ABBOTTSTOWN, Pa.: Chase Dietz had every reason to be upset or even throw something across the trailer Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Speedway.
No one could blame him. Dietz was dominating the 30-Lap Sprint Car feature when he ended up against the outside wall in Turn 3 a mere five laps from the finish.
Instead of tasting victory and earning a much-needed $4,000 payday, Dietz was credited with a 19th-place finish and sported a bent-up racecar. And yet, the York driver was able to find the positive in a disappointing day.
“This stuff happens night in and night out for everyone,” Dietz said. “It’s just a matter of rebounding. On a surface like this and that starting position, it felt really comfortable, and I thought for sure we had it and had the car to beat.
“Like I said, things happen. You can’t control that stuff, and all you can do is work harder and get back after it.”
Still, it stings when you are running up front on a daylight surface, have the best car in the field, and don’t finish.
That was Dietz Saturday. He caught a bit of a break when pole-sitter Freddie Rahmer got together with Bradley Howard on a complete restart and got upside down in the first corner. Both drivers were OK.
Dietz moved up to the front row and wasn’t challenged. Not only did he have no equal, he led the field by over five seconds at one point.
“Me and Kevin [Frey] have been working well together, and we made a simple tweak this week, and it seemed to work a lot,” Dietz said. “All throughout the day, we made slight changes to keep up with the track, and I was comfortable all day long.
“We could’ve been a smidgeon better in some spots, but every race you are critiquing everything. I’m just happy we had the car we did. We probably have to put another one together, but it’s how it goes.”
Danny Dietrich might’ve had something for Dietz in the end, but even the eventual winner struggled on a Lap 19 restart getting his wing back. If not for Dietz’s misfortune, Dietrich probably doesn’t get a crack at the win.
Instead, Dietz sailed through the third corner on Lap 21 and went straight toward the outside wall in Turn 4. His race and any chance at an early victory was snuffed out by a steering problem.
“Something definitely broke on the steering,” Dietz said. “I went in there into Turn 3 a couple of laps after that restart, I got to the center, and it just kicked straight on me. We’re not sure what happened.
“It’s disappointing, because I thought we had it there. The track was rubbered up in one corner, and I felt really, really good everywhere I was. So, we will go on to tomorrow and come back and do it again.”
Dietz can’t dwell on what happened. In this sport, win or lose, you need to have a short memory to achieve continued success.
So, Dietz and Co. went to work Saturday night to get ready for Sunday’s Williams Grove Speedway opener. Lincoln’s performance will be just short of forgotten, and the task of winning an early-season race will be the focus.
“I’m always madder when I’m not in contention,” Dietz said. “Obviously, this is disappointing when you are in the lead, but I’m happy we are fast. We go to race tomorrow, so you can’t be mad too long. It is what it is.
“I have to thank John [Trone] for the opportunity. He will be disappointed we didn’t get this one, and we are, too, but we have the speed and will get back at it again.”
A MUCH-NEEDED FINISH: It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Steve Buckwalter in daylight shows at Lincoln Speedway.
The Royersford, Pa., ace not only didn’t finish a pair of main events, he got upside down in each of the first two shows at Lincoln. So, it was a little surprising that he rolled through the pit gate for Round 3 Saturday.
It started out rough with Buckwalter spinning in his heat race, but he came back to win the B-Main and lined up 19th in the main event.
The goal was to stay out of trouble. Buckwalter was able to avoid mishaps and come away with a solid, and much-needed, ninth-place finish.
“I didn’t think I was going to finish,” Buckwalter said. “There was a pileup at the beginning, and it’s so slippery. I know if you don’t start slowing down by the flagstand, you usually are into the wreck.
“But we took the checker, and that was the game plan. I’m just glad I don’t have to build another car. This car is bent up. The left rear hip rail, lower rail, is shoved in a half inch. I have one at Maxim and will head out Tuesday.”
STILL CONSISTENT: No doubt Kyle Moody wasn’t happy after Saturday’s 30-Lap main event at Lincoln Speedway … and you can’t blame him.
Moody started third on the grid and spun charging into Turn 1 on the opening lap. The fortunate part of the mistake was that he was able to restart at the rear and had the caution periods fall his way.
That’s not the only positive. Moody came back to finish 10th and is the only driver to have three top-10 finishes at Lincoln Speedway this season. He finished second and fifth the first two weeks.
BREAKING THE SLUMP: Chad Trout hasn’t had the best luck of late, which has led to bad results in central Pennsylvania competition.
Entering Saturday’s event at Lincoln, Trout was on a 14-race streak of finishing outside of the top five. His last top-five run came on Aug. 22 of last year when he finished second at the Pigeon Hills oval.
Trout broke out of that slump by, finally, drawing well. He assumed the lead after Chase Dietz’s bad luck and was passed late by Danny Dietrich. He finished second.