SELINSGROVE , PA – Home field advantage came into play on Saturday night as the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) invaded the Selinsgrove Speedway for the first time since 1996, 17 years exactly to the day. A strong field of cars was on hand for the Mach1 Chassis Spectacular, Today’s Optical Stars and Stripes tour event but it was the speedway regulars that took center stage.
Track regular, TJ Stutts, utilized his knowledge of the speedway to win the 25-lap A-Main which scored him a $3,000 payday. The win was his first of the season at the track and his first ever win with the traveling organization.
“It is very important for us to run like that,” said Stutts who also finished second in the 358 Sprint Car feature. “To come out of here with $3,900 is a good night for a limited racer.”
Stutts, of Liverpool, Pa., used a mid-race pass to get by Jeff Cook and then he battled his way through traffic while holding off a hard-charging Pat Cannon for his first win of the season at the half-mile facility.
Dave Ely and Cook made up the front row for the start of the feature with Cook using his outside starting position to win the race off the second turn to the lead. He led lap one with Ely holding strong in second.
Cook opened up the advantage on Ely and then Stutts as he moved into second on the third circuit. Like Cook, Stutts utilized the outside of the speedway to take over second and he stayed there as he worked to track down Cook.
As the race neared the halfway point, Cook found himself in slower traffic while Stutts was able to pull to the back bumper. Stutts stalked Cook looking for a way by in traffic.
“I knew I had one shot at him with the tires,” said Stutts. “Even in lapped traffic you had to be careful. This place is a lot of fun when it gets big and wide like that because you can move around.”
On lap 15 Stutts made his move as he raced low then high in turns one and two to secure the race lead in traffic. Cook tried to stay with Stutts but he proved to be too strong and pulled away.
“We were in cruise control there because we were scared to death because we had to run a really soft left rear tire and we abuse them normally here,” commented Stutts. “We got to lapped cars and I saw my chance so I had to fly him.”
Stutts led while Cannon worked his way forward after starting the feature from the sixth row. Cannon briefly got to Stutts in traffic as he ran the bottom groove but he never mounted a serious charge.
Stutts made a couple of nifty moves to clear traffic and he led the closing laps to hold off Cannon for the large payday.
Cannon, of Edders, Pa., finished in the runner-up position. He simply ran out of time to mount a serious challenge on Stutts.
“So many guys that never raced here I thought we’d have a caution,” commented Cannon. “It never came and I really beat up my left rear tire but it was still a really good run.”
Cannon started the feature from 11th and worked his way forward. He was able to work both the top and bottom of the speedway to get to the second spot.
“Any time you start back there and you got good cars in front they kind of get away from you and you have to chase them down,” stated Cannon. “You have to be that much faster to reel them in. I thought we were gaining on him (Stutts) and then he got around a lapped car and my tire gave up a little bit.”
Mark Smith advanced from the outside of row four to finish in third. Without a caution Smith wasn’t able to get to Cannon or Stutts to challenge for a top two finish. Smith was saving his tire for late in the race for
“I was trying to keep the tire underneath me and hoping for a caution,” said Smith. “Then I was going to go but we never got one. From where we started it’s pretty good so I’ll take it.”
Robbie Stillwaggon passed two cars exiting the fourth turn to finish in fourth while Cook, who led early, held on to complete the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Justin Barger, Ely, defending ESS champion Chuck Hebing, Jason Barney and Kevin Ward Jr.
ESS/Selinsgrove Notes: With the first full point show in 17 years, no less than 9 different drivers made their first ever ESS starts…Dave Axton was a flip victim during heat one, he was OK. What was ironic was that it was the only time a yellow/red flag was displayed on the entire night…ESS will return to the famed half-mile on Sat. Sept. 28 as a part of the Mach 1 National open which pays $8,000 to win…Next weekend it’s the traditional Memorial Day Weekend stops at Fonda for the $2,000 Earl Halaquist Memorial and then to Utica-Rome on Sunday.
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints – Selinsgrove Speedway – 36 Entries
Mach 1 Chassis Spectacular – TJ. Stutts ($3,000), Pat Cannon, Mark Smith, Robbie Stillwaggon, Jeff Cook, Justin Barger, Dave Ely, Chuck Hebing, Jason Barney, Kevin Ward Jr., Dylan Swiernik, J.J. Grasso, Steve Poirier, Davie Franek, Joey Biasi, Paul Kinney, Jessica Zemken, Lance Yonge, Michael Parent, Duanne Mausteller, Sammy Reakes IV, Steve Collins, Joe Trenca, Kramer Williamson, Shawn Donath. Josh Weller – DNS.
Did Not Qualify – James Hanson, Jessica Anderson, Bryn Gohn, Doug Emery, George Suprick, Patrick Vigneault, Jared Fink, Jim Shuster, Dave Axton, Jordan Thomas.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 – Cannon, Smith, Barger, Parent, Mausteller
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 – Zemken, Stillwaggon, Ely, Collins, Ward Jr.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 – Franek, Cook, Hebing, Poirier, Barney
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 4 – Weller, Stutts, Williamson, Trenca, Kinney.
Fastenal/Cobra Coaches Dash – Franek, Zemken, Cannon, Weller.
B-Main – Yonge, Grasso, Biasi, Reakes IV.
Provisionals – Swiernik, Donath.
Lap Leaders – Cook 1-15, Stutts 16-25.
BONUSES:
Westward Painting Company Halfway – Cook $100
Ohsweken Speedway Winners Bonus – Stutts $100
Fondations 4 Saisons Hard Charger – Swiernik (14 pos.) $50
North Eastern Pool and Spa Power Pick – Hebing, Biasi $50
Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Cook $50
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heats – Cannon, Zemken, Franek, Weller $25
Go Nuclear Late Models Go Fast Award – Cook $25
Jimmy D’s Speed and Machine Fast Time – Cannon $25.