It has been a miserable season for Selinsgrove's Cody Keller in the 360 sprint cars at Selinsgrove Speedway.
A victory was just what he needed to help turn the rest of the season around and he finally got that win Saturday night at the half-mile speedway in Snyder County.
Keller set a blistering pace and beat division leader Mark Smith by 2.5 seconds for his first win of the season. The win was worth $2,000. He took the lead on the opening lap and led all 25.
Defending track champion Jason Shultz, T.J. Stutts and Larry Kelleher completed the top five.
It was Keller's first win in the 360 sprint cars, although he had two wins in the 358 sprints. He also broke Smith's three-race win streak. Mechanical woes have plagued the team all season.
Coleby Frye of Dover won the late model feature over Jeff Rine, Dylan Yoder, Jim Yoder and Dave Zona.
Unofficially, Rine took over the points lead from fellow Danville racer Steve Campbell, who finished eighth and went into the night with only a 40 point lead.
Brad Mitch and Keith Bissinger were winners in the pro stock and roadrunners respectively.
Next week, Selinsgrove hosts a tune-up race for the Labor Day weekend invasion of the World of Outlaw late model series. Time trials will set the field and $2,000 will be on the line for the late models Saturday.
And then Labor Day weekend, a total of $18,000 will be on the line for the winner's share over the two-day show Saturday and Sunday.
The 360 sprints, pro stocks and roadrunners are also on the program next Saturday. Sunbury's Mark Smith continues to lead the sprint car points standings by a comfortable margin.
In other racing results from the weekend, Brent Marks blasted around Gerard McIntyre Jr. and Greg Hodnett by Donnie Kreitz Jr. to win their respective 20-lap sprint car feature Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway.
Both Marks and Hodnett earned $2,500 for their victories. It was Marks' second Grove win of the season and Hodnett's third.
McIntyre settled for second behind Marks in the first feature. Hodnett, Pat Cannon and Lance Dewease completed the top five.
Kreitz finished a distant second to Hodnett in the second race. Stevie Smith, Dewease and Adrian Shaffer completed the top five.
Marks flipped in the second race after a right rear tire blew as he raced into the first turn.
Danny Dietrich drove by Freddie Rahmer in lapped traffic with six laps to go and went on to win the 30-lap sprint car feature Saturday night at Lincoln Speedway.
Dietrich's third Lincoln win of the season was worth $3,200. Freddie Jr. settled for second and his best career 410 sprint car feature finish. Rahmer was fast all night, winning his heat race and then the dash. He led the first 24 laps of the feature before Dietrich passed him in lapped traffic.
Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway, it was Mike Wagner extending his points lead with his first win of the season in the sprint car feature. Hodnett was second followed by Mike's son, Logan, defending champion Blane Heimbach and 10th starter Doug Esh.
Jeff Miller Sr. won the late models at Port Royal.
Friday night At Big Diamond Speedway, it was Billy Pauch Jr. picking up his fifth win of the season in the 358 modifieds, while Scott Haus of Hamburg won the late model feature and clinched the track championship.
Doug Manmiller, Craig Von Dohren, Frank Cozze and Rick Laubach followed Pauch Jr.
Andy Haus, Bryan Bernheisel, Steve Nederostak and Grant Adams were the top five from the late models.