Weather Finally Subsides as Dewease Wins Port Royal Opener

By rscaife
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Updated: April 2, 2018

By DREW PELLMAN

PORT ROYAL — After three consecutive weekends of rain, snow and chilly weather, Port Royal Speedway finally put its 2018 season opener in the books on Saturday. Four divisions — 410 Sprints, Late Models, Limited Late Models and Xtreme Stocks — combined to put more than 100 cars in the pit area. The only one of those classes to race anywhere in Pennsylvania thus far in the season were the sprints, who had gotten three shows in at Lincoln Speedway and another two at Williams Grove.

After heat racing had concluded, Jason Schultz and Lance Dewease got the luck of the redraw pills to earn starting positions on the front row. Dewease got the jump at the start, but it was negated by a first lap spin by Mark Smith in turn three that also collected the cars of Jared Esh and Vince Snyder. Schultz was much quicker on the throttle the second time around and jumped out to the early lead. That advantage, however, was short lived as Dewease — again driving the famous baby blue #69K for Don Krietz Jr. — motored by to take the top spot on lap three. Action continued until the 11th circuit when Kody Lehman looped his #47K between turns one and two. Juniata County native Dylan Cisney was the car on the move at that point, having advanced from the sixth starting position up to third. Further back, 16th-starting Dave Blaney had advanced to eighth on the slick racing surface. The final 14 laps went non-stop, with Dewease riding to the victory by 2.516 seconds. Schultz — a regular in 360 competition at Selinsgrove — finished an impressive second over veteran Mike Wagner, Greg Hodnett and Cisney. Defending track champion Brock Zearfoss was sixth, Carl Bowser took seventh, Blaney crossed eighth, Steve Buckwalter finished ninth and Ryan Taylor — Friday’s winner at Williams Grove — completed the top ten. Heats for the 27 410s went to Cisney, Hodnett and Bowser. T.J. Stutts won the consolation race.

In late model action, Jeff Rine took advantage of his pole position to dominate the 22-lap feature over Coleby Frey, Andy Haus, Trent Brenneman and Tim Smith Jr. Positions six through ten went to Michael Maresca, Travis Stickley, Dylan Yoder, Hayes Mattern and Danny Snyder. Rine, Haus and Stickley won the three heat races for the 26 cars that were pitside, while Tyler Bare took the consolation event.

It was a completely different narrative in the 20-lap Mason Dixon Shootout Series limited late model event, as Justin Weaver came from the 13th starting position to take the victory. Weaver was aided by a multiple car incident just after the initial green flag, but still needed to make a pass with only five laps to go to take the victory over Jeremy Ohl, Tim Fedder, Taylor Farling and Devin Frey. Dillan Stake, Derick Garman, Chuck Shultz, Shaun Jones and Brad McGinnis rounded out the top 10. Four heats for the 38 cars in attendance were won by Frey, Fedder, Craig Wagaman and Ohl, while Ryan Walls took the consolation.

Bill Powell won the 15-laps xtreme stock feature to conclude the evening.

NEXT WEEK: The Juniata County oval will roar to life again this Saturday with the 410 sprints, late models and the first appearance of 2018 for the 305 sprint cars.

IN TWO WEEKS: Tony Stewart’s All Star Circuit of Champions will be in town for the Keith Kauffman Classic paying $5,000 to the winner. The late models are also on the card to open up the 2018 Moon Shine Camo Rt. 35 Challenge Series.