9/29/2023
Kody Hartlaub
Hartlaub Back in Victory Lane, Posts Three Top-5’s
Lincoln 358 Season Finale Next Up on October 14th
Abbottstown, PA – September 29, 2023
by Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Mgmt
Photo Credit: Garry Ferguson / WRT Speedwerx
Kody Hartlaub has had far more positives than negatives during his 2023 season. He is a driven individual though, always working hard to eliminate the negatives.
As mid-September arrived, Hartlaub’s last five races had resulted in three top-five finishes. However, there was also a 10th and a 19th along the way. Those are where his mind goes, looking for the lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
With only a few races left on the 2023 docket, Hartlaub was aiming to apply those lessons and make the homestretch of the season as consistent and successful as possible.
QUICK RESULTS
DATE: September 15, 2023
Division: 358 Sprint Cars
Track: Williams Grove Speedway
City, State: Mechanicsburg, PA
Stats: 29 cars, Heat 5th (8), A-main 5th (14)
DATE: September 16, 2023
Division: 358 Sprint Cars
Track: Lincoln Speedway
City, State: Abbottstown, PA
Stats: 28 cars, Heat 1st (2), A-main 1st (8)
DATE: September 22, 2023
Division: 358 Sprint Cars
Track: Williams Grove Speedway
City, State: Mechanicsburg, PA
Stats: 26 cars, Heat 4th (7), A-main 3rd (10)
TOP FIVE THE HARD WAY
Hartlaub has been at or near the top of the Williams Grove Speedway 358 sprint car point standings almost all season. That means his heat races become very important since the handicapping system puts him in the fourth row of the starting lineup and the feature starts heads up based on heat race finishes.
With 29 cars on hand on September 15th, Hartlaub got off on the right foot by driving from 8th to 5th in his heat race to earn the 14th starting spot in the main event.
That was the first step. Now came the longer, harder step.
In the 25-lap A-main, Hartlaub once again moved forward quickly. By lap five he was inside the top ten. He continued to methodically chip his way toward the front, cracking the top five with eight laps remaining. The progress stalled there, but Hartlaub walked away with a hard-earned top-five finish, passing a combined 12 cars on the night to get it done.
REACHING THE SUMMIT AGAIN
In what has been a stellar season, it’s hard to believe Hartlaub has not found victory lane since May at Lincoln Speedway. It becomes a tall order after handicapping systems kick in. The East Berlin, PA driver finally conquered that challenge on September 16 to reach the summit, otherwise known as victory lane, for the third time in 2023.
The pill draw put Hartlaub on the front row for his heat race, which he efficiently converted into a heat race victory. Lincoln’s format then places the top three finishers from each heat race into a handicap format to line up the feature.
That’s when Hartlaub’s work really started Saturday night. From the 8th starting spot, with only twenty laps to accomplish the feat, he guided the J Fuels, Brewer Home Improvements, Moose Blocks, Smith Titanium, SRR Engines, Siegel Racing, T&N Solutions, Inch & Co. Real Estate, Bigham Appraisals, Pretzel Boy, HAAS Shocks, Chop Designs, Herr Electric, Hartlaub’s Furniture, Kody Hartlaub Racing No.95 toward the front.
After a shuffle of positions during the opening three circuits, Hartlaub settled into 4th on lap four. With a combination of patience and aggressive moves, he continued to gain a spot every few laps, reaching the runner-up spot on lap twelve.
Two laps later, Hartlaub took command of the race and never relinquished the lead, winning by 1.812 seconds over veteran Frankie Herr.
“This one is really satisfying. Winning is winning. It’s hard no matter where you start, but this is the deepest in the field we have won from. Passing so many good cars to get it done feels really good.“, Hartlaub said.
“Last time we were here we hit on something that helps us at the end of the night and later in the race when the track is getting worn out. We went 10th to 2nd that night and maybe could have had a shot (to win) if we had gotten a late caution. Tonight we were good again and the cautions felt right for us.“
'A' FOR EFFORT
Hartlaub returned to Williams Grove Speedway on September 22nd for his final shot to check off one of his 2023 goals, his first victory at the legendary Pennsylvania oval.
Just like the week before, Hartlaub started his work with a plus-3 in the heat race, climbing from 7th to 4th during the 8-lap qualifier.
He followed that up with a 4th-place run from the 10th starting spot in the 20-lap finale.
It took Hartlaub half the race to move forward. He held the 10th spot until finally gaining some track position on lap eleven when he claimed 7th. One lap later he took 6th.
With five laps remaining, Hartlaub cracked the top five, then raced his way into 4th a few laps later. He finished 3rd, just 0.222 seconds out of 2nd.
“The one box I didn’t check this year that I really wanted was a win at Williams Grove. We have been really consistent and we came close to getting that first win here but didn’t get it done.“, Harlaub said. “I couldn’t ask for much more though. We have been fast and competitive everywhere, all year long.“
“The 358s have fewer races here, so one bad night hurts more. I messed up a few weeks ago and caused our one bad night here this year. That might have cost us the championship but I want to say congrats to Doug (Hammaker). He was really good all year. He earned the championship.“
Friday’s race was the last of the 2023 season for the 358 sprint cars at the legendary Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania oval. Hartlaub finished an impressive 2nd in the championship point standings, logging seven top-fives and only one finish outside the top ten in nine races.
REFLECTING
Hartlaub’s consistency and performance level have stood out in recent weeks. Analysis of the three races since mid-September shows he has moved forward every time he has hit the track, passing a whopping total of 30 cars combined in heat and feature competition.
Just two years ago Hartlaub had one car, one engine, one of most parts, and was just trying to get to the track each week. He talked about building depth and doing the work on and off the track to earn the trust of additional marketing partners. He talked about winning multiple races in a season and maybe a championship.
As 2023 comes to a close, with the championship already secured at Lincoln Speedway, Hartlaub has accomplished all of those things. It didn’t come easy. He has worked on every aspect of his team from the shop, to the cockpit, to marketability.
“How our program has grown over 2022-2023 is insane. We have reached the goals we set. We have two cars, two motors, and extra parts, plus we added J Fuels this year. Now we are working on new goals for 2024.“, Hartlaub shared.
UP NEXT
Hartlaub’s season is winding down. The team has opted to conclude their 410 sprint car schedule but they do have one more 358 sprint car start on the schedule.
That will come October 14th at Lincoln Speedway where Hartlaub is aiming to close out the season with back to back victories, just like he kicked off the season.
SEASON STATS
358 SPRINTS: 23 races, 3 wins, 15 top 5’s, 20 top 10’s, 21 top 15’s
410 SPRINTS: 6 races, 0 wins, 1 top 5’s, 2 top 10’s, 4 top 15’s
TRIVIA QUESTION
The answer to last week’s trivia question is Kody Hartlaub says his best memory in racing is his first 358 sprint car win, which came on August 21, 2021!
Now, on to this week’s question. Thus far in 2023, Kody has raced 23 times in his 358 sprint car and amassed 15 top-five finishes. In 2022, he competed in 23 races. How many top-five finishes did he have last season?
Find the answer in the next press release!
KODY HARTLAUB RACING
Follow Kody’s season at: A2DPR.com/latest-news
Kody Hartlaub Racing on Facebook: Facebook.com/KodyHartlaubRacing
Kody Hartlaub on Twitter: Twitter.com/KodyHartlaub
Broadcast coverage of select Lincoln Speedway events is available at FloRacing.com
Broadcast coverage of Williams Grove Speedway events is available at DirtVision.com
THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS!
The entire team would like to express their appreciation to all their partners for the support during the 2023 racing season!
J Fuels
Brewer Home Improvements, LLC
MooseBlocks.com
Smith Titanium
SRR Engines
Siegel Racing
T and N Solutions
Inch & Co. Real Estate
Bigham Appraisal
Pretzel Boy
HAAS Shocks
Chop Designs
Herr Electric
Hartlaub’s Furniture, Inc.
Article Credit: Addicted2Dirt PR
