RPW Column: Brent Marks Puts An Exclamation Point On ’22 With Sweep Saturday At BAPS Motor Speedway

Column By: TOM WENNER / RPW – YORK HAVEN, PA – The final outdoor 410 Sprint Car event of the ’22 season is over and Brent Marks puts an exclamation point on his year with a dominating performance.

BAPS Motor Speedway annually closes out the outdoor racing season for Sprint Cars in Newberrytown, PA clay palace.

BAPS Motor Speedway was blessed with unseasonably warm weather that produced a packed grandstand and full pit area of racing competitors looking to break into victory lane 1 one more time in 2022.

20 – 410 Sprint Cars were pitside for racing action, while not a strong number it was laden with talent like race winner Marks, Williams Grove Speedway Champion Danny Dietrich, Lincoln Speedway Champion Fast Freddie Rahmer, NASCAR Star Alex Bowman, World Of Outlaws Star Brock Zearfoss, Lucas Wolfe, Devon Borden and more.

The 410’s put heat in the engines at 300p as scheduled and quickly moved into timed hot laps to set the field for the Final Showdown. Brent Marks was on his game and powered to a new track record of 14.376. The red clay racing surface at BAPS Motor Speedway is so tacky that the Sprint Cars were truly locked down and flying early in the timed Hot Laps portion of the event. Danny Dietrich 14.430 and Lucas Wolfe 14.477 followed Marks in the timed Hot Laps. Brent Marks earned a cool $1000 courtesy of Emory Transmissions, Camp Hill for setting fast time.

The event inverted the Top 4 in time to create lineup for the 410 Sprint Car Heat Races. Danny Dietrich, Devon Borden and Brent Marks scored heat race victories.

The 410 Sprint Cars and Spec 358 Modified classes created a fan favorite event. In 2023 you will be able to see the pairing of these classes at several tracks in central PA. The Lincoln Speedway and Williams Grove Speedway have already scheduled early ’23 events to showcase the best of central PA Sprint Car racing along with the best of PA, NJ, NY and Delaware in Spec 358 Modified racing. The Lincoln Speedway date is March 4, 2023 and the Williams Grove Speedway date is March 31st.

The 18 car 30 lap $6500 to win Final Showdown Sprint Car field was led to the green by Daredevil Devon Borden and Riley Emig. Logan Rumsey was not able to fire the #41 and pulled off.

Devon Borden had the Shuttlesworth-Stehman Racing #23 Sprint Car hooked up and flying out front. Riley Emig, Brent Marks, Danny Dietrich and Lucas Wolfe started the 5 from the green flag. On Lap 2, Brent Marks made his way past Emig and was now looking at the tail tank of the Borden #23 who was quickly getting away out front.

Kassidy Kreitz went pitside on lap 4.

The early laps of the event allowed the 410’s to race at a frantic pace. Devon Borden was setting a quick pace and trying to break away from Brent Marks. As lap 8 was clicked off the lap counter Brent Marks was slowly running down Borden. Danny Dietrich had moved into 3rd and he was gaining on the top 2 away from the rest of the field. Lucas Wolfe, Troy Wagaman Jr. in the Trone 39 was 4th, followed by Riley Emig and Freddie Rahmer.

On Lap 9, Brent Marks pulled a slider on Borden to sneak by for the lead, But Devon Borden was ready for it and powered back by Marks for the lead. 2 laps later, lap #11 Marks was back at the tail tank of the Borden #23 and working up another challenge. Danny Dietrich was not within a 2 car lengths and ready to join this gunfight.

After a few laps of back and forth swaps, Brent Marks cleared the Devon Borden #23 for the race lead on lap 14.

At the halfway point of the race, Brent Marks turned up the wick and was really clicking off quick laps at the point. It is easy to see why they call Brent Marks the “Myerstown Missile” as BAPS Paints #19 was in another time zone. Devon Borden was 2nd, but now facing a fight with Danny Dietrich for that runner-up spot. Lucas Wolfe, Troy Wagaman Jr. Freddie Rahmer, and Riley Emig followed.

On Lap 18 the yellow lights were flashing for the 1st time in the event. Dylan Norris and Riley Emig were collected in turns 1 & 2. Norris started 18th and was up to 8th before getting collected. During this caution Rick Lafferty suffered a mechanical failure that laid down oil virtually all the way around the track. Dylan Norris was not able to fire the #44 and had to retire for the reminder of the race. The track crews applied Speedy Dry to the surface and we were ready to get back to the final 11 laps of the ‘22 410 Sprint Car season ender.

The field was restacked as Brent Marks paced the field, Devon Borden, Danny Dietrich, Troy Wagaman Jr., Lucas Wolfe, Freddie Rahmer, and Kyle Moody.

The green lights were displayed again as Marks quickly moved back out front. Dietrich was side by side with Borden for 2nd as Lucas Wolfe and Freddie Rahmer were side by side for 5th. Borden was able to hold off DD, But Wolfe was able hold off Freddie’s advances.

At the 8 to go point of the race Brent Marks was blasting away from the field while Borden, Dietrich, Wolfe, Wagaman Jr. and Rahmer made up the balance of the Top 5. The Yellow Lights were once again flashing as Riley Emig who slowed on the frontstretch later on lap 8.

The field was again restacked with a 8 lap sprint to the checkered flag. Brent Marks was at the point followed by Devon Borden, Danny Dietrich, Troy Wagaman Jr., Lucas Wolfe, Freddie Rahmer, Kyle Moody, Brock Zearfoss, Cameron Smith, and Alex Bowman.

We were back to racing and once again Brent Marks rocketed away from the field. Danny Dietrich is now applying major pressure to Devon Borden as they go side by side for the bridesmaid spot. Danny D was able to clear Borden this time. Lucas Wolfe made his way by Troy Wagaman Jr. for 4th and Freddie Rahmer is now challenging Wagaman Jr. for 5th.

As starter Galen Kolar drops the 5 to go hand to the field, Brent Marks is out front, But Danny Dietrich is full out blasting after him after getting by Borden. Devon Borden is 3rd with Lucas Wolfe in Hollinger/Allebach #5w and Freddie Rahmer in the RBR #51 now closing in. At the 3 to go mark you could throw a blanket over Borden, Wolfe and Rahmer as they are side by side for positions 3-4-5.

Brent Marks takes the White and Checkered Flags to score the $6500 Final Showdown victory at BAPS Motor Speedway, Danny Dietrich drives home 2nd, Freddie Rahmer moves past Lucas Wolfe and Devon Borden to finish 3rd, Lucas Wolfe gets by for 4th, Devon Borden holds on for 5th, Troy Wagaman Jr. 6th, Kyle Moody 7th, Brock Zearfoss 8th, Cameron Smith 9th and NASCAR star Alex Bowman 10th.

Freddie Rahmer after finishing 3rd on the cool down lap had a mechanical failure in turns 3 & 4 and flipped over. Freddie was ok, but the RBR #51 sustained a bit of damage.