From Steve Inch
Selinsgrove, PA — (May 31, 2014) — TJ Stutts of Liverpool stormed to his second win of the season in Saturday night’s 25-lap 360 sprint car feature at Selinsgrove Speedway and made gains on points leader and three-time winner Mark Smith of Sunbury in the chase for the track championship.
Stutts collected $2,000 for his 19th career win in 358-360 sprint car competition behind the wheel of the Shimock Furniture/Mountain View Travel No. 23M.
Dave Zona of Montrose drove to his second career win at Selinsgrove Speedway in the 25-lap super late model feature and became the division’s fifth different winner in six races.
Brad Mitch of McClure wired the field for his first win in the 13th annual Pro Stock 20. The $1,000 victory was Mitch’s fourth of the season and 13th of his career in the pro stock division at the track.
Keith Bissinger of Orangeville won his third race of the season in the 12-lap roadrunner feature.
A large crowd contributed $3,397.60 as part of a helmet collection by the drivers for Duane Mausteller of Bloomsburg and Jamie Collard of Burford, Ontario, who were injured in the May 17 sprint car feature at the track. As of Saturday, Mausteller remained in critical condition at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Collard is recuperating from his injuries at home.
Selinsgrove Speedway will present the United Racing Company (URC) 34th annual Jack Gunn Memorial for 358-360 sprint cars plus late models and pro stocks sponsored by PEPSI at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7. The 30-lap Gunn Memorial will pay $3,500 to win and $225 to start out of the $15,000-plus purse. Track gates will open at 5 p.m.
Polesitter and defending champion Jason Shultz powered into the lead at the start of the sprint car feature over third-place starter Derek Locke. By lap three, Shultz developed a solid lead while second-place starter Colby Womer passed Locke for the second spot.
By lap five, Shultz was leading over Womer, fourth-place starter TJ Stutts, Locke, and sixth-place starter Mark Smith. The caution flag slowed the field on lap six when seventh-place starter Larry Kelleher spun in turn three.
When the race resumed, Stutts passed Womer for second and reeled in Shultz in a race for the lead. On the seventh circuit, Stutts raced underneath Shultz in turn two and made contact which sent Shultz into a spin on the backstretch. Stutts took command of the field while Shultz rejoined the race on the back of the pack.
At the halfway point, Stutts was leading fifth-place starter Davie Franek and Smith in the top three positions. On lap 22, Michael Walter, who was racing a solid top five, rolled to a stop in turn two, setting up a chase to the checkered flag.
On the restart, Smith drove by Franek and attempted to reel in Stutts to no avail. At the finish, Stutts took the checkered flag over Smith, Franek, Womer, and Shultz.
Polesitter Dustin Hoffman drove into the early lead in the late model feature. Hoffman was chased by second-place starter Jason Schmidt and fourth-place starter Dave Zona. On the fourth circuit, Zona made an inside pass by Schmidt in turn two for the runner-up position and set his sights on the leader.
On lap six, Hoffman bobbled in turn four, allowing Zona to streak underneath him for the lead. Eighth-place starter Tony Adams throttled his way into third and closed in on the leaders. The caution flag unfurled on lap 11 for debris. When the race resumed, 12th-place starter Jeff Rine fell off the pace in turn two while Hayes Mattern withdrew from the race with a flat tire.
At the halfway point, fifth-place starter Jim Bernheisel horsepowered his way into the second position while 11th-place starter Andy Haus raced into the top five. With 10 laps to go, Haus passed Adams for third.
The race’s final caution flag waved on lap 19 when Jim Yoder’s car fell off the pace. When the race resumed, all all-out war on wheels unfolded at the front of the pack with 15th-place starter Steve Campbell and 16th-place starter Donnie Schick making late-race charges. At the checkered flag, Zona was victorious over Haus, Campbell, Adams, and Schick.
In the Pro Stock 20, second-place starter Brad Mitch pulled into the lead at the drop of the green flag. Mitch was chased by fourth-place starter Derrick Garman and sixth-place starter AJ Stroup. In the early laps of the race, Garman and Stroup dueled for the runner-up position. By lap five, 10th-place starter Nathan Long showed a lot of speed and advanced to fourth with fifth-place starter Kyle Bachman holding down a top-five run.
At the midway point, Mitch, Garman, and Stroup broke away from the pack. In the closing laps, Garman reeled in Mitch and was in striking distance on the checkered flag lap. At the finish, Mitch was victorious by the slimmest of margins over Garman, Stroup, Long, and Bachman.
Polesitter John Schoch led the first four laps of the roadrunner feature until ninth-place starter Keith Bissinger made the winning pass using the inside lane in turn three. Bissinger stretched his lead while defending champion Brian Johnson raced into the second position at the halfway point.
At the finish, Bissinger was victorious by several car-lengths over Johnson, John Fowler Jr., Curtis Lawton, and Schoch.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 31 May 2014
360 Sprint Cars – 13 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 23 TJ Stutts 2) 1 Mark Smith 3) 28F Davie Franek 4) 19 Colby Womer 5) 29 Jason Shultz 6) 77 Derek Locke 7) 66 Ryan Kissinger 8) 1H Hunter Schuerenberg 9) 29D Derek Steward 10) 67 Jason Cherry 11) 33 Michael Walter 12) 76 Larry Kelleher 13) 99 Cody Keller
Heat Winners: Colby Womer, Mark Smith
Late Models – 30 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 99Z Dave Zona 2) 76 Andy Haus 3) Steve Campbell 4) 88 Tony Adams 5) 6 Donnie Schick 6) 119 Jim Bernheisel 7) 23 Bud Phillips 8) 61T Kenny Trevitz 9) 91 Chad Davis 10) 4D Chad Hollenbeck 11) 4P Patrick Bryner 12) 31 Derek Casner 13) 15 Scott Flickinger 14) 11 Jason Schmidt 15) 28 Jason Smith 16) 10 Dave Stamm 17) 14 Austin Berry 18) 27 Jim Yoder 19) 19 Dustin Hoffman 20) 32 Coleby Frye 21) 119B Bryan Bernheisel 22) 9 Hayes Mattern 23) 2J Jeff Rine 24) 7M Meade Hahn
Heat Winners: Jason Schmidt, Kenny Trevitz, Jeff Rine, Jim Yoder
Consolation Winner: Jason Smith
Pro Stocks – 24 Entries
20-Lap A-Main: 1) 10M Brad Mitch 2) 111 Derrick Garman 3) 26 AJ Stroup 4) 63 Nathan Long 5) 99 Kyle Bachman 6) S8 Andrew Shoop 7) 2 Adam Campbell 8) 1C Jamin Chapman 9) 1H Steve Knepp 10) 83 Matt Wilson 11) 26S Nate Stroup 12) 4 Jim Payne 13) 28J Jeff Ceballo 14) 1 Peanut Heintzelman 15) 11 Jake Buck 16) 88 Matt Hornberger 17) 85 Terry Lauver 18) 8M Brandon Moser 19) 32 Tom Hartman 20) G3 Jim Gearhart 21) 6 Pete Lauver 22) 40 Tommy Slanker 23) 01 David Berry 24) 31 Chris Snyder
Heat Winners: Jamin Chapman, Brad Mitch, Kyle Bachman
Roadrunners – 9 Entries
12-Lap A-Main: 1) 11B Keith Bissinger 2) 201 Brian Johnson 3) 02 John Fowler Jr. 4) 28 Curtis Lawton 5) 89 John Schoch 6) 8K Jeremy Kline 7) 7 Butch Shaffer 8) F14 Ed Capper 9) 31 Brandon Shultz