Sentinel photo by MIKE GOSS
Lance Dewease (69), the lapped car of Jeff Halligan (45) and eventual winner Dylan Cisney (5) battle for the lead on the last lap of the first sprint car feature of the Living Legends Dream Race Saturday at Port Royal Speedway.

PORT ROYAL — Dylan Cisney grew up watching Lance Dewease win races at Port Royal Speedway.

On Saturday night, the hometown driver stole one from the Hall of Famer.

Cisney made up a 3-second deficit over the final six laps passing Dewease as they raced off turn four with the checkered flag waving to win the first 20-lap feature as part of the Living Legends Dream Race.

In the second 20-lap feature, Danny Dietrich picked up the win over Dewease, early-race leader Blane Heimbach and eighth-starting Cisney.

Both features paid $6,000 to win and $3,000 for second. Dietrich earned an extra $500 for having the highest average finish.

Racing video pioneers Lynn Schaeffer and Steve Gigeous were honored as this year’s Living Legends.

It appeared Dewease was headed for career win No. 121 at the track, but Cisney put his right rear tire against the fence to deny Dewease the win.

“We got lucky,” Cisney said. “You don’t pass Lance on the last lap to win, especially here. He got put in a bad spot and couldn’t get the run he needed off of two. He got balled-up behind those guys and didn’t get good entry into three and luckily there was a lane and we were able to get in there.”

It’s been a tough year for Cisney to this point.

“We’ll take passing Lance no matter what spot it’s for, anywhere, but to do it in the Dream Race on the last lap is great,” Cisney said.

Cisney and the Scott Cowman crew had the No. 5 working well.

“The whole first race, the car was perfect,” Cisney said. “The guys gave me a great car. When you have a car that good, it’s easy to get up on the wheel and drive it. We were really good in the second one, too. I’m sure some crews told their guys, I started trucking the fence and some guys were in my lane, and I couldn’t get the runs I needed.”

Dewease started second, grabbed the lead and built a 2.6-second lead in only three laps in the first feature. Cisney was quickly into third spot.

Dewease was on cruise control and appeared headed for an easy win. When Cisney took second from Logan Wagner with seven laps to go, Dewease had a comfortable lead with three lapped cars in between.

“When we got into second, I knew something was going to have to happen and it was just luck that he got to lapped cars and I started pounding the fence, wide-open every lap,” Cisney said. “You’re either going to win it or wear it.”

Cisney and Dietrich were both pounding a very narrow cushion against the fence on the outside of the corners flirting with disaster. They were both charging forward as Dewease struggled in heavy traffic.

“The track was perfect tonight,” Cisney said. “We got in the right spot and Lance, luckily, gave us a lane. We started trucking the fence and it just worked out.”

One final huge run by Cisney got him by Dewease off turn four and down the frontstretch scoring his sixth career home track win.

“It’s a blast here when everybody’s moving around and they give it to you, that’s great,” Cisney said. “It’s a little tougher when you get guys like (Anthony) Macri running the fence and you don’t have the line that easy. When they let it open, you’ve got to make the most of it. You’re flirting within a half-inch of junking a car or a win. I don’t know if it’s always fun, but it’s what you’ve got to do.”

Dietrich, polesitter Logan Wagner and Justin Whittall completed the top five. Mike Wagner, Mike Walter II, Blane Heimbach, Gerard McIntyre Jr. and Ryan Smith rounded out the top 10.

Polesitter Heimbach grabbed the lead in the second feature with sixth starting Dietrich quickly into fourth. Dietrich passed Whittall for third following a restart and eighth starting Cisney cracked the top five.

Walter challenged Heimbach for the lead and they swapped the top spot a few times before Heimbach secured it and pulled away.

Dietrich started gaining ground on Walter in traffic. After a close turn two slider with Walter holding onto second, Dietrich secured the runner-up spot on the next lap.

Dietrich shot under Heimbach entering turn one taking the lead with five to go.

Dewease charged through the top five late to finish second with Heimbach completing the podium. Cisney and Walter completed the top five. Whittall, Ryan Smith, Logan Wagner, Mike Wagner and Rick Lafferty rounded out the top 10.

Dietrich was concerned about his right rear tire following the first race.

“The tire was really junk after the first one,” Dietrich said. “It was really chunked out. It cleaned itself off. I don’t know how these things work sometimes.”

Knowing his right rear was in poor condition, he only had one choice.

“I knew the only way we were going to get to the front was full send mode against the fence,” Dietrich said. “I didn’t feel like I had a tire that was going to drive through the middle very well. I figured the only way we’re going to win this thing was put it on the wall.”

He also knew he was really fast at the end of the first feature.

“Dylan was moving pretty good,” Dietrich said. “I ran him down, but had a lapped car pinch me against the wall. That killed my momentum and he got away from me. I felt we had the better car the last five laps of that one.”

Dietrich and crew kept didn’t do much to the car during the 10-minute break before the second feature.

“When you’re coming like we were, you hate to change too much,” Dietrich said. “We were rolling. I knew we couldn’t change too much.”

Both drivers know that running the top edge is a fine line between winning and wrecking.

“I don’t think I ever hit the fence,” Dietrich said. “Every lap I was close, but I don’t think I ever hit it.”

“You’re flirting within a half-inch of junking a car or a win,” Cisney said. “I don’t know if it’s always fun, but it’s what you’ve got to do.”

Logan Wagner set quick time over the 27-car field with a lap of 16.961 seconds. He earned an extra $300. Cisney, Walter and Dietrich won the heat races each earning an extra $100.

York’s Rick Eckert earned $5,000 for the super late model win. Jared Miley, Dillan Stake, Dylan Yoder and Gary Stuhler completed the top five. Hayes Mattern, Matt Cosner, Dan Stone, Justin Weaver and Logan Zarin rounded out the top 10. Heat races for the 29 cars went to Miley, Eckert and Cosner with Zarin winning the B-main.