Dewease Tops Joe Harz Tribute Race

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Lance Dewease won one for his old No. 88j car owner Joe Harz at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night, taking the Joe Harz Tribute Race for 410 sprint cars worth $6,000.

In other action, the Match Race for 358 sprints went to Derek Locke for his third oval win of the season.

Dewease started the 25-lap Harz Tribute on the pole flanked by Lucas Wolfe and when the green flag dropped Dewease drove into the lead with Wolfe and sixth starter Brian Brown in tow.

Danny Dietrich started fifth in the field and got by Brown on the second lap before going to work on Wolfe.

He first got around Wolfe in turn three on the sixth tour only to see Wolfe reclaim the spot before Dietrich made the move stick a lap later as the leader began working the rear of the field.

After sweeping the twin 20’s a week earlier and overtaking Dewease for the second win, it looked like it may again be Dietrich’s night and it may happen again to the chagrin of Dewease.

After getting into second, Dietrich cut six-tenth of a second off of the leader’s advantage and he was drastically biting into the rest of Dewease’s lead when the caution flag unfurled on lap 10.

The caution turned red when fire erupted on Austin Bishop’s machine.

When action resumed and with clear track, Dewease changed his line around the speedway and took to the middle groove on the restart allowing himself to get away from Dietrich.

However, Dietrich kept pace and when the leader again entered the rear of the field on lap 16, he again began biting into Dewease’s advantage.

But another untimely caution with six laps to go again cleared the track and Dewease pulled away to the win at the new green.

The victory was the fourth for Dewease and his Don Kreitz- owned team at the track this season and it was his 107th at the oval overall in his career.

Dietrich was second followed by Wolfe, Brown and Chase Dietz.

Polesitter Matt Findley led just the first circuit of the 25-lap Match Race for 358 sprints before Derek Locke took over for what would be the $2,021 win.

Matt Findley challenged Locke for the lead on a lap two restart only to see Locke pull away out of the second turn.

Sixth starter Cody Fletcher took second from Findley with 15 laps to go but failed to challenge Locke.

Doug Hammaker started 10th in the field and worked the top of the speedway to get up to third and challenge for second briefly.

Kody Hartlaub was fourth followed by Findley.

The finish:

Lance Dewease, 2. Danny Dietrich, 3. Lucas Wolfe, 4. Brian Brown, 5. Chase Dietz, 6. Freddie Rahmer, 7. TJ Stutts, 8. Devon Borden, 9. Chad Trout, 10. Tyler Ross, 11. Steve Buckwalter, 12. Justin Whittall, 13. Chris Arnold, 14. Rick Lafferty, 15. Robbie Kendall, 16. Kyle Moody, 17. Brent Shearer, 18. Bryn Gohn, 19. Barry Shearer, 20. Troy Fraker, 21. Dylan Norris, 22. Austin Bishop