Selinsgrove, PA — (July 9, 2012) — Lance Dewease of held off a late-race charge by Blane Heimbach of Selinsgrove to win Sunday night’s 30-lap Jan Opperman Memorial PA Speedweek finale for 410 sprint cars at Selinsgrove Speedway.
The $5,000 victory marked Dewease’s first of the series, fifth overall this season, and the 14th of his career at the track driving the Viper Risk Management Group No. 30-C. Dewease was also the Fast Tees fast qualifier with a lap of 17.220 (110.718 average miles per hour).
With his fourth-place finish in the feature, Fred Rahmer of Salfordville clinched his 13th career PA Speedweek title.
Jim Shuster of Newville wired the field for his first career win in the 20-lap super sportsman feature.
Selinsgrove Speedway will return to racing action at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 21, with the Jeff’s Auto Body & Recycling Center Driver & Fan Appreciation Night featuring 358 sprints, late models, pro stocks, and roadrunners. There will be no racing at the track on Saturday, July 14.
Polesitter Mike Erdley pulled into the lead at the start of the sprint car feature. Before the first lap was completed, second-placed starter Danny Lasoski pulled off the race track with mechanical problems on his racer. On the third circuit, fourth-place starter Lance Dewease made a pass by third-place starter Daryn Pittman for the runner up position.
Racing down the backstretch on lap seven, Dewease made the winning pass by Erdley using the inside lane. Two laps later, eighth-place starter Greg Hodnett advanced to third and on lap 13 rocketed into second.
At the halfway point, Dewease was leading Hodnett, Erdley, sixth-place starter Chad Layton, and fifth-place starter Fred Rahmer. By lap 22, Hodnett reeled in Dewease in lapped traffic and was in striking distance with five laps remaining.
The race’s first caution flag unfurled on lap 26 when Erdley’s car blew a tire. On the lap 27 restart, Rahmer drove by Layton for third while Dewease continued to set the pace in front of Hodnett. On the 28th circuit, the second and final caution flag waved when Layton’s car rolled to a stop in turn four.
On the final restart, 16th-place starter Blane Heimbach, who was restarting in the fourth position, rocketed around the top of the race track in turns one and two and into second. Heimbach made a last-ditch effort to catch and pass Dewease for the lead and win to no avail. At the checkered flag, Dewease was victorious by just .92 of a second over Heimbach, Hodnett, Rahmer, and seventh-place starter Rick Lafferty.
In the super sportsman feature, second-place starter Jim Shuster powered into the lead at the start of the race. Shuster was chased by polesitter Dave Berkheimer for most of the event.
On the sixth circuit, co-point leader Frankie Herr’s No. 99 dropped off the pace while he was racing in seventh. When the race resumed on lap seven following a caution for Mallie Shuster, his father Jim continued to set the pace while a battle for the second position heated up between Berkheimer and sixth-place starter Scott Dellinger.
Dellinger took over the runner up position on lap 13 and set his sites on J. Shuster. At the finish, J. Shuster posted a 3.4 second margin of victory over Dellinger, Carmen Perigo, Mike Enders, and Steve Fannasy.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 8 July 2012
410 Sprint Cars-31 Entries
30-Lap A-Main: 1)30C Lance Dewease $5,000 2)12 Blane Heimbach 3)39 Greg Hodnett 4)51 Fred Rahmer 5)0 Rick Lafferty 6)87 Alan Krimes 7)2T TJ Stutts 8)77 Aaron Ott 9)19 Stevie Smith 10)19M Brent Marks 11)13 Paul McMahon 12)19W Colby Womer 13)27 Daryn Pittman 14)15 Adam Wilt 15)35 Tyler Walker 16)8R Michael Ruttkamp 17)66 Ryan Kissinger 18)7 Chad Layton DNF 19)11 Mike Erdley DNF 20)21S Shane Stewart DNF 21)75 Nicole Bower DNF 22)55z Mark Zimmerman DNF 23)17B Steve Buckwalter 24)1 Danny Lasoski DNF
Time Trials: 1) Lance Dewease 17.220 2) Daryn Pittman 17.224 3)Danny Lasoski 17.238 4)Mike Erdley 17.310 5)Alan Krimes 17.360 6)Shane Stewart 17.396 7)Fred Rahmer 17.438 8)Chad Layton 17.479 9)Cody Keller 17.488 10)Pat Cannon 17.520 11)Rick Lafferty 17.525 12)Greg Hodnett 17.535 13)TJ Stutts 17.539 14)Stevie Smith 17.546 15)Darren Mellenoyux 17.555 16)15 Adam Wilt 17.559 17)Colby Womer 17.587 18)Michael Ruttkamp 17.589 19)Blane Heimbach 17.668 20)Tyler Walker 17.693 21)Brent Marks 17.698 22)Paul McMahon 17.739 23)Aaron Ott 17.831 24)Hunter Mackison 17.876 25)Jessica Anderson 17.891 26)Nicole Bower 17.910 27)Mark Zimmerman 17.972 28)Jessica Zemken 17.995 29)Steve Buckwalter 18.019 30)Ryan Kissinger 18.075 31)Luke Bowey 18.459
Heat Winners: Fred Rahmer, Rick Lafferty, Greg Hodnett
B-Main Winner: Alan Krimes
Sportsman Cars- 30 Entries
20-Lap A-Main: 1)69 Jim Shuster 2)30 Scott Dellinger 3)93 Carmen Perigo Jr 4)3B Mike Enders 5)11 Steve Fannasy 6)5 Dave Berkheimer 7)18 Rich Eichelberger 8)222 Jay Fannasy 9)33 Scott Geesey 10)77W Tom Wyckoff 11)25 Bob Hockenberry 12)77 Russ Mitten 13)00 Rick Barr 14)45 Dave Socks 15)14 Ryan Slothower 16)35 Gary Johnston 17)64 Stan Wanner 18)88W Eric Walker DNF 19)66 Leroy Martin DNF 20)49 Mailie Shuster DNF 21)83 Cody Fairchock DNF 22)99 Frankie Herr DNF 23)22 Jaremi Hanson DNF 24)59 Steve Wilbur DNF
Heat Winners: Dave Berkheimer, Bob Hockenberry, Frankie Herr
B-Main Winner: Scott Geesey