April 7, 2024 | By Brad Strawser

Danny Dietrich charges to Port Royal opening day win

PORT ROYAL, Pa. — Danny Dietrich scored a $6,000 payday by winning the opening 410 race of the season at Port Royal Speedway and Ken Duke Jr took home $1,000 in the Keystone RaceSaver Challenge.

Dietrich started 11th in the Weikert Livestock 410 A-main on the initial green flag start before a multi-car accident brought out the red flag to start the event. Lynton Jeffrey, driver of the Trone Outdoor #39 who started 2nd, got turned sideways in front of the field and multiple cars got collected in the wreckage.

Once the field was reset, Dietrich lined up in the 10th starting spot and defending track champion Devon Borden lined up 3rd. Borden on the start quickly drove to the lead on the restart and Dietrich quickly moved up into the runner up spot.

Borden would lead the field through the opening 22 laps with Dietrich tight to his tail. With 3 laps to go, a late race restart following a caution for slowing TJ Stutts, allowed Dietrich to take advantage in the entrance of turn 1 to overtake Borden.

Another caution with 1 lap to go set up for a final chance for Borden to claim the top spot back, but Dietrich took the bottom side away in turns 1 and 2 and pulled away for the opening race payday.

"My thought process is a little different than most guys," said Dietrich in victory lane when talking about the restart that saw him take the lead, "but when we came out of 4, I got a good run on him coming down the front stretch and stuck my car in there."

in Penns Valley Meat Market RaceSaver 305 sprint car competition, Ken Duke Jr. was able to drive from the 9 starting spot to claim the 2023 makeup of the Keystone RaceSaver Challenge.

With single digit laps remaining, Ken Duke Jr. was able to take over the top spot following a caution that saw the leader drop out due to a flat tire. Duke Jr. took home $1,000 which is the top paying race for the RaceSaver series in PA, and he'll have the chance to repeat when the 2024 edition of the event is held on June 29th.


410 A Feature:

48 Danny Dietrich [11]; 2. 23-Devon Borden[4]; 3. 45-Jeff Halligan [1]; 4. 12D-Lance Dewease [12]; 5. 8-Billy Dietrich [3]; 6. 1-Chase Dietz [8]; 7. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [5]; 8. 35K-Jake Karklin [10]; 9. 69K-Logan Wagner [19]; 10. 5-Dylan Cisney [14]; 11. 77-Mike Walter [15]; 12. 55-Mike Wagner [22]; 13. 33H-Derek Hauck[16]; 14. 67-Justin Whittall[24]; 15. 27-Emerson Axsom[13]; 16. 47K-Kody Lehman[17]; 17. 12-Blane Heimbach[20]; 18. 51-Freddie Rahmer[6]; 19. 17B-Steve Buckwalter[23]; 20. 11-TJ Stutts[18]; 21. 39-Lynton Jeffrey[2]; 22. 14-Corey Day[7]; 23. 33-Gerard McIntyre[9] 24. 17-Dylan Norris DNS: 99-Devin Adams; 35-Austin Bishop; 12J-Tyler Esh; 17K-Kyle Keen; 69X-Kassidy Kreitz; 0-Rick Laferty; 66-Ryan Newton; 11T-Mike Thompson


305 A Feature:

67-Ken Duke[9]; 2. 12-Roger Irvine[3]; 3. 52-Jeff Weaver[4]; 4. 89-Nick Sweigart[6]; 5. 28R-Jason Roush[2]; 6. 17-Owen Dimm[8]; 7. 1R-Christian Rumsey[13]; 8.19B-Danny Buccafusca[15]; 9. 25G-Nolan Groves[17]; 10. 2-Erin Statler[25]; 11. 97-Kenny Heffner[5]; 12. 46-Mike Alleman[18]; 13. J9-Jerald Harris[21]; 14. 32B-Ethan Beasom[14]; 15. 98-Croix Beasom[23]; 16. 31Z-Zach Rhodes[11]; 17. 4W-Kasey Weaver[12]; 18. 25R-Jarrett Rosencrance[20]; 19. 7-Drew Young[1]; 20. Doug Dodson[7]; 21. 19-Kruz Kepner[10]; 22. 4J-Jacob Gomola[19]; 23. 36-Mike Melair[22]; 24. 69P-Landon Price[24]; 25. 01-Timmy Bitner[26]; 26. 99-AJ Barton[16]