By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Selinsgrove Speedway will present its crown jewel open wheel race, the Jim Nace Memorial/36th Annual National Open for 410 sprint cars sanctioned by the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions and sponsored by B&R Lawn Care, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15.
The Nace Memorial National Open will be a 35-lap tribute race paying $10,000 to win and $600 to start out of the $35,000 purse. The Fast Tees Fast Time Award will pay $300. Time trials, heat races, and a B-main will be the qualifying format.
Pit gates will open at 3 p.m. with grandstand gates at 4 p.m. Qualifying is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
For the ninth straight year, the 410 Open will honor the life and racing career of Nace, the track’s only five-time sprint car champion who died in November 2009 following a seven-year battle with cancer.
The pro stocks will compete in a 15-lap Invitational paying $500 to win. The rain date, if needed, will be Sunday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m.
Title sponsor B&R Lawn Care/Landscaping, located at 10 Paramount Road in Selinsgrove, provides professional mowing, mulching, trimming, and landscaping services to customers in the greater Susquehanna Valley.
In last year’s race, Brian Brown of Grain Valley, Mo., made his first ever start at Selinsgrove and wired the field for an impressive victory in the Open.
Fred Rahmer, of Salfordville, is the track’s only five-time winner of the Open with victories in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000.
In 2014, Greg Hodnett of Spring Grove became the third driver to win the Open four times. Hodnett’s other Open victories came in 1998, 2004, and 2007. Todd Shaffer of Millerstown is the other driver on the Open career win list with four championships in 1993, 1994, 2001, and 2008.
In 2013, Pat Cannon of Etters joined the late Maynard Yingst of Linglestown and Rahmer as only the third driver to win three consecutive National Opens. Cannon also won in 2012 and 2011. Yingst’s wins in the Open occurred in 1983, 1984, and 1985.
Other past repeat winners include Lance Dewease of Fayetteville (2002, 2009, 2010), Don Kreitz Jr. of Sinking Spring (1986 and 1992), and Lucas Wolfe of Mechanicsburg (2005 and 2016).
Single-time winners of the Open include Dave Blaney of Cortland, Ohio (1987); Keith Kauffman of Mifflintown (1988); Doug Wolfgang of Sioux Falls, S.D. (1989); Sammy Swindell of Bartlett, Tenn. (1990); Johnny Mackison Jr. of York (1991); Stevie Smith of Broken Arrow, Okla. (2003); Chad Layton of Harrisburg (2006); and Danny Dietrich of Gettysburg (2015).
In the 16 All Star-sanctioned sprint car races that have been held at Selinsgrove Speedway, there has never been a repeat winner. Previous All Star winners at the track include Bobbie Adamson (1970), Mike Lloyd (1973), Randy Wolfe (1982), Len Krautheim (1986), Doug Wolfgang (1987), Kenny Jacobs (1990), Frankie Kerr (1991), Cris Eash (1991), Johnny Mackison Jr. (1991), Dale Blaney (1996), Keith Kauffman (1997), Greg Hodnett (1998), Fred Rahmer (1999), Todd Shaffer (2000), Danny Dietrich (2016), and Brian Brown (2017).
Following the National Open for sprint cars, the Craftsman World of Outlaws Late Model Series will invade Selinsgrove Speedway for the Jeff’s Auto Body & Recycling Center 20th Anniversary Late Model National Open Saturday, Sept. 22, also paying $10,000 to win. The limited late models will share the racing program with the super late models.
For a complete schedule, the latest news, results, and race status, visit selinsgrovespeedway.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. The speedway office can be reached at 570.374.2266.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE INFORMATION FOR SEPTEMBER 15, 2018:
Purse for 2018 Jim Nace Memorial/36th Annual National Open for 410 Sprint Cars: 1) $10,000 2) $4,000 3) $2,200 4) $1,700 5) $1,500 6) $1,400 7) $1,300 8) $1,210 9) $1,155 10) $1,100 11) $900 12) $800 13) $700 14) $675 15) $650 16) $650 17) $625 18) $625 19) $625 20-24) $600
Pit Gates Open: 3PM
Grandstand Gates Open: 4PM
Race Time: 7PM
Rain Date: Sunday, Sept. 16, 6PM
Also Racing: Pro Stock Invitational ($500 to Win)
Admission for Saturday, Sept. 15: Adults $25; Students (12-17) $15; Kids 11 & Under FREE: Pit Passes $35