Kyle Larson (57) battles Lance Dewease Wednesday at Port Royal Speedway. (Dan Demarco Photo)
Kyle Larson (57) battles Lance Dewease Wednesday at Port Royal Speedway. (Dan Demarco Photo)
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NOTES: Epic Racing On Incredible Night At Port Royal

July 1, 2021

PORT ROYAL, Pa. – Packing up the black toolbox to the right of his familiar No. 57 machine Wednesday night at Port Royal Speedway, Paul Silva grinned and told his driver Kyle Larson three words. 

“That was incredible,” the mechanic said of Larson’s epic drive to victory, his 16th overall on the year, in the decisive laps of round six of Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek.

Ultimately, Silva underlined the story of Wednesday night in the Juniata Valley. Incredible events and an incredible turn of events had unfolded.

It started when Speedweek leader Brent Marks suffered a part failure on the backstretch on lap two, effectively ending his night and erasing a 78-point series lead. Seven laps later, Anthony Macri flipped out of the lead when he couldn’t avoid a stopped A.J. Flick in turns one and two.

The remaining 23 laps were an extension of the inconceivable swing in events. It started slow, when Lucas Wolfe, a four-time PA Speedweek champion trying to reestablish himself in the Jim and Laura Allebach No. 5W, separated himself from the pack.

But the anticipation built behind, when Lance Dewease started his eventual 11th-to-second charge by finding his hallmark bottom groove. Just getting to an operable state was a win for Kreitz Racing No. 69k on Wednesday. The team experienced more fuel pickup issues, the same problems that forced the team to scratch Tuesday at Grandview, and it wasn’t looking good for a while.

 

But there Dewease was, managing to find himself a part of the wild finish that included Larson, Danny Dietrich, Rico Abreu and Jeff Halligan.

In the end, it came down to a finish that will surely be talked about for years to come: auto racing’s most fluid driver in Larson versus the Posse’s finest in Dewease, Dietrich, and a reinvigorated Wolfe.

The aftermath of Wednesday – Dietrich jumping to a 10-point PA Speedweek lead over Marks – carries into Friday at Williams Grove Speedway after Thursday’s event at Hagerstown Speedway was canceled due to impending weather.

– Daryn Pittman raced from the B-Main to a 12th-place finish in his second sprint car appearance of the year Wednesday night driving the Swindell SpeedLab No. 39.

The 2013 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series champion is set to compete two more times before the end of the week: Friday at Williams Grove Speedway and Saturday at Port Royal Speedway.

Prior to this week, Pittman’s lone appearance was a 22nd-place effort and a DNQ in a doubleheader with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on May 8 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

 

– Devon Borden, the new full-time driver of Mike Heffner’s sprint car operation, didn’t enter Wednesday night’s field to make repairs after an incident Tuesday night at Grandview Speedway.

The 18-year-old from Raymond, Wash., will rejoin the PA Speedweek field Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway, hoping to build on finishes of 14th, 20th, 15th, and 22nd in the mini series.

– Larson’s latest victory marks his 10th overall triumph over the past 35 days. 

In total, the NASCAR Cup Series driver for Hendrick Motorsports has five wins at stock car racing’s highest level, seven in a sprint car, two in a dirt late model, and two in a midget.