Brent Marks Scores First Port Royal Win of 2022 with Red Robin Pennsylvania Speedweek Triumph
By- Justin Snyder
Port Royal Speedway– PORT ROYAL, Pa. (June 30, 2022) – After a year full of near-misses, Brent Marks capitalized on a front-row starting spot to score his first Port Royal Speedway victory of the 2022 racing season during Wednesday night’s Night 6 of Red Robin Racing Pennsylvania Speedweek event.
After added contingency prizes, Marks earned a total of $7300 for his 13th career Port Royal Speedway triumph. The win was Marks’ second of the 2022 PA Speedweek series and vaulted the Myerstown, Pa. native to the top spot in the series standings with four races remaining.
Anthony Macri and Marks led the field of 24 410 Sprint Cars to the green flag and Marks got the early jump on the field through the middle of turn's one and two to lead the opening circuit. After starting fourth on the grid, Logan Wagner made his presence felt early as well as he got by Macri to take the runner-up spot on the opening lap as well.
Marks quickly distanced himself from Wagner and the rest of the field and by lap five he held more than a 1.3 second advantage. However, the caution flew three laps later when Justin Whittall came to a stop on the backstretch to put the field on Marks’ tail.
Marks again took off the restart, while weekend invader Kyle Larson was starting to show his muscle as he moved into the fourth spot after lining up from the fifth position. With 20 laps remaining in the 30-lap A-main, Larson used the extreme high side of the Speedway to get by Macri for the final podium position, while Wagner was uncharacteristically using the low side to reel in the leader.
Marks moved to the top of the Speedway in an effort to thwart the momentum Wagner had found on the bottom and the move worked as he again started to stretch out his lead. Meanwhile, Larson was coming fast as he got by Wagner for the runner-up spot and started chipping away at the leader.
With 10 laps remaining, Larson had closed to less than a second behind the leader, while Macri had regrouped and was quickly coming back into the picture. However, his chances at picking up his seventh Port Royal Speedway victory of the season came to a close with eight laps remaining when he blew an engine entering turn three to bring out the caution.
Marks took off again on the restart, but all eyes were on Larson, who had a noticeably low right-rear tire during the caution break. Both Wagner’s capitalized on Larson’s issues and they moved into second and third respectively on the restart.
Larson’s hopes at a third career PA Speedweek victory at the Speed Palace came to a close with four laps remaining when the right-rear tire finally let loose and he came to a stop in turn four on the outside guardrail.
Larson didn’t rejoin the field and the restart gave Logan Wagner an opportunity to take his shot at Marks. However, Marks was too strong and pulled away with ease. He went on to pick up the victory by a margin of 3.110 seconds.
Mike Wagner got by his song for second in the closing laps while the younger Wagner finished third. Lance Dewease and Justin Peck rounded out the top five. Dylan Cisney, Lucas Wolfe, TJ Stutts, Rico Abreu and Freddie Rahmer completed the top ten.
Stutts earned the $500 Valley Supply Hard Charger after starting 23rd on the grid and advancing 15 positions while Danny Dietrich scored the J&S Classics $1000 Warrior Award via a random draw of 13. Heat races were won by Mike Wagner, Marks, Larson and Macri and they all scored an additional $100 courtesy of Smokin Gun Fabrication for their efforts. Logan Wagner scored an additional $500 courtesy of Packer's Concessions, LLC., PennsValley MeatMarket and Jakes Golf Carts, LLC as the night’s fast time award winner.
410 Sprint Car Feature Results: 1. Brent Marks; 2. Mike Wagner; 3. Logan Wagner; 4. Lance Dewease; 5. Justin Peck; 6. Dylan Cisney; 7. Lucas Wolfe; 8. T.J. Stutts; 9. Rico Abreu; 10. Freddie Rahmer; 11. Dave Blaney; 12. Jeff Halligan; 13. Danny Dietrich; 14. Brock Zearfoss; 15. Christopher Bell; 16. Chase Dietz; 17. Ryan Timms; 18. Kyle Larson; 19. Anthony Macri; 20. Justin Whittall; 21. Blane Heimbach; 22. Sye Lynch; 23. Tyler Reeser; 24. Michael Walter II.
Mark Smith took the lead during the United Racing Club 360 Sprint Car feature on lap seven and never looked back during a caution littered A-main event Wednesday night.
Smith won $2000 for the triumph, which was his second career URC sanctioned victory at the Speed Palace and his first since 2016.
Frankie Herr and Josh Weller contended early and Weller settled into the second position for the majority of the event before blowing a left-rear tire with one lap remaining following contact with a lapped car.
The caution forced Speedway officials to checker the event and call it final with one lap remaining as the time approached curfew.
Jason Shultz, Derek Locke, Dallas Schott and Frankie Herr rounded out the top five while Mike Thompson, Mike Kiser, Devin Adams, Cody Fletcher and Tyler Denochick completed the top ten.
360 Sprint Car Feature Results: 1. Mark Smith; 2. Jason Shultz; 3. Derek Locke; 4. Dallas Schott; 5. Frankie Herr; 6. Mike Thompson; 7. Mike Kiser; 8. Devin Adams; 9. Cody Fletcher; 10. Tyler Denochick; 11. Steve Wilbur; 12. Ryan Stillwaggon; 13. John Stehman; 14. Ken Meisner; 15. Brandon McGough; 16. Kyle Keen; 17. Tyler Templin; 18. Jacob Galloway; 19. Josh Weller; 20. Jason Wagner; 21. Craig Pellegrini; 22. Andy Best; 23. Cameron Merriman; 24. Adam Carberry; 25. Nash Ely; 26. Jake Karklin.
2022 PA SPEEDWEEK presented by RED ROBIN POINT STANDINGS
1. 19 Brent Marks 748*+
2. 39M Anthony Macri 728*
3. 13 Justin Peck 683*+
4. 5w Lucas Wolfe 523*
5. 11 T J Stutts 487*
6. 8/51 Freddie Rahmer 460*
7. 48 Danny Dietrich 439*
8. 45 Jeff Halligan 410*
9. 69K Lance Dewease 394
10. 39 Chase Dietz 335*
10. 39 Christopher Bell 335
12 44 Dylan Norris 309*
13. 57 Kyle Larson 288
14. 6 Ryan Smith 279*
15. 24 Rico Abreu 271
16. 19 Troy Wagaman Jr 270
17. 99m Kyle Moody 258*
18. 27 Devon Borden 254*
19. 19T Tanner Thorson 249
20. 1x Chad Trout 223
21. 11A Austin Bishop 208
22. 55 Mke Wagner 202
23. 35 Zach Hampton 200*
24. 1 Logan Wagner 187
25. 5 Dylan Cisney 179
26. 19R Matt Campbell 163
27. 75/5 Tyler Ross 156
28. 87 Alan Krimes 149
29. 5E Brandon Rahmer 142
30. 99 Skylar Gee 134
31. 69 Tim Glatfelter 127
32. 59 Jim Siegel 113
33. 16/33 Gerard McIntyre Jr 112
34. 67 Justin Whittall 111
35. 10 Dave Blaney 96
36. 55K Robbie Kendall 94
37. 8 Billy Dietrich 88
38. 21 Paul McMahan 75
39. 35 Tyler Reeser 72*
40. 5T Ryan Timms 70
41. 19T Brock Zearfoss 63
42. 7 Trey Hivner 47
42. 12 Blane Heimbach 47
44. A36 Eddie Lumbar 45*
44. 33W Michael Walter II 45
46. 19m Landon Myers 42
46. 90 Jordan Givler 42
48. 11P Niki Young 41
48. 42 Sye Lynch 41
50. 16a Aaron Bollinger 40
50. 20 Ryan Taylor 40
50. 12 Brent Shearer 40
53. 23 Chris Arnold 31
54. 33 Riley Emig 30
55. M1 Mark Smith 29
56. 23 Michael Millard 28
57. 98 Tyler Bear 26
58. 17B Steve Buckwalter 25
59. 5 John Walp 24
60. 19 Chris Windom 21
61. 4R Tim Wagaman II 18
61. 38 Cory Haas 18
63. 1w Kyle Reinhardt 17
63. 47K Kody Lehman 17
65. 33 Derek Hauck 16
66. 54 Austin Burke 14
66. 5 Glenndon Forsythe 14
68. 4 Zane Rudisill 13
69. 49H Bradley Howard 12
70. 35 Tyler Esh 11
71. 21T Scott Fisher 10
72. 13s Jon Stewart 5
73. 44 Dave Brown 4
74. 99 Devin Adams 2
75. 77k Steven Kisamore 0
75. 4 Dwight Leppo 0
75. 9 Gordon Senft III 0
* Attended Every Race
+ All Top Tens