MECHANICSBURG, Pa.: Williams Grove Speedway takes a lot of heat on social media, but they hit a home run with track conditions Saturday afternoon.

But that wasn’t the only talking point out of the postponed event from Friday night. Buddy Kofoid dominated the closing stages of the main event and continued his torrid World of Outlaws pace.

To wrap up the program, we put together five quick takeaways from the 25-Lap affair. Now, settle in, and let’s bring on the National Open. Hopefully, the event lives up to its crown-jewel status.

Are you a believer?: There are people who still think Buddy Kofoid is a typical California guy who can only have success on a small track when it’s cowboy-up on the cushion. That’s not the case, something he proved Saturday afternoon when he thumped the field at the end of the postponed National Open preliminary event. Kofoid started fourth and took the lead on Lap 7 and decimated the field late. At one point, he built a 5.315-second lead in five laps after a restart. Five wins and 11 podium finishes in his last 12 World of Outlaws starts … yeah, he is the real deal.

Buddy Kofoid celebrating his first-career Williams Grove victory. (Brent Smith Photography)

This could be the year: I thought Daryn Pittman was going to have something for Buddy Kofoid after he moved into second on Lap 15. Turns out, Kofoid was in another zip code, but the runner-up finish showed that Pittman is right where he wants to be heading into the National Open nightcap. The Owasso, Okla., native is in a car he feels comfortable in, and he certainly knows the track and the event. I know, I know, Pittman has six runner-up finishes in this event, and this feels eerily like last year, but he will definitely be in the hunt by the end of the 40-Lap National Open A-Main.

Dietz has become a player: A couple of Pennsylvania Posse drivers have shined during the 2024 season. One of them is Chase Dietz. The impressive season continued in Saturday’s postponed National Open prelim, when Dietz battled Gio Scelzi and Daryn Pittman for a podium run before finishing third in the final rundown. This was the York, Pa., driver’s best finish in World of Outlaws competition, but it’s not a surprise. Dietz times well and has racked up a pair of wins and 34 top-10 finishes in 47 starts. Over his last 11 central Pennsylvania starts, he has a win and seven podium runs. Dietz has a bright future, especially in his family deal.

The Grove should take a bow: I beat the Grove and the World of Outlaws up pretty good for letting Friday’s show go too long from a safety standpoint. Now, the track crew and officials can take a bow. The surface was racy and provided an entertaining main event that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Even after Buddy Kofoid got out front, there were still big moves through the field and plenty of jockeying for positions. It makes me wonder if we should try and start more events in that 4 p.m. window. On a serious note, here’s hoping this carries over to the night program and produces a National Open that people will be talking about for years to come.

Don’t sleep on Donny: On the surface, Donny Schatz’s fifth-place run looks pedestrian and almost expected. After all, he’s won 21 World of Outlaws events at the speedway and always seems to find speed at the Mechanicsburg oval. Here’s the catch … he started 15th on the grid and was coming on strong as the 25-Lap main event progressed. It makes me wonder, what would he do over 40 laps. The rest of the field might not want to find out, as I have a feeling that Schatz could turn some heads and resurrect that National Open success from the past. Don’t be surprised if he lands No. 7 tonight.