DeWease wins Port Royal feature

Article Photos

PORT ROYAL - Lance DeWease is a realist. DeWease entered Port Royal Speedway's winners circle for the first time this season Saturday night after winning the sprint car feature.

Most drivers would be happy to just win. DeWease and his crew were striving for improvement.

"I'm a realist," DeWease said. "Anybody that knows me knows that I'm a realist and we weren't that good tonight. (Our) starting spot is what won us this race. We need to be a lot better. If I'd of had to start back like where Todd (Shaffer) and those guys did, I think we would have been in trouble."

DeWease started on the pole and led all 25 laps of the feature. But the race was under caution on two occasions.

Daryl Stimeling and Steve Buckwalter stopped on the speedway during lap 3 and both were finished for the night. On lap 7, Craig Robinson and Mike Wagner were involved in a turn 4 mishap that eliminated both cars from competition. Wagner was tapped to drive the Dave Middleswarth-owned No. 7 sprint car after regular driver Keith Kauffman did not appear at the speedway. Chad Layton piloted the car Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway and finished fifth. Kauffman's status as driver of the racer was unknown at the conclusion of the event.

Mark Smith charged from seventh to finish second. Daryn Pittman drove the Jesse Keen-owned No. 17 to a third-place finish. Greg Hodnett was fourth with Mike Erdley fifth. Completing the top 10 were Todd Shaffer, Rick Lafferty, Dave Ely, Bob Bennett and Jeff VanDusen. Heats for the 20-car field were won by Pittman and DeWease.

Waylon Wagner, of Lewistown, won the late model feature for the second straight week. Wagner was flying at the start of the event. Literally.

An 11-car pile up occurred as the field exited turn 4 on the initial start. Wagner lined up 11th and was hit by another car. The impact damaged the right-side sheet metal and picked the back end of Wagner's car up approximately two feet in the air.

"I was a little worried there on the start when we got airborne," Wagner said. "We came down real hard. I felt stuff crunching back there and everywhere else. I didn't know if I busted anything or not. I must not of. I saw cars going everywhere (on the start). I tried to cut and gun the gas to the left and then back to the right. It was just back and forth like a ping pong."

Wagner grabbed the lead on lap 3 from Chris Casner, who started second. Wagner dominated the event while taking the win. One additional caution lap came on the very first lap of the race when Tim Fedder and Mike Romig made contact on the backstretch. Fedder was finished for the night. Romig completed 19 laps and finished 16th.

Scott Flickinger finished second but Tim Wilson was the other star of the race. Wilson started 16th and drove to a third-place finish to win the hard charger of the race award.

Scotty Haus finished fourth with Mitch Hack fifth. Sixth through 10th were Casner, Tyler Hershey, Matt Murphy, Bryan Sipe and Shane Garman. Heat races for the 25-car field were won by Flickinger, Hack and Casner.

John Wert won for the first time in his pro stock career.

Josh Angle led the first lap of the feature before giving way to Wert. Tim Krape went to the front on lap 6 before dropping out with engine problems during lap eight. Wert regained control and went on to the win. Devin Frey finished second with Herm Renninger third. Jeff Rayson was fourth with Tracker fifth. The remainder of the top 10 included Derick Garman, Dan Berry, Krape, Josh Angle and Terry Naugle. Naugle, Krape, Garman and Berry all failed to complete the entire event.

Jason Zook and Bill Powell were the class of the field in enduro action. Zook won for the second time of the season while Powell settled for second. Powell repeatedly tried to pass Zook while running the top side of the speedway but Zook held off Powell several times during the closing laps. Brady Cuaffman led until lap 14 before Zook went to the front. Cauffman finished third. Craig Imes was fourth and Steve Harlan fifth. Sixth through 10th were Alan Noss, Kevin Imes, Adam Yetter, Ryan Renninger and Scott Hopple.

Action continues June 6 when the sprint cars compete in the 30-lap Pete Swarmer Memorial race. The pro stocks and enduro cars are joined by the restored race cars of the Williams Grove Old Timers. The Penn Central Racing Association will host its annual reunion prior to the program. Track time will be given to the restored racers.

Racing begins at 7 p.m.