Brent Marks Returns In Own Car & Wins Second Career Ray Tilley Classic At Selinsgrove Sunday

Story By: STEVE INCH / SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY – SELINSGROVE, PA – In only his second race back behind the wheel of his own sprint car, Brent Marks of Myerstown scored a convincing victory in Sunday night’s 30-lap Ray Tilley Classic for 410 sprint cars at Selinsgrove Speedway.

Marks first won the Tilley Classic in 2013 and became the first repeat winner of the event held in honor of the speedway’s all-time career leading sprint car winner on Icon Legacy Custom Modular Homes Night. He earned $5,088 for the win in the No. 19M in the first race of the season for the Lelands.com 410 sprint cars.

Danny Dietrich of Gettysburg was the Fast Tees Fast Qualifier with a lap time of 16.692.

Dan Stone of Thompson dueled with Andrew Yoder of Selinsgrove for the first half of the 25-lap super late model feature before driving to his first victory of the season and eight career at Selinsgrove worth $3,000.

Selinsgrove Speedway is back in action at 6 p.m. this Saturday, May 1, with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series in the Riteway Sealing & Paving “Battle of the Groves” for 360 sprint cars plus limited late models, and roadrunners. Pit gates open at 3 p.m. with grandstand gates at 4 p.m.

Polesitter Anthony Macri pulled into the lead at the start of the 410 sprint car feature. Macri was chased by second-place starter Brent Marks and third-place starter Danny Dietrich.

By lap six, Marks began to pressure Macri for the lead and exchanged the front spot several times with sliders through the turns. On the eighth lap, Marks took the lead with an inside pass in turn three.

At the halfway point, Dietrich got by Macri for second in turn two. With 10 laps to race, Marks led Dietrich, Macri, fourth-place starter Justin Peck, and fifth-place starter Chase Dietz.

The race’s first and only caution unfurled on lap 23 when Tyler Ross’ sprint car fell off the pace on the frontstretch. On the ensuing restart, Dietrich tried to slide underneath Marks for the lead but lost the runner-up position to Macri. On the 27th circuit, Peck got by Dietrich for the third position.

While Marks and Macri were setting a blistering pace, 10th-place starter Dylan Cisney made a last-lap pass by Dietz for the fifth position. Marks took the checkered flag by 1.6 seconds over Macri, Peck, Dietrich, and Cisney.

Front row starters Dan Stone and Andrew Yoder dueled for the early lead for several laps until A. Yoder pulled ahead. While running the highline, A. Yoder kept his racer in the lead with Stone drawing a bead on the bottom of the race track.

On the 11th circuit, Stone got a good run off turn two and pulled alongside A. Yoder again in turns three and four. While drag racing for the lead, Stone secured the front spot with an inside pass in turn three on lap 12.

With 10 laps remaining, sixth-place starter Jeff Rine began to show speed and advanced to the second position. In the final five laps, Rine attempted to reel in Stone to no avail. At the checkered flag, Stone’s margin of victory was 2.5 seconds over Rine, third-place starter Dylan Yoder, fourth-place starter Gene Knaub and A. Yoder.

SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY– 25 April 2021

410 Sprint Cars – 24 Entries

30-Lap Ray Tilley Classic A-Main: 1) 19M Brent Marks 2) 39M Anthony Macri 3) 13 Justin Peck 4) 48 Danny Dietrich 5) 5 Dylan Cisney 6) 39 Chase Dietz 7) 24 Kerry Madsen 8) 5W Lucas Wolfe 9) 12 Blane Heimbach 10) 99M Kyle Moody 11) 51 Freddie Rahmer 12) 35 Jason Shultz 13) 11 TJ Stutts 14) 8 Devon Borden 15) 17B Steve Buckwalter 16) 85 Ricky Dieva 17) 19 Curt Stroup 18) 75D Tyler Ross 19) 49H Bradley Howard 20) 17W Jason Wagner 21) 67 Justin Whittal 22) 23 Pat Cannon 23) 33W Michael Walter II 24) 83 Drew Marshall

Heat Winners: Danny Dietrich, Chase Dietz, Brent Marks

Time Trials: 1) 48 Danny Dietrich 16.692 2) 39M Anthony Macri 16.744 3) 13 Justin Peck 16.835 4) 5W Lucas Wolfe 16.871 5) 39 Chase Dietz 16.899 6) 19M Brent Marks 16.996 7) 49H Bradley Howard 17.076 8) 99M Kyle Moody 17.123 9) 17B Steve Buckwalter 17.194 10) 5 Dylan Cisney 17.198 11) 19 Curt Stroup 17.205 12) 11 TJ Stutts 17.265 13) 51 Freddie Rahmer 17.283 14) 8 Devon Borden 17.293 15) 67 Justin Whittal 17.315 16) 24 Kerry Madsen 17.319 17) 75D Tyler Ross 17.326 18) 12 Blane Heimbach 17.346 19) 35 Jason Shultz 17.395 20) 23 Pat Cannon 17.439 21) 85 Ricky Dieva 17.967 22) 17W Jason Wagner 19.099 23) 33W Michael Walter II DNT 24) 83 Drew Marshall DNT

Super Late Models – 20 Entries

25-Lap A-Main: 1) 2 Dan Stone 2) 2J Jeff Rine 3) 24 Dylan Yoder 4) 1 Gene Knaub 5) 2Y Andrew Yoder 6) 171 Jim Bernheisel 7) 76 Andy Haus 8) 32 Shaun Jones 9) 27 Jim Yoder 10) 15 Scott Flickinger 11) 11 Jason Schmidt 12) 121 Larry Neiderer 13) 14Z Dave Brouse Jr. 14) 3 Tim Wilson 15) 1H Pancho Lawler 16) C33 Chris Casner 17) 0G Deshawn Gingerich 18) 1W billy Wampler 19) Ken Trevitz 20) 25K Kody Lyter

Heat Winners: Scott Flickinger, Gene Knaub