Selinsgrove Speedway
Covert breaks, Rine rules at Paul Long Memorial
From track reports
Rine celebrates his third Paul Long Memorial win. (www.pbase.com/cyberslash)
SELINSGROVE, Pa. (Aug. 31) – Jeff Rine of Danville, Pa., turned in a dominating performance for his third career victory in the Selinsgrove Ford Paul Long Memorial at Selinsgrove Speedway. Rine collected $10,000 for winning the fifth annual tribute to the former two-time Late Model track champion. The win marked Rine’s fifth of the season and clinched his fourth track championship. | Slideshow
Polesitter Jason Covert powered into the early lead with Rine moving up for an exciting wheel-to-wheel show as Covert worked the high groove and Rine worked the bottom. A race for third also unfolded between third-starting Jim Yoder and fourth-starting D.J. Myers, the night's fast qualifier. By lap 10, 15th-starting Gary Stuhler, a former race winner, advanced to fifth and became a threat.
Things turned Rine's way on the 12th lap when Covert broke a driveshaft, scattering debris on the frontstretch. Rine inherited the lead, with Yoder, Stuhler, Myers, and sixth-starting Bryan Bernheisel in the top five. Myers passed Stuhler for third on the 22nd lap, only to hit the frontstretch wall on the 24th circuit and roll to a stop in turn one. While pacing under caution, the race was stopped for the teams to refuel the cars. When the race resumed, Rine continued his impressive run at the front of the pack.
Despite several caution flag periods, Rine was able to stretch his lead on the ensuing restarts. Meanwhile, the race for second kept everyone’s attention as Stuhler made every effort to pass Yoder. Donnie Schick, who started 12th, horsepowered his way into the top five with 15 laps remaining and passed Bernheisel for fourth on the 38th lap.
But Rine pulled away up front and at the checkered flag, he was 6.7 seconds ahead of Yoder with Stuhler, Schick, and Bernheisel rounding out the top five.
Notes: Rine's No. 2J is sponsored by Jeff’s Auto Body & Recycling Center. ... Only 11 of 25 starters were running at the finish. ... Ray Evernham, NASCAR team owner and former Jeff Gordon crew chief, made a special appearance and competed in the speedSTRs events. ... While Rine has wrapped up the Late Model title, the final points night is scheduled for Sept. 6 at Selinsgrove.
Paul Long Memorial: (1) Jeff Rine, (2) Jim Yoder, (3) Gary Stuhler, (4) Donnie Shick, (5) Bryan Bernheisel, (6) Jeff Smith, (7) J.T. Spence, (8) Dylan Yoder, (9) Al Shawver Jr., (10) Tony Adams, (11) Tim Wilson, (12) Chris Shuey, (13) Jim Bernheisel, (14) Steve Campbell, (15) Nathan Durboraw, (16) Scott Haus, (17) Wayne Johnson, (18) Brett Schadel, (19) Nate Kerstetter, (20) Scott LeBarron, (21) D.J. Myers, (22) Kenny Trevitz, (23) Bo Feathers, (24) Jason Covert, (25) Jack Pencil. Fast qualifier (among 38 cars): Myers, 20.394 seconds. Heat race winners: Stuhler, LeBarron, Rine, Covert. Consolation winner: J. Bernheisel.
