Hilfiger Wins 602 Crate Short Track Super Series Icebreaker at Selinsgrove Speedway & Pit Notes

The Short Track Super Series held 602 crate race # 2 the “Icebreaker” at Selinsgrove Speedway with 58 crates on a track that has not raced 602 crates since 2018.

Grant Hilfiger led the 25 lap feature from green to checkered flag to take the win over second place John Stevenson with a margin of victory of over 3 seconds and his first trip to victory lane in 2021.  The feature was run with only two short caution flags.

The top ten was rounded out by Grant Hilfiger, John Stevenson, Jared LaBagh, Matt Janczuk, Joe Toth, Justin Grosso, A-Jay Potrzebowski Jr., Michael White, Corey Cormier and Ryan Simmons.

Heat winners were Jared LaBagh, Grand Hilfinger, Joe Toth, Corey Cromier, Michael White and Stephen Kemery.  All heat winners were from a front row starting position except Joe Toth who started 6^th on the grid.

Last chance consolations were won by Scott Hitchens, Joey Bruning and Addison Bowmen who all started from the front row.

Short Track Super Series Crate 602 Sportsman South Region Round No. 2 Icebreaker at Selinsgrove Speedway – Feature Finish (25 laps) 3/20/21:

1.)GRANT HILFIGER, 2. John Stevenson, 3. Jared LaBagh, 4. Matt Janczuk, 5. Joe Toth, 6. Justin Grosso, 7. A-Jay Potrzebowski Jr., 8. Michael White, 9. Corey Cormier, 10. Ryan Simmons, 11. Bobby Flood, 12. Tanner Van Doren, 13. Joey Bruning, 14. Adam White, 15. Dakota Kohler, 16. Sammy Martz Jr., 17. Doug Snyder, 18. Payton Talbot, 19 Rick Wegner Jr., 20. Logan Watt, 21. Walt Hammond, 22. Joel Smith, 23. Scott Hitchens, 24. Addison Bowman, 25. Stephen Kemery, 26. Jimmy Leiby, 27. Michael Schane, 28. Walter J. Hammond, 29. Michael Ballestero, 30. Sean Metz.

Did Not Qualify:

Jesse Leiby, Josh Allen, Tim Hartman Jr., Jim Dallett, Anthony Tramontana, Doug Kline, Kenny Bock, Kevin Brady, Ryan Godown, Ryan Grim, Ryan Shanahan, Emmett Waldron, Cody Manmiller, Robby Dunn, Daniel Morgiewicz, Bryce Bailey, Scott Kohler, Shawn McPhee, Nick Plumstead, Matt Irwin, Kris Nye, Adam Taft, Sean Weiss, Zack Sam, Mark Benson, Randy Geake, Jason Reome, Robert Butcher.

Pit Notes – 602 Crate Sportsmen at Selinsgrove Speedway

Grant Hilfiger opened his 2021 racing season in grand fashion with a heat race win, redraw of the pole position and led the feature from green to checkered flag for his second STSS 602 crate win.

John Stevenson picked up his best STSS finish of his career with his 2^nd place finish which was also a green to checkered flag run.  The Delaware International Speedway regular had ventured into Pennsylvania for the first time and was pleased with the outcome. John noted “When we have a good draw it usually rains but today it didn’t and it paid off for us.  This track is a lot like Georgetown and our car was good and I just keep it straight all day.  I was racing the track and didn’t worry about what the other guys were doing,”

Jared LaBagh made a last minute decision late on Thursday to travel from New York State to attend the 2^nd STSS South region event and was able to land a 3^rd place finish.

Justin Grosso had a good car, good draw and good redraw for the second week in a row and finished a solid 6^th place in the 25 lap feature event.  Justin still runs the 2014 Bicknell he inherited from his brother Brandon.  Justin posted his second 6^th place finish of the young 2021 season and is looking to maintain consistent top 5 and top 10 finishes all year long.  Grosso started to find consistent speed and success at the end of 2020 with two late season wins one of which was his first STSS 602 crate win and he finished 8^th in the 2020 STSS crate point standings.  Grosso currently sits 5^th in STSS points only 20 points behind points leader Ajay Potrzebowski Jr.

Joe Toth ran a solid 5^th place and and passed some cars along the way from his 9^th place starting position.  Not many crates did much passing on the single bottom groove race track but Joe did.  Joe also won his heat race from a 6^th starting position on the grid.  Toth added his 5^th place finish to a 4^th place finish at Georgetown and sits tied for 2^nd only 7 points behind the point leader.  The Georgetown points champion is looking to go two for one and win the Georgetown point championship and STSS point championship at the same time as several races at Georgetown overlap and count for points towards both championships.

Matt Janczuk had a good car all day with qualifying 3^rd in his heat race from an 8^th starting position and then finished 4^th in the feature from a 13^th starting position on a difficult track to pass on.   Janczuk added his 4^th place finish to a 5^th place finish last week at Georgetown to fall into a second place tie in season points with Joe Toth.

Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. made another strong run for a 7^th place feature finish after starting from the 16^th position on the grid.  His 7^th place finish together with last week’s win at Georgetown puts him at the top of the points standing with a 7 point led over Toth and Janczuk who are tied for 2^nd in the points standing.

Payton Talbot got off to a good start this season with a 3^rd place finish at Georgetown and came into Selinsgrove looking to add to his points.  Talbot just missed qualifying in the heat by one position.  In the last chance consolation Talbot started in 3^rd position only to fall to 6^th and DNQ for the feature.  Talbot had to exercise a provisional starting position and started in the 28^th position and drove forward 10 positions for an 18^th starting position which was able to keep him in 6^th place only 26 points behind the point leader A-Jay Potrzebowski Jr.

Scott Hitchens is the defending South Region 2020 Crate Champion.  Hitchens missed qualifying in the heat by one position and qualified by winning his last chance consolation.  Hitchens finished 23^rd this week and 21^st last week in the feature at Georgetown and looking to find his way back to the front.

Last year’s second place point finisher was 7 time STSS feature winner Tim Hartman Jr. Hartman missed qualifying by 2 positions in the heat and last chance consolation.

Hitchens and Hartman were the two most dominate cars in the class last year and yet this year neither has finished in the top 20 in a feature.  With an average of 67 crates per race so far the competition level has escalated dramatically this season. But with ten wins between the two of them something tells we will soon be hearing from Hitchens and Hartman in the front of the field.

Adam White missed qualifying in both the heats and consolation by two positions.  Adam also used a provisional and was able to finish 14^th from a 29^th starting position on the grid.

Stephen Kemery had throttle linkage issue and had to pull off on lap 17 causing a rare DNF for the Bridgeport 2020 Crate champion.

Anthony Tramontana can’t catch a break this season.  While leading his heat race and with the caution was just coming out Tramontana lost a tire and the lead on lap 5.  Tramontana returned for the last chance consolation and moved from 10^th to 6^th and was another hard luck DNQ.  Tramontana has found speed and when he finds his luck he will be fast this year and someone who will be contending for his first STSS win.

Sammy Martz Jr. qualified in the last chance consolation to rebounded from a DNQ last week at Georgetown.  Sammy suffered only his 3^rd DNQ in 3 years of racing and he races every week and twice a week during the summer months.  Sammy is another South region locals who will be looking for his first Short Track Super Series win this season.

In only his second crate race Logan Watt qualified for his first STSS crate feature event.  Logan finished a solid 20^th in his first crate start of his career.

STSS 602 Crate Top 10 Points Standings As of 3/23/21

1. AJay Potrzebowski Jr 172
2. Matt Janczuk                  165
3. Joe Toth                          165
4. Corey Cormier                160
5. Justin Grosso                  152
6. Payton Talbot               136
7. John Stevenson            120
8. Jared Labagh                   115
9. Adam White                    112
10. Joe Bruning                     112

The Short Track Super Series next stop is at Delaware International Raceway in Delmar, DE for the Diamond State 50 on Tuesday April 27^th.