By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – One of the most highly-anticipated sprint car races of
the year will take place at 7 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 18, at Selinsgrove
Speedway, with the running of the Jim Nace Memorial 28th Annual National
Open for 410 sprint cars.
The National Open’s distance of 44 laps and $44,000 purse, tributes to
Nace’s race car number at the start of his career, will be divided into two
22-lap segments and two complete payoffs, with $6,000 to win each segment
as an homage 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, a $14,000 bonus will be
awarded, pushing the winner’s total to $26,000 and the event’s purse to
nearly $60,000, which would be the speedway’s third highest-paying sprint
car race in its 65-year history, behind the 1989 and 1990 National Opens.
The $26,000 figure was selected to honor the Camel Express No. 26 sprint
car Nace drove to a majority of his career championships and victories in
central Pennsylvania.
Nace, who died last November following a seven-year battle with cancer, is
the speedway’s only five-time sprint car track champion.
Mr. Robert Altman of Racing Fans Direct has coordinated a driver autograph
session that is scheduled to take place from 5:30 – 6 p.m. behind the
speedway’s frontstretch grandstand. Tentatively scheduled to participate in
the autograph session are National Open champions Fred Rahmer of
Salfordville (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000), Todd Shaffer of Millerstown
(1993, 1994, 2001, 2008), Greg Hodnett of Thomasville (1998, 2004, 2007),
Keith Kauffman of Mifflintown (1988), and Chad Layton of Harrisburg (2006).
Also scheduled to sign autographs are previous 358 sprint car track
champions Pat Cannon of Etters and Blane Heimbach of Selinsgrove. Daryn
Pittman of Owasso, Okl., who won the season’s two previous 410 sprint car
races and the 358-360 National Open at the track, will be on hand for
autographs, as well as Brian Leppo of York and Mark Smith of Tower City.
The Camel Express No. 26 in which Shaffer will drive in Saturday’s Open
will be on display as well as the Fast Tees No. 6 show car prior to the
start of the race. Fast Tees will also have on sale a special edition Jim
Nace Memorial National Open t-shirt and a commemorative program book.
Other past winners of the National Open include Maynard Yingst of
Linglestown (1983, 1984, 1985); Don Kreitz Jr. of Sinking Spring (1986,
1992); Dave Blaney of Cortland, Ohio (1987); Doug Wolfgang of Sioux Falls,
SD (1989); Sammy Swindell of Bartlett, Tenn. (1990); Johnny Mackison Jr. of
York (1991); Lance Dewease of Fayetteville (2002); Stevie Smith of Broken
Arrow, Okla. (2003); and Lucas Wolfe of Mechanicsburg (2005).
Joining the 410 sprint cars on Saturday’s racing program will be the late
models and SpeedSTRs. Track gates will open at 5 p.m., with qualifying
scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
For additional information, please visit selinsgrovespeedway.com or call
(570) 374-2999.