By: Todd Heintzelman

SELINSGROVE – Daryn Pittman won the battle, but Greg Hodnett won the war.

Pittman, of Owasso, Okla., took the lead back from Lance Dewease with three laps to go and went on to win the Jan Opperman Memorial at Selinsgrove Speedway on Sunday night.

Hodnett’s fourth place finish was enough to secure his second straight Pennsylvania Sprint Car Speedweek title in the Jim and Sandy Kline sprinter by 35 points over Pittman. It was Hodnett’s third career title with the other coming in 2002.

As it did during Keystone Cup in May, a late-race pass netted Pittman the win. “We aren’t dead until the checkered flag falls, that’s what I keep telling myself,” Pittman said. “We keep plugging away until the end of the race. Hats off to this whole team. We got off to a slow start, but we picked it up as the week went on.”

Fayetteville’s Lance Dewease started on the pole and drove into the lead at the start. Pittman dove under Dewease in turn one to take the lead on the second lap.

The first caution of the event flew on lap two when Phil Walter stopped with a flat tire after contact with Hodnett on the backstretch.

Dewease tried to take the lead in turn three, but couldn’t hold the move and remained second. Fred Rahmer drove by Brent Marks and into fourth. Hodnett was racing seventh after starting 10th.

As Pittman reached lapped traffic, Mark Smith drove by Hodnett.

The red flag was displayed on lap 11 for Blane Heimbach, who was running third. The rear axle broke sending him into the wall and a small fire erupted. He was not seriously injured.

Dewease would take the lead back from Pittman on the restart. Hodnett was moving forward on the restart as well. He moved by three cars and was up to fourth.

Dewease was racing around slower cars with 10 laps to go as Pittman made contact with the outside wall in turn four.

Pittman slipped back a little and Rahmer got within striking distance. Pittman gathered himself back together and closed on Dewease again. Dewease was trying to pass lapped cars, but was struggling with one lane around the bottom of the racetrack.

This was the break Pittman needed as he charged off the outside of turn four and into the lead with three laps to go. Dewease tried to take the lead back in turn two, but Pittman would lead lap 28. Dewease stayed right there as Hodnett challenged Rahmer for third.

Pittman would become the first repeat winner of Speedweek by 0.442 over Dewease. Rahmer held back Hodnett for third. Todd Shaffer finished fifth.

Danny Dietrich, Brent Marks, Rick Lafferty, Mark Smith and Doug Esh completed the top 10.

Final Speedweek Points
Greg Hodnett 1122
Daryn Pittman 1087
Lance Dewease 951
Mark Smith 908
Alan Krimes 887
Fred Rahmer 870
Chad Layton 750
Danny Dietrich 706
Brent Marks 566
Stevie Smith 559

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