MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — The stars looked to be aligning last year for Daryn Pittman at Williams Grove Speedway’s National Open.
He moved forward from fourth to second in his heat to make the dash, advanced two spots in the dash to line himself up sixth for the feature, and charged all the way to the lead on lap 12 of the main event.
After five runner-ups in one of the sport’s most prestigious crown jewels, Pittman appeared bound for victory aboard the iconic Kreitz Racing No. 69k.
But it wasn’t quite meant to be. Brent Marks found the speed he needed to drive back around Pittman on lap 23 and pull away, forcing Pittman to settle for second a sixth time.
But a new year brings another opportunity. Pittman, the 2013 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion, is once again teamed with the Kreitz crew for a run at this weekend’s Weis Markets National Open presented by Sage Fruit (Oct. 4-5). The pairing has raced only 10 nights together in 2024 but have been fast every time.
They won their first night out locally at Williams Grove on May 31. A couple weeks later at Knoxville Raceway with the World of Outlaws in June, Pittman went quick time and earned a top 10. At Williams Grove’s Summer Nationals in July, Pittman started on the front row before finishing fourth. Then, on the sport’s biggest stage at the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals Pittman put the No. 69K on the front row of the finale before finishing 11th.
“It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s just a pleasure to work with the whole team, the whole group of guys,” Pittman said. “It’s a good group that, I think, right now fits me really well. It fits my schedule. It fits the races I want to run. I think what I fit what they’re looking for as well. It’s been good to be able to have success, and it’s a lot of fun to be able to get behind the wheel of a car that you know if going to be maybe the car to beat every night it hits the track especially at Williams Grove.”
Pittman and the Kreitz crew now prepare to enter a weekend circled on everyone in the sprint car community’s calendar. The National Open creates a distinct vibe, unique from the sport’s other major events. It’s the ultimate “us against them” and brings out the utmost passion of all fans that venture to Williams Grove.
“Honestly, the (Knoxville) Nationals are cool. The Kings Royal is cool. They’re all really neat, huge events in their own right,” Pittman said. “But I just think that the atmosphere on Saturday night at the National Open at Williams Grove with the people in the infield so much closer to the action. You don’t feel as separated as you do at Knoxville and Eldora from the fans. It’s a big event, and you know it. The atmosphere is unlike any other in Pennsylvania the rest of the year.”
A National Open title is at the top of Pittman’s bucket list. Last year’s heartbreak was the latest in what’s been a tale of coming up just short at the prestigious event. His six second place finishes have come with four different teams – Kasey Kahne Racing (2013 and 2018), Titan Racing (2005), Heffner Racing (2011), Roth Motorsports (2019), and Kreitz Racing (2023). And he’s led laps in three of those runner-ups. The hunger has grown and grown.
“Obviously, it would mean the world to me,” Pittman said. “Would it be the biggest win of my career? Honestly, I don’t know. I feel like we’ve been really blessed and had a lot of big ones and success along the way. I hope I get the chance to think about where that race fits, but I can tell you it’s the one I’ve wanted to win the most for a long time. And that’s mainly because we’ve been so close to doing it and just haven’t been able to seal it off.”