SELINSGROVE – After two attempts the Selinsgrove Speedway opened their season Saturday afternoon, with Lebanon’s Bryan Bernheisel taking advantage of the hard daytime track to wire the field in the Late Model feature.
Ken Duke Jr. of Selinsgrove was declared the winner in the Sprint Car race after the winning car was found to be light.
The Roadrunner race was a wild affair when the top four cars got together in the first turn of the last lap handing the win to Levi Vial who was racing for the first time at the speedway.
In Late Model action, Bernheisel started on the front row next to his father, Jim. The pair raced side-by-side early before Bryan Bernheisel inched ahead to lead the first lap.
“It doesn’t hurt to be lucky drawing the pole at Selinsgrove on a daytime surface,” Bryan Bernheisel said. “This is a brand new car that my dad, my brother and I put together, and it’s really special. Starting beside my dad, we joked about who was going to let who take the lead, or the pileup we were going to start in the first turn.”
Despite caution flags, Bryan Bernheisel was not challenged the rest of the way. Jim Bernheisel, Gene Knaub, Jim Yoder and Hayes Mattern rounded out the top five.
“Every year we say we aren’t going to run for points until we see how things go,” Bryan Bernheisel said. “Well, I guess we are running for points now.”
In the 305 Sprint Car feature, Kruz Kepner crossed the finish line, but his car was light as he crossed the backstretch scales. That meant Ken Duke Jr., who crossed the finish line, second was named the winner.
Kepner took the lead on lap 10, and Duke got to the rear of his car at times, but could not pass.
“Kepner had me,” Duke said. “I saw his crew telling him to keep it low, so I knew I had my work cut out for me. I’ve been racing here a long time. We won kart championships on the little track before moving to micros, and we won there. So it would mean so much to me if we could win a championship on the big track.”
Levi Vial won the Roadrunner Race in his first appearance at the track.
Going into the final lap, Nate Romig and Keith Bissinger get together in turn one. Romig spun and was hit by Bissinger, who then flipped his racer. Curtis Lawton, who was running third, slammed into Bissinger. Fourth-place runner Tom Underwood was also involved. Vial, who was in fifth place, made contact, but kept his car moving.
No drivers were injured in the incident.
On the restart, Vial was put on the point and led the final lap for the win.
Selinsgrove is back in action in two weeks with the ULMS Late Models, Sprint Cars and Roadrunners.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY
Late Models – 19 Entries
Heat Winners: Jim Bernheisel, Jeff Rine.
25-Lap A-Main: 1) 119 Bryan Bernheisel 2) 31 Jim Bernheisel 3) 1 Gene Knaub 4) 27 Jim Yoder 5) 9 Hayes Mattern 6) 2J Jeff Rine 7) 2Y Andrew Yoder 8) 22 Brett Schadel 9) 92 Shaun Lawton 10) 7 Meade Hahn 11) 89 John Schoch 12) 25 Jared Siefert 13) 63 Nathan Long 14) 12M Tyson Mowery 15) 22 Randal Paxton 16) 32J Shaun Jones 17) 19 Drew Weisser 18) G05 Paul Spear 19) 77 Scott Dunham Jr. DNS.
305 Sprint Cars – 24 Entries
Heat Winners: Austin Reed, Drew Young, Dominic Melair.
20-Lap A-Main: 1) 67 Ken Duke 2) 34 Austin Reed 3) 20 Doug Dodson 4) 2 Erin Statler 5) 39X Scott Frack 6) 46 Mike Alleman 7) 25 Dustin Young 8) 51 Dave Graber 9) 91J John Fiore 10) 31 Roger Weaver 11) 41 Joshua Harner 12) 5 Logan Spahr 13) 88 Fred Arnold 14) 1M Paul Moyer 15) 71 Josh Spicer 16) 7 Drew Young 17) 17 Owen Dimm 18) 19 Kruz Kepner 19) 95 Garrett Bard 20) 56 Tyler Snook 21)28R Jason Roush 22) 98 Croix Beasom 23) 36 Dominic Melair 24) 54 Mike Melair.
Roadrunners – 11 Entries
Heat Winners: Terry Kramer, Keith Bissinger.
12-Lap A-Main: 1) 19 Levi Vial 2) 8 Daren Rice 3) 5 Matt Ney 4) 14 Cory Lindenmuth 5) 25 Nate Romig 6) 11 Keith Bissinger 7) 33 Curtis Lawton 8) 12 Tom Underwood 9) 992 Terry Kramer 10) 60 Jimmy Kessler 11) 0 Kevin Dobson.
