By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Defending track champion Nate Snyder of Halifax drove to
his first victory in almost two years in the 25-lap 358 sprint car feature
Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway. He became the fifth different
winner in as many races this season at the track.
Snyder, driving the Pro Lawn/Expert Settlement Services No. 56, inherited
the lead on lap 23 when Bob Beidleman’s car reportedly ran out of fuel
while leading. The victory was the 15th of Snyder’s career at Selinsgrove.
Jeff Rine of Danville pulled off the hat track in convincing style by
winning his third 25-lap late model feature in a row by more than 13
seconds over Dylan Yoder of Selinsgrove. Rine now has 58 career wins at the
track.
In the ninth annual Ink Spot Printing Pro Stock 20, Jason Smith of
Williamsport made a last-lap pass by AJ Hoffman of Richfield for his second
career victory in the division’s championship race and ninth overall career
win. Smith set a new one-lap track record in qualifying in a time of
24.155.
Marlin Dunham Jr. of Selinsgrove won his first race of the season in the
12-lap roadrunner feature.
Selinsgrove Speedway will present two special stock car racing events in
one night on Saturday, May 8, at 7 p.m. featuring the rescheduled Collier
Paving & Construction Roadrunner 20 and the Spring Championship for late
models. The 358 sprint cars and pro stocks will also be on the
four-division racing card. Track gates will open at 5 p.m.
Second-place starter Scott Flammer led the first lap of the 358 sprint car
feature with fourth-place starter Bob Beidleman in close pursuit. Racing
out of turn four on the second circuit, Beidleman made an outside pass by
Flammer to take the lead.
On lap four, last week’s winner and 15th-place starter Colby Womer slid
sideways in turn four but was able to rejoin the race. When the race
resumed, 11th-place starter Nate Snyder horsepowered his way around several
cars for a run in the top five. A lap later, Beidleman was leading Flammer,
Snyder, polesitter Mike Walter, and fifth-place starter Ryan Kissinger.
By lap 16, Snyder was beginning to reel in Beidleman in traffic. On a lap
21 restart, Snyder attempted a low pass for the lead entering turn one to
no avail as Beidleman maintained his momentum around the top of the race
track. Misfortune struck Beidleman on the 23 lap when his race car
reportedly ran out of fuel and coasted to a stop on the backstretch.
Snyder inherited the lead for the restart with 10th-place starter Pat
Cannon in second. Snyder opened up a comfortable lead with two laps
remaining and took the checkered flag 1.7 seconds ahead of Cannon, point
leader and 12th-place starter TJ Stutts, 20th-place starter Blane
Heimbach, and Walter.
Polesitter Dylan Yoder put his Krenn Racing No. 32 into the early lead in
the late model feature. D. Yoder was chased by second-place starter Troy
Miller for the first three laps until fourth-place starter Jeff Smith took
over the runner up position.
By lap six, 12th-place starter Jeff Rine stormed into second and set his
sites on the leader. For several laps, Rine dueled with D. Yoder for the
lead and eventually made the winning pass using the inside lane entering
turn three on lap 12.
Rine then checked out from the field, while D. Yoder, sixth-place starter
Dave Zona, ninth-place starter Steve Campbell, and Miller raced in the top
five. At the finish, Rine took the checkered flag by 13.06 seconds over D.
Yoder, Campbell, Zona, and 10th-place starter Jim Yoder.
On the start of the Pro Stock 20, second-place starter AJ Hoffman powered
into the lead, with polesitter Cody McFadden in pursuit. By lap five, an
intense battle began to unfold between McFadden, fourth-place starter Jason
Schmidt, an eighth-place starter Dave Brouse Jr.
At the halfway point, McFadden and Schmidt raced in Hoffman’s shadow and
appeared to be serious threats. Fifth-place starter AJ Stroup and
sixth-place starter Jason Smith also began to show some speed in the second
half of the event.
On a lap 13 restart, Stroup moved into the fourth position, while Smith
advanced to fifth by lap 17. As Hoffman took the white flag, a wild crash
occurred on the fronstretch when McFadden and Schmidt made contact, causing
Schmidt’s car to flip and land upside down near the start/finish line. All
drivers escaped injury.
For the one-lap chase to the checkered flag, Smith powered underneath
Hoffman entering turn one and went on to take the checkered flag .72 of a
second over Hoffman, Stroup, Brouse Jr., and Doug Minium.
Second-place starter Brian Johnson led the first lap of the roadrunner
feature. On the second circuit, fourth-place starter Marlin Dunham powered
into the lead at the line before a caution flag unfurled and regrouped the
field.
On the fifth lap, another spectacular crash occurred as Johnson’s car made
an impact with the frontstretch wall and came to a rest on its side against
the guardrail. All the drivers involved in the crash escaped injury.
When the race restarted, M. Dunham continued to set the pace with
sixth-place starter Eric Pinkerton and eighth-place starter Ricky Bender in
pursuit. On the final lap, Bender made a pass by Pinkerton for second. At
the checkered flag M. Dunham was victorious by 1.8 seconds over Bender,
Scott Dunham Jr., Pinkerton, and Jason Sherman.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY SUMMARY – 1 May 2010
358 Sprint Cars – 33 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 56 Nate Snyder 2) 3 Pat Cannon 3) 2T TJ Stutts 4) 12
Blane Heimbach 5) 63 Mike Walter 6) 37 Scott Flammer 7) 66 Ryan Kissinger
8) 19 Colby Womer 9) 22T Matt Boland 10) 76 Larry Kelleher 11) 2S Jason
Shultz 12) 5B Josh Beard 13) 7 Joey Borich 14) 81 Bob Beidleman 15) 71
Jessica Anderson 16) 769 Steve Nederostek 17) 1 Brian Nornhold 18) 21 Duane
Mausteller 19) 21T Kevin Nouse 20) 16H Matt Horst 21) 14 Matt Heimbach 22)
5 Phil Walter 23) 99K Cody Keller 24) 23M Tom Wise (28 of Chuck Paige did
not start the feature; 769 of Steve Nederostek was alternate starter)
Heat Winners: Scott Flammer, Jason Shultz, Chuck Paige, Pat Cannon
Consolation Winner: Duane Mausteller