AdSense

Sunday, July 26, 2015

DANNY DIETRICH PASSES DONNY SCHATZ TO WIN WILLIAMS GROVE FRIDAY NIGHT SUMMER NATIONALS FEATURE

MECHANICSBURG, PA – Add Danny Dietrich’s name to the short list of drivers that have passed Donny Schatz to score a World of Outlaws sprint car win this season. Dietrich, of Gettysburg, Pa., did just that Friday night as he drove by the Outlaws point leader and 20-time winner off turn four to complete lap 18 and would keep him behind on a green-white-checkered finish.
Dietrich earned $8,000 for his first career Williams Grove Outlaw win in a car owned by Gary Kauffman. He does have two Outlaw wins at Lincoln Speedway. Joey Saldana started second and grabbed the lead from pole-sitter Schatz on the initial start, but it was called back when Kerry Madsen spun in turn one.
Saldana would once again get the lead from Schatz with Paul McMahan in third. Greg Hodnett and Lucas Wolfe raced hard for fourth with Hodnett getting the spot in turn one.
As Saldana approached lapped traffic with six laps completed, the yellow flag flew when Daryn Pittman stopped at the end of the frontstretch.
Saldana picked the inside line for the double-file restart. They were close off turn four, but Saldana had just enough room to slide up in front of Schatz and lead into turn one.
The racing between Hodnett and McMahan was close off turn two, resulting in Hodnett flipping several times and bringing out the red flag.
A single-file restart followed the crash and the yellow flag flew when Troy Fraker stopped on the backstretch.
Schatz tried to grab the lead on the next restart, but Saldana’s momentum off the cushion kept him out front. Dietrich, who started ninth, passed Sammy Swindell to take fifth.
Brock Zearfoss did a 360-spin in turn three, but the yellow flag flew with eight completed.
Schatz would easily take the lead from Saldana off turn four on the ensuing restart. Dietrich made a three-car pass in turns one and two to move into third and then blasted by Saldana in turn three to move into second.
“I had a heck of a restart,” said Dietrich. “I passed three cars in one and two and I thought for sure the caution would come out, but it didn’t. That was the difference maker. I knew I had to pounce on Joey and slide him down there.”
With 11 laps completed, Schatz was working the cushion and Dietrich was working down low and gaining on the leader.
Schatz slammed the door on Dietrich entering turn three. Both cars drifted across the track and over the cushion. They regained control off turn four and Dietrich squeezed by Schatz on the frontstretch to complete lap 18 as the leader.
“It was real hard racing with Donny,” said Dietrich. “It was clean racing, but we raced each other tough. That’s what you do when you race with the best in the world. I was worried I showed him my nose a little too soon down in three and four and he moved down. I don’t remember the pass. I think we passed each other a couple of times. We were lucky enough to beat him tonight.”
Dietrich pulled away from Schatz in traffic over the next six laps and was headed for victory.
But, as he raced off the fourth turn, he didn’t see the checkered flag, but instead, the yellow, as Brent Marks had crashed on the frontstretch.
A green-white-checkered finish was ahead.
Dietrich went back to the bottom and Schatz blasted the top and stayed with the leader. They were close under the white flag and into the first turn. Schatz pushed a little off turn two and that was the difference as Dietrich would get the win by 0.289 seconds over Schatz and Swindell. McMahan and Saldana completed the top five. Wolfe, Stevie Smith, Shane Stewart, Lance Dewease and Aaron Ott rounded out the top 10.
“He was better than we were on the bottom and in the middle,” said Schatz. “The only prayer I had was to try and make the top work at the end. I ran it as hard as I could. He was a little better and did a good job.”
Hodnett set fast time in the first flight of time trials with a lap of 16.789. Wolfe set fast time in the second flight with a lap of 16.935. Hodnett earned the Fast Tees Fast Time Award worth $300 for being fastest overall.
Dewease, Swindell, Schatz and Pittman won the eight-lap heat races. Schatz won the six-lap dash. Jim Siegel and King’s Royal winner Stewart won the twin B-mains.
The Summer Nationals concludes Saturday night with $20,000 going to the winner of the 30-lap main event, plus a $5,000 bonus left over from the rained out Morgan Cup in May.
Sprint Car Feature (25 laps): 1. Danny Dietrich. 2. Donny Schatz. 3. Sammy Swindell. 4. Paul McMahan. 5. Joey Saldana. 6. Lucas Wolfe. 7. Stevie Smith. 8. Shane Stewart. 9. Lance Dewease. 10. Aaron Ott. 11. Daryn Pittman. 12. Brad Sweet. 13. Steve Buckwalter. 14. Jason Sides. 15. David Gravel. 16. Jason Johnson. 17. Doug Esh. 18. Logan Schuchart. 19. Pat Cannon. 20. Brian Montieth. 21. Kraig Kinser. 22. Brock Zearfoss. 23. Kerry Madsen. 24. Brent Marks. 25. Nicole Bower. 26. Jim Siegel. 27. Greg Hodnett. 28. Troy Fraker.
Did Not Qualify: Alan Krimes, Wayne Dadettto, Hunter Mackison, Cory Haas, Jacob Allen, Tim Glatfelter, J.J. Grasso, Rodney Westhafer, David Murcott, Darren Mollenoyux, Kyle Reinhardt.

No comments: