5/16/2025
Selinsgrove Speedway
Dietz Tops Ray Tilley Classic at Selinsgrove, Spahr over Kepner in 305 Feature
Written by Bert Wojcik
Keller Auto Body’s PASS 305 Write up by Frank Buhrman
Selinsgrove, PA - As most Friday’s have been in Central PA in the early parts of the 2025 season, Mother Nature decided to dictate the plans when it came to weather. While a mid-morning deluge of rain helped finish off any drought concerns, it was touch-and-go as storms started to fire off again in late afternoon. Thankfully, the storms parted around the Selinsgrove Speedway and we even saw peaks of the sunset while the first group of cars were pushed off for motor heat. For the first time since July of last year, the 410 sprint cars made their return to the Snyder County Half Mile. York’s Chase Dietz scored his second career 410 win at Selinsgrove in the Ray Tilley Classic presented by Icon Legacy Modular Homes. In yet another fantastic race, Lewisberry’s Logan Spahr picked up his 5th career win at Selinsgrove in the Keller's Auto Body PA Sprint Series 305 Sprint Car feature.
15 410 Sprint Cars signed in for the 2025 edition of the Ray Tilley Classic, honoring the life of the winning-est driver of what is now the 410 Sprint Car division at Selinsgrove with 69 career wins coming from 1963 to 1969. Tilley passed away in 2011 and since 2012, the Ray Tilley Classic has been an early season staple at the speedway, this year being ran on what would have been Ray's 91st birthday. Bringing the field to green was Middleburg, PA’s Jake Karklin and Elverson, PA’s Austin Bishop, who is the defending 410 Sprint Car opening day winner. On the start, Karklin got a jump on Bishop. Coming into turns one and two, Chase Dietz would power his way around both Gettyburg’s Danny Dietrich and Bishop to take the second spot by the time the field hit the back straightaway. Caution would come out right after Karklin led the first lap with Garrett Bard coming to a stop with a flat. He would rejoin after going to the work area.
The single file restart would see Karklin pull away from Dietz with clean air helping him out to a quick one second lead in 2 laps. Dietrich would get around Bishop for the third spot and the top 3 would start to separate themselves from the field. As Karklin reached the back of the field, Jake Waters would slip up nearly into Karklin. This allowed Dietz to close in before Karklin could complete the pass around Waters and pulled away once again from Dietz. Dietz was chipping away at the lead, but Karklin was just a tad better off of turn two. In three and four, Karklin slid up and Dietz pulled side by side with him at the line. Karklin kept his foot in it on the high side and used the 26 of Curt Stroup as a pick to get away from Dietz for the time being.
With 11 laps to go, Karklin had to make a choice on where to go with lap cars Dustin Baney and Bard fighting for position. Karklin would go down low on Baney and make a little bit of contact. Dietz closed in as Karklin cleared Baney. Dietz didn't waste any time clearing Baney in his pursuit of Karklin. Right as the field got the 5 to go sign, Sunshine Coast, Australia’s Ryan Newton, who made the tow up after Williams Grove cancelled due to rain, had a right rear tire explode on the 66 car while having a solid top 10 run going. Newton would be towed in for the night.
The restart came with less than 5 laps to go. Dietz went low on Karklin into one and two. As Karklin nearly got in the wall, Dietz took the lead with 4 laps to go. Dietrich and Karklin would go at it for the second spot with Dietrich clearing Karklin for second. Right as the field got the white flag, Steve Buckwalter would have a right rear go down and come to a stop bringing the caution out for a one lap shootout to decide the Ray Tilley Classic.
A green then checkered finish would start with Deitrich sending it deep into turns one and two trying to push Dietz up. That robbed all of Dietrich's momentum and Karklin would get around Dietrich for second. Meanwhile Dietz would go win the Ray Tilley Classic. Karklin would hold off Dietrich for second by .015 seconds, New Oxford’s Gerard McIntyre Jr and Austin Bishop rounded out the top 5.
“I knew my only chance to get him was to get him on the restart,” Dietz said in High Caliber Cranes Victory Lane. “His motor didn't take off and I kind of figured he wasn’t going to be hitting the bottom. I had a good enough run to take advantage of it. Then with Danny (Dietrich) behind me I couldn’t let him get me again. He’s done enough of that.”
“I didn't want the cautions and I wish I cleaned the motor out,” Karklin said on the podium. “I wasn't thinking about what I needed to do and wanted to win. But we got it cleared out. Don't have a lot of experience in the 410’s. Had some good runs but not so good finishes. But it seems like we learned from our mistakes somewhat tonight.”
“Going for the win and it cost me second," Dietrich said. “Tried to fire it in on the bottom of one and try to get a wheel on him and Chase ran it perfectly. I got to do a little better to get the car dialed in for the feature. I'll be honest with you, I'm gonna call out the fact that there's a lot of teams that aren't here that should be. This track set a precedent for payout on Friday nights. You know, they made Williams Grove up their purse for yellow breeches because they had to. This place, put them on the spot, and they should have been up here when they got rained out. There's probably five of them. I'm not sure why they didn't truck up here, but disappointing in that aspect. They should be here but we're here. We run on a podium. These guys did a great job. Glad that we had the cars we did, but the track just needed more cars to widen out with the weather we had, and I place the blame on people not showing up.”
Gerard McIntyre Jr picked up the 410 Sprint Car Hard Charger Award, sponsored by Hamm-Reilly Enterprises and InfernoArmor.
For the second week in a row, the River Valley Builders PA Sprint Series feature at Selinsgrove Speedway came down to a duel between Logan Spahr of Lewisberry and Kruz Kepner of Kreamer. Last week, Kepner got to visit victory lane; this week, Spahr earned the trip.
The 2023 PASS champion, Spahr battled the “hometown” racer (Kreamer is about 10 miles from the track) through the middle circuits of the 20-lap event before pulling off the decisive pass for the lead on the backstretch of lap 14, just before the leaders hit lapped traffic.
From there, Spahr steadily pulled away to a .873-second win over Kepner for his first win of 2025 and 15th of his PASS career.
The win positions the top finishers as favorites for the BrokersRealty.com Speed Weekend payoff of $750 for the top overall points finisher, with $500 going to the runner-up, and $250 to third. Speed Weekend continues Saturday at Hagerstown Speedway and Sunday at BAPS Motor Speedway.
PASS races at Selinsgrove are sponsored by Keller & Sons Auto Body.
Another hometown driver, Ken Duke Jr., completed an impressive run to the front, coming from 11th starting position to take third from Kenny Heffner of Watsontown on the last lap. That performance earned the defending PASS champion the Len Krautheim Auto Parts Hard Charger Award for the best “charge” through the field during the race.
Mike Melair of Warrington finished fifth after running in the top five throughout the race.
Completing the top 10 were Zach Rhodes of McVeytown, Jarrett Cavalet of Hollidaysburg, Josh Spicer of Julian, Jeff Weaver of Lock Haven, and Dustin Young of Danville.
The race ran non-stop in just over 6-1/2 minutes. The only drop-out was Ben Miklos, whose car went up in smoke on lap five, but the Camp Hill driver managed to get his machine off the track without causing a caution.
Heat races for the 29 IMCA/RaceSaver sprinters on hand were won by Spicer, Cavalet, and Melair. Mike Walter, the veteran 410 sprint driver who came out of retirement to drive the #90 normally driven by Paul Moyer, won the B-Main.
The only caution flag of the night came in the third heat for D.J. Cassler, who stopped on the track in turn four. Mechanical ills ended his night at that point.
Melair received the BrokersRealty.com Driver Spotlight award, $100 to a driver chosen by random draw of starting positions by a fan, who receives a prize package for his or her involvement. Besides his victory, Spahr received a custom-baked cake from Deb Young, who began that popular River Valley Builders PASS tradition at Selinsgrove two years ago.
Spar while in High Caliber Cranes Victory lane said, “I want to give hats off to Selinsgrove. This is the best this place has been two weeks in a row in a long time. Racing at a track you can start sixth at and win. I knew I was going to be good on the bottom. So I just gave Kepner a little time and waited till he washed up through the middle. Found a good line of moisture and it slingshot me off of two to get around him."
Selinsgrove Speedway will be off next weekend for our friends at the Port Royal Speedway’s annual Bob Weikert Memorial weekend.
Selinsgrove will be back in two weeks on Saturday, May 31st for Kids Night with the Selinsgrove Ford Super Late Models, Creekside Auto Sales Limited Late Models, and Superior Homes Street Stocks. The next 410 race will be on Friday, June 6th as a part of the Kramer Kup with the URC 360 Sprint Cars and IMT USAC East Coast Wingless 360 Sprint Cars.
Log onto www.raceselinsgrove.com for all updated news and points, as well as results.
Check our Social Media Pages on Facebook at Selinsgrove Speedway & Raceway Park, on Instagram @raceselinsgrove, and on X @selinsgroverace.
Submitted By: Jenna Mowery
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