Dietz Breaks The Ice At Lincoln

ABBOTTSTOWN, Pa. — The Central Pennsylvania sprint car season got underway at Lincoln Speedway on Sunday afternoon with its annual Icebreaker 30, where Chase Dietz scored the victory.

While Dietz started on pole position for the 30-lap event, it was Gerard McIntyre Jr. who led the first handful of laps as Dietz fell as low as fifth in the early going.

A fierce battle between McIntyre and Danny Dietrich commenced as Dietrich made quick work of the No. 33.

At the halfway mark, Dietz clawed his way back to the runner-up position as lapped traffic became a factor.

Dietz would later pounce for the lead with seven laps to go as Dietrich got held up by lapped traffic on the frontstretch.

A caution flag would later fly with three laps to go due to a spin by McIntyre. Despite a late-race restart, Dietz would go unmatched en route to the $6,000-to-win victory.

“Honestly, the way this track is on opening days half the time, it’s real tricky,” Dietz began. “I really got the top rolling nice down in one and two. Once I kinda got some momentum and the car kinda came to me at that point, I calmed myself down, we were good to go.

“Just tried to make the right move at the right time. We got there and just kinda watching Danny, he kinda vacated the top up in (turns) one and two, started following some of those lapped cars.

At that point, it was just a matter of moving around. (Turns) Three and four wasn’t a ton there, but it was rudded up and just kinda tricky. So, when I got under him there, showed my nose, I just kinda hit it right.

“He was protecting the bottom in the next corner and at that point, I knew where to go.”

Dietz would be followed by Dietrich, Troy Wagaman Jr., Brent Marks and Aaron Bollinger.