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Dietz Dominates Keith Kauffman Classic; Therrien Claims Inaugural Empire Super Sprints Race at Port Royal Speedway

Port Royal, PA -- The Keith Kauffman Classic was run for the 11th time on Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway. Six drivers were able to boast a win in the event honoring the track's all-time winningest 410 sprint car driver leading into the evening. In dominating fashion, Chase Dietz would lead all 30 laps around The Speed Palace for the $16,000 pay day.

Dietz would start alongside Kasey Kahne, who is piloting the Macri Motorsports while Anthony Macri recovers from a back injury, for the Weikert's Livestock A-main event.

The two drivers would battle over the opening lap with Dietz getting the advantage over Kahne off of the fourth corner. From that point on, Dietz would go unchallenged through the rest of the feature event.

Kahne, who is fresh off of his first World of Outlaws win at Williams Grove, would run in the 2nd spot over the opening 12 laps before Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing points leader Aaron Reutzel would overtake him for the runner up spot.

Reutzel, who is the defending Bob Weikert Memorial champion at Port Royal Speedway, would try to track down Chase Dietz over the remaining 23 laps, but Dietz would be too strong around the outside of the speedway to be caught.

"Pulling off these wins is so difficult to do, especially at Port Royal," said Dietz in Kish Bank victory lane. "That's the best I've felt here. Awesome team we have here, and we're really looking forward to next week."

The win, not only etches Dietz into the Port Royal history book being the 7th driver to win the Keith Kauffman Classic, but it would be his 3rd career triumph in 410 competition at the Juniata County half mile.

Aaron Reutzel would finish firmly in the 2nd spot and Troy Wagaman would round out the top 3.

Ryan Smith would earn the Ramsey's Car Wash Hard Charger award worth $500 and Freddie Rahmer would have the 17 pill drawn in victory lane earning him the J&S Classics Warrior Award worth $1,000.

The Weikert's Livestock 410 sprint cars will be back in competition on Friday May 22nd through the 24th with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing for the Bob Weikert Memorial presented by Greencastle Livestock Market.

In Empire Super Sprint Competition, Alex Therrien would take the win from his fourth place starting spot.

Kyle Smith and Davie Franek would make up the front row of the 25-lap A-main event with Smith taking the early advantage.

Therrien would get into the third spot on the opening start, and then would move into the runner up spot with just 5 laps completed.

Smith, Therrien and Franek would separate themselves from the field over the next 10 laps before an overturned Paulie Colagiovanni would bring out the red flag.

With the complete restart, Therrien would be able to capitalize and get around Kyle Smith for the race lead with 9 laps remaining and hold on for the win.

Smith would hold off Chase Dietz for the runner-up spot and Dietz would round out the podium.

For more information about upcoming events at Port Royal Speedway, visit portroyalspeedway.com and follow along on social media at Port Royal Speedway Trackside Media on Facebook and @PortRoyalSpdway on X/Twitter.

FULL RESULTS:

410 A Feature 30 Laps | 00:12:21.375

1. 23-Chase Dietz[2]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 3. 27-Troy Wagaman Jr[5]; 4. 39M-Kasey Kahne[1]; 5. 19-Brent Marks[6]; 6. 1A-Cameron Smith[8]; 7. 48-Danny Dietrich[3]; 8. 69K-Ryan Smith[17]; 9. 55K-Kerry Madsen[7]; 10. 9P-Daison Pursley[9]; 11. 67-Justin Whittall[11]; 12. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[10]; 13. 77S-Giovanni Scelzi[13]; 14. 8-Lance Dewease[21]; 15. 55-Logan Wagner[12]; 16. 11-TJ Stutts[14]; 17. 51-Freddie Rahmer[19]; 18. 12S-Brent Shearer[15]; 19. 22-Doug Hammaker[22]; 20. 77-AJ Flick[23]; 21. 91-Preston Lattomus[16]; 22. 18J-JT Ferry[24]; 23. 17B-Steve Buckwalter[20]; 24. 20-Ryan Taylor[18]

410 B Feature 1 8 Laps | 00:03:33.695

1. 8-Lance Dewease[2]; 2. 77-AJ Flick[1]; 3. 13-Tanner Holmes[3]; 4. 88-Tanner Thorson[4]; 5. 38-Brett Strickler[6]; 6. 12J-Derek Hauck[5]; 7. 35B-Buddy Schweibinz[8]; 8. 9-Chase Randall[9]; 9. 10B-Dale Blaney[7]; 10. 2C-Cory Thornton[11]; 11. 7-Chris Smith[13]; 12. 8D-Billy Dietrich[10]; 13. 0X-Dallas Schott[12]; 14. 10C-Matt Campbell[14]

410 B Feature 2 8 Laps | 00:03:37.917

1. 22-Doug Hammaker[4]; 2. 18J-JT Ferry[2]; 3. 11T-Mike Thompson[3]; 4. 28-Jordan Poirier[6]; 5. 27S-Dylan Cisney[5]; 6. 47K-Kody Lehman[9]; 7. 22E-Nash Ely[7]; 8. 17G-Hank Davis[11]; 9. 17-Mark Smith[12]; 10. 10-Jake Waters[8]; 11. D57-Jeff Miller[10]; 12. 95H-Kody Hartlaub[1]; 13. 11A-Austin Bishop[13]

ESS A Feature 25 Laps | 00:17:45.306

1. 21-Alex Therrien[4]; 2. 32-Kyle Smith[1]; 3. 23-Chase Dietz[6]; 4. 28F-Davie Franek[2]; 5. 669-Tyler Ross[5]; 6. 28-Jordan Poirier[9]; 7. 7-Michael Walter[14]; 8. 90-Matt Tanner[15]; 9. 7C-Dylan Swiernik[8]; 10. 38-Zach Sobotka[21]; 11. 63-Josh Weller[12]; 12. 77-Derek Locke[7]; 13. 88J-Joey Amantea[20]; 14. 35S-Jason Shultz[11]; 15. 41-Dalton Rombough[18]; 16. 87-Jason Barney[16]; 17. 3-Logan Crisafulli[17]; 18. 66-Jordan Hutton[19]; 19. 35-Jared Zimbardi[13]; 20. 3A-Jeff Trombley[10]; 21. 79-Jordan Thomas[3]; 22. 10C-Paulie Colagiovanni[24]; 23. (DNS) 71-Josh Spicer; 24. (DNS) 15-Ryan Turner; 25. (DNS) 21B-Spencer Burley

ESS B Feature 11 Laps | 00:05:32.000

1. 38-Zach Sobotka[3]; 2. 71-Josh Spicer[1]; 3. 15-Ryan Turner[6]; 4. 10C-Paulie Colagiovanni[4]; 5. 21B-Spencer Burley[8]; 6. 99K-Mike Kiser[2]; 7. 29R-Seth Schnoke[5]; 8. 22R-Ronald Helmick[11]; 9. 53-Shawn Donath[7]; 10. 33-Lacey Hanson[12]; 11. 13T-Trevor Years[10]; 12. 98-Joe Trenca[9]

Photo Credit: Jeremy Zarfos

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