By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Jason Shultz of Carlisle held off fellow Mach 1 Chassis racers TJ Stutts of Liverpool and Mark Smith of Sunbury for his first victory of the season in the thrilling 25-lap 358 sprint car feature Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway.
The $1,500 win was Shultz’s ninth career at the track driving the Mach 1 Chassis/Martin’s Refrigeration No. 2. He became the fourth different winner in as many races in 358-360 sprint car competition this season.
Dan Stone of Thompson held off the hard-charging Jeff Rine of Danville for his first win of the year in the equally exciting race for the super late models in the division’s 30-lap spring championship race. Stone’s fifth career win at the track was worth $2,500. He also became the fourth different winner in as many late model shows.
The 15-lap pro stock feature win was awarded to Kyle Bachman of Selinsgrove when Brad Mitch of McClure was disqualified for a wheel-base technicality on his race car during the post-race inspection.
John Fowler Jr. of Montandon drove to his second win of the season in the 12-lap roadrunner feature.
Selinsgrove Speedway will present the 12th annual Pro Stock 20 plus a complete program of 358 sprint car, late model, and roadrunner racing at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 4. The Pro Stock 20 will pay $1,000 to win. Track gates will open at 5 p.m.
Second-place starter Duane Mausteller powered into the early lead in the sprint car feature and quickly opened a comfortable lead over third-place starter Colby Womer. On the third circuit, 10th-place starter Jason Shultz stormed into the runner up position and began to reel in Mausteller.
The race’s first caution flag unfurled on lap 11 when Brian Garland’s car fell off the pace on the backstretch. When the race resumed, Mausteller and Shultz dueled for the lead while an intense battle for third unfolded between Womer, 11th-place starter TJ Stutts and seventh-place starter Mark Smith.
On lap 15, Smith advanced to third and closed on the leaders. By lap 20, the top four runners were in a wheel-to-wheel race in lapped traffic. Two laps later, misfortune struck Mausteller when his car drifted into the third turn wall and rolled over. Mausteller escaped injury.
For the final restart, Shultz maintained the lead with Stutts and Smith in close pursuit. Shultz’s margin of victory was just .49 of a second over Stutts. Smith settled for third, while Womer and ninth-place starter Derek Locke rounded out the top five.
Second-place starter Dan Stone pulled into the lead at the drop of the green flag in the late model spring championship race. In the opening laps, Stone was chased by polesitter Steve Campbell while fifth-place starter Dylan Yoder moved into third. Meanwhile, sixth-place starter Jim Yoder and seventh-place starter Jeff Rine dueled for the fourth position.
The caution flag regrouped the field on lap 11when Chad Davis stopped on the track in turn four. On the ensuing restart, Stone continued to set a torrid pace while D. Yoder drove by Campbell for the second position. At the halfway point, Rine horsepowered his way into third and the top three runners began to break away from the field.
On the 17th circuit, Rine raced into second and closed on Stone. On several occasions Rine attempted to make a pass for the lead to no avail. By lap 25, the lead trio was beginning to encounter slower traffic, setting up a tight race for the finish but the final caution flag waved on lap 26 for Jim Bernheisel.
In the final four laps, Stone protected the lead and posted a .58 of a second victory over Rine, D. Yoder, J. Yoder, and Kenny Trevitz.
Outside front row starter Kyle Bachman held off polesitter Matt Hornberger for the early lead in the pro stock feature. On the third lap, however, Hornberger’s car fell off the pace as fifth-place starter Brad Mitch took over the runner up position and third-place starter Nathan Long held down the spot.
During the second half of the race, Bachman and Mitch see-sawed for the lead numerous times through the turns. Mitch finally secured the lead in the final five laps and went on to take the checkered flag by only half of a second over Bachman. During the post-race inspection, however, Mitch’s car was disqualified for a wheel-base technicality and the win was awarded to Bachman over Long, Troy Miller, AJ Stroup, and Pete Lauver.
Second-place starter John Schoch led the first seven laps of the roadrunner race until the eighth circuit when his car drifted high in turn three and allowed third-place starter John Fowler Jr. to take command of the field. Polesitter Brandon Shultz followed Fowler into the runner up position and dueled with fourth-place starter Brian Johnson for the spot in the final two laps of the race.
At the checkered flag, Fowler was victorious by 1.9 seconds over Johnson, Shultz, fifth-place starter Bob Bussey, and Ray Rothfuss.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 27 April 2013
358 Sprint Cars – 22 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 2 Jason Shultz 2) 23 TJ Stutts 3) 1 Mark Smith 4) 19 Colby Womer 5) 77 Derek Locke 6) 5B Josh Beard 7) 15 Mark Bittner 8) 66 Ryan Kissinger 9) 76 Larry Kelleher 10) 34 Austin Reed 11) 99K Cody Keller 12) 1J Ryan Greth 13) 67 Jason Cherry 14) 71C Charlie Anderson 15) 21 Duane Mausteller DNF 16) 5 Phil Walter DNF 17) 29S Derek Steward DNF 18) 42 Alan Spriggle DNF 19) 22M Brian Garland DNF 20) 33 John Troxell DNS 21) 38 Scott Wilson DNS 22) 13 Eric Tomecek DNS
Heat Winners: Mark Smith, Cody Keller, Larry Kelleher
Late Models – 28 Entries
30-Lap A-Main: 1) 21D Dan Stone ( $2,500) 2) 2J Jeff Rine 3) 24 Dylan Yoder 4) 27 Jim Yoder 5) 61 Ken Trevitz 6) 16 Matt Cochran 7) 2 Steve Campbell 8) 06 Mike Lupfer 9) 88 Tony Adams 10) 3W Tim Wilson 11) 19 AJ Hoffman 12) 119B Bryan Bernheisel 13) 30 Sam Schaeffer 14) 4D Chad Hollenbeck 15) 99Z Dave Zona 16) 91 Chad Davis 17) 10 Dave Stamm 18) 119 Jim Bernheisel DNF 19) 17 Nick Dickson DNF 20) 51 Dave Graber DNF 21) 26 Jerry Bard DNF 22) 66 Justin Kann DNF 23) 90 Kyle Rhoads DNF 24) 14 Dave Brouse Sr. DNF 25) 11 Jason Schmidt DNS
Heat Winners: Chad Davis, Ken Trevitz, Dan Stone, Steve Campbell
Consolation Winner: Jim Bernheisel
Time Trials: 1) 24 Dylan Yoder 19.458 2) 2J Jeff Rine 19.466 3) 2 Steve Campbell 19.630 4) 21D Dan Stone 19.700 5) 27 Jim Yoder 19.707 6) 16 Matt Cochran 19.780 7) 26 Jerry Bard 19.928 8) 119B Bryan Bernheisel 19.914 9) 4D Chad Hollenbeck 19.957 10) 88 Tony Adams 19.967 11) 61 Ken Trevitz 20.015 12) 91 Chad Davis 20.025 13) 06 Mike Lupfer 20.051 14) 17 Nick Dickson 20.055 15) 119 Jim Bernheisel 20.072 16) 99Z Dave Zona 20.127 17) 3W Tim Wilson 20.134 18) 19 AJ Hoffman 20.189 19) 76 Andy Haus 20.302 20) 11 Jason Schmidt 20.349 21) 9 Hayes Mattern 20.456 22) 66 Justin Kann 20.529 23) 30 Sam Schaeffer 20.699 24) 90 Kyle Rhoads 21.235 25) 14 Dave Brouse Jr. 21.377 26) 51 Dave Graber 22.091 27) 10 Dave Stamm 22.897 28) 6 Donnie Schick DNT
Pro Stocks – 16 Entries
15-Lap A-Main: 1) 99 Kyle Bachman (Awarded Win) 2) 63 Nathan Long 3) 115 Troy Miller 4) 26 AJ Stroup 5) 85L Pete Lauver 6) 85 Terry Lauver 7) 06 Frank Reisser 8) 4 Jim Payne 9) 28J Jeff Ceballo 10) 32 Tom Hartman 11) 11 Jake Buck DNF 12) 115S Shaun Miller DNF 13) Matt Hornberger DNF 14) 19H Tommy Slanker DNS 15) 55 Randy Nowlen DNS 16) 10M Brad Mitch (DQ)
Heat Winners: Matt Hornberger, Brad Mitch
Roadrunners – 10 Entries
12-Lap A-Main: 1) 02 John Fowler 2) 201 Brian Johnson 3) 31B Brandon Shultz 4) 76 Bob Bussey 5) 22 Ray Rothfuss 6) 28I Curtis Lawton 7) 8K Jeremy Kline 8) 89 John Schoch 9) 7X Butch Shaffer 10) 88 Karen Chase