FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FROM: WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY

July 23, 2016

LANCE DEWEASE WINS $25,000 IN CHAMPION RACING OIL SUMMER NATIONALS AT WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY

Dewease also keeps Morgan Cup in Pennsylvania with win. 

MECHANICSBURG, PA – Lance Dewease survived a caution-filled main event and running out of fuel under caution to win the Summer Nationals sanctioned by the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Williams Grove Speedway Saturday night. 

His eighth overall win of the season in Donnie Kreitz’s No. 69K was worth $25,000, including a $5,000 bonus for the Morgan Cup held over from a rainout in May. It was his 85th career Grove win and fourth this year. 

Dewease, of Fayetteville, had the race under control, but was getting low on fuel. As he was racing toward the checkered flag, a frontstretch crash brought out the caution instead. As they paced around under yellow, Dewease stopped in turn one. Officials, however, had already called for a fuel stop and Dewease maintained his lead. 

“I was out of fuel six laps before that,” said Dewease. “It kept shutting off going down the straightaway. I slowed way out of the throttle to try and make it to the end. I took the white. It sputtered a little bit going up the backstretch and I thought ‘I’m good.’ We come off four for the checkered and the yellow comes out and I thought ‘man, we’re done.’”

They weren’t done, however, as they were permitted to refuel. 

“I thought they’d open it up for the fuel stop the caution before that, but they didn’t,” he said. “We got it here and everything went our way tonight. This is for Davey Brown. Somebody had the nerve to act like Davey didn’t know what he was doing after the dash. I think we proved he knows what he’s doing. He’s 82 and as sharp as anybody. He works his butt off on this car.”

Daryn Pittman grabbed the lead over Joey Saldana on the initial start, but Kerry Madsen stopped on the frontstretch before a lap was completed. 

On the second start, it was Saldana getting the lead over Pittman. Dewease and Greg Hodnett raced hard for third swapping the spot before Dewease secured it. 

Saldana’s lead was up over two seconds with three laps completed as he closed on the back of the field. 

David Gravel passed Donny Schatz and Hodnett to move into fourth as Doug Esh spun in front of the leaders in turn one with 11 laps completed. 

Saldana pulled away on the restart as Dewease would take second from Pittman as they raced off turn four. 

Saldana led by nearly a straightaway at the half-way point. The caution flew with 15 laps completed when Jacob Allen spun in turn three. 

Saldana picked the inside for the restart and just got in front of Dewease coming off turn four. Dewease tried the bottom in turn one, but couldn’t get in front of Saldana as he blasted off the cushion. He tried a slider in turn three again, but Saldana maintained the lead. 

The caution flew again on lap 17 when Paul McMahan slowed on the backstretch erasing Saldana’s 1.367 lead.

Saldana controlled the restart once again as Dewease couldn’t stay close enough to make a move for the lead. 

Danny Dietrich brought out the caution flag with a frontstretch accident with 19 laps completed. Saldana led Dewease, Pittman and Hodnett for the restart. 

This time, Dewease was able to get the jump on Saldana on the restart and led into turn one as other cars scrambled inside the top five, but the caution flag flew for debris.

Saldana got the jump, but Dewease stayed close as they raced into turn one. He couldn’t make the pass there, but used a third turn slider to get the lead on lap 20. 

Dewease had a 1.871 second lead when Hodnett’s right rear tire blew and he stopped on the frontstretch with eight laps to go. Dewease picked the outside lane for the restart, got the jump again and began to pull away. 

“I had Joey two different times almost on the top and then I did get him on the top,” explained Dewease. “I was stunned when he stayed down again. He got a little bit better run that time, but I got such a run at him I just flew him down in one and two. The car was so good in clean air. I could shorten up one and two. I didn’t need to be up on the curb getting in.” 

The drama wasn’t over, however. 

Saldana began to fade through the field appearing to be running out of fuel. Brent Marks got into him on the frontstretch and moved up into Aaron Ott who spun and brought out the caution as Dewease was coming for the checkered flag. 

Officials decided to stop the field to refuel for a green-white-checkered finish. Dewease ran out of fuel and stopped in turn one, but since the decision had already been made to have the fuel stop, he was the leader as they went back to green for the single-file restart.

Pittman took a shot at Dewease on the restart and was under him in turn one, but couldn’t complete the slider and Dewease led off turn two. 

Dewease controlled the final lap to win by 0.867 over Pittman. 

“We got beat by a better car,” said Pittman. “That car has been hard to beat all year. We got one on him last night starting in front of him. He was pretty good. I finally found a decent line at the end and felt like I could at least maintain with him.”

Stevie Smith came from the 15th starting spot to finish third. David Gravel and Donny Schatz completed the top five. Alan Krimes, Brad Sweet, Freddie Rahmer, Kerry Madsen and Cory Haas rounded out the top 10. 

The 38-car field was split into two qualifying flights. Pittman set fast time in the first flight and overall with a lap of 17.542. Saldana set fast time in the second flight at 17.557. Pittman, Hodnett, Saldana and Dewease won the eight-lap heat races. Pittman won the dash. Doug Esh won the Last Chance Showdown.

World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series Summer Nationals (30 laps): 1. Lance Dewease. 2. Daryn Pittman. 3. Stevie Smith. 4. David Gravel. 5. Donny Schatz. 6. Alan Krimes. 7. Brad Sweet. 8. Freddie Rahmer. 9. Kerry Madsen. 10. Cory Haas. 11. Joey Saldana. 12. Greg Hodnett. 13. Brent Marks. 14. Doug Esh. 15. Logan Schuchart. 16. Lucas Wolfe. 17. Jacob Allen. 18. James McFadden. 19. Aaron Ott. 20. Danny Dietrich. 21. Tim Shaffer. 22. Paul McMahan. 23. Jason Johnson. 24. Ryan Smith. 

Did Not Qualify: Brian Montieth, Trey Starks, Brock Zearfoss, Shane Stewart, Rodney Westhafer, Steve Buckwalter, Greg Wilson, Matt Campbell, Jason Sides, Nicole Bower, Troy Fraker, George Streaker Jr., Clyde Knipp, Wayne Dadetto.