SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Daryn Pittman of Danville, Ind., returned to Selinsgrove Speedway and his former Heffner Racing Enterprises No. 27 ride to score the win in Friday night’s 25-lap National Open preliminary race for 410 sprint cars.
Pittman’s fourth career 410 sprint car win at the track, his first since 2012, was worth $6,000 and a spot in Saturday night’s redraw for the 40-lap 40th National Open.
Anthony Macri of Dillsburg, who will be seeking his third straight win in the Jim Nace Memorial National Open, was the night’s Fast Tees Fast Qualifier with a lap time of 15.803.
The National Open preliminary event, sponsored by Heister House Millworks & Cabinetry, was a first at the track since 1992.
Dylan Yoder of Middleburg closed out the late model racing season with his third win of the year in the 25-lap main event. Yoder was the only driver this season to visit Victory Lane three times.
Bryan Bernheisel of Lebanon clinched his second career Selinsgrove Ford super late model track championship worth $5,000.
Selinsgrove Speedway is back in action at 7 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 24, with the Jim Nace Memorial 40th Annual National Open for 410 sprint cars paying $26,000 to win. The PASS 305 sprint cars will join the 410 sprint cars on the final racing card of the 2022 season. Pit and advance ticket holder gates will open at 4 p.m. with all general admission gates opening at 4:30 p.m. Qualifying is slated for 7 p.m.
Pittman started the feature race in the second position and pulled into the lead over polesitter Brian Brown. The caution flag slowed the field on lap two when Mark Smith’s car rolled to a stop in turn.
When the race resumed, Pittman continued to set a blistering pace in front of Brown and third-place starter Anthony Macri. At the completion of lap three, Macri powered into the second position and set his sights on Pittman. A lap later, fifth-place starter Brent Marks also passed Brown to take over third.
By the halfway point, the top three drivers broke away in a close race at the front of the pack. On the 14th circuit, Marks passed Macri for the second spot at the start/finish line and began to reel in Pittman.
On lap 15, Marks pulled a thrilling slider in turn four, only to have Pittman make a dive back underneath him to reclaim the lead. The race was slowed for the second time on lap 17 when Gio Scelzi’s car came to a stop in turn one.
On the final restart, Pittman held off Marks as fourth-place starter Cory Eliason showed some speed by passing Macri for the third postion.
At the checkered flag, Pittman was victorious by 2.5 seconds over Marks, Eliason, Macri and seventh-place starter Devon Borden.
Polesitter Jeff Rine powered into the lead at the start of the super late model feature with second-place starter Mike Lupfer in pursuit. On the third circuit, fifth-place starter Rick Eckert drove by Lupfer for the runner-up spot and quickly gained on Rine.
By lap 10, Eckert was in striking distance of Rine for the lead, and on lap 12 they raced side-by-side. At the halfway point, the leaders encountered traffic with Eckert taking evasive action in turn three and tagging the outside guardrail. The incident caused Eckert to lose the second position to third-place starter Dylan Yoder.
D. Yoder quickly caught Rine and made the winning pass using the inside lane off turn four on lap 17. Two laps later Eckert was back into second only to have his car develop a flat tire on lap 21.
For the final four laps, Yoder held the rest of the field at bay and posted a 1.9-second margin of victory over seventh-place starter Bryan Bernheisel, who made a late-race charged into second. Rine, Brett Schadel, and Coleby Frye rounded out the top five.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 23 September 2022
410 Sprint Cars – 16 Entries
25-Lap Preliminary A-Main: 1) 27 Daryn Pittman 2) 19M Brent Marks 3) 71 Cory Eliason 4) 39M Anthony Macri 5) 23 Devon Borden 6) 21 Brian Brown 7) 6 Ryan Smith 8) 75 Tyler Ross 9) 12 Blane Heimbach 10) 33 Michael Walter 11) 5G Briggs Danner 12) 18 Gio Scelzi 13) 20 Ryan Taylor 14) 35 Jason Shultz 15) 17B Steve Buckwalter 16) M1 Mark Smith
Heat Winners: Daryn Pittman, Cory Eliason
Time Trials: 1) 39M Anthony Macri 15.803 2) 21 Brian Brown 15.861 3) 19M Brent Marks 15.983 4) 71 Cory Eliason 16.026 5) 27 Daryn Pittman 16.030 6) 18 Gio Scelzi 16.041 7) 23 Devon Borden 16.060 8) 12 Blane Heimbach 16.171 9) 35 Jason Shultz 16.205 10) 6 Ryan Smith 16.252 11) 75 Tyler Ross 16.357 12) 17B Steve Buckwalter 16.379 13) M1 Mark Smith 16.437 14) 20 Ryan Taylor 16.518 15) 33 Michael Walter 16.550 16) 5G Briggs Danner 16.578