Shultz Holds Off Smith For First Kramer Cup Victory At Selinsgrove Speedway

Story By: STEVE INCH / SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY – SELINSGROVE, PA – Jason Shultz of Carlisle became the fourth and final leader before taking the checkered flag in Saturday night’s exciting 25-lap United Racing Club Kramer Cup for 360 sprint cars.

The $2,573 win at the wheel of the Ritter Racing/Selinsgrove Ford No. 35 was his first in the Kramer Cup, third of the season in URC competition, and 22nd of his 358-360 racing career at the track.

Mark Smith of Sunbury, a five-time winner of the Kramer Cup, finished a close second in the race honoring the late track champion and Hall of Famer Kramer Williamson.

Nick Sweigart of Manheim wired the field for his victory in the 25-lap 305 sprint car main event.

Keith Bissinger of Orangeville became the first three-time roadrunner winner of the season in the division’s 12-lap main event.

Selinsgrove Speedway will present the 18th annual Joe Whitcomb Memorial for 360 sprint cars sanctioned by the Patriot Sprint Tour at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 12, plus limited late models and roadrunners on Advanced Concrete Systems/Eastern Museum of Motor Racing Night.

Polesitter Troy Betts out-raced front row starter Dallas Schott into the first turn for the early lead in the sprint car Kramer Cup. Schott chased Betts for the first lap until sixth-place starter Davie Franek stormed into second.

On the sixth circuit, Franek took the lead with an outside pass by Betts in turn two. The race’s first caution flag unfurled on lap nine for debri in the third turn. On the lap 10 restart, original eighth-place starter Mark Smith restarted in the third position and made a dive into the first turn to emerge the new race leader coming out of turn two.

At the halfway point, Smith led Franek, seventh-place starter Jason Shultz, Betts and fifth-place starter Derek Locke. A two-car tangle in turns three and four involving Ryan Stillwaggon and Dave Brown brought out the caution flag.

On the restart, Shultz carbon-copied Smith’s previous dive into turn one to take the race lead. While Shultz showed the way Smith kept him in his sights. In the final laps of the race, Smith closed in on Shultz in a last-ditch effort to reclaim the lead and take the win.

The final caution flag waved on lap 19, setting up a double-file restart with Shultz and Smith side-by-side. Shultz used his momentum to stay in front of the pack and take the checked flag by less than a second over Smith, Franek, Josh Weller, and Schott.

Front row starters Doug Dodson and Nick Sweigart see-sawed for the lead at the start of the 305 sprint car feature. The race was stopped on lap three when a multi-car tangle off the second turn blocked most of the track. On the ensuing restart, Derek Hauck flipped his sprint car in turn two. No driver injuries were reported in either incident.

Sweigart continued to set the pace when the race resumed with Dodson and fourth-place starter Austin Reed in pursuit. At the halfway point, Sweigart led with Reed advancing to second and ninth-place starter Ken Duke motoring into third.

Despite encountering slower traffic in the final laps of the race, Sweigart took the checkered flag in convincing fashion over Duke, Reed, Domenic Melair, and Garrett Bard.

Front row starter Nate Romig powered into the lead at the start of the roadrunner feature. Romig was chased by polesitter Tom Underwood for the first three laps until ninth-place starter Keith Bissinger horsepowered his way into the runner-up position.

At the halfway point, Bissinger made the winning pass using the inside lane coming off turn four as Romig tagged the fronstretch guardrail. Romig and third-place Curtis Lawton then dueled for the second spot.

Bissinger went the rest of the distance unchallenged and posted the win over Romig, Lawton, Terry Kramer, and Jake Jones.

SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 5 June 2021

URC 360 Sprint Cars – 22 Entries
25-Lap Kramer Cup A-Main: 1) 35 Jason Shultz 2) M1 Mark Smith 3) 28F Davie Franek 4) 63 Josh Weller 5) 55 Dallas Schott 6) 7 Ryan Taylor 7) 77 Derek Locke 8) 47 Adam Carberry 9) 34 Andy Best 10) 22 Troy Betts 11) 10K Joe Kata 12) 2 Todd Gracey 13) 66 Ryan Kissinger 14) 5Z Dave Brown 15) 9 Ryan Linder 16) 11 Mike Thompson 17) 669 Brandon McGough 18) 42 Jesse Pruchnik 19) 11 Ryan Stillwaggon 20) 17 Jason Wagner 21) 19 Colby Womer 22) 08 Bruce Garner
Heat Winners: Jason Shultz, Colby Womer, Mark Smith

305 Sprint Cars – 35 Entries
20-Lap A-Main: 1) 8 Nick Sweigart 2) 67 Ken Duke 3) 34 Austin Reed 4) 36 Domenic Melair 5) 95 Garrett Bard 6) Doug Dodson 7) 99 Devin Adams 8) 11M Mikell McGee 9) 2 Erin Statler 10) 97 Kenny Heffner 11) 23M Tom Wise 12) 99 George Riden 13) 54 Mike Melair 14) M1 Justin Mills 15) 41Z Jared Zionkowski 16) 55B Rick Romig 17) 7J Aaron Jacobus 18) 03 Brandon Shue 19) 11 Ian Detweiler 20) 1M Paul Moyer 21) 33 Derek Hauck 22) 107 Colton Hoover 23) 69K Kassidy Kreitz 24) 23 Nathan Gramley 25) 31 Roger Weaver 26) 8 Will Brunson
Heat Winners: Ken Duke, Nick Sweigart, Derek Hauck, Dominic Melair
B-Main Winner: Will Brunson

Roadrunners – 13 Entries
12-Lap A-Main: 1) 11 Keith Bissinger 2) 25 Nate Romig 3) 33 Curtis Lawton 4) 992 Terry Kramer 5) 7 Jake Jones 6) 75 Daren Rice 7) 12 Tom Underwood 8) 28 Miranda Minium 9) 75X Carl Graves 10) 81 Tom Beers 11) 60 Jimmy Kessler 12) 60K Keegan Strawser 13) 12K Corey Kepner
Heat Winners: Tom Underwood, Nate Romig