SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Chase Dietz turned in a dominating performance for his first 410 sprint car win at Selinsgrove Speedway in Saturday night’s 25-lap main event on Jeff’s Auto Body Night.
Dietz became the third different winner in four Lelands.com 410 sprint cars races at the track this season at the wheel of the Trone Outdoor No. 39. The win was worth $4,000.
Jim Yoder of Selinsgrove edged out his son Dylan Yoder of Middleburg by just .14 of a second for his 14th career super late model win at the track in the 25-lap main event. The $4,000 win was J. Yoder’s first super late model win at Selinsgrove since 2016.
Brad Mitch of McClure powered to his first win of the season in the annual A&A Auto Stores Roadrunner 20. It was the third time Mitch won the division’s championship race.
On the initial start of the sprint car feature, second-place starter Chase Dietz powered into the lead, only to have the caution unfurl when fourth-place starter Michael Walter’s car lost power on the backstretch. Logan Wagner’s car developed a flat tire from contact and he was able to rejoin the race for the subsequent restart.
Dietz again put his car into the early lead and blistered the fast half-mile speedway ahead of polesitter Bradley Howard. By lap five, Dietz had a commanding lead over Howard, sixth-place starter Mark Smith, third-place starter Pat Cannon, and seventh-place starter Blane Heimbach.
At the halfway point, Dietz was navigating his way through slower traffic as Howard attempted to keep him in his sights. Eighth-place starter Ryan Taylor started showing some speed with a move into the top five.
On the 16th circuit, Smith powered into second and started to reel in Dietz. The field was regrouped on lap 21 when Steve Buckwalter crashed in turns three and four. With four laps remaining, Dietz handily pulled away from the rest of the field and posted a convincing 4.5-second margin of victory over Smith. Heimbach, Cannon, and Taylor completed the top five.
Polesitter Hayes Mattern stormed into the lead at the start of the super late model main event with second-place starter Jim Yoder in pursuit. A multi-car incident in turn three regrouped the field for a complete restart.
Mattern led the early laps of the race in front of J. Yoder, sixth-place starter Dylan Yoder, and third-place starter Andrew Yoder. The Yoder family dueled for positions for several laps behind Mattern.
The race was slowed again on lap seven when Randy Christine’s car rolled to a stop on the frontstretch. When the green flag waved again, J. Yoder pressured Mattern for the front spot and made the winning pass using the outside lane on the frontstretch.
At the halfway mark, J. Yoder was leading D. Yoder, Mattern, fifth-place starter Dan Stone, and A. Yoder. A lap later ninth-place starter Rick Eckert powered into the top five. With five laps to go, D. Yoder closed in on J. Yoder along the bottom of the race track.
On the final lap, D. Yoder made a last-ditch effort to steal the lead and win coming off turn four but fell just .14 of a second short at the checkered flag. J. Yoder was victorious by the slimmest of margins over D. Yoder, Stone, Eckert and A. Yoder.
Polesitter Nate Romig took the early lead in the Roadrunner 20. Romig was chased by second-place starter Corey Kepner for the first lap until fourth-place starter and defending race winner Jake Jones took over the spot.
Sixth-place starter Brad Mitch raced into second on lap three and took the lead from Romig with an outside pass on the backstretch. Halfway through the race, Mitch had a solid lead as Romig kept him in his sights. Jones, who had to restart at the rear of the field earlier due to an incident, powered back into the top five.
With five laps remaining, the top four drivers broke away from the pack with Mitch leading Romig, eighth-place starter Adam Campbell, and Jones.
At the finish, Mitch was victorious over Romig, Campbell, 10th-place starter Smith Cope, and ninth-place starter Terry Kramer.