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Turns Lincoln season around after leading every lap for a second straight year
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA , 5/16/13 – He did it again.
Defending Lincoln champ Danny Dietrich turned around a rough start to the 2013 season by leading every lap of World of Outlaws STP Sprint Series feature on Thursday night.
“These guys are tough,” said a jubilant Dietrich after finishing a celebratory wing dance on top of his Gary Kauffman-owned Sandoe’s Fruit Market #48 in victory lane, “And I have respect for all of them. Hopefully, we can continue this luck into tomorrow and Saturday (at Williams Grove).”
Luck did play into Dietrich’s night. A little girl from the stands drew the #8 pill for the inversion, placing Dietrich on the pole for the dash. His subsequent win in the 6-lap dash put him on the pole for the 35-lap “A” main.
Earlier, Dietrich came out late in time trials and turned a lap of 13.918 seconds, good enough for 14th quick and placing him on the pole for his heat.
By virtue of his second-place finish in the dash, five-time World of Outlaw champ Donny Schatz started beside Dietrich in the front row and challenged Dietrich for the lead the entire way. Thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing that saw Schatz stay within a car length of Dietrich forced fans to their feet from laps 15 through 26.
It wasn’t until after a lap 27 caution for a spinning Craig Dollansky that Dietrich was able to pull away, crossing about four car lengths in front of the STP #15 as the two caught lapped traffic as they crossed under the checkered flag.
“That was all joking around,” said Dietrich about his bold talk this week on the internet, “But to back it up feels great.”
“I want to thank all the fans for coming out,” concluded Dietrich, “This is the best track in the country to race and see a race!”
The crowd was so huge that the 50/50 winner won more than Dietrich. Proceeds from the 50/50 drawing were donated to the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing.
Sammy Swindell came from sixth starting spot to finish third, with Tim Kaeding (in his first ever Lincoln run) and invader Brad Sweet completing the top five. Three-time 2013 Lincoln winner Brent Marks was sixth.
Daryn Pittman earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 17th to 7th. Rounding out the top ten were Lincoln points leader Fred Rahmer, invader Sam Hafertepe, Jr., and Brian Montieth.
Sammy Swindell set quick time over the 43-car field with a lap of 13.617-seconds (99.141 MPH). Kaeding, Dietrich, Schatz, and Marks each claimed a heat race, with Jason Sides winning the C Main and David Gravel the “B” Main Last Chance Showdown.(Click on headline link above for full story & results)
Chase Dietz makes daring pass to claim first career “358” sprint car win; Walls wins third of the year in thundercars
ABBOTTSTOWN, PA , 5/11/13 – Brent Marks was the class of the field in claiming the $4,000 top prize in Saturday’s Prospect Metal and Used Auto Parts Night World of Outlaw tune-up at Lincoln Speedway Saturday night.
It was Marks’ third win of the year in the Pigeon Hills, and ended a perfect night for the BAPS Auto Paints and Supply/Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel/KC Automotive/Creekside Auto Sales #19M after winning his qualifying event for the eighth week in a row.
The World of Outlaw format placed Marks on the outside of the front row for the start, and he led every lap, despite late-race pressure from eighth-starting Brian Montieth over the closing laps.
“For all the rain we’ve had, Fred (Putney) did an awesome job on this track,” said Marks in victory lane, “That race was awesome. Kudos to Lincoln for running tonight.”
The start of the show was delayed by 45 minutes after a series of rain showers during the day, the last of which didn’t end until after 5:00 p.m.
“We needed this win really, really bad,” continued Marks, “We’ve been struggling for a few weeks here, and falling from first to fourth in the point standings was pretty depressing. The team behind me is awesome. We went through some difficult times this week, made some changes, and I can’t thank these guys enough.”
Polesitter Gerard McIntyre, Jr. chased Marks the first seven laps before fourth-starting Stevie Smith grabbed second on lap eight.
“I thought Stevie was going to give me a good run there, but I knew the bottom was still too slimy, and I learned my lesson there in the dash, when I just spun my tires there.”
Marks and Smith pulled away from the field until McIntyre and third-starting Logan Schuchart got together while racing for third on lap 15, resulting in a Schuchart flip on turn two.
That put Montieth on the rear bumper of Smith for the restart. Marks opted for the outside for the double-file restart, and Montieth drove around Smith in the first two turns of the restart. Fifth-starting Greg Hodnett caught Smith for third a lap later, and Marks, Montieth, and Hodnett ran first through third the rest of the way.
Smith and seventh-starting Fred Rahmer completed the top five, with Alan Krimes, Robbie Kendall, Steve Owings, Cory Haas, and Kyle Moody rounding out the top ten.
It didn’t take Marks long to start looking toward Wednesday night’s Lincoln showdown with the famous World of Outlaws.
“I know the track will be different, and I can’t go with the same set-up as tonight, but we’ll adapt accordingly and, hopefully, give them a run for their money.”
The other red flag of the event came on the opening lap, when defending champ Danny Dietrich rolled onto his side in turn two. Dietrich was uninjured, made repairs and returned, but dropped out several laps later with front brake problems.
“410” Sprint heats were won by Kendall, Schuchart, and Marks, with Lance Dewease setting a new 12-lap track record of 2:48.149 in the B-Main.
McIntyre won the Dash in a record-setting 6-lap time of 1 minute, 24.420-seconds. Fast time in time trials over the 26-car field was set by Montieth, with a one-lap time of 13.408-seconds (100.686 MPH).
York’s Chase Dietz drove around both Mike Duncan, Jr. and Jeff Rohrbaugh to grab the lead as the three were completing lap seven to score his first career win in the 20-lap “358” sprint car feature.
Dietz, who will turn 16 next Friday (5/17), started fourth and steered clear of a slowing outside front row starter Chandler Leiby on the first lap to maintain fourth. He caught third-starting Mark Stickler on lap two and ran third until blowing around both Duncan and Rohrbaugh at the same time.
Rohrbaugh passed Duncan for second on lap nine, and Austin Hogue came from tenth starting spot to finish third. Ninth-starting Tim Wagaman and 11th-starting Niki Young completed the top five. Sixth through tenth were Duncan, Tyler Ross, Mike Bittinger, Strickler, and 17th-starting Matt Findley.
Heats for the 28 “358” sprinters were won by Young, Strickler, and Dietz, with Scott Fisher winning the consolation.
Gettysburg’s Brian Walls picked up his second win in-a-row and third of the year in the 20 lap Thundercar feature.
Outside frontrow starter Brian Diehl grabbed the lead at the outset and held off polesitter Wayne Dutterer and sixth-starting Jamie Zentmyer.
Meanwhile Walls, was patiently working his way front from the back of the field and got by Zentmyer for second place at the halfway mark.
One lap later Walls went to the outside of race-long leader Diehl and made his winning pass. Walls led the rest of the way, and survived a one-lap dash to the checkered for his 13th career win, tying him with Ron Shultz for 14th on the all time Thundercar win list.
