By Steve Inch
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Jason Shultz held off the challenges of Devon Borden and Blane Heimbach for his first win in the 30-lap, 22nd Annual Mach 1 Chassis Open for 360 sprint cars Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway.
Shultz, of Carlisle, earned $5,000 for his third victory in four 360 sprint car races at the track this season behind the wheel of the Ritter Racing/Selinsgrove Ford No. 35. Shultz also clinched the 360 sprint car series track title with the win.
Ken Duke of Selinsgrove drove to his second Selinsgrove win of the season in the 20-lap 305 sprint car feature, while Jake Jones of Hunlock Creek scored his fourth win of the year in the 12-lap roadrunner race.
Selinsgrove Speedway’s next race is slated for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, featuring the 410 sprint cars and super late models in 25-lap main events paying $5,000 to win for the track’s 76th Anniversary Race.
Shultz started on the front row for the main event and pulled into the early lead. The caution flag unfurled after the completion of the first lap when Jason Wagner spun into the fourth turn wall.
When the race resumed, Shultz led polesitter Josh Weller and fourth-place starter Blane Heimbach in a high-speed chase. Heimbach took over second from Weller with five down as fifth-place starter Devon Borden advanced to third by lap seven.
The leaders began to encounter slower traffic by lap 10 and an exciting chase ensued for the top five positions. On the 15th circuit, sixth-place starter Briggs Danner, who was racing in the top five, developed engine failure while Heimbach pulled off a thrilling save in turn three when his car got completely sideways. Then the caution flag waved when Mike Thompson stopped in turn three.
On the lap 16 restart, Shultz and Borden see-sawed for the lead. Just as Borden made another pass for the lead the caution flag came out again when Jake Karklin tagged the backstretch wall.
For the final restart, Shultz remained in front of the pack with Borden being challenged for second by Heimbach again. In the final laps, Heimbach secured the runner up position and attempted to track down Shultz to no avail.
At the checkered flag, Shultz was victorious by just 1.8 seconds over Heimbach, Borden, third-place starter Mark Smith, and eighth-place starter Derek Locke.
In the 305 sprint car feature, Duke wired the field for the victory but not without several challenges coming from polesitter Domenic Melair. Eighth-place starter Garrett Bard quickly advanced to third.
At the halfway point, Duke and Melair were racing wheel-to-wheel for the lead until a caution flag broke up the intense battle. When the race went back to green, Duke kept his sprint car out in front with Melair in close pursuit.
In the final four laps, 10th-place starter Kenny Heffner stormed into third and set his sights on the leaders. At the checkered flag, Duke was victorious by only 1.3 seconds over Melair, Heffner, Doug Dodson, and Bard.
In the night-cap roadrunner race, points leader and second-place starter Nate Romig powered into the early lead. Romig was leading polesitter Jake Jones until the fourth lap when Jones made the winning pass on the frontstretch.
Romig later developed a flat tire from racing contact in turn three on lap six. In the second half of the race fifth-place starter Keith Bissinger stormed into second and reeled in Jones in a battle for the lead and win.
Jones held on for the win over Bissinger, Joe Condo, Terry Kramer, and Matt Ney.
22nd annual Mach 1 Chassis Open
Selinsgrove Speedway
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
Saturday, July 9, 2022
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Feature:
1. 35-Jason Shultz
2. 12-Blane Heimbach
3. 23-Devon Borden
4. M1-Mark Smith
5. 55-Dallas Schott
6. 63-Josh Weller
7. 00-Steve Buckwalter
8. 47-Adam Carberry
9. 5K-Jake Karklin
10. 11-Ryan Stillwagon
11. 77-Derek Locke
12. 11T-Mike Thompson
13. 27-Jake Galloway
14. 669-Brandon McGough
15. 5G-Briggs Danner
16. 17K-Kyle Keen
17. 17-Jason Wagner
PA Sprint Series
Feature:
1. 67-Ken Duke
2. 36-Domenic Melair
3. 97-Kenny Heffner
4. 20-Doug Dodson
5. 95-Garrett Bard
6. 7-Drew Young
7. 34-Austin Reed
8. JM1-Justin Mills
9. 2-Erin Statler
10. 17-Owen Dimm
11. 25-Dustin Young
12. 56-Tyler Snook
13. 46-Mike Alleman
14. 0Z-Zach Rhodes
15. 19-Kruz Kepner
16. 53W-Jim White
17. 18-Ian Detweiler
18. 11-Dylan Smith
19. 03-Matthew Swift
20. 5-Logan Spahr
21. 1M-Paul Moyer
22. 88-Fred Arnold
23. 21m-Cassandra Minium
24. 54-Mike Melair
25. 71-Josh Spicer
26. 14X-Cale Reigle