Series championship race tightens after Schatz finishes in fourth, Pittman 11th
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. - Oct. 4, 2013 - Don Kreitz Jr. surged past Danny Dietrich on the final lap Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway to win his first World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event of the season and lead a Pennsylvania Posse sweep of the podium.
Dietrich held on to finish second with Brian Montieth in third. Fourth-place Donny Schatz was the top-finishing World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series driver with Greg Hodnett rounding out the top five. It's the third time in three World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series races this season at Williams Grove that Hodnett has finished one spot behind Schatz, who won the series' previous two events this season at the half-mile dirt oval.
Dietrich, who beat the Outlaws earlier this season at Lincoln Speedway, was a bittersweet runner-up in his Sandoes Fruit Market Maxim after leading the field to the white flag on lap 24 then losing his advantage through turns one and two.
Steve Buckwalter won the dash and led the field to the green. He jumped out to an early, but uncomfortable, lead with Dietrich quickly working his way up from the fourth position to second. Dietrich ran hard on Buckwalter, but the seasoned veteran held his ground. On lap 16, Buckwalter faltered and Dietrich capitalized to take the lead. In the process, top Kreitz and Montieth closed the gap for a four-way race for the lead.
Dietrich held the lead for the next seven laps, including a restart on lap 19 after Cody Darrah brought out a caution with a blown right rear tire. Coming to the white flag it looked like Dietrich had sealed his second win of the season until Kreitz's Sharman Builders Maxim powered around him through turns one and two. Dietrich tried to counter in three and four, but could not make a pass.
"I guess I didn't know what I was going to do until he went down to the bottom and it was our only move to go around him and the car stuck." said Kreitz of Sinking Springs, Pa. "I really didn't know where he was going, but I knew either way I was just going to haul it in there. I was preparing myself to go around him and I guessed he would go to the bottom and it just worked out."
Saturday night, Dietrich might take a different approach.
"I wish I could do it over again, but that's racing and we've got tomorrow night yet and hopefully I can pull it off then," said Dietrich, of Aspers, Pa. "He was going where I didn't go, and I wish that there were lapped cars, but it is what it is and we'll take a second. I knew he was down there so I figured that I could take his line away maybe he couldn't get past me. He was good, he just rolled the right rear past me and at that point in time there just wasn't anything I could do."
Montieth was closing from his seventh-starting position, but could only reach third in the 25-lap A-main.
"I didn't want to see that yellow, lapped traffic would have had everything jammed up," said Montieth, of Phoenxiville, Pa., "Here on a regular Friday night you need lapped traffic to break up the clean air. We didn't shake the rabbit foot too bad tonight so may be it has something left for Saturday."
World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship leader Daryn Pittman started the A-main in the 16th-position and finished 11th. He'll take a 38-point lead in the standings into Saturday night's race.
The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series returns on Saturday night to Williams Grove for the National Open.
WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY NOTEBOOK
NOTES - Joey Saldana was the fastest qualifier around the semi-banked 1/2-mile oval with a time of 16.961 seconds to earn five championship points. Also earning points were Greg Hodnett (4 points), Don Kreitz Jr. (3), Fred Rahmer (2) and Cody Darrah(1). ... Jason Sides, Steve Buckwalter, Brian Leppo, Donny Schatz and Dale Blaney won heat races. ... The dash draw was a 6 for the 35th time this year... Steve Buckwalter won the dash for the first time this year.
- Admin Account on Oct 07, 2013
- Article Date: 10/7/2013