Selinsgrove Speedway was on pace to wrap up a fine program with record-setting efficiency Saturday night, when things went unfortunately and wickedly awry.

A.J. Hoffman had wrapped up the pro stocks around 9 p.m., and Lenny Krautheim had taken the 358 sprint feature as the late models toured the track with lightning in the skies just after 10.

At first there was no rain. The late models thundered toward the stripe to complete lap 13. A split second later, there was a monsoon.

The late models skated into the first corner and the entire field wiped out into each other and the wall. Just that quick, it went from dry to drenching, and there was nothing anyone could do except stare in disbelief. Then the entire facility went pitch dark, presumably due to a lightning strike, as emergency personnel tried to respond to the accident scene on the slimy clay in pouring rain.

Along with a fogged-out All-Star sprint show I witnessed at Port Royal in the 1990s, it was the weirdest thing I've ever seen. And it was no one's fault.

While extremely unfortunate, the situation and crash produced by the amazingly sudden downburst of rain was beyond anyone's control. Just imagine if every race was stopped as soon as there was lightning visible in the sky. Half the shows in a season would never get completed.

After being scored the leader of the 13th lap as rains hit, but at a distance that made the race official, Bobby Croop was denied the late model victory due to an early race scoring error.

Again unfortunately, a track communications radio failed and didn't allow a corner official to advise race directors that Croop was involved in a first-lap crash, which would have sent him to the rear for the restart instead of his original starting position. Upon noting the error post-race, officials declared Jeff Rine the late model victor. Roadrunners were rained out.

Attempts to gain information from track officials Sunday regarding reported injuries from lightning and the late model crash Saturday at the track were unsuccessful.

KRAUTHEIM'S KARMA: Before the Selinsgrove races Saturday, Len Krautheim said he had been invited to a party for the day and night and he really didn't know why he didn't attend, because he and his team said when the season started that they were not going to run every race this year.

"And yet here we are," he said, "midseason and we've only missed two shows and I can race again next week and the week after that, so why didn't I go?" he questioned.

I'm betting now he's not sorry he didn't choose to miss his third race of the year. Anyone believe in fate?

WINNERS: Danny Dietrich won the 358 sprint special at Port Royal on Saturday night, while Waylon Wagner won late models and Tim Krape took pro stocks.

Jeff Rohrbaugh won his fourth 358 sprint main in a row Friday night at Trailway. Ryan Bohlke scored his first career 410 sprint win anywhere at Williams Grove on Friday, holding off Donnie Kreitz, while Pat Cannon won his fourth 358 main of the Grove season.

SPEEDWEEK UNDER WAY: Doug Esh led all 30 laps at Lincoln Speedway to kick off the 18th annual Pennsylvania Speedweek 410 sprint series Saturday night after a nearly four-hour rain delay. The series moved to Bedford Speedway last night before hitting Grandview on Tuesday, Hagerstown on Wednesday, Port Royal on Thursday, Williams Grove on Friday, Port Royal on Saturday, and Selinsgrove on Sunday for the finale.