Selinsgrove's Blane Heimbach upset the field in the Port Royal Speedway season opener for sprint cars on Saturday night.
Heimbach took the lead from Todd Shaffer on lap eight and was never seriously challenged over the final 17 laps to record his second career win in the more powerful 410 sprint cars. Heimbach is a regular in the 358 sprints at Selinsgrove and Williams Grove Speedways.
Shaffer returned to a Gary and Patty Beam sprinter after they announced their retirement at the end of last year. The Beams own the trailer and the engine, while Shaffer owns everything else. His night came to an end on lap 10 when a tire blew and he hit the wall.
Stevie Smith came from 11th to finish second ahead of Mark Smith, Tyler Walker and Lance Dewease.
Pat Cannon won the 358 sprint feature over Nate Hammaker and teenager Logan Schuchart.
At Williams Grove Speedway on Friday night, it was Smith winning the season opener over Walker, Doug Esh, Dewease and Cory Haas. Smith led every lap at the line, but had to drive back by Walker in turn four with five laps to go.
Cannon won the 358 sprint opener over Scott Geesey and Billy Dietrich.
Danny Dietrich won the 410 sprint feature at Lincoln Speedway for his first win of the season. Dietrich took the lead early and dominated the remainder of the race. Fred Rahmer, Alan Krimes, Justin Collett and Brian Leppo were in the top five.
Gene Knaub opened the 358 late model season with a win over Steve Weikel and Bernie Beard. Danny Beard was the thundercar winner.
Jeff Strunk of Bechtelsville led all 25 laps of the Race of Champions 358 modified season opener at Selinsgrove Speedway on Friday night. He earned $2,200. Jimmy Horton, Duane Howard, Stewart Friesen and Danny Johnson completed the top five.
On Saturday night at Selinsgrove, New York's Danny Johnson was awarded the win in the Race of Champions big block modified Icebreaker. Johnson collected $4,000 after apparent winner Dale Planck and runner-up Pat Ward were light at the scales and disqualified. Billy Decker, Brett Hearn, Dan Vauter and Jimmy Horton completed the top five.
Selinsgrove kicks off its regular season this Saturday at 6 p.m. with 358 sprints and pro stocks.
Racing Recap
Friday
Selinsgrove Speedway
358 Modifieds, 25 laps: 1. Jeff Strunk. 2. Jimmy Horton. 3. Duane Howard. 4. Stewart Friesen. 5. Danny Johnson. 6. Pat Ward. 7. Frank Cozze Jr. 8. Ryan Godown. 9. Larry Wight. 10. Randy Sherlock.
Heats: Larry Solomon, Johnson, Friesen, Ryan Watt, Howard, Billy Pauch Sr.
Consolations: Ward, Colt Harris, Mike Gular.
Non-qualifiers feature: Neil Williams.
Williams Grove Speedway
410 Sprints, 25 laps: 1. Stevie Smith. 2. Tyler Walker. 3. Doug Esh. 4. Lance Dewease. 5. Cory Haas. 6. Aaron Ott. 7. Adam Wilt. 8. Greg Hodnett. 9. Brian Leppo. 10. Steve Buckwalter.
Heats: Leppo, Wilt, Ott.
Consolation: Justin Henderson.
358 Sprints, 20 laps: 1. Pat Cannon. 2. Scott Geesey. 3. Billy Dietrich. 4. Blane Heimbach. 5. Chad Trout. 6. Dale Hammaker. 7. Adrian Shaffer. 8. Kyle Moody. 9. Glenndon Forsythe. 10. Logan Schuchart.
Heats: Heimbach, Trout, Hammaker.
Consolation: Ted Thomas.
Saturday
Lincoln Speedway
410 Sprints, 25 laps: 1. Danny Dietrich. 2. Fred Rahmer. 3. Alan Krimes. 4. Justin Collett. 5. Brian Leppo. 6. Brian Montieth. 7. Brad McClelland. 8. Adam Lawrence. 9. Doug Esh. 10. Jim Siegel.
Heats: Krimes, Dietrich, Doug Dodson.
358 Late Models, 20 laps: 1. Gene Knaub. 2. Steve Weikel. 3. Bernie Beard. 4. Grant Adams. 5. Craig Wagaman. 6. Chase Billett. 7. Bruce Kane. 8. Steve Clabaugh. 9. Charlie Schaffer. 10. Travis Mease.
Heats: Adams, Schaffer, Jamie Lathroum.
Thundercars, 20 laps: 1. Danny Beard. 2. Sam Gallagher. 3. Brian Walls. 4. Mikey Guise. 5. Jimmy Combs.
Heats: Gallagher, Jamie Zentmyer.
Port Royal Speedway
410 Sprints, 25 laps: 1. Blane Heimbach. 2. Stevie Smith. 3. Mark Smith. 4. Tyler Walker. 5. Lance Dewease. 6. Mike Wagner. 7. Mike Erdley. 8. Ryan Taylor. 9. Davey Sammons. 10. Daryn Pittman.
Heats: Dewease, Lynton Jeffrey.
358 Sprints, 20 laps: 1. Pat Cannon. 2. Nate Hammaker. 3. Logan Schuchart. 4. Steve Buckwalter. 5. Matt Horst. 6. Nate Snyder. 7. Colby Womer. 8. Ted Thomas. 9. Steve Storrie. 10. Dale Hammaker.
Heats: Cannon, Schuchart.
Selinsgrove Speedway
Icebreaker 40 Big Block Modifieds, 40 laps: 1. Danny Johnson. 2. Billy Decker. 3. Brett Hearn. 4. Dan Vauter. 5. Jimmy Horton. 6. Rick Laubach. 7. Wade Hendrickson. 8. Matt Sheppard. 9. Bobby Varin. 10. Billy Pauch Sr.
Heats: Horton, Billy Vaninwegen, Craig VonDohren, Pat Ward, Rob Bellinger, Billy Pauch Jr.
B-mains: Vauter, Pauch Sr. Richie Pratt.
Match Races: Bellinger.
Trail-Way Speedway
600 Micro Sprints, 20 laps: 1. Eric Bodine. 2. Jimmy Brookens. 3. Tyler Ross. 4. Shane Hoff. 5. Tyler Esh.
270 Micro Sprints, 20 laps: 1. Todd Hoover. 2. Jim Still. 3. Sean McAndrew. 4. Richie Hartman. 5. Daniel Souder.
Sidewinder Sprints, 20 laps: 1. Ben Murphy. 2. Joe Robertson. 3. Alex Schanz. 4. Keith Ford. 5. Rohan Beasley.
World of Outlaw Sprint Cars
Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare, Calif.
A-main, 35 laps: 1. Joey Saldana. 2. Jason Meyers. 3. Donny Schatz. 4. Jac Haudenschild. 5. Sammy Swindell. 6. Steve Kinser. 7. Jason Sides. 8. Paul McMahon. 9. Jonathan Allard. 10. Tim Kaeding.
Fast Time: Meyers, 12.794.
Heats: McMahon, Ben Gregg, Swindell.
Dash: Haudenschild.
B-main: Bill Rose.