By Shawn Brouse
Selinsgrove, Pa. – As a new season of auto racing dawns at Selinsgrove Speedway, a fresh face has joined the promotional and management team at Selinsgrove Speedway as Selinsgrove businessman Todd Benner has joined Speedway Management Group LLC, the management team that currently heralds the historic oval’s efforts.
Benner, owner of nearby Selinsgrove Ford, has been involved in local sprint car racing on a sponsorship level for over a decade and has supplied the speedway’s pace truck for some 20 years while supporting the oval with other sponsorship efforts.
At the same time, fellow local business leader Brian Scandle of NRG Controls North, who has been part of the management team since its inception in 2016, will be increasing his role at the facility.
Both Scandle, of Sunbury, and Benner plan on taking active roles in not only speedway promotion but in race night activity as well.
“I’m excited to have Todd join our team as we work to make Selinsgrove Speedway a premium race track in central PA,” Scandle said.
General Manager Steve Inch of Lewisburg and majority partner Mike Heffner of Hellertown will continue their roles as lead members of the Selinsgrove management team.
Mike Heffner, well known as a successful sprint car owner and businessman, has been the driving force in the promotion of the speedway since Speedway Management Group LLC. was formed five years ago.
“I look forward to working with both Todd and Brian,” says Heffner.
“Together, their involvement will add to the success of the speedway not only this year but into the future as well.”
His move into the role of promoter at the speedway for the new season comes naturally to the fifty-five year old Benner, now a third-generation owner of Selinsgrove Ford.
“I guess racing has always been in my blood,” says Benner of his move into promoter.
“My dad (Ray) took me to the track when he owned the Selinsgrove Motors #63 late model driven by Paul Long in the 70’s and as I started to get more involved at Selinsgrove Ford, I wanted to have a relationship with Selinsgrove Speedway.”
Benner views his personal step up at Selinsgrove Speedway as a continuation of Selinsgrove Ford’s mission to be supportive of the community.
“Helping out in our community is what Selinsgrove Ford is all about,” Benner says.
“My passion for the track has only grown stronger. So I’m looking forward to working with all the Selinsgrove Speedway team members to continue to improve the track, to have great communication with the owners and drivers, and to have exciting racing for our growing fan base!”
Alan Kreitzer, an original member of the Selinsgrove Speedway promotional team, will now step back from active management of the speedway.
“The team of Mike Heffner, Brian Scandle and Todd Benner gives Selinsgrove a great management team moving forward”, said Kreitzer “and I am very optimistic about the future of Selinsgrove Speedway.”
“We would like to thank Alan for all of his efforts in helping with the improvements at Selinsgrove Speedway since our group took over promotional duties in 2016,” noted Heffner.
“While we started as partners, we have also become good friends and I am happy that Alan will continue to be part of our team in an advisory capacity.”
General Manager Inch, who has been involved in the operations of the speedway for more than 30 years, echoes Heffner’s thoughts, “I’d like to thank Alan for his guidance over the last five years to keep Selinsgrove’s racing tradition alive and well,” he said.
“I look forward to Todd joining our promotional team for the track’s 75th anniversary. The Benner family is very generous in supporting community organizations and the speedway has been a beneficiary of their support for many years.”
Benner and Selinsgrove Ford will host Race Day At The Dealership coming up this Saturday from 10 am – 2 pm, offering season schedules and seat sales.
Selinsgrove Speedway will host a practice session, open to any division on the 2021 schedule, one week later on March 13 from 1 – 4 pm.
And then the track will open the 2021 season coming up on March 20 at 2 pm with the Short Track Super Series Northeast Modified Icebreaker 40 and the Crate 602 Sportsman Modifieds.
Keep up to date with all the latest speedway news, results, information and race status by visiting the website and by following the track on Twitter and Facebook.