By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Colby Womer, 34, of Mt. Pleasant Mills persevered for
his first career win in the 25-lap 358 sprint car feature Saturday night at
Selinsgrove Speedway. Following a spirited wheel-to-wheel duel with Pat
Cannon of Etters earlier in the race, Womer reclaimed the lead with three
laps remaining when Cannon’s car developed mechanical problems.
Womer went on to take his first checkered flag and fulfill a dream at the
track where he grew up watching his uncle, the late five-time champion Jim
Nace, race sprint cars. He became the fourth different sprint car winner
this season in as many races behind the wheel of the Lester Stuck Building
Supplies/Kerstetter Countertops No. 19.
Saturday night’s main events were delayed one hour due to a rain shower
that began to fall immediately following qualifying.
Selinsgrove Speedway will present the ninth annual Ink Spot Printing Pro
Stock 20 plus a complete program of 358 sprint cars, late models, and
roadrunners at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 1.
Several incidents delayed the start of the sprint car feature. On the
initial start, Matt Horst and Phil Walter made contact on the backstretch
and on the second attempt Kevin Nouse and Mike Walter were sidelined
following contact in turn two.
Second-place starter Cody Keller led the first lap of the race as original
eighth-place starter Colby Womer powered into second. On a lap two restart,
Womer powered by Keller for the lead with an outside pass on the
backstretch. A lap later, original 10th-place starter Pat Cannon passed
Keller for second and set his sites on Womer.
By lap six, Cannon reeled in Womer and began to challenge for the lead. For
several laps, Womer and Cannon raced wheel-to-wheel and eventually
encountered slower traffic.
On lap 10, Cannon secured the lead and started to pull away while Womer,
Keller, sixth-place starter Josh Beard, and 11th-place starter TJ Stutts
raced in the top five. On lap 18, Stutts began to show some speed and
advanced to third.
Misfortune struck Cannon on the 22nd lap when the rear end reportedly broke
on his race car while traveling down the backstretch. Womer reclaimed the
lead at this point with Beard, Stutts, ninth-place starter Nate Snyder, and
14th-place starter Larry Kelleher in the top five.
At the finish, Womer posted a one-second margin of victory over Stutts, who
passed Beard for second on the restart. Snyder and Kelleher completed the
top five.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY SUMMARY – 24 April 2010
358 Sprint Cars – 28 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 19 Colby Womer 2) 2T TJ Stutts 3) 5B Josh Beard 4) 56
Nate Snyder 5) 76 Larry Kelleher 6) 12 Blane Heimbach 7) 2S Jason Shultz 8)
99K Cody Keller 9) 77 Derek Locke 10) 28 Chuck Paige 11) 22T Matt Boland
12) 23M Tom Wise 13) 21 Duane Mausteller 14) 81 Bob Beidleman 15) 66 Ryan
Kissinger 16) 769 Steve Nederostek 17) 22M Brian Garland 18) 71 Jessica
Anderson 19) 3 Pat Cannon 20) 14 Matt Heimbach 21) 16H Matt Horst 22) 63
Mike Walter 23) 21T Kevin Nouse 24) 5 Phil Walter
Heat Winners: Mike Walter, Cody Keller, Jason Shultz
Consolation Winner: Matt Boland