FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

FROM: WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY

 

July 22, 2016

 

DARYN PITTMAN WINS OPENING NIGHT OF WORLD OF OUTLAWS CHAMPION RACING OIL SUMMER NATIONALS AT WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY

 

MECHANICSBURG, PA – From beginning to end, Daryn Pittman controlled the Sprint car racing Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway. 

 

He set quick time, finished second in his heat race, won the dash and then led all 25 laps to score the $8,000 win in the Summer Nationals opener. It was his seventh World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series win this season and 17th of his career at the Grove.  

 

“I got tighter as the race went on,” said Pittman. “I don’t think I’ve ever run a curb this big at Williams Grove. I was really good for two or three laps and then I would start to feel it go away and I’d start to get tight.”

 

Pittman, of Owasso, Okla., started on the pole and drove into the lead. Greg Hodnett got by Aaron Ott and into second as Stevie Smith drove by Joey Saldana and into fourth. 

 

Hodnett was closing as Pittman approached lapped traffic with seven laps completed, but the red flag stopped the race when Brad Sweet tipped over in the fourth turn. His crew made repairs and he was able to restart with top wing damage. 

 

Pittman controlled the double-file restart as Jason Johnson shot from sixth to third. The yellow flew when Brock Zearfoss stopped on the backstretch with nine laps completed. 

 

Hodnett looked under Pittman in turn one on the restart, but couldn’t make the pass. Lance Dewease, who started 10th, drove into the top five and moved up another spot when Ott fell off the pace and pitted. 

 

Pittman had a comfortable lead when Williams Grove point leader Danny Dietrich slowed on lap 14 bringing out another caution.

 

Hodnett went after Pittman again and was inside of him in turn one on the restart. He couldn’t make the pass however as Dewease rocketed off the bottom and into third. Dewease put a big slider on Hodnett to take second as they completed lap 15. 

 

Outlaws point leader Donny Schatz had raced into the top five from his 16th starting spot by this point. He and Johnson then made hard contact in turn four resulting in Johnson flipping and collecting Tim Shaffer. Schatz also suffered top wing damage, but never stopped and continued to race.

 

Dewease couldn’t make a move on Pittman on the restart and Pittman simply drove away over the final 10 laps to score the win by 0.685 over Dewease, Hodnett, Smith and Schatz. Freddie Rahmer, David Gravel, Kerry Madsen, James McFadden and Doug Esh rounded out the top 10. 

 

“I don’t know if I’m more nervous with the 27 (Hodnett) behind me or the 69K (Dewease),” said Pittman. “Neither one of them you really want to see on the scoreboard.”

 

“We were really good on restarts,” said Dewease. “The top was so fast and we lost air in the right rear under that red and that got me real tight.”

 

The 38-car field was split into two flights for qualifying. Joey Saldana set fast time in the first flight with a lap of 17.368 seconds. Pittman set fast time in the second flight, and overall, with a lap of 17.187. 

 

Saldana, Hodnett, Johnson and Jacob Allen won the eight-lap heat races. Pittman won the dash and Paul McMahan won the Chance Showdown. 

 

The Summer Nationals conclude Saturday night with a 30-lap main event paying a total of $25,000 to win – including a $5,000 Morgan Cup bonus held over from the rainout in May. The Morgan Cup trophy will reside in the office of either the Outlaws or Williams Grove until next season. 

 

Sprint Car Feature Finish(25 laps): 1. Daryn Pittman. 2. Lance Dewease. 3. Greg Hodnett. 4. Stevie Smith. 5. Donny Schatz. 6. Freddie Rahmer. 7. David Gravel. 8. Kerry Madsen. 9. James McFadden. 10. Doug Esh. 11. Brad Sweet. 12. Brent Marks. 13. Joey Saldana. 14. Brian Montieth. 15. Jacob Allen. 16. Brock Zearfoss. 17. Paul McMahan. 18. Danny Dietrich. 19. Cory Haas. 20. Jason Johnson. 21. Tim Shaffer. 22. Lucas Wolfe. 23. Logan Schuchart. 24. Aaron Ott. 

 

Did Not Qualify: Shane Stewart, Alan Krimes, Wayne Dadetto, Ryan Smith, Matt Campbell, Jason Sides, Rodney Westhafer, Trey Starks, Greg Wilson, Troy Fraker, Clyde Knipp, George Streaker Jr., Nicole Bower, Steve Buckwalter.