Lance Dewease takes Selinsgrove for the Posse

By Craig Murphy

SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The battle lines were clearly drawn for the Saturday, Aug. 5 National Sprint Tour race at Selinsgrove Speedway.

    In June, PA Posse member Mike Erdley became the first non-NST regular to win an NST race when he won at Selinsgrove.

    On Thursday night, PA Posse veteran Lance Dewease became the second non-NST regular to win an NST race when he won at Susquehanna Speedway Park.

    So coming into Saturday, the PA Posse wanted to defend its home turf and continue the trend. NST regulars wanted to reclaim supremacy in their own races.

    Saturday night, Dewease won his second straight NST race.

    Whereas Dewease had to pass Jason Meyers late to win on Thursday, on Saturday no such drama was needed. Dewease started from pole, took the lead at the start and was never headed in a race that went caution-free until after the checkered flag fell on the winner. Dewease held on to beat Steve Kinser by 1.94 seconds. Kinser also finished second in the June NST Selinsgrove race.

    Rounding out the top-10 were points leader Danny Lasoski, Tim Kaeding, Jason Solwold, Mike Walter, Jeff Shepard, Jason Meyers, Lucas Wolfe and Paul McMahan.

    Dewease took home the $10,000 top prize by leading all 25 laps around the ½-mile track. In the five NST races he has run so far, Dewease has yet to finish lower than third.

    “We had a really good car,” Dewease said. “I was happy with the car all night. It’s all about keeping your momentum at this track.”

    The win was especially gratifying for Dewease because it was at Selinsgrove.

    “It feels really good,” he said. “This is one of the harder places for me to run. This is a tough place for me to race. The track is kind of a momentum deal. If you have a real good car, you can run all over the place. I knew the bottom was getting pretty good at the end, but that’s where all the lapped cars were.”

    Kaeding started second and initially gave chase before eventually falling to fourth.

    “We were just following (Dewease),” Kaeding said. “We tried to stay with him. I blistered both rear tires, and lost an inch and a half of stagger. I was just trying to run my own race. You just have to finish, and run top-five. You just have to grin and bear it.”

    Kinser got by his teammate for second and tried in vain to catch Dewease.

    “We were pretty good at the end,” said Kinser, who notched his eighth runner-up finish of the season. “The car was too tight at the start, and we got too far behind. When you don’t have any yellows, it’s hard to catch up. I was a little quicker than him at the end, but you never know. I knew I was running out of laps.”

    Kinser tipped his cap to Dewease and other members of the PA Posse.

    “They run here every week,” Kinser said. “They have a lot of good drivers, cars and fans here.”

    Lasoski wasn’t overly disappointed with his finish, as he got by Kaeding in the closing laps.

    “We had a third place car,” Lasoski said. “Dewease had us all covered.”

    At one point, Lasoski thought he might be able to get around Kinser.

    “Steve’s a great racer,” Lasoski said. “He saw where I was running, and moved to where I was at.”             

    Dewease didn’t want to let Kinser get close enough to have to change his line.

    “I ran it hard,” Dewease said. “You can’t let up when you have Steve Kinser and Tim Kaeding behind you. They’ll get by if you let up. The groove was up there pretty high, but I stayed in the middle. I’ve been so happy with my race car all week.”

Trophy dashes were won by Kaeding and Dewease, with Dewease choosing to start on the inside

pole for the main event.

    Heat races were won by Jason Sides, TJ Stutts, Todd Shaffer and Shepard. Jason Solwold was the fastest of 35 qualifiers with a time of 16.944 seconds, his sixth fast time of the year and second at Selinsgrove. The B-main was won by McMahan, who took the victory a night after a wreck at Eldora Speedway.

    The evening got off to a somber start when longtime car owner Lonnie Parsons was hit by a water truck while crossing into the infield. Parsons, 65, was hit shortly after 4 p.m. He was airlifted by helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa.

    Tim Shaffer, who started the year driving for Parsons but has been recovering from a June wreck, said Parsons suffered a cracked cheekbone and partially collapsed lung. Parsons also had cuts in his face and had bruises on his knee and back, Shaffer said.

    Dean Jacobs, who has been filling in for Shaffer, was amazed by how well Parsons was doing Saturday evening.

    “They did an MRI from head to toe, and nothing was wrong,” Jacobs said after his 13th place finish. “They might release him on Sunday. That’s a miracle. I saw the whole thing. It was just an accident. I thought he was gone.

    “It was really tough,” added Jacobs. “Then we got the news he was getting better, and it took off a heavy weight off my shoulders. I’ve known him for a long time. There’s not a better guy out here.”

    For Shaffer, the news Parsons could be release soon was icing on the cake.

    “We already had one miracle here,” he said.

    The National Sprint Tour concludes its swing through the Pennsylvania area Sunday at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Md. Following that, NST teams travel to Knoxville, Iowa for four days at the SuperClean Knoxville Nationals. The 46th annual Knoxville Nationals take place Saturday, Aug. 13. 

National Sprint Tour at Selinsgrove Speedway results

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Aug. 5, 2006

 

Qualifying Results   
Pos   First   Last   No.            Best Tm
1   JASON SOLWOLD R19          16.944
2   Lance DeWease 25              16.976
3   STEVE KINSER 11                17.004
4   Lucas Wolfe 5W                    17.051
5   Mike Walter 63                     17.069
6   KERRY  MADSEN 11H            17.086
7   PAUL  McMAHAN 20               17.088
8   TIM KAEDING 11K                17.092
9   DEAN JACOBS 6                   17.094
10   SHANE  STEWART 26           17.113
11   Todd Hestor 4                     17.116
12   Jeff Shepard 4J                   17.153
13   JASON MEYERS 14               17.173
14   BRIAN PAULUS 28               17.187
15   DANNY LASOSKI 83             17.253
16   Blane Heimbach 12C            17.256
17   Bob Bennett 3                     17.276
18   TJ Stutts 39                         17.277
19   Todd Shaffer 77                 17.322
20   Mark Coldren 07                  17.520
21   JASON SIDES 7S                  17.521
22   Craig Keel 9                         17.548
23   Joey Borich 7                       17.554
24   Justin Barger 32                   17.599
25   Alan Cole 35                        17.635
26   Johnny Mackison 65              17.637
27   Jim Nace 6N                         17.754
28   Ryan Bohlke 18                    17.769
29   Andy McKisson 0                   17.885
30   Lenny Krautheim 3K              17.887
31   Bob Beidleman 81                 18.085
32   Mike Kostic 40                      18.515
33   Larry Kelleher 76                  18.746
34   Duane Mausteller 21              18.933
35   Mark Whitebread 10              19.828

 

Heat One Finish

1  JASON SIDES, 7S
2  DEAN JACOBS, 6
3  JASON SOLWOLD, R19
4  JASON MEYERS, 14
5  Bob Bennett, 3
6  Mike Walter, 63
7  Andy McKisson, 0
8  Larry Kelleher, 76
9  Alan Cole, 35

 

Heat Two Finish

1  TJ Stutts, 39

2  Lance DeWease, 25

3  SHANE STEWART, 26

4  Craig Keel, 9

5  BRIAN PAULUS, 28

6  KERRY MADSEN, 11H

7  Lenny Krautheim, 3K

8  Johnny Mackison, 65

9  Duan Mausteller, 21 

 

Heat Three Finish

1  Todd Shaffer, 77

2  DANNY LASOSKI, 83

3  STEVE KINSER, 11

4  Todd Hestor, 4

5  Joey Borich, 7

6  PAUL McMAHAN, 20

7  Jim Nace, 6N

8  Bob Beidleman, 81

9  Mark Whitebread, 10

 

Heat Four Finish

1  Jeff Shepard, 4J

2  Blane Heimbach, 12

3  TIM KAEDING, 11K

4  Lucas Wolfe, 5W

5  Mark Coldren, 07

6  Ryan Bohlke, 18

7  Justin Barger, 32

8  Mike Kostic, 40

 

Dash One Finish

1  TIM KAEDING, 11K

2  STEVE KINSER, 11

3  JASON SOLWOLD, R19

4  SHANE STEWART, 26

5  Jeff Shepard, 4J

6  BRIAN PAULUS, 28

 

Dash Two Finish

1  Lance Dewease, 25

2  DANNY LASOSKI, 83

3  JASON MEYERS, 14

4  Lucas Wolfe, 5W

5  DEAN JACOBS, 6

6  Todd Hestor, 4

  

B-Main Finish

1  PAUL McMAHAN, 20

2  Mike Walter, 63

3  KERRY MADSEN, 11H

4  Justin Barger, 32

5  Jim Nace, 6N

6  Ryan Bohlke, 18

7  Johnny Mackison, 65

8  Lenny Krautheim, 3K

9  Bob Beidleman, 81

10  Andy McKisson, 0

11  Larry Kelleher, 76

12  Mike Kostic, 40

13  Duane Mausteller, 21

14  Alan Cole, 35

15  Mark Whitehead, 10

 

A-Feature Line-Up

25   -  11K

83   -  11

14   -  R19

5W  -  26

6     -  4J

4     -  28

63   -  11H

20   -  12

39   -  77

07   -  7S

0     -  7

32   -  3

 

A-Feature Finish

1  Lance DeWease, 25

2  STEVE KINSER, 11

3  DANNY LASOSKI, 83

4  TIM KAEDING, 11K

5  JASON SOLWOLD, R19

6  Mike Walter, 63

7  Jeff Shepard, 4J

8  JASON MEYERS, 14

9  Lucas Wolfe, 5W

10  PAUL McMAHAN, 20

11  JASON SIDES, 7S

12  Todd Shaffer, 77

13  DEAN JACOBS, 6

14  SHANE STEWART, 26

15  KERRY MADSEN, 11H

16  Blane Heimbach, 12C

17  TJ Stutts, 39

18  Craig Keel, 9

19  Joey Borich, 7

20  Justin Barger, 32

21  Mark Coldren, 07

22  Todd Hestor, 4

23  BRIAN PAULUS, 28

24  Bob Bennett, 3

 

Points as of Aug. 5, 2006

1  Danny Lasoski                 2122

2  Steve Kinser                     2077

3  Tim Kaeding                     2060

4  Jason Meyers                   1964

5  Jason Solwald                   1811

6  Paul McMahan                 1769

7  Jason Sides                       1764

8  Shane Stewart                   1551

9  Brian Paulus                      1476

10 Tim Shaffer                       1092

11 Kerry Madsen                 896

12 Lucas Wolfe                    902

13 Dean Jacobs                    553