Awtey and Golik Win First of 2020 at Jennerstown Speedway:

  • Former Track Champion Barry Awtey earned his first win of the season in the Martella’s Pharmacies Late Model division of racing.  Teddy Gibala finished second followed by Albert Francis.
  • Tom Golik won the Stoystown Auto Wreckers Modified race with Adam Henry finishing second followed by Anthony Aiello.
  • Casey Fleegle took home the checkered flag in the Ron’s Collision Center Street Stocks feature.  Mel Wilt and Zac Todaro rounded out the podium.
  • Dale Kimberly held off Steven Singo to win Farmers Union Co-Op Chargers feature.  Will Hemminger rounded out the podium.
  • Evan Nibert was victorious in the Somerset Trust Company Fast ‘n Furious 4-Cylinders feature.  Jeff Vasos charged from his 10th starting spot to finish second followed by Lance Shawley in third.

Dietrich Doubles at Lincoln:

  • Danny Dietrich swept both ends of the Twin Twenties comprising the Bob Leiby Memorial Saturday at Lincoln Speedway.  Read our Lou Long’s full report here.

Macri and Rine Share Victory Lane at Selinsgrove:

  • Anthony Macri scored career win number one and Jeff Rine won his 112th career win at Selinsgrove Speedway.  Read our Lou Long’s recap here.

Harvick, Jones and Rhodes Grab NASCAR Wins At Darlington:

  • Kevin Harvick won the first round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff opener after Martin Truex Jr. crashed into leader Chase Elliott trying to pass the No. 9 going into turn one.  Read our report here.
  • Brandon Jones was as fortunate as Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race.  Jones was running third when leader Ross Chastain and second place Denny Hamlin made contact in Turn 3 with 2-laps to go opening the door for Jones.  Jones was able to pass the wounded machines to take the checkered flag first.  Chastain finished second with Hamlin falling to fifth.
  • Ben Rhodes held off rookie Derek Kraus to win the  NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series South Carolina Education Lottery 200.  The win was Rhodes first since 2018 and third of his career.

Acura Sweeps Road Atlanta:

  • Acura swept the six-hour TireRack.com Grand Prix at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as Acura Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor piloted their Acura ARX-05 prototype to the overall honors, while the Meyer Shank Racing trio of Mario Farnbacher, Ricky Taylor and Shinya Michimi took their Acura NSX GT3 Evo to the win in the GTD class.

Dirt Racing

Tri City Raceway Park to Try Again Sunday

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Tri-City Raceway Park

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.

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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.

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Dirt Racing

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.

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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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Dirt Racing

Mother Nature winning the weekend as local tracks cancel events

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PITTSBURGH, PA (May 3, 2024) Rain is forcing local tracks to cancel their events this weekend.

Lernerville Speedway was the first to pull the plug on Friday’s program after late afternoon showers and an ominous forecast forced the tracks hand. Racing returns to ‘The Action Track’ on Friday, May 10 as the Jay’s Automotive ULMS Late Models take center stage, complemented with the remaining Fab4 racing divisions.

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Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway was next to throw in the towel.  PPMS and BRP Modified Tour officials made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the BRP Big Block Modifieds + Cinco De Mayo Fiesta event.  The event will not be rescheduled. All tickets purchased online will be fully refunded.  PPMS and BRP look forward to scheduling a 2025 date!  PPMS hopes to be able to get in Nostalgia Night and Action Event next Saturday.

Rain late Friday evening and through the early morning hours on Saturday brought over a half-inch (0.51) of rain to Latrobe Speedway, forcing the cancellation of Saturday’s (May 4) FAST-Five racing program.  The rain gauge at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, just 2 miles away, continues to record the rain. The airport forecast calls for an 80 % chance of showers, mainly before 1 pm, and a 100% chance of showers continuing again tonight.

Next Saturday, May 11, Latrobe plans to hold the Dave Kittey Memorial ULMS Super Late Models. The 30-lap $4,000-to-win feature also offers bonuses for ULMS racers.  The FASTrak Pro Late Models, the Joe’s Body Shop & Towing Pure Stocks, the Special T Metals LLC Modified 4 Cylinders, and the Marilungo Disposal LLC Strictly Stock 4 Cylinders will also be on the card.

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