For many Central PA “Posse” drivers, the season begins at Lincoln Speedway on 2/24 for the Icebreaker. Last season, Freddie Rahmer found success at Lincoln and Williams Grove, winning both track championships and collecting 17 wins along the way. It was a dominating year for Rahmer, but will that momentum carry over into 2024?
The scene in Central PA will look a little bit different in 2024. Brent Marks will be taking his talents to High Limit, meaning we will likely see less of the Myerstown Missile in weekly competition. Justin Henderson will be taking over the reigns of the Kreitz Racing no. 69K, while Logan Wagner will continue to drive the car at Port Royal. Lance Dewease has found a new home in the Shearer no. 12, while Chase Dietz will take over the Zemco no. 1 to run for a championship at Port Royal.
In 2023, Devon Borden made huge strides on his way to winning the Port Royal track championship. Borden won seven races, making it his best season in a 410 sprint car. Troy Wagaman Jr really performed well after taking over the wheel of the Heffner no. 27, and I expect that success to continue into 2024.
It remains unknown if Anthony Macri will be joining one of the national touring series, but all signs are pointing to Macri sticking around PA and picking and choosing the rest of his schedule. I think this would be a smart move for Macri, who stepped away from the family car last season due to being burnt out. With the increases in the PA Speedweek payout, and many other high-paying races on the schedule, Macri could return to his dominance in Central PA.
Despite the all of the unknowns, one thing remains certain, Danny Dietrich will be in the mix. Dietrich led all sprint car drivers last season with 87 races. He picked up seven wins on his way to over $190,000 in earnings. In a press release, Dietrich confirmed that he would be committing to “absolutely nothing” in 2024.
The Unknowns
Will Anthony Macri commit to a national series?
With the increased payouts, will we see some more teams spend a summer in PA? Will we see any Australian drivers call PA home in 2024?
Will guys like Kyle Reinhardt, Brandon Spithaler, AJ Flick, Tim Shaffer, Cole Macedo, Sye Lynch and others be spending more time in Central PA?
Who will fill the open seats with the Trone no. 39 and the LA Competition no. 58?
Schedules
Other Names to Watch
Dylan Cisney – The “Mayor” has consistently been one of the best drivers in Central PA. He had some struggles last season, but still managed to win two races in 44 starts.
Dylan Norris – It will be a new family-owned team for Norris in 2024. The young driver won one race last season behind the wheel of the Gobrecht no. 44. Will we see Norris continue his growth in a new car?
Lucas Wolfe – Forever a fan favorite, Wolfe won two races in 65 starts in 2023. Wolfe will hope to return to his 2019 form, when he won five races and the PA Speedweek title.
Justin Whittall – 2023 was a roller coaster of a season for Whittall. He qualified for the Eldora Million, and then suffered one of the worst crashes of the season at Williams Grove. Lucikly, he was not seriously injured and he will look to avoid the bad luck in 2024.
Kyle Moody – Moody quietly enjoyed a solid 2023 season, finishing 4th in Lincoln points and 6th in Williams Grove points. He picked up 1 win in 56 starts.
Aaron Bollinger – Bollinger caught some attention for his charge through the field during the season finale at BAPS. He only ran 26 races last season, but could be a name to watch in 2024.
Kody Lehman – Lehman picked up a huge win at Port Royal during weekly competition. He was consistently fast and I think we could see him in victory lane more than once in 2024.
Cameron Smith – Smith will be taking over the wheel of the no. 75 car that Tyler Ross drove last season. He struggled in his time in the Trone no. 39, but a new team could be just what Smith needs in his young career.
Subscribe to the Monday Methanol Newsletter. It is completely free and will go directly to your inbox every Monday!
