Archive for category: Kody Hartlaub

Kody Hartlaub scored his first 410 sprint car win Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway.  The victory drew emotions from Hartlaub, who has worked hard to achieve his lifelong goal.

The East Berlin, PA, second-year 410 pilot led the 25-lap A-main wire-to-wire, then soaked it all in during a cool-down lap, and climbed from the cockpit to celebrate by climbing to the top of his mount to acknowledge the crowd.

After the race, the emotion of the moment and the achievement were still evident in his voice as he spoke, sharing details of not only his night but the journey that brought him to that moment.

“Racing a Sprintcar has been a dream of mine ever since I understood what racing was. I grew up in a racing family on both my mother’s and father’s sides.  From R/C cars to go-karts to micros, sprintcars were always the one division I never thought I’d be able to reach,” Hartlaub shared.

“Fast forward through multiple 358 wins, a championship, and plenty of challenges along the way—I can finally say we won a 410 sprintcar race!”

Hartlaub put it all together Friday night.  He turned in a solid time trial lap and heat race performance, then executed 25 flawless laps from his starting spot outside the front row.

Hartlaub held veteran T.J. Stutts at bay throughout the event, including a restart and lapped traffic to claim his first win at Williams Grove Speedway in any division.

“I focused on hitting my marks.  There wasn’t as much grip when I got off the top, so I had to time it right when I caught lapped cars so I could keep my rhythm and momentum.” Hartlaub explained.

“I sure wish my family were here.  My wife and daughter are at home.  I can’t wait to celebrate with them.”

“It’s impossible to list and thank everyone who has been part of this journey, but I can’t thank each of you enough.  To my parents, my wife for putting up with the racing lifestyle, my family, Pat Brewer for making sure we always have what we need, my crew—Justin, Austin, and Lane—for busting your asses every week preparing the car, my friends at the track, and especially all the sponsors who support me THANK YOU,” Hartlaub posted on social media.

“Brewer Home Improvements/Pat Brewer, J Fuels, Bigham Appraisal, Griffith Plumbing Services, Moose Blocks, T&N Solutions/Travis Lobb, Herr Electric, Smith Titanium, Thomas Wells Paving Inc, Siegel Racing 59, Pretzel Boy, Pruitt Innovation & Technologies, Don Ott Racing Engines, AL Driveline, DMI Performance, Speed Comm, Factory Emlet Powder Coating, Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management, and Hartlaub’s Furniture Inc., I sincerely appreciate and thank you all for your support.”

“This place (Williams Grove) is tough to drive.  It’s unique, and you have to get some experience to get good at it.  I want to thank John Trone for the opportunity to drive his car last season, because that gave me a lot of laps around this place.”

Following Friday’s victory, Hartlaub received congratulations in person and by phone from numerous fellow competitors, a sure sign of respect earned from accomplished veterans with names like Macri, Pittman, Zearfoss, Ross, Dietrich, and Stutts.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Hartlaub seems to have a proven approach.  He built his 358 sprint car team in a similar fashion.  He steadily grew his resources, mixing full seasons with limited schedules as necessary, and refined his skills behind the wheel until the wins came.  That led to a championship.

Now nearing the completion of his second full season in 410 sprint cars, there are signs of parallels.  By that measure, he may even be ahead of schedule

“410 sprint car racing is such a huge step up.  The level of competition is on another level.  It’s a mind game.  Everything has to be perfect.  I have been working on my mental game, and as a team, we have been constantly working on every aspect of our program,” Hartlaub commented.

“It has always been said you have to lose a couple before you win one.  Going through that is tough.  You battle your own confidence, wondering if you really belong at this level.  It’s not about proving it to others, it’s about proving to yourself that you can do it.  That you can win at this level.”

“It is also often said you don’t really know who you are as a 410 driver until year four or five because there is so much to learn and so much experience needed to get good at it.  In our area, Troy Wagaman is a good example.  He reached those years of his career and really started to run well week in and week out.”

In his first fifteen races this season, Hartlaub didn’t record any top-five finishes; however, in his last ten races, he has three.  It’s a good time of the year to be hitting your stride, especially in Central Pennsylvania, with big races coming up in the home stretch of the season.

“Justin is figuring out what I need, and I am figuring out how to give feedback in a way that helps him.  We are really starting to click together.  As a result, we are putting full nights together,” Harlaub shared when asked about the improvement.

“It’s true that the more you race, the more you figure out and the better you get, but it’s also true that time off now and then to clear your head and rest can be just as helpful.  A good example for us is Speedweek this year.  We raced a lot.  We struggled, but we learned a lot.  After that, we took some time off.  Since we came back, we’ve definitely been better.”

So how does Hartlaub measure success in the next chapter now that he, Pat Brewer and the rest of the NinetyFive Motorsports team have checked off the box next to ‘first 410 win’?

“We don’t put numbers on things, like aiming for a certain number of wins or top-fives.  Success for us is to put ourselves in a position to compete for wins every time out and put our best effort together for full nights every time.  That’s it.  If we do that, the stats will take care of themselves,” Hartlaub said.

RECENT RESULTS (starting position in parentheses)

• Date/Location:  July 18, 2025 / Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Results:  Qualifying 3rd, Heat 1st (1), A-main 3rd (3)

• Date/Location:  July 23, 2025 / BAPS Motor Speedway, York Haven, PA
  • Results:  Group Qualifying 11th, Heat 9th (6), B-main 14th (?)

• Date/Location:  August 1, 2025 / Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Results:  Heat 3rd (6), A-main 13th (8)

• Date/Location:  August 9, 2025 / Lincoln Speedway, Abbottstown, PA
  • Results:  Qualifying 7th, Heat 1st (1), A-main 10th (6)

• Date/Location:  August 15, 2025 / Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
  • Results:  Group Qualifying 3rd, Heat 2nd (3), A-main 1st (2)

With the Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek on the horizon, Kody Hartlaub is gearing up for arguably the most challenging stretch of the season—a 10-day, 10-race trial that demands both endurance and attention to detail.

Hartlaub is entering this year’s Speedweek with a balanced perspective on his season so far. His goal this season was top-ten finishes, which he has achieved, but to a lesser degree than he’d like.  As a result, there remains a strong desire for improvement and consistency.  Last month, the East Berlin (PA) driver was transparent in sharing that his cars were better than he had been and he felt he needed to improve behind the wheel.

Hartlaub’s recent showing at Williams Grove was a confidence-booster and validation that his efforts to improve his skills behind the wheel are working.  He executed what he considers the best 30 laps he has ever run at the legendary oval.  It came against a highly competitive field with the All Star Circuit of Champions in town to challenge the PA Posse.  The run earned him a 10th-place finish out of 40 contenders.

It was a solid result, but it also demonstrates how a driver and team can do everything right and still not get exactly the result they desire.  The sport is tough.  It makes teams feel like they have to be great just to get good results.  That’s why Hartlaub and his team work so hard on their program, down to the smallest details.

RECENT RESULTS

CONFIDENT PREPARATION

Entering his second Speedweek, Hartlaub carries the confidence of experience.

“Because of racing so much now, I’m not anxious about new tracks. I just attack it like it’s another race,” he reflects, underscoring the maturity and composure he brings into the high-pressure environment. This familiarity, however, doesn’t imply complacency, as Hartlaub keenly focuses on each race as an opportunity to further refine his approach.

After competing in his first PA Speedweek in 2024 in the seat of the Trone Outdoor No.39, a notable change this year is that he will be competing in the NinetyFive Motorsports, Brewer Home Improvements, J Fuels, Bigham Appraisal, Moose Blocks, Griffith Plumbing Services, T&N Solutions No.95 owned by Pat Brewer and Hartlaub.

“This year I’ll be off work the whole week and I’ll be hands-on with the car.”, Hartlaub shared.

He and the team will take care of daily maintenance, handle motor swaps when necessary, and generally make sure they are prepared each night when they unload.

“It’s a lot for Pat, Justin, Austin, Lane, my dad (Kevin), and me to keep everything operating smoothly with the pace you have to keep to race ten times in ten days, but we will be ready.”, Hartlaub added.

Consistency remains the key pillar of Hartlaub’s ambitions for Speedweek. Recalling his fifth-place finish in last year’s Speedweek points standings, he aims to build on this foundation, continuing to target top ten finishes with an eye on the top five.

Speedweek isn’t all about those ten days, though.  A significant part of being successful is the planning and preparation that occur over the many weeks leading up to the series.

“We are being smart about which motor to run where. If things go as planned, we’ll only need to change motors twice during the ten races.”, Hartlaub said.

Hartlaub is poised to be a factor night in and night out throughout the series. Speedweek could be the turning point of Hartlaub’s season, helping him break through to more consistent top-ten finishes and more top fives.

UP NEXT

Hartlaub will kick off the 2025 Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek at Williams Grove Speedway on June 27th.  Be sure to stop by the NinetyFive Motorsports team souvenir trailer and pick up your Kody Hartlaub merchandise to show your support!  The full series schedule is listed below.

1. Jun-27 Williams Grove Speedway
2. Jun-28 Lincoln Speedway
3. Jun-29 BAPS Motor Speedway
4. Jun-30 Lincoln Speedway
5. Jul-1 Grandview Speedway
6. Jul-2 Port Royal Speedway
7. Jul-3 Hagerstown Speedway
8. Jul-4 Williams Grove Speedway
9. Jul-5 Port Royal Speedway
10. Jul-6 Path Valley Speedway

TRIBUTE REMINDER

As we prepare for the excitement of Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek, it’s important to remember the special tribute and fundraiser organized by J Fuels in collaboration with NinetyFive Motorsports in honor of the Late Patrolman Andrew William Duarte.

This meaningful event, beginning at BAPS Motor Speedway on June 29th, will feature a commemorative wing adorned with Patrolman Duarte’s details, highlighting his service and dedication.

Fans are encouraged to participate in a raffle to win this special wing, with proceeds supporting the Officer Andrew Duarte Memorial Fund. For a detailed overview of this heartfelt initiative and how you can contribute to honoring Patrolman Duarte’s legacy, please click the title below to visit the original press release:

J Fuels and NinetyFive Motorsports to Honor the Late Patrolman Andrew Duarte (or copy/paste this URL https://addicted2dirtpr.com/j-fuels-and-ninetyfive-motorsports-to-honor-duarte/)

Join us and the racing community in making a positive impact while celebrating the life of a true local hero.