Kody Hartlaub Working Through Challenging Stretch

Kody Hartlaub came out of the gate firing on all cylinders in 2022.  For the first three months of the season, he consistently ran near the front of the field and seemed to be on the verge of winning.

Then came the month of July and things suddenly got a little harder.  Hartlaub has the right mindset though.  This is the challenge that will make him and his team better.

July 9:  Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA

     [30 cars, Heat 7th (5), B-main 5th (8), A-main 12th (24)]

Another solid field of 30 cars signed in for 358 sprint car competition at Lincoln Speedway on July 9th.  Kody Hartlaub was among them and looking to continue or better his recent success at the Pigeon Hills oval.  He finished 2nd in both June events and was seeking his first victory of 2022.

Uncharacteristically, Hartlaub slid backwards in his 8-lap heat race.  With the top five finishers moving on to the A-main and the East Berlin, PA resident starting 5th, it seemed a foregone conclusion he would advance, but it didn’t play out that way.  A bad start shuffled Hartlaub to 7th, and he never recovered.

Hartlaub found himself in the B-main for the first time this season in 358 sprint car competition.  He started 8th and needed to find his way to the top four to transfer to the feature.  He surged into 5th by lap two but could never mount a challenge for a transfer spot.

Good fortune came Hartlaub’s way when, as the first alternate, he was added to the A-main lineup in 24th when one competitor scratched from the event.

Hartlaub did not waste the opportunity.  He methodically navigated his way through the field, breaking inside the top 20 on lap thirteen, then proceeding to blast his way to 12th over the final seven circuits.  He received the Hard Charger award for his efforts and salvaged what could have been a devastating points night in the process.

“Seemed like anything that could’ve gone wrong did tonight.  We were a little tight in hot laps and tried to loosen up a little for the heat race, but then we had a bleeder issue in our heat race, so it was hard to tell if our adjustments helped the car.“, Hartlaub shared.  “The way all of that played out, we didn’t get to really work on the setup much for the B-main.”

“We missed the A-main transfer by one spot but were able to get in as the first alternate, so we definitely had some luck there.  The track was heavier than usual tonight, so we were working to adjust to that for the feature.  We finally got the car to where it was happy, and I was able to go from 24th to 12th and get the Hard Charger.  I guess you could say we managed to turn lemons into lemonade tonight.“

July 15:  Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA

     [27 cars, Heat 8th (8), B-main 3rd (6), A-main 13th (21)]

Hartlaub’s 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 among 27 cars entered at Williams Grove Speedway on July 15th.

The field was set to compete in three 8-lap heat races, lined up using the track’s handicap system.  The top six finishers would advance to the main event, with the top four participating in the redraw for their starting spot in the first six rows.

Hartlaub’s night got off to a tough start once again.  He was unable to move forward from his 8th starting spot and landed in the B-main for the second time in a week.

In the 8-lap consolation race, Hartlaub was able to secure a transfer spot.  He drove from his 6th starting spot to a 3rd place finish.

The 20-lap A-main again turned out to be the most positive portion of Hartlaub’s night.  Starting deep in the field in 21st, he steadily fought his way forward and brought home a 13th place finish.

Scheduled races at Lincoln Speedway on July 16th and Williams Grove Speedway on July 29th were both cancelled, the former due to tire shortages and the latter due to weather.

July 30:  Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA

     [31 cars, Heat 3rd (2), A-main 7th (12)]

For what felt like the first time this season, Hartlaub had a little luck in the pill draw.  With 31 cars on hand, he drew a pill that put him outside the front row for his heat race.  The top five finishers would advance to the A-main, but it was the top two spots that were valuable because a finish there put a driver in the handicap for a starting spot in the first four rows of the finale.

Unfortunately, Hartlaub lost the runner-up spot to Nash Ely on lap three and wound up 3rd when the checkered flag dropped on the 10-lap race.

“It was frustrating to start on the front row of the heat and not make a handicap spot.  That one’s on me.  I made a mistake.”, a disappointed Hartlaub shared.

All Hartlaub could do was take his lumps and make the most of 12th starting spot in the 20-lap A-main.  July had been a tough month for him and his team, but if there was one bright spot, they were always able to move forward in the feature and make the best of a rough night.

It wasn’t an earth-shattering run in the finale Saturday night, but Hartlaub did gain five spots to crack the top ten with a 7th place finish.

Hartlaub was ready to turn the page from July.  As the calendar turned to August this week, the team was back in their shop working hard to right the ship.  

“We’ve been struggling the last few races, so we went over everything on the car.  We found a couple small things and addressed them, plus we’ve talked a lot about getting better at reading the track.  That’s something I need to work on.  We’re looking forward to getting back to the track this weekend to put the car and ourselves to the test.“, Hartlaub said.

“It’s been a challenging stretch, but it’s times like these that push you and make you better.  It has refocused all of us on details.“

Up Next

Friday night, August 5th, Hartlaub will head to Williams Grove Speedway for a first-of-its-kind Match Race for the 358 sprint cars, offering a total purse of over $20,000.  Per Williams Grove’s website, the much anticipated Match Race, including matched sponsorship funds from the speedway, will go 25-laps in distance while paying $2,021 to win and $696 to start.

The following night Kody will be back at Lincoln Speedway for York County Racing Club night and another regular show for the 358 sprint cars.

Season Stats

15 races, 0 wins, 7 top 5’s, 12 top 10’s, 15 top 15’s