MECHANICSBURG — Danny Dietrich dominated the Billy Kimmel Memorial Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway. His third Grove win of the season was worth $6,000.

Dietrich and Troy Wagaman Jr. shared the front row for the 25-lap feature. Dietrich beat Wagaman into the first turn at the start and drove away from there.

Dietrich, of Gettysburg, has had a great career at the Grove. The win was the 32nd of his career at the Grove, which ranks 12th all-time. He’s a two-time track champion (2019 and 2022) and a one-time National Open winner (2016).

Wagaman, fast-timer Chase Dietz, TJ Stutts and Tyler Ross completed the top five. Freddie Rahmer, Cameron Smith, Justin Whittall, Lucas Wolfe and Aaron Bollinger rounded out the top 10.

Rahmer leads Wagaman by 250 points in the championship standings. Both drivers have a single win to their credit this season. Wagaman has finished second five times and Rahmer twice.

Dylan Norris started 13th on Friday the 13th and raced forward to win the 358 sprint car feature. Chad Crisswell led the race early and then Justin Foster passed him for the lead. Norris took the lead from Foster after an impressive charge from mid-pack. He earned $3,000 for his second win of the season. Criswell finished second followed by Doug Hammaker, Derek Locke and Foster.

The racing community was saddened to learn of the passing of Lynn Paxton. He passed away late Friday at the age of 80. One of the greatest drivers and ambassadors of the sport, Paxton was also instrumental in the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing in York Springs. He was the 1979, 1981 and 1982 Williams Grove Speedway track champion.

Inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996, Paxton

retired from the sport of sprint car racing after a win in the famed

Williams Grove Speedway National Open in 1983, at the age of 39.

He recorded more than 220 overall career sprint car and super modified victories plus 14 in a late model stock car and a lone ARDC Midget victory.

OTHER RACING

Freddie Rahmer won the sprint car feature Saturday night at Lincoln

Speedway. It was his first win there this season after winning 14 races there last season. Dietrich, Dietz, Justin Whittall and Wagaman followed Rahmer.

Tyler Courtney earned $50,000 by winning the Commonwealth Classic for the High Limit Sprint Car Series Saturday night at Lernerville

Speedway, near Pittsburgh. Sye Lynch, James McFadden, Tanner Thorson and Spencer Bayston completed the top five. Brad Sweet, Jacob Allen, Emerson Axsom, Zeb Wise and Chris Windom rounded out the top 10.

Corey Day won Friday night and led the first 17 laps Saturday before a right rear axle broke sending him into a nasty crash off the second

turn of the speedway. He was OK.

It started out as a potentially good night for local drivers, but didn’t end that way. Logan Wagner started on the pole and raced in the

top five for a while before a miscue cost him some spots.

After Day’s crash, Myerstown’s Brent Marks was leading the race, but a flat right rear tire ended his chances for a win.

Anthony Macri finished 11th, Wagner 12th and Marks rebounded to 13th. Ryan Smith finished 17th. TJ Stutts was involved in an early accident and didn’t finish. Tuscarora 50 winner Rico Abreu also didn’t finish, while Lance Dewease didn’t qualify.

COMING UP

Williams Grove is back in action Friday night with the 410 and 358

sprints. This week the late Kevin Gobrecht will be honored at the

Grove and Saturday night at BAPS Motor Speedway. If a driver sweeps the Gobrecht races, he’ll earn an extra $2,500. The Grove’s feature pays $6,000 to win and BAPS $10,000. It has been 25 years since Gobrecht, of New Oxford, lost his life during a World of Outlaws race in Nebraska.