By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Briggs Danner of Allentown settled a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle with Alex Bright of Collegeville by parking his No. 5G wingless 360 sprint car in Victory Lane for the sixth time this season in USAC East Coast competition.
The victory in the 25-lap main event was the second of Danner’s career at Selinsgrove.
Andrew Yoder of Middleburg won the season opener for limited late models in the division’s 20-lap main event. The win was Yoder’s third overall this season.
Garrett Bard of Wells Tannery held off the late-race challenges of Austin Reed of Etters to score the win in the 20-lap PASS 305 sprint car race.
Two-time defending champion Jake Jones of Hunlock Creek won the 12-lap roadrunner race and became the fourth different winner in as many races at the track this season.
Selinsgrove Speedway is back in action this Thursday, May 26, with a special holiday show featuring the Lelands.com 410 sprint cars, Selinsgrove Ford super late models, and Apache Tree Service 305 sprint cars at 7:30 p.m. Grandstand gates open at 5:30 p.m.
In the USAC 360 sprint car feature, polesitter Tommy Kunsman powered into the lead only to drift into the third turn guardrail and launch into a series of flips. Kunsman escaped injury.
Original third-place starter Ed Aikin restarted the race on the pole and led the first two laps before being passed by fifth-place starter Alex Bright. Aikin kept Bright in his sights for three laps until sixth-place starter Briggs Danner streaked into the runner-up position.
A caution flag on lap 10 for David Swanson reset the field with Bright leading over Danner and fourth-place starter Joey Amantea. At the halfway point, eighth-place starter Mark Smith advanced to fourth.
With 10 laps to race, the race for the lead heated up as Bright and Danner pulled slide jobs for two laps before Danner secured the lead on lap 19 with a pass at the start/finish line.
Danner went on to take the checkered flag over Bright, Amantea, Carmen Perigo, and Smith.
Defending limited late model series champion and polesitter Devin Hart drove into the lead at the start of the division’s main event. Hart was chased by third-place starter Andrew Yoder for the first four laps until Yoder made the winning pass on the frontstretch.
With the field regrouped for a lap six caution flag, Yoder continued to set the pace on the restart with Hart in pursuit. At the halfway marker, Yoder had stretched his lead to nearly a straightaway.
At the finish, Yoder was victorious over Hart, seventh-place starter Trent Brenneman, fourth-place starter Jeremy Ohl, and second-place starter Shaun Lawton.
The start of the 305 sprint car feature was red flagged when Jake Waters’ car had a minor fire break out. Waters was not injured.
When the race restarted, fourth-place starter Garrett Bard drove into the lead and wired the field for the victory but not without a few challenges from third-place starter Austin Reed.
By lap 10, seventh-place starter Domenic Melair advanced to third but withdrew from the race on lap 13 with mechanical issues.
The final caution flag unfurled on lap 17, setting up a chase to the checkered flag between Bard and Reed. At the checkered flag, Bard held off the late-race challenge and scored the win over Reed, sixth-place starter Drew Young, 15th-place starter Doug Dodson, and 11th-place starter Erin Statler.
In the roadrunner race, polesitter Curtis Lawton led through the halfway point, when sixth-place starter Jake Jones used the inside line in turn two to make the winning pass. With four laps to race, fifth-place starter Keith Bissinger blasted into second and set his sights on Jones.
On the final lap, Bissinger was in striking distance but came up short as Jones took the checkered flag. Bissinger settled for second followed by Scott Landis, C. Lawton, and points leader Nate Romig.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 21 May 2022
USAC East Coast Wingless 360 Sprint Cars – 20 Entries
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 5G Briggs Danner 2) 20 Alex Bright 3) 88J Joey Amantea 4) 21 Carmen Perigo 5) 75 Mark Smith 6) 7 Ed Aikin 7) 83 Bruce Buckwalter Jr. 8) 23B Preston Lattomus 9) 67 Jason Cherry 10) 12W Troy Fraker 11) 2J Aaron Jacobus 12) 117 David Swanson 13) 42 John Fraker 14) R17 Jason Wagner 15) 19 Steven Drevicki 16) 21K Tommy Kunsman Jr. 17) 90 Colin White 18) 17J Jonathan Swanson 19) 7J Andrew Jacobus 20) 96 Lee Kauffman
Heat Winners: Briggs Danner, Alex Bright
PASS 305 Sprint Cars – 25 Entries
20-Lap A-Main: 1) 95 Garrett Bard 2) 34 Austin Reed 3) 7 Drew Young 4) 20 Doug Dodson 5) 2 Erin Statler 6) 67 Ken Duke 7) 28 Jason Roush 8) 39X Scott Frack 9) 19 Kruz Kepner 10) 54 Mike Melair 11) 46 Mike Alleman 12) 0Z Zach Rhoads 13) 51 Dave Graber 14) 1M Paul Moyer 15) 91 John Fiore 16) Owen Dimm 17) 29 Seth Schnoke 18) 25 Dustin Young 19) 1R Christian Rumsey 20) 36 Dominic Melair 21) 5 Logan Spahr 22) 56 Tyler Snook 23) 10 Jake Waters 24) 71 Josh Spicer 25) 31 Roger Weaver (DNS)
Heat Winners: Jason Roush, Zach Rhoads, Dustin Young