SELINSGROVE, Pa. — Chase Dietz passed on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway on Saturday to complete a to-do list at Selinsgrove Speedway.
Outrunning one of the track’s winningest drivers in Mark Smith saw Dietz collect his second victory of the season.
It also marked Dietz’s first 410 sprint car victory at the track where his father, Tim, won multiple features for the legendary Bob Weikert during the 1990s. He did it like his father too — on the fence and with poise when he needed to execute a late-race restart.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to do that,” Dietz said. “Talking about confidence and morale, I feel like I’ve kind of struggled a bit on the big tracks. I consider myself pretty comfortable at Lincoln obviously. I’ve run there most of my career. To cap one off at Selinsgrove like that, and be pretty good … that was nice. It was a good way to turn things around.”
Dietz entered the year with rightfully high expectations, taking over John Trone’s familiar No. 39 and with a fine shot to win the Lincoln track championship. Wins are of course top priority and Dietz feels he’s let his fair share slip through the cracks, whether in the decisive laps or in time trials.
From a glass half full perspective, he is one of seven Central Pennsylvania drivers boasting multiple victories. Brent Marks (eight), Lance Dewease (seven), Anthony Macri (five), Freddie Rahmer (five), Danny Dietrich (three) and Tyler Ross (two) are the other six.
“To have two wins in the middle of the year, that’s a pretty nice spot to be,” Dietz said. “We can certainly get a couple more. I believe we’ve had a few given away to circumstances and errors on my part. Now is the time to turn that around and basically learn from those mistakes and put those wins on the board.”
“From a perspective of, you say, the win column … I don’t think we are very far from those guys at all,” he added. “I think it’s a matter of consistency, which is the biggest thing. That’s where the best teams are shown. Those are the guys that are up top.”
Dietz is emerging from a slump plagued by mechanical issues. He failed to either finish or qualify in his six Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek races, hurting two engines in the process.
But now, Dietz has four unblemished races in a row.
Dietz’s first win of the year on May 22 lifted him out of a slump, too. He failed to either finish or qualify in four straight races before prevailing at Lincoln. Runs of 17th-to-eighth, 22nd-to-sixth, and 13th-to-third ensued in those next five races before the PA Speedweek slide.
This time Dietz is ready to multiply his latest reward.
“It was nice to get back on track a little bit and pull off a win,” Dietz said. “Definitely gave us a boost and it was definitely something we needed. As long as we go forward with that, I think we’ll be in good shape.”
• Brent Marks’s victory Saturday night at Williams Grove Speedway was his eighth of the season, placing him in a tie for second nationally with Carson Macedo and Kyle Larson. Brad Sweet is well ahead with 15 victories.
Marks’ triumph was also his sixth with the World of Outlaws, ranking him 10th among Pennsylvania drivers.
• Only five Pennsylvania Posse drivers secured top-10 finishes with the World of Outlaws this past weekend — Brent Marks, Lance Dewease, Anthony Macri, Danny Dietrich and Lucas Wolfe.
Marks and Dewease were the lone drivers to finish in the top five both nights.
• Now that Chase Dietz secured an overdue victory, some other Pennsylvania drivers are also looking to end victory droughts. They are Brandon Rahmer (56 races), Alan Krimes (30 races), Dylan Cisney (27 races), T.J. Stutts (25 races), Blane Heimbach (21 races), Steve Buckwalter (21 races), Logan Wagner (11 races) and Jeff Halligan (10 races).
• Mark Smith, driving the Chris Dyson-owned No. 20, finished second in Saturday’s 25-lap feature at Selinsgrove.
Dyson, well entrenched on the wingless scene, is aiming to develop his winged sprint car program. Dyson is the point leader in the Trans-Am sports car series.
• Kassidy Kreitz, daughter of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer and acclaimed car owner Don Kreitz Jr., became the first female sprint car winner in Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway history on Sunday.
• Kyle Rohrbaugh won the 358 feature at Trail-Way Speedway over Steve Owings and Cameron Smith on Friday.
• Garrett Bard topped Austin Reed and Scott Frack to win the 305 Pennsylvania Sprint Series feature at Path Valley Speedway Park on Saturday.
On Sunday, Dusty Ballenger beat Tim Rustad and Shane Fick for the PA Sprint Series win at Bloomsburg Fairgrounds Raceway.