By Shawn Brouse
SELINSGROVE — Trevor Lewis won the 29th annual Jack Gunn Memorial in a photo finish early Sunday morning at Selinsgrove Speedway, taking $3,500 for the breathtaking 30-lap victory.
For the fourth year in a row, the Gunn Memorial was a United Racing Company Challenge event, between the track’s weekly 358-powered sprints and the 360 horses of the URC. Jack Gunn formerly promoted the speedway to worldwide prominence along with other area ovals.
Lewis started the night by posting fast time over a monstrous field of 54 cars with a lap of 18.145 seconds before going to the post fourth in the field. He then stuffed his No. 21 to the outside on the initial start of the main to make a three wide pass of both front-row starters, Blane Heimbach and Rory Janney, only to see a red flag negate the move.
The red was for a three-car pileup in the middle of turns three and four that collected URC powerhouse Curt Michael, Chris Coyle and Colby Womer.
The ensuing restart saw another red unfurl, this time for the cars of Scott Flammer, Bryn Gohn and Kyle Purks in the second turn. In fact, two more red flags marred the event, on laps two and 14.
Selinsgrove’s Matt Heimbach was the victim on the second circuit while Jason Shultz and Steve Buckwalter collided in the fourth corner for the final stoppage of the night.
When the first lap was finally completed, polesitter and defending event winner Blane Heimbach of Selinsgrove was scored the leader with Lewis breathing down his neck to take the lead as lap two was scored.
But motoring into contention quickly was Pat Cannon, who started sixth and took over the second spot on just the fourth lap.
Lewis was clearly the favorite on open track but when the leaders entered lapped traffic for the first time with 10 away, Cannon quickly closed the gap before the final red.
The new green gave new life to Lewis, who streaked away on the restart as the race entered its second half. Again traffic came into play as the leaders began working the rear of the field with six laps to go, at which time Cannon again closed a substantial gap between he and Lewis.
As the white flag waved, Cannon streaked underneath Lewis for the lead in the first corner as the pair split a lapped car with Lewis racing dangerously near the outside guardrail.
Cannon then raced down the backstretch with the lead as Lewis grouped for a final push to the checkers.
Push he did as lapped traffic again came into play in the fourth corner and Lewis blasted around the top of the speedway with Cannon to his inside.
Coming out of the fourth turn, Lewis was able to push his black and orange racer to Cannon’s outside as the pair took the checkers, ending in a photo finish that officials had to verify with electronic scoring systems. It ended up to be a .076 second margin of victory for Lewis.
“Wow! Those last few laps were filled with lapped cars,” said an out-of-breath Lewis. “The cars were in there and it was thick and those lapped cars came back to haunt him (Cannon.)
“Cannon got a heck of a run off of two on me and you just can’t give up on these things,” Lewis said. “I thought, ‘you just can’t mess this up in three and four.’ What a race.”
Following the front duo across the line was Blane Heimbach, Rory Janney, Estell, N.J.; and Nate Snyder, Halifax.
Sixth through 10th went to Josh Weller, Mertztown; Coyle, Wilmington, Del.; Andy Best, Dover, Del.; Nick Schlauch, Churchville; and Kramer Williamson, Palmyra.
Five sprint heats went to Cannon, Flammer, Matt Heimbach, Coyle and Phil Walter. Twin C Mains were won by Michael Carber and Ryan Kissinger while T.J. Stutts took the B Main.
Chad Davis started 11th and passed leader A.J. Hoffman on the 13th circuit to pick up his second pro stock victory of the season.
Hoffman finished second followed by Jason Smith, John Boose and Matt Johnson.
