8/15/2025
Selinsgrove Speedway
Double D? Double W - Dietrich Sweeps Twin 20s, Melair 6th Different 305 Winner
Written by Bert Wojcik
They say two is better than one. Selinsgrove Speedway put that to the test on Friday night with First Responders Night presented by Heister House Millworks, Len Krautheim Auto Sales, and Aurand’s Towing featuring Twin 20’s for the High Caliber Cranes 410 Sprint Cars. Twice was just as nice for Gettysburg’s Danny Dietrich as he swept both 20 lap feature events and walked out of Selinsgrove Speedway with $10,500 in winnings and a guaranteed starting spot in the Living Legends Dream Race at Port Royal Saturday night. Warrington, PA’s Mike Melair became the 6th different winner in 6 races for the Keller’s Auto Body PASS 305 Sprint Cars at Selinsgrove in 2025.
19 High Caliber Cranes 410 Sprint Cars signed in for action Friday night. The racers were greeted to fresh clay in the corners that was left over from last weekend's Renegade Monster Truck Tour show. Dietrich and Medford, NJ’s Justin Whittall set the front row. Whitall one week removed from a hellacious wreck at the Knoxville Raceway knocked off the rust early by getting a $100 Quick Time bonus from Finch Moser in qualifying. Dietrich would take the lead in turn 1 and 2. Whittall would get loose and then Selinsgrove’s Jake Karklin would have to make some quick maneuvers to keep the 5K under him. He would do so all in the first 2 laps of the 20 lap main event.
Cars were all over the place on Friday night as the new surface was providing a wide racing surface. Slide jobs were plenty by the time lap 7 rolled around when Whittall would get close to Dietrich and the battle for the lead was on. Whittall seemed to find something down on the bottom of 3 and 4 but couldn't keep the momentum up to power around Dietrich right as the caution flew for Myerstown, PA’s Dallas Schott’s left rear flat, causing him to come to a stop up in turn 2.
On the restart, Dietrich would pull away from Whittall but back in the field contact between Karklin and Ephrata’s Jeff Halligan would get Karklin loose. The second time he got loose he wasn't as lucky to save it. Karklin would go around and Mt. Pocono’s Joey Amantea would make hard contact with Karklin, putting Amantea on his side. Both drivers were un-injured. Karklin would go and exchange pleasantries with Halligan before going back to the pits for the night as his night was over. Under the red, Whittall’s left rear bleeder would stick open and would force him to give up the second spot to come to the work area to get the tire and bleeder changed out. He would restart back at the tail end of the lead lap in 9th with 4 laps to go.
On the restart, Halligan would get around Selinsgrove’s Blane Heimbach for the second spot. It didn't take Whittall more than a lap and a quarter to get back in the top 5. He was up to fourth and looking for third from Heimbach. But up the front, Dietrich was not to be beat as he won Twin 20 #1 over Halligan, Whittall, Heimbach, and Elverson’s Austin Bishop rounded out the top 5.
“Best I felt up here all year,” Dietrich said on the front stretch as the crew went to work to get ready for the 2nd 20 lap feature. “We could drive across and I don't think I want to change too much for the second feature.”
“Just wish we could time better,” Halligan said. “Just missed a little in time trials and now thanks to Danny we’re back to where we originally started in the first feature. But once we got some restarts we could put the car just about anywhere and make something happen.”
“Just my luck,” Whittall said. “The bleeder line came apart and just screwed us. But found some speed at the end of it and going to build off it.”
Dietrich was given four options in victory lane. First was to take an automatic invert of 7. Second was to pull an invert of a 4 6 8 or 9. Third $300 to start 8th and invert the top 7. Fourth $500 to start 10th and invert the top 9. After consideration, Dietrich chose to take the $300 and start 8th. That put Selinsgrove’s Mike Walter and Enloa’s Kody Lehman on the front row for Twin 20 Number 2.
The green flag dropped on the second feature as Walter would take the lead. Didn't take long for Heimbach to get around Lehman for the second spot. It was a five car fight for the second spot between Lehman, Heimbach, Bishop, Whittall, and Dietrich as they were three wide twice going in to turns 1 and 2. Dietrich would find his way around Whittall and Bishop. Dietrich would pull the slide job on Lehman for the second spot and start the charge on Walter with lap traffic imminent. Just past halfway, Walter was struggling with lap traffic and opened the top up for Dietrich to get the momentum and then use a slide job to get around Walter to take the lead. Dietrich would slide up and Walter would try to get back under him but the 48’s momentum was too great as he would clear and start to pull away from the field. Danny Dietrich would sweep the night taking his 10th and 11th career High Caliber Cranes 410 Sprint Car feature wins. Walter would end up 2nd, Whittall third, with Lehman and Heimbach rounding out the top 5.
While in High Caliber Cranes Victory Lane, the promotional team of Colin Rice, Paula Schick, and Jenna Mowery presented a surprise bonus of $2,000 to Danny Dietirch for sweeping both features. He also picked up an extra $200 for being the combined hard charger at +7 between both features, making it a $10,500 payday for the Gary Kauffman 48 team. At the same time, they themselves into the Living Legends Dream Race Saturday at Port Royal.
“Was able to get a good start at the second feature,” Dietrich said in High Caliber Cranes Victory Lane. “It was easy to take the $300 and start 8th to keep Whittall back with us as he’s been running really well. He was definitely the biggest competition tonight. Hats off to the track crew and this place is smooth. You could go anywhere you want. It’s important to come up to Selinsgrove no matter when they race or who they race against up here.”
“To hold Danny off that long was a pleasure,” Walter said. “We had a really good car in the feature. Anything that could happen to me happened in the first feature. But happy to be up here and happy to beat Justin Whittall.”
“I knew Danny was gonna play mind games,” Whittall said. “But even with the fuel valve at my ankles when the plate broke, still had a great show here tonight.”
27 Keller’s Auto Body PA Sprint Series 305’s signed in for action on Friday for their 6th race of the season at Selinsgrove. Most of the race was dominated by Beaver Springs’ Drew Young, who led the first 13 laps. But lap traffic would slow up Young and that would let Melair close and get the lead off of Young in turns one and two. The fight was not over as Beech Creek’s Timmy Bittner and Selinsgrove’s Ken Duke Jr. would make it a 4 car fight for the lead. Melair did everything in his power to hold off Bittner, Young, and Duke in the final five laps. He put on a clinic, putting the 36 anywhere he wanted as Mike Melair became the 6th different winner in 6 races for the Keller’s Auto Body PASS 305 Sprint Cars. Bittner, Young, Duke and Logan Spahr would round out the top 5.
“It started to get sketchy up on the top of three and four,” Melair said in High Caliber Cranes Victory Lane. “I had a clean lane up top most of the race and used it to get around Young.”
Selinsgrove Speedway will have an open practice this Tuesday, August 19th for any of our 2025 divisions. Free general admission and pit passes will be $25.
The next race will be the Paul Long Memorial on Sunday August 31st paying $10,063 to win and guaranteed starting position in the 2026 Butch Renninger Memorial at the Port Royal Speedway. This is no longer associated with the Fall Clash Series and will now be an Open Tire Race (Hoosier or American Racers) for the Selinsgrove Ford Super Late Models. The night will also be featuring the Creekside Auto Sales Limited Late Models (paying $2,563 to win) and Wingless Super Sportsman.
The other changes in the schedule are as follows:
The Sand Hill Thrill is no longer a Fall Clash Race and will now be a one day show paying $10,000 to win on Saturday September 13th for the Selinsgrove Ford Super Late Models. This will also be an Open Tire Race ( Hoosier or American Racers). September 12th is therefore canceled. The race on 9/13 will serve as the Super Late Model National Open.
The Wingless Super Sportsman race from the 12th will be moved to the Kramer Cup on Friday, October 10th.
All remaining races for the season (8/31, 9/13, 9/19, 9/26) will all be full point shows for the Selinsgrove Ford Super Late Models.
Log onto www.raceselinsgrove.com for all updated news and points, as well as results.
Check out 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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