Butler Rim-rides to SpeedSTR Win; Carber’s 6th Victory Clinches Title at The Speedway at Pagoda MC
Hahn Nets First All Star Triumph; McNichol is Junior Slingshot Victor
Birdsboro, PA (August 9)— The final night of the “regular season” at The Speedway at Pagoda Motorcycle Club saluted some repeat winners and crowned a few champions.
The Sunday, August 9 racing program had Bobby Butler rim-riding his way to a third triumph of the season in the River Valley Builders SpeedSTR feature, while “Big Money” Brian Carber charged to his sixth victory of the campaign in the A-main for the Hyper Racing 600 Sprints. In the process, Carber clinched the point title and became the first-ever 600 Sprint Champion at the track near Birdsboro, PA.
Dylan Hahn captured his first Speedway at Pagoda feature win in the All Star Slingshots Speedweek finale, and Landon McNichol netted his their Pagoda win of the year in the feature for the Junior Slingshots. When points were tallied after their respective A-mains, Brett Bieber was recognized as this season’s All Star Slingshot Speedweek Champion, and Aubrey Romig notched the Junior Slingshot Speedweek Championship.
The next time four-wheeled thunder takes to the D-shaped Demon at Pagoda MC will be Saturday and Sunday, October 17 & 18, when it hosts World Championship Weekend for the River Valley Builders SpeedSTRs. The following weekend, its a three-day gauntlet of events for the All Star and Junior Slingshots when they take part in their World Championship Weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 23, 24, & 25.
“My car was so good from the time we unloaded tonight; we didn’t touch it all night,” exclaimed Milford, NJ’s Bobby Butler after his victory in the 30 lap SpeedSTR main.
As Steven Drevicki and Scott Houdeshell battled for the race lead in the early stages, Butler was ripping the lip and advancing quickly from his 12th starting spot. Hot on his heels was 14th starter (and point leader) Tim Buckwalter.
Butler broke into the top five on the third trip around the red clay, and he was the runner-up to Drevicki on lap six. With his high line blocked by other cars, he had to dip to the bottom groove to get by Houdeshell for second place.
“Yeah, I could run the bottom, but I felt like I was so good on top that I didn’t want to give it up. I just hooked the right-rear on the cushion and let ‘er rip,” stated Butler.
The Short Load Concrete No. 04 went back to the top shelf and roared past Drevicki to grab the top spot on the eighth revolution. Buckwalter soon found himself in the second position, but Butler had already checked out.
With Butler in firm command of the 30 lap affair, Buckwalter had to deal with Dustin Morris during the second half of the race. The duo fought side by side for several tours, with Morris working the bottom and Buckwalter utilizing the high groove. They traded the silver medal position numerous times as their scuffle went right down to the checkered flag.
At the finish, it was Butler blasting to his third Pagoda MC win of 2026, with Morris nipping Buckwalter for runner-up honors. Earl Paules ran a solid race and ended up fourth, with Dan Lane Jr. completing the top five.
A field of 30 Hyper Racing 600 Sprints entered their season finale at The Speedway at Pagoda MC on Sunday. That contingent was pared down to 24 when the feature went green, and pole sitter Evan Nolf paced the first couple revolutions.
Tim Buckwalter zipped past Nolf for the top spot as lap three was scored, and just a few circuits later sixth-starting Dylan Kontra throttled into second place. As Buckwalter began to encounter the back of the pack, Kontra was able to close the gap between himself and the leader. The first 17 tours of the 25 lapper went clean and green, and Kontra was within striking distance when the first caution flag appeared with just eight laps remaining.
Connor Gross was sitting third for the restart, and tenth-starter Brian Carber was on the outside of row two. When the green waved once again, it became a four-car battle royal for the lead as Carber and Gross attempted to unseat Buckwalter and Kontra at the head of the field. Carber, from Pipersville, PA, had his nose in front when lap 19 was scored. A half-lap later, on the backstretch, Buckwalter mounted a huge run just as Gross drifted up slightly to set himself for turn three. He had no idea that Buckwalter was closing rapidly until the two cars touched, sending Buckwalter into a violent series of barrel rolls that culminated at the end of the back chute. Fortunately, Buckwalter was able to climb out of his badly wounded No. 71.
On the restart, Gross was able to hang with Carber as the race entered its final chapter. Gross even threw a slider on the No. 39L and led the 21st lap. But Carber returned the favor on the next revolution, then pulled away to record his sixth Pagoda triumph of the season and wrap up the point championship in the 600 Sprint class.
Gross, who was visibly upset about the contact with Buckwalter after the race, maintained his composure and held on for second place money. “I hate it; Tim and I always race great with each other. I just had no clue that he was there until I felt his car. I’m just glad he is okay,” said Gross.
Kontra survived a late race scrum with Vince Gueci to snare the final spot on the podium, while Gueci and Kenny Miller III rounded out the top five.
Dylan Hahn, from Nazareth, PA, had to pass two of the top All Star Slingshot competitors in order to record his first Speedway at Pagoda triumph.
He wrestled the runner-up spot from Brett Bieber on the third circuit, then stalked race leader (and three time winner this year) EJ Hatch before making his move and snaring the point on the sixth trip around the D-shaped Demon.
Hahn flew to the victory over Hatch, with Bieber fending off challenges from Brayden Ketchum to earn third place pay. Darian Danyluk finished fifth.
By virtue of his third place effort, Bieber wrapped up the All Star Slingshot Speedweek Championship over Hatch and Hahn.
Hellertown, PA’s Landon McNichol emerged from a four-wide battle on the opening lap to lead all the way in the 15 lap Junior Slingshot main.
Anthony Dinatale drove from his seventh starting position to grab the runner-up slot on lap six, and Joey Osowski passed Aubrey Romig for third just before the halfway mark of the race.
A yellow with two to go did not alter the outcome, as McNichol powered to the win, his third of the year at Pagoda.
Dinatale wound up second with Osowski, Romig, and Kylin Evans making up the top five.
Romig’s fourth place finish, combined with Junior Slingshot Speedweek point leader Brayden Stratton’s eighth place result, vaulted the Mertztown, PA wheel-twister to the Speedweek title for the Junior Slingers.
RESULTS:
River Valley Builders SpeedSTR Feature, 30 laps: 1. 04-Bobby Butler[12]; 2. 15-Dustin Morris[10]; 3. 52-Tim Buckwalter[14]; 4. 8-Earl Paules[9]; 5. 25X-Dan Lane Jr[7]; 6. 1-Steven Drevicki[1]; 7. 27-Jase Smith[3]; 8. 7-Cale Zangli[5]; 9. 04M-Mike Butler[15]; 10. 5S-Scott Houdeshell[2]; 11. 23-Aidan Svanda[6]; 12. 96-John Anderika[11]; 13. 28-Brad Arnold[8]; 14. 21R-John Repsik[4]. (DNS) 86-Kenny Miller III.
Hyper Racing 600 Sprints Feature, 25 laps: 1. 39L-Brian Carber[10]; 2. 14C-Connor Gross[9]; 3. 12-Dylan Kontra[6]; 4. 09-Vincent Gueci[7]; 5. 23M-Kenny Miller III[17]; 6. Z17-Michael Nolf[2]; 7. 86-Adam Buchel[4]; 8. 7-Shelby McLaughlin[5]; 9. Z29-Evan Nolf[1]; 10. 21-Zach Curtis[16]; 11. 13-Wayne Scott[20]; 12. 88-Billy Calvert[8]; 13. 17-Cole Perez[12]; 14. 22-Chase Wehr[14]; 15. 12J-Jacob Homnick[11]; 16. 86L-Rhett Long[15]; 17. 21X-Jason Kulp[21]; 18. 30S-Dominic Slesinski[19]; 19. 65Z-Jake Fisher[18]; 20. 12B-Amanda Buchel[22]; 21. 71-Tim Buckwalter[3]; 22. 24M-Brody Miller[23]; 23. 3S-Nathan Smith[13]; 24. 12T-Tucker Gordner[24].
DNQ: Hunter Wise, Ethan Irons, Lily Barrett, Tyler Caldwell, Amari Robinson, Nate Freed.
Speedway Entertainment All Star Slingshots, 25 laps: 1. 42H-Dylan Hahn[3]; 2. 50-EJ Hatch[1]; 3. 32-Brett Bieber[2]; 4. 15K-Brayden Ketchum[5]; 5. 72-Darian Danyluk[8]; 6. 1-Lilly Esterly[11]; 7. 5-Chase See[14]; 8. 11-Colton Lineman[4]; 9. 16K-Hannah Kormann[23]; 10. 112-Brian Smith[13]; 11. 12SR-Dan Lane Jr[7]; 12. 55B-Barry Seaman[12]; 13. 6B-Brett Putnam[28]; 14. 12JR-Haley Thunberg[25]; 15. 92-Carl Taylor[15]; 16. 38-Charlie Moore[6]; 17. 18-Mackenzie Henn[22]; 18. 2K-Colby Knappenberger[20]; 19. 8DS-Darren Shenk[19]; 20. 10R-Riley Maguire[21]; 21. 14C-Mike Clark[17]; 22. 77-Daniel Betz[16]; 23. 9H-Ryan Hablow[27]; 24. C19-Chad Kohler[24]; 25. 55A-Amanda Angstadt[18]; 26. 21H-Hunter Handelong[9]; 27. USA1-Mason Lineman[10]. (DNS) 85-Jason Dufel.
Speedway Entertainment Junior Slingshots, 15 laps: 1. 72-Landon McNichol[2]; 2. 00-Anthony Dinatale[7]; 3. 02-Joey Osowski[1]; 4. 10S-Aubrey Romig[3]; 5. 14K-Kylin Evans[10]; 6. 23G-Gavin Wolfe[5]; 7. 5M-MJ Tralies[11]; 8. 18B-Brayden Stratton[6]; 9. 10K-Kenna Evans[8]; 10. 5A-Anna Strachko[9]; 11. 79-Khloe Dennis[12]; 12. C19-TJ Crone[13]; 13. 38-Kaleb Stofflet[15]; 14. 942-Braden Sier[4]; 15. 16B-Brody Jennings[14].
[PHOTO by Mike Knappenberger]
