HOUSEHOLDER: Pennsylvania Posse drivers best World of Outlaws during pair of area races
- Freddie Rahmer earned his first World of Outlaws sprint car victory Thursday at Lincoln Speedway.
- Lance Dewease earned a World of Outlaws win Friday at Williams Grove Speedway.
- Dewease's win gave him the No. 1 spot in all-time Grove sprint wins with 91 victories.
The Wolrd of Outlaws' sprint cars ventured into the area for a weekend of racing, but left without any of the victories.
While the final show of the weekend was rained out Saturday evening at Williams Grove Speedway, the Thursday show at Lincoln Speedway and the Friday show at Williams Grove both produced Pennsylvania Posse winners.
However, there was a big difference between the winners. For one of them, it was a career first Outlaws win, while for the other, it was a milestone night in a hall-of-fame career. One thing that was the same in both races was that the winner had to pass an established Outlaws star to score the win.
On Thursday at Lincoln, David Gravel looked to be headed for his second consecutive “Gettysburg Clash” victory. It wasn’t to be.
On a restart with nine laps remaining, young Freddie Rahmer used the middle groove in turns one and two to power by Gravel and then drive to his first career Outlaws win. Rahmer became the sixth driver in the 40-year history of the Outlaws to join his father as an Outlaws winner.
Fred Rahmer won 12 Outlaws events during his hall-of-fame driving career, but said that watching his son win the Lincoln race might have been the highlight of his racing life.
At Williams Grove on Friday, recent hall-of-fame inductee Lance Dewease had a lot on the line. He had already won 13 Outlaws features, but he also had 90 sprint car wins at Williams Grove. That number placed him in a tie with the senior Rahmer for the all-time win lead at the Grove.
Like Rahmer at Lincoln, Dewease didn’t start up front and lead the whole way. He had to track down and pass nine-time and defending Outlaws champion Donny Schatz for the win. Dewease passed Schatz for the lead on the 19th of 25 laps.
In victory lane after his record 91st career Grove win, Dewease said that racing all those years with the senior Rahmer was the reason he was able to gain the record. Claiming, in no uncertain terms, that Rahmer was one tough competitor.
In other Outlaws notes, Lincoln’s top five was bookended by the Posse, with Outlaws scoring the middle spots. Rahmer won over Gravel, Daryn Pittman, Schatz and local Lucas Wolfe.
At the Grove, Schatz finished second, with locals Brian Montieth and Greg Hodnett next in line. Hanover’s Logan Schuchart, a full-time Outlaw, was fifth.
While car counts were down a bit from what fans expect for local Outlaws shows, the competition was still very tough. Case in point was that Rahmer missed making Friday’s show by one position. On the other side, Trey Starks missed making Lincoln’s show but was good enough to make the dash on Friday at the Grove. A feature incident kept Starks from a good run there.
PIT STOPS
Spring Grove's Hodnett to be honored at Dream Race: Port Royal’s Living Legends Dream Race this Saturday will honor Spring Grove’s Greg Hodnett, who will of course, be competing in the event.
Hodnett is closing in on 300 career victories in the 410 and 360 sprint cars. He’s been a regular on the local circuit for nearly 20 years since relocating from the Memphis, Tennessee, area.
The Dream Race at the Port consists of time trials, two semifinal races that divide the field, with each offering $2000 to win, followed by a 35-lap feature that pays $10,000 to win.
The Moonshine Camo Route 35 Challenge for the late models is also part of the program.
The racing this week actually begins Tuesday evening with the “Jersey Rush” at the New Egypt Speedway. The modifieds join the sprint cars in New Jersey that night.
Friday at Williams Grove, it’s the sprints and United Racing Club 360 sprints, while Trailway Speedway offers the second night of the Lincoln/Trailway ShootOut for the 358 sprints. Trailway also hosts 600cc micro sprints, 270cc micro sprints and legends Friday.
Lincoln is in action Saturday with sprints, 358 sprints and Mid Atlantic modifieds, while Selinsgrove hosts the 360 sprints, 305 sprints, pro stocks and roadrunners.
BAPS Motor Speedway has a two-race weekend. Saturday, the super sportsmen are joined by the United States Auto Club East Midgets, street stocks and Xtreme stocks.
Sunday at BAPS, it’s the York County Nationals for the mighty modifieds of the Short Track Super Series. The modifieds race for $10,000 to win. The legends also race in that program.
1984: This weekend in 1984 started off with Van May driving the Weldon Sterner No. 69 to his fifth win of the season in action at Williams Grove.
At Lincoln that Saturday, Meme DeSantis drove the Joe Harz No. 88 to his third win of the weekend, while at Selinsgrove, Brian Seidel began an amazing second half of the season with his first win of the year in his father’s No. 98 machine.
Keith Kauffman drove the Al Hamilton No. 77 to his 24th victory of the season in Saturday action at Port Royal. Kauffman then came back on Sunday at Susquehanna Speedway to make it 25 for the season.
Bryan Householder writes about dirt-track racing for The York Dispatch. He can be reached at sports@yorkdispatch.com.
CHAMPION RACING OIL/STIRLING LUBRICANTS
CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA SPRINT CARS
Presented by Hoseheads.com
1. Greg Hodnett (3) 1,061
2. Lucas Wolfe (5) 902
3. Danny Dietrich (9) 840
4. Freddie Rahmer (3) 746
5. Lance Dewease (9) 626
6. Brian Montieth (4) 607
7. Brock Zearfoss (2) 458
8. Anthony Macri (1) 453
9. T.J. Stutts 350
10. Cory Haas (1) 336