Chase Dietz Scores $12,000 Night Before the 50 Victory at Port Royal

PORT ROYAL, Pa. — Chase Dietz added another major result to an already remarkable 2026 season Friday night, taking the checkered flag at Port Royal Speedway in the Night Before the 50 and collecting a $12,000 payday.

Dietz entered the night with 19 victories already on the board this season, a total that had made him the winningest 410 Sprint Car driver in the country entering Friday. By the end of the 25-lap feature, the Stehman-owned No. 23 was parked in Kish Bank Victory Lane with Dietz celebrating his first Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing victory.

The win did not come without a fight.

Daison Pursley and Ryan Smith led the field to the green, with Smith quickly moving past Pursley on the backstretch to take the opening-lap lead. Dietz worked his way into second and began closing on Smith before taking over the top spot with 21 laps remaining.

Smith stayed within striking distance, and a caution with 17 laps to go gave him another opportunity. On the restart, Smith reclaimed the lead at the start-finish line, but Dietz answered almost immediately, charging back around the outside one lap later to retake control.

The two remained close as the race wound toward its finish before a late incident in Turn 1 changed the complexion of both the feature and the Port Royal track championship battle. Brian Brown lost control of his car and collected Logan Wagner with two laps remaining, bringing out the caution and setting up one final restart.

For Wagner, the crash proved especially costly. He entered the final points race with a 70-point advantage over Smith but had been forced to start at the rear of the field. Wagner had already charged past more than 10 cars before being caught in the incident.

That left Smith needing only to keep his car clean over the final two laps to secure the championship.

On the final restart, Dietz, Smith and Pursley all committed to the bottom of the speedway. Dietz made it work, holding off Smith to claim the victory and the $12,000 winner's share. Smith crossed the line second, which was enough to earn him the 2026 Port Royal Speedway 410 Sprint Car track championship — the first Port Royal track title of his career.

Giovanni Scelzi got by Pursley on the final restart to finish third and complete the podium.

The championship drama was not limited to the Sprint Cars. In the Limited Late Model division, Gunnar Walls got by Andrew Yoder early in the 15-lap feature and went on to score the victory.

Behind him, the title fight swung dramatically. DJ Myers entered the night holding a five-point advantage over Jaxton Garman, but mechanical trouble ended Myers' feature early. Garman kept his car on track, finished sixth and secured the first track championship of his career.

Port Royal Speedway now turns its attention to Saturday night's 59th Annual Tuscarora 50, where one of the biggest prizes of the weekend awaits: $59,000 to the winner.

For Dietz, Friday's victory was another exclamation point on a career-best season — and this time, it came with a High Limit win and a $12,000 check.

Article source: Port Royal Speedway / Brad Strawser
Photo credit: Jeremy Zarfos Photography