8.15.15 Selinsgrove Speedway Results
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – TJ Stutts of Liverpool wired the field to become the first four-time winner of the Mach 1 Chassis National Open for 358-360 sprint cars Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway but not without several thrilling challenges from Doug Esh of Lancaster and Davie Franek of Wantage, N.J.
At the wheel of the Wise Motorsports No. 23, Stutts’ $10,000 victory in the 15th annual 35-lap Open was his third of the season and the 23rd of his career in 358-360 sprint car competition at the track. His previous Open victories came in 2001, 2003, and 2013.
Coleby Frye of Dover won his second race in three weeks at Selinsgrove in the 25-lap super late model main event.
Selinsgrove Speedway will present the Bernheisel Race Components Superior Products Night for super late models plus 360 sprint cars, pro stocks, and roadrunners at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. Track gates will open at 5 p.m.
TJ Stutts started on the pole and pulled into the lead at the drop of the green flag in the sprint car main event. Stutts was trailed by second-place starter Steve Collins in the early laps of the race. On the seventh lap, 10th-place starter Doug Esh began to show a lot of speed and stormed into the runner-up position. Esh quickly reeled in Stutts and a thrilling wheel-to-wheel duel unfolded for the lead with both drivers see-sawing for the lead through the turns.
The first caution flag unfurled on lap 13 for an incident involving Derek Locke and Eric Tomecek in turn three. When the race resumed, the pair of 23 sprint cars driven by Stutts and Esh resumed an intense war on wheels. On the 15th circuit, however, Esh’s car blew an engine and rolled to a stop on the frontstretch.
Sixth-place starter Davie Franek inherited the second position and put in a bid for the lead on the restart to no avail. Stutts continued to set a torrid pace around the top of the race track while Franek, fourth-place starter Colby Womer, and fifth-place starter Kevin Nouse kept pace. The race was stopped on lap 18 when Josh Weller’s car hit the fourth turn guardrail and flipped several times onto the frontstretch. Weller escaped injury.
On the lap 19 restart, Nouse advanced to third and displayed a lot of momentum in the second half of the race. Womer’s strong run came to end on lap 26 when his car rolled to a stop in turn two with mechanical problems. On the final restart, Stutts stretched his lead and scored a 1.8-second margin of victory over Franek, Nouse, 12th-place starter Ryan Kissinger, and 23rd-place starter Mark Smith, who qualified Jim Shuster’s No. C-4 through the B-main when his No. 1 blew an engine in his heat race.
Polesitter Danny Snyder powered into the lead at the start of the late model feature. Snyder was chased by second-place starter Dave Brouse Sr. for the first six laps until seventh-place starter Coleby Frye started his drive to the front of the pack.
At the halfway point, Frye made the winning pass by Snyder using the outside lane off turn four. A lap later, 10th-place starter Jeff Rine made the same move at the same spot on the race track to take over the runner-up position. For the rest of the way, Frye held Rine at bay and posted a 1.27 second margin of victory. Eight-place starter Matt Cochran, 11th-place starter Steve Campbell, and 14th-place starter Kenny Trevitz rounded out the top five.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 15 August 2015
360 Sprint Cars – 33 Entries
35-Lap National Open A-Main: 1) 23 T.J. Stutts $10,000 2) 28F Davie Franek 3) 21 Kevin Nouse 4) 66 Ryan Kissinger 5) C4 Mark Smith 6) 25 Aaron Ott 7) 56 Nate Snyder 8) 29 Jason Shultz 9) 76 Larry Kelleher 10) 3 Dave Ely 11) 89 Robbie Stillwaggon 12) 45 Chuck Hebing 13) 39 Ed Aiken 14) 2L Art Leidl 15) 67 Steve Collins 16) 87 George Suprick 17 ) 19 Colby Womer 18) 25w Josh Weller 19) 23e Doug Esh 20) 5G Curt Michael 21) 49S Mallie Shuster 22) 77 Derek Locke 23) 1W Eric Tomecek 24) 5 Justin Barger 25) 08 Jason Clauss
Heat Winners: Davie Franek, Colby Womer, Steve Collins, Larry Kelleher
Consolation Winner: Josh Weller
Late Models – 19 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 0F Coleby Frye 2) 2J Jeff Rine 3) 16 Matt Cochran 4) 2 Steve Campbell 5) 61 Ken Trevitz 6) 4D Chad Hollenbeck 7) 99Z Dave Zona 8) 27 Jim Yoder 9) 33c Chris Casner 10) 9 Hayes Mattern 11) 28 Jason Smith 12) 7M Meade Hahn 13)10 Dave Stamm 14) 88T Ernie Millon 15) S Danny Snyder 16) 90 Kyle Rhoads 17) Z14 Dave Brouse Sr 18) 111 Dave Shulski 19)DNS 6 Donnie Schick
Heat Winners: Matt Cochran, Hayes Mattern