4.12.14 Empire Super Sprints Results

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – TJ Stutts of Liverpool held off numerous challenges to score the 30-lap Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint (ESS) season opener for 360 sprint cars sponsored by Mach 1 Chassis Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway.

Stutts, who has won three of the last four ESS-sanctioned races at Selinsgrove, collected $3,000 for his 18th career victory at the track in 358-360 sprint car competition driving the Mountain View Travel/Mach 1 Chassis No. 23.

Steve Poirier of Quebec was the night’s Fast Tees Fast Qualifier over the 26-car field with a lap time of 17.384 seconds.

The first lap of the 360 sprint car feature produced a few hair-raising moments as polesitter Mike Walter took the lead and fourth-place starter TJ Stutts and sixth-place starter Mark Smith stormed into the second and third positions, respectively. Pat Cannon, who started second, held down the fourth position for most of the event.

The race’s first caution flag unfurled on lap four when Brian Carber’s No. 8C sprinter spun in turn two. On the lap five restart, Walter and Stutts see-sawed for the front spot on the first of several occasions during the 30-lap contest, but it was Stutts who came away with the lead using the inside lane off turn four.

On a lap six restart, ninth-place starter Derek Locke advanced to fifth behind Stutts, Walter, Smith, and Cannon. On lap eight, the red flag waved when Steve Collins and Ryan Kissinger crashed in turn three. Both drivers walked away without injury.

When the race resumed, a war on wheels unfolded at the front of the pack. By the midway point, the race for the lead heated up between Stutts and Walter while the battle for third also escalated between Smith and Cannon.

Davie Franek, who started 12th, showed a lot of speed in the second half of the race and was racing eighth when his car rolled to a stop on lap 19. On the final restart on lap 22, Smith secured the second position and started to track down Stutts at the front the pack. At the checkered flag, Stutts was victorious by three seconds over Smith, Walter, Cannon, and 10th-place starter Brock Zearfoss.

SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY– 12 April 2014 358/360 Sprint Cars – 26 Entries 30-Lap A-Main: 1) 23 TJ Stutts ($3,000) 2) 1 Mark Smith 3) 49 Mike Walter 4) 3 Pat Cannon 5) 1W Brock Zearfoss 6) 88B Andy Best 7) F5 Mark Bittner 8) 77 Derek Locke 9) 13 Kevin Ward Jr. 10) 7 Ed Aikin 11) 25 Josh Weller 12) 55 Patrick Vigneault 13) 29S Derek Steward 14) 19 Colby Womer DNF 15) 28F Davie Franek DNF 16) 25 Aaron Ott DNF 17) 98 Joe Trenca DNF 18) 8C Brian Carber 19) 29 Jason Shultz DNF 20) 67 Steve Collins DNF 21) 66 Ryan Kissinger DNF 22) 21 Duane Mausteller DNF 23) 28 Steve Poirier DNS 24) 29L Scott Lutz DNS 25) 91 Anthnony Fiore DNS 26) 99K Cody Keller DNS

Heat Winners: TJ Stutts, Mike Walter, Ed Aikin

Time Trials: 1) 28P Steve Poirier 17.384 2) 25 Aaron Ott 17.409 3) 77 Derek Locke 17.459 4) 1 Mark Smith 17.464 5) 29 Jason Shultz 6) 28F Davie Franek 17.506 7) 23 TJ Stutts 17.520 8) 49 Mike Walter 17.535 9) 7 Ed Aikin 17.557 10) 19 Colby Womer 17.615 11) 13 Kevin Ward Jr. 17.638 12) 3 Pat Cannon 17.638 13) 1W Brock Zearfoss 17.642 14) 88B Andy Best 17.743 15) 67 Steve Collins 17.751 16) 25 Josh Weller 17.800 17) 21 Duane Mausteller 17.802 18) 66 Ryan Kissinsger 17.852 19) 8C Brian Carber 17.922 20) 55 Patrick Vigneault 18.030 21) F5 Mark Bittner 18.094 22) 98 Joe Trenca 18.432 23) 29S Derek Steward 18.584 24) 29L Scott Lutz 19.121 25) 91 Anthony Fiore DNF 26) 99K Cody Keller DNS