By TODD HEINTZELMAN

Racing correspondent

PORT ROYAL — The 2026 racing season kicked off Saturday afternoon at Port Royal Speedway.

It was the first race of the new PA Posse Sprint Car Series and 38

cars filled the pits. Track promoters agreed not to race against each

other during series races, so Lincoln Speedway was not racing sprints on Saturday. Port Royal will do the same when Lincoln hosts a series race later this year.

While the series is centered around the main sprint car tracks in the

area, the series will travel to other tracks that typically host one

or two sprint car races a year like short tracks Path Valley and

Clinton County, along with Bedford and Bridgeport N.J. as well. A

total of 47 races are included at 11 different venues.

A $50,000 check awaits the series champion and $25,000 for second.

Danny Dietrich’s second career Opening Day win was the 12th of his

career at Port Royal. Dietrich won the opener two years ago as well.

Contact between Chase Dietz and J.T. Ferry in the first turn on the

opening lap of the opening heat race sent Ferry into a high flip

taking out a portion of the aluminum fence. He was reported to be

okay. Dietz continued and won the heat.

Dietz has been strong to start the season. He won twice at Lincoln,

finished second at BAPS and at Port Royal.

New Jersey’s Buddy Schweibinz held off Danny Dietrich to win the

second heat race. It was his first 410 sprint car heat win. The

20-year-old is a former 305 sprint car champion and is making the move up to 410s this year. He ended the day with an eighth-place finish.

In his Port Royal debut driving Rich Eichelberger’s No. 8, Lance

Dewease dominated the third heat. He finished fourth in the feature.

Dewease, 60, of Fayetteville, won the Williams Grove opener Sunday

afternoon as he embarks on a very busy 2026. It was the second PA

Posse Series race. For the first time in 10 seasons, or more, Dewease

has competed in each of the first six races of the new season.

“It’s going to be a lot of races,” Dewease said. “Rich has some things

he’d like to do; I’ve got some things I’d like to do, which adds a lot

of races. We’re going to try and do it all. If it gets to the point I

need a break, we’ll figure out how to get a break. I feel good in a

racecar, but my body doesn’t recover as quickly.”

Dewease ranks second in career wins at Port Royal with 124 -only five behind Keith Kauffman.

After their series wins, Dietrich and Dewease are tied at the top of

the standings with 130 points. Solid weekends for Kody Hartlaub and

Matt Campbell have them third and fourth.

Freddie Rahmer won the final heat race, but redrew the 11 for feature starting spot. Rahmer has struggled at Port Royal recently, but salvaged a 10th place in the opener.

It was a career best Port Royal finish for Campbell. He finished third.

Last year’s sprint car champion, Justin Whittall, raced from the 22nd

starting spot to finish 12th earning the Hard Charger Award.

Anthony Macri raced from 19th to 11th.

It was not the start to the season that Dylan CIsney wanted in the

Stewart Smith 27S. He was involved in a nasty first turn crash. He was okay, but the car was not. He wasn’t the only one as Nash Ely was involved in the same accident.

Lane Snook won his first career late model heat race, but mechanical problems ended his feature early. Snook, of Port Royal, dominated

limited late model racing last season and has made the move to super late models in 2026.

Port Royal returns to action Saturday afternoon with another sprint

car and late model double-header with warm-ups at 3 and racing at 4.

The limited late models and 305 sprints make their season debut at the track on April 4, along with the 410 sprints.

After their Sunday afternoon opener, Williams Grove Speedway returns to traditional Friday night racing this week.

Selinsgrove Speedway opens its season Friday night, April 10, with 410 sprints and late models.