2016 Super DIRTcar Series Season Preview

As all of us race fans look ahead to the first race of the 2016 SDS tour in just a few short days (April 30th at Fulton Speedway), I’d like to start the season preview off with a nod to the past.

We mark this as the first year in the post-Moody Mile era of northeast dirt modified racing. Yes, it definitely won’t be the same Super DIRTweek that we are all accustomed to, but it is in my opinion that we welcome the thought of a new venue for SDW 2016 with open arms. I’ve seen a lot of the varying thoughts on the new facility, including where it should have, could have, would have been under certain circumstances. 

It can be argued all day long, but at the end of the bickering, SDW will be at a new venue, and it should NOT stop everyone from supporting the sport itself by attending this year. I am fully aware of how the New York State Government did the racing community wrong, and being a stubborn person, I don’t want to accept the fact that we won’t go back to Syracuse anymore. I have had those thoughts on not attending because it won’t be the same. 

But then I thought to myself, what good does that do? The last Syracuse 200 at The Mile brought the entire racing community together in celebration. Those stands were PACKED. Now we have the first at a new track. Now let’s celebrate the start of a new era the same way we celebrated the ending of one. Let’s open up to the new SDW, and pack the new stands the same way.

(For lazy readers, in summary: Move on from the past and sell out the new SDW venue.)

Drivers:

First order of business is drivers. What a shake up this silly season brought. Some moves left me in shock and awe, some left me puzzled, and some had me recognizing true, potential greatness. It just goes to show that anything and EVERYTHING can happen, and it did. As of March 18th, there were 17 drivers dedicated to competing on the entire SDS schedule. 

This number is outstanding compared to recent years in which the number of drivers attending all points events was right around 10-12 drivers. I’m anxious to see some of the young and upcoming talent on the list of drivers take on the seasoned veterans and champions of the sport. Guys like Mat Williamson, Mike Mahaney, and Max McLaughlin taking on the top dogs of Brett Hearn, Matt Sheppard, and Billy Decker. There’s an awesome mix of new and old talent among the 17 drivers that you will see at the 29 SDS events this year. For the first time, Stewart Friesen is taking a swing at the title, and hopes to hit a homerun in his new Halmar International ride. There’s no question that he has the talent to win races, but the SDS takes durability and stamina for the entire season, something that we all have been waiting to see from him for a while now. 

All in all, it will be a fun season with a tight points battle that I predict will come down to The World Finals weekend, which is at the end of October this year.

Here are the 17 regulars in alphabetical order by last name.

Stewart Frisen in his new Halmar International ride at Volusia.
Credit: Daylon Barr

• Peter Britten
• Frank Cozze
• Billy Decker
• Keith Flach
• Stewart Friesen
• Tim Fuller
• Brett Hearn
• Mike Mahaney
• Max McLaughlin
• Eldon Payne
• Jimmy Phelps
• Erick Rudolph
• Rich Scagliotta
• Matt Sheppard
• Pat Ward
• Larry Wight
• Mat Williamson

Schedule:

Mike Perrotte has done a phenomenal job with expanding the series since he took the reins. This year the schedule expands to 29 points races, coming close to the record number of races run in 2007 at 32. This year we see the addition of The House that Earl Built, Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. This is one that I have circled, starred, and highlighted on every calendar I own, and I encourage you to do this as well. 

A midweek show (July 19th and 20th) tag teamed with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is without a doubt primed to bring national attention to our beloved northeast mod. On the way home from Eldora, the teams head to Sharon Speedway for the first time in series history. You can catch this race on Thursday, July 21st. Also back on the schedule this year for the first time since 2006 is Williams Grove on June 22nd. Missing from the schedule this year is Ohsweken. I always hate to see a track gone from the schedule but it happens. Some other highlights this year are the Mr. DIRT Track USA race at Lebanon Valley Speedway which is always a great one to go to as it is $17,500 to win, Brett Hearn's The Big Show on June 28th which features former NASCAR driver and dirt track fanatic Kenny Wallace, the return to Utica-Rome Speedway on July 3rd in hopes of better weather than last year, and the Five Mile Point Speedway on July 12th which featured a last lap pass of Friesen over Pat Ward in one of the most thrilling finishes of the 2015 season.

View the whole schedule by clicking here.

Predictions: 

Billy Decker steals the opener at Fulton. Billy has said that he loves the track, and it wouldn't surprise me if he got back to back Highbank Holdup wins.

Matt Sheppard's new ride.
Credit: Daylon Barr

Matt Sheppard wins at least 5 races. In his own car now, Sheppard can have it his way 100%. He already won in Florida, but I'd be willing to bet he captures at least 5 more.

A non series regular wins at Lebanon Valley and/or Malta. I'm looking at Kenny Tremont specifically. He racked up an enormous amount of wins at both tracks last season, and is already winning there again this year.

We see 75+ cars attempt to qualify for SDW. With the track being a half mile synthetic SYNDI surface, it becomes much more affordable. The small blocks will see roughly the same amount.

Four drivers will have a shot at the championship going into Charlotte. I have no prediction for who these four will be, but it will make the World Finals a lot more intense.

Social Media and Race Monitor Help More Than Hurt

Heard the grumblings lately and couldn't believe the mindset still exists. Yes, there are folks out there that actually believe that internet and digital tools like Race Monitor and social media keep people away from the dirt track.  At first, we kind of snickered on the inside. And then, it stopped.

Pat Miller Photo

Some of these folks are serious about it. They weren't kidding. They had no clue about what things like that can actually do for dirt racing interest. And interest creates butts in the bleachers.  That's the dirty truth behind the scenes.

Look, we're not naming any person, track, or entity, we're not here to take anybody to task. But the one question we want to ask, is does that anybody consider the customer service aspect that these things bring?

Next, we'd like to ask you all a question. Does anybody reading this not want to go to a dirt track when they have the opportunity? We're betting no, or else you've got no reason for reading anything on this site at all! Okay, next question. Does anybody frequently use social media updates or race monitor to see what's going on where, whether you're at a dirt track or not? We're betting yes, since you're reading a page on the internet and probably have a mobile device that you've learned to master. (The author here has just recently learned how to use his). Have you ever looked at the fans sitting around you and noticed they've got Race Monitor up and are watching lap times at the race they're actually at, trust me, they're out there as it's possible to look down at your cell phone when there's a caution on the track. Know what else, they also check out who's winning where at tracks they're not at, because they're at your track. When they're at another track, they're probably checking out your results during cautions. Funny how it works..

Here's the rub. the people that believe that these things harm attendance at the track (fans, promoters and owners too) fail to realize a couple of things. First, that tracks that engage and update on social media do so many times as a customer service courtesy with a marketing purpose. We won't list the tracks, but have you ever noticed how many of the most popular tracks in the country are on Race Monitor and do live or nearly live time social media updates? They've already learned that their fan base can't always be there in person but still want to be in the know. Secondly, those tracks have plenty of fans in the stands more often than not. And thirdly, they fail to realize that keeping their facility off of these things on a race night encouraged not one person to come out to the track that wouldn't have been there to begin with.  We're dirt fans, we live to be at the track, to take the sport in through the senses is what we live for! It's not as if any fan actively believes "we'd better get our butts to the track because we won't know who won until tomorrow!!"  Folks, if you run a good show, you're fans won't miss when they have time to be there, it is a known fact, there's almost no way to be a "ho hum" or "could take it or leave" it dirt racing fanatic.

Guess what? Most of us use these things and have this stuff, and we're at the track religiously. Want to know something else? Most of us have seen video, or updates from races on social media and follow along Race Monitor...and planned ROAD TRIPS to come to that track! These things help more than they hurt. They're marketing tools, they help spread the word, they help keep the dirt racing information flowing. And if people are interested in the information, they're actively interested in being at the track and they're enjoying the experience of being a total dirt head, and to be quite honest, we need to be making more of these fans, the future of the sport's health will be in part bettered by embracing how others make for a great racing experience and culture.

The mindset's gotta change for some of these people, and trust me when I say, the people saying these things hurt attendance or are purposely avoiding social media on race night or Race Monitor are probably at a track that looks closer to slowing down or closing, than they are to thriving.

Weekend Scoreboard; Satterlee Bests Bloomer at Hagerstown; Stewart and Saldana Split Devil's Bowl; Sheppard Goes Back To Back

Welcome to yet another round of our famous Weekend Scoreboard where we take results from all over the Ohio Valley and Mid/North East and throw them out there!  Were you on a bender this weekend? Did you have to finish your taxes? (they're late by the way), Were you dragged off by family members to picnics with annoying in laws where there was absolutely no beer whatsoever??

No worries, we're here to help!  So here's what you missed this weekend on dirt!  Keep checking back as we'll keep updating this page throughout the weekend!

Here's the highlights:

• Satterlee Extracts $12,000 From Lucas Boys at Hagerstown
• Shane Stewart and Joey Saldana Split The Outlaw Weekend at Devil's Bowl
• Dale Blaney Points and Laughs at the PA Posse In All Star Sprint Action at Port Royal
• Matt Sheppard Goes Back to Back at Canandaigua; Friesen Wins at Fonda (Never heard that one before)
• Reed Tames Fremont's Finest

Sunday April 24

All Star Sprints at Selinsgrove Speedway (PA)

1. Danny Dietrich  2. Dave Blaney  3. Mark Smith  4. Dale Blaney  5. Blaine Heimbach
6. Kraig Kinser  7. Brent Marks  8. Lucas Wolfe  9. Sheldon Haudenschild  10. Pat Cannon
11. Ryan Smith  12. Greg Hodnett  13. Aaron Ott  14. TJ Michael  15. Cap Henry
16. Brock Zearfss  17. Caleb Helms  18. Bradley Howard  19. Ryan Kissinger 
20. Lee Jacobs  21. Steve Buckwalter  22. TJ Stutts   23. Lee Jacobs  24. Chad Kemenah
25. Caleb Armstrong


Big Block Modifieds at Utica Rome Speedway (NY)

1. Matt Sheppard  2. Larry Wight  3. Alan Johnson  4. Tim Fuller  5. Vic Coffey
6. Stewart Friesen  7. Marc Johnson  8. Rob Bellinger  9. Mike Mahaney
10. Pat Ward  11. Danny Varin  12. Mat Hulsizer  13. Max McLaughlin
14. Tim Mayne  15. Ryan Phelps  16. Vinnie Vitale


Saturday April 23

World of Outlaw Sprints at Devils Bowl (TX)

1. Shane Stewart  2. Joey Saldana  3. Kerry Madsen  4. David Gravel  5. Donny Schatz
6. Brad Sweet  7. Jason Sides  8. Wayne Johnson  9. Sammy Swindell  10. Aaron Reutzel
11. Jason Johnson  12. Daryn Pittman  13. Josh Baughman  14. Matt Covington
15. Greg Wilson  16. Ray Kuhlhanek  17. Paul McMahan  18. Clyde Knipp 
19. Johnny Herrera  20. Jacob Allen  21. Dale Wester  22. Sam Hafertepe Jr.
23. Logan Schuchart  23. Travis Rilat


Lucas Oil Late Models at Hagerstown Speedway (MD)

1. Gregg Satterlee  2. Scott Bloomquist  3. Tim McCreadie  4. Jonathan Davenport
5. Rick Eckert  6. Jared Landers  7. Earl Pearson Jr.  8. Jimmy Owens  9. Don O'Neal
10. Darrell Lanigan  11. Scott Parker  12. Gary Stuhler  13. Matt Cosner  14. Brandon Sheppard  15. Dennis Erb Jr.  16. Steve Francis  17. Dan Angellichio  18. Colton Flinner
19. Dillon Yoder  20. Austin Hubbard  21. Mason Zeigler  22. Justin Kann  23. Glenn Elliot
24. Andy Anderson  25. Marvin Winters

All Star Sprints at Port Royal Speedway (PA)

1. Dale Blaney  2. Chad Kenemah  3. Greg Hodnett  4. Dave Blaney  5. Steve Buckwalter
6. Brent Marks  7. Ryan Smith  8. Sheldon Haudenschild  9. TJ Micheal 
10. Blaine Heimbach  11. Lucas Wolfe  12. Logan Wagner  13. Doug Esh  14. Mark Smith
15. Curt Stroup  16. Cap Henry  17. Ryan Taylor  18. Lee Jacobs  19. Mike Wagner
20. Danny Holtgraver  21. Dylan Cisney  22. Tyler Bear  23. Cale Grubb  24. Tim Shaffer
25. TJ Stutts  26. Andrew Palker  27. Aaron Ott

Spring Nationals Late Models at Senoia Raceway (GA)

1. Chris Madden  2. Shane Clanton  3. Tyler Millwood  4. Brandon Overton 
5. Donald McIntosh  6. Clint Smith  7. David Payne  8. Jason Hiett  9. Cody King
10. Austin Smith  11. Joe Armistead Jr.  12. Zach Leonhard  13. Tod Darda
14. Austin Horton  15. Matt Dooley  16. Mason Massey  17. Jason Williams
18. Kenny Collins  19. Laddie Fulcher  20. Ivedent Lloyd Jr.  21. Craig Scott
22. Brian Reese

Southern All Star Late Models at Smoky Mountain Speedway (TN)

1. Mike Marlar  2. Skip Arp  3. TJ Reaid  4. Riley Hickman  5. Tommy Kerr 
6. Chris Ferguson  7. Chris Ames  8. Derek Ellis  9. Eric Wells  10. Shannon Buckingham
11. Dennis Franklin  12. Brad Sinner  14. Jeff O'Neil  15. James Kelso  16. Jim Rogers
17. Robby Moses  18. Billy Ogle Jr.  19. Roger Best  20. Dusty Carver  21. Casey Roberts
22. Jeff Wolfenbarger  23. Mark Douglas  24. David Crabtree


Big Block Modifieds at Canandaigua Motorsports Park (NY)

1. Matt Sheppard  2. Tim Fuller  3. Jimmy Phelps  4. Gary Tomkins  5. Billy Decker
6. Mat Williamson  7. Vic Coffey  8. Justin Haers  9. Peter Britten  10. Mike O'Brien
11. Erick Rudolph  12. Dan Wisener  13. Randy Chrysler  14. Alan Johnson
15. Ryan Arbuthnot  16. Eldon Payne Jr.  17. Derrick Podsiadlo  18. Max McLaughlin
19. Steve Paine  20. James Maier  21. Gil Tegg Jr.   22. Mike Mahaney  23. Brian Sage
24. Justin Wright  25. Scott Kerwin  26. Dave Rauscher


Big Block Modifieds at Fonda Speedway (NY)

1. Stewart Friesen  2. Bobby Varin  3. Larry Wight  4. Danny Johnson  5. Alton Palmer
6. Pat Ward  7. Ronnie Johnson  8. Darwin Greene  9. Jeremy Wilder  10. Craig Hanson
11. Mark Kislowski  12. Jeff Rockefeller  13. Justin Boehler  14. Jesse Mueller
15. Bodie Bellinger  16. Jeff Trombley  17. Josh Hoenforst  18. Vinnie Sanganetti
19. Korey Wilder  20. Brandon Walters  21. Willy Decker 

410 Sprints at Lincoln Speedway (PA)

1. Danny Dietrich  2. Austin Hogue  3. Jimmy Siegel  4. Robbie Kendall  5. Adam Wilt
6. Gerard McIntyre  7. Freddie Rahmer  8. Kyle Moody  9. Tim Glatfelter  10. Steve Owing
11. Alan Krimes  12. Billy Dietrich  13. Glendon Forsythe  14. Shane Hoff
15. Brandon Rahmer  16. Chase Dietz  17. Scott Fisher  18. Frankie Herr  19. Joe Kata
20. Tyler Ross  21. Cory Haas  22. Dwayne Gutshall  23. Brian Montieth  24. JJ Grasso

410 Sprints at Fremont Speedway (OH)

1. Byron Reed  2. Craig Mintz  3. Chris Andrews  4. Broc Martin  5. Caleb Griffith
6. Paige Polyak  7. Brian Smith  8. Jody Keegan  9. Trey Jacobs  10. Tyler Gunn
11. Stewart Brubaker  12. Brian Lay  13. Bill Rose  14. Matt Westfall  15. DJ Foos
16. Adam Kekich  17. Shawn Valenti  18. Dean Jacobs  19. Duane Zablocki
20. Kirk Jeffries  21. Parker Price MIller  22. Jess Stiger

358 Modifieds at Grandview Speedway (PA)

1. Frank Cozze  2. Rick Laubach  3. Kenny Gilmore  4. Ryan Grim  5. Jeff Strunk
6. Jared Umbenhauer  7. Craig Von Dohren  8. Kevin Hirthler  9. Duane Howard
10. Ryan Watt 11. Tim Buckwalter  12. Mike Gular  13. Danny Erb  14. Kyle Borror
15. Doug Manmiller  16. Meme Desantis  17. Steve Swinehart  18. Don Norris Jr.
19. Brian Houseknecht  20. Justin Grim  21. Mike Kellner  22. Chris Esposito
23. Brian Gunther-Walsh


358 Modifieds at Merrittville Speedway (Ontario)

1. Mike Bowman  2. Chad Brachmann  3. Pete Bicknell  4. Mark D'Ilario  5. Ryan Susice
6. Gary Lindberg  7. Tyler McPherson  8. Kenny Wills  9. Wanye Conn 10. Scott Wood
11. Chris Steele  12. Tommy Flannigan  13. Chris Raabe  14. Todd Gordon  15. Tim Jones
16. Simon Perreault  17. Bill Bleich  18. Fred Carleton  19. Dave Flannigan

Friday April 22


World of Outlaw Sprints at Devils Bowl (TX)

1. Joey Saldana  2. Daryn Pittman  3. Brad Sweet  4. Kerry Madsen  5. Jason Johnson 
6. Shane Stewart  7. David Gravel  8. Donny Schatz  9. Paul McMahan 
10. Sam Hafertepe Jr. 11. Sammy Swindell  12. Jason Sides  13. Logan Schuchart
14. Travis Rilat  15. Matt Covington  16. Ray Kulhanek  17. Greg Wilson 
18. Josh Baughman  19. Dale Wester  20. Aaron Reutzel  21. Wayne Johnson
22. Raven Culp  23. Jacob Allen  24. Johnny Herrera


410 Sprints at Williams Grove (PA)

1. Brian Montieth  2. Danny Dietrich  3. Greg Hodnett  4. Stevie Smith  5. Ryan Smith
6. Doug Esh  7. Alan Krimes  8. Freddie Rahmer  9. Lucas Wolfe  10. Cory Haas
11. Aaron Ott  12. Pat Cannon  13. Frankie Herr  14. Brock Zearfoss  15. Joe Trenca
16. Austin Hogue  17. Troy Fraker  18. Rodney Westhafer  19. Dave Blaney 
20. Matt Campbell  21. Brent Marks  22. Steve Buckwalter  23. Lance Dewease
24. Tim Glatfelter

Big Block Modifieds at Albany-Saratoga Speedway (NY)

1. Peter Britten  2. Matt Delorrenzo  3. Ken Tremont Jr.  4. Marc Johnson
5. Keith Flach  6. Brett Hearn  7. Elmo Reckner  8. Jesse Mueller  9. Dan Ronca
10. Brian Gleason  11. L.J. Lombardo  12. Shaun Pangman  13. J.R. Heffner
14. Rich Ronca  15. Bodie Bellinger  16. Matt Depew  17. Hector Stratton
18. Neil Stratton  19. Jimmy Cottrell  20. Rob Pitcher  21. Demetrios Drellos
22. Ricky Davis  23. Brian Whittemore 24. Mark Kislowski  25. Stewart Friesn
26. Ray Hoard  27. Bobby Hackel IV  28. Kris Vernold  29. Jim Nagel  30. Todd Morey


358 Modifieds at Big Diamond Speedway (PA)

1. Brett Kressley  2. Dale Hartz  3. Ryan Godown  4. Ray Swineheart  5. Jeff Strunk
6. Billy Pauch Jr.  7. Ryan Grim  8. Rick Laubach  9. Ryan Watt  10. Andy Burkhart
11. Heath Metzger  12. Kevin Beach  13. Ryan Haring Jr.  14. Paul Moyer 
15. Jimmy Bobbit Jr.  16. Shawn Fitzpatrick  17. Colt Harrisburg  18. Craig Von Dohren
19. Duane Howard  20. Jimmy Reppert  21. Justin Grim  22. Jay Allen  23. John Willman
24. Scott Albert

World of Outlaws Race Recap - USA Raceway

It was a beautiful sunny, 80-degree day in Tucson, Arizona on Monday, April 18th.  That's right, I said Monday.  Sure, Monday Night Football is popular, how about Monday Night Racing?  The track was soaked and appeared to have been worked for at least 1 hour, when I arrived to USA Raceway around 3:30pm, local time.

USA Raceway is a large 3/8th's mile clay oval with wide, sweeping turns

Track conditions were the talk of the pits, for multiple reasons.  For one, last year's World of Outlaws event at USA Raceway was a rubber-down bottom feeder.  The track had taken so much rubber in hot laps that the quick-line in Qualifying was very high, with a few drivers bouncing their right rear tires off the wall.  Secondly, USA Raceway is currently experiencing ownership issues, so there has not been a weekly program.  The last race at this track was the Wild West Shootout, 3 months ago.  The track crew stayed vigilant in working the track consistently, while watering often.  They also used the water truck and push trucks to pack the high-side of the track, while the racing groove was the middle-to-low line.

Mud packing & engine heat session. Unfortunately, the crowd was not much bigger than this on Monday

Monday night proved to be a difficult "sell" for the Greatest Show on Dirt, as the fans simply did not pack the stands.  As most everyone knows, racing is generally a family sport.  Tough to bring the wife and kids out to the races on a Monday night.  Also, Monday and Tuesday are both normal working days, so that may have had a hand in the smaller-than-normal crowd.  Even given their small size, the crowd was lively and voiced their pleasure throughout the evening.

The Desert Dwarf Car Club (DDCC) accompanied the Outlaws in Tucson, on Monday night

Accompanying the Outlaws in Tucson on Monday night, were the Desert Dwarf Car Club (DDCC).  They had a very healthy car count for a Monday night, with 16 cars making the call.  34 cars total raced that night, as 18 World of Outlaws showed-up for battle.  I believe that was the biggest factor in not having a more desirable racing surface, lack of laps on the track.  With all of the water poured on the racing surface and only 2 divisions in action, the track just didn't have a chance to dry or widen-out.

The Track held moisture all night and never really had a chance to dry or widen-out

The sun began to set in the background, as hot laps finished & Qualifying began

The Track retained moisture and proved the bottom-line was the place to be, in Qualifying.  Running flat-out and wide-open around the large 3/8th's mile track, you could literally hear the time ticking off the clock, if a driver had to let-off the throttle.  Daryn Pittman went QUICK TIME running a blistering 13.061 second lap, averaging over 113mph on the 3/8th's mile clay oval.

Heat Races

Heat 1 goes green with QUICK TIME Daryn Pittman on the pole!

Daryn Pittman proved what we all already knew, the track was very quick and narrow.  Passing was at a premium, as Pittman launched from the pole position in Heat 1 and never looked back, easily cruising to the victory. "The Brownsburg Bullet" Joey Saldana finished 2nd, followed by Shane Stewart, Donny Schatz and Jacob Allen rounded-out the top-5 in Heat 1.

Heat 2 goes green, check out the start by "The Ragin' Cajun" Jason Johnson!

Heat 2 proved that "The Ragin' Cajun" Jason Johnson is a veteran of Sprint Car racing.  Firing-off from the outside pole, he grabbed the lead over David Gravel entering turn 1 and never looked back, easily winning the 2nd Heat race.  Gravel settled for 2nd, with "The Big Cat" Brad sweet, "Pauls to the Wall" Paul McMahan and "T-MAC" Terry McCarl rounding-out the top-5.

A "0" pill-draw put Daryn Pittman on pole for the Dash & foreshadowed what the evening had in-store

Daryn Pittman really enjoyed starting on pole for the World of Outlaws Dash.  Just like his Heat race, he fired-off from the inside front row and never looked back, cruising to the Dash win. Passing continued to be at a premium, as the track was still moist and remained hammer-down.  Joey Saldana finished 2nd in the Dash, followed by Jason Johnson, Shane Stewart, Donny Schatz, Paul McMahan, Brad Sweet and David Gravel.  This finishing order was how they would line-up for the Main Event!

USA Raceway, you wanted the best, you got 'em 4-abreast!

The electricity can always be "felt" in the air, when you attend a World of Outlaws race.  However, in my opinion, that electricity reaches an all-time high when you see the World's best Sprint Car drivers make that famous 4-wide salute to the fans.  Coupled with the sensory overload, Johnny Gibson gets on the microphone and makes his famous call: "USA Raceway, you wanted the best, you got 'em 4-abreast! Often imitated, never duplicated, the Greatest Show on Dirt...it's the World of Outlaws"!

Main Event

Daryn Pittman proved that he was unbeatable, when starting on the pole.  He fired-off and enjoyed a half-straightaway lead, at times.  "The Brownsburg Bullet" Joey Saldana flexed his veteran muscle, keeping pace with Pittman and getting within 1-2 car lengths, at times.  "The Big Cat" Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz were on the move!  Both drivers showed that if you had a better car and the "guts" to challenge the next driver, you could force your way through on the bottom. It was just past the halfway mark of the race that Shane Stewart, 3rd place at the time, had difficulty lapping Jacob Allen. Stewart pushed very high, well above the groove, which had only worked its up to the middle of the track.  Stewart did a masterful job of keeping his car off of the wall on entrance of turn 1, but he quickly lost positions to Schatz and Sweet.  Schatz worked the bottom line just like you'd expect from a 7-time Champion and he slipped by Saldana with about 5 laps to go, in the 30-lap Main Event.  Schatz seemed to be closing on Pittman in the final laps, but no one had anything for DP, as he picked up his 3rd World of Outlaws main event win of the season and his second in-a-row, after winning at Perris in Southern California on Saturday night!

Daryn Pittman truly was "the man" on Monday Night, going undefeated on Monday Night. He went Quick Time, won Heat 1, the WoO Dash & Main Event!

7-Time WoO Champion, Donny Schatz made a solid charge from 5th to finish 2nd!

After stalking Pittman the whole Main Event, "The Brownsburg Bullet" Joey Saldana, settled for 3rd place!

The Track never dried or widened-out, making it a hammer-down speed fest.  Still the Greatest Show on Dirt!

Results

(Starting positions listed in parenthesis)

1. Daryn Pittman (1), 2. Donny Schatz (5), 3. Joey Saldana (2), 4. Brad Sweet (7), 5. Shane Stewart (4), 6. Jason Johnson (3), 7. David Gravel (8), 8. Paul McMahan (6), 9. Terry McCarl (12), 10. Dusty Zomer (11), 11. Dominic Scelzi (10), 12. Jason Sides (14), 13. Logan Schuchart (18), 14. Greg Wilson (13), 15. Jacob Allen (9), 16. James Mosher (16), 17. Randy Waitman (15), 18. Lance Norick (17)

We're still early in the World of Outlaws racing season, but one thing is apparent:  Kasey Kahne Racing is for real!  Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman have now accounted for 8 wins through the first 17 races, almost half!  Still too early to "count-out" Donny Schatz and Shane Stewart has remained competitive.  Who do you think will prevail in the 2016 World of Outlaws Sprint Car season?  Stay tuned!

The Story From Lernerville- Shingledecker Wins Thriller; Spithaler Dominates Sprints; Zambotti And Holden Find Victory Lane

The forces of nature were no match for the night of racing at Lernerville Speedway on Friday night as the full scheduled program withstood a lengthy rain delay yet saw the final checkered flag fall before midnight. The showers helped make for a tremendously tacky surface all the way through the four feature events. But despite that fact, the carnage remained minimal and the action kept fans on the edge of their seat in three out of the four main events. For Jeremiah Shingledecker and Brandon Spithaler, it was turn back the clock night as both drivers found victory lane for the first time in over two years while Joey Zambotti picked up his second career Lernerville victory in the Millerstown Pick a Part Sportsman. And, Western PA rookie of the year Kole Holden picked up the win in RUSH Sportsman Modified action.


Diehl Automotive Group Modifieds:

There have been some bizarre guest appearances at Lernerville over the years, but perhaps none in recent memory was more bizarre than Tim McCreadie's sudden appearance in Brian Swartzlander's backup car. The Watertown, NY driver found himself rained out at his scheduled Lucas Oil Late Model event at Sharon Speedway, and ventured south to take on the modifieds in a unique twist. His likely victory probably seemed like a forgone conclusion to many fans in attendance as the feature came to the green flag, but he still had to get around three cars in twenty five laps from his fourth starting spot.

One of those cars belonged to Jeremiah Shingledecker and he had no intention of letting anyone get around him on this night.  Shingledecker shared the front row alongside Rodney Beltz as the action got underway and he quickly asserted himself as the man to beat, taking the early lead while McCreadie firmly positioned himself directly behind him in the early going.   Behind them, Dave Murdick, Garrett  Krummert, Kevin Bolland and Mat Williamson made up a formidable chase pack in the early going.  The quick mover was Willimson who seemingly picked up one spot after another in the early laps. Out front Shingledecker and McCreadie began the battle for the lead as lapped traffic came into the equation on lap eight. Shingledecker used all available groves to get around the back markers and did so effectively as he put distance between himself and McCreadie as the halfway point approached

 Then with Rick Regalski's car the next to potentially go a lap down, McCreadie made his move and almost got around Shingledecker as McCreadie's car worked with precision in turns three and four. Shingledecker was able to finally get around Regalski as the laps wound down and then made his way past Mike Turner in much quicker fashion that McCreadie would be able to moments later.

The action then came to a halt on lap 19 when Steve Feder and Brian Swartzlander brought the red flag. Both drivers were unscathed in the incident, and the stage was set for a six lap shootout that saw Shingledecker elect the high side where he had not spent too much time in early green flag laps. The move paid off as Shingledecker got a great restart not once but twice as he elected the top side restart following a caution for Rex King Sr. on lap 20.


When action resumed, Shingledecker took a comfortable lead across the finish line for his 50th career victory and his first since May of 2014.

"It really feels good to get back here to victory lane," Shingledecker said. "I really have to thank the whole crew for sticking with me while we weren't winning, it's been a struggle for all of us. Once you've got your foot to the floor you just can't go any faster so you just hope you can beat them at that point. I think the high side was the right decision on the restarts and it really paid off for us."

Top 10:

1. Jeremiah Shingledecker
2. Mat Williamson
3. Tim McCreadie
4. Dave Murdick
5. Rex King Jr.
6. Kevin Bolland
7. Jimmy Weller III
8. Rick Regalski
9. Rex King Sr.
10. Rodney Beltz

Peoples Sprints:

It had been over two years since Brandon Spithaler had enjoyed victory at Lernerville and his performance in the sprint feature made fans in attendance wonder just how and why it had been so long between wins.  To say Spithaler owned the field on Friday night may be an understatement, he dominated it as evidenced by the amount of cars left on the lead lap as the checkered flag waved.

Darren Pifer and George Hobaugh Jr brought the field to the green flag and Spithaler wasted no time in making his intentions known. He headed directly to the top of the speedway where a considerable cushion had developed and pounded it with authority.  After a couple of early cautions involving Cory Good and AJ Flick, and a red flag moment for Brandon Matus who ended upside down on lap four, Spithaler went virtually unchallenged for the remainder of the race.  His closest pursuer, Jack Sodeman Jr. had worked his way from fifth to second in the early laps as Spithaler found lapped traffic and slid through it like a man on a mission, and by the time the halfway point came around, he had lapped all but Sodeman Jr.

The caution flag waved on lap 17 for Mike Miller giving Sodeman Jr. one last chance to make a move for the win, but on the restart, Spithaler once again put considerable distance between himself and Sodeman Jr. and cruised the rest of the way to the checkered flag to collect his second career Lernerville victory.




"If I had my choice the track would be like this every night," Spithaler remarked making reference to the tacky surface. "I couldn't do it without everybody that came together to help all this happen, we tore up a motor at Bedford last week and lost a motor in our truck too so thanks to Dennis Wagner and others we were able to do this tonight."

Top 10: 

1. Brandon Spithaler
2. Jack Sodeman Jr.
3. George Hobaugh Jr.
4. Scott Priester
5. Carl Bowser
6. Brent Matus
7. Darren Pifer
8. John Garvin Jr.
9. Alex Paden
10. Mike Miller

Millerstown Pick A Part Sportsman

Joey Zambotti made his championship intentions known Friday night by putting his machine in the winners circle and himself atop the points standings. And though the season might only be two events old, it's apparent Zambotti won't be budged off that position easily.

Both he and Aaron Easler started the race together and ended it together in thrilling fashion as Zambotti got out to the early lead on a track that still had plenty of bite to it. Behind them, Bob Egley, Brandon Wearing and Joe Kelley would try their best to chase the two front runners down in the early going while week one winner Corey McPherson and Terry Young quickly made their way to the front from their mid pack starting spots.   As the race moved along, Wearing and Kelley began challenging Easler for second, but the fact that Easler was occupied with the action behind him didn't mean that   Zambotti could simply walk away from the field as the first five positions remained up for grabs.  Easler kept Zambotti within reach. Zambotti reached lapped traffic on lap eight and started working the bottom flawlessly, while he zigged and zagged through the lapped cars, sometimes using all available grooves in one set of turns to do so.

Terry Young then entered the equation in the second half of the race as he climbed to the fourth spot while the action ahead of them started to get tighter as Kelley and Easler traded positions two and three for a brief time, however Easler would get back around Kelley and began a furious charge towards Zambotti in the waning moments.

Zambotti remained one mistake from watching Easler collect the win as the closing laps wound down, but he would not be caught despite a very close finish as the lapped car of Stan Riggle slowed the action down in front of him and almost allowed for Easler to get around him on the final lap. However, Zambotti held on for the win, displaying a good bit of defensive fortitude in the process and climbed the front stretch wall in celebration.

"We were up late last night and tried some different stuff on the scales, we were expecting it to be hard and slick like last week and the rain came so that kind of changed our plans," Zambotti said. "Dad had a good idea and I let him run with it. I could tell somebody was starting to push me there towards the end and I just tried to be smart with all the lappers there but I didn't know he (Easler) was that close."

Top 10: 

1. Joey Zambotti
2. Aaron Easler
3. Joe Kelley
4. Terry Young
5. Brandon Wearing
6. Corey McPherson
7. Brett McDonald
8. Bob Egley
9. Jim Fosnaught
10. Pat Hanley

RUSH Sportsman Modifieds

To say the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds were a two car affair Friday night would not be doing complete justice to the drivers behind them at the end of 20 laps. However, it would be an accurate statement to say the least. In one of the most thrilling battles of the night in any division, Chelsie Kriegisch and Kole Holden put on a show for the better part of the feature event

Kriegisch appeared to have things in control in the early going as she sprinted out to the early lead with Holden situated behind her just a few tenths of a second away.  Behind them, Jeremy Weaver and Jerry Shaffer held positons three and four respectively.  After a lap four caution. the two drivers battled door handle to door handle for the lead while Shaffer got around Weaver for third on lap five.

But for as close as Holden could get, he could not get around Kriegisch as she put on a defensive clinic to keep Holden at bay. Even lapped traffic did not seem to help Holden's cause as Kriegisch moved high and low to pass a steady flow of lapped traffic.  Holden was successful on his lap 18 bid to take the lead when he moved up high with less than two laps to go as he waited for his perfect opportunity and found it by moving to the top of the surface in turn four. Holden won the drag race down the front straight away to wrest the lead from Kriegisch. The seventeen year old modified plot knew exactly what to do when he got to the front and kept himself ahead of the determined Kriegisch who had to settle for a hard earned second place.

"Sometimes you just have to be patient and wait for the right opportunities and there with about three or four laps to go I saw one and I took it," Holden said.  "Sometimes you have to guess where to go and sometimes you make the wrong decision, tonight it worked out."

Top 10:

1. Kole Holden
2. Chesie Kriegisch
3. Jerry Shaffer
4. Jeremy Weaver
5. Nick Ritchey
6. Darrin Gallagher
7. Brian Shaffer
8. Steve Slater
9. Joshua Seippel
10. Jessica Shea

On Tap- Outlaws Mess With Texas; Lucas Lates Debut at Sharon; Posse Vs All Stars Round 1

It's time to get dirty once again! This weekend's looking pretty stacked as the majority of local shows are open for business nation wide and the national tours are mostly in play.  But what beer would best suit the tailgate party? No worries Dirt Nation, we're here to help. This week, we recommend you pick up a case of these.

312 Urban Wheat Ale is like the first taste of spring and summer. It's completely light and refreshing too and finishes really clean. Not too much head here, but then again head can be overrated depending on whom you ask. It chimes in at 4.2% so if you want to catch a quick buzz, might want to down them fairly quickly, but not so fast that you don't savor the flavor!


Now then...let's get to some races!

World of Outlaw Sprints at Devils Bowl

Outlaw founder Ted Johnson started the franchise here, and here it returns for a second straight year! And coming into the weekend, Daryn Pittman will be attempting to score a hat trick on Friday night as he swept the two race set at Perris and Tucson last weekend. Be on the lookout for an Aaron Reutzel or Wayne Johnson appearance and perhaps a Johny Herrera sighting.  Last year's winner was Donny Schatz in their one race as the opening night was cancelled. How many Schatz's Shots will be consumed this weekend? Better hit the liquor store!


Points Coming Into the Weekend:

1. Brad Sweet- 2395
2. Shane Stewart- 2302
3. Donny Schatz- 2296
4. Daryn Pittman- 2277
5. Joey Saldana- 2269

From Ovdtr.com

Lucas Oil Late Models at Sharon Speedway (Friday) and Hagerstown Speedway (Sat)

The Lucas boys are back in action this weekend making their debut at the legendary Sharon Speedway (OH) on Friday night and the speedy paper clip at Hagerstown Speedway on Sunday.  Two can't miss events for late model fans. Expect some interesting cars invading this weekend as cars from Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania enter the mix. Sharon could be a complete surprise winner as there's not much of a playbook for the Lucas touring regulars, and at Hagerstown there'll be more than a few locals and regionals who will be in the mix.

Points Coming Into The Weekend

1. Jonathan Davenport- 2005
2. Scott Bloomquist- 1875
3. Jared Landers- 1785
4. Darrell Lanigan- 1755
5. Brandon Sheppard- 1755

Pat Miller Photo

All Star Sprints at Port Royal Saturday and Selinsgrove Sunday

It's time for the Posse to meet up with the All Stars this weekend as a central PA showdown takes center stage at Port Royal on Saturday and Selinsgrove on Sunday.  Chad Kenemah leads the All Stars into battle where he'll face the likes of Hodnett, Dietrich, Monteith.  The bragging rights will be at stake and the weather looks fantastic, so if you're anywhere near the area, don't miss them!

Points Coming Into The Weekend

1. Chad Kemenah- 438
2. Dale Blaney- 428
3. Tim Shafer- 398
4. Cap Henry- 394
5. Sheldon Haudenschild- 378

Ultimate Late Models at Rome Speedway (GA) Sunday

Rome Speedway plays host to the Ultimate Late Models this week as $4,000 is on the line for the winner. Being on a Sunday, look for invaders from Tennessee, North and South Carolina who will take on the likes of perhaps Shane Clanton, Clint Smith, Chris Madden and others. This is a can't miss one if you're nearby.

To check out the track, just feast your eyes on this:

Here's some races we'll be looking closely at this weekend

• Fab Four Racing at Lernerville Speedway - Friday
• 410 Sprints at Williams Grove- Friday
• 410 Sprints at Attica Speedway- Saturday
• 358 Modifieds at Big Diamond Speedway- Friday
• 358 Modifieds at Grandview Speedway- Saturday
• 358 Modifieds at New Egypt Speedway- Friday
• Big Block Modifieds at Canandaigua Speedway- Saturday
• Big Block Modifieds at Utica Rome Speedway- Sunday

How to Become A Bloomquist Fan

It seems like all we've heard from a good many in the late model world is how the year will belong to Jonathan Davenport and Josh Richards. That may come to pass. But is there someone we're forgetting about? The "Zero Hero" lurks in the background a little more than usual since 2014 but his potential re-emergence to the top of the heap could be a great thing. Not a fan of him? It's not so hard to flip that switch...

Pat Miller Photo

A funny thing happened this weekend. Scott Bloomquist won the Bad Boy 98 this past Saturday at Batesville Motor Speedway, and part of me was rooting for the guy. Stop right there!

Yes, it's true. I was actually hoping he'd win. You see he's so polarizing that there's no middle ground. Either people love him or hate him.  In fact I've yet to talk to one fan in existence whom would ever say "Meh,,I could take him or leave him."  The weird thing is, that over the years I've actually learned how to jump the other side of the hate/love fence, (maybe more of a like thing at present time) and it's not so difficult a thing to do either.

The man has seen and done it all in the sport, like many others at his experience level. Of course many of the same drivers in his peer group, age wise that is as he has few peers when thrown into a win total group, don't bring out quite the emotion Bloomquist does. Maybe it's the questionable past he carries. An off track record that includes some classic good old boy behavior that contains a little more than just speeding tickets or jaywalking. Or things like the classic "date" when a former crew member (might have been a loose association) brought charges that included a gun. Maybe it's some of the less than humble victory lane interviews. (Anybody for a Tennessee Ass Whooping or a Crotch Chop?). Or perhaps it's the multitude of excuses when he loses, or the illegal attempts to get ahead of the game via tire marination.

It's all part of a back catalog that makes some fans want to give him the one finger salute. I started out in that pack, not caring much for him. Of course there was no denying he was one of the greatest of all time. There was no way to take anything away from him. He's virtually made his own career what it is and worked as hard as humanly possible to get to that level. But still he was easy to actively dislike and the fact that he was on a different level than almost any other late model driver for so long and kept winning on a pace resembling the 1920s New York Yankees made it even easier. It was easy to see all the winning and wondering how people actively pulled for a guy with a smug attitude who was cheating virtually week in and week out.

That was before I talked to others in the sport that had been doing it for years. When I came to realize the real truth. That is, that almost every top driver has an edge to their game to help put them over the top and that many of these edges weren't exactly legal. When I understood that, the first bit of the dislike began to dissipate. But what about the rest of the baggage?

As time went by, I watched lots of fantastic drivers win races and were no where near as entertaining as Bloomquist was. Not on the track, not in victory lane, and not with the off track stuff that began to border on comedy the more I heard of it.  Something began to tell me that deep inside the man, is a character that is standing back and laughing on the inside every time he drove an electric cart around trade shows that a handicap person might use or bending his own sheet metal trying to get his car on the track by hitting a barrier in the pits, or showing up with shocks that were completely adjustable by a cell phone.

I never gave him credit for being in the sport. Because I know now, that if he weren't in it, we'd all be missing out. We'd almost have to create him to have a heel in the show as if it were wrestling. But I doubt any heel type character anybody could conjure could captivate as Bloomquist does.  And it's completely in character.

Then, I was sold after his 2014 World 100 performance. The night when his window net which was deemed illegal was taken out after someone protested. I wonder who that was? Anyhow, when he was sent to the tail almost everyone in attendance had written him off with the exception of his fans. And has he went back through the field like a knife through hot butter there was a caution where he stuck his arm out the window and gave a vehement thumbs up gesture. It was hard not to believe he had a smile as big as can be on that huge face of his underneath his helmet. And for the first time I actually stood and clapped as he crossed the finish line first! Of course he was light 25 pounds after an apparent win in his next Eldora trip of course and my first thought was "Only Bloomer" as I chuckled. I knew he'd be back there again at some point and I'm betting he gets in victory lane at least once again at the big E.

The late model landscape is constantly changing, the engineering focus goes from the engine, to the tires, to the shocks, to suspension components to who knows what next. And for now, Davenport and Richards have a good grip on the rules and areas for interpretation, and both have the talent to compete neck and neck in every single crown jewel they're both at, they're fantastic drivers.

But I have to say, I'm kind of pulling for Bloomquist to come up with something nobody has seen in the creative edge department, and I'm thinking it'll be sooner rather than later. It might not even be legal for now, and I might not just care. Most innovations are borderline in nature to begin with, and like it or not, the top touring level of late models are reserved for more open areas than anything at the regional or local level despite sanctions that try to keep costs lower.  Racers want to spend, they have money at their disposal or their owners and sponsors do, and attempts to control the nature of the beast will only be somewhat successful. That much is clear.

But in the meantime, I'll be watching the grey areas, looking for the seams and gaps in the rule books that Bloomquist might find, and I'll be hoping we'll be talking about three great drivers duking it out over the 2016 season for supremacy.

So how do you become a Bloomquist fan? It's simple. Start disliking him, then start appreciating him, then find out that he makes the sport more entertaining. Then go through a rough patch with him where he's not on top anymore and find out how much you miss him being talked about for better or worse. And at some point, you'll get the Bloomer mentality, it'll stick with you and you'll wind up cheering him perhaps. You might not feel the same and it's all good, but if you do become a fan, it's got it's rewards.