Happy Homecoming for Dietrich with a Lincoln Triumph

ABBOTTSTOWN, Pa. (April 21, 2018) – “It’s good to be back home here at Lincoln.”

So said Gettysburg’s Danny Dietrich after wiring the field, leading all 25 laps en route to his second win of the season at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway Saturday night.

Dietrich started outside the polesitter Glenndon Forsythe for the start of the 25-lap $3,500-to-win 410 Sprint feature, grabbed the lead at the drop of the green, and withstood the challenges of last week’s feature winner Freddie Rahmer for 24 laps to pick up his 40th career win at the Pigeon Hills oval, placing him in a tie with Lance Dewease for eighth all time.

“It feels good to come down here and get a win,” said Dietrich following his traditional wing-dance in victory lane. “We’ve been having trouble with getting to tracks that are (racey) to race on, and Lincoln’s always good…that’s why we decided to come here tonight.”

“It’s close to home,” Dietrich quickly added. “We’re kind of tired of the hour and a half drive in a sense and it’s gets kind of boring and lonely on the way home when you don’t run good.”

A caution on the third lap for a Zach Eucalano spin put third-starting Rahmer and fourth-starting Alan Krimes right behind him.

“The format they got is rewarding, said Dietrich on Lincoln’s qualifying format that places emphasis on the heat races as they line-up the feature field “heads-up from there finish. “I think it’s putting on a hell-of-a show for the fans in the heat races…I talked to Alan last year about doing this format and I think it pays off.”

“I was a little worried the first couple of laps in the heat race,” Dietrich reflected. “I wasn’t sure I could find a hole to get too but once everybody got single file I could pick and choose.”

Dietrich pulled away with a clear track in front of him and entered lapped traffic by the seventh lap.

Seventh-starting Brian Montieth had started to work his way to the front and passed Krimes for third in lapped traffic on the ninth lap.

“You’ve got to race pretty good through the feature to hold off the other guys that are fast up front,” said Dietrich. “I think it puts on a good show for everybody…that’s what is great about this format.”

“You get rewarded. But everybody is getting rewarded.”

At the halfway mark Tyler Ross encountered problems exiting the fourth turn, eventually flipping in the second turn to bring out the red flag with 12 laps officially in the books. Ross was okay.

So with 13 laps to go, Dietrich once again had a clear track ahead of him, with Rahmer, Montieth, and Krimes right behind.

And just as before, Dietrich controlled the restart and put daylight between himself and the field as they entered lapped traffic again with eight laps to go.

Montieth and Rahmer began battling for the runner-up spot with two laps to go, giving Dietrich some breathing room the final laps and took the checkered .93-seconds ahead for his third overall win of 2018.

“I like the time trial shows,” said Dietrich on his plans moving forward in 2018. “I like the shows that are rewarding for the heat races…we’re going to bounce around like today where we changed where we were going, this is going to happen a little more often.

“We’re going to Mansfield (OH) next weekend, but if Friday don’t go well, we’ll probably see you again next Saturday. We hope to be there for the big dance on Saturday (Mansfield Motor Speedway for the $100,000-to-win Sprint Car World Championship).

Rahmer held off Montieth in the battle for second, with Montieth settling for third, Krimes fourth, and ninth-starting Jim Siegel fifth.

Completing the top-10 were Forsythe, Chris Knopp, Tim Glatfelter, Scott Fisher, and 13th-starting Brandon Rahmer.

Heats for the 22 410 Sprinters on hand were won by Forsythe, Dietrich, and Rahmer.

Former Mid-Atlantic 305 Sprint Series standout, Dave Brown of Aston (PA) picked up his first career 358 Sprint Series win at Lincoln.

Brown followed polesitter Dalton Dietrich from his outside front row starting spot at the drop of the green of the 20-lap feature.

Brown slipped by Dietrich for the lead on the seventh lap and then held off Friday night Trail-Way Speedway winner Cody Fletcher in a one-lap dash to the checkered to register his inaugural 358 sprint victory.

Dietrich settled for third, Trey Hivner fourth, and Chase Dietz fifth.

Rounding out the top-10 were Troy Wagaman Jr., Jeff Halligan, Brie Hershey, Kody Hartlaub, and Kenny Kuhn.

Heats for the 22 358 Sprinters on hand were won by Halligan, Dylan Norris, and Brent Shearer.

RACE RESULTS Saturday, April 21, 2018 LINCOLN SPEEDWAY Abbottstown, PA McSHERRYSTOWN MOOSE LODGE #720 NIGHT/ARCH NIGHT LAWRENCE CHEVROLET 410 SPRINTS 410 Sprint Feature Finish (25 Laps) – 1. 48-Danny Dietrich ($3,500); 2. 51-Freddie Rahmer; 3, 21-Brian Montieth; 4. 87-Alan Krimes; 5. 59-Jim Siegel; 6. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe; 7. 6K-Chris Knopp; 8. 69-Tim Glatfelter; 9. 21T-Scott Fisher; 10. 88-Brandon Rahmer; 11. 7K-Dan Shetler; 12. 39-Cory Haas; 13. 19-Landon Myers; 14. 1X-Chad Trout; 15. 17-Cole Young; 16. 22T-Matt Boland; 17. 73B-Brett Michalski; 18. 40-George Hobough; 19-10-Zach Eucalano; 20. 5-Tyler Ross (DNF); 21. 3-Chris Prior (DNF). No Time.

Lap Leaders – Danny Dietrich (1-25)

410 Sprint Heat One Finish (10 laps) – 1. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe; 2. 87-Alan Krimes; 3. 21-Brian Montieth; 4. 7K-Dan Shetler; 5. 88-Brandon Rahmer; 6. 73B-Brett Michalski; 7. 40-George Hobaugh; 8. 10-Zach Eucalano. Time – 2:21.848

410 Sprint Heat Two Finish (10 laps) – 1. 48-Danny Dietrich; 2. 6K-Chris Knopp; 3. 5-Tyler Ross; 4. 21T-Scott Fisher; 5. 1X-Chat Trout; 6. 19-Landon Myers; 7. 39-Cory Haas. Time – 2:26.905

410 Sprint Heat Three Finish (10 laps) – 1. 51-Freddie Rahmer; 2. 69-Tim Glatfelter; 3. 59-Jim Siegel; 4. 22T-Matt Boland; 5. 17N-Cole Young; 6. 3-Chris Priar; DNS – 99M-Kyle Moody. No Time

KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS 358 SPRINTS 358 Sprint Feature Finish (20 Laps) – 1. 27-Dave Brown; 2. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 3. 9-Dalton Dietrich; 4. 7-Trey Hivner; 5. 4R-Chase Dietz; 6. 19-Troy Wagaman, Jr.; 7. 66-Jeff Halligan; 8. 97-Brie Hershey; 9. 11D-Kody Hartlaub; 10. 8-Kenny Kuhn; 11. 14T-Tyler Walton; 12. 89-Ashley Cappetta; 13. 28-Matt Findley; 14. 44-Dylan Norris; 15. 12-Brent Shearer; 16. 59-Steve Wilbur; 17. 5A-Zachary Allman; 18. 11-Greg Plank; 19. 27G-Jake Galloway; 20. 4-Dwight Leppo (DNF); 21. 50-Alyson Dietz (DNF); 22. 19D-Wyatt Hinkle (DNF). No Time.

Lap Leaders – Dalton Dietrich (1-6), Dave Brown (7-20)

358 Sprint Heat One Finish (10 laps) – 1. 66-Jeff Halligan; 2. 4R-Chase Dietz; 3. 59-Steve Wilbur; 4. 7-Trey Hivner; 5. 28-Matt Findley; 6. 50-Alyson Dietz; 7. 5A-Zachary Allman; 8. 27G-Jake Galloway. Time – 2:22.37

358 Sprint Heat Two Finish (10 laps) – 1. 44-Dylan Norris; 2. 8-Kenny Kuhn; 3. 97-Brie Hershey; 4. 19-Troy Wagaman, Jr.; 5. 14T-Tyler Walton; 6. 89-Ashley Cappetta; 7. 11-Greg Plank. Time – 2:26.21

358 Sprint Heat Three Finish (10 laps) – 1. 12-Brent Shearer; 2. 27-Dave Brown; 3. 66A-Cody Fletcher; 4. 9-Dalton Dietrich; 5. 11D-Kody Hartlaub; 6. 4-Dwight Leppo; 7. 19D-Wyatt Hinkle (DNF). Time – 2:25.91