Hodnett Shines at Selinsgrove “Friday Night Lights”

Greg Hodnett Scores 410 Victory at Selinsgrove

Story By: STEVE INCH / SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY       Photos By: TRENT GOWER / RACERSGUIDE.COM

SELINSGROVE, Pa. –June 12, 2016-  Ten years passed since Selinsgrove Speedway ran a special Friday night 410 sprint car race, and the wait was worth it when the division took the spotlight in the 25-lap “Friday Night Lights” main event with no fewer than four different leaders taking a shot at the $3,500 win.

At the checkered flag, Greg Hodnett of York held off Brent Marks of Myerstown and Lucas Wolfe of Mechanicsburg by less than a one-second margin separating first from third. The victory was Hodnett’s 10th of the season and 17th career at Selinsgrove in 410 racing at the wheel of the Lelands.com No. 27.

Tommy Slanker also held off challenges to score his first career pro stock victory in the division’s 15-lap main event.

Selinsgrove Speedway will be in action at 7 p.m. this Sunday, June 12, with the Appalachian Mountain Late Model Speedweek Series Finale plus limited late models. Track gates will open at 5 p.m.  There is no racing at the track Saturday, June 11.

Outside front row starter TJ Stutts pulled into the lead at the start of the 410 sprint car feature. On the first two circuits, Stutts and polesitter Brock Zearfoss dueled for the lead. Meanwhile fifth-place starter Brent Marks raced third as sixth-place starter Greg Hodnett advanced to fourth on the third circuit.

Stutts, who won back-to-back Friday night 410 sprint car races in March of 2006, saw his hopes of keeping his Friday night winning streak alive go away on lap six when his car lost power on the frontstretch and coasted into the pit area. Zearfoss took command of the field with Marks applying pressure in traffic.

On the 10th lap, Marks made an exciting dive to the inside of Zearfoss entering turn three for the lead only to have the red flag unfurl  when Scott Wilson hit the fourth turn wall and roll over in front of the leaders. Wilson escaped injury.

When the race resumed, a three-car war on wheels unfolded for the lead entering turn one between Zearfoss, Marks, and Hodnett. Marks took the lead on lap 12 with a pass by Zearfoss in turn three. A lap later, Hodnett drove into second.

The final 10 laps produced some of the most intense sprint car racing of the season as ninth-place starter Lucas Wolfe showed some speed and made it a three-car battle to the finish. On the 18th circuit, Hodnett took the lead in turn four when Marks drifted high. However, Marks and now Wolfe closed in on Hodnett in lapped traffic.  Both Marks and Wolfe took shots at Hodnett to no avail.

At the checkered flag, Hodnett was victorious by just .47 of a second over Marks with Wolfe crossing the line just .91 of a second behind Hodnett in third. Ryan Smith and Blane Heimbach completed the top five.

Second-place starter Matt Hornberger led the first lap of the pro stock feature after a lap one restart for a three-car tangle in turn two. Fifth-place starter Adam Campbell made a charge into second on the restart and came away with the lead on lap two.

By lap six, eighth-place starter Tommy Slanker made his way to the front of the pack and powered into the runner up spot. With five laps to race, Slanker moved into striking distance of Campbell, who spun a lap later on the backstretch.

Slanker inherited the lead and drove to a mere 1.28 second margin of victory over Kurt Wray, Brad Mitch, Curtis Lawton, and Matt Hornberger.

SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY SUMMARY – 10 June 2016

410 Sprint Cars – 21 Entries

25-Lap A-Main:  1) 27 Greg Hodnett  2) 19M Brent Marks  3) 5W Lucas Wolfe  4) 94 Ryan Smith  5) 12 Blane Heimbach  6) 3Z Brock Zearfoss  7) 3 Pat Cannon  8) 21R Kyle Reinhardt  9) 25 Aaron Ott  10) 35 Daryl Stimeling  11) 33 Curt Stroup  12) 48 Danny Dietrich  13)75 Frankie Herr  14) 29 Jason Shultz  15) 19W Colby Womer  16) 66 Ryan Kissinger  17) 33W Michael Walter II  18) 12W Troy Fraker  19) 38 Scott Wilson  20) 51B Karl Baker  21) 23 TJ Stutts Heat Winners:  Brock Zearfoss, Brent Marks, Greg Hodnett Pro Stocks – 20 Entries

15-Lap A-Main:  1) 40 Tommy Slanker  2) 71 Kurt Wray  3) 10M Brad Mitch  4) 33 Curtis Lawton  5) 88 Matt Hornberger  6) 70J John Schreffler  7) S8 Andrew Shoop  8) 8M Brandon Moser  9) 83 Matt Wilson  10) 2C Adam Campbell  11) 4 Jim Payne  12) 55 Lori Croop   13) 28J Jeff Ceballo  14) 14C Bill Conrad  15) 26 Nate Stroup  16) 8K Jeremy Kline  17) 99 Peanut Heintzelman  18) 6C AJ Hoffman  19) 11 Jake Buck  20) 55T John Troxell

Heat Winners:  Adam Campbell, Tommy Slanker