By KEN BRUCE
When it comes to the Short Track Super Series, Neshanic Station, N.J., driver Matt Stangle seems to have developed a liking to the bigger dirt ovals in Central PA. Starting the 40-lap feature on Saturday in the 10th spot, Stangle drove a strong race taking advantage of starting outside on a couple restarts to finish in third. It was a good way to get their northern racing season started.
“I am not sure if I like them better, but I certainly seem to run good on them,” said Stangle. “We had a good car today. The track was definitely tricky today, one lap you could be fine then the next lap you think you are doing the same thing and be all the way over the cushion and start bouncing all around. You just had to hit it right and try to keep the car together.
“The track did have some bumps to it but everyone else had to race on the same track. It is what it is and it was a typical track surface you tend to race on in March.”
Strong 4th place finish for Alex Payne
For up-and-coming driver Alex Payne, Saturday at Selinsgrove Speedway was the first time the young driver had ever seen the central PA track. Payne made his maiden run a good one as he drove the No. 70 to a very strong 4th place finish.
“It was good, we had never been here before and came into it not knowing exactly what to do,” mentioned Payne. “We unloaded with a similar set-up that we have been running everywhere and it ended up being good. We are not huge on running these American Racer tires but we did run them down in Florida and are trying to run them more so we can learn as we go, and we are having fun with it.”
Payne kept trying to use the outside to make passes, sometimes it worked and sometimes it cost him as got out of the groove and up into the loose stuff to let cars get by but at the end of it all the team was happy with their inaugural run at Selinsgrove.
“The track was a challenge today, but I am sure they tried their best to give us a good track to race on,” explained Payne. “But that is part or racing and you learn to deal with it as it comes. It’s early in the year and the weather plays a big part of it.”
Steady run for Creeden ends with fifth place finish
Danny Creeden wasn’t sure what to expect coming into the Icebreaker 40 at Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday. The day started with a good draw for his heat race which he parlayed into a redraw finish. Starting the feature in the sixth spot, Creeden hung around for all 40 laps to grab a top five finish.
“We are happy with that finish for sure,” said Creeden in the tire tech area post-race. “I was just telling someone else that we needed this as a confidence booster after Florida and it took my wife here to get me pointed in the right direction.
“We weren’t sure if we were going to BAPS or coming here but the big-block was closest to the door to go racing so that’s what we decided to do. I am glad we did; the track most definitely had some character today but that’s okay and it was actually pretty neat. The bottom started to come back and (Jeff Strunk) Strunky poked his nose under me there and I moved back down and I think if I would’ve done it before off of turn two I think I could’ve got by the Payne kid. It was rough but I love this place, but it is always a gamble with the weather. The lady here does a great job and the place is awesome so when you get the chance to come down here once a year, you do it. The funny thing is that this is the same car we took to Volusia, and we were bad, we came here, and the car is great. I don’t know what I missed down there but we just were not good.”
Creeden’s 2023 plans are still up in the air. With Orange County going to a reduced schedule, the Wurtsboro, NY driver is just not sure what they will be doing at this time.
“Honestly Ken, I still am not sure what we are doing,” explained Creeden. “With Middletown only racing big blocks once a month and small blocks once a month it doesn’t make it easy. Then Middletown goes and makes a change to the carburetor rule for the small blocks which is stupid. So, is it worth it to go out and pay $1,400 for a new carburetor to race in five races? I don’t think so but we will see what happens. The way the schedule plays out now I can go to both Middletown and Afton the first few weeks, then we will make a decision on what to do for the rest of the year.”
Icebreaker Cubes
Thirty-five cars signed in for the STSS South region opener with heat wins going to Ryan Godown (in a backup car, see note below), Jordan Watson, Peter Britten and Alex Payne. The last chance qualifier was won by Jimmy Horton…
An unfortunate wreck in hot laps forced the R&M Racing team of Ryan Godown to go to a backup car. The No. 14W of Ryan Watt shut off and spun going to turn three, Godown who was at full speed on the backstretch had nowhere to go and spun to try and avoid Watt but the cars hit hard in the fronts ending with both cars having broken front ends and bent axles. Godown, who had planned to run his big-block, was forced to unload their backup car which was equipped with a small block under the hood…
The Watt team thrashed on their car to replace the front axle along with other broken or bent up parts and went out in their heat race with almost no practice to qualify in a redraw spot with the team’s brand new Troyer…
Andy Bachetti debuted a new DKM Chassis on Saturday. Bachetti through the last chance event but was a DNF in the feature rundown.
Danny Bouc had a Saturday he would like to forget. Bouc was making a hard charge in his heat after starting in the back and was looking to grab a redraw spot when himself, Matt Stangle and Joseph Watson got together in turns three and four. Bouc was able to continue but failed to qualify. In the last chance race, Bouc was running away with it when a fuel line came off under the hood spraying Bouc with fuel forcing him to shut off the motor and be pushed into the pits. Bouc used a provisional to start the main event but ended up dropping off when the crank trigger broke in the motor forcing a DNF…
Jordan Watson was looking forward to a good day in the Dan Sommeling No. 51. A good draw at the drivers meeting gave Watson a good starting spot for his heat race which he ended up winning. Unfortunately, that is where the good day ended for the team. Scheduled to start fourth in the feature event, the No. 51 had the rear end go bad under the pace laps forcing them to be pushed into the pits before the green flag was waved…
Ryan Godown was running third in the feature event when the No. 26 broke something in the rear end causing the car to roll to a stop…
Matt Sheppard battled back for an 8th place finish after being forced to pit with a flat tire on lap 13…
Rick Laubach pulled off in his heat race and loaded up after problems developed…
Tyler Dippel was a surprise entrant on Saturday. Dippel easily qualified but was only able to finish 15th in the feature race. Dippel informed me that they plan to race the STSS races at Bridgeport and Orange County in the next few weeks. After that, the schedule is up in the air. The team might race all of the big-block shows at Orange County but after that there is no set schedule…
A big crash in the Crate Sportsman race heavily damaged the cars of Brian Papiez, Logan Watt and others. Definitely not the way those drivers were hoping to start the season. Congratulations to Joe Toth on the Crate Sportsman win…
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me via email dirtracefan25@hotmail.com or on Twitter @dirtracefan25
