Dirt Racing’s Winning Moment: Sprint car season officially opened in Pennsylvania on Thursday (Feb. 23), with defending Lincoln Speedway track champion Freddie Rahmer scoring the annual Icebreaker in comfortable fashion after polesitter Tyler Ross spun from the lead on lap 4 of the 30-lap event.
Dirt Racing’s Dramatic Moment: After scoring the Icebreaker win and clearing tech, race winner Rahmer had a Jeff Gordon moment, having a beer chucked at him from the grandstands.
Give Rahmer credit for living rent-free in at least one idiot’s head. Given what rent (and everything else) costs in 2023 that’s a real coup.
What Dirt Racing Fans’ll Be Group Chatting About This Morning
Flo Racing certainly had no impact on the crowd at Lincoln Speedway this Thursday night, where opening ceremonies and heat races were actually held off to allow admission gates to clear. It being a picture-perfect weather day in Pennsylvania certainly didn’t hurt.
Seeing as I’m in North Carolina and not in position to attend any night of the Icebreaker this week, it ticks me off the races won’t be on Flo this weekend. But it’ll be a valuable data point for Lincoln. If the crowds show up despite a poor weather forecast this weekend, maybe their cutback on streaming is working.
Nothing drives me more nuts as a fan of competitive sports than seeing a B-main canceled in favor of starting all drivers that show up on race night, as was the case with the 26 drivers that showed up for Lincoln’s Icebreaker. Yes, it may mean that all competitors get paid, but it really undermines the risk of competition that makes dirt racing, with its actual consequences, more intense than most of its big-league brethren. Besides, that’s what tow money is for.
Having said that, with no B-main run on Thursday the entirety of the Icebreaker race program was done in two hours.
For racetracks trying to find a viable means to draw greater grandstand crowds, that type of timeline on a work night is one that will get fans to come out to the track.
Dirt Racing’s Hero of the Day
Rahmer won the Icebreaker for the second year running, but that’s already been discussed, so a tip of the cap goes to Hanover, Pa.’s Dylan Norris for winning hard charger honors in Thursday’s sprint car race. Norris improved from 19th to 12th over 30 laps.
Dirt Racing’s Victim of the Night
There’s no getting around it, Ross’s spin up front while battling for the race lead with Rahmer cost him a surefire top five, if not a race win.
Numbers Game
2
Dirt tracks that ran oval track racing programs in the U.S. Thursday night.
107
Nation’s largest car count Thursday, at North Carolina Speedweek at Fayetteville.
$5,000
The nation’s largest purse awarded Thursday night, to the winner of the Icebreaker at Lincoln.
Up Next: Frontstretch will be back Saturday morning (Feb. 25) with continued coverage of North Carolina Speedweek as well as the opening night of the Bash at the Beach at Southern Raceway in Florida. Coverage can be found on Fayetteville Motor Speedway TV and Hunt the Front TV, respectively.
About the author
Richmond, Virginia native. Wake Forest University class of 2008. Affiliated with Frontstretch since 2008, as of today the site's first dirt racing commentator. Emphasis on commentary. Big race fan, bigger First Amendment advocate.
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