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Weekend Racing Roundup: Weaver Gets 1st Career Win and 2-Nights of Racing At Sharon

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Steve Skarupa Photography

PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – A big weekend of racing in the Tri-State area saw a first-time winner and some familiar names in victory lane.

Jeremy Weaver picked up his first-career RUSH Sprint Car Series victory Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Weaver started second in the 20-lap feature on the outside of pole-sitter David Hawkins with Brian Ruhlman and Zach Morrow making up the second row.

Weaver grabbed the early lead with Morrow moving up to second place on lap three as Hawkins fell to third and Ruhlman back in fourth. The lead-pack cars encountered lap traffic on lap 15 but Weaver was able to work his way through the traffic to pick up his first-career victory. Morrow continued his strong season finishing second followed by Hawkins.

  1. Jeremy Weaver
  2. Zach Morrow
  3. David Hawkins
  4. Brian Ruhlman
  5. Brian Hartzell
  6. Steve Pedley
  7. Greg Beach
  8. Matt Sherlock III

 

Justin Lamb took home the checkered flag in the Diehl Automotive RUSH Late Model Dirt Series feature Saturday night at PPMS. Lamb started on the pole with Daryl Charlier on the outside of the front row. Christian Schneider started third and Ron Hall qualified fourth. The caution flag flew quickly shortly after the green flag fell. On the restart Lamb led Schneider and Charlier as Ben Policz survived the early mayhem to move into the third spot. Caution came out on lap 5 and on the restart Policz moved up to second place and Tommy Schirnhofer worked his way into the top 3.

Policz took the stop spot on lap 9 and he held the lead at halfway of the 20-lap feature with Lamb in second, Schirnhofer in third, Charlier in fourth and Schneider in fifth. Caution came out on lap 14 and on the restart, Lamb got back out front with Policz in second. Policz took the lead back on the next lap and held the lead until the caution flag flew two laps from the end for oil on the track from Schneider’s car. A two-lap shootout ensued with Lamb taking the lead at the line followed by Policz with Schirnhofer in third place.

  1. Justin Lamb
  2. Ben Policz
  3. Tommy Schirnhofer
  4. John Mollick
  5. Zach Gunn
  6. Ryan Frazee
  7. Daryl Charlier
  8. Braeden Dillinger
  9. Bill Kessler
  10. Christian Schneider
  11. Paul Jablonski
  12. Brian Goebel
  13. Ron Hall
  14. Pete Wearing
  15. Scott Gunn
  16. Eric Hamilton Jr.

 

Nick Kocuba grabbed his first win of the season in the PPMS Pro Stocks feature. Kocuba started on the outside of the front row alongside pole-sitter Chase Lambert. Bill Slade started in third and Danny Rich started on the outside of row two. Kocuba grabbed the early lead followed by Rich in second place. Disaster struck for Rich on lap three when his car came to a stop between turns three and four. Kocuba retained the lead on the restart with A.J. Poljack moving into second place on lap 7 followed by Daryl Charlier, Dave McManus and Lambert. Lap 12 saw the caution come out for Lambert, who was able to continue. The restart found Kocuba back out front followed by Charlier, Poljak, McManus and Heath Close, who moved into the top 5. Kocuba would hold on to grab his first PPMS win of the season.

  1. Nick Kocuba
  2. Daryl Charlier
  3. A.J. Poljak
  4. Dave McManus
  5. Heath Close
  6. Bill Slade
  7. Chase Lambert
  8. Danny Rich

 

Three Rivers Karting

Sharon Speedway held two nights of racing as the “Apple Festival Nationals” took place on Friday and Saturday nights.

Trevor Baker picked up his first career Sharon Speedway victory taking the checkered flag in the “410” Sprint Car feature. Baker started on the pole position and nearly made contact with Carl Bowser trying to get to the high side going into turn one with Dan Kuriger in third followed by Jimmy Morris III and two-time Lernerville Champion Jack Sodeman Jr.

The caution flag flew with seven laps completed when Steve Haefke Jr slowed on the track. Baker jumped back out front when the green flag dropped but Bowser kept charging getting to Bakers tail by lap 14. The pair battled side-by-side, trading slide jobs on laps 16 and 17 with Baker maintaining the lead when the caution flag flew with 17-laps completed for Sodeman, who blew a right-rear tire.

Baker got back out front on the restart and held off Bowser over the final 13-laps for the 0.753-seconds victory, just Baker’s second in his young career. Kuriger rounded out the podium in third.

  1. Trevor Baker
  2. Carl Bowser
  3. Dan Kuriger
  4. Michael Bauer
  5. Dan McCarron
  6. Adam Kekich
  7. Jimmy Morris III
  8. Frankie Nervo
  9. Darren Pifer
  10. Jeremy Kornbau
  11. Darin Gallagher
  12. Russ Sansosti
  13. Eric L. Williams
  14. Gale Ruth
  15. Sye Lunch
  16. Jack Sodeman Jr.
  17. Dave Blaney
  18. Steve Haefke Jr.
  19. Bob Lime

 

Rex King Jr. made it two-for-two Friday night at Sharon holding off Garrett Krummert to take the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modified win. King also won the “Lou Blaney Memorial” back in July. King took the lead away from Krummert on a restart following a lap 13 caution. Krummert chose the high side for the double-file restart, leaving King the inside line. King took the lead down low in turns one and two as Krummert had to deal with Jeremiah Shingledecker who was charging hard from third. King Jr. was too strong over the final 12-laps as he picked up his 27th career win.

  1. Rex King Jr.
  2. Garrett Krummert
  3. Jeremiah Shingledecker
  4. Rex King
  5. Will Thomas III
  6. Kevin Hoffman
  7. Skip Moore
  8. John Mollick
  9. Brandon Michaud
  10. Bill Adams
  11. Mike Turner
  12. Rick Regalski Jr.
  13. Clude Gumpp
  14. Mark Frankhouser
  15. Jim Rasey
  16. Kevin Green

 

Chad Ruhlman grabbed the RUSH Spring Car win Friday night as Sharon, holding off his brother Brian in the 20-lap feature. Chad Ruhlman started on the pole and rookie Matt Sherlock started on the outside. Brian Ruhlman got around Sherlock on the start with Jeremy Weaver and Sherlock battling it out for third. Brian Woodhall, who started sixth, drove around Shawn Smith and Sherlock on the outside to grab the fourth spot on lap four. Zach Morrow moved into the top 5 on lap 5 after starting eighth.

The battle was on for third midway through the feature as Weaver was trying to hold off Woodhall, Morrow and a hard-charging Brad Blackshear, who had moved up from this tenth starting position. Blackshear’s charge ended when he got into the fence on lap 12, bringing out the events one and only caution flag.

Chad Ruhlman jumped back out front on the restart followed by his brother as Woodhall and Weaver traded slide jobs for third, with Woodhall getting the spot-on lap 16. Morrow got by Weaver for fourth on lap 18 as Chad Ruhlman continued to set the pace out front, beating Brian Ruhlman by 0.480-seconds to take the win.

  1. Chad Ruhlman
  2. Brian Ruhlman
  3. Brian Woodhall
  4. Zach Morrow
  5. Jeremy Weaver
  6. Brandon Blackshear
  7. Andy Feil
  8. Shawn Smith
  9. Steve Pedley
  10. Matt Sherlock III
  11. Ryan Fraley
  12. Brian Hartzell
  13. Greg Beach
  14. Dave Hawkins
  15. Arnie Kent
  16. Tyler Powell
  17. Brad Blackshear

Local Racing

Historic Stock Cars to run at Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix

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PVGP

PITTSBURGH, PA (April 24, 2025) The Historic Stock Car Racing Association (HSCRA) is joining the lineup of racing groups at this year’s Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (PVGP) Historics at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.  This is the first time the HSCRA will race in the PVGP Historics 3-day weekend, July 26 to 28, 2024.

“We are thrilled to welcome the HSCRA to our 2024 event,” said Dan DelBianco, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. “Their participation not only broadens the appeal of the PVGP Historics but also aligns with our mission to celebrate all automotive history. This is a fantastic opportunity for race fans of all types to witness the power and beauty of historic stock cars in action.”

The HSCRA, renowned for its commitment to preserving and celebrating the history of stock car racing, will bring a new dimension to the PVGP Historics. The group is open to all stock cars that ran in one of the major NASCAR series.

“The HSCRA is anxious to bring NASCAR to Pittsburgh,” said Carlus Gann of HSCRA. “We look forward to making this a regular stop on our tour. Western Pennsylvania has deep roots in racing, and building a world-class track at Pitt Race in Beaver County makes it a perfect fit.”

Three Rivers Karting

The most popular class is Generation 4 Cup cars built for the 1992-2007 seasons. During this era, teams built a few cars for the two road courses on the schedule.

“We are hoping for a full field of meticulously restored stock cars,” added Chris Evans of the HSCRA. “Former NASCAR winners like Joe Nemechek and a competitive lineup of today’s top historic stock car drivers will be on hand.”

Gary Moore, a seasoned participant in over a dozen PVGP races, knows the intricacies and challenges of the Pitt Race track. Moore will be showcasing his 1969 Mercury Cyclone (right), victoriously driven by Cale Yarborough, exclaiming, “It’s quite the adventure behind the wheel!”

The HSCRA will have a practice session in the morning and a qualifying race in the afternoon on Friday, July 26. A morning and afternoon practice session on Saturday, July 27. Sunday, July 28 will see the HSCRA have a short morning warm-up prior to being one of the featured Sunday afternoon races.

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Motorsport Festival features two weekends of racing action. The first weekend is the PVGP Historics at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. The second weekend is racing through a 2.33-mile road course set on the streets of Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park. In addition to the race weekends, the PVGP stages car shows, parties, road rallies, and a black-tie formal. The PVGP’s mission is to provide residential care, treatment and support for people with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities – donating $6.7 million to charity since 1983.

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Dirt Racing

Tim Shaffer Wins Herb Scott Memorial at PPMS

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Tommy Hein

IMPERIAL, PA (April 20, 2024) Aliquippa’s Tim Shaffer started on the pole position and survived several caution flags and restarts to win the Herb Scott Memorial Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway (PPMS).

“Boy I earned that one huh,” said Shaffer following the race.  “These wins just keep getting better and better. Herb Scott won a lot of features and I have a long way to go to catch him, but my career went on the road and it became hard to win races. It’s kind of back home racing now for me and it’s a lot of fun.”

Brock Pinkerous and Dave Hess Jr. staged an epic battle over the last several laps with Pinkerous scoring an emotional runner-up finish.

Three Rivers Karting

“Congrats to Tim on the win,” said Pinkerous, who hails from Ellenville, NY. “He’s really good at this track. Him and Dave are legends around this area. It’s really cool to battle with them; they raced me clean and I raced them clean. Even though we didn’t win tonight, this is for my uncle tonight who passed away about a month ago. I hope he’s watching over us tonight, and I really love you uncle Chris.”

“We were really good on those restarts,” said Hess, the 39-year-old Waterford, Pa. driver. “A little tweak to the car and maybe a gear change and we could have had something for the leaders. Once those two (Shaffer and Pinkerous) got rolling, they were a little better than I was.”

Kyle Lukon finished fifth and Logan Roberson rounded out the Top 5.

A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 45-Tim Shaffer[1]; 2. 555-Brock Pinkerous[4]; 3. 44-Dave Hess Jr[21]; 4. 184-Kyle Lukon[5]; 5. 17R-Logan Roberson[19]; 6. 10S-Joe Martin[16]; 7. 36-Cody Dawson[7]; 8. 3J-Jeremy Wonderling[10]; 9. 42-Daryl Charlier[6]; 10. 184C-Justin Chance[13]; 11. 21J-Jim Rasey[24]; 12. 184P-Cole Petrelle[20]; 13. 77-Tom Klein[23]; 14. 57-Charlie Sandercock[11]; 15. 36B-Colby Beighey[15]; 16. 18-Mike Wonderling[25]; 17. 29-Ryan Hare[17]; 18. 60H-Brian Huchko[22]; 19. 9R-Mike Reft[14]; 20. 25-Zachary Kane[9]; 21. 72B-Kassidy Kamicker[18]; 22. 75-Jared Miley[3]; 23. 60-Brandon Burgoon[2]; 24. 14AJ-AJ Miller[8]; 25. 14G-Jake Gunn[12]

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Dirt Racing

Macri Romps in Sterner Memorial; Hare Gets First Career Win on His Birthday

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Lincoln Speedway

ABBOTTSTOWN, PA (April 20, 2024): Anthony Macri made a triumphant return to the Keystone State. After spending a few weeks racing in the Midwest, Macri came back for some top-paying races in his own backyard. Weather claimed the first night of racing, at Williams Grove Speedway, but Macri made up for it by earning $20,000 in the 20th Annual Weldon Sterner Memorial at the Lincoln Speedway. It was his second victory of the season in the Pigeon Hills.

Macri, who was dominant running up near the wall in turns three and four, said “I think running out on the road made me more comfortable running up there, and running at that pace.” He did admit, though, that he did back off a bit in the late stages of the race in order to conserve his tires because this was the longest race he has run this season and he was not sure how the tires would hold up. “I was worried about tire wear. I had to run a good pace to make sure the tires would last.”

The luck of the draw put Macri on the pole for this forty lapper. Next to him was Aussie Ryan Newton. Billy Dietrich and Freddie Rahmer, Jr. were in the second row. Danny Dietrich was scheduled to start fifth, but a magneto problem forced him to pit just as the A Main was about to push off. The car could not be repaired in time to allow him to tag the tail of the field. So, Lucas Wolfe slid over to fifth and Troy Wagaman, Jr. became his dance partner. Cameron Smith and Kody Hartlaub were in row four. Behind them were Kyle Moody and Chad Trout, whose car was carrying the Sterner Cement wing to commemorate the event. Kyle Reinhart and Matt Campbell were in the sixth row.

Macri led Newton and Rahmer Jr. in the opening laps. Wagaman, Wolfe, Billy Dietrich, Moody, Smith, Campbell, and Hartlaub were next in line. A caution on lap three for Cory Haas bunched things up again, but the running order remained unchanged after the green lights came on again.

The first significant move occurred on lap twelve, when Rahmer Jr. worked the inside line to take over second. As Rahmer began his pursuit of Macri, Newton was busy keeping Wagaman and Wolfe at bay.

After a caution on lap sixteen for debris, Wagaman moved ahead of Newton, who struggled to stay ahead of Wolfe. In the second half of the race, Wolfe got stronger. He moved ahead of both Newton and Wagaman.

Macri continued out front, of course. Rahmer Jr. still held second, but Wolfe was closing in on him. Wagaman, Newton, and Campbell were battling for positions in the top five.

The final caution was displayed with seven laps remaining. Macri got away cleanly, and Wolfe resumed his attack on Rahmer Jr. As they contested the second spot, Macri began to pull away.

Three Rivers Karting

At the checkers, it was Macri ahead of Rahmer Jr. by over 2.4 seconds. Wolfe was a close third, followed by Wagaman and Newton. Billy Dietrich rallied in the closing laps to take sixth. Campbell, Devon Borden, Rinehart, and Brandon Rahmer completed the top ten.

Heat winners were Wolfe, Billy Dietrich, Macri, and Smith. Tyler Ross won the B Main. The evening’s fastest qualifier was Rahmer Jr., with a time of 13.768 seconds. He earned a $300 bonus for that accomplishment. Danny Dietrich received the hard luck award, worth $100. T.J. Stutts was the hard charger at plus eight. He, too, received $100 extra.

Ayden Hare will forever remember his sixteenth birthday, as he celebrated the occasion in victory lane after just his fourth 358 Sprint Car race. The teen drove a flawless race, leading wire to wire. “I am at a loss for words, I am so happy,” he said.

Scott Fisher had the pole, with Hare to his right. Behind them were Doug Hammaker and Frankie Herr. Row three consisted of Adam Carberry and Preston Lattomus. Jayden Wolf and Ashley Cappetta were in the fourth row. The fifth belonged to Mike Bittinger and Tyler Ulrich. Dylan Norris and Cody Fletcher claimed row six.

Hare won the race to turn one and he claimed the middle groove as his own. Fisher and Herr were side by side fighting for second, with Hammaker lurking in fourth. Carberry, Lattomus, Wolf, Bittinger, Cappetta, and Norris strung out behind the leaders.

Hare began to pull away from Fisher and Herr as they continued their struggle for second place.

A red flag on lap eleven for Wolf’s flip between turns three and four brought Hare back to the rest of the racers, but the teen had no trouble building his advantage up again in the final nine laps.

Hare, Fisher, Herr, Hammaker, and Carberry were the top five finishers. Bittinger, Cappetta, Norris, Lattomus, and Logan Rumsey were sixth through tenth. Wolf received the hard luck award and Jude Siegel was the hard charger, at plus seven. They each received $250.

Next week, Lincoln Speedway will present another 410 and 358 Sprint car doubleheader. The same two divisions will return on May 4. The World of Outlaws will be in for the Gettysburg Clash on May 8. There will be no racing on May 11, but the speedway will host the Hot Rod Annual for the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.

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