5.11.13 Selinsgrove Speedway Results
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – When race leader Pat Cannon of Etters dropped out of the 30-lap sprint car feature on a lap 28 restart with engine woes, JJ Grasso of Pedricktown, N.J., inherited the lead and drove to his first win of the season in the 33rd annual Jack Gunn Memorial Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway.
For the eighth year in a row, the Gunn Memorial was a challenge race between the United Racing Company (URC) 360 sprint cars and the central Pennsylvania 358 sprint cars. The $3,500 victory was Grasso’s first career at the track driving the Viper Venom/Eldreth Construction No. 25 360 sprint car. In qualifying, Grasso set fast time over the 40-car field with a lap of 17.329. He was the sixth different winner in as many races in 358-360 sprint car competition at the track.
Jeff Rine of Danville became the first repeat winner of the season in the late model division when the defending champion drove to his 81st career victory at the track in the 25-lap main event. With the victory, Rine now owns more wins than any other driver in the history of the speedway, surpassing the previous record of 80 combined wins achieved by Steve Campbell of Danville in late model and limited late model racing.
Shaun Miller of Tower City won his second race of the season in the 15-lap pro stock feature, holding off his father and point leader Troy Miller of Tower City for the victory.
Selinsgrove Speedway will present an open wheel doubleheader of Empire Super Sprint (ESS) 360 sprint cars and central PA 358 sprint cars plus late models and pro stocks at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 18, sponsored by Mach 1 Chassis. Track gates will open at 5 p.m.
The track will also hold an open practice session on Wednesday, May 15, from 6:30-9 p.m. The fee is $100 per race car. General and pit admission is free for the practice night.
The sprint car feature started with a nine-car melee in turn two, which resulted in Derek Locke’s No. 77 turning over on its side. No driver injuries were reported and four of the nine cars were able to restart the race.
Polesitter Jason Shultz led the field to the completion of the first lap with second-place starter Cody Keller in close pursuit. On the second circuit, Keller made an inside pass by Shultz for the lead entering the third turn. Then third-place starter Pat Cannon dueled with Shultz for the second spot and made a pass only to have it called back by a caution flag for debris on the fourth lap.
When the race resumed, Keller continued to set a torrid pace as Cannon shot by Shultz for second and began to reel in Keller. Last week’s winner Eric Tomecek brought out the caution flag when his car fell off the pace on lap five. The restart had Keller, Cannon and 10th-place starter Mark Smith racing in the top three positions.
On the eighth lap, Shultz’s car blew out a tire on the frontstretch and the initial caution flag turned into a red flag when Matt Horst’s car flipped out over the fourth turn wall. Horst escaped injury.
At the halfway point, Cannon closed on Keller in a spirited battle for the lead as fourth-place starter JJ Grasso, Smith, and fifth-place starter TJ Stutts raced in the top five. On the 16th circuit, Cannon took the lead from Keller using the highline through turns one and two. Keller, however, stayed in striking distance until Grasso made the same move through turns one and two on lap 25 to take over the runner up position.
Grasso quickly began to reel in Cannon at the front of the pack. The event’s final caution flag unfurled on lap 27 when Dave Ely’s car slowed on the frontstretch. On the final restart, Cannon’s car lost power entering turn one and coasted around the track before withdrawing from the race. With Grasso inheriting the lead, Keller made a last-ditch effort to challenge for the lead and win to no avail. At the finish, Grasso was victorious by just one second over Keller, Smith, Stutts, and sixth-place starter Aaron Ott.
Second-place starter Andy Haus pulled into the early lead in the late model feature and was chased by fourth-place starter Jerry Bard. On the second lap, Tony Adams stopped in the second turn while Dave Zona ‘s car also rolled to a stop in turn four.
On the lap three restart, eighth-place starter Jeff Rine stormed into the runner-up position and set his sights on Haus. By lap seven, Rine began to torment Haus for the lead. Two laps later, Haus and Rine split lapped traffic on the frontstretch, with Rine making a dive to the bottom of the race track and coming away with the lead entering turn one.
At the halfway point, 15th-place starter Dylan Yoder, who graduated from Shippensburg University earlier in the afternoon, began to show a lot of speed and horsepowered his way into the third position. Meanwhile, Rine stretched his lead to a straightaway over Haus.
On the 20th lap, Jerry Bard’s car had a rear tire shred as Haus’ car lost power, reportedly due to a blown engine. For the restart, Rine had Yoder restarting behind him. In the final laps, Rine opened a comfortable lead and posted a 1.7-second margin of victory over Yoder, Brian Bernheisel, Jim Bernheisel, and Ken Trevitz.
Shaun Miller started the pro stock feature on the outside of the front row and wired the field for the victory, but not without several serious challenges coming from his father and fourth-place starter Troy Miller.
Closely following the Miller duo were polesitter Nathan Long and third-place starter Kyle Bachman. In the final laps, T. Miller made several attempts to pass S. Miller for the lead and victory but couldn’t pull it off. At the checkered flag, S. Miller was victorious by .2 of a second over T. Miller in the non-stop event. Long, Bachman, and fifth-place starter Brad Mitch completed the top five.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 11 May 2013
358-360 Sprint Cars – 40 Entries
30-Lap A-Main: 1) 25 JJ Grasso $3,500 2) 99K Cody Keller 3) 1 Mark Smith 4) 23 TJ Stutts 5) 25 Aaron Ott 6) 29 Josh Weller 7) 66 Ryan Kissinger 8) 19 Colby Womer 9) 56 Randy West 10) 2 Jason Shultz 11) 2L Art Liedl 12) 28F Davie Franek 13) 8C Brian Carber 14) 3 Pat Cannon DNF 15) 65 Dave Ely DNF 16) 89 Robbie Stillwaggon DNF 17) 1B Joey Biasi DNF 18) 21 Duane Mausteller DNF 19) 29H Matt Horst DNF 20) 1W Eric Tomecek DNF 21) 88B Andy Best DNF 22) 7C Chad Trout DNF 23) 76 Larry Kelleher DNF 24) 22B Bryn Gohn DNF 25) 77 Derek Locke DNF 26) Kevin Darling DNF
Heat Winners: Brian Carber, Randy West, Mark Smith, Colby Womer, Eric Tomecek
B-Main Winners: Derek Locke, Matt Horst
Time Trials: 1) 25 JJ Grasso 17.329 2) 73 Kramer Williamson 17.409 3) Pat Cannon 17.409 4) 99K Cody Keller 17.436 5) 2 Jason Shultz 17.478 6) 23 TJ Stutts 17.506 7) 25 Aaron Ott 17.535 8) 2L Art Liedl 17.543 9) 66 Ryan Kissinger 17.55 10) 89 Robbie Stillwaggon 17.558 11) 65 Dave Ely 17.577 12) 7C Chad Trout 17.612 13) 1 Mark Smith 17.623 14) 38 Scott Wilson 17.643 15) 1W Eric Tomecek 17.647 16) 77 Derek Locke 17.653 17) 88B Andy Best 17.677 18) 29 Josh Weller 17.686 19) 76 Larry Kelleher 17.696 20) 29H Matt Horst 17.724 21) 17J Jonathan Swanson 17.763 22) 56 Randy West 17.832 23) 50 Tim Berkheimer 17.866 24) 19 Colby Womer 17.882 25) 28F Davie Franek 17.894 26) 8C Brian Carber 17.923 27) 33 Scott Lutz 17.993 28) 22B Bryn Gohn 18.006 29) 1B Joey Biasi 18.014 30) 12 Tim Kelley 18.029 31) 9D Kevin Darling 18.066 32) 22 Troy Betts 18.069 33) 29W Ryan Wilson 18.097 34) 21 Duane Mausteller 18.119 35) 12S Jimmy Stitzel 18.157 36) 74 JR Beary 18.203 37) 36 Billy Pauch Jr. 18.242 38) X Dan Mazy 18.307 39) 12D Steve Downs 18.369 40) 117 David Swanson DNT
Late Models – 16 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 2J Jeff Rine 2) 24 Dylan Yoder 3) 119B Bryan Bernheisel 4) 119 Jim Bernheisel 5) 61 Ken Trevitz 6) 16 Matt Cochran 7) 91 Chad Davis 8) 90 Kyle Rhoads 9) 10 Dave Stamm 10) 76 Andy Haus DNF 11) 26 Jerry Bard DNF 12) 45 Eric Hons DNF 13) 27 Jim Yoder DNF 14) 99Z Dave Zona DNF 15) 88 Tony Adams DNF 16) 24R Jon Rohacevich DNF
Heat Winners: Andy Haus, Jerry Bard
Pro Stocks – 8 Entries
15-Lap A-Main: 1) 115S Shaun Miller 2) 115 Troy Miller 3) 63 Nathan Long 4) 99 Kyle Bachman 5) 10M Brad Mitch 6) 85 Terry Lauver 7) 4 Jim Payne 8) 28J Jeff Ceballo