8/29/2021
BAPS Motor Speedway
Dietrich Surges From 10th to Win the All Star Johnny Mackison Clash at BAPS
HANOVER, PA - Danny Dietrich didn’t press the issue in the early stages of Sunday’s Johnny Mackison Classic at BAPS Motor Speedway.
Instead, he was patient. It didn’t matter that he started 10th on the grid, he knew he had a fast car and the right attitude in the cockpit to get to the front.
And once Dietrich started riding the lip in Turns 1 and 2, he started picking off cars. That led to an epic drive to the front and a $5,000 victory in the 30-Lap FloRacing All Star Circuit of Champions main event.
“We needed this bad,” Dietrich said. “It’s not that we’re slow. Everybody knows that we have speed, we’re up front it seems every night, but we just don’t get the wins. I wish we could start on the front row. We haven’t been on the front row except for maybe three or four times all year.
“Tonight, we were starting 10th, and I just didn’t care. We’re going to drive to the front. When the track is good, you can have that attitude. The track was phenomenal tonight, and when you have a track you can race on, it’s easy to get excited about it. Tonight, it was pretty spot on.”
The Gettysburg driver started 10th because he hit the outside wall in Turn 1 in the Dash and broke the W-Link. Still, Dietrich didn't surge to the front. Instead, he took a more methodical approach.
Pole-sitter Freddie Rahmer got the jump on Justin Peck at the start, but it was wiped out before the field could complete Lap 1. Bill Balog got into the back of Kyle Reinhardt and sent him spinning on the frontstretch. Tyler Ross also flipped, bringing out the red flag.
A bleeder fell out of Justin Peck’s left rear, which sent him to the work area. It moved Ryan Smith up to the front row for the complete restart, but that didn’t stop Rahmer from getting another good jump.
Hunter Schuerenberg started fourth and also showed early speed. He drove past Smith on the backstretch on Lap 3 to take the runner-up spot. One lap later, he was on Rahmer’s tail after Aaron Bollinger slowed with a flat tire.
Dietrich started to make his way to the front on Lap 11. Running the lip in Turns 1 and 2, he closed on Anthony Macri and pulled a slider entering Turn 3 to take over fifth.
“Once I was able to clear some guys and get a rhythm, I was just really good at sliding people in three and four,” Dietrich said. “I learned where I needed to land to get a run off the corner so they couldn’t get back by me. One and two, that speaks for itself. I just wasn’t lifting.”
Schuerenberg, finally, wore Rahmer down on Lap 13 and pulled the slider through the third and fourth corner. He hit lapped traffic one lap later and started to distance himself from the field.
Dietrich’s entry speed into Turn 1 and at the exit of Turn 2 was incredible. And he didn’t miss the cushion, unlike in the Dash when he got into the fence.
Just past the halfway point, Dietrich blew by Smith for third. By the time Lap 20 was scored, he blew through Turns 3 and 4 and passed Rahmer for second.
When Dietrich took second, he was 2.016 seconds behind Schuerenberg. Four laps later, that advantage was down to .672 seconds.
Schuerenberg had no chance. Dietrich was fast, but he was patient. And when Lap 28 rolled around, the PA Posse standout pulled the trigger on a slide job through Turns 3 and 4 to take the lead.
“If I didn’t run out of laps, he was a sitting duck,” Dietrich said. “He was really good in the middle of the race, and I was watching those guys to see how far they got away.
“I saw Freddie was leading, and I was coming off of four, and he was in one and two. I got around some cars that you have to follow for a lap or two and be a little more patient. After that, I just got in a rhythm. It just feels good.”
Once out front, Dietrich was gone. He took the checker by 1.186 seconds over Schuerenberg, who settled for second. Smith was third, with Rahmer coming home fourth. Anthony Macri completed the top five in the main event.
In the 305 Sprint Car main, George Riden followed Drew Young for two laps before making his move to the front and claiming the win in the 20-Lap feature.
Young started on the pole and beat Riden to the stripe. He led the first two circuits before Riden surged into the lead.
Getting to Victory Lane wasn’t easy for Riden. He held off a charging Domenic Melair by a mere .150 seconds on the last lap. Derek Hauck, Tim Iulg, and Doug Dodson completed the top five.
ALL STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS - JOHNNY MACKISON SR. CLASH
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 48-Danny Dietrich [10]; 2. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [4]; 3. 10X-Ryan Smith [3]; 4. 51-Freddie Rahmer [1]; 5. 39M-Anthony Macri [11]; 6. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [13]; 7. 17B-Bill Balog [8]; 8. 58-Troy Wagaman Jr. [12]; 9. 99M-Kyle Moody [9]; 10. 19-Brent Marks (Hard Charger/$1,280) [20]; 11. 13-Justin Peck [2]; 12. 5-Ian Madsen [21]; 13. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [5]; 14. 26-Cory Eliason [15]; 15. 27-Devon Borden [16]; 16. 4-Cap Henry [22]; 17. 67-Justin Whittall [19]; 18. 4R-Doug Hammaker [18]; 19. 21-Matt Campbell [6]; 20. O7-Skylar Gee [23]; 21. 1W-Aaron Bollinger [14]; 22. 33-Gerard McIntyre [24]; 23. 91-Kyle Reinhardt [7]; 24. 75-Tyler Ross [17].
Lap Leaders: Freddie Rahmer (1-12), Hunter Schuerenberg (13-27), Danny Dietrich (28-30)
410 Sprint Car Qualifying Group A: 1. 13-Justin Peck, 14.679; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 14.896; 3. 17B-Bill Balog, 14.935; 4. 91-Kyle Reinhardt, 14.958; 5. 4-Cap Henry, 15.127; 6. 4R-Doug Hammaker, 15.129; 7. 44-Dylan Norris, 15.304; 8. 49H-Bradley Howard, 15.872
410 Sprint Car Qualifying Group B: 1. 21-Matt Campbell, 15.125; 2. 19-Brent Marks, 15.291; 3. 58-Troy Wagaman Jr., 15.334; 4. 99M-Kyle Moody, 15.434; 5. O7-Skylar Gee, 15.454; 6. 75-Tyler Ross, 15.813; 7. 69P-Landon Price, 15.902; 8. 77K-Steven Kisamore, NT.
410 Sprint Car Qualifying Group C: 1. 10X-Ryan Smith, 14.912; 2. 39M-Anthony Macri, 14.985; 3. 26-Cory Eliason, 15.007; 4. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg, 15.065; 5. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 15.120; 6. 11-JJ Grasso, 15.134; 7. 5-Ian Madsen, 15.214; 8. 44B-Dave Brown, 15.499.
410 Sprint Car Qualifying Group D: 1. 48-Danny Dietrich, 15.148; 2. 1W-Aaron Bollinger, 15.167; 3. 27-Devon Borden, 15.249; 4. 51-Freddie Rahmer, 15.280; 5. 33-Gerard McIntyre, 15.282; 6. 67-Justin Whittall, 15.286; 7. 90-Jordan Givler, 15.487; 8. 10-Zeb Wise, NT.
410 Sprint Car Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 17B-Bill Balog [2]; 2. 91-Kyle Reinhardt [1]; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [3]; 4. 13-Justin Peck [4]; 5. 4R-Doug Hammaker [6]; 6. 4-Cap Henry [5]; 7. 44-Dylan Norris [7]; 8. 49H-Bradley Howard [8]
410 Sprint Car Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 99M-Kyle Moody [1]; 2. 58-Troy Wagaman Jr. [2]; 3. 21-Matt Campbell [4]; 4. 75-Tyler Ross [6]; 5. 19-Brent Marks [3]; 6. O7-Skylar Gee [5]; 7. 69P-Landon Price [7]; 8. 77K-Steven Kisamore [8].
410 Sprint Car Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [1]; 2. 39M-Anthony Macri [3]; 3. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [5]; 4. 26-Cory Eliason [2]; 5. 10X-Ryan Smith [4]; 6. 5-Ian Madsen [7]; 7. 44B-Dave Brown [8]; 8. 11-JJ Grasso [6].
410 Sprint Car Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 51-Freddie Rahmer [1]; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 3. 1W-Aaron Bollinger [3]; 4. 27-Devon Borden [2]; 5. 67-Justin Whittall [6]; 6. 33-Gerard McIntyre [5]; 7. 90-Jordan Givler [7]
410 Sprint Car Dash 1 (4 Laps): 1. 51-Freddie Rahmer [4]; 2. 10X-Ryan Smith [1]; 3. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [2]; 4. 91-Kyle Reinhardt [3]; 5. 99M-Kyle Moody [5].
410 Sprint Car Dash 2 (4 Laps): 1. 13-Justin Peck [1]; 2. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [5]; 3. 21-Matt Campbell [2]; 4. 17B-Bill Balog [3]; 5. 48-Danny Dietrich [4].
410 Sprint Car B-Main (10 Laps): 1. 5-Ian Madsen [3]; 2. 4-Cap Henry [1]; 3. O7-Skylar Gee [5]; 4. 33-Gerard McIntyre [4]; 5. 44-Dylan Norris [6]; 6. 44B-Dave Brown [8]; 7. 90-Jordan Givler [7]; 8. 69P-Landon Price [9]; 9. 49H-Bradley Howard [10]; 10. 77K-Steven Kisamore [11]
PA SPRINT SERIES
Feature (20 Laps): 1. 99-George Riden[2]; 2. 36-Domenic Melair[3]; 3. 33-Derek Hauck[8]; 4. 19A-Tim Iulg[7]; 5. 20-Doug Dodson[13]; 6. 67-Ken Duke Jr[6]; 7. M1-Justin Mills[10]; 8. 9S-Rick Stief[5]; 9. 2-Erin Statler[11]; 10. 6-Tim Tanner Jr[4]; 11. 11-Dylan Smith[9]; 12. 34-Austin Reed[15]; 13. 5-John Walp[20]; 14. 7B-Aidan Borden[21]; 15. 54-Mike Melair[19]; 16. 83K-Kristina Pratt[14]; 17. 1M-Paul Moyer[16]; 18. 91J-John Fiore[24]; 19. 31-Roger Weaver[22]; 20. (DNF) 83-Larry McVay[17]; 21. (DNF) 7-Drew Young[1]; 22. (DNF) 95-Garrett Bard[12]; 23. (DNF) 03-Branstin Shue[18]; 24. (DNF) 21C-Jarrett Cavalet[23].
Lap Leaders: Drew Young (1-2), George Riden (3-20)
305 Sprint Car Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. M1-Justin Mills[2]; 2. 7-Drew Young[1]; 3. 33-Derek Hauck[7]; 4. 95-Garrett Bard[3]; 5. 20-Doug Dodson[6]; 6. 1M-Paul Moyer[4]; 7. 74-Vance Berry[8]; 8. (DNF) 17K-Donavyn Knokey[5]; 9. (DNF) 17R-Frank Rusnock[9].
305 Sprint Car Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 19A-Tim Iulg[2]; 2. 36-Domenic Melair[6]; 3. 11-Dylan Smith[1]; 4. 2-Erin Statler[3]; 5. 83K-Kristina Pratt[4]; 6. 83-Larry McVay[5]; 7. 54-Mike Melair[7]; 8. 5-John Walp[9]; 9. 21C-Jarrett Cavalet[8].
305 Sprint Car Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 67-Ken Duke Jr[4]; 2. 9S-Rick Stief[2]; 3. 6-Tim Tanner Jr[3]; 4. 99-George Riden[8]; 5. 34-Austin Reed[5]; 6. 03-Branstin Shue[1]; 7. 31-Roger Weaver[6]; 8. 7B-Aidan Borden[9]; 9. 91J-John Fiore[7]
305 Sprint Car B-Main (8 Laps): 1. 54-Mike Melair[2]; 2. 5-John Walp[4]; 3. 7B-Aidan Borden[5]; 4. 31-Roger Weaver[3]; 5. 21C-Jarrett Cavalet[6]; 6. 91J-John Fiore[7]; 7. 74-Vance Berry[1]; 8. (DNF) 17K-Donavyn Knokey[8]; 9. (DNS) 17R-Frank Rusnock
Article Credit: BAPS Motor Speedway
