Selinsgrove race notes 2003-05-03

Heimbach wins Sprint Car thriller on last lap; Rine, Bachman & Drum take Stock Car wins.

SELINSGROVE, Pa. -- Blane Heimbach of Selinsgrove thrilled the capacity crowd with a last lap pass coming off the final turn for a popular win in Saturday night's 25-lap sprint car feature at Selinsgrove Speedway.

Heimbach won his second career sprint car race at the track in front of a huge hometown audience that was assembled as part of the third annual Pack The Track promotion co-sponsored by Cindy Rowe Paintless Dent Repair and the Selinsgrove Hotel.

Jeff Rine of Danville won his first main event of the season in the 20-lap late model feature, while Kyle Bachman scored his second 15-lap pro stock feature of the season. Matt Drum was victorious for the fourth consecutive week in roadrunner competition.

Selinsgrove Speedway returns to racing action this Saturday, May 10 with a racing program of sprint cars, late models, pro stocks and roadrunners beginning at 7 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m.

Fourth-place starter Troy Long powered into the lead at the start of the sprint car feature. Long set the pace in front of second-place starter Bill Fannasy for the first four laps before seventh-place starter Davey Franek advanced to second.

On the seventh circuit, Long collided with a lapped car in turn two, which brought out the event's first caution flag. At this point, Franek, a 16-year-old rookie, inherited the lead.

Franek set a torrid pace around the half-mile oval, with sixth-place starter Joe Whitcomb, 10th-place starter Donnie Beaver and third-place starter Duane Mausteller racing in the top five.

At the halfway point, 14th-place starter Blane Heimbach stormed into the third position. Heimbach dueled with Joe Whitcomb for second until the very end of the race. On the final circuit, Heimbach streaked past Whitcomb for second and set his sites on Franek, who was navigating his way through lapped traffic.

On the final lap, coming off the final turn, Heimbach powered around the outside of Franek and took the checkered flag. Franek finished second, while Whitcomb, Beaver and 12th-place starter Chad Layton rounded out the top five.

In the late model feature, polesitter JR Keifer drove into the early race lead. Keifer was chased by sixth-place starter Jeff Rine, while fifth-place starter Tony Adams raced in the third position.

On the eighth circuit, Rine powered to the outside of Keifer on the backstretch to make the winning pass. Once in front, Rine pulled away from the rest of the field. On lap 14, Keifer withdrew from the race with mechanical problems.

During the last half of the race, Adams attempted to close the gap with the leader but to no avail. Rine was victorious over Adams, Jeff Smith, Chris Wilkinson and Dave Reed.

Second-place starter Nate Kerstetter drove into the lead at the start of the pro stock feature. Kerstetter was trailed by sixth-place starter Gerald Kratzer for the first three laps. On lap three, the race was stopped when debri from a loose wheel struck Kratzer on the shoulder. Kratzer was not seriously injured.

When the race resumed, eighth-place starter Jason Schmidt moved into second, while 10th-place starter Kyle Bachman followed Schmidt into third.

On lap 10, Bachman drove by Schmidt for second and pursued the leader. Bachman made the winning pass by Kerstetter exiting the second turn. Bachman went on to win the event by .44 of a second over Kerstetter, Troy Miller, Mark Benson and Jeff Jurasich.

Sixth-place starter Matt Drum stormed into the lead in the roadrunner feature and wired the field for his victory. Seventh-place starter Joey Keister chased Drum for all 10 laps but came up short by just .81 of a second at the finish.

Keister settled for second, while Rick Bixlier, Brad Mitch and Dennis Conrad completed the top five.

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