From Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Pat Cannon of Etters won his 10th 358 sprint car feature
of the season at Selinsgrove Speedway Saturday night and clinched his
second career A&A Auto Stores sprint car title at the Snyder County oval.
Cannon, driving the Highlands’ Tire & Service Center No. 3, continues to
lead the point standings at Williams Grove Speedway and in the Hoosier Tire
Mid-Atlantic overall PA 358 sprint car point series as well.
Steve Campbell of Danville scored his first win of the season in the 25-lap
late model feature, while Jeff Rine of Danville two weeks ago clinched his
sixth career track championship in the division.
Jason Smith of Williamsport took the checkered flag for the fourth time
this season in the 15-lap pro stock feature. The track championship, which
was decided between Smith and AJ Hoffman of Richfield, went to Hoffman for
the first time in his career.
Rob Pyle of Donaldson was awarded the win in the 12-lap roadrunner race
when Brad Mitch of McClure was disqualified for rough-riding on the final
lap. Ricky Bender of Jolliett won the division’s track championship for the
first time.
The next event at the speedway will be the DH&L Fire Co. race car flea
market from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. The speedway will
host its annual awards banquet on Saturday, Nov. 20, at the Sheraton
Harrisburg-Hershey Hotel.
Second-place starter Cody Keller powered into the lead at the start of the
sprint car feature and quickly opened up a comfortable lead. By lap three,
10th-place starter Pat Cannon made a charge into the third position. A
circuit later, Cannon passed fourth-place starter Derek Locke for second
and set his sites on Keller.
On the 10th lap, Cannon reeled in Keller and made the winning pass using
the inside lane in turn two. The event’s first caution flag unfurled on lap
12 when Larry Kelleher stopped his racer on the frontstretch. On the
restart, 11th-place starter Logan Schuchart advanced to second and
attempted to catch Cannon.
At the checkered flag, Cannon was victorious by 3.9 seconds over Schuchart,
ninth-place starter Blane Heimbach, Keller, and Locke.
Polesitter Dave Brouse took the early lead in the late model feature with
third-place starter Eric Hons in pursuit. A six-car melee in turn three on
the fourth lap regrouped the field for a restart which saw Hons take
command of the field.
Entering turn one on the sixth circuit, fifth-place starter Andy Haus
powered to the outside and took the lead exiting the second turn. On the
eighth circuit, eighth-place starter Jim Yoder reeled in Haus and took
command of the field. At the same time, ninth-place starter Steve Campbell
made his way to the front of the pack.
On lap 11, Campbell pulled into the lead with an inside pass by Yoder in
turn two. For the duration of the event, Yoder remained in striking
distance as the two leaders darted in and out of slower traffic in a tight
race for the lead.
In the final laps, 10th-place starter Dylan Yoder and 12th-place starter
Jeff Rine joined the leaders in a close race at the front of the pack. At
the finish, Campbell was victorious by a mere .83 of a second over J.
Yoder, D. Yoder, Rine, and Kyle Rhoads.
AJ Hoffman, who started 11th in the pro stock feature, nearly had his hopes
of a career first championship slip away when he was involved in a first
lap tangle on the backstretch. Fortunately, Hoffman was able to rejoin the
field and race his way back through the pack.
Polesitter Nate Kerstetter led the first lap of the event until
fourth-place starter Shaun Miller powered into the lead. On the third
circuit, 10th-place starter Jason Smith took the lead as ninth-place
starter Jason Schmidt closed in for the lead.
On the final lap, Schmidt’s car fell off the pace and brought out the
caution flag. Smith led the field back to the flag and took the win by just
.37 of a second over AJ Stroup, Hoffman, Miller, and Doug Minium.
Fourth-place starter Bob Bussey led the first three laps of the roadrunner
feature. On the fourth circuit, eighth-place starter Brad Mitch powered
into the lead as ninth-place starter Ricky Bender advanced to second.
On the final lap, Bender made a pass for the lead entering turn three, only
to be tagged by Mitch in the fourth turn. The contact caused a multi-car
melee on the frontstretch, resulting in Mitch’s disqualification for
rough-riding. Rob Pyle was awarded the win over Brian Johnson, Scott
Dunham, and Jeff Swanger.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 25 September 2010
358 Sprint Cars – 26 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 3 Pat Cannon 2) 1S Logan Schuchart 3) 12 Blane Heimbach
4) 99K Cody Keller 5) 77 Derek Locke 6) 5W Phil Walter 7) 56 Nate Snyder
8) 23M TJ Stutts 9) 19 Colby Womer 10) 71 Jessica Anderson 11) 63 Mike
Walter 12) 66 Ryan Kissinger 13) 14 Matt Heimbach 14) 16H Matt Horst
15) 7 Mike Erdley 16) 769 Steven Nederostek 17) 21 Adrian Shaffer 18) 5
Josh Beard 19) 71C Charlie Anderson 20) 9 Wes Irwin 21) 19K Larry
Kelleher DNF 22) 28F Davie Franek DNF 23) 3G Jim Gearhart DNF 24) 74
Nick Harner DNF
Heat Winners: Pat Cannon, Derek Locke, Blane Heimbach
Consolation Winner: Josh Beard