PORT ROYAL, Pa. – In a season of many podium runs without a trophy hand, Danny Dietrich achieved what he needed most heading into Port Royal Speedway’s marquee event.
Toting the checkered flag and a smile, Dietrich climbed atop his race machine to celebrate his first win of the year at the Juniata Valley half-mile clay oval in Monday afternoon’s Labor Day Classic.
The three-second win over Aaron Reutzel marked Dietrich’s fifth win of the year and second in the last eight days.
He has had his No. 48 Gary Kauffman Racing team dialed in for most of the year, racking up 34 top fives in 76 races.
Even though Monday’s 25-lap daytime event contrasts racing under the lights, Dietrich gladly pocketed $6,000 and a morale boost heading into a sprint car racing Crown Jewel, the Tuscarora 50.
“We need confidence,” Dietrich said. “We got speed. You can’t complain when you win. Everybody’s working their tails off, busting their ass. Everybody wants to win. The big money shows are coming up, and we have speed. That’s a huge plus and big momentum.
“It’s a good payday for a Labor Day show,” he added. “I haven’t won one that paid $6,000. Hopefully we can carry that momentum into this week.”
Post-race with @dannydietrich.
— Kyle McFadden (@ByKyleMcFadden) September 6, 2021
In a season of many podium runs without a trophy in hand, Dietrich cashes in on @PortRoyalSpdway’s Labor Day Classic.
He’ll take that $6,000 and a morale boost heading into the Tuscarora 50. pic.twitter.com/p403NnNe6j
Dietrich timed fourth in his group of nine cars. The four-car invert, however, put him on the pole of his heat race. He capitalized to win the heat and put himself in the redraw.
Saturday’s format will resemble the track’s weekly program next year. The track is expected to ditch the longtime handicap format and implement group time trials in hot laps.
Stoppages marred the daytime event, especially the first five laps. It took four attempts for the field to execute a clean start.
Eighteenth-starting Spencer Bayston jumped the initial start. Sklyar Gee wrecked before the flagstand on the second attempt.
On the third attempt, third-running Brian Brown spun off turn two. For the race, there were eight cautions and three red flags.
Hunter Schuerenberg took the lead from polesitter Doug Hammaker on the fourth attempt before Tyler Walton and Devon Borden brought out cautions shortly after.
An eight-lap green flag run ensued, allowing Dietrich to squeeze by Schuerenberg for the lead on the ice-rink-like racing surface.
With 19 laps to go, as most of the field occupied the bottom, Dietrich pulled to Schuerenberg’s inside off turn two and gained position as they headed towards turn three.
“I knew I had to hit it just right or he was going to take the lane,” Dietrich said. “Sometimes you only get one shot at it. I wanted to make the most of it. We were able to.”
Dietrich never relinquished control. Tenth-starting Reutzel came into the picture midway through. He figured to add another layer to his chronicled history of heated battles with Dietrich but couldn’t get close enough to pull the trigger.
“I thought I had a good enough car to contend for the win, but the rubber kind of cancelled that out,” said Reutzel, who drove through the middle of the night after his win at Wayne County Speedway in Orville, Ohio, to race with his new team, Ridge and Son Racing.
Fourth-starting Brent Marks bowed out of competition after he spun twice in the first 12 laps.
Anthony Macri flipped out of 11th midway through the race and finished 19th.
Schuerenberg, Gerard McIntyre and Jeff Halligan completed the top five.
Zach Newlin earned hard-charger honors, racing to sixth from the 23rd-starting spot.