Anthony Macri, shown earlier this season, won the Selinsgrove Speedway National Open on Saturday. (Julia Johnson photo)
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Anthony Macri claimed his third straight win in the Jim Nace Memorial 40th Annual National Open for 410 sprint cars at Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday night.
Macri, who won the division’s first race of the year at the Ray Tilley Classic in April, ended his season at the historic speedway by becoming the fourth driver to have three consecutive wins at the National Open.
The late Maynard Yingst of Linglestown (1983–85), Fred Rahmer of Salfordville (1995–97) and Pat Cannon of Etters (2011–2013) also accomplished the feat.
Victory aboard the Macri Concrete/J&S Classics No. 39m was worth $26,000, a tribute to one of Nace’s most popular race numbers, which he fought for in sprint car races in central Pennsylvania.
Polesitter Danny Dietrich dueled second-placed Anthony Macri for the early lead at the start of the sprint car feature race. In the first few laps, Macri Dietrich was fighting for the top spot but struggled to find a way past him. At circuit seven, Macri rode under Dietrich at turn two to take command of the field while third-place starter Brian Brown and fourth-place starter Freddie Rahmer rode inside the top five.
On lap 15, Dietrich caught up with Macri again and pulled a slider on lap 17 at turn two. Dietrich was able to retake the lead for a few seconds before Macri sped back under him to retake the lead out of turn two.
The race was red flagged on lap 20 for a planned refueling stop. Under the red flag, Brown’s car developed a flat tire and he had to restart at the back of the field.
When racing resumed, Macri Dietrich, 10th-place starter, Brent Marks, sixth-place starter Daryn Pittman, and Rahmer were leading. The closest battle on track in the second half of the race was the battle for third place between Marks and Pittman.
In the final laps of the race, Dietrich caught up with Macri and made up for the gap with every passing lap. At the checkered flag, Macri was just 1.6 seconds ahead of Dietrich, Pittman, Marks and Rahmer.
Blane Heimbach, who won two of the eight 410 Sprint Car races this year, won his first Lelands.com 410 Sprint Car Track Championship worth $5,000.
Logan Spahr won his second race of the year in the 20-lap PASS 305 sprint car.
The end:
Feature (30 rounds): 1) 39M Anthony Macri 2) 48 Danny Dietrich 3) 27 Daryn Pittman 4) 19 Brent Marks 5) 51 Freddie Rahmer 6) 23 Devon Borden 7) 5W Lucas Wolfe 8) 18 Gio Scelzi 9) 71 Cory Eliason 10) 11 TJ Stutts 11) 12 Blane Heimbach 12) 21 Brian Brown 13) M1 Mark Smith 14) 75 Tyler Ross 15) 19R Matt Campbell 16) 5G Briggs Danner 17) 33 Michael Walter 18) 25 Tyler Bear 19) 6 Ryan Smith 20) 33 Gerard McIntyre 21) 17B Steve Buckwalter 22) 35 Jason Shultz 23) 20 Ryan Taylor 24) 0 Rick Lafferty 25) 67 Justin Whittall
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