MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Friday night’s program at Williams Grove Speedway provided another reminder why it’s been more drudgery than reward for the Pennsylvania Posse against World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series competitors as of late.
Putting a whole night together, from the pill draw table to making the right decisions in the decisive main event laps, is challenging.
Lance Dewease’s May 18, 2019 victory is the last time a Posse driver defeated the Outlaws.
Journeymen Chad Trout and T.J. Stutts qualified second and third, respectively, and Anthony Macri backed them up with a fourth-fastest time, sliding ahead of Donny Schatz.
Those sterling qualifying attempts led to heat race wins for Trout, Stutts and Macri, providing the Posse a path to victory. But like the previous 15 tries, that trail got curbed by the driver who is at times too strong along the curb.
Sheldon Haudenschild couldn’t be touched in qualifying (.160 seconds better than second-place Trout), in the dash (two seconds better than Macri), and in the 25-lap feature.
Trout, Stutts, Macri, and the Posse’s chances to win, meantime, dissipated. Trout only lasted nine laps, whereas Stutts and Macri tangled in a lap-six incident when Aaron Reutzel got sideways exiting turn four.
Dewease entered the picture late, rallying from 17th to finish second, but even his night was just as much proof as to how stringent things must be to prevail against the Outlaws.
He looked like the fastest car at the end, but qualifying 21st of 36 cars proved too big of an obstacle to overcome, even for the track’s all-time winner.
• Even as off as Donny Schatz has appeared to be this season, he slid into fourth in the World of Outlaws points entering the Pennsylvania swing this week.
The 10-time champion finished fourth on Friday at Williams Grove, maintaining his uptick in consistency.
Though he’s won just once this year, June 18 at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway in Dubuque, Iowa, win No. 2 at Williams Grove is favorable. If it happens it could launch him into the big month of August.
• Danny Dietrich qualified seventh on Friday but slipping from second to fourth in his race caved his shot to win a sixth career World of Outlaws feature.
He salvaged 10th in the main event from the 15th-starting spot.
•After winning three times over a five-race stretch and inching closer to Brad Sweet in the World of Outlaws title chase, David Gravel has just one win and six podium finishes over his past 20 starts.
Williams Grove is a good place for Gravel to regain some traction, holding eight wins at the historic speedway, behind only Donny Schatz (21 wins) for most on tour at the famed half mile.
• James McFadden recorded back-to-back top fives for the first time since April 9 and 10 on Friday in his third-place run at Williams Grove.
The Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb driver also finished fifth on Tuesday at Lernerville Speedway.
• Brent Marks rebounded from a rough Kings Royal week at Eldora Speedway with a fifth-place showing on Friday at Williams Grove.