Archive for category: Kody Hartlaub

Kody Hartlaub has had one of the most consistent seasons a driver and team could ask for during the 2022 season in the 358 sprint car division in Central Pennsylvania.

That doesn’t mean anything came easy.  There have been plenty of nights that were an uphill climb.  The East Berlin, PA driver and his team never quit though, no matter the situation.  They battled to the end each night, passed a ton of cars over the course of the season, and as a result put together an impressive season statistically.

When the final races of the season were in the books, Hartlaub had logged 23 starts and had never finished outside the top 15.  Of those, 19 were top 10’s and 11 were top 5’s.  Stats like that are not easy to achieve racing weekly at Lincoln Speedway where the average field is 30 cars.

October 8:  Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA

     [37 cars, Heat 1st (1), A-main 4th (7)]

The Brewer Home Improvements / Moose Blocks / Smith Titanium / SRR Engines / Siegel Racing / T and N Solutions / Jason Emlet Iron Valley Real Estate / Bigham Appraisals / Pretzel Boy / HAAS Shocks / C.H. Folk & Son Feeds / Chop Designs / Herr Electric, Hartlaub Racing No.2 was part of a deep, 37-car field that signed in for action at Lincoln Speedway on October 8th.

The large field set up five 8-lap heat races for the 358 sprint cars, with lineups set by pill draw.  The top four finishers would transfer to the A-main, with the top two making the handicap.  To qualify for the handicap, drivers need to have established a points average by participating in at least one previous race at the track this season.

Hartlaub had a favorable pill draw, something that had not happened much this season.  He started from the pole of the fifth and final heat race and never looked back, taking the win by nearly 3.5 seconds.

The handicap format put Hartlaub 7th on the starting grid for the 20-lap A-main.  The first half of the feature event did not go according to plan, as he dropped back into the thick of a battle for 8th and 9th.  

Once again, Hartlaub found his rhythm and began to march forward in the second half of the race.  He surged into 6th with just three laps remaining and climbed to 4th by the time the checkered flag fell on the event.

October 15:  Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA

     [30 cars, Heat 4th (1), A-main 6th (13)]

The season finale for the 358 sprint cars at Lincoln Speedway drew yet another 30-car field, setting up four 8-lap heat races.  The top five finishers from each would transfer directly to the A-main, with the top two handicapped to set the first four rows of the feature event.

Hartlaub’s pill draw luck continued, this time landing him on the pole of the first heat.  Things didn’t go as well as the week before though.  The start was a little ragged, leaving Hartlaub off the throttle just long enough to cost him a couple spots.  Combine that with a car that was a bit too tight, and you get a 4th place finish.

Having missed his opportunity to start inside first four rows via the handicap, Hartlaub had his work cut out for him from the 13th starting spot in the 20-lap A-main.

Hartlaub wasted no time from the drop of the green, picking off competitors lap by lap and charging to 6th by lap sixteen.  He was on the verge of advancing into the top five when a caution appeared with three laps remaining.  

Restarts are typically a good opportunity for good cars to make up track position and make moves.  It didn’t work out that way for Hartlaub on this night.  When the race resumed, his tires didn’t seem to ‘fire’ and he was simply holding his ground, which he did, crossing the line 6th to wrap up the season.

“After putting myself behind the 8-ball early, I was glad to go forward in the A-Main and seal off 2nd in the championship.“, Hartlaub commented.

“Proud of my entire team, family, and sponsors for everything we have accomplished this year. Week in and week out we were one of the most consistent finishers.  Bummed I couldn’t pick up a win for my guys this year, but that just makes us push and drive harder over the off season for next year.”

Achievements

As Hartlaub alluded to, Saturday night’s finish solidified a 2nd place finish in Lincoln Speedway’s Championship Point standings for the 2022 season, a significant accomplishment for the young driver.  In 2018 Hartlaub logged what was almost a full season, but then sat on the sidelines in 2019 and raced a very sparse schedule in 2020.  Finally, in 2021, everything fell into place for the Littlestown, PA native to run a full season.  

Hartlaub soaked up a lot of knowledge in 2021 and he put it to use in 2022.  He adds the 2nd place at Lincoln Speedway to a list of achievements for the season.  He also earned the Williams Grove Speedway 358 sprint car Rookie of the Year award, finished 2nd in the 358 Summer Series points, and finished 5th in the season championship point standings at Williams Grove Speedway.

Up Next

2023 preparations are already in full swing for Kody Hartlaub Racing.  Efforts are ongoing to build depth in the program to position Kody to compete for wins and championships.  Be sure to follow Addicted2DirtPR on social media, as well as Kody Hartlaub Racing, for a look ahead at next season’s plans.  More details will be released this winter.

Season Stats

 23 races, 0 wins, 11 top 5’s, 19 top 10’s, 23 top 15’s

Kody Hartlaub entered the month of August working hard to get back to the way things were early in the 2022 season.  The team was still having successful runs but seemed to be faced with doing it the hard way.  They had gone from competing for podium finishes to a string of nights where a top ten was a tall order.  

It’s said luck is when preparation meets opportunity.  Kody Hartlaub and his team were always prepared.  So, let’s just say they just needed better opportunities.

Three races were on the August calendar for Hartlaub and the Brewer Home Improvements / Moose Blocks / Smith Titanium / SRR Engines / Siegel Racing / T and N Solutions / Jason Emlet Iron Valley Real Estate / Bigham Appraisals / Pretzel Boy / HAAS Shocks / C.H. Folk & Son Feeds / Chop Designs / Herr Electric, Hartlaub Racing No.2 to get back to the front and compete for the wins they know they are capable of.

August 6:  Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA

     [29 cars, Heat 6th (6), B-main 2nd (4), A-main 11th (22)]

The first of Hartlaub’s three scheduled outings for the month fell victim to rain when Williams Grove Speedway’s August 5th event was cancelled.

The following night the team unloaded at Lincoln Speedway among a field of 29 cars prepared to compete in four 8-lap heat races to earn their spot in the main event.  The top five finishers in each transferred directly to the feature, with the top two being handicapped, while the rest of the field would get one last shot in the B-main to make the show.

Hartlaub’s pill draw for his heat race starting position wasn’t ideal.  He started outside the third row and steadily worked his way forward and into the runner up position when a caution appeared with two laps remaining.

Just after the restart, Hartlaub challenged the leader going into turn three, but the pair made light contact.  It was just enough to break the left front suspension on Hartlaub’s No.2.  He managed to get the car to the finish line but slid backward out of a handicap spot, and out of a transfer spot, to a 6th place finish. 

Relegated to the B-main after not transferring through his heat, Hartlaub started 4th and quickly navigated his way to the 2nd spot.  This time he appeared to play it smart and not push the issue for the win.  With nothing to gain, Hartlaub rode home as the runner-up and put himself in the A-main.

Hartlaub started 22nd in the 20-lap main event and quickly went to work, finding his way to 16th on the opening lap.  His push forward seemed to stall during the middle phase of the race, but in the final six laps he charged forward.  He picked up a spot every other lap and was knocking on the door of a top ten when he ran out of laps, putting him 11th in the official rundown.

August 20:  Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA

     [29 cars, Heat 9th (9), B-main 1st (7), A-main 8th (19)]

Two weeks later, Hartlaub was back at Lincoln Speedway for another shot.  This time it was a Summer Series event for the 358 sprint cars and once again 29 teams signed in.

Hartlaub’s pill draw set the tone early for what would be yet another night he would have to work for everything he would get.  He lined up 9th in the first of three 8-lap heat races.  As is often the case early in the evening, the track was fast and narrow, making it even more challenging to pass cars.  The East Berlin, PA driver settled for 9th and turned his attention to B-main preparation.

Slated to line up seventh, Hartlaub’s job was to secure one of the top six transfer spots.  A couple cars did not make the call.  When the green flag waived, Hartlaub began chipping his way toward the front.  He took over the lead with three circuits remaining in the 10-lap consolation race and went on to capture the win.

Hartlaub started 19th in the 25-lap Summer Series A-main.  He raced into 16th on the opening lap but by the halfway point had only reached 14th.  That’s when the car seemed to come to life, or maybe preparation met opportunity.

Over the final twelve laps, Hartlaub charged from 14th to 8th and claimed another top ten on the season.  

Reflecting on 2022 Thus Far

“I’m proud of my team.  We have faced some tough situations over the last month or two, but we haven’t given up.  We fight to make the most out of every single night, and I think the stats show we’ve accomplished that.“, Hartlaub commented.

He’s right.  While the recent stretch has been an uphill battle for Hartlaub and his team, it’s important to note what this team has accomplished in 2022.

Despite not reaching victory lane yet, Hartlaub’s statistics are impressive.  He has passed 77 cars in 12 feature events at Lincoln Speedway, including double-digit numbers on 5 of those nights.  He has passed 27 cars in 4 feature events at Williams Grove Speedway.  Add in a plus-3 at Path Valley in May and that’s 107 cars passed in 17 features.

Another notable stat is that Hartlaub has gained positions in 16 of 17 features.  In the lone event where he did not move forward, he started 7th, went to the rear early in the event after contact with another car, then passed 10 cars to finish 12th.  

Overall, Hartlaub has entered 17 events at three tracks, has compiled 13 top ten finishes and has yet to finish outside the top 15.

“My goal…our goal…hasn’t changed.  The goal is to win.  All of this has just made us want that even more.  We will win, and when we do it’ll feel really good to know we kept digging and we got there.“

Up Next

September will open with a Labor Day weekend double-header for Hartlaub.  The team will race on Friday, September 2nd at Williams Grove Speedway and Saturday, September 3rd at Lincoln Speedway.

The event at ‘The Grove’ is their 358 Match Race that was postponed from August.  The race offers up a lot of additional prize money for teams, plus fireworks for the fans.   

Season Stats

17 races, 0 wins, 7 top 5’s, 13 top 10’s, 17 top 15’s