MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — In a performance of sheer power, Danny Dietrich of Gettysburg took no prisoners and charged from eighth to the win in the 44th annual Jack Gunn Memorial for 410 sprint cars at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night.
To get the $8,000 win, Dietrich had to pass the nation’s winningest driver, Chase Dietz.
The victory was his second in a row in the prestigious Williams Grove event and his fourth overall.
Dietrich’s charge to the lead and win in the 30-lap Gunn Memorial was nothing short of impressive.
After starting eighth Dietrich broke into the top five on the fifth lap as Chase Dietz led the field.
Dietrich first drove by Freddie Rahmer and then Preston Lattomus and with six away he was up to fourth behind Logan Rumsey.
With a full head of steam Dietrich methodically tracked down and drove by each of his competitors, getting Rumsey on lap eight and Brent Shearer for second on lap nine.
At that point, Dietz held a five second lead over the field but Dietrich was having none of it.
The leader entered traffic with 10 laps down and Dietrich closed the gap quickly and was trailing by just 1.5 seconds at the halfway point and with 10 laps to go Dietz’s advantage was just .664 seconds.
Dietrich took his first swipe for the lead with an inside run in the first corner with seven to go only to see Dietz ride the cushion back into control.
And then the only caution flag of the race appeared with five laps remaining for three-time Gunn winner Lance Dewease who was sitting high between the first and second turns.
The yellow flag wiped out a .762 second lead held by Dietz.
Dietrich raced in the leader’s shadow on the restart and simply pounded the outside line into submission.
With unbridled power and speed Dietrich set his No. 48 machine as high into the first corner on lap 28 as he had run the entire race in the hopes he would come through the corner unscathed as well as with the lead.
And the move worked masterfully as he muscled enough of a run to draw beside Dietz on the cushion before willing his car into control as the pair raced onto the backstretch.
Dietz was left to ride home second by 1.885 seconds.
Rumsey was third followed by Cameron Smith and Freddie Rahmer.
In other action, Tony Jackson swept both 20-lap super sportsman mains, taking wins in both the winged and wingless divisions.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. Danny Dietrich, 2. Chase Dietz, 3. Logan Rumsey, 4. Cameron Smith, 5. Freddie Rahmer, 6. Troy Wagaman Jr., 7. Preston Lattomus, 8. Justin Whittall, 9. Austin Bishop, 10. Brent Shearer, 11. Kyle Moody, 12. JJ Loss, 13. Lance Dewease, 14. Doug Hammaker, 15. Dylan Norris, 16. Mike Thompson, 17. TJ Stutts, 18. Ryan Newton, 19. Dallas Schott, 20. Joey Amantea, 21. Matt Campbell, 22. Lucas Wolfe, 23. Tyler Ross, 24. Ryan Smith
