6/4/2025
Selinsgrove Speedway
Friesen Tops Wild Super DIRTcar Series Debut at Selinsgrove; Moyer Scores First Career PASS Win
Written by Bert Wojcik
Keller's Auto Body PASS Write up by Frank Burhman
For the first time all season, the temperature was above the 80 degree mark and there was bountiful sunshine with no rain in the forecast. Just a picture perfect night for some Big Block Modifieds. The Beasts of the Northeast Super DIRTcar Series made their first trip ever to the Selinsgrove Speedway on Wednesday night for the second part of a mid-week double header for Super DIRT after Ringold, NJ's Ryan Godown picked up the win at Big Diamond on Tuesday night. History was made in both the Super DIRTcar Series and Keller’s Auto Body PA Sprint Series 305 sprint car feature as Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario’s Stewart Friesen picked up his 50th career SDS win, becoming the 6th driver to do so. Beaver Springs' Paul Moyer picked up his first ever Keller’s Auto Body PASS 305 feature win to cap off the night.
29 Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified signed in for the chance at the 75 lap feature paying $10,000 to win and a coveted guaranteed starting spot in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Oswego Speedway part of Super Dirt Week LII in October. By way of the redraw, a couple of familiar names in PA/NJ Modified racing headed the 26 car feature field as Neshanic Station, NJ's Ryan Krachun and Oley, PA's Louden Reimert brought the Snyder County Showdown to green. Reimert would get the initial lead as the field came off of turn 2 with three wide battling going on behind them. Friesen would waste little time making the trip from his 5th starting spot to second, taking a 2-for-1 deal getting by Middleberry, VT's Justin Stone and Krachun as the field crossed the line for the first time.
The first caution would come out on lap 10 for Tim Sears with a flat tire. On the restart, Reimert would get away from Friesen, but behind them, it was the "big one," as Godown and Savanna, NY's Matt Sheppard would come together around the flagstand. Sheppard would go head-on into the barrier, breaking the green light off the traffic light as Godown would begin a series of flips. Sheppard would get hit multiple times and flip also. Sears would be one of those getting into Sheppard, flipping and destroying his car, as well. In front of that, Darren Smith would flip into turn one. In all, 13 cars were involved, but the best news is that every driver walked away from their race cars. A hat tip to all of the safety personnel from both Selinsgrove Speedway and Super DIRTcar for their quick actions.
Under Super DIRTcar Rules, since there was a caution on the double file restart, the next restart would be single file until the next lap is complete, an advantage for Reimert to have no one alongside him as the green flag flew. Reimert would get the jump on Friesen. Friesen was right there, but could not find a way around until lap 18, where Friesen found the highside and hustled his way around Reimert. He would go on to lead the final 58 laps to score his third Super DIRTcar Series win of 2025. Current SDS Points Leader, Covington Township's Alex Yankowski, would work his way from 11th to second. Second in Points, St. Catherine, ON, Canada’s Mat Williamson, went 10th to 3rd. Canandaigua, NY's Alex Payne and, from 25th, Baldwinsville, NY's Jimmy Phelps, would round out the top 5 after hurting a transmission in the heat race and taking a provisional.
“This is my life,” Friesen said in High Caliber Cranes Victory Lane. “There’s so many great car owners over the years that gave me a shot, put me in their stuff, and took me down the road. I bounced around, and I was able to have really good people behind me. I finally got hooked up with Chris (Larsen) and the Halmar International Group, and the last 10 years we’ve been rolling really good."
“It feels really special, and whenever we can come to Sprint Car Country and get a big win, it’s even more special.”
French Grimes may not have realized it when he devised the RaceSaver sprint car rules package nearly 30 years ago, but Paul Moyer was the driver he had in mind for them.
Moyer, a hard-working guy who largely funds his own team and brings his car to the track on an open trailer, scored his first career win Wednesday night in the 20-lap River Valley Builders PA Sprint Series feature at Selinsgrove Speedway (where the division is sponsored by Keller's Auto Body).
A second-place finish in his heat race enabled Moyer to draw for his feature starting position, and he drew the pole. From there, the Beaver Springs resident in the Moyer's Home Improvement/Urban Edge Tattoo Care #1M out-dragged Christian Rumsey for the early lead and wired the field in a non-stop race that took less than seven minutes to complete.
His margin of victory was 1.385 seconds.
Rumsey, from Middletown, N.Y., fought off a challenge from Josh Spicer and held onto second. John Braim of Turbotville and Ken Duke Jr. of Selinsgrove both passed Spicer’s fading car late in the race to take third and fourth. Spicer, who had claimed his first win of the year last Sunday at Bedford Speedway, came home fifth.
Timmy Bittner (last weekend’s first-time PASS winner), Braeden Varner, Jeff Weaver, Mike Melair, and Dustin Young completed the top 10.
Moving up from 12th starting position, Bittner, from Beech Creek, claimed the Len Krautheim Auto Sales Hard Charger Award. PASS points leader Kruz Kepner also moved up six spots from farther back in the pack and finished 13th.
Heat races for the 20 River Valley Builders PASS sprinters on hand were won by Mike Alleman and Rumsey.
It took three tries to start the second heat race, but otherwise there were no caution flags for the entire PASS program.
Moyer began racing with PASS in 2021 and generally runs about 20 races a season. Wednesday was his 85th. Three years ago, he lost the lead on the last lap in a race at Path Valley Speedway, where both of his previous top-five finishes have taken place.
This year he has been alternating between racing his own car and the Lucas Racing #90, which was driven by Make Walter Sr. Wednesday. Driving his own car, he had been moving toward more solid finishes, coming home 14th and 12th in the last two races.
Wednesday’s BrokersRealty.com Award, $100 to a randomly chosen driver, went to Erin Statler of Carlisle. Kahlee, the fan who chose Statler’s starting position for the award, also received a prize package.
Thanks in large part to a major accident during the Super DIRTcar feature race, the PASS feature didn’t begin until after 11:00 p.m, but a good crowd remained on hand to watch the race on a much-welcomed warm night.
Selinsgrove Speedway has a quick turnaround as we will be back in action Friday, June 6th for the return of the Kramer Cup for the United Racing Club 360 Sprint Cars, featuring the beautiful pink trophy by The Podium Awards and painted by Keller’s Auto Body. The URC feature will pay $3,073 to win. The 410 Sprint Cars make their second trip to Selinsgrove in a $5,073 to win feature. There is a $2500 bonus for anyone who can sweep both winged features during the Kramer Cup. There are also bonuses for the top 3 drivers who pull double duty tomorrow night with the best average finish between the URC feature and 410 feature. The IMT USAC East Coast Wingless 360’s will make their season debut at Selinsgrove, as well, for a $1,573 to win event.
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Submitted By: Jenna Mowery
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