Danny Dietrich rarely takes a weekend off. In fact, no Sprint Car driver has raced more events the last two rolling years — 178 to be exact — than the Gettysburg, Pa., native.

But in the days ahead of Friday’s opening night of Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek at Williams Grove Speedway, Dietrich rested from his racing pursuits hoping he can come out swinging with all his might for the 10-race miniseries.

That game plan served Dietrich well as the 36-year-old swept PA Speedweek’s first round at the famed Mechanicsburg, Pa., half-mile, reaping the $10,000 victor’s share on a night he set fast time, won his heat, and withstood the track’s gnarly cushion that wiped out late-race leader Anthony Macri.

Dietrich led the final four laps of Friday’s 30-lap feature to take the early miniseries points lead as Lincoln Speedway’s $25,000-to-win Kevin Gobrecht Memorial looms Saturday. It's also his eighth win of the 2024 season, putting him third-most nationally.

RESULTS: PA Speedweek Opening Round At Williams Grove Speedway

“We all went and had some fun,” Dietrich told track announcer Shaun Brouse in victory lane about taking the previous nine days off before Friday. “We worked really hard last week on the car by Tuesday night so we can take the rest of the weekend off and the week off, and get back after it this week. We’ve had pretty much a full seven days of relaxing and enjoying our time. I think that pays off at the end of the night — or tonight — and hopefully the rest of the week.”

Without Macri overstepping his No. 39M race machine along the sizable cushion in turns three and four in the waning laps, Dietrich may have not caught the driver whose nine Sprint Car wins are tied with David Gravel for most nationally.

Not long before that, Dietrich “smoked (my race car) thing off two” where he “got really tight and about did the same thing (as Macri) a couple times.” All told, Dietrich summed up Friday’s feature as “a high-speed chase between me and (Macri) and Justin (Whittall).”

The pole-starting Whittall led the opening 16 laps before Macri controlled laps 17 through 25.

“Then, when we got clear of Justin, I was like, ‘Man, it’s kind of game on,’” Dietrich said. “I’d jump the cushion, fall back probably 10 car lengths, and run (Macri) down another lap or so. It’s a high-speed chase.”

“I knew I smoked that fenced off turn two pretty hard. I just knew, in a sense, I needed to be careful. I figured I blew the W link off. I was worried about a tire going down. The last thing you want is a tire going down while down the straightaway here. It just got so hard to run the cushion, it was weird. You could go down the straightaway and with that thing bent, it just doesn’t want to turn as soon as you touch any moisture.”

While Whittall led early, Dietrich struggled to get comfortable. He slipped back to third in the first half of the feature as Macri worked his way into second.

“I wasn’t really good with the fuel load there early,” Dietrich said. “Anthony snuck by me and did what he had to do there. I feel like it’s going to be this way all week long. … It’s being smart. Whether that’s being smart in the shop or smart on the racetrack.”

Dietrich’s car owner, Gary Kauffman, was elated, of course, in victory lane.

“What a helluva race,” Kauffman said. “We have the best racing here in Central PA, I don’t care where you go. Right here is where all the racing is.”

Friday’s victory gives Dietrich 13 career PA Speedweek wins — good for fourth all-time behind Central PA legends Fred Rahmer, Lance Dewease and Greg Hodnett — and 31 career Williams Grove wins, tying him for 16th all-time with Johnny Mackison Sr. and Dick Tobias.

“A helluva night. I can’t do it without, first off, Gary Kauffman,” Dietrich said. “He let us take the weekend off. I know there was big money around at Port Royal. He let us take the weekend off regardless. (Thanks) to my crew and sponsors.

“We’re in a good spot right now. We just need to stay patient, be smart and race hard the rest of the week.”