Dietrich Is Ohio Speedweek Winner

HARTFORD, Ohio — Pennsylvania traveler Danny Dietrich fended off All Star Circuit of Champions point leader Tyler Courtney to win round four of Cometic Gasket Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Hercules Tires Tuesday night at Sharon Speedway.

Dietrich out-dueled George Hobaugh on the opening lap to grab the lead and raced to his first Ohio Speedweek victory, worth $6,000. He is the fourth different winner in four Speedweek events.

“You’re never owed anything in racing — you just have to keep digging,” explained the 33-year-old Gettysburg, Pa. racer, who lost one on the last lap to Cole Duncan on Saturday night at Fremont Speedway. “We’ve been fast this whole week. Man, this feels good. This one is for Derek (Snyder). He’s our biggest supporter out here and this is his home track. This is awesome. Our goal was to come to Ohio and get one and compete for the (Speedweek) championship and by golly we’re doing! It’s always good when the Posse can come to Ohio and get a win whether it’s me or someone else.” 

Dietrich was able to overtake Hobaugh for the early lead. Courtney started in fifth and made his way to third on the opening lap. Courtney ran down Hobaugh and was all over the western Pa. local on lap six, while Ian Madsen closed in making it a three-car battle for second on lap eight. 

Courtney was finally able to dispose of Hobaugh on lap nine just before Dietrich caught traffic on the 10th circuit; meanwhile, seventh starting Justin Peck passed Madsen for fourth Courtney then reeled in Dietrich, who was dealing with lapped traffic, on lap 11.

Kyle Larson, who won Monday’s Ohio Speedweek event at Wayne County Speedway from the 10th starting spot, once again was on the move. Larson started eighth this time and cracked the top five on lap 19 when he dropped Madsen back another spot. 

After 24 caution-free laps, the action slowed for a spin by Cap Henry. When green lights replaced yellow on lap 25, Larson continued to move forward taking the fourth spot from Hobaugh.

On lap 30, Dietrich once again caught lapped traffic, but then got a break when the event’s second and final caution was displayed for a spin by Cole Macedo. That caution set up a five-lap dash to the checkered, where Dietrich kept Courtney at bay to become the third new Sharon Speedway 410 sprint car  winner in 2021 and the 167th all-time winner at the track.

Dietrich’s 14th career All Star win came in the Gary Kauffman-owned, Sandoe’s Fruit Market/Weikert’s Livestock/Pace Performance/Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC-sponsored No. 48.

“Tyler (Courtney) ran second and he’s been real good lately,” noted Dietrich. “I know it rubbered up, but we were good all night long. It was just when you needed to move down the race track in the feature. It’s a technical track even when it rubbered up cause it’s so round. It’s so easy if you don’t get down to miss the rubber and then you were in trouble.  I was working real hard on those lapped cars trying not to make a mistake then the yellow came out, they all went away, and Tyler was back on my bumper.

“I just kept telling myself to hit the bottom and keep it tight on the tractor tires.”

Peck, who won the May 1 All Star show for his first career Sharon victory, was third. Larson came home fourth. Hobaugh dropped to fifth. 

Nolan Groves won the RUSH sprint car feature.

The finish:

Feature (35 laps): 1. Danny Dietrich (Kauffman 48) 2. Tyler Courtney (Clauson/Marshall 7BC) 3. Justin Peck (Buch 13) 4. Kyle Larson (Silva 57) 5. George Hobaugh (40) 6. Hunter Schuerenberg (Vermeer 55) 7. Cole Duncan (22) 8. Ian Madsen (McGhee 11) 9. A.J. Flick (2) 10. Lachlan McHugh (Muth 101) 11. Buddy Kofoid (Clemens 5X) 12. Bill Balog (17B) 13. Paul McMahan (Clemens 5) 14. Tim Shaffer (Grove 28) 15. Cale Conley (3c) 16. Sye Lynch (42) 17. Cory Eliason (Rudeen 26) 18. Zeb Wise (10) 19. Cole Macedo (Brooks 28) 20. Kyle Reinhardt (Quakenbush 91) 21. Adam Kekich (5K) 22. Darren Pifer (23) 23. Cap Henry (Lane 4) 24. Lee Jacobs (Lewis 81) 25. Greg Wilson (w20).