3/8/2026
Williams Grove Speedway
Dewease Ready To Start Next Chapter In Williams Grove Opener March 22
Mechanicsburg - When Williams Grove Speedway drops the green flag on the new sprint car season on March 22, seven-time track champion Lance Dewease will embark on yet another chapter in his famed career at the oval.
Dewease will take his first Williams Grove ride as the hired gun of Rich Eichelberger’s No. 8 machine in the season opener and for as many top rides as he’s had in his forty or so year career, Dewease says this one is just as good as all the rest.
“It’s as good as any deal I’ve been involved with - especially the engine program,” he says of the stable.
“But you still have to put the pieces together. It’s different cars than what I’ve raced the last two years.”
“Yes, we have the equipment but you still only race one car and one motor at a time and you still have to get everything ironed out and hopefully go fast,” Dewease admits.
The team will run Maxim Chassis with engines by Don Ott.
Dewease teamed with Eichelberger for 2026 before the dust had even settled on the 2025 season.
He will be just the third driver to sit in the Eichelberger 410 sprint seat, following Freddie Rahmer and Brock Zearfoss.
“There’s different wings, all this little stuff but I feel confident I’ll have it dialed in that we’re competitive. But makin’ it outlaw fast is where we need to be. Even though I know all this stuff it just takes time to get dialed in,” Dewease says.
He says the team’s plans are to compete in 90-percent of the shows at Williams Grove Speedway during the year ahead while carving out a potential overall slate of around 80 total races in 2026.
And now at the age of 60, Dewease is realistic about his situation.
“Right now, we’re just mainly time trial shows, pick and choose. All of it depends on how good we’re going on how often we race. We have a pretty robust scheduled that we’re gonna’ try to race, especially at my age,” Dewease admits.
“We might get to the point that I say I might need some time off to stay sharp and be ready. I know how old I am. I know my body. So it’s just a matter of does it affect me. I don’t think it will, but at my age you just don’t know.”
Dewease will be calling his own shots on the car while both he and Eichelberger have brought back some key crew members to help keep all the I’s dotted and the T’s crossed.
He says it’s the race day items that require the utmost attention.
“Is it ready, built right, nothing left loose? It’s those things,” he says.
“The little things that you try to not let happen. You just double and triple check and try to not have it happen at the wrong time.”
Dewease is eyeing mid-May as the point in the season when he needs to be sure to be firing on all cylinders.
“Once you get to the outlaws in May on, there’s a lot of racing. And it’s all time trials and big money. And it’s really a busy time.”
“We’re gonna’ do the best we can and kinda’ play it by ear. We wanna’ win races and be in the hunt for the big shows. That’s something I’ve always worried about,” he says.
Dewease says he felt like he had a fast car all season last year while running for Barry Shearer, especially during the second half.
“So that’s kinda’ where I’m trying to build to, to where I’m that quick early this year and then go try to win races. I’m hoping that we carry that over to Rich’s deal and get a little faster yet,” he says.
“We do have to race to get faster.”
Dewease and company will get their first chance of the season to race at Williams Grove coming up on Sunday afternoon, March 22 at 2 pm when the oval hosts the 2026 season opener presented by Hoosier.
The Fayetteville driver has scored on opening day at Williams Grove just twice in his career, in 1995 and again in 2006.
The 2026 season lidlifter will feature the Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprints in a “sprints only” racing program.
The 25-lap main will pay $6,000 to the winner as part of the 2026 Pa Posse Racing Series in the region.
Adult general admission for March 22 is $25 with students ages 13-20 admitted for $10.
Kids ages 12 and under are always free at Williams Grove Speedway.
Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information by visiting the oval’s official website at www.williamsgrove.com or by visiting the oval on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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Article Credit: Shawn Brouse
