9/14/2025
Selinsgrove Speedway
Macri Captures Fourth National Open in Nace Memorial, Snook Continues LLM Domination
Written by Bert Wojcik
It’s been 15 years since we lost the only 5 time High Caliber Cranes 410 Sprint Car Champion, Jim Nace. On Sunday Night, the Selinsgrove Speedway honored him the best way the could, by making the 41st running of the Jim Nace Memorial National Open not just a race, but an event. With a pig roast, local band Raising Kane playing a pre-race concert, and nearly $50,000 in total money on the line, it was well worth the year layoff from the National Open. When it came down to it, just like Jim would time and time again, the best car won as Dillsburg’s Anthony Macri picked up his 4th Jim Nace Memorial National Open presented by BSC Mechanical on Sunday night, tying the late Greg Hodnett for 2nd most all time National Open Wins. Meanwhile, same song and different verse as Port Royal’s Lane Snook took home his 5th Creekside Auto Sales Limited Late Model feature win presented by Mike's Towing and Recovery at Selinsgrove.
26 High Caliber Cranes 410 Sprint cars signed in to go after the $15,626 winner's share. Jonestown’s Brock Zearfoss would draw the pole and get a $226 bonus pole award from Colin, Mary, and Paula in honor of their father and grandfather, Al Shultz. Fayetteville’s Lance Dewease would make his return to the Selinsgrove Speedway on the outside pole. Zearfoss would take the lead away from Dewease and would lead the early stages of the 40 lap feature event. Zearfoss would pull a big slider on Curt Stroup while lapping him and nearly make contact but at that point his lead was large enough where it didn’t affect him. Macri would try to get around Dewease. He pulled the slider on Dewase and would get around him for second and have to chase down a 4 second lead that Zearfoss had accumulated. Gettysburg’s Danny Dietrich would close in on Dewease for the third spot and in a rare instance, Lance Dewease spun up in turn four when he got a little too high and the car came out from underneath him to bring out the first caution of the race with 14 laps completed, 6 laps away from the halfway break.
On the restart, Macri looked low on Zearfoss into one and two. Zearfoss would shut the door off of two. In three and four, Macri drove around him to take the lead with 16 laps completed. Macri would start to pull away from Zearfoss and the field as he took the field to the halfway break at lap 20. Crews had 6 minutes to do any work on their cars except change a tire.
Dietrich on the restart would get a tremendous run on Zearfoss and pull the slider to take the second spot away. Behind them, it was a slapping contest between York’s Chase Dietz, Hanover’s Troy Wagaman Jr., and Mechanicsburg’s Lucas Wolfe. Dietz would win the three car fight for the fourth spot. Deitz and Zearfoss were the only ones up on the high side while guys were checking out the bottom in turns three and four. Just as Dietrich would take 5 tenths off of Macri’s lead, Wagaman Jr would lose the right rear and his night would come to a close.
Restart would come with inside 12 laps remaining. Dietrich would try the same move he pulled on Zearfoss to get side by side with Macri, knowing it would be one of his only chances as passing Macri while hitting lap traffic late in the race would be a tough feat. Macri was ready for it and stuck to his line in turn 1 and 2 to hold off the charge from Dietrich and use the clean air to his advantage to extend his lead. Macri would get into lap traffic with 3 laps remaining, but it was too little too late for Dietrich as Macri would win his 8th career High Caliber Cranes 410 Sprint Car feature, his first of the year at Selinsgrove. Dietrich would extend his points lead with a second place run. Zearfoss, Medford, NJ's Justin Whittall, and Dietz would round out the top 5.
“To be able to tie Greg Hodnett with four National Opens is pretty special,” Macri said in High Caliber Cranes Victory Lane. “I knew my shot was on the restart with Brock to get around him. I took advantage of him giving me the line in three and four. After the way the night started I didn’t think it was gonna go this way.”
“He got an extra car on me than what I wanted on the restart,” Dietrich said. “When you get within 12 to 15 cars of someone on a big track and the tires are worn out. If we would have stayed green the last 20 there, it would have given me a chance to keep up with Macri, but it's another thing to pass him."
“I just couldn't get going on the restart,” Zearfoss said. “Obviously you don't want to start on the pole and go backwards. But we made the most out of tonight. The track reminded me of 2013/2014, pounding the wall down and things are paying off for the crew here at Selinsgrove.”
14 Creekside Auto Sales Limited Late Models presented by Mike's Towing and Recovery signed in. Middleburg’s Andrew Yoder and York Haven’s Zach Kauffman would bring the field to the green. Yoder and Kauffman would battle on the start. As Snook closed in on the fight, Yoder and Kauffman would make contact, sending Kauffman around and bringing out the yellow.
Yoder would take the bottom away from Snook to hold onto the lead. Snook went to test the waters in the middle of the track. He found something in the middle of one and two, but not much in three and four. Snook would come back around in the middle and drag race with Yoder into three and take the lead away. He pushed up again but not enough that Yoder could capitalize on it with 16 laps remaining. Tower City’s Shawn Miller would take advantage of Yoder missing the bottom and get the run to take away the second spot while Snook was driving away with the feature, as he has so many times this year. The lead would be diminished as the caution would come out for the 4 of John Moser spinning.
On the restart, Miller would take his best chance to get around Snook. He would have the lead momentarily, but Snook was better and used his middle line to get around and pull away from Miller. That was all she wrote as “Juice Box” Lane Snook would win his 5th Creekside Auto Sales Limited Late Model Feature presented by Mike's Towing and Recovery. Miller, Yoder, Mechanicsburg’s Daulton Bigler, and Selinsgrove’s Tyson Mowery rounded out the top 5.
“It's a good problem to have when it's repetitive like this,” Snook said in High Caliber Cranes Victory Lane. “I figured I’d move up to get around Andrew and found something in the middle. Shaun slipped me on the restart. The car was great center off and the sticks started to get bigger and bigger.”
Selinsgrove Speedway is back in action this Friday, September 19th for the return of the Selinsgrove 360 National Open with the United Racing Club 360 Sprint cars in a 360/358 Challenge paying $3500 to win. The Selinsgrove Ford Super Late Models will be in action in Twin 20 Lap features, each paying $3000 to win. The Keller's Auto Body PA Sprint Series 305’s will be on hand for their penultimate race at Selinsgrove in 2025. Friday will also be Back-To-School Night where all teachers and students will receive free GA with valid ID.
Log onto www.raceselinsgrove.com for all updated news and points, as well as results.
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Submitted By: Jenna Mowery
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