By Steve Inch (Selinsgrove, PA) | TJ Stutts of Liverpool, PA and Davie Franek of Wantage, N.J., engaged in another thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle that was reminiscent of a race Franek won a few weeks ago, only this time it was Stutts who rolled into Victory Lane for the first time this season Saturday night in the 30-lap Joe Whitcomb Memorial for the Patriot Sprint Tour at Selinsgrove Speedway.
The $2,571 win, which made him the first four-time winner of the Whitcomb Memorial, was Stutts’ 21st career in 358-360 sprint car racing at the track.
Mark Smith of Sunbury was the night’s Fast Tees Fast Qualifier with a lap time of 17.307 (110.16 average mph).
Stutts started on the pole and drove into the lead in the sprint car feature but his drive to Victory Lane was anything but easy. Early in the race, second-place starter Derek Locke raced in Stutts’s shadow while fourth-place starter Davie Franek made it a close three-car battle at the front of the pack.
The caution flag unfurled on lap two when Mark Smith’s car stopped on the track with wheel trouble. Smith was able to rejoin the race and made a charge back through the pack during the remaining 28 laps.
The race was stopped on lap 10 when Jared Zimbardi flipped his sprint car in turn four. Zimbardi escaped injury. When the race resumed, an intense see-saw battle for the lead unfolded between Stutts and Franek. The war on wheels was held up again when Michael Walter and John Braim were involved in a double flip in turn two. Both drivers were not injured.
During the second half of the race, Stutts and Franek raced side-by-side while Smith eventually made his way into the third position. At the checkered flag Stutts took the victory by 1.9 seconds over Franek, Smith, Locke, and Ryan Kissinger.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 13 June 2015
360 Sprint Cars – 27 Entries
By Steve Inch, SELINSGROVE, PA, (June 13, 2015). – TJ Stutts of Liverpool, PA and Davie Franek of Wantage, N.J., engaged in another thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle that was reminiscent of a race Franek won a few weeks ago, only this time it was Stutts who rolled into Victory Lane for the first time this season Saturday night in the 30-lap Joe Whitcomb Memorial for the Patriot Sprint Tour at Selinsgrove Speedway.
The $2,571 win, which made him the first four-time winner of the Whitcomb Memorial, was Stutts’ 21st career in 358-360 sprint car racing at the track.
Mark Smith of Sunbury was the night’s Fast Tees Fast Qualifier with a lap time of 17.307 (110.16 average mph).
Stutts started on the pole and drove into the lead in the sprint car feature but his drive to Victory Lane was anything but easy. Early in the race, second-place starter Derek Locke raced in Stutts’s shadow while fourth-place starter Davie Franek made it a close three-car battle at the front of the pack.
The caution flag unfurled on lap two when Mark Smith’s car stopped on the track with wheel trouble. Smith was able to rejoin the race and made a charge back through the pack during the remaining 28 laps.
The race was stopped on lap 10 when Jared Zimbardi flipped his sprint car in turn four. Zimbardi escaped injury. When the race resumed, an intense see-saw battle for the lead unfolded between Stutts and Franek. The war on wheels was held up again when Michael Walter and John Braim were involved in a double flip in turn two. Both drivers were not injured.
During the second half of the race, Stutts and Franek raced side-by-side while Smith eventually made his way into the third position. At the checkered flag Stutts took the victory by 1.9 seconds over Franek, Smith, Locke, and Ryan Kissinger.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 13 June 2015
360 Sprint Cars – 27 Entries
30-Lap A-Main: 1) 23 TJ Stutts ($2, 571) 2) 28F Davie Franek 3) 1 Mark Smith 4) 77 Derek Locke 5) 66 Ryan Kissinger 6) 49 Mike Walter 7) 99K Cody Keller 8) 29 Jason Shultz 9) 19 Colby Womer 10) 87 George Suprick 11) C4 Jim Shuster 12) 47 Kyle Drum 13) 29S Derek Steward 14) 2 Steve Hutchinson 15) 54J Dave Just 16) 49S Mallie Shuster 17) 17 Sam Reakes 18) 33W Michael Walter II 19) 44 John Braim 20) 1W Eric Tomecek 21) 79 Jordan Thomas 22) 35 Jared Zimbardi 23) 25G Tyler Graves 24) 39 Eric Parker 25) 54JR Scott Just 26) 76 Larry Kelleher 27) 67 Steve Collins
Heat Winners: Mark Smith, Ryan Kissinger, Davie Franek
Time Trials: 1) 1 Mark Smith 17.307 2) 29 Jason Shultz 17.466 3) 23 TJ Stutts 17.473 4) 49 Mike Walter 17.679 5) 67 Steve Collins 6) 87 George Suprick 17.759 7) 47 Kyle Drum 17.762 8) 77 Derek Locke 17.771 9) 28F Davie Franek 17.787 10) 19 Colby Womer 17.790 11) 66 Ryan Kissinger 17.808 12) 35 Jared Zimbardi 17.826 13) 99K Cody Keller 17.846 14) C4 Jim Shuster 17.856 15) 33W Michael Walter II 17.883 16) 44 John Braim 17.917 17) 79 Jordan Thomas 17.997 18) 1W Eric Tomecek 18.008 19) 39 Eric Parker 18.018 20) 76 Larry Kelleher 18.073 21) 49S Mallie Shuster 18.115 22) 17 Sam Reakes 18.126 23) 54JR Scott Just 18.307 24) 29S Derek Steward 18.376 25) 54J Dave Just 18.565 26) 2 Steve Hutchinson Jr. 18.606 27) 25G Tyler Graves 18.639