The J&S Classics Central PA Sprint Cars Presented by Hoseheads closed out the season with the $25,000-to-win Les Stewart Showdown Nov. 11 at BAPS Motor Speedway.
There were 45 cars in the pits and an excellent crowd for a chilly November day. Danny Dietrich had to win the feature for a shot at the J&S Classics Central PA Sprint Cars points title, and he did just that. Dietrich passed race leader Troy Wagaman Jr. on a late-race restart and led the final three laps for the victory.
Aaron Bollinger was impressive coming from 16th starting spot to finish second. Wagaman came home third. Freddie Rahmer had to finish ninth or better to eliminate Dietrich’s bid for the title and he took the championship by four points with a seventh-place effort.
After 10 months and 90 races, it came down to only four points. With the feature win, Dietrich claimed the BAPS Motor Speedway points title.
Rahmer will receive $5,000 as series champion with the top 10 in series points all receiving checks and product certificates. J&S Classics, Hoseheads.com, Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic, Capitol Renegade, Durst Inc, C&D Rigging, Orange Crate Brewing Co., Williams Grove Speedway, BAPS Motor Speedway, Port Royal Speedway and Lincoln Speedway all provide cash toward the series payout.
Jim and Sandy Kline, the owners of J&S Classics, will once again be the series title sponsor next season, while also doubling their financial input. All the above series sponsors are also staying on board.
Product sponsors include Kreitz Oval Track Parts, Zemco Speed Equipment, Triple X Race Co., Smith Titanium, Indy Race Parts, King Racing Products, DMI Inc., AL Driveline and Ultra Shield.
A total of 111 different drivers earned series points by gaining a top-10 finish during the season. There were 90 races held that awarded points, making it possible for a driver to compete in 78 of them, with Lincoln and Port Royal going head to head many nights. There were 28 different drivers who earned victories.
Points were awarded at 10 different area tracks that ran 410 sprint car races. Lincoln Speedway held the most with 25 races. Williams Grove Speedway and Port Royal Speedway ran 21 each. The rest were BAPS Motor Speedway with nine, Selinsgrove Speedway six, New Jersey’s Bridgeport Motorsports Park with three and Clinton County Speedway two. Grandview Speedway, Big Diamond Raceway and Hagerstown Speedway in Maryland each hosted one race.
Rahmer opened the season Feb. 23 with a $5,000 triumph in Lincoln Speedway’s Icebreaker. He scored points with top-10 finishes in 47 races. That included 17 wins, four seconds, six thirds, three fourths and two fifths. He won 14 times at Lincoln where he was the points champion. He also secured the Williams Grove title with two victories there. His other win came at Big Diamond.
Dietrich won six times and finished in the top 10 in 53 races. He had 13 runner-up results, eight thirds, 10 fourths and three fifths.
The Port Royal Speedway champion, Devon Borden, finished third in points. Borden won seven times during the season with 43 top-10 finishes. He came home second four times, while accumulating three third-place finishes, six fourth-place efforts and five fifth-place runs.
Brent Marks finished the season fourth with 10 wins and 34 top-10 finishes. Anthony Macri was fifth with seven wins and 29 top-10 efforts.
Rounding out the top 10 in Central PA Sprint Cars points were Lance Dewease, Wagaman, Justin Peck, Dylan Norris and Chase Dietz.
Dewease won four times and amassed 27 top-10 finishes. Wagaman had three wins and 26 top 10s, Peck won once while accumulating 27 top-10 finishes. Norris also won once and amassed 27 top 10s with Dietz scoring three victories and 22 top-10 efforts.
The 2024 J&S Classics Central PA Sprint Cars season opens at Lincoln Speedway on Feb. 24-25 with the Icebreaker 30. Hopefully, we don’t have to actually break any ice to race that weekend.
This story appeared in the Dec 13, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
