Kyle Larson became the second driver to pick up a high-dollar victory during the “Month of Money” with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, earning $25,000 in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup last Tuesday at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA. For Larson, it was his first Outlaws win of the season and the sixth of his career.

In the series' first visit of the season to the sprint car hotbed of Central Pennsylvania, Freddie Rahmer picked up his first-career Outlaws win at Lincoln Speedway on Thursday. One night later at Williams Grove Speedway, Lance Dewease was triumphant in the opener of the Summer Nationals, which also served as the Morgan Cup, making Dewease the winningest driver in track history. 

Saturday's finale of the Summer Nationals was rained out and will not be rescheduled. The Outlaws now head to New York for three races in five nights this week.

For the sixth time in his career, @KyleLarsonRacin parks it in #WoOCraftSCS Victory Lane!

Larson wins $25,000 at the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at @Lernerville! pic.twitter.com/FnypHFTBIp

— World of Outlaws (@WorldofOutlaws) July 18, 2018

Just like riding a bike

Kyle Larson hadn’t raced at Lernerville Speedway since 2013, but that didn’t slow him down in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup on Tuesday, July 17. The Californian, who charged from 26th to second in his last visit to Lernerville, started on the outside of the second row this time. Larson used a slide job to take the lead from Ian Madsen on the ninth lap and never looked back, dominating the 40-lap contest. Larson was fastest in time trials, despite barely getting to the track in time for time trials, due to travel delays. He then won the first heat to earn a spot in the dash.

Making history

Lance Dewease’s victory at Williams Grove Speedway was the 91st of his career at the famed half-mile. That broke a tie with fellow Hall of Famer Fred Rahmer at the top of the all-time win list at “The Grove.” Dewease claimed a total of $13,000 for the win, which included a $5,000 bonus for winning the Morgan Cup, which was postponed by rained in May. With that win, the Morgan Cup will now reside at the Williams Grove Speedway track office until next season, when the Pennsylvania Posse and World of Outlaws do battle again for the trophy, which honors Morgan Hughes, the late owner of the track.

Adding to the family legacy

With his win at Lincoln Speedway on July 19, Freddie Rahmer joined his father/car owner Fred, as a World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series feature winner. The Rahmers are now the sixth father/son duo to have won with the World of Outlaws, joining Steve/Kraig Kinser, Sammy/Kevin Swindell, Jac/Sheldon Haudenschild, Steve/Stevie Smith and Brent/Tim Kaeding. Rahmer used a strong restart on lap 27 of the 35-lap race to overtake David Gravel and drive away for the win. Rahmer became the fifth first-time winner this season with the series.

Oh so close

It’s often said that Brian Montieth is the best driver in the country who has never won a World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series main event. The veteran driver came close again in the opener of the Summer Nationals at Williams Grove, finishing third to Lance Dewease and Donny Schatz. Montieth was fastest in time trials of the 31 entries at the half-mile.

Close to home

Logan Schuchart turned in a strong showing at Williams Grove Speedway. The native of nearby Hanover, PA, started 11th and worked his way to a fifth-place finish as he continues to close in on his first win of the season. Schuchart’s teammate, Jacob Allen, opened the night strong as he was fifth-fastest in time trials, but had engine trouble during the main event, after starting eighth.

Changes paying off

Greg Wilson recently changed chassis and engine providers for his No. w20 team and the results over the last couple of weeks have been steadily improving. At Lincoln Speedway, the veteran driver finished sixth against a stacked field with several Pennsylvania Posse drivers in the mix.

Guess who was the @KSE_Racing Hard Charger.....again.

??????@bmracing19! pic.twitter.com/DrOS8NnuFf

— World of Outlaws (@WorldofOutlaws) July 21, 2018

Charging hard

Brent Marks picked up his series-best seventh KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award of the season at Lincoln Speedway. The Pennsylvania native lined up 21st, after winning the B-main, and powered his way to an eighth-place finish in the 35-lap event. Marks followed that up with yet another Hard Charger Award in the opener of the Summer Nationals at Williams Grove, gaining a total of 10 positions.

Head-to-head

The Pennsylvania Posse got the win in the first round of the battle with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series at Lincoln Speedway, but the traveling band put three cars in the top five and six in the top 10. At Williams Grove, the PA Posse again picked up the win, though the Outlaws again had six cars among the top 10. A total of four nights of racing remains in the rivalry this season, with two of those coming in the Nationals Open at Williams Grove in September and two at Port Royal Speedway in October.

A tough break

Brad Sweet, who was fastest in time trials at Lincoln Speedway was in line for a top-five finish at the 0.8-mile when disaster struck. He was running among the top-five when Danny Dietrich spun, leaving Sweet nowhere to go. Damage to the front and rear of the car ended Sweet’s night with a 27th-place finish which cost him 40 points in his battle with Donny Schatz.

Turning the corner

Ian Madsen has turned in several strong runs over the last few weeks as he continues his rookie season with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. The Australian, who now calls the Des Moines, Iowa, area home, started on the outside of the front row in the Silver Cup and took the lead from Tim Shaffer on the fifth lap. He then traded a couple of slide jobs with eventual winner Kyle Larson as they battled for the top spot. Madsen wound up finishing fifth, which was his best-career finish at Lernerville in just his third start at the track.

Hometown favorite

Tim Shaffer, who is a two-time winner of the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup, had another strong run at his home track. The native of nearby Aliquippa, PA, started on the pole and led the first four laps of the Silver Cup. Shaffer ended up finishing seventh, after battling for several laps with David Gravel for a spot in the top five.

Fast at Lernerville

Cale Conley, who has a couple of wins at Lernerville Speedway this season in weekly competition, finished 10th in the Silver Cup. That marked his best World of Outlaws finish of the season. Conley, who hails from Vienna, WV, cut his teeth racing sprint cars as a teenager, before making the move to Charlotte to race in NASCAR. This season, he is back full-time in a sprint car, competing with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions.

Another runner-up finish

Brad Sweet finished second yet again in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup. Over the last few seasons, the driver of the No. 49 for Kasey Kahne Racing has more second-place finishes than any other driver on the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series circuit. Sweet was able to gain ground a couple of times on Larson in the late going but ran out of laps in the end. He held off a fast-charging Donny Schatz on the final circuit.

Points update

Donny Schatz extended his lead over Brad Sweet to a season-high 208 points, after the three-race swing through Pennsylvania. David Gravel remains third, with Daryn Pittman fourth. Shane Stewart is fifth, 38 markers out of fourth. Sheldon Haudenschild rides sixth, followed by Logan Schuchart in seventh, Ian Madsen in eighth, Brent Marks in ninth, and Kraig Kinser in 10th. Jacob Allen has gained a significant amount of ground in the last few weeks and is less than 100 points out of the top 10.

Up next

A trip to New York awaits the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series with three races in a five-day span. The series debut at Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh is first up on Wednesday, July 25. The Outlaws then head to Ransomville Speedway on Friday, July 27. Tim Shaffer won in the series return to the track last year. The weekend wraps up on Sunday, July 29, at Weedsport Speedway, where Donny Schatz won in 2015 and 2016.