PORT ROYAL, Pa. — The four-car inversion used during heat races for Saturday’s 54th annual Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal Speedway didn’t seem to bother fast-qualifier Logan Wagner.
He made a late-race charge to upend Pennsylvania Posse legend Lance Dewease to earn $54,000 for the biggest victory of his career.
Other contenders who qualified well, however, were afterthoughts by night’s end.
Danny Dietrich put forth his best qualifying performance in Central Pennsylvania (second in his group) since April 25 on Saturday. But he started fourth and finished fourth in his heat, one spot shy of a transfer position.
A second Tuscarora 50 title in three years appeared possible for Aaron Reutzel when he timed third in his group. Then he fell from the fourth-starting spot to finish fifth in his heat race. He then failed to transfer to the main event through the B Main.
A.J. Flick, who started on the pole Thursday night, qualified third in the opening group. He was the last driver transfer through the B Main.
• Polesitter Rico Abreu led the first 10 laps before fading to finish ninth.
• Anthony Macri recorded his third straight podium finish in the Tuscarora 50.
The 22-year-old finished third Saturday, adding to his runner-up finishes in 2019 and ’20.
• A pair of hometown teams logged feel-good performances on Saturday.
Port Royal’s own Dylan Cisney finished fourth in the main event, building on his recent success in the race. Cisney finished seventh in the Tuscarora 50 in 2019 and third in ’20.
Gerard McIntyre drove the Ehrenzeller No. 33 sprint car, which runs out of a shop mere yards from Port Royal Speedway, to a 10th-place finish.
• Spencer Bayston was the best-finishing All Star Circuit of Champions regular in sixth place.
• All Star Circuit of Champions point leader Tyler Courtney finished 25th in the aftermath of a mid-race flat tire.
• Blane Heimbach made the best of a track provisional to get into the 50-lap main event.
Heimbach earned hard charger honors, climbing from the 29th-starting spot to finish 12th.
• Port Royal Speedway sold out the grandstands for the Tuscarora 50. The track also held a special pre-race flyover in honor of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
The flyover and pre-race ceremonies honoring 9-11 were incredible too.
Job well done, @PortRoyalSpdway. pic.twitter.com/K3NO8Ae6YX
— Kyle McFadden (@ByKyleMcFadden) September 13, 2021
• Kyle Moody won the 20-lap non-qualifier race over Lynton Jeffrey to lock himself into next year’s 55th annual Tuscarora 50.
The supplementary race began last year with Lucas Wolfe winning. Wolfe ended up needing the provisional spot when he failed to race through the B Main.
• A three-day race weekend is on tap for the 410 sprints in Central Pennsylvania.
It all starts Thursday with the Greg Hodnett Classic at BAPS Motor Speedway in York Haven.
The All Star Circuit of Champions makes its fourth and final stop of the year at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg on Friday.
On Saturday, it’s the $20,000-to-win Dirt Classic, also sanctioned by the All Stars, at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown.