May 13, 2025

Kepner Selinsgrove Winner

SP Kruz Kepner VL PB Bill Leonard — Kruz Kepner celebrates in victory lane after leading every lap to secure his first River Valley Builders PA Sprint Series win of 2025 at Selinsgrove Speedway. (Photo by Bill Leonard)

By Frank Buhrman

SELINSGROVE. Pa. (May 10, 2025) — If you looked at Kruz Kepner’s record in the first two River Valley Builders PA Sprint Series races in 2025, this was inevitable.

First the veteran from Kreamer fell victim to circumstances and started 25^th in the season opener at Port Royal, then roared through the field to finish sixth. Then, at his home track, Selinsgrove, less than 10 miles away, he started fourth and finished a strong third.

Saturday night, back at Selinsgrove, he drew the pole, led all the way and scored his first win of this year, second at Selinsgrove, and seventh of his career.

But it wasn’t easy.

Josh Spicer trailed the no. 19 “Kruz Missile” for most of the show, but he lost his position to Logan Spahr in the closing laps. Spahr then made a determined effort to get by Kepner, only to have third-place Spicer spin with three laps to go, taking the leaders out of traffic and setting up a duel at the finish.

Despite intense pressure from Spahr, Kepner held on for a popular win with local fans.

Unfortunately, Spahr showed his displeasure with Kepner’s restart tactics after the race, then left the track without going through PASS’s post-race inspection. That resulted in a disqualification and 26^th-place finish.

To shake up things even more, third-finishing Tyler Snook of Selinsgrove was light at the scales post-race, relegating his car to the last finishing spot on the lead lap.

The penalties, plus Spicer’s spin, shuffled the finish, putting Landon Price of Fleetwood in second place, advancing from ninth, and Dustin Young in third.

Defending PASS champion holds off rookie challenger for third 2019 win

YORK HAVEN, Pa. (June 22) – Defending champion Zach Newlin held off a determined last-lap effort by rookie Jake Frye and claimed the victory in Saturday’s Pennsylvania Sprint Series feature race at BAPS Motor Speedway. The IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car win was his third this season with PASS, following seven in 2018, and his second at BAPS. Newlin led the caution-free 20-lapper all the way but had to edge fellow front-row starter Dominic Melair to the front before withstanding the efforts of teenager Frye, running the most impressive start of his young PASS career. Frye, who started fourth, passed Melair for second on lap five and then closed on the veteran Newlin in traffic over the last half of the race before trying a slide job going into the third turn on the final lap. Newlin’s high-line momentum carried him out of the fourth turn in front, however, and Frye finished on his bumper. Melair also posted his best finish in a brief PASS career, holding on for third, with Cale Reigle fourth and another [Read More]

PASS visits The Groves this weekend

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – After running for the final time in 2019 on their smallest bullring, Pennsylvania Sprint Series teams move to two of their largest venues Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway and Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway. Features for the IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars both nights will be 20 laps. This will be the only PASS feature this season at Williams Grove. Rain washed out an event scheduled in the spring. Veteran Scott Ellerman of Landisburg is the only former PASS winner at Williams Grove pre-entered, but about 30 other drivers will be trying to join him on that winners’ list. Adult admission is $18 with $10 for youth. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. with racing at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, gates will open at 4 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m. This is the final of four appearances for PASS at Selinsgrove. Hometown racer Ken Duke Jr., who leads the national RaceSaver Sprint Car points, won the first two races and Devin Adams took the most recent event. Both are entered for [Read More]

Bloomsburg, Selinsgrove make up weekend racing bill for PASS

By Frank Buhrman BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (May 19, 2022) – The River Valley Builders Pennsylvania Sprint Series gets an early start to the weekend with a rare midweek show at Bloomsburg Fair Speedway, then move to its most-often-visited 2022 track, Selinsgrove Speedway, for more action on Saturday night. Tonight’s (Thursday’s) race will be the second for PASS at the beautiful Bloomsburg track, built last year inside the horse-racing facility that also held auto races through the years. The IMCA RaceSaver cars visited last season for an event co-sanctioned by three regional RaceSaver series and Zack Bealer of the Mid-Atlantic Sprint Series regular Zack Bealer took home the win. PASS is scheduled to appear at Bloomsburg again this year on July 13. Pit gates will open at 4 p.m., with grandstands opening at 5 p.m. and racing scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday’s race will be the second this year for PASS at Selinsgrove; the last time the series was scheduled to race, rain had other ideas. Hometown driver Ken Duke won the year’s first series [Read More]

Feature

Ryan Tusing Goes Elbows Up to win at Bloomington

By Zack Pauley BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (May 9, 2025) — On a beautiful night in southern Indiana, the Huntley’s Winged Hoosier Sprint Series saw 26 RaceSaver IMCA Sprint Cars check in to try and tame the historic Bloomington Speedway. The theme of the night was Pink Out which was sponsored by iWIN. The Indiana Women in Need group sponsors driver Ashton Thompson and supports individuals across the state that are receiving treatment for breast cancer. The track had an immense amount of character come feature time which made it tricky to navigate for the drivers. Jeff Wimmenauer would jump out to a quick lead and set the pace through the opening fifteen laps. After a caution for a spinning car tightened the field back up, Ryan Tusing set his sights on the leader and would not be denied. Blake Sholders would take a tumble in turn one resulting in a red flag. On the restart that followed the stoppage Tusing would make the pass for the lead and the win to pick up his first victory of [Read More]

Hobby Stock

Olmstead Cashes in at RPM with Hobby Stock Victory

By Sheldon Wickwar HAYS, Kan. (May 10, 2025) — The Sunoco Hobby Stocks closed out the show at RPM Speedway with Zach Olmstead completing a weekend sweep after winning at Colby the previous night. The B&B Racing Chassis Northern Region standout secured his seventh victory of the season in ten starts, taking command late in the 20-lap main event after a bobble by Dylan Bell opened the door. Olmstead charged from deep in the field to grab the lead and never looked back. Bell, who led for a good portion of the race, settled for second but maintained his stellar season streak of top three finishes in all seven of his starts. Mitchell Fischer completed the podium in third. Tathan Burkhart Grabs First Win as a Dad The Sunoco IMCA Stock Cars also ran a 20-lap main event which started with Brett Berry and Tathan Burkhart on the front row. Tathan took an early race lead and started pulling away from the double-duty driver of Berry. Berry made several attempts to close in on Tathan in [Read More]

Modified

Whitman Motors to Modified Win in Outagamie Opener

By John Tienor SEYMOUR, Wis. May 9, 2025) — Suamico’s Johnny Whitman picked up the caution free, 20-lap Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Outagamie Speedway’s season opener. Whitman started sixth on the grid and immediately motored towards the front where he challenged polesitter Adam Abbey and Jayden Schmidt in a three car duel for the lead. Whitman wrestled the top spot away from Schmidt on lap 13 and steadily built a comfortable cushion in the final circuits to score the win, his second in the Razor Chassis North Central Region and first since winning 141 Speedway’s opener back in early April. Schmidt finished second, followed by Marcus Yarie. Buckarma Bests Stock Car Field for First 2025 Victory Sobieski’s Nick Buckarma grabbed the lead on a restart with six laps to go and fought off a fast-closing Austin Jansen to snag the feature flag in the Sunoco IMCA Stock Car class. Buckarma started seventh at the drop of the green and steadily moved his way into the top five in the first five circuits, and a [Read More]

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