From Steve Inch
HERSHEY, Pa. – Selinsgrove Speedway & Raceway Park concluded the 2009
season with the Ninth Annual Awards Banquet Saturday, Nov. 14, at the
Sheraton Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel. More than $30,000 in point fund monies,
trophies, and jackets were awarded to the year’s top performing teams in
the track’s go kart, micro sprint car, roadrunner, pro stock, late model,
and 358 sprint car divisions.
Track champions Nate Snyder of Halifax (358 sprint cars), Jeff Rine of
Danville (late models), Jason Smith of Williamsport (pro stocks), Marlin
Dunham of Selinsgrove (roadrunners), and Todd Hoover of Mt. Pleasant Mills
(micro sprint cars) were also the recipients of custom championship rings
from Foss Jewelers of Selinsgrove.
During Saturday’s ceremonies, all those in attendance paused to pay tribute
to the life and racing career of former five-time Selinsgrove Speedway
sprint car champion Jim Nace of Thompsontown, who died Wednesday, Nov. 11,
2009, following a seven-year strife with cancer.
Snyder, driving the Art Lindsay Construction/Pro Lawn/Expert Settlement
Services No. 56, won his first career A&A Auto Stores 358 sprint car track
title at Selinsgrove Speedway without a single victory this season. Snyder
drove to 16 top ten finishes in the division’s 19 events. He was crowned as
the division’s sixth different champion since the 358 sprint cars became
the track’s weekly open wheel attraction in 2001.
Rine was successful in his “drive for five” in 2009, clinching his fifth
career MAPCO Machine Shop late model track title at Selinsgrove with 17 top
five finishes, including nine feature wins, in the division’s 18 events. He
celebrated his 50th career win at the track on May 9, and is ranked third
on the speedway’s all-time leading late model win list with 55 career
victories.
Rine is one of only three drivers who has won five or more late model
championships at the track since 1963. Nescopeck drivers Bobby Croop and
Richie Jensen are the other two drivers with eight and seven titles,
respectively. Only Jensen and Rine have been able to win three or more late
model championships consecutively in the track’s history.
A second generation race car driver, Jason Smith of Williamsport was
another first-time champion at the speedway in the Salem RV Center pro
stock division. Smith finished in the top 10 in every one of the division’s
20 races this season and won six features. Smith’s father, C.W. Smith, was
the track’s 1987 limited late model champion.
Completing his first full season of racing in 2009, Marlin Dunham of
Selinsgrove was crowned as the Collier Paving & Construction/Byers Built
Engines roadrunner champion. Dunham, a second generation driver whose
father, Scott Dunham Sr., was the 1997 daredevil champion, drove to nine
top five finishes in 18 races. He won his first career race on Aug. 1.
Special recognition awards were also presented in the following categories:
Most Improved Driver awards went to Matt Heimbach (sprints), Dave Graber
(late models), Cody McFadden (pro stocks), and Mike Kiehl (roadrunners).
Sportsman Of The Year plaques were awarded to Matt Horst (sprints, in
memory of Joe Whitcomb), Jeff Smith (late models), Jeff Ceballo (pro
stocks), and Bob Bussey (roadrunners). Rookie Of The Year honors went to
Jessica Anderson (sprints), Dylan Yoder (late models), Kurt Wray (pro
stocks), and Marlin Dunham (roadrunners).
Paula Long-Schick presented Hard Charger awards in memory of her father,
former late model champion Paul Long, to Nate Snyder (sprints), Jeff Rine
(late models), Jason Smith (pro stocks), and Keith Bissinger (roadrunners).
Raceway Park champions also shared the spotlight Saturday evening. A former
champion in 2007, Todd Hoover’s second Selinsgrove Ford micro sprint car
title season was highlighted by top five finishes in all of the division’s
19 races, including four feature wins.
Kody Kreamer clinched the jr. micro sprint car championship with 12 feature
wins; Matthew Campbell won the 125 micro sprint car title with seven
feature wins; and Cliff Loss clinched the title in the mini micro sprint
cars with 11 wins.
Go kart champions were recognized as follows: Blaise Tanner (kid karts),
Lohr Jackson (rookie cage 5-8), Ashlin Zook (rookie cage 9-12), Ethan
Spotts (rookies 1), Dylan Feltman ( rookies II), Tyler Brown (jr.
restricted lites), Tyler Fawver (jr. cage), Tyler Campbell (lites), Brett
Dreese (heavies), Cameron Englehart (extra heavies), Kenton Pyle (adult
cage flathead), Vinny Williamson (adult cage animal), Tyson Mowery (flat
330), and Richie Good (370).
Selinsgrove Speedway is tentatively scheduled to host the 2009 Motorsports
Show at the Susquehanna Valley Mall from Sunday, Feb. 14 through Saturday,
Feb. 20.
Opening weekend 2010 will feature two complete modified shows, with the 358
modifieds slated to compete at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 19, and the Race of
Champions Dart Dirt Modified Tour slated to return at 4 p.m. Saturday,
March 20.
The 358 sprint car season opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, March
27. The following weekend, Saturday, April 3, Selinsgrove Speedway will
present the rescheduled 358 Sprint Car Open that was cancelled due to rain
this fall. The 30-lap A-main will pay $3,000 to win.
The speedway’s first four division show of the 2010 season featuring 358
sprint cars, late models, pro stocks, and roadrunners will be at 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 10.
The 2009 go kart season opener at Selinsgrove Raceway Park is scheduled for
12 p.m. Sunday, March 28. The micro sprint cars will make their season
debut at 7 p.m. Friday, April 2.
Selinsgrove Speedway & Raceway Park facility improvements are continuing
during the off-season. Both of the half-mile and one-fifth mile tracks have
been resurfaced with sifted clay.
The frontstretch and backstretch guardrails have been replaced on the
half-mile track. In addition, the speedway’s maintenance crew has been
working cooperatively with members of the Selinsgrove Fair Board in making
renovations to the track’s historic covered grandstand, including new
cement steps, handrails, and a designated handicap seating area.
For information during the off-season, visit selinsgrovespeedway.com, or
call 570.374.2999.