From Selinsgrove Speedway
Selinsgrove, PA — (July 5, 2014) — Ryan Kissinger of Bloomsburg made a late-race pass by defending champion Jason Shultz of Carlisle for his first win since 2011 in Saturday night’s 25-lap 360 sprint car feature at Selinsgrove Speedway.
Kissinger was at the wheel of the Ford-powered Predator Cams No. 66 for his second career win at the track. He dedicated the win to his friend and fellow competitor Duane Mausteller of Bloomsburg, who was critically injured in a sprint car racing accident at the speedway on May 17 of this year.
Mausteller was released from Geisinger Medical Center on Wednesday, July 2, and transferred to the MOSS Rehab Center in Philadelphia where he is undergoing therapy and showing signs of improvement, according to his father Randy Mausteller.
In the 30-lap late model summer championship, the $2,000 win was awarded to Jim Bernheisel of Lebanon when Coleby Frye’s car was disqualified for a racing tire infraction. The win was Bernheisel’s first of the year.
Kyle Bachman of Selinsgrove scored his third win of the year in the 15-lap pro stock thriller, while John Fowler Jr. of Montandon won his first race of the season in the 12-lap roadrunner feature.
This Sunday, July 6, Selinsgrove Speedway will present the Jan Opperman Memorial / PA Speedweek Finale for 410 sprint cars plus super sportsman and 305 sprint cars at 7:30 p.m. Track gates will open at 5 p.m.
Selinsgrove Speedway’s half-mile track will be dark Saturday, July 12, and weekly racing will resume on Saturday, July 19, with the annual Jeff’s Auto Body & Recycling Center Driver & Fan Appreciation Night featuring 360 sprint cars, late models, pro stocks, and roadrunners at 7:30 p.m. The sprint car and late model features on July 19 will each pay $2,500 to win.
Polesitter Colby Womer took the early lead in the sprint car feature over third-place starter Jason Shultz. On the seventh circuit, Shultz pulled alongside of Womer in a race for the lead. On the eighth circuit, Womer’s car bobbled in turn four which allowed Shultz to race by for the front spot. On a lap 10 restart, Shultz led the field over second-place starter Ryan Kissinger and Womer in a battle for the lead.
At the halfway point, eighth-place starter Mark Smith advanced to the third spot and set his sights on Shultz and Kissinger. Shultz protected the lead by running the inside lane while Kissinger remained in striking distance racing the high line. On the 20th circuit, Kissinger made the winning pass using the outside lane in turn two. With four laps to go, an intense four-car battle took shape at the front of the pack between Kissinger, Shultz, Smith, and seventh-place starter TJ Stutts.
With three laps to race, contact between Shultz and Smith on the backstretch sent Smith’s car into a wild spin; damage was extensive enough to sideline Smith for the night. On the restart, Kissinger went the distance and posted a .71 of a second margin of victory over Stutts, Shultz, Mike Walter, and Zearfoss.
Second-place starter Coleby Frye powered into the lead at the start of the late model championship race. Third-place starter Jim Bernheisel took over the second spot and attempted to keep Frye in his sights; however, Frye stretched his lead on each of the subsequent restarts.
The first caution flag unfurled on lap seven when Ron Coleman’s No. 72 rolled to a stop. When the race restarted, Bernheisel tried a pass on the low side of Frye to no avail while fifth-place starter Chad Davis raced in third. On a lap 10 restart, ninth-place starter Jim Yoder advanced to fourth as 11th-place starter Jeff Rine raced into the top five.
With five laps to race, Frye set a blistering pace in front of Bernheisel, Yoder, Rine, and seventh-place starter Jerry Bard. At the checkered flag, Frye crossed the line seven seconds ahead of Bernheisel. Frye’s car was later disqualified in a post-race inspection due to a racing tire infraction, and the win was awarded to Bernheisel. Yoder, Rine, Bard, and Dave Zona were credited with top five finishes.
Front-row starter Nate Stroup tore into the early lead in the pro stock feature. Stroup was followed by third-place starter Adam Campbell and sixth-place starter Nathan Long. On the second lap, the lead trio raced three-wide for almost an entire lap. On the seventh circuit, however, Long made contact with Stroup on the backstretch and was sidelined for the rest of the race.
On the restart, Stroup continued to set the pace with seventh-place starter Kyle Bachman in pursuit. Bachman made the winning pass using the inside lane through turns one and two on a lap nine restart. Original eighth-place starter Brad Mitch, who had to restart the race on the rear of the field following a first lap spin, stormed into second with two laps remaining. The event’s final caution flag unfurled on lap 14, setting up a chase to the checkered flag. At the finish, Bachman scored the win by just .43 of a second over Mitch, Stroup, Campbell, and Tommy Slanker.
Second-place starter John Fowler Jr. pulled into the lead at the start of the roadrunner feature. Fowler was chased by fourth-place starter Keith Bissinger and polesitter Curtis Lawton. On the fourth circuit, third-place starter Brian Johnson stormed into third and the front runners raced three-wide through turns one and two on lap eight.
Johnson took command of the field and had a close race with Bissinger on lap nine. On lap 10, Bissinger was scored as the leader by the slimmest of margins. On the 11th circuit, however, Bissinger and Johnson made contact in turn four and Fowler found himself leading the race again. At the finish, Fowler was victorious by just .22 of a second over Johnson, Lawton, Jeremy Kline, and John Schoch.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 5 July 2014
358/360 Sprint Cars – 15 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 66 Ryan Kissinger ($2,000) 2) 23 TJ Stutts 3) 29 Jason Shultz 4) 49 Mike Walter 5) 1W Brock Zearfoss 6) 19 Colby Womer 7) 29 Mark Manieri 8) 21F Jared Fink 9) 29S Derek Steward 10) 19C Tylor Cochran 11) 1 Mark Smith 12) 77 Derek Locke 13) 33W Michael Walter II 14) 35 Shannon Fisher 15) 100 Jeff Lebowski
Heat Winners: Colby Womer, Ryan Kissinger
Late Models – 25 Entries
30-Lap A-Main: 1) 119 Jim Bernheisel ($2,000) 2) 27 Jim Yoder 3) 2J Jeff Rine 4) 26 Jerry Bard 5) 99Z Dave Zona 6) 2 Steve Campbell 7) 24 Dylan Yoder 8) 91 Chad Davis 9) 61 Ken Trevitz 10) 76 Andy Haus 11) 119B Bryan Bernheisel 12) 4D Chad Hollenbeck 13) 76H Scott Haus 14) 16 Matt Cochran 15) 45 Eric Hons 16) 2Y Andrew Yoder 17) 10 Dave Stamm 18) 6M Harry Miller 19) 15S Shaun Miller 20) 0 Larry Baer 21) 33C Chris Casner 22) 9 Hayes Mattern 23) 72 Ron Coleman 24) F1 Coleby Frye DQ 25) 88 Tony Adams DNS
Heat Winners: Coleby Frye, Jim Bernheisel, Hayes Mattern
Pro Stocks – 16 Entries
15-Lap A-Main: 1) 99 Kyle Bachman 2) 10M Brad Mitch 3) 26S Nate Stroup 4) 2C Adam Campbell 5) 40 Tommy Slanker 6) 1C Jamin Chapman 7) 111 Shaun Miller 8) 11 Jake Buck 9) 71 Kurt Wray 10) 01 David Berry 11) 28J Jeff Ceballo 12) 32 Tom Hartman 13) 4 Jim Payne 14) 83 Matt Wilson 15) 63 Nathan Long 16) 85 Terry Lauver DNS
Heat Winners: Nate Stroup, Kurt Wray
Roadrunners – 8 Entries
12-Lap A-Main: 1) 02 John Fowler Jr. 2) 201 Brian Johnson 3) 28 Curtis Lawton 4) 8K Jeremy Kline 5) 89 John Schoch 6)11 Keith Bissinger 7) 7 Butch Shaffer 8) 22 Ricky Buss