Rine Adds A Big One To Impressive ’17 Resume With WoO LM Win At Selinsgrove

Column By: RUSTY RHOADES / RPW – SELINSGROVE, PA – As the overwhelming majority of folks reading this probably know, when the winged 410 sprint car national touring series’ (World of Outlaws, All Stars) make their way into the eastern half of Pennsylvania, things change a bit. The rivalry atmosphere is so thick and heavy you can almost see and definitely feel it.

That is in large part created by a combination of both the loyal and intense PA Posse fan base always keeping attendance numbers and volume up while the winning percentage and money earned by the high profile invaders over the deep and talented local field goes down. When any local driver wins at any one of these tracks, almost all the Posse-led fans from the region cheer and will head home with a sense of pride and validation regardless of whether they boo that same driver every weekend during the regular point races when it’s just the locals.

Sunday night at Selinsgrove Speedway, Keystone State based Super Late Model standout Jeff Rine had the ever-growing full bodied stock car segment of loud and proud PA supporters on their feet in support of the Danville native throughout the second half of the 40 lap feature he would end up leading wire to wire for that elusive first ever WoO Super Late Model Series win. Rine’s $8,000 score was far from a complete and comfortable domination, however, as he spent several laps with arguably the best in the super late model business right now, 14-time series winner and current point leader Brandon Sheppard, pasted all over his back bumper. Sheppard would eventually bring his #1 Rocket Chassis house car up alongside Rine’s sharp Jeff Kurtz #2J coming out of turn 4 on lap 27 but was unable to make it stick. What had the potential to be a classic duel between the two over the last dozen laps would unfortunately never materialize, as the yellow flag was forced out on the next lap by Rick Eckert, who had just moved into the 3rd spot behind them when he suffered a broken driveshaft on his red #7 and came to a disappointing stop on the track.

On the ensuing restart, the bad luck bug found its next unexpected and shocking victim. Brandon Sheppard, who up until this point had finished in the top five in an unbelievable 30 of 37 series races, stunned everyone in attendance when he began slowing and pulling out of the primary race line in turns one and two at lap 29. A deflated right rear tire was the culprit that eliminated the only legitimate threat to Rine all race, as Sheppard would pit to swap out the flat and return to the rear. The final ten laps would see just one caution, and even though it would bring the potent #44 of runner up and sixth starting Chris Madden right to Rine’s doorstep, single file restarts were in place. Rine took off on the final restart and the 12-time Selinsgrove track champion easily flew under the Outlaw Series checkers to the cheers of the large local contingent in the stands. This was his unprecedented 106th visit to victory lane at the track, as he continues to extend the win record he broke earlier this season. “It’s awesome. To win this level of race at your home track, it’s just an unbelievable feeling.” Rine told me at his hauler after the race. “Everything went our way tonight. We had a time trial mishap with a slower car, but they ended up giving us a couple extra laps because of it. Things just all worked out after that.”

Before this season started, Rine and the team made the decision to not worry about chasing a specific weekly points title at either Selinsgrove or Port Royal, which are the closest two Saturday night tracks in their area that run Super Late Models regularly. That call is looking about as correct and intelligent as the team could have possibly imagined at this point. Rine has a bunch of wins to his credit to validate that decision, including an impressive nine tallies just between Port Royal and Selinsgrove and another two at Bedford Speedway in Western PA. But they’ve also really enjoyed the more laid back approach they’re able to take when picking and choosing their schedule and the decreased stress on everyone that comes along with not being obligated to have everything ready and tip-top perfect over and over during the weekdays in order to race the same place the same night every weekend. “We went into this year saying whatever happens, happens. We’re here to have fun. And we really have had a lot of fun so far just racing around all over.”

Another positive of their decision to take a more laid back approach this season was the ability to run the entire Appalachian Late Model Speedweek tour in late May and Early June with the right amount of preparation, resources and time that having to worry so much about a weekly point battle really doesn’t allow nearly the amount of time for. The grueling series features seven races in 11 days beginning in Maryland and then crisscrossing Pennsylvania until the final show back in their neighborhood at Selinsgrove. And when all was said and done and the week was over, it was the 2J who was parked in that familiar Selinsgrove victory lane celebrating both a feature win that night and also the overall Speedweek point title in a very tight battle over Jason Covert.

Rine, Kurtz and the rest of the high flying 2J team aren’t satisfied though. They’ll be right back at it this weekend, as they head back to The Speed Palace in beautiful Port Royal, PA to be part of the gigantic Tuscarora 50 weekend spectacular that culminates with a $50,000 to win All-Star 410 Sprint Car main! The Super Late portion of the weekend takes place on Friday night, when Rine and the boys will be screaming around the wicked fast, spacious half mile battling for the prestigious Butch Renninger Memorial win that was rained out last weekend. The 33 lap feature pays $3,300 to win and will also determine both the Port Royal Late Model point champion and the Moonshine Camo Route 35 Late Model Challenge champion which is a joint effort including certain races from both Port Royal and Selinsgrove. The All-Star Circuit of Champions are also on the Friday night card with a ”Night Before the 50” $5,000 to win feature.