Bristol Motor Speedway
Dickson earns $10,000 at Selinsgrove's Long Memorial
From track reports
SELINSGROVE, Pa. (Sept. 2) — Nick Dickson of Lewistown, Pa., topped a talented field to score a $10,000 victory in the fourth annual Selinsgrove Ford Paul Long Memorial at Selinsgrove Speedway.
The 63-lap victory was the second of Dickson’s five-year career in Late Models at the Snyder County oval. He won the Late Model Open at Selinsgrove on July 7.
Alan Sagi of Hagerstown, Md., rallied from his 22nd starting spot to finish second followed by Steve Campbell, Jim Yoder and Al Shawver Jr.
Delaware invader Ricky Elliott started outside the front row and powered into the lead at the start of the Late Model main. Elliott was chased by polesitter Dustin Hoffman and fourth-starting Jeff Rine.
The race’s first caution flag unfurled on lap seven when J.T. Spence stopped on the track, followed a lap later by a two-car collision involving Tony Adams and Chris Shuey.
When the race resumed, Elliott continued to set the pace. On the 17th circuit, Rine stopped in turn four with a flat tire while running third. On the 25th lap, Campbell and Rob Ornsbee collided, and the race was stopped for the first time for refueling. All three drivers were able to rejoin the race for the lap-26 restart.
At the halfway point, Elliott appeared to have the dominant race car, with the fifth-starting Dickson holding second and Sagi storming into third. Sixth-starting Scott Haus and Yoder also ran in the top five.
On a lap-34 restart, Dickson made a run for the lead on the outside of Elliott and made the winning pass on the backstretch. Elliott held off Sagi for second until lap 43, when Elliott stopped on the track with a flat tire. The restart saw Dickson leading Sagi, Haus, Yoder and Coleby Frye.
On the 50th lap, Rine, who had raced his way back into the top 10, was sidelined with mechanical problems. The race stopped for a second time on lap 51 for refueling. The final laps saw Sagi race in Dickson’s shadow. The final caution flag waved on lap 60 for a six-car melee in turn two.
Dickson went on to beat Sagi by less the a second at the checkered flag.
Notebook
Two-time race winner Jeff Rine of Danville, Pa., was the night’s fast qualifier with a lap averaging 93.71 mph. ..... Rine has clinches Selinsgrove's Late Model championship. ... On the undercard, Gary Beward of Thompsontown won his eighth pro stock feature of the season. ... Selinsgrove's final race of 2007 is scheduled for Sept. 8.
