By Steve Inch
Possible $26,000 payday for one driver!
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The 28th Annual National Open for 410 sprint cars at
Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 18, a tribute to the late champion
Jim Nace, will be one of the richest-paying sprint car races in the 65-year
history of the Snyder County oval, according to an announcement made by
track officials Saturday evening at the speedway’s annual motorsports show
at the Susquehanna Valley Mall in Hummels Wharf.
The Jim Nace Memorial National Open will feature a unique format that will
incorporate Nace’s most popular race car numbers and career statistics into
the program. The main event’s distance of 44 laps, which represents one of
Nace’s race car numbers from his early career, will be divided into two
segments consisting of 22 laps each. Each segment will offer a complete
payoff, with $6,000 to win each segment as a tribute to the No. 6 sprint
car Nace campaigned most recently as both a driver and a car owner.
Should one driver win both of the 22-lap segments, he will take home the
$12,000 base pay as well as a $14,000 bonus, making it possible to earn a
total of $26,000, a figure that was selected to honor the Camel Express No.
26 sprint car that Nace drove to a majority of his career championships and
victories in central Pennsylvania.
“The Nace family was very receptive to our ideas to honor Jim’s life and
racing career as part of this year’s National Open,” said speedway
communications director Steve Inch. “Jim was one of the speedway’s most
popular drivers during the past three decades and was one of our sport’s
great ambassadors. This will be a special night of racing in his honor for
both the fans and race teams.”
Tentatively, qualifying for the Jim Nace Memorial National Open will
consist of time trials, heat races, B-main, and a dash. Additional details
for this race will be announced as they are being finalized during the
season.
Nace, who died last November following a seven-year battle with cancer, is
Selinsgrove Speedway’s only five-time sprint car track champion, clinching
titles in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994, and 1995. With 46 career 410 sprint car
victories and three career 358 sprint car wins, Nace is currently ranked
fourth on the speedway’s all-time career sprint car win list.
Jim’s wife Crystal and daughter Jamie Nace, who recently took over
operations of the family’s Fast Tees screen printing business in
Thompsontown, announced they will sponsor the “Fast Tees Fast Time Award in
Memory of Jim Nace” for all of the track’s 410 and 358 sprint car time
trial shows in 2010.
The National Open will be one of three events this season featuring the 410
sprint cars at Selinsgrove Speedway. The 410 sprint cars will also compete
at Selinsgrove in the May 30 Keystone Cup Series race and the July 4 PA
Speedweek finale.
Selinsgrove Speedway will open the 2010 season with a two-day modified show
Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20. Friday night’s show at 7:30 p.m.
will feature the 358 modifieds in a 25-lap $2,000-to-win event, while
Saturday’s race at 4 p.m. will feature the big block modifieds in a 50-lap
$4,000-to-win finale.
For the latest news, results, and race status, visit
selinsgrovespeedway.com or call (570) 374-2999.