Local Racing
Dewease and Flinner Split Opening Day Laurels at Port Royal Speedway
(Port Royal, PA March 6, 2022): Lance Dewease claimed his seventh opening day victory in the 410 Sprint Cars at Port Royal Speedway and Colton Flinner celebrated his first in the Super Late Model division. The win by Dewease was number 120 in his quest to overtake legendary Keith Kauffman, who leads with 129 checkers.
Dewease quickly dispelled any notion that he would be gunning for a track championship at the Speed Palace. “You won’t see any championships out of this team this year.” He explained that the Dream Team, which includes Hall of Famers Don Kreitz, Jr., Davey Brown, and Dewease, plan on their usual 35-40 races. “Last year we had no choice but to go for it,” he acknowledged. He found himself well ahead of his younger rivals at Williams Grove Speedway after the early events, so the team changed plans on the fly and ran all of the races there. Dewease said “I will let Mikey (Wagner) and his son (four-time and defending champion, Logan Wager) fight it out here.” Dewease added that his son will be starting to race in 2022.
Dewease ducked under Mike Wagner in turn one and powered off turn two with the lead eleven laps into the contest. “Mikey was fast but the lapped cars slowed him down and I got going good on the bottom.” Dewease noted that the dirty air from the slower cars can affect the leader, as it did with Wagner. Dewease added that he did not have much choice of where to race on the slick daytime surface. “I packed a wheel and I had to move down off of it (the cushion).” He went back to the top briefly after a red flag halted the mace midway through, but the car vibrated too much to stay on the outside.
For his part, Mike Wagner thought that he had the faster machine. “I thought that I could make a run at him on the inside, but I didn’t want to show him the nose, but he came down anyway and then he got away from me.”
Mike Wagner drew the pole for the twenty-five lapper. Next to him was Justin Peck. Dewease and Zach Newlin were in the second row. Justin Whittal and Mike Walter were in the third. Row four belonged to Devon Boden and Blane Heimbach. Hunter Schuerenberg and Danny Dietrich drew the worst pills, so they were in row five. The sixth stanza was sung by Jeff Halligan and Anthony Macri.
Mike Wagner hit turn one first and slid up ahead of Peck, Dewease nestled into third, followed by Newlin, Walter, Dietrich, and Logan Wagner. Wagner, known as the legend in these parts, led the way over Peck and Dewease until lap nine, when Dewease took second spot.
Dewease reeled in Wagner quickly and make the critical pass on lap eleven.
Soon thereafter, there was a violent crash in turn one. T.J. Stutts and Jared Esh tangled entering the turn and Esh took a tumble. Neither driver was hurt, but their cars were unable to continue.
Dewease led the rest of the way without incident. Wagner did close in with about five laps remaining, but it looked as though Dewease was pacing himself so that he would not get into heavy traffic in the final laps. He waited for two backmarkers to get into single file before blasting by one of them to get some protection from Mike Wagner.
The interesting battle for position in the waning laps featured Peck and Dietrich. Peck held onto the final podium spot. Logan Wagner crossed in fifth. Sixth through tenth were Macri, Halligan, Schuerenberg, Dylan Cisney, and Whittal.
Five heats were held, with wins tabulated by Mike Wagner, Schuerenberg, Walter, Peck, and Dietrich. Chase Diets scored in the B Main.
George Hobaugh was the only Western PA racer to make the A Main. A.J. Flick was in a transfer position in the B Main when he smacked the turn one wall. Logan McCandless was also on hand.
Colton Flinner, from Allison Park, PA, made wholesale changes to his car after the Saturday practice session at the track and the extra effort paid off. “We changed the whole car around. We went back to our notes for something on the right front and it made all the difference,” he explained.
Trevor Collins and Kyle Hardy paced the field for the twenty-five lap Late Model go. Austin Berry and Kyle Lee were in the second row. Trever Feathers and Flinner rolled away in the third. The fourth row was made up by Jason Miller and Gary Stuhler, Chad Myers and Jason Schmidt were in row five for the start.
A spin by Austin Berry on the opening lap nullified a great start by Hardy. Hardy was able to repeat the maneuver on thne second try. Lee followed into second, with Flinner, Stuhler, and Collins fighting for third.
A caution came out just before the halfway sign was shown to the field. Harfy held command, with Lee, Flinner, Stuhler, and Feathers in tow. Things got a little frenzied up front on the restart. Hardy stayed out front, by now Flinner was second and Stuhler was third. Lee fell to fourth, just ahead of Feathers.
Another caution just after the midpoint led to another chaotic restart. Hardy remained out front, but there was an intense three-car battle for second involving Flinner, Stuhler, and Feathers. Flinner came out on top by lap sixteen.
Flinner raced into the lead one lap later, as Hardy developed a push.
Flinner led the remaining eight laps. Hardy held on for second. Stuhler crossed in third. Feathers and Lee completed the top five. Collins, Mike Lupfer, Schmidt, Kyle Knapp, and Berry were the next five across the line.
Feathers and Miller took the preliminaries. There was no B Main.
Western PA youngster Levi Yetter made his first port Royal start.
Port Royal Speedway will present its first Saturday night program next week for the 410 Sprints and Super Late Models. Those divisions will return March 19 and they will be joined by the Limited Late Models. March 20 will present the Short Track Super Series Modifieds and ULMS Late Models at 4 p,m. A triple header of 410 Sprints, Super Late Models, and Limited Late Models will close out the month of March on the 26th.
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.”
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.
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.
“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]
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.
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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