Dirt Racing
Dietrich and Duke Declare Victories at Port Royal
PORT ROYAL, PA (April 6, 2024): After several attempts were foiled by wet weather, Port Royal Speedway finally got its first Sprint Car action in the books. Danny Dietrich benefited from a postponement at Lincoln Speedway to get in an extra race at the Speed Palace, and he edged out Devon Borden on a critical late race restart to earn the victory. The Keystone Racesaver Classic was carried over from last Fall due to weather issues, and former IMCA and Port Royal champion Ken Duke chalked up his first win in the prestigious event for the 305 Sprint Cars.
Dietrich chased Borden for most of the contest, but he was able to get to the inside line entering turn one when it mattered most. Borden was caught in no man’s land–the dreaded middle groove–and he could not fight back to regain the lead. Dietrich explained that his winning move was simply a matter of having more experience at the track, especially in day racing.
“We’ve been pretty good here in the daytime,” Dietrich said modestly. “We’ve got a lot of different stuff on this car and we changed a lot after the hot laps.” “He (Borden) did a good job with what he had. His car was set up differently than ours and you could see that.”
Dietrich had tried but failed to make a pass on Borden in turn one on several occasions during the race. He tried to slide him, he tried to run the inside line, he even tried the high side, all to no avail, as Borden was always able to counter whatever moves Dietrich tried. “I could drive up to his bumper, trying to get him to miss the rubber, and I’d miss the rubber,” Dietrich observed.
Jeff Halligan and Lynton Jeffrey were paired up on the front row for the start of the first 410 Sprint Car show of the 2024 season. Billy Dietrich and Borden had row two, with Lucas Wolfe and Freddie Rahmer, Jr. in row three. Corey Day and Chase Dietz claimed row four, with Gerard McIntyre, Jr. and John Karklin behind them Danny Dietrich and Lance Dewease were set to depart from row six.
On the initial start, there was contact between Halligan and Jeffrey, who turned sideways coming off turn four. He headed nose-first toward the inside, and all the other drivers had to scatter. Most made it through with little or no damage. But Jeffrey and McIntyre flipped and several others were collected. Needless to say, the line-up changed considerably for the second try at green.
Take two resembled the first, as there was contact between Halligan and Billy Dietrich in turn four, but there were no chaotic consequences.
Devon Borden surged to the front using the high line in turns one and two on the opening lap. But the remarkable moves were made by Danny Dietrich, who navigated from eighth to second by the time the racers reached the scoring loop for the first time. Halligan checked in at third, followed by Billy D., Wolfe, and Dietz. The field completed only one more round before T.J. Stutts slowed to a stop.
On the ensuing restart, Borden and Danny Dietrich separated themselves from the rest of the field. Halligan and brother Billy continued in third and fourth, but Dietz, Dewease, and Wolfe were fighting for fifth. Dewease took over fifth by lap ten, and fourth five laps later. By then, however, the first three had pulled away.
Dewease was turning the fastest laps of the race trying to cut the margin. Just as he was approaching Halligan, the caution flew on lap twenty-two due to the flat right rear on Rahmer’s car.
Double D took advantage of the restart to get a run on Borden. The tow racers hit turn one simultaneously, but Dietrich had the preferred line. Borden was stuck in the middle, and there was no grip. Dietrich drove the low line perfectly and he scooted away from Borden with ease.
The final caution came on lap twenty-four when Blane Heimbach got a flat right rear too.
The final restart was uneventful. Dietrich led the parade into turn one, and no passes were made in any of the key positions.
Danny Dietrich took the checkers ahead of Borden, Halligan, Dewease, and Billy Dietrich. Dietz took sixth in his first race for the Zemco team. Wolfe, Karklin, Logan Wagner, and Dylan Cisney completed the top ten.
Heat wins went to Dietz, Day, Rahmer, and Wolfe. Dylan Norris prevailed in the B Main.
The held over 305 feature had Drew Young and Jason Roush on the front row, with Roger Irvine and Jeff Weaver, Jr. in row two. Kenny Heffner and Nick Sweigart were in the third row. Doug Dodson and Owen Dimm were next in line. Ken Duke was paired with Kruz Kepner in row five. Zach Rhodes and Kasey Weaver had row six.
Young took the lead on the opening lap, with Roush, Irvine, Sweigart, Jeff Weaver, and Dodson following. Things remained unchanged up front through the first half of the race.
Irvine took over second on lap seventeen, and he began to whittle away at Young’s advantage. The lead was wiped away just one lap later when Landon Price came to a stop entering turn one.
On the restart, Irvine began to apply some pressure to Young, but Young began to pull away. Irvine could not maintain the pace, though, and he came under attack from Dodson and Duke.
Young and Dodson were getting ready for a two-car battle to the finish when something unexpected happened. They both lost right rear tires in the same corner on the same lap! The resulting caution set up a two-lap dash for the win, with Duke and Irvine as the front runners.
They got away cleanly and it seemed as though the outcome was determined. However, the third place car of Rhodes sustained a flat right rear as well on lap twenty-four.
So, the 305 race came down to a one-lap run for the money. Duke and Irvine remained out front. Jeff Weaver came up to third, followed by Sweigart and Roush. Dimm, Christian Rumsey, Danny Buccafusca, Nolan Groves, and Erin Statler completed the top ten.
“I didn’t have anything for Doug (Dodson) or Drew (Young),” Duke said. “I don’t know what happened to them, but I was smiling ear to ear,” he added. Duke explained that he was driving an unfamiliar car, which he debuted atthe end of 2023. “This car is different than anything I’ve ever had. I didn’t have any chance to try anything out with it.” Nonetheless, the car performed flawlessly for him and, more importantly, it did not have excessive tire wear over the course of the twenty-five lap affair.
The Founders Cup, a fifteen lap race for the non-qualifiers, closed out the action. Paul Moyer led from the pole, but with one lap remaining, Fred Arnold drove by in turn one to lead the last lap. The most important part of the win was the guaranteed starting position for the 2024 edition of the Keystone Racesaver Challenge, which will be run in the middle of the summer rather than its customary mid-October date.
Taking second was Moyer, followed by Ben Miklos. Donnie Hendershot and Alan Rhodes completed the top five. Dustin Young, Andrew Boyer, Kyle Hart, Bill Sheehan, and Jimmy White were the next five finishers.
The outstanding 45 car field required six heats and two B Mains to cut down to the twenty-six cars for the big race. The heat winners were Duke, Sweigart, Kepner, Rhodes, Jeff Weaver, Jr., and Heffner. Jacob Gomola and Jarred Rosencrance did the Western PA contingent something to cheer about, taking the twin Bs.
Port Royal Speedway will be back in action on Saturday, April 13, with a three-division program featuring the 410 Sprints, the Super Late Models, and the Limited Late Models. April 20 will have the same two headliners, but the PASS 305 Sprints will be back for their second appearance of the season. The weekend of April 27-28 will be a biggie, with the Keith Kauffman Classic going on Saturday. That will consist of the 410 Sprints paying $15,000 to the winner, along with the USAC East Coast Sprints and the Wingless Sportsmen. Then, on Sunday the 28th, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will close out the month along with the Limited Lates.
MECHANICSBURG, PA (June 5, 2026): Troy Wagaman, Jr. cashed in on the opportunities given to him to win the Lynn Paxton Classic at Williams Grove Speedway. The second win of the season for the defending track champion and current points leader was his first ever with the All Stars Circuit of Champions, which celebrated fifty-five years of competition at the famed oval. Wagaman received $8,000 for his efforts, matching his payday from the Tommy Classic held earlier in the season.
Wagaman benefitted from two miscues by Danny Dietrich, who had led from the start of the non-stop thirty lapper. The first came on lap fifteen, when Dietrich narrowly avoided disaster coming off turn two. The other came ten laps later when Dietrich slid out of the groove between turns three and four.
“I don’t know if I would have gotten him,” Wagaman said modestly.
He was trailing Dietrich by nearly 1.6 seconds in the middle of the race, but Wagaman squeezed between Dietrich, a lapped car, and the backstretch guard rail to take the lead. Preston Lattomus nearly spun at the exit to turn two, Dietrich came up on him quickly, made slight contact, and almost spun as well, but there was just enough room for Wagaman to scoot by. “I thought he missed it, got too close to the lapped car,” Wagaman explained.
Wagaman then built up a slight lead of his own, which evaporated in traffic. Dietrich drove under both Wagaman and the lapped car between turns three and four on lap twenty-four, but Wagaman came storming back on the next lap to regain the lead. Dietrich slid off the bottom in the same area, and Wagaman pounced. “Danny showed me the bottom. I was struggling on the top and I got down to the bottom after that.”
Wagaman, from Hanover, dedicated the win to his ailing grandmother, adding that he will get to see her on Sunday afternoon.
The starting line-up had a last minute shuffle when Lance Dewease got a flat while the cars were getting into formation. Dewease pitted for a fresh tire, but forfeited his second starting position. He rejoined the field for the start, and put in on an impressive drive to fourteenth from the rear of the twenty-six car field.
Dietrich thus moved to the front row, joining the Dash winner, Cale Thomas. Wagaman and Brady Bacon made up the second row, followed by Doug Hammaker and Kasey Kahne. Brock Zearfoss and T.J. Stutts came next. Chase Dietz and Parker Price Miller were in row five, and Austin Bishop was paired with Ryan “Fig” Newton in row six.
Dietrich wasted no time blasting into the early lead up on the cushion in turns one and two. Wagaman used a more conservative line to reach second. Thomas fell into line in third, ahead of Hammaker, Bacon, Stutts, and Kahne.
Dietrich seemed to have the race under control through the first half of the event. However, things changed suddenly on lap fifteen. He avoided a crash, but lost the lead. Dietrich wasn’t done quite yet, though.
Wagaman was still running the top in turns three and four despite having trouble getting past a lapped car. That allowed Dietrich to flash by on the inside to take the lead away. However, Wagaman came back to lead lap twenty-five when Dietrich slid up the track in almost the same place on the track.
Wagaman changed lines for the remainder of the race, and he paced himself off of the lapped cars, figuring that Dietrich would have to drive around them all if he were to make another bid for the win. However, Wagaman took the checkers 1.120 seconds ahead of Dietrich, who was driving his back-up car after crashing at Selinsgrove Speedway the night before.
Bacon, Stutts, and Dietz completed the top five. Zearfoss, Hammaker, Kahne, Price Miller, and Newton were the next five finishers.
J.J. Loss was the hard charger, advancing seven spots to finish thirteenth.
Kalib Henry, the current All Stars points leader and defending series champion, was the highest finisher from the tour, at seventeenth.
Hammaker, Dewease, Dietrich, and Kahne were the heat winners. Freddie Rahmer, Jr. won the B Main. Stutts was the fastest qualifier, lapping in 17.112 seconds in Group A. Dietrich was the best in Group B. His lap was 17.290 seconds. Thirty-eight cars checked in, including ten All Stars points chasers.
Ageless Steve Wilbur added another Wingless Sportsman victory to his resume. He led Tony Jackson for all twenty laps. “Tony’s hard to beat wherever we go, and to hold him off all of those laps was something,” Wilbur said. “It just feels so good to beat Jackson. I didn’t come all the way from Mechanicsburg to get my a$$ kicked,” he added with a laugh.
Wilbur claimed to use an old right rear tire dating back to his days at Silver Spring Speedway, which closed in 2005.
Cliff Brian, Jr. was third, one spot ahead of the hard charger, Brett Perigo. Brandon Shearer, Derek Shaffer, Brian Nace, Scott Smith, Curt Stroup, and John Edkin were fifth through tenth in the non-stop affair.
Jackson and Wilbur split the heat race wins. There was no B Main necessary for the nineteen car field.
Next Friday, Williams Grove Speedway will present fan appreciation night. All in attendance will get to mingle with the 410 and 358 Sprint Car racers in the front pit area before the start of the action. There will be free potato chips and candy during the pit party. Fireworks will also be part of the fun.
FRANKLIN, PA (May 31, 2026): A.J. Flick claimed his third championship in the Western Pennsylvania Speedweek. His first two titles came in 2023 and 2024.
“This whole week is so cool,” he said. He added, “I think consistency is important and I think that helped me.”
Flick started the week out very strongly, with wins at Michaels Mercer Raceway and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. He was fourth at Lernerville Speedway and fifth in the finale at Tr-City Raceway Park. His worst finish of the week was ninth at Sharon Speedway on Saturday night.
Flick was especially happy with his fifth place finish in the final round because he was not very comfortable in the car.
Other race winners during Speedweek were: Dale Blaney, at Lernerville, Logan Wagner, at Sharon, and Brandon Spithaler, at Tri-City.
Flick’s total earnings for the week were $14,750, which included the $3,000 championship stipend.
One other driver earned more than $10,000. That was Spithaler, who grossed $10.175.
Flick was one of sixteen drivers to enter all five events comprising Western Pennsylvania Speedweek. A total of sixty-one racers competed in at least one round of Speedweek.
The top ten drivers in the point standings shared the point fund, as follows:
- A.J. Flick, 452 points, $3,000
- Mark Smith, 412 points, $2,500
- Brandon Spithaler, 406 points, $2,000
- Jeremy Weaver, 393 points, $1,500
- Carl Bowser, 371 points, $1,000
- Michael Bauer, 368 points, $900
- Adam Kekich, 344 points, $800
- Brandon Matus, 338 points, $700
- Ricky Peterson, 320 points, $600
- Jacob Begenwald, 302 points, $500
Interestingly, one driver in the top ten in points missed a show along the way. Ricky Peterson was absent from Sharon because he had another commitment. He won the FAST on Dirt Sprint Car Series event at Skyline Speedway instead.
FRANKLIN, PA (May 31, 2026): Brandon Spithaler saved his best Speedweek performance for the final night of the five race series. The victory at Tri-City Raceway Park, his first of the season, netted the driver from Renfrew, PA a cool $6,000. He also finished third in Speedweek points, adding another $2,000 to his stash. Spithaler’s total winnings for the week amounted to $10,175, second only to the Speedweek champion, A.J. Flick.
Spithaler noted that “2026 hasn’t been very kind to us. We lost a motor, we trashed a car, we switched chassis. I think we’ve hit on something now.”
He added, “I felt like I was better than him, Ricky (Peterson, who finished a distant second). I was worried when he got by Logan (McCandless, the early leader), but I kept plugging away and I got by him (Peterson).”
Spithaler was especially good in traffic. He explained, “I am a fan of traffic. If we get a long run, I like picking my way through.”
Peterson, who held on for second place, had an opposite opinion about the traffic conditions. “I was really good early. I had issues with the lappers. I think I left a lane open for Brandon, and he got away from us.”
Mark Smith put on a strong charge in the second half of the race to grab the third position. He noted that it was a challenging night and that he changed some things around on his car between the heat and the feature. “We got it going, but it was a little too late. Maybe we needed 35 laps.”
The first ten positions in the starting line-up were reserved for the four heat winners and six of the fastest qualifiers.
Logan McCandless drew the pole position. He was joimed on the front row by the professor, Michael Bauer. Matt Farnham and A.J. Flick pulled the second row, followed by Peterson and Spithaler. Smith and Jeremy Weaver landed in row four. Then came Jared Zimbardi and D.J. Christie. Row six belonged to Tim Shaffer and John Jerich.
The initial start was waved off due to a crash between turns one and two, which claimed Jerich and Christie. Both cars tumbled, but neither driver was injured.
When the field was realigned for the start, Shaffer moved to the outside of row five and Bob Felmlee and Cody Bova became the new sixth row.
McCandless surged into the early lead, followed by Farnham, Bauer, Flick, Peterson, Spithaler, Weaver, Smith, Shaffer, Felmlee, and Zimbardi.
McCandless was exceptionally strong through the first half of the race. His lead grew to more than 1.8 seconds over Farnham through the first nine laps. Peterson moved into second position on lap ten. Gradually, he cut into McCandless’ advantage. On lap fifteen, the margin dwindled to just under a half a second.
Moving into the second half of the contest, McCandless began to have difficulty navigating through the traffic. Peterson narrowed the gap even further over the next few laps. On lap eighteen, Peterson drove by McCandless for the lead.
Meanwhile, Spithaler was closing in on both Peterson and McCandless. Spithaler moved ahead of McCandless on lap nineteen. Just one lap later, he passed Peterson in traffic.
In the final ten laps of the race, Spithaler was clearly superior to Peterson. The lead continued to grow with each lap. He was more than four seconds ahead of Peterson by lap twenty-six. The margin reached 5.338 seconds on the final lap.
Smith cracked the top five on lap sixteen. He held fourth from lap sixteen through lap twenty-nine. On the final trip around the big half mile, Smith moved into third.
McCandless held on for fourth, one spot ahead of Flick, who clinched the Speedweek championship with a steady performance. He was in or just outside the top five for the entire race.
Shaffer edged Farnham for sixth. Greg Wilson, Bauer, and Bova completed the top ten.
Flick, Weaver, Zimbardi, and Peterson won the heat races. Tyler Esh copped the B Main.
Brandon Matus was the night’s fastest qualifier. He topped Group A with a lap of 17.622. However, his night went downhill after that. While running in a transfer position on the last lap of his heat race, Matus flipped hard between turns three and four. His crew thrashed to get the car ready for the B Main with assistance from Spithaler and Weaver, among others. However, Matus finished fifth, with only four cars making the A Main.
Spithaler was the fastest member of Group B. His time was 17,796.
Blaze Myers took the lead on lap six of the RUSH Sprint Car feature and he cruised to an easy victory over Luke Mulichak. The early leader, Zach Morrow, finished in third. Brayden Blackshear and Samantha Priest were fourth and fifth. Lucas Roessner, Devon Deeter, Logen Lockhart, Grayson Bayle, and Ricky Tucker, III, rounded out the top ten. Myers and Roessner took the preliminaries.
The nightcap for the Mini Stock division went to Camden Franz. There was a constant three car battle for second throughout the fifteen lapper. Sheriff Tim Callahan prevailed, with Jordan Wheeler and Justin Forsyth following. Fifth went to Andy Thomson. Kevin Dotten, Michael Phillipson, Andrew Thompson, Ben Aley, and Jacob Wheeler were sixth through tenth.
Alex Palou wins fourth straight pole position at World Wide Technology Raceway
Rough day for Wright at Michigan
Opportunistic Wagaman Wins at Williams Grove
Heim holds off Honeycutt to win Truck race at Michigan
Flick is Speedweek King
Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing win the pole position for the 110th Indianapolis 500
Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward and Romain Grosjean involved in multi vehicle crash during Indy 500 practice
New York Dog wins the Wienie 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
NASCAR community mourns the loss of champion driver Kyle Busch
