Sophomore Chase Dietz takes title in Lincoln 358 sprint division
YORK, PA, 11/22/14 – Lincoln Speedway track champions and special year-end awards were handed out at the Holiday Inn in York Saturday night, November 22nd. The top ten finishers in the season -long point series for both sprint car divisions, and special awards were distributed to rookies’ of-the-year and most improved driver.
KRIMES SCORES FIRST LAWRENCE CHEVROLET TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
After several years as a top-five point contender, Denver’s Alan Krimes rode the strength of two wins and consistent top finishes to his first-ever track title. Ironically, Krimes’ wins came back-to-back with an ARCH Night win on April 12th and a 410 Sprint Spring Championship victory on April 19th. Although he didn’t win the rest of the year, he did score ten top-five and 16 top-ten finishes in 23 races to claim the $10,000 championship. Krimes’ two wins in the John Alexander’s Midnight Express/Conestoga Valley Garage #87 moved him alongside Junie Taylor and Bobby Weaver on the all-time Lincoln win list with 15 career wins. Krimes title also earned Dennis Kohler Lincoln’s mechanic of-the-year award.
Four-time track champ Brian Montieth missed one race and suffered a few DNF’s, but still rode the strength of three wins, 12 top-five finishes and 15 top ten to second in season points. His three wins moved him into sole possession of sixth place on the all-time Lincoln win list with 44.
New Oxford’s Jim Siegel won twice and scored five top-five and 15 top ten to finish third in season points. One of his wins was the 11th Annual Weldon Sterner Memorial on May 3rd.
Dallastown’s Cory Haas went winless at Lincoln in 2014, but did register seven top five and 14 top ten finishes to end fourth in season points. Haas was also named the season’s Sportsmanship Award winner for his on-and-off track efforts.
Rounding out the top five in the season point series was Gerard McIntyre, Jr., who picked up his third career Lincoln win on April 26th. He finished in the top five four times and in the top ten 15 times.
Sixth through tenth in season points were Robbie Kendall, Kyle Moody, Billy Dietrich, five-time winner Danny Dietrich, and Freddie Rahmer.
Kendall and Moody both scored their first-career 410 sprint wins during the season. Moody’s win was momentous, holding off national sprint car star Brady Bacon in Lincoln’s PA Speedweek show. Kendall and Moody were joined by other first-time winners Austin Hogue (who was named rookie of-the-year), rookie 410 driver Tim Wagaman, and J.J. Grasso.
Other Lincoln wins in 2014 were recorded by Adam Wilt (opening day for the second time in three years), Lance Dewease, Daryn Pittman (who won the July World of Outlaw show), and Steve Smith (who won both the World of Outlaw Show in May and the Dirt Classic presented by Kasey Kahne in September).
All told, there were 14 different winners in 23 races at Lincoln in 2014.
SPECIAL AWARDS WINNERS (410 Sprints)
Super Sprint Champion – Alan Krimes
Mechanic of the Year – Dennis Kohler
Rookie of the Year – Austin Hogue
Sportsmanship Award – Cory Haas
Most Improved Driver – Robbie Kendall
CHASE DIETZ CLAIMS FIRST-EVER LINCOLN SPEEDWAY KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
Sophomore driver Chase Dietz won three times during the season to edge defending champ Niki Young and claim his first track title in Lincoln’s 358 sprint car division. Back-to-back wins on July 26th (Pepsi Night) and August 2nd (Sprint Car Championship in which he made a last-lap pass for the win) vaulted him into a points lead he would never relinquish. All told, Dietz scored 12 top-five and 15 top-ten finishes in 18 events, which gave him a 95-point over Young at the end.
Young won the season opener and finished second in season points. He challenged Dietz down the stretch with ten top-five and d 13 top-ten finishes.
Carlisle’s Chandler Leiby, another sophomore driver and grandson to Lincoln promoter Bob Leiby, finished an impressive third in season points. He claimed his second career Lincoln win on August 30th, and ended the season tied with Dietz for the most top five (12) and a division-leading 16 top-ten finishes.
Rookie of-the-year Matt Campbell was fourth in season points. Campbell scored wins on May 3rd (Sterner Memorial) and June 21st (BAPS Night) and ended the season with seven top-five and 12 top-ten finishes.
Lady driver Brie Hershey of Dillsburg rounded out the top five in season points with two top-five and seven top-ten finishes.
Sixth through tenth in season points were another female driver Ashley Cappetta, Matt Findley, one-time winner Doug Hammaker (first career Lincoln win), Zach Euculano, and one-time winner Jeff Rohrbaugh.
Four different drivers picked up their first Lincoln career wins in 2014, including Hammaker, Mark Strickler, Phil Walter (who first won at Lincoln in the 410 sprints 22 years ago), and Dwight Leppo in the season finale.
All told, there were 13 different winners in 18 events. The only repeat winners at Lincoln in ’14 were Dietz and Kevin Nouse (with three wins each), and Campbell with two. There were ten single-time winners, including Mike Bittinger and Brad McClelland, not yet mentioned.
SPECIAL AWARDS WINNERS (358 Sprints)
358 Sprint Champion – Chase Dietz
Rookie of the Year – Matt Campbell
Sportsmanship Award – Cody Fletcher
Most Improved Driver – Chase Dietz
KNAUB CHAMP OF PRECISE RACING PRODUCTS LINCOLN/TRAIL-WAY 358 LATE MODEL SERIES
Despite missing a race, Dover’s Gene Knaub claimed the Precise Racing Products Lincoln/Trail-Way 358 late model point series. He will be recognized at the Trail-Way awards banquet on December 6th.
MONTGOMERY LINCOLN CENTRAL PA LEGENDS SERIES CHAMP
York’s Lucas Montgomery edged Bob Stough on the final race to win the 2014 Lincoln Speedway Central PA Legends point series. He was to be recognized at the Legends awards banquet being held on the same night as the Lincoln banquet.