By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Fans of sprint car racing will be treated to two 25-lap
358 sprint car features in one night plus a complete program of late
models, pro stocks, and roadrunners at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 14, at
Selinsgrove Speedway. Track gates will open at 5 p.m.
Foss Jewelers, located on Route 522 in Selinsgrove, will be the title
sponsor of this weekend’s racing program. For more than a decade, Foss
Jewelers has sponsored the gold championship rings that are presented to
the speedway’s divisional track champions at the annual awards banquet.
With two full-points races in one night, including the rained out feature
from July 24, this Saturday’s show may be critical for drivers who want a
shot at the Foss Jewelers championship ring and the A&A Auto Stores 358
sprint car track title at Selinsgrove Speedway, as the standings are too
close to call with only seven events remaining this season.
Following last weekend’s racing action, one-time feature winner Blane
Heimbach of Selinsgrove has reclaimed the lead in the standings by just 105
points over six-time winner Pat Cannon of Etters. One-time winner Davie
Franek of Wantage, N.J., is 655 points behind the leader in the third
position.
Heimbach is a former two-time Selinsgrove champion in 2005 and 2006, while
Cannon clinched his only Selinsgrove title in 2008. Franek is seeking the
first of his career in sprint car competition. Matt Heimbach of Selinsgrove
became the division’s eighth different feature winner when he held off his
cousin Blane for his first career Selinsgrove Speedway victory last
Saturday.
In the Lyon’s Auto & Truck Service Center late models, seven-time winner
Jeff Rine of Danville holds a 370-point lead over Steve Campbell of
Danville. Campbell was able to erode some of the point deficit with a
strong second-place finish in last Saturday’s 35-lap Late Model Open, while
Rine was credited with a DNF when he withdrew from the race on lap 19. Dan
Stone of Thompson became the division’s sixth different winner this season
with his victory in the Open.
By capturing his fourth win of the season in last Saturday’s pro stock
feature, AJ Hoffman of Richfield stretched his lead to 270 points over
three-time winner and defending champion Jason Smith of Williamsport in the
Salem RV Center standings.
Two roadrunner features last weekend enabled Ricky Bender of Jolliett to
move within 150 points of four-time winner and leader Brad Mitch of McClure
in the Byers Built Engines/Collier Paving & Construction roadrunner
standings. Bender and Brian Johnson of Ashland picked up their first wins
of the season in the twin 12-lap features.
Selinsgrove Speedway will present an open wheel doubleheader of Rislone URC
sprint cars and 358 sprint cars plus late models at 7:30 p.m. Saturday,
Aug. 21, sponsored by Reinhart Food Service.
Selinsgrove Raceway Park will present a program of go kart and micro sprint
car racing at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13. Defending champion and five-time
winner Todd Hoover of Mt. Pleasant Mills holds a 70-point lead over
one-time winner David Utt of Bloomsburg in the Selinsgrove Ford micro
sprint car standings.