From Shawn Brouse
MECHANICSBURG, PA (September 3, 2021) — Brent Marks led flag to flag to pick up the $6,088 victory in Friday night’s Todd Shaffer Tribute Race for 410 sprint cars at Williams Grove Speedway.
The special event saw three-time track champion Shaffer of Millerstown feted before and during the event that he capped off by serving as honorary starter.
Marks drew the pole for the start of the 25-lap tribute race and jetted into control over TJ Stutts and Brian Brown as soon as Shaffer dropped the green flag.
The first caution flag of the race appeared with four laps completed for a stopped Freddie Rahmer.
Brown wrestled second away from Stutts on the restart but failed to close on Marks as both Danny Dietrich and Lance Dewease started advancing.
By lap 11 Marks was working the backmarkers as Dietrich was working Brown for second.
The pair battled for the spot, swapping it a times, until lap 17 when Dietrich finally seized it for good.
With Dewease now up to third, Dietrich was trying to run down Marks in traffic with the second and final yellow of the race unfurled with three laps to go.
Marks got away on the restart to pick up the win by 1.481 seconds.
It was the second of the season for Marks at Williams Grove and his 10th overall victory of the season.
“My car was really good,” Marks said, “To get our 10th win of the year is really special.”
“I raced against Todd for a few years when I got started. He was my mom’s favorite driver when I was growing up. It’s great to win a race in his honor.”
Dietrich was second followed by Dewease, Anthony Macri and Brown.
Sixth through 10th went to Steve Buckwalter, TJ Stutts, Chase Dietz, Matt Campbell and Lucas Wolfe.
Campbell won the “Mr. Excitement” Hard Charger Award worth $550 as posted by members of Shaffer’s pit crew during his entire career.
Campbell advanced to ninth at the finish after starting the race 19th in the field.
Heats went to Stutts, Marks and Wolfe
Macri set fast time with a lap of 17.000 seconds.
Derek Locke won for the seventh time this season in the 358 sprint car division.
He took the lead from Matt Findley on the seventh lap after starting third in the field.
Locke has been the only driver to win at the track this season.
Findley finished second followed by Chris Frank, Justin Foster and Tyler Brehm.
Heats went to Justin Foster and Matt Findley.
Feature Finishes
9/3//21
410 sprint cars, 25 laps: 1. Brent Marks. 2. Danny Dietrich. 3. Lance Dewease. 4. Anthony Macri. 5. Brian Brown. 6. Steve Buckwalter. 7. TJ Stutts. 8. Chase Dietz. 9. Matt Campbell. 10. Lucas Wolfe. 11. Jared Esh. 12. Tyler Ross. 13. Devon Borden. 14. Justin Whittall. 15. Aaron Bollinger. 16. Dylan Norris. 17. Chad Trout. 18. Kyle Moody. 19. Rick Lafferty. 20. Dwight Leppo. 21. Steve Downs. 22. Bryn Gohn. 23. Austin Bishop. 24. Doug Hammaker. 25. Freddie Rahmer.
DNS: Alan Krimes.
358 sprint cars, 20 laps: 1. Derek Locke, 2. Matt Findley, 3. Chris Frank, 4. Justin Foster, 5. Tyler Brehm, 6. Cody Fletcher, 7. Chad Criswell, 8. Zachary Cool, 9. Rich Eichelberger, 10. Andrew Hake, 11. Wyatt Hinkle, 12. Steve Wilbur