By Frank Buhrman
SELINSGROVE, Pa. (May 20, 2023) – Technically, it took two days.
Logan Spahr’s quest to become the first River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series driver to win five feature races in a row started late Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway and ended with the checkered flag falling on the Lewisberry driver and his Eshenaur Racing no. 5 IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car just seconds after midnight.
In a non-stop feature that took barely six-and-a-half minutes to run, Spahr had accomplished what no one else had done in 25 years of PASS competition, and it wasn’t easy.
Even with an advantageous third-place starting slot for the 20-lap feature, Spahr was looking at two-time PASS champion, 2019 IMCA RaceSaver national champ and hometown veteran Ken Duke in front of him, along with fast-improving Croix Beasom.
Duke got the jump on Beasom to lead into the first turn as the race started with Spahr quickly moving into second. The two then spent the first half of the race two-to-three car-lengths apart, with Duke holding his advantage.
Spahr was able to make his move at the halfway point in heavy traffic, but while Duke was unable to mount a truly threatening challenge to retake the lead, the veteran ran right behind the young gun the rest of the way, looking for an opportunity.
That never happened, and Spahr crossed the finish line one second ahead.
Doug Dodson, who battled Owen Dimm for third most of the race, finished in that spot with Dimm close behind. Seth Schnoke moved into fifth in the final laps.
The racing began three-and-a-half hours behind schedule, after a late-afternoon storm soaked the speedway. For the second week in a row, PASS racing was saved by heroic work on the track and a remarkably good crowd remained in the stands on a night when the first green flag flew at 10:30 p.m.
With his victory last Saturday at Path Valley Speedway, Spahr had tied the consecutive wins mark of four, set in 2011 by Logan Wagner, but his streak actually is now at six, because he won the Keystone RaceSaver Challenge at Port Royal Speedway last October.
Next Saturday, Spahr will go for six-in-a-row in 2023, and a large field of River Valley Builders PASS competitors will try to deny him that distinction, when the tour returns to Port Royal, scene of two of Spahr’s wins so far this season.
Feature results – 1. Logan Spahr; 2. Ken Duke; 3. Doug Dodson; 4. Owen Dimm; 5. Seth Schnoke; 6. 34-Austin Reed; 7. Croix Beasom; 8. Kruz Kepner; 9. Zach Rhodes; 10. Timmy Bittner; 11. Logan Jones; 12. Drew Young; 13.Josh Spicer; 14. Kenny Heffner; 15. Dustin Young; 16. Paul Moyer; 17. Mike Melair; 18. Erin Statler; 19. Tyler Snook; 20. Eric Knopp; 21. Jonathan Swift; 22. Mike Alleman; 23. Chris Kreider; 24. Jason Roush; 25. Rick Romig; 26. Derek Swartz; 27. Mariah Romig.
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