Macri Wins Third Nace Memorial National Open
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY
Speedway 570.374.2266
Contact: Steve Inch, publicrelations@selinsgrovespeedway.com
MACRI THREE-PEATS IN SELINSGROVE NACE MEMORIAL NATIONAL OPEN;
SPAHR CLOSES OUT 305 SPRINT CAR SEASON WITH SECOND WIN
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Anthony Macri of Dillsburg captured his third straight victory in the Jim Nace Memorial 40th Annual National Open for 410 sprint cars Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway.
Macri, who won the division’s first race of the year in April’s Ray Tilley Classic, book-ended his season at the historic speedway by becoming the fourth driver to record three consecutive wins in the National Open. The late Maynard Yingst of Linglestown (1983-85), Fred Rahmer of Salfordville (1995-97), and Pat Cannon of Etters (2011-2013) also pulled off the feat.
The win aboard the Macri Concrete/J&S Classics No. 39M was worth $26,000, a tribute to one of Nace’s most popular car numbers he campaigned in central Pennsylvania sprint car racing.
Gio Scelzi of Fresno, Calif., was the Fast Tees Fast Qualifier with a lap of 16.341. Scelzi scored his first career win at the track in May.
Blane Heimbach of Selinsgrove, who won two of the eight 410 sprint car races this year, clinched his first career Lelands.com 410 sprint car track championship worth $5,000.
Logan Spahr of Lewisberry won his second race of the year in the 20-lap PASS 305 sprint car feature.
Ken Duke of Selinsgrove wrapped up his first career Apache Tree Service 305 sprint car track championship.
The two-day National Open weekend, a first at the track since 1992, concluded the speedway’s 76th anniversary season.
Polesitter Danny Dietrich out-dueled second-place starter Anthony Macri for the early lead at the start of the sprint car main event. For the first laps, Macri tormented Dietrich for the front spot but struggled to find a way around him. On the seventh circuit, Macri powered underneath Dietrich in turn two to take command of the field while third-place starter Brian Brown and fourth-place starter Freddie Rahmer raced in the top five.
At the lap 15 mark, Dietrich reeled in Macri again and on lap 17 pulled a slider in turn two. Dietrich was able to take the lead back for a few seconds until Macri raced back underneath him to reclaim the front spot out of turn two.
The race was red-flagged on lap 20 for a scheduled fuel stop. Under the red flag, Brown’s car developed a flat tire and he was forced to restart on the rear of the field.
When the race resumed, Macri led Dietrich, 10th-place starter Brent Marks, sixth-place starter Daryn Pittman, and Rahmer. The closest battle on the track in the second half of the race was the battle for third between Marks and Pittman.
In the final laps of the race, Dietrich was reeling in Macri, erasing the deficit with each passing lap. At the checkered flag, Macri was victorious by just 1.6 seconds over Dietrich, Pittman, Marks, and Rahmer.
Front row starter Kruz Kepner pulled into the early lead at the start of the 305 sprint car feature and was chased by third-place starter Austin Reed.
Reed took over the front spot on lap three with an outside pass in turn four. He set the pace through lap seven, when sixth-place starter Logan Spahr made the winning pass using the inside lane off turn four.
Kepner attempted to reel in the leader to no avail. Spahr took the checkered flag by two seconds over Kepner, Zach Rhodes, Reed, and Doug Dodson.
SELINSGROVE SPEEDWAY RACE SUMMARY – 24 September 2022
410 Sprint Cars – 25 Entries
40-Lap A-Main: 1) 39M Anthony Macri 2) 48 Danny Dietrich 3) 27 Daryn Pittman 4) 19 Brent Marks 5) 51 Freddie Rahmer 6) 23 Devon Borden 7) 5W Lucas Wolfe 8) 18 Gio Scelzi 9) 71 Cory Eliason 10) 11 TJ Stutts 11) 12 Blane Heimbach 12) 21 Brian Brown 13) M1 Mark Smith 14) 75 Tyler Ross 15) 19R Matt Campbell 16) 5G Briggs Danner 17) 33 Michael Walter 18) 25 Tyler Bear 19) 6 Ryan Smith 20) 33 Gerard McIntyre 21) 17B Steve Buckwalter 22) 35 Jason Shultz 23) 20 Ryan Taylor 24) 0 Rick Lafferty 25) 67 Justin WhittallHeat Winners: Danny Dietrich, Brian Brown, Freddie RahmerTime Trials: 1) 18 Gio Scelzi 16.341 2) 39M Anthony Macri 16.406 3) 5W Lucas Wolfe 16.451 4) 48 Danny Dietrich 16.486 5) 19M Brent Marks 16.580 6) Freddie Rahmer 16.650 7) 27 Daryn Borden 16.655 8) 23 Devon Borden 16.704 9) 21 Brian Brown 16.735 10) 71 Cory Eliason 16.757 11) 12 Blane Heimbach 16.767 12) 11 TJ Stutts 16.846 13) 6 Ryan Smith 16.882 14) 5G Briggs Danner 16.930 15) 20 Ryan Taylor 16.930 16) M1 Mark Smith 16.945 17) 35 Jason Shultz 16.947 18) 67 Justin Whittall 16.970 19) 75 Tyler Ross 17.112 20) 33 Gerard McIntyre 17.130 21) 17B Steve Buckwalter 17.142 22) 19R Matt Campbell 17.153 23) 25 Tyler Bear 17.270 24) 0 Rick Lafferty 17.302 25) Michael Walter DNT
PASS 305 Sprint Cars – 25 Entries
20-Lap A-Main: 1) 5 Logan Spahr 2) 19 Kruz Kepner 3) 31 Zach Rhodes 4) 34 Austin Reed 5) 20 Doug Dodson 6) 25 Dustin Young 7) 7 Drew Young 8) 10 Jake Waters 9) 67 Ken Duke 10) 39X Scott Frack 11) 95 Garrett Bard 12) 97 Kenny Heffner 13) 29R Seth Schnoke 14) 61 John Scarborough 15) 06K Erick Knepp 16) 2 Erin Statler 17) 1M Paul Moyer 18) 98 Croix Beasom 19) 10 Nathan Piere 20) 21 Andrew Yoder 21) 17R Frank Rusnock 22) 21M Cassandra Minium 23) 9R Mariah Romig 24) 28R Jason Roush 25) 17 Owen Dimm
Heat Winners: Austin Reed, Logan Spahr, Dustin Young
