Hoseheads Sprint Car Photos & News

Western Pennsylvania Sprint Cars    by Colton Sutley

Felmlee wins 4th Tri-City title at 64 years old,

Flick wins 10th championship, and Myers wins second.

By: Colton Sutley

Western Pa driver Bob Felmlee has added another achievement to his legendary racing career on Friday August 14th by picking up his fourth Tri-City Raceway Park track championship. At age 64, Felmlee was able to hold off Brandon Matus for the championship by 18 points while picking up two victories this season at the raceway. Felmlee held onto the title by finishing in 6th in the feature event, while Logan McCandless took the victory. It was the All Star Circuit of Champions full timer’s 3rd career victory at Tri-City. McCandless earned it by holding off Central Pa driver Dylan Norris by .679 seconds, while Brandon Matus, Dalton Rombough, and Jeremy Kornbau rounded out the rest of the top 5. The heat races were won by Matt Farnham and Logan McCandless. Some drivers of note were teenager Nash Gierke who led 17 laps in the feature before having mechanical issues and finishing 8th, while Mike Keegan made his Tri-City debut and finished 2nd in his heat race and 11th in the feature, and Charlie Utsinger who finished 12th in only his 2nd ever 410 start after moving up from the RUSH Sprint division. The top 5 in points to end the season were Bob Felmlee with 627pts, Brandon Matus with 609pts, Dusty Larson with 572pts, Jeremy Kornbau with 552pts, and Andy Cavanaugh with 513pts.

In the RUSH Sprint division, it was Blaze Myers not only getting his 6th win of the season at Tri-City Raceway Park, but also winning his second consecutive track championship. Myers’s win was his 21st career win in the division at the raceway, which he earned by holding off veteran Gale Ruth Jr.. The rest of the top 5 were youngster Grayson Bayle, Devon Deeter, and Joe Buccola. The heat race victories went to Gale Ruth Jr. and Zach Morrow. The top 5 in points for the RUSH Sprints were Blaze Myers with 659pts, Gale Ruth Jr. with 619pts, Joe Buccola with 546pts, Grayson Bayle with 487pts, and Cooper Macormac with 481pts.

While just south at Lernerville Speedway, AJ Flick clinched his unprecedented 10th title in the 410 sprint division which is also his 7th in a row in the division. Flick earned his 10th title by winning his 46th career feature which broke his tie in 5th place with the legendary Rod George on the all time wins list. Flick had to hold off Brandon Spithaler for the victory, while Jacob Begenwald, All Star regular Leyton Wagner, and FAST on Dirt full timer John Jerich rounded out the top 5. Begenwald was the hard charger going plus 5 to finish 3rd, while heat race wins went to Begenwald, Dan Kuriger, and Dan Shetler. The top 5 in points for Lernerville Speedway were AJ Flick with 275pts, Dan Kuriger 263pts, Dan Shetler with 262pts, Jacob Begenwald with 253pts, and Carl Bowser with 248pts with all five drivers having had a shot at the track title coming into the night!

Then on Saturday night over at Sharon Speedway, John Mollick got his 11th career win at the speedway in the RUSH Sprints which is also his 3rd victory of the season at Sharon. Mollick had to hold off Logen Lockhart who went plus 9 positions to finish 2nd, while Joe Buccola finished in 3rd followed by hard charger Trent Marshall who went plus 11 spots to finish in 4th, with Arnie Kent finishing in 5th to complete the top 5. Another big mover in the feature was Brayden Blackshear who went plus 7 from his 13th starting position to finish in 6th. The heat race wins went to Joe Buccola and John Mollick while Grayson Bayle was a big mover in his heat race going plus 5 positions to finish in 2nd behind Buccola.

This coming Friday night August 21st, Michael’s Mercer Raceway Park will host 410 winged sprint cars along with the RUSH Wingless Sprints. Then on Saturday August 22nd, Lernerville Speedway has their annual “Sprint Car Spectacular” which includes 410 winged sprint cars, the Allegheny Sprint Tour Racesaver winged 305s, and the RUSH Wingless Sprints. The season is coming to an end soon in Western Pa with just a handful of sprint races left, so make sure to go and support some of these late season shows in the region.

Dale Blaney wins 2nd Lou Blaney Memorial,
Farnham, Bova get first wins of the season.
By: Colton Sutley

The month of July ended on a high note for Matt Farnham on Friday night at Tri-City Raceway Park. Coming off of making four national tour features in the month of July, Matt Farnham was poised to seize his first victory of the season. Coming off of a 2nd place finish the last time at Tri-City that is exactly what Farnham did with starting on the pole and cruising to a two second win over All Star full timer Logan McCandless. Finishing in 3rd was Central Pa driver Derek Hauck, while veteran Bob Felmlee finished 4th followed by youngster Dusty Larson in 5th place. Nash Gierke was the hard charger going plus 5 to finish 6th after starting in 11th. The heat races were won by Bob Felmlee and Jeremy Kornbau, while Felmlee also took a 21-point lead over Brandon Matus in the championship points standings which will be something to watch as the season comes to an end.
While in the RUSH sprint division Blaze Myers earned his 5th win of the season at Tri-City. It was Myers 31st career RUSH sprint victory, which he earned over Gale Ruth Jr. Finishing in 3rd was teenager Logen Lockhart followed by fellow teenagers Grayson Bayle and Brayden Blackshear to round out the top 5. Myers was also the hard charger going plus 6 to the victory. The heat race winners were Cooper Macormac, which was his first career heat race victory, and Logen Lockhart.
Down the road at Lernerville Speedway on Friday, All Star regular Cody Bova won his first race of the season which was also his 2nd career victory at Lernerville. Bova held off Central Pa driver Ryan Smith for the victory, with the rest of the top 5 being Jeremy Weaver, Carmen Perigo Jr, and All Star full timer Leyton Wagner. Kasey Weaver was the hard charger who finished 11th after going plus 6 from 17th. Some other big movers were Chris Frank going plus 5 to finish 6th, while Dan Kuriger, Louie Mattes, and Tim Robertson all went plus 4 to finish 10th, 12th, and 14th respectively. The heat races were won by Cody Bova and Dan Shetler.
Saturday August 1st saw the RUSH sprints make a visit to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania’s Motor Speedway where John Mollick earned his 35th career RUSH victory. It was Mollick’s 6th win of the season, which he earned by holding off youngster Wyatt Long for the victory. Rounding out the top 5 was Gale Ruth Jr, and youngsters Ashton Riggle and Samantha Priest. The hard charger for the night was Wyatt Long who gained 4 spots to finish in 2nd, while John Mollick went plus 3 to the win. Heat race victories went to Ashton Riggle and Gale Ruth Jr.
Across the border on Saturday at Sharon Speedway, Dale Blaney got the victory for the second time in his father’s memorial race, the “Lou Blaney Memorial”. Blaney earned the $12,000 payday by outdueling Bryce Lucius who ended up finishing 22nd after pulling to the infield on the last lap. AJ Flick ended up finishing in the runner-up position, while Ricky Peterson finished in 3rd followed by new All Star regular Zeth Sabo and Carl Bowser in 4th and 5th respectively. The hard charger was Jeremy Weaver who went plus 8 to finish 11th, while All Star full timer Cody Bova went plus 7 to finish 16th and Greg Wilson gained 6 spots to finish in the top 10 in 9th place. The B-main was won by Leyton Wagner with Carmen Perigo Jr, Bova and Jacob Begenwald also transferring. The heat races were won by Bryce Lucius, Cale Thomas, Ricky Peterson, and AJ Flick. In qualifying, Dale Blaney was the fastest overall as well in Flight A, while Brandon Spithaler was the fastest in Flight B.
Looking ahead this coming Friday, August 7th, Lernerville Speedway will be in action with the 410 sprint cars while the All Star Circuit of Champions will be at Stateline Speedway as well along with the RUSH Wingless Sprints. Then on Saturday the All Stars are once again at Stateline Speedway while the RUSH Wingless Sprints will be at Michael’s Mercer Raceway along with the Racesaver 305 Winged Sprint Cars. Then on Wednesday August 12th Sharon Speedway will have a midweek sprint show for $4,000 to win alongside the Super Dirt Series. There are a lot of good options to attend this coming weekend so get out and support one of these amazing tracks.

PPM, Norris, and Courtney earn first wins at new tracks,

Marshall earns first career victory.

By: Colton Sutley

On Friday night in the first ever “Andy and Billie Lutz Memorial” Parker Price-Miller earned a 8,600 dollar payday in his first ever visit to Tri-City Raceway Park. With a great field of 24 cars coming into town for the Fast on Dirt series event, Price-Miller started the night off hot with being the fastest in flight A of qualifying as well as the fastest overall, while finishing in 3rd in his heat race. Come feature time “The Law Firm” would be starting in 4th, and would work his way to the lead passing race long leader Bob Felmlee on lap 19 to capture his first career victory at the raceway. Felmlee would hold on to 2nd while Ricky Peterson Jr would finish 3rd followed by Jeremy Weaver and Brandon Spithaler who was also the hard charger going plus 5 positions. Other big movers who went plus 5 spots included Greg Wilson who finished 6th, Tyler Gunn in 10th, Jeremy Kornbau in 13th, and Joey Amantea who finished 15th. The heat race winners were Jeremy Weaver, Bob Felmlee, and Jonah Aumend. Parker Price- Miller was fastest overall and in flight A, while AJ Flick and Jeremy Kormbau were the fastest qualifiers in flight B and C respectively.

Meanwhile at Lernerville Speedway the RUSH Wingless Sprints and Allegheny Sprint Tour 305 sprints took the spotlight with the 410 sprints off after Corey Day won the “Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup” earlier in the week. In the RUSH sprints it was youngster Trent Marshall earning his first career victory. Marshall had to hold veterans John Mollick and Arnie Kent for the victory while Mollick earned the hard charger by going plus 7 spots to finish in 2nd while Kent finished in 3rd. Teenager Logen Lockhart finished in 4th with veteran driver Gale Ruth Jr finishing in 5th to complete the top 5 for the 18 car field. Youngster Brayden Blackshear and Gale Ruth Jr were the heat race winners. While for the Allegheny Sprint Tour, Jacob Gomola was victorious over Greg Dobrosky. Jim Pattock, Tim Robertson, and Roman Jones completed the top 5 while Jones was the hard charger going plus 6 positions while his sister Vivian went plus 4 to finish in 6th place. The heat races were won by Greg Dobrosky and Jarrett Rosencrance.

Also on Friday night High Limit Racing made their debut at Stateline Speedway just on the border of Pennsylvania and New York. Tyler Courtney took the victory to earn his first High Limit win of the season, while the other top 3 finishers were Aaron Reutzel and Justin Peck with all three drivers having previous experience at the speedway with the All Star Circuit of Champions. Giovanni Scelzi and Rico Abreu rounded out the top 5 while Western Pa native Sye Lynch finished in 6th and also was the hard charger gaining 5 positions. The B-main was won by Canadian Darren Dryden while the dash was won by Aaron Reutzel. Heat race victories went to Tyler Courtney, Brent Marks, Kerry Madsen, and Reutzel while Courtney went quick time in qualifying. A thing to note is that Western Pa regular Matt Farnham was able to make the feature event in his home state of New York finishing 24th.

Earlier in the week on July 22nd, High Limit Racing made their only visit of the year to Lernerville Speedway for the “Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup”. As mentioned before Corey Day took the victory becoming the first High Limit repeat winner at the speedway, while the rest of the top 5 were Rico Abreu, Tanner Holmes, Anthony Macri and Justin Peck. James McFadden was the hard charger going plus 13 to finish 9th while Tanner Thorson went plus 10 to finish 10th. The B-main was won by Brent Marks, while the dash was won by Rico Abreu. Heat race wins went to Anthony Macri, Giovanni Scelzi, Rico Abreu and Tanner Holmes while Brent Marks was the fastest overall in qualifying with Abreu fastest in Flight B. Western Pa regular Jeremy Weaver had a solid night making the dash before finishing in 19th in the feature, while Western Pa native and High Limit full timer Sye Lynch went plus 7 to finish 17th. Brandon Spithaler, Jacob Begenwald, and AJ Flick all were able to make the feature being the only other local Western Pa drivers to do so, while Ricky Peterson Jr who regularly competes in Western Pa also made it.

Skipping back to Saturday July 25th, Sharon Speedway saw Dylan Norris earn his first career Sharon Speedway victory over a strong 31 car field. Norris had to work for the victory starting in 7th before working his way to the lead. Norris was followed across the line by Bradon Spithaler in 2nd, Jeremy Weaver in 3rd, Central Pa driver Derek Hauck in 4th, and Brandon Matus in 5th. AJ Flick earned the hard charger going plus 8 to finish 9th, while Dusty Larson went plus 7 to finish 16th. A trio of drivers went plus 6 in Greg Wilson, Nash Ely, and John Jerich to finish 7th, 15th, and 18th respectively. The B-main was won by Nash Ely, while the heat race wins went to Derek Hauck, Brandon Matus, Michael Bauer, and Central Pa driver Billy Dietrich. Fastest overall in qualifying was Dylan Norris, with Brandon Spithaler, Jeremy Kornbau, and Leyton Wagner fastest in the other qualifying groups.

Also at Sharon were the RUSH Sprints with John Mollick taking his 4th win of the year. Youngster Brayden Blackshear finished a career best in 2nd, followed by Trent Marshall in 3rd, Wyatt Long in 4th, and Arnie Kent in 5th. John Mollick was the hard charger going plus 4 to the win. The heat races were won by Trent Marshall and Mollick.

Meanwhile just across the border at Michael’s Mercer Raceway Park, Jarrett Rosencrance won his first race of the season in the IMCA Racesaver 305 Winged Sprint Cars. Rosencrance held off Greg Dobrosky who finished in 2nd, while the rest of the top 5 was Vivian Jones, Brett Brunkenhoefer, and Aaron Marano. Vivian Jones was the hard charger going plus 3 to finish 3rd while Samantha Priest also went plus to finish in 7th place. The heat race wins went to Jarrett Rosencrance and Brett Brunkenhoefer.

This coming weekend on Friday July 31st Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park will have 410 sprints in action, while Tri-City will also have the RUSH Wingless Sprints in action. Then on Saturday night the RUSH sprints will be in action at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Also on Saturday August 1st, Sharon Speedway will host the 18th annual “Lou Blaney Memorial” paying $12,000 to win and $1,200 to start and will be a must see event.

Brooks Takes Advantage of Second Chance in Cottage Grove

-Joseph Terrell

Cottage Grove, Ore. Landon Brooks had finished fourth at Douglas County and Coos Bay and was confident his team had the speed to compete for a win, but just needed a little luck. Wednesday night at Cottage Grove Speedway Brooks got the break he needed in his heat race and never looked back, scoring the $3000 win on night five of the Sprint Car Challenge Tour/Western Sprint Tour Speedweek.

Brooks' big break happened in heat race two. He was slated to start on the pole with Levi Hillier on the outside. On the initial start Hillier jumped to the lead but was called for jumping the start and put back a row. The next start Hillier charged from fourth to third on the opening lap but the caution before a lap could be completed for a spinning Tom Beck. Given one more shot Brooks took advantage and jumped to the lead on the third start and never looked back.

From there the driver of the Roger Hamilton/Tiner-Hirst entry finished third in the dash and then led the final 25 laps of the feature to score his second SCCT win of the season and his first career win at Cottage Grove. After struggling to start the season Brooks has come alive the last five days with a second at Watsonville with NARC and then two fourths and a win during speedweek.

What has changed for the team? Before the races Brooks said that they switched cars before Watsonville last week and the difference has been immediate. Consider this before this stretch of four races Brooks had 26 starts with one win and six top fives. He has basically matched those numbers in the last five days.

A lot was expected when Hamilton and Tiner-Hirst merged operations late last year with Landon Brooks as their driver and to be honest they hadn't met them for the most part. But the last week has been a glimpse of what was expected from this combination when it was formed given the talent of the driver, the quality of the car, and the wealth of knowledge on the pit crew.

While he has 410 laps at Skagit, Brooks has never raced a 360 at Skagit but given their strong Saturday night at the Dirt Cup (19th to 10th in feature) and the recent speed the team has found, Brooks will be a driver to watch this weekend and potentially the one holding the $26,000 check Saturday night.

Kinzer Cox Just Misses: For the last five laps of Saturday’s feature it looked like the hometown crowd at Cottage Grove might have a reason to celebrate. That’s because local star Kinzer Cox had started on the pole and raced to the early lead after earlier winning the dash.

Aboard the Owens Boys Racing entry Cox jumped to an early lead as he chased his first career SCCT win but a lap six caution changed everything. On the ensuing restart Brooks took control and Cox spent the rest of the night chasing, ultimately settling for a third place finish. After races Cox talked about the restart and about the fact he doesn't race as much as the guys he was competing against.

“I should have probably picked the bottom there. I kind of forgot about the double file restart that SCCT uses. You know looking back, if I would have run the bottom maybe I would have kept the lead and maybe make him work a little bit harder for it but all in all I think they could run the middle in one and two a little but than we could and I am not sure if we could have held him off. You know seat time is key and we just don’t have a lot of it compared to some of the California boys for sure because they are behind the wheel every weekend. The last time we ran out winged stuff we weren’t that great and had a rough experience so we are just happy to compete and roll the car on the trailer.”

Cox will head to Skagit this weekend for the Skagit 360 Nationals. Cox failed to make a feature at the Dirt earlier this year.

Robustelli Keeps Rolling: While fellow Oregon driver Kinzer Cox was competing for a win, Camden Robustelli was putting together another solid night. The Medford, Oregon was fast time to start the night and finished with a seventh place finish - his fourth top 10 in five speedweek races. While he hasn’t finished better than sixth, the former Dwarf Car star hasn’t finished worse than 11th all week and is currently third in speedweek points.

Robustelli doesn’t race as much as other drivers, and the TJ Willingham team he drives for isn’t hugely funded, but over the last few years the Oregon native has shown the ability to hold his own against any sort of competition. No matter how the rest of the week goes Robustelli has announced his presence and definitely opened some eyes.

Headed North for the First Time: For the second straight year the SCCT/WST Speedweek will invade Skagit Speedway and with that will come some drivers debut at the Alger, Washington oval. Among those making their first starts at Skagit will be SCCT regulars Jake Morgan and Cole Croft. Also expected to make his first appearance at Skagit are Corbin Rueschenberg.

Morgan is a veteran of Sprint Car racing, while Croft and Rueschenberg are teenagers just getting started. Traditionally the first appearance at Skagit is tough on drivers and I don’t know if I expect much different results for these three. One thing that could help Croft is his Dad, Willie, who has years of experience at Skagit and should at least be able to get a good baseline on the car for Cole.

Speedweek Through Five Nights: Colby Copeland leads the points as the result of finishing in the top five all five races. The Roseville, California driver has finished fifth, third, second, fifth and fourth so far and leads Braden Chiaramonte by six points headed to Skagit. Chiaramonte has been almost as consistent as Copeland with finishes of seventh, fourth, third, seventh and sixth during the week. As of now these two drivers look to have the inside advantage on the speedweek title and the $4000 check that goes with it.

Following Copeland and Chiaramonte are Robustelli (46 points behind Copeland), Justyn Cox (58 points behind) and Seth Standley (79 points behind). Given that Skagit will award full points towards the speedweek title chase, though, it is conceivable that Robustelli, Cox and even Standley could find themself in a position for speedweek title when the series heads to Grays Harbor Raceway. While not likely, it is not impossible especially if Copeland and/or Chiaramonte missed a feature at Skagit.

Season Points Update: With another second place Justyn Cox once again extended his season point lead. He now leads Dawson Hammes by 83 points and Cole Croft by 136 points as he looks to be on his way to a second series championship. Cox now has one win, six top fives, and seven top 10s in nine SCCT starts this year. It should be noted that both nights at Skagit will be show-up points only for the season title.

Wilson victorious at Tri-City for 1st time in 25 years,
Flick becomes 1st repeat winner at Lernerville,
Myers continues dominance at Tri-City.

By: Colton Sutley

   For the first time since June 17th 2001, Greg Wilson won at Tri-City Raceway Park. It took over 25 years for the 2-time All Star Circuit of Champions champion to return to victory lane at the Western Pa raceway on Friday July 17th, and the veteran earned it. After starting 4th, Wilson reeled in race long leader Matt Farnham and after a battle for the lead would win by 1.5 seconds. Farnham would finish second followed by Brandon Matus, Bob Felmlee, and All Star regular Logan McCandless. Farnham was not the only New Yorker to have a successful night, as fellow Empire State drivers Jonathan Preston and Todd Hoddick would finish inside the top 10 finishing 6th and 7th respectively. Preston would narrowly earn the hard charger over Hoddick by finishing one position better, even though both drivers impressively moved their way through the field gaining 8 positions each. Logan McCandless and Matt Farnham were the two heat race winners.
   While in the RUSH Sprint division, Blaze Myers dominated on his way to his 4th win of the season at the raceway which was also his 20th career win in the division at Tri-City. It was also Myers’s 30th career in the RUSH Sprint division at any track which ranks him towards the top of the all time wins list for the division. While Myers won by over 3 seconds, veteran racer Zach Morrow finished 2nd, while Devon Deeter held off Gale Ruth Jr by .177 seconds for 3rd, while Samantha Priest rounded out the top 5 finishers. Brayden Blackshear was the hard charger going plus 6 positions to finish in 6th place. The heat races were won by Zach Morrow and Gale Ruth Jr.
   Also on Friday night, AJ Flick became the first repeat winner of the season in the 410 division at Lernerville Speedway. It was Flick’s 45th career win in the division at the speedway which moved him into a tie at 5th on the all time wins list with Western Pa legend Rod George. Finishing in 2nd behind Flick was John Jerich which was a nice run for the driver after taking a hard flip at Eldora during the High Limit portion of the week. Dan Kuriger held off youngster Jacob Begenwald for 3rd while Carmen Perigo Jr followed behind in 5th to round out the top 5. Begenwald was the hard charger having gone plus 6 to finish 4th, while Jerich was also a big mover having gone plus 5 to finish in 2nd. The heat race wins went to Dan Kuriger and Jacob Begenwald while John Jerich was the fastest qualifier overall with a time of 13.308 seconds.
   Next up in Western Pa is the “Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup” at Lernerville Speedway with High Limit Racing. It is slated for Tuesday July 21st, but at the time of writing the rain date of Wednesday July 22nd looks more suitable with the current weather forecast. Then Friday July 24th at Lernerville the 410s are off so the Allegheny Sprint Tour Winged 305 sprints will be in action in their place alongside the RUSH Wingless Sprints. There will still be plenty of 410 action in the region on Friday as the FAST on Dirt series is at Tri-City Raceway Park for tje $8,600 to win and $500 to start “Andy & Billie Lutz Memorial”. Meanwhile just across the border at Stateline Speedway in Busti, New York, High Limit Racing will make their debut at the Empire State speedway where the High Rollers will take on a mix of Western Pa and New York sprint car drivers. Then on Saturday July 25th Sharon Speedway will be host to not only 410 sprint cars, but also the RUSH Wingless Sprints.

Price-Miller tops 39 car field at PPMS for $10k,
Ruth also victorious at PPMS.

By: Colton Sutley

Friday night Mother Nature was the big winner, raining out both Tri-City Raceway Park and Lernerville Speedway but “The Law Firm” Parker Price-Miller was the bigger winner coming away with $10,000 on Saturday night. With a strong 39 car field on hand for the first ever “Three River Throwdown”, Parker Price-Miller was able to win the biggest sprint car race in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway history. Starting from 6th, Price-Miller earned his first victory at the speedway in what was his only third ever visit to the track. Once he got to the lead he had to hold off Danny Dietrich who made his first appearance to the Western Pa speedway, and who came away with a 2nd place finish which earned him a nice $5,000 pay day. Rounding out the top 5 were John Jerich who finished 3rd to earn his career best finish at PPMS, followed by Brandon Spithaler in 4th, and then Ricky Peterson who finished 5th while also earning the hard charger award having gone plus 11. Other big movers were Zane DeVault who went plus 10 to finish 7th, and Jeremy Weaver who went plus 5 to finish 13th. The B-main was won by Jacob Begenwald with Jeremy Kornbau, John Mollick, and Bryan Nuckles also transferring to the A-main. The heat races were won by Brandon Matus, Danny Dietrich, Sye Lynch, and Brandon Spithaler while Carl Bowser was the fastest overall in qualifying with a time of 15.760 seconds.
While in the RUSH Wingless Sprints, Gale Ruth Jr won his 4th RUSH feature this year which is his 31st career in the division. Ruth beat out fellow veteran John Mollick for the victory, with youngsters Trent Marshall, Wyatt Long, and Ashton Riggle rounding out the top 5. Long was the hard charger going plus 8 from 12th to finish in 4th. The heat race winners were John Mollick and Zach Morrow with Morrow going plus 5 to earn the heat race victory.
This coming weekend is action packed starting with Friday July 17th, Tri-City Raceway Park not only has 410 winged sprint cars but also the RUSH Wingless Sprints. Also on Friday night, Lernerville Speedway will be in action with 410 sprint cars. Then on Saturday Michael’s Mercer Raceway hosts not only the 410 sprints, but also the Racesaver 305 sprints while at Sharon Speedway the RUSH Wingless Sprints are in action. Do not forget that on Tuesday July 21st, High Limit Racing will be at Lernerville Speedway for the $25,000 to win Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup and is a must attend race for any racing fan.

Ryan Lynn victorious at Dog Hollow,
Mother Nature the victor at Raceway 7

By: Colton Sutley

This 4th of July weekend was mostly spent racing against the rain, but mother nature did not emerge victorious at one Western Pa sprint car race. While many tracks were off for the country’s 250th birthday, Dog Hollow Speedway raced Friday night with the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series making an appearance at the speedway. Ryan Lynn was victorious over Jacob Gomola while it was a pair of Jarretts who battled for third in Jarrett Cavalet and Jarrett Rosencrance with Cavalet coming out on top. Tim Robertson rounded out the top 5 while the rest of the field finished in this order Brady Beavers, Josh Lynn, Mike Schellhas, and Colton Hendershot. The next race for the Laurel Highlands Sprint Series is on July 10th at Bedford Speedway and then the next night they are at Potomac Speedway on the 11th. The series next race at Dog Hollow Speedway is on Friday August 21st which is slated to be their final trip to the speedway.
Also on Friday night the RUSH Wingless Sprints made their return to Raceway 7 for the first time since 2022. Unfortunately mother nature had other plans, as Raceway 7 was only able to get the heat races in for the sprints before being rained out. The heat race winners for the 16 car field were John Mollick, Brayden Blackshear, and Joe Buccola with Mollick going plus 4 to earn his heat race win. There were no feature make-up date shared at the time of this writing. The RUSH sprints return to action on Friday July 11th at Tri-City Raceway Park, and journey to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania’s Motor Speedway the next day July 12th.
This coming weekend the sprint car action picks up again, with Tri-City and Lernerville Speedway both having the return of 410 sprint cars on Friday night after having the past two weekends off for the sprint cars. Then on Saturday July 11th the FAST on Dirt Series join the RUSH Sprints at PPMS for the biggest 410 sprint car show in track history for the “Three Rivers Throwdown” paying $10,000 to win and $1,000 to start.

Spithaler wins at Sharon for his 5th win of the season,
and 2nd career win at Sharon.

By: Colton Sutley

Sharon Speedway on Saturday June 27th, which was the only 410 sprint car race scheduled for this past weekend in Western Pa, was able to withstand threatening weather and see Brandon Spithaler earn his second career Sharon victory. Spithaler came out on top of a strong 32 car field at the historic track for his 5th win of the season, holding off Dale Blaney for the victory. The rest of the top 5 were Jeremy Weaver in 3rd, All Star regular Logan McCandless in 4th, and Central Pa driver Derek Hauck finished 5th after transferring through the B-main and going an impressive plus 17 after starting 22nd making him the hard charger of the race. The next two biggest movers were Carmen Perigo Jr and Jason Shultz who went plus 5 and plus respectively to finish 14th and 13th. The B-main was won by Perigo Jr while Derek Hauck was also a big mover in the B-main going plus 9 to finish 4th in the 10 lap race which took the top 6 to the A-main. The heat races were won by Logan McCandless, New Yorker Matt Farnham, and Brandon Matus. Dale Blaney, Mike Keegan, and Carl Bowser were the fastest qualifiers in the three groups of qualifying while Blaney was the fastest overall with a 13.439 second lap.
While Sharon was able to get their show in on Saturday, Michael’s Mercer Raceway were unfortunately unable to beat the rain and cancel their show which included RUSH Wingless Sprints and IMCA Racesaver 305 sprints. The only sprint car action slated for this coming 4th of July weekend in the Western Pa region is at Raceway 7 which is hosting the RUSH Wingless Sprints as part of their Buckeye Open Wheel Shootout.

Felmlee and Ruth win at Tri-City,
While Spithaler bookends the weekend with victories.

By: Colton Sutley

Friday night saw veteran Western Pa racer, Bob Felmlee show fans and fellow competitors that at 64 years old he is aging like fine wine as he scored his second victory of the season at Tri-City Raceway Park. The victory on June 19th was Felmlee’s 36th of his career at the Venango County raceway which is only behind Rod George’s 48 career wins. Felmlee’s win did not come easy as he had to hold off youngster Dusty Larson on a restart after a caution for 16-year old Nash Gierke who had looked very impressive in a battle for third with Jeremy Kornbau for multiple laps. On the same restart Kornbau was unable to hold off Brandon Matus for the third position, but Kornbau would regain the position later in the race on a restart after a caution on lap 22 for New Yorker Matt Farnham. On the ensuing restart Felmlee once again held off Larson and drove away to a three second victory. Meanwhile Larson biked it while trying to track down Felmlee, avoided flipping but dropped from 2nd to 4th as Kornbau and Matus drove by him. After a chaotic last few laps, the top 5 for the feature ended up being Bob Felmlee, Jeremy Kornbau, Brandon Matus who also was the hard charger going plus 4 to earn third place, Dusty Larson, and Andy Cavanaugh. The heat races were won by Jeremy Kornbau and Matt Farnham.
Meanwhile in the RUSH Wingless Sprints at Tri-City, it was another veteran earning the victory in Gale Ruth Jr. It was not only Ruth’s third victory of the season at the raceway, but also the 30th RUSH Sprint Car win of his career with the Friday victory being his 9th at Tri-City. Ruth had to work for it though, being the hard charger having gone plus 5 to earn the victory. Ruth did quick work of it, taking the lead from 16-year old Lucas Roessner on lap 7 of the 20 lap feature. Roessner looked impressive throughout the feature, holding onto second until lap 16 when Blaze Myers passed him, but Roessner would hold on to finish third. Rounding out the top 5 were Joe Buccola and Devon Deeter. Another young driver who looked impressive was Cooper Macormac, who unfortunately DNFed. The heat race wins went to Blaze Myers and Joe Buccola.
South in Butler County, Brandon Spithaler won his 9th career feature at Lernerville Speedway on Friday night. Spithaler held off Dan Shetler for the win, with Shetler extending his top 5 streak at the speedway to 4 races. Rounding out the top 5 were 3rd place finisher Carl Bowser, hard charger Jeremy Weaver who went plus 12 to finish 4th, and in 5th place AJ Flick. Some other big movers were Dan Kuriger who went plus 12 to finish 6th, while Jacob Begenwald went plus 5 to finish in 7th. Weaver won the B-main, while the heat races were won by AJ Flick, Jared Zimbardi, and Carl Bowser. The fastest overall in hot lap qualifying was Jeremy Weaver with a 14.268 lap time.
Saturday night was won by Mother Nature, but Brandon Spithaler was not done winning on the weekend. On Sunday night the FAST on Dirt Series was at Tri-City Raceway Park, where Spithaler would earn his 4th victory of the season and his 3rd at the raceway this season. Spithaler held off Ricky Peterson Jr for the victory, while AJ Flick, Brandon Matus, and Matt Farnham were the rest of the top 5. Jeremy Kornbau was the hard charger, having gone plus 6 to finish 10th. Some other movers were Matt Farnham and Tyler Gunn who both went plus 4 to finish 5th and 8th respectively. The heat races were won by John Jerich, Ricky Peterson Jr, and Brandon Matus. Qualifying was split into three flights with Brandon Spithaler, Ricky Peterson Jr, and Brandon Matus being fastest in each, while Spithaler was the fastest overall with a time of 15.461 seconds.
This coming weekend the only 410 sprint show in the Western Pa region is at Sharon Speedway on Saturday June 27th. Meanwhile on the same night at Michael’s Mercer Raceway Park, the RUSH Wingless Sprints are in action along with IMCA Racesaver 305 winged sprint cars. The 4th of July weekend is light on sprint car action in the region, so get out to a track this weekend, and catch some amazing sprint car racing action.

Matus, Weaver get first wins of the year,
Sabo earns first All Star victory at Sharon.

By: Colton Sutley

The theme of the weekend in Western Pennsylvania was that of earning the first win of the season, as there were three different drivers winning their first races of this season. Starting out Friday night at Tri-City Raceway Park, Brandon Matus got his first win of the season which was his 4th career win at the track which ties him with greats such as Dale Blaney, Tim Shaffer, and Bobby Allen in 26th on the track’s all time wins list. The 2021 Track Champion had to hold off Brandon Spithaler for the win, with Spithaler falling just short of a three race win streak at Tri-City. Nash Gierke earned his first career podium finish by narrowly beating Dusty Larson at the line for third, while Jeremy Kornbau rounded out the top 5 in fifth. Not only did Matus win the feature event, but with the win became the points leader at the track along with Bob Felmlee having mechanical issues and not being able to make a lap in the feature. The heat races were won by Brandon Matus and Bob Felmlee.
The RUSH Wingless Sprints were also in action at Tri-City Raceway Park on Friday with Gale Ruth Jr taking the win for his second win of the season at the track. Blaze Myers finished in second followed by Joe Buccola, Lucas Roessner, and Devon Deeter to round out the top 5 with Roessner and Deeter getting their best finishes of the season. The heat races were won by Roessner and Zach Morrow.
An hour and a half south on Friday at Lernerville Speedway, Jeremy Weaver won his first race of the season. It was Weaver’s 3rd career win at the speedway which he earned by battling AJ Flick who would wound up finishing second. In third was Carl Bowser who also was the hard charger by going plus 5 in the feature, followed by Dan Shetler in fourth and Jacob Begenwald in 5th. With Shetler finishing in fourth on Friday, it extended his streak of top 5 finishes at Lernerville to three races and will be something to watch if he can keep going this coming weekend. Steve Bright and Louie Mattes both gained multiple positions in the feature with both going plus 3 to finish 8th and 12th respectively. The winners of the heat races were Will Fleming and John Jerich with Jerich going plus 3 to win his heat race. Carl Bowser and John Jerich were the fastest in qualifying flights A and B respectively, with Jerich the overall fastest.
Just over the Ohio border at Sharon Speedway on Saturday night, Zeth Sabo not only got his first win of the season but also his first career All Star Circuit of Champions victory. In the second night of Ohio Sprint Speedweek, Sabo topped a strong 49 car field over Dale Blaney, Leyton Wagner, Devon Borden, and Cap Henry. Sabo went plus 3 to the win while Wagner went plus 4 and Borden went plus 5 to finish third and fourth respectively. The hard charger was Bryce Lucius who went plus 7 to finish tenth, while some other big movers were 6th place finisher Danny Dietrich, 14th place finisher Greg Wilson, and 15th place finisher Jeremy Kornbau who all went plus 6 in the feature. Creed Kemenah won the B-Main while Chris Verda was the winner of the C-Main. Australian Ryan Newton was the winner of the Dash, while the six heat races were won by Danny Dietrich, Tim Shaffer, Devon Borden, Zane DeVault, Leyton Wagner, and Nate Dussel. Dale Blaney and Cap Henry were the fastest qualifiers in flights A and B with Blaney receiving quick time overall.
Meanwhile at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania’s Motor Speedway, John Mollick won his fourth RUSH Wingless Sprint feature of the season. Mollick beat out Wyatt Long for the victory while the rest of the top 5 were Gale Ruth Jr, Luke Mulichak, and Trent Marshall. Long was also the hard charger having gained 3 positions to earn his second place finish. The heat races were won by John Mollick and Luke Mulichak.
This coming weekend sees the 410 sprint cars in action on Friday June 19th at Tri-City Raceway Park as well as at Lernerville Speedway. On Saturday night the 410 sprints will be in action at Michael’s Mercer Raceway Park alongside IMCA Racesaver 305 Sprints. Then on Sunday the FAST on Dirt series will be at Tri-City for a Sunday night special. Meanwhile the RUSH Wingless Sprints have a three day race weekend, starting Friday night at Tri-City, then at Sharon Speedway on Saturday, and a return visit to Tri-City on Sunday. It is another sprint car packed weekend for fans to get out to.

Flick Makes History,
Wagner wins in Sharon Debut,
Blaney and Spithaler both get WPA Speedweek wins.

By: Colton Sutley

The sun was finally shining this past weekend, and for only the second time since its renewal in 2021 that Western Pa Sprint Speedweek got all five nights of racing in. The sun was really shining on AJ Flick during speedweek as he clinched the mini series championship for the third time which broke the record of speedweek championships that he held along with Frankie Kerr and Dale Blaney. Not only did Flick win the $3,000 championship to make history, but he also broke Dale Blaney’s record for most speedweek victories with wins at Michael’s Mercer Raceway Park and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania’s Motor Speedway before Blaney re-tied the record at 8 with his own victory at Lernerville Speedway.
The opening night of this year’s speedweek saw a return to Michael’s Mercer Raceway Park on Wednesday May 27th. The feature event was action packed with 11 drivers being able to gain at least 4 positions from their starting positions! AJ Flick who won the $5,000 feature was a big mover going plus 7 to earn the victory, while Cale Thomas finished second after going plus 5. The rest of the top 5 was Logan McCandless, Micahel Bauer, and Cody Bova who went plus 4 in the feature. The hard charger for the night was Leyton Wagner who went plus 9 to finish 12th, with John Jerich also being a big mover having gone plus 8 to finish 7th. The four heat races were won by Cody Bova, Brandon Matus, Dan Kuriger who led 13 laps in the A-main before something broke on the car, and the last heat race was won by Mark Smith. Adam Kekich and Brandon Spithaler were fastest qualifiers for Flights A and B respectively with Kekich fastest overall for the 34 car field. Also on the card Wednesday night were the RUSH Wingless sprints with a strong field of 20 cars where John Mollick got his first win of the season followed by Arnie Kent, Zach Morrow, Grayson Bayle, and Gale Ruth Jr to round out the top 5. The hard charger was Luke Mulichak who went plus 10 to finish 6th, while heat race wins went to Gale Ruth Jr, Arnie Kent, and Samantha Priest.
The following night AJ Flick would repeat as the winner at PPMS which broke Dale Blaney’s record for most speedweek wins with a $4,000 victory. Rounding out the top 5 were Cale Thomas who went plus 7 to finish second in the second night in a row, Ricky Peterson Jr in 3rd followed by Carl Bowser and Mark Smith. The hard charger was Carmen Perigo Jr who went plus 8 to finish 12th while Jacob Begenwald and John Jerich both went plus 6 in the feature. The heat race winners were Brandon Matus, Cale Thomas, and Flick. The fastest qualifier was Dale Blaney who’s 16.204 was a whole second faster than the 2nd fastest qualifier, which secured him the quick time over the 28 car field.
Flick did not stand alone atop the Western Pa Sprint Speedweek wins list for long, as Friday night at Lernerville Speedway saw “The Low Rider” Dale Blaney go back to victory lane in the $4,500 to win “Jean Lynch Classic”. Blaney had to work for the win having to go plus 5 from his 6th starting position to earn the win. Finishing in 2nd was 2025 Speedweek Champion Jeremy Weaver followed by Mark Smith in 3rd, AJ Flick who was the harder charger going plus 10 to finish 4th, and Dan Shetler in 5th. Some other big movers were Ricky Peterson Jr who went plus 6 to finish 6th, Will Fleming and Chris Verda who both went plus 5 to finish 14th and 19th respectively. Heat race winners were Michael Bauer, Jeremy Kornbau, Adam Kekich and Jeremy Weaver. The 36 car field was split into flights A and B with Dale Blaney and Dan Shetler the fastest qualifiers, while Blaney earned quick time overall.
Saturday saw Logan Wagner win at Sharon Speedway in his debut at the speedway, in the first ever “Floyd Trevis Memorial” which was worth $5,500. Wagner went plus 8 to earn his first career Sharon victory while the rest of the top was Carl Bowser, Brandon Matus, Logan McCandless, and Jeremy Weaver. The hard charger for the evening was Greg Wilson who went plus 10 to finish 12th. The heat race winners were Keith Sheffer Jr who went plus 5 to the heat race win, Logan McCandless, Logan Wagner, and Carl Bowser. Dale Blaney and Cale Thomas were the fastest qualifiers for Flights A and B with Blaney the fastest overall for the 40 car field.
While the 410 sprint cars were doing battle on the Pa-Oh border, the RUSH Wingless Sprint Cars were doing battle on the Pa-Ny border at Stateline Speedway where John Mollick got his second win of the season over a 15 car field. The top 5 consisted of Mollick, Luke Mulichak who went plus 4 to finish 2nd, Brayden Blackshear who went plus 6 to finish 3rd, Samantha Priest in 4th, and Gale Ruth Jr in 5th. The hard charger for the feature was Arnie Kent who went plus 7 to finish 6th. The heat races were won by John Mollick and Gale Ruth Jr, with Luke Mulichak going plus 3 in heat race number 2 to finish 3rd.
Sunday saw Speedweek roll into Tri-City Raceway Park, where AJ Flick clinched his 3rd speedweek championship with a 5th place finish and Brandon Spithaler getting the $6,000 victory. Spithaler went plus 5 to earn the victory while Ricky Peterson Jr, Mark Smith, Logan McCandless, and Flick rounded out the top 5. The hard charger was Greg Wilson who went plus 9 to finish 8th with other big movers being David Kalb Jr who went plus 6 to finish 16th, and Tim Shaffer who went plus 5 to finish 6th. The heat races were won by AJ Flick, Jeremy Weaver, Jared Zimbardi, and Ricky Peterson Jr. It was the Brandon & Brandon show in qualifying with Brandon Matus and Brandon Spithaler being the fastest qualifiers in Flights A and B respectively with Matus topping the 31 car field overall. Also in action Sunday night were the RUSH Wingless Sprints where Blaze Myers won his second race of the season over a 14 car field. The rest of the top 5 were Luke Mulichak, Zach Morrow, Brayden Blackshear, and Samantha Priest. Heat race wins went to Blaze Myers and Lucas Roessner.
The top 10 in Western Pa Sprint Speedweek points were AJ Flick (452pts), Mark Smith (412), Brandon Spithaler (406), Jeremy Weaver (393), Carl Bowser (371), Michael Bauer (368), Adam Kekich (344), Brandon Matus (338), Ricky Peterson Jr (320), and Jacob Begenwald (302). There were 16 teams who competed in all 5 nights of the mini-series while a total of 61 cars ran during the speedweek! Each night there was a lot of good racing happening, supported by the stat that 4 of 5 Western Pa Speedweek feature winners came from at least the 3rd row, as posted by Sprint Car Ratings. This year’s speedweek was a great one, and fans should already be looking forward to next year’s iteration of the mini-series.
A look ahead to this weekend shows that on Friday June 5th, both Lernerville Speedway and Tri-City Raceway Park will have 410 sprints in action, with Tri-City also having the RUSH Wingless Sprints. Saturday June 6th will have 410 sprint action at Michael’s Mercer Raceway Park, while the RUSH Wingless Sprints will be in action at Sharon Speedway.

Sams wins in first ever visit,
Ruth domination breaks Myers’s streak

By: Colton Sutley

Rain has decimated the racing this weekend around the country, but on Friday night Tri-City Raceway Park in Franklin, Pennsylvania was able to get the race night in. Not only were they the only racing that took place in the Western Pa, but also the only winged 410 sprint car race in the entire country and Danny Sams III took advantage of it. In his first ever visit to the Venango County 1/2 mile oval, Sams not only won his heat race but also won the feature event after starting 4th. For the feature Michael Bauer started on the pole,and would jump out to an early lead. On lap 2 of the race Nathen McDowell came to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the first caution of the race. Bauer was able to hold off Brandon Spithaler and Sams on the restart, and would also hold them off on another restart after a caution on lap 7 for Jazlyn Boyles who came to a stop on the front stretch. After that restart Sams got a run on Bauer and passed him for the lead on lap eight, Spithaler would follow him a few laps later to pass Bauer for second. On lap 17 there was another caution for McDowell, who spun coming out of turn 4. With 7 laps to go Sams jumped out to the lead once again, and with Spithaler pulling off the track on lap 19 went unchallenged the rest of the way winning by six seconds to become the 103rd different winner at the raceway in the 410 division. Logan McCandless would barely beat Bauer at the line by .033 of a second to claim second place, while Bob Felmlee and Brandon Matus would round out the top 5.

The hard charger for the 410 division would be Ricky Peterson Jr who went plus 7 to finish 6th. Logan McCandless was another big mover, having gone plus 5 to finish 2nd. The heat race wins went to Brandon Spithaler and Danny Sams III, with both leading all 8 laps of their respective heat races.

For the RUSH Wingless Sprint Cars, for the first time in six races, someone other than Blaze Myers won a feature event at Tri-City. Gale Ruth Jr won his 7th career RUSH Sprint race at the raceway, jumping out to an early lead. Ruth dominated the race, and caught lap traffic, but the veteran worked it to perfection to keep ahead of Myers to get the win. Myers would finish 2nd followed by Zach Morrow, Ricky Tucker III, and Curt Emmings to complete the top 5. The 16 year old Tucker looked impressive, battling Myers and Morrow early in the race and holding off the two veterans for a handful of laps each. The hard charger was Brayden Blackshear who went plus 5 to finish 8th while Morrow had gone plus 3 to finish 3rd. The heat race wins went to Blaze Myers and Gale Ruth Jr. A note on heat race 1 was how youngster Grayson Bayle started on the pole and held off veteran driver Zach Morrow for many laps to finish 2nd, and looked impressive while doing so.

At this time the weather for this week’s upcoming Western Pa Sprint Speedweek looks very promising. To kick off the busy week for the 410 drivers in the region, Michaels Mercer Raceway Park will host the mini series on Wednesday May 27th for $5,000 to win. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway follows with a $3,500 to win show on the 28th with Lernerville Speedway hosting the Jean Lynch Classic for $4,000 to win on Friday the 29th. To round out the week of racing on Saturday, May 30th Sharon Speedway will host the first ever Floyd Trevis Memorial for $5,000 to win with the speedweek finale taking place at Tri-City Raceway Park on Sunday for $4,000 to win. The RUSH sprints will be in action alongside the 410s at Mercer on May 27th as well as at Tri-City on the 31st while on Saturday the 30th they will be at Stateline Speedway just over the New York border. Hopefully Mother Nature plays nice this week, and fans can see an action pack week full of great sprint car racing.

Davis and Felmlee win in 410s,
While Myers continues to dominate in RUSH Sprints

By: Colton Sutley

Lernerville Speedway got their second race night of the year in, on Friday, May 15th with High Limit Rookie of The Year Contender Hank Davis successfully invading the speedway. Davis swept the night, not only timing fastest in his qualifying group but also going plus 3 to win his heat race as well as going plus 7 to win the feature event in his first ever visit to the speedway. Davis’s impressive run did not make him the hard charger though, because Michael Bauer went plus 15 to finish 4th. The rest of the top 5 were youngster Jacob Begenwald finishing 2nd, Dan Kuriger 3rd, and rounding out the top 5 AJ Flick in 5th. Some other big movers to highlight are Dan Shetler and Carl Bowser who went plus 7 while finishing 6th and 9th respectively and Davey Jones who went plus 8 while coming home in 14th. The heat race winners were Adam Kekich, Hank Davis, and Dan Kuriger.

Meanwhile also on Friday night, Tri-City Raceway Park was finally able to get in their opening night of racing. Sixty-Four year old Bob Felmlee won the feature event in the 410s which was his 35th career win at the raceway. Felmlee had to fend off challenges from teenager Dusty Larson who ended up finishing 2nd. The rest of the top 5 were Brandon Matus, Jack Sodeman Jr, and Jeremy Kornbau. The winners of the heat race action were Brandon Matus and Nathen McDowell.

The RUSH Wingless Sprint feature was won on a last lap pass by Blaze Myers to pass race long leader Zach Morrow. It was Myers’s sixth win in a row at the track and his twelfth at the raceway since the start of last season. Morrow finished in 2nd while the top 5 was rounded out by Wyatt Long, Ricky Tucker III, and Charlie Utsinger. The heat races were won by Blaze Myers and Zach Morrow.

This coming weekend the schedule for sprint car racing includes 410 Sprint Cars at Lernerville Speedway on Friday, May 22nd while on the same night 410 Sprints along with RUSH Wingless Sprints are also at Tri-City Raceway Park. Saturday’s slate includes the All Star Circuit of Champions at Michael’s Mercer Raceway Park for the Frank and Marilyn Benic Memorial while Sharon Speedway has the RUSH Wingless Sprints on their card for the May 23rd race date.

2026 Lernerville Speedway
Sprint Car Preview

By: Colton Sutley

Opening in 1967, Lernerville Speedway which is located in Sarver, Pennsylvania has been host to many big races including World of Outlaw Sprint Car and Late Models races, as well as Lucas Oil and High Limit races. Meanwhile their weekly racing on Friday nights include the big three divisions in dirt which are 410 Winged Sprint Cars, Super Late Models, and Big Block Modifieds making the track the only track in the country to run all three on a regular weekly basis. They also run Pro Stocks on a weekly basis, along with other divisions mixed in such as the RUSH Late Models, 305 Sprints, and RUSH Wingless Sprints. There is a lot to look forward to especially in the sprint car divisions with lots of potential winners. With opening night slated for Friday, April 24th lets preview this season for the sprint cars who will do battle at the Western Pa staple.

Title Contenders

There are three potential title contenders I will highlight, and the first is nine time track champion AJ Flick who has won the past six straight track titles at Lernerville dating back to 2020. Flick, who ranks sixth all time in wins at the speedway with 43, averaged a 7.4 finish last season with 11 top 5s, 12 top 10s and 2 wins in 16 races with three of those races including starts against High Limit. Flick would be a smart pick for the champion, but I think 2-time track champion Carl Bowser will give him a run for his money this season. Bowser had a strong year last year with a 9.1 average finish with a win, 10 top 5s, and 11 top 10s in 15 races which also included the three High Limit races. Bowser has 31 career wins at the track, and is a threat every night at the speedway. The last contender for the title is a lower funded team that only ran 10 of the 16 races held at Lernerville last season, but is a very consistent team. Dan Kuriger averaged a 5.7 finish last season, that included a win, 7 top 5s, and 9 top 10s while as mentioned before only running 10 races at the track. Flick is the heavy favorite as he should be, but Bowser should keep it interesting and Kuriger may even sneak into the fight for the title as the season progresses.

Other Expected Weekly Drivers

Some drivers expected to run weekly at Lernerville include two drivers looking for their first career 410 wins at the track in Jacob Begenwald and John Jerich. Both Begenwald and Jerich have been traveling a lot to start this season and have shown good speed to end the season last year. Begenwald last season won a Dash race at Blanket Hill while at Lernerville he had 3 top 5s and 9 top 10s while racing all 16 races and making one of the three High Limit A Mains at the track. Jerich while missing time with an injury had 5 top 10s in 9 races, and will look to continue to improve on the speed he has shown. Some of the other drivers expected to compete weekly include veterans such as Dan Shetler, Carmen Perigo Jr, and Davey Jones while younger but experienced drivers include Louie Mattes and Will Fleming and all of them have the potential to have good runs and win a race.

Invaders To Watch

The potential invaders to watch out for include all the High Limit Full timers for on July 21st High Limit makes their annual visit to Lernerville for the prestigious Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup. Some High Limit racers who have won at Lernerville include Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson, Tyler Courtney, Daison Pursely, and Aaron Reutzel while you also can’t forget to watch out for local grown High Limit driver Sye Lynch who has multiple High Limit podium finishes at the speedway. Other invaders to watch out for during the Silver Cup include Anthony Macri, Logan Wagner, James McFadden, Kyle Larson, and Corey Day. Western Pa drivers who may invade the speedway from time to time include Jeremy Weaver, Michael Bauer, Bob Felmlee, Jack Sodeman Jr, Matt Farnham, Adam Kekich, Jerermy Kornbau, Brandon and Brent Matus among others. Western Pa All Star Full Timers Cody Bova, Leyton Wagner, Logan McCandless, and the legendary Tim Shaffer are also drivers who could invade Lernerville from time to time along with former All Star full timer Brandon Spithaler. There also will be drivers from Central Pa, Ohio, and even other countries who will race some at Lernerville including Billy Dietrich, Chris Frank, Michael Walter II, Ricky Peterson, Greg Wilson, Ryan Newton, and Jordan Poirier. All of these drivers mentioned have the potential to win anytime they show up at Lernerville Speedway and should be ones to watch out for.

Non 410 Winged Races

Not only will Lernerville run Winged 410s weekly, they will also host the RUSH Wingless Sprints on five occasions and the Winged 305 sprints of the Allegheny Sprint Tour on three occasions. Two of the five RUSH Wingless Sprints races will be a part of the two day Commonwealth Clash on September 11th and 12th which includes not only winged 410s but also the non-wing 410 sprints of the USAC National Sprints. It will be interesting to see how many Western Pa drivers decide to take the wings off to do battle with USAC stars such as Logan Seavey, Kyle Cummings, Justin Grant, Robert Ballou, CJ Leary, and Briggs Danner. Fans also will get to see RUSH Wingless Sprint drivers such as veterans Blaze Myers, John Mollick, Gale Ruth Jr, and Zach Morrow do battle with their young counterparts who include Cooper Fritz, Luke Mulichak, Wyatt Long, and Ricky Tucker III among other young drivers. For the fans of 305 racing, fans can look forward to Jacob Gomola, Jim Pattock, Vivian Jones, Timmy Bittner, Jeremy Kornbau, and Jarrett Rosencrance do battle when they are added to the undercard.

2026 Tri- City Raceway Park
Sprint Car Preview

Tri-City Raceway Park is the only track in the country where fans can see both winged and non-wing sprint cars compete on a weekly basis. Located in the sprint car history rich Western Pa region, the Franklin, Pennsylvania track has seen a lot of great sprint car racing since its opening in 1954. Racing on Friday nights with some special Sunday shows mixed in the track is host to 410 winged sprint cars, pro stocks, RUSH wingless sprint cars, and RUSH stock cars on a weekly basis. This season will be an exciting season in both the 410 sprint car division and the RUSH wingless division with the potential for different winners in each division every week starting with opening night on Friday April 10th. Now let’s preview this season for both divisions of sprint cars at the Western Pa racing staple.

410 Title Contenders

For the third year in a row Tri-City Raceway Park will have a different track champion in the 410 winged sprint car division. The champions from the previous two seasons AJ Flick and Jeremy Weaver both plan on not running weekly at the raceway, with Flick committed to running for points at Lernerville and Weaver planning on traveling more often this season. This brings the question of if the track champion will be a first time champion or a former Tri-City Track Champion. The three contenders that stand out to me are 3 time track champion Bob Felmlee, 2021 track champion Brandon Matus, and New York driver Matt Farnham. Felmlee, a Western Pa legend, is second on the all time wins list at the track with 34 wins and this past season averaged a 5.8 finish with 7 top 5s and 11 tops 10s in all 11 starts he had at the raceway last season. Matus on the other hand has 3 career wins, while last season he averaged a 6.1 finish with 7 top 5s and 11 top 10s in 12 starts. Meanwhile Farnham has 4 career wins at the track and averaged a 6.0 finish last year with 1 win and 7 top 5s in 9 races he attended at the track. Those three have the best average finish of drivers that are expected to run weekly at Tri-City, but Farnham may not make the trip down to the Venango County Pennsylvania raceway from New York every week. With all three drivers with so close average finishes to each other, it will most likely come down to who can capitalize on the others' mistakes and misfortune.

Other Expected Weekly Drivers

Some drivers who ran at least half of the races held at Tri-City Raceway last season that have won at the track are expected to potentially race weekly at the track are Jack Sodeman Jr and Dusty Larson. The veteran Sodeman Jr who has 5 career wins at the track and was the 2020 track champion is one driver that is expected to compete at the track on a weekly basis and will definitely be one to watch to win a race or two this season. While on the opposite end of the experience spectrum is the teenage driver Larson who got his first career 410 win and first win at Tri-City last year, averaged a 8.4 finish with 2 top 5s and 8 top 10s in 10 races and will be looking to add more wins to his tally. Some other drivers who are expected to compete weekly are Brent Matus, Andy Cavanaugh, Natalie Brannon, Jazlyn Boyles, Steve Bright and Bodey McClintock who all could compete for good finishes if they run well in their heat races and get a good starting position for the features this season.

Invaders To Watch

Tri-City could see lots of potential winners who invade the raceway this season. Whether it be from different states, different speedways such as Lernerville or Williams Grove, or even invaders from other countries. Some invaders from Lernerville that stand out are 3 time Tri-City track Champion AJ Flick, teenager Jacob Begenwald, John Jerich, and veteran driver Carl Bowser. Flick and Bowser both have career wins at Tri-City with 17 wins and 5 wins respectively, while Jerich and Begenwald are both looking for their first career 410 wins at any track (Begenwald won a Dash race at Blanket Hill last season) and have shown plenty of speed to contend for wins. Some drivers from different regions that are expected to visit the track some this season that stand out are Billy Dietrich, Tyler Esh, and Garrett Bard from Central Pa, Tyler Gunn and Zane DeVault from Ohio, and international drivers such as Brock Hallett, DJ Christie, and Ryan Newton who all have ran at the raceway in recent years and shown good speed to compete for wins. There are Western Pa drivers that are either full timers with the All Stars, FAST, or uncommitted to running points that also will invade the raceway from time to time looking to steal some wins. Those Western Pa drivers that standout are Brandon Spithaler, last season’s track champion Jeremy Weaver, Adam Kekich, former 305 sprint driver Jeremy Kornbau, FAST Full Timer Michael Bauer, All Star Full Timers Cody Bova, Leyton Wagner, Logan McCandless, and the legendary Tim Shaffer. All of these aforementioned drivers can come in any night and walk away with a victory.

RUSH Wingless Sprints

The RUSH Wingless sprints were dominated last season at Tri-City by Blaze Myers who won 11 times at the track on the way to not only the track championship but also the RUSH Sprint National Weekly Championship. Myers is back this season in the Ted Hull number 41 car and will look to continue his dominance. Some veteran drivers who will compete against Myers this season are Zack Wilson, Joe Buccola, Zach Morrow who has 2 wins at the Tri-City, Gale Ruth Jr who has 6 wins, and John Mollick who has 5 wins and was the 2024 National Weekly Champion. There are a lot of youngsters in this division that show a lot of speed, two of them got their first career RUSH Sprint wins at Tri-City last season which were Cooper Fritz and Luke Mulichak. Other young drivers to watch out for this season are Wyatt Long, Ricky Tucker III, Trent Marshall, Samantha Priest, Grayson Bayle, Lucas Roessner, and Logen Lockhart who will also make some 410 starts at Tri-City.

24 Races To Look Forward To In Western Pa in 2026

By: Colton Sutley

Every year there are races scheduled that fans, drivers, and tracks all look forward to. So for this year, I will go over 24 races that stand out to me as events in the Western Pennsylvania region that all fans should look forward to. You may ask why 24, instead of a top 20 or top 25? The reasoning behind a “top” 24 is simple, the average feature event or A-Main starts 24 cars so it only makes sense that 24 races make the starting lineup for my list of races that I am most looking forward to. Of course there are many more races I am looking forward to within the Western Pa region, and I highly suggest you go to as many races as possible whether it is a weekly race or a regional/national touring series event but these are the 24 I suggest going to if you can only go to a few. Also note that these are not ranked in any particular order, and are simply just listed.

The Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup
This is my favorite race to attend every year, mostly because of how legendary and great of a promoter Don Martin was with the event held at Lernerville Speedway where he was so successful as a promoter. The Silver Cup is also the most prestigious race in Western Pa with sprint car legends such as Steve and Mark Kinser, Kyle Larson, Sammy Swindell, and Donny Schatz winning the race. It also has been a race known for a great upset, when in 2002 local legend Ed Lynch Jr won against the World of Outlaws. The excitement for the race continues to be high, with the High Limit Racing Series set to race the event this year on Tuesday July 21st which will mark their first of two visits to the region in 2026.

High Limit at Stateline Speedway
Sticking with High Limit, the next event to look forward to is when the High Rollers roll into Busti, New York. Although technically located in New York, Stateline is definitely a part of the Western Pa racing scene with how close it is to Pa. After having a successful All Star Circuit of Champions race last season, Stateline was able to book High Limit for Friday July 24th this year. Stateline is definitely more known for their Late Model racing, but they have had 6 previous All Star races and should put on a good show when the likes of Rico Abreu, Tyler Courtney, and others roll in.

RUSH Sprints Return To Raceway 7
Another track with a sprint car show that rarely run sprint cars is Raceway 7. The RUSH Wingless Sprint cars make their return to the Ohio track for the first time in four years. It should be an exciting show with it being only the fifth time ever racing at the track for the RUSH Sprints with Gale Ruth Jr being the only previous winner still racing in the division. Also on the card for Buckeye Openwheel Night at the raceway on July 3rd are UMP Modifieds, Econo Mods, and RUSH Sportsman Modifieds.

USAC Back In Western PA
Sticking with Non-Wing sprint car racing, an event I am extremely looking forward to is this year’s Commonwealth Clash at Lernerville Speedway on September 11th and 12th. Previously being a High Limit Racing event the past three years, the Commonwealth Clash will now be a USAC Sprint Car event. It will be the first time in awhile that the USAC Sprints will be in the Western Pa region giving many fans their first opportunity to see them in person. Not only will fans be able to see the stars of USAC such as Justin Grant, Logan Seavey, and Kyle Cummins but also the region's best 410 Winged Sprint Car drivers and the RUSH Wingless Sprint Cars.

Western Pa Sprint Speedweek
From May 27th to May 31st will be the best week of the year for Western Pa sprint car fans. That is when this year’s Western Pa Speedweek will take place starting at Michael’s Mercer Raceway followed by Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Lernerville Speedway, Sharon Speedway, and the finale at Tri-City Raceway Park. Hopefully Mother Nature is a race fan, because when it does not rain there is a great car count throughout the week. It’s the best time to see the top Western Pa drivers such as AJ Flick and Brandon Spithaler go against invaders such as Central Pa’s Ryan Smith and Ohio regular Zane Devault.

Firecracker 100/ Bill Emig Memorial June 25-27
If you are a Late Model fan then this is a weekend you look forward to every year. On June 25th through the 27th not only do you get the Lucas Oil Dirt Super Late Models invading Lernerville Speedway for three nights, but you also get the best of the RUSH Late Models competing for the prestigious Bill Emig Memorial. The 100 laps of the Firecracker 100 is phenomenal with the Lucas Oil drivers, but somehow it is topped by the 3 and 4 wide racing that happens in the 50 laps of the Bill Emig Memorial. This is a big event and you feel it in the air while there, between the meaning of the Bill Emig Memorial portion and the quest of victory by the RUSH drivers to the star power of the Lucas Oil drivers battling for the Firecracker 100 trophy, it is a can’t miss event.

Feel The RUSH at Tri-City
Another RUSH Late Model Touring Series event that I highly suggest fans attend are one of the two tour races being held at Tri-City Raceway Park. The first one is on Memorial Day Weekend on Sunday May 24th. Not only will you get the stars of the RUSH Late Models, but also the stars of the BRP Big Block Modified Tour with the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds also on the card. The other RUSH Tour race at the raceway is September 6th as the finale of the Oil Region Labor Day Classic. On the final night you will get to see the RUSH Late Models along with 410 Winged Sprint Cars, and the RUSH Stock Cars. Attending one of these nights is a must in my opinion.

Kyle Miller Memorial
An event that is very dear to me is the Kyle Miller Memorial. For those who do not know, I had Ewing’s Sarcoma which is the same kind of cancer that Kyle Miller had. Throughout my treatments, Kyle’s mother was very kind and supportive to my mother and me. I sadly did not get a chance to get to know Kyle, but I was lucky enough to have met him once. He was a great man and never gave up fighting as evident by him winning not only one but two track championships in 2019 while using hand controls to drive. Eriez has not yet released their schedule but I am sure the Kyle Miller Memorial will be on it with extra money up for grabs for the Econo Mods, which is what Kyle drove. This is an event that everyone should go to if they can, to remember a great man.

Connor Bobik Memorial
The Connor Bobik Memorial is an event that also is a great cause. Conner, whose father is Derek Bobik, a longtime racing photographer in the region, passed away from cancer at a very young age. This event is held in his memory with money being raised each year for Make-A-Wish. So make plans to be at Marion Center Raceway on May 15th and 16th when the World of Outlaw Late Models come into town. Not only will you see stars such as Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman duke it out, but you will be able to raise money for Make-A-Wish and remember a great young man.

Lou Blaney Memorial
The Blaneys, everyone knows about the Blaneys. From World of Outlaw champion Dave Blaney to his brother, All Star champion Dale Blaney, and Dave’s son NASCAR Cup champ Ryan Blaney, almost every race fan has heard of the Blaney family. The patriarch to the great racing family though is the legendary Lou Blaney. On August 1st fans will have the opportunity to watch 410 Sprint cars and Big Block Modifieds, two divisions Lou dominated in, battle it out for the memorial race named in his honor at the speedway his family owns Sharon Speedway. If you know anything about Western Pa racing history, you know how great Lou Blaney was and that is why it is a can’t miss race and one of my favorites to attend each year.

World Of Outlaw Sprints Vs. Western Pa
The World of Outlaw Sprint Cars only make two visits to the region this year, and both of them are at Sharon Speedway. The first visit is the “Border Battle” on May 2nd with the second visit coming on October 10th as part of Sheldon’s Buckeye Brawl. Both Dave and Dale Blaney have been able to beat the Outlaws at Sharon in recent years, and this year Dale or another driver from the region could pull the upset. Anytime the Outlaws are in town, they are a can’t miss show, especially when they come to the slick track of Sharon Speedway.

Chiller Thriller
If you like racing in the cold, then the Chiller Thriller at Michael’s Mercer Raceway is a race for you. It is also the first of two times this season to see Super Late Models at the raceway. Also on the card for the night are the Racesaver 305 Sprint cars, 602 crate modifieds, Mini Stocks, and Crown Vics. This event has a little bit of everything, so no matter what you prefer there is something for you to enjoy.

Yinzer 100 N’At
A new event this year is the Yinzer 100 N’At at Lernerville Speedway on Tuesday September 1st. A $15,000 to win, $1,500 to start midweek Super Late Model race is a must attend, with the region stars likely to be competing against many invaders. Midweek racing is always a fun thing to go to, and this event will be no different.

Rick Briggs Memorial
Another great midweek Super Late Model race this season is the World of Outlaw Late Models’ Rick Briggs Memorial at Stateline Speedway. Scheduled for Wednesday July 8th, will be a great opportunity for the drivers from the Northern part of the region to do battle against the stars of the Outlaws. Fans will see Dave Hess Jr, Jason Genco and other local drivers do battle with Bobby Pierce, Nick Hoffman, and Tyler Erb. Hess has one Outlaw win at Stateline back in 2021 and has been competitive in other races in the region against the Outlaws as well as against the Lucas Oil series. This is definitely a race you do not want to miss.

Battle At The Border
A few days later the World of Outlaw Late Models make their way to Sharon Speedway for the Battle at the Border. From July 10th to 11th fans can go see super late models do battle at Sharon Speedway for the only time this season. Seeing how late models traverse the slick surface is always a great show, and a nice change of pace from the predominantly sprint car and modified track.

All Stars at Sharon
The All Star Circuit of Champions will battle against Western Pa’s best at Sharon Speedway twice this year. The first trip will be a part of the historic Ohio Speedweek on June 13th, with the second trip to the speedway on August 29th. Fans will be able to see Western Pa racers Cody Bova and Leyton Wagner, who are full timers with the All Stars, compete with not only All Star regulars Kalib Henry and Bobby Elliot but also Western Pa racers such as AJ Flick and Carl Bowser as well as Ohio drivers like Cap Henry and Cole Duncan.

All Stars At Mercer
Not far from Sharon, the All Stars will make two trips to Michael’s Mercer Raceway this season on May 23rd and October 2nd. Last year saw Western Pa native and All Star full timer, Brandon Spithaler win his first career All Star race at his home track of Mercer. Will Spithaler repeat at Mercer this year, or will another Western Pa racer win their first All Star race. You can not forget about 2025 All Star champion Kalib Henry when it comes to drivers with the potential to win either. These are definitely two races that I am looking forward to.

FAST Times at Tri-City
Another regional 410 Winged Sprint Car series that will be racing in the region is the FAST series. On May 1st, June 21st, and July 24th they will be at Tri-City Raceway Park. Ricky Peterson Jr was the FAST series champion last season as well as in the points lead for the track championship at Tri-City until FAST commitments made winning both not viable. Peterson has the potential to sweep all three nights which include the $7,000 to win Summer Sizzler on July 24th, but track regulars such as Jack Sodeman Jr, Bob Felmlee, and Logan McCandless will have something to say about it. 2025 track champion Jeremy Weaver will also be a driver in contention, but intends to travel more this season so he may not be in attendance at each race. Regardless, there should be a great field of cars each night.

Pittsburgher 100/ Bill Hendren Memorial
Lucas Oil Late Models and RUSH Late Models go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly, perfectly. Fans are in for a treat on October 2nd and 3rd when those two series are at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway for the Pittsburgher 100 and the Bill Hendren Memorial respectively. Not only will they see the stars of both series competing, they may also see drivers compete in both divisions. Last year saw both Max Blair and Carson Ferguson do double duty and battle for top ten finishes in all four feature events of the weekend. Fans also saw Jeremy Wonderling clinch his record 5th RUSH Touring Series championship, and young driver Ben Easler get his first career podium with the series.

Feel The RUSH At PPMS
The RUSH Late Model Touring Series will make two visits to PPMS, before the Bill Hendren Memorial race. The Herb Scott Memorial on April 18th will serve as the tour’s season opener, which should mean a very large car count for fans to enjoy. Then on July 25th fans should again enjoy a good car count for the Jook George Steel City Classic. If either of these races are like the 2025 Jook George Steel City Classic fans will be in for a treat, because Christian Schneider won his first career tour race beating not only his competitors but also the rain.

Super Dirt
A midweek modified show? Yes please! On Wednesday August 12th that is exactly what fans will get as the Super Dirt Car Series invades Sharon Speedway. Fans will get to see local drivers such as Rex King Jr, Will Thomas, and Garrett Krummert do battle against the stars of the Super Dirt Series like Mat Williamson, Matt Sheppard, and Alex Yankowski. Fans also may be treated with seeing NASCAR Truck Series star Stewart Friesen race with the Big Block Modifieds. Also on the card for the event are the 410 Winged Sprint Cars, making this a must see event.

RUSH Late Model Manufacturers’ Night
If you like good racing and a good car count then RUSH Late Model Manufacturers’ Night at Eriez Speedway on May 9th is a must attend. The RUSH Late Model Touring Series always gets a good car count, but one of the best they get all year is at their Manufacturers' Night at Eriez. Not only will fans see 40-50 RUSH Late Models compete, but they will also be treated to Super Late Models, UMP Modifieds, RUSH Stock Cars, and more.

Appalachian Mountain Speedweek At Marion Center
On Thursday June 11th fans will be able to attend a Appalachian Mountain Speedweek race at Marion Center Raceway. Paying $5,500 to win and $550 to start, fans will be treated to not only Western Pa’s best Super Late Model drivers competing but also Central Pa’s best. It will be a great opportunity for fans to see the likes of Rick Eckert, Gregg Satterlee, Colton Flinner, and Mike Norris do battle on the quarter mile bullring.

Pot Of Gold 3
For the third year in a row, PPMS will kick off the racing season in Western Pa. On March 21st fans will have the chance to see the FAST 410 Winged Sprint Car series do battle, along with the region's best Super Late Model drivers and Crown Vics on the same day. This event has a little bit of everything that fans want, from the speed of the sprint cars to the “rubbing is racing” of the late models. Circle this one on your calendars and hope for great weather because this is an event you do not want to miss out on.

These are 24 of the must see events in Western Pa this season. There are so many more races that I could have included such as the All Star doubleheader at Stateline, the ULMS race at Mercer, as well as the return of the RUSH Late Model Tour to Sharon. This season is one to be excited for in the region, and everyone should be able to find an event they will enjoy. Attend as many races as you can this season and support your local tracks as much as possible.

Colton Sutley

csutleymedia@gmail.com

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