Mills scores first PASS win at Selinsgrove

Results

Justin Mills became a first-time Pennsylvania Sprint Series winner, outrunning Christian Rumsey in a one-lap dash to the checkers in the April 10 main event at Selinsgrove Speedway. (Photo by Angela Dmuchowski)

By Frank Buhrman 

SELINSGROVE, Pa. (April 10) – Justin Mills narrowly outran fellow New Yorker Christian Rumsey in a one-lap shootout Saturday to claim his first Pennsylvania Sprint Series win in a 20-lap feature at Selinsgrove Speedway. 

Mills started third and chased polesitter Rumsey for a dozen laps before making the pass for the lead on lap 13. Rumsey hung tough and continued to challenge, though, and when the race was stopped with one lap to go he had a last chance, but Mills was up to the task and edged his challenger by less than one tenth of a second at the checkered flag. 

“That was a long red flag,” Mills said in victory lane. “I was just thinking where I should go, top or bottom. I knew the oil was there, so I was trying not to run into that. It just all worked out good.”

The win was Mills’ first in an IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car. In a 10-race rookie season with PASS in 2020, Mills was usually fast but a fourth at Lincoln in September was his only top 10 to reward his efforts. This was his first start of 2021.

Doug Dodson finished third, barely two tenth’s of a second behind Rumsey, with 2019 PASS and national champion Ken Duke Jr. fourth. Last weekend’s Port Royal winner Nick Sweigart completed the top five.

Forty RaceSaver Sprinters packed the pit area, making qualifying incredibly difficult for the second weekend in a row. 

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