By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – For the third time in his racing career, TJ Stutts of
Liverpool won the sprint car season opener at Selinsgrove Speedway. Stutts
drove to his 12th career 358 sprint car victory in the division’s 25-lap
main event Saturday night, which marked the track’s 48th consecutive sprint
car season opener since 1963.
The 30-year-old Stutts, driving the Mountain View Travel sponsored No. 2T,
previously won Selinsgrove openers in 2001 driving a 358 sprint car and in
2006 behind the wheel of a 410 sprint car. Next week, Saturday, April 2,
Stutts will also be gunning for his third career victory in the rescheduled
2009 National Open for 358 sprint cars that was rained out last fall. The
30-lap Open, which Stutts won in 2001 and 2003, will pay $3,000 to win.
Joining the 358 sprint cars on the April 2 racing card will be the
roadrunners. Track gates will open at 4 p.m., with sprint car time trials
slated to start at 6 p.m.
AJ Stroup of Evendale won the 15-lap season opener for pro stocks. The
victory marked the 14th of Stroup’s career at Selinsgrove.
The speedway will hold an open practice session this Wednesday, March 31,
from 6:30-9 p.m. for all divisions.
Polesitter Jessica Anderson, last year’s Rookie of the Year, powered into
the lead at the start of the sprint car feature. At the completion of the
first lap, Anderson was leading third-place starter Phil Walter and
second-place starter TJ Stutts.
On the sixth circuit, Stutts drove by Walter for second using the inside
lane and set his sites on Anderson, who began to stretch her early race
lead. Racing in traffic, Stutts pulled up on Anderson on the 10th lap and
made the winning pass on the bottom of the track in turn one. Two laps
later, Heimbach streaked into the second position.
On lap 18, Anderson’s impressive drive in the opener came to an end when
her car lost a wheel entering turn three. On the subsequent restart, Stutts
continued to set a blistering pace in front of Heimbach on the ultra-fast
half-mile oval. With five laps remaining, ninth-place starter Davie Franek
passed Walter for third and attempted to reel in the leaders.
In the final laps, Stutts began to stretch his lead over Heimbach, posting
a 1.3 second margin of victory. Franek, defending champion and
seventh-place starter Nate Snyder, and Walter rounded out the top five.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY SUMMARY – 27 March 2010
358 Sprint Cars – 31 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 2T TJ Stutts 2) 12 Blane Heimbach 3) 4R Davie Franek 4)
56 Nate Snyder 5) 5 Phil Walter 6) 21T Kevin Nouse 7) 1S Logan Schuchart 8)
19 Colby Womer 9) 76 Larry Kelleher 10) 19 Jordan Frontz 11) 22T Matt
Boland 12) 16H Matt Horst 13) 21 Duane Mausteller 14) 5T Glendon Forsythe
15) 77 Derek Locke 16) 71C Charlie Anderson 17) 1N Brian Nornhold 18) 7
Joey Borich 19) 5B Josh Beard 20) 71 Jessica Anderson 21) 14 Matt Heimbach
22) 2 Jason Shultz 23) 66 Ryan Kissinger 24) 23M Tom Wise
Heat Winners: Kevin Nouse, Josh Beard, Blane Heimbach (NTR 8 Laps:
2:21.231)
Consolation Winner: Duane Mausteller