7/10/2024
Kody Hartlaub
Hartlaub’s Breakout Performance: Five Top-Ten Finishes in PA Speedweek, 410 Rookie Earns Top-Five in Points
Selinsgrove, PA – July 10, 2024
by Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Mgmt
Photo Credit: Jeremy Zarfos / WRT Speedwerx
Consider these facts. Before the 2024 Pennsylvania Speedweek, Kody Hartlaub had fewer than 30 races under his belt in a winged 410 sprint car. Nearly a dozen of those were before this season and had been scattered randomly, providing no real consistent learning opportunity.
Hartlaub’s 410 starts had all been made at four different tracks. On just six occasions the New Berlin, PA driver raced a 410 sprint car on back-to-back nights and never more than that.
On June 29th, Hartlaub embarked on ten straight nights of racing known as Pennsylvania Speedweek. Oh and, did we mention he has a day job? It would be a grind like he had never faced before and it would include three tracks he had never raced before at any level.
A rookie can’t become a veteran in ten days but it is certainly possible for a rookie to learn a ton and take a giant step forward, assuming he or she is up to the task. It certainly appears Hartlaub was up to it.
QUICK RESULTS
DATE: June 28, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 1
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
Stats: 34 cars, Group B Qualifying 5th, Heat 2nd (2), A-main 16th (9)
DATE: June 30, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 3
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: BAPS Motor Speedway, York Haven, PA
Stats: 36 cars, Group A Qualifying 1st, Heat 3rd (4), A-main 10th (6)
DATE: July 1, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 4
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: Lincoln Speedway, Abbottstown, PA
Stats: 36 cars, Group B Qualifying 5th, Heat 1st (2), A-main 3rd (1)
DATE: July 2, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 5
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: Grandview Speedway, Bechtelsville, PA
Stats: 24 cars, Qualifying 6th, Heat 2nd (1), A-main 9th (9)
DATE: July 3, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 6
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA
Stats: 39 cars, Group B Qualifying 14th, Heat 8th (8), B-main 8th (11)
DATE: July 4, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 7
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, MD
Stats: 31 cars, Qualifying 4th, Heat 1st (1), A-main 8th (5)
DATE: July 5, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 8
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
Stats: 32 cars, Group B Qualifying 8th, Heat 4th (3), A-main 14th (15)
DATE: July 6, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 9
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA
Stats: 39 cars, Group A Qualifying 7th, Heat 7th (3), B-main 4th (1), A-main 20th (24)
DATE: July 7, 2024
Event: PA Speedweek – Night 10
Division: 410 Sprint Cars
Location: Selinsgrove Speedway, Selinsgrove, PA
Stats: 23 cars, Qualifying 2nd, Heat 1st (1), A-main 8th (1)
OPENING VOLLEY
The opening weekend of the 2024 edition of PA Speedweek was scheduled for the three tracks where Hartlaub had the most experience: Williams Grove, Lincoln, and BAPS Motor Speedways. That was a plus for the Littlestown, PA native.
On opening night, Hartlaub posted the 5th quickest time in Group B and a 2nd place finish in his heat race, providing himself with a starting spot inside the top ten. He slid backward a little but still posted a very respectable 16th-place finish.
Hartlaub noted before Speedweek that he was still learning the intense pace of a 410 feature and acknowledged how even the smallest mistake can cost a driver multiple positions. It was obvious as Speedweek unfolded that held true on a few occasions for him.
After Saturday night’s action was rained out at Lincoln Speedway, the series moved to BAPS Motor Speedway where Hartlaub grabbed everyone’s attention by ripping off the fastest lap of the night in qualifying. He kept the momentum up with a 3rd place finish in his heat race and a top-ten finish in the A-main.
Monday night at Lincoln Speedway, his home track, Hartlaub showed he had the experience he needed there to compete. He qualified 5th quick, won his heat race, and finished 3rd in the feature.
UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY
At this point in the week, Hartlaub was 6th in points and it appeared he would be a factor in PA Speedweek, but would the next phase of the series on unfamiliar turf tell a different story for the 410 rookie?
Hartlaub seemed to answer that question quickly Tuesday night at Grandview Speedway when he clocked in 6th quickest overall and claimed a runner-up finish in his heat race. He didn’t falter in the A-main either, bringing home a 9th-place finish. It might have been the night some folks, if they weren’t already, became believers.
Port Royal Speedway on Wednesday took a little wind out of Hartlaub’s sails. Although he had a few laps under his belt at ‘The Speed Palace’, they weren’t much to go on and they came in different cars. He qualified 14th in Group B and finished 8th in his heat, both low points of the week thus far.
The team corrected a left front shock issue after the heat race which made the car better for the B-main but it wasn’t enough and Hartlaub’s night ended in 8th place in the consolation race.
Thursday was a new day. Hartlaub shook off the disappointing night and rolled south to Hagerstown, MD for night seven of PA Speedweek. Again he faced a new track and again he impressed immediately.
Hartlaub qualified 4th quickest overall and took the win in his heat race over Anthony Macri who started alongside the Trone No.39 on the front row.
The qualifying efforts earned the 5th starting spot for Hartlaub in the 30-lap finale. Although he lost a few spots, an 8th-place finish was a great result under the circumstances.
The run also put Hartlaub in 5th in the PA Speedweek point standings with three races remaining.
BRING IT HOME
Back on more familiar turf Friday night a Williams Grove, Hartlaub turned in a respectable lap that put him 8th fastest in Group B. A 4th place finish in his heat race put him 15th in the starting lineup for the $20,000-to-win Mitch Smith Memorial.
Hartlaub dropped back as far as 17th in the early going but rebounded for a 14th-place finish.
The remaining two races at Port Royal and Selinsgrove Speedways would test Hartlaub to hang on to a top-five points position. As documented, Port Royal was the lone blemish on his week thus far and Selinsgrove would be another brand-new facility for him.
Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway, Hartlaub showed improvement over his previous outing there by clicking off the 7th-best lap in Group A qualifying to earn the 3rd starting spot in his heat race. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned in that qualifying race and he slid backwards to a 7th place finish.
Hartlaub recovered by transferring to the feature through the B-main with a 4th-place finish. After starting 24th, he went the full 30 laps to record a 20th-place finish. It was a small victory for Hartlaub, who had never been able to get a full night under his belt at the Juniata County Fairgrounds oval.
By the time the series reached Sunday’s finale at Selinsgrove Speedway, there was probably no reason for anyone to be surprised when Hartlaub qualified 2nd quick overall in his first competitive laps ever on the track. There’s a chance there were raised eyebrows though when he backed it up by winning his heat race.
In the redraw, Hartlaub pulled the pole. He raced inside the top five until nearly the halfway mark, then slipped a couple of spots to wind up 8th in the final rundown. It was his 5th top-ten finish in nine Speedweek races and it was his 8th top-ten finish in his last twelve races in the Trone Outdoor No.39.
Hartlaub earned 5th in the final series points. He also earned a lot of respect and numerous fans in the process.
It’s going to be a fun second half of 2024 to watch and no one will be surprised when Hartlaub parks the No.39 in victory lane. The only question is when and where will it happen.
“Pennsylvania Speedweek was ten days of pure hard work and dedication to a sport we all love. I had the opportunity to race at three new tracks and keep learning this 410 thing. Overall I consider this a great week with 1 quick time, 3 heat race wins, and 5 top-ten feature finishes.”, Hartlaub commented.
“With this being my rookie 410 season there is always room for improvement but I am super proud to finish 5th overall in Speedweek points. I want to thank John Trone, Kevin Frey, Barry Jacobs, Kevin And Stacy Hartlaub, Pat Brewer, Audrey Hartlaub, Austin Funk, Justin Reece, Patrick McCole, Mike McDonald, Jimmy O’Brien, Jessica O’Brien, and everyone else who helped this entire week.”
“I also want to send a huge thank you to our partners who make this all possible: Trone Outdoor, J Fuels, Brewer Home Improvements, Moose Blocks, Bigham Appraisals, T&N Solutions and Griffith Plumbing Services. My partners have stuck with me through this transition and I greatly appreciate that.”
UP NEXT
Hartlaub and the Trone Outdoor No.39 team will return to their regular weekly cadence this week, competing at Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night July 12th and Lincoln Speedway Saturday night, July 13th.
SEASON STATS
29 races, 0 wins, 3 top 5’s, 10 top 10’s, 19 top 15’s, 25 top 20
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
J Fuels, a locally owned and operated business known as South Central PA’s Best Choice for Propane. Founded in 2015 by owners Jimmy O’Brien Jr. and JR Facciola, strives to provide fuel to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers across south-central Pennsylvania. After initially only providing propane, they expanded in 2016 into the home heating oil and off road diesel business.
They pride themselves in their customer service and they promise to work with customers to help them understand all of their options to help save them money, not only now, but in the future as well.
J Fuels does it all: Commercial Service and Residential Service. Why people choose J Fuels? They provide 24/7 emergency delivery, competitive pricing, and fast & friendly service.
J Fuels is committed to providing their customers with excellent customer service to earn their respect and loyalty, and to provide prompt service with a quality product at a competitive price. They pride themselves on honesty and integrity and they firmly believe that you will see the difference when you choose J Fuels.
They take pride in getting to know their customers as more than just a number on an invoice and they are striving to bring honesty and integrity back, one customer at a time. Their staff is a fully trained team of experts ready to meet your needs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and they are fully licensed, certified, and insured.
Call them today at 717-547-5427 for a free quote and get a free safety check when you sign up for automatic delivery service.
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 High Limit Racing events, Port Royal Speedway events and select Lincoln Speedway events is available at FloRacing.com.
Broadcast coverage of World of Outlaw events and Williams Grove Speedway events is available at DirtVision.com.
Broadcast coverage of 410 sprint car events at BAPS Motor Speedway is available at SprintCarUnlimited.tv
THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS!
The entire team would like to express their appreciation to all their partners for their support during the 2024 racing season!
Brewer Home Improvements, LLC
J Fuels
MooseBlocks.com
Bigham Appraisal
Griffith Plumbing Services
T and N Solutions
Smith Titanium
Herr Electric
Siegel Racing 59
Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Mgmt
Pretzel Boy
Barbie Miller, Realtor
KH Suspension
Don Ott Racing Engines
Pruitt Innovation & Technologies
AL Driveline
DMI Performance
SpeedComm
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Addicted2Dirt PR and Media Management provides personal and powerful dirt motorsports public relations. We are a central Pennsylvania-based business with a love of and passion for dirt racing and the people who make the sport what it is.
We keep fans engaged with your story through our personalized press releases
We promote your marketing partners to give them the value they want for their investment
We increase driver & team visibility to reach more fans and potential marketing partners
We present the polished, professional image that marketing partners want to represent them
We leverage our audience and business model to achieve all of the above
Visit our website, A2DPR.com, to learn more about us and follow along with the stories of our race teams!
Follow A2D on Social Media! We are @Addicted2DirtPR on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok! Follow hashtag #TeamA2D!
And of course, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel so you are always notified of our latest video features, recaps, and stories for #TeamA2D!
Contact us via Email at: Rich@A2DPR.com
Article Credit: Addicted2Dirt PR
