After seven weeks of inactivity, racers and fans were ready to get back to the business of racing as more than 100 cars pulled through the pit gate Saturday night. The six-division program saw a number of new competitors in each division with two divisions experiencing their highest car counts of the year.
The action started with the Q Auto & Injury Medical Malpractice Attorneys Mini Sprints and their 15-lap main. After Brad Sutton held the early lead, heat winner Ty Nevins moved to the top spot and began to pull away from the field. It was Nevins’ first appearance at the track as the young racer made the tow from his home on the east coast of Florida. Easton Lebo captured a heat win in just his second appearance at the track this season.
Austin Martin made his fourth stop in victory lane in as many appearances, winning the 15-lap Mod Lite feature. Martin was shadowed by heat winner Alex Cline, but kept Cline at bay from start to finish. Jeff Wolfe and Bo Bass claimed the additional preliminaries.
The 30-lap 604 Late Model main saw plenty of excitement throughout as early leader Jimmy Waldrop saw his advantage disappear at the hands of Daniel Woody. Spirited racing throughout the top five kept things interesting as cautions appeared with fewer than 10 laps remaining. On lap 24, Jeff Mathews found a rough spot in turn four that sent his car careening into Woody, but a caution flag put Woody back up front. It would not last as Mathews moved by to claim the win. Doug Horton and Jesse Brown were best in the heat races.
A resurgence in V-8 Warriors saw one of the highest car counts of the season with Michael Hart and Jason Burnside opening the night’s action by capturing the heats. Raymond Vann had the early lead, but Michael Hart was on a mission in pursuit of his first win of the year. Hart was able to get the job done and claim the victory.
Gladiators topped the night’s car count sweepstakes with 25 cars. Three heat races were needed with Charles Paris Jr., Rodney Martin and D.J. Taylor coming out as winners. Paris would double down, taking his fifth feature win of the year.
The final feature event saw the action of the Gagel’s Open Wheel Modifieds. Bryan Bernhardt vaulted into the lead on a lap 7 restart and kept Jeff Mathews and the rest of the field in hot pursuit. The win marked Bernhardt’s second feature of the year. Bernhardt and Mathews were heat winners.
Racing continues on August 14 with the non-wing action in the Top Gun Sprint series, along with 602 Late Models, Q Micro Sprints, Street Stocks and Gladiators.
Q AUTO & INJURY ATTORNEYS MINI SPRINTS
Feature: Ty Nevins (33), Brad Sutton (9), Doug Dyal (97D), Easton Lebo (101E), Bryce Comer (21), Cody Bryson (41), David Hall (67), Jo Jo Davis (21W), Charles Landis (12), Cale Rives (18R), Bailee Spitulski (29P), Brice Comer (9c), Josh Davis (7s), Jesse Hall (98). DNS – Dennis Sanchez (11).
MOD LITES
Feature: Austin Martin (97), Alex Cline (07c), Jeff Bonnema (5B), Frank Winewski (16), Jeff Wolfe (83), Anthony Stewart (33), Dylan Dunn (22), Terry Joiner (6), Rocky Scott (4), Brodrick Kennedy (24), Will Breland (48), Billy Breland (23A), Bill Pennington (28P), J.T. Joiner (6J), Cody Benoit (5x), Bo Bass (41B), David Rodriguez (69). DNS – Steve Diamond (7X)
604 Late Models
Feature: Jeff Mathews (33), Daniel Woody (29), Philip Cobb (03), John Norris (87), Brenden Smith (17ss), Doug Horton (46), Shan Smith (32), Cole Crawford (4), Jon Basquin (16), Mark Fleischer (18B), Jimmy Waldrop (9), Jesse Brown (7JR), Thomas Burnside (13), Jimmy Wagner (17W), Matt Herlong (131)
V-8 WARRIORS
Feature: Michael Hart (99), Raymond Vann (1), George Handy (105), Jason Burnside (12J), Nick Brown (12), Miguel Powell (14P), James Hall (87), Randy Shields (49), William Morgan (24), Cody Mezyk (40), Daniel Bowman (46), Macy Bozeman (58), Jimmie Guidry (49), Jeremy Simpson (X), Dave White (3). DQ – Gary Lucas (106)
GLADIATORS
Feature: Charles Paris Jr. (03T), Rodney Martin (21), Daniel Bowman (46), Robert Kissam (911), Brittany Hart (99), Wayne Kissam (07), Derrick Edwards (17), Thomas Adams (T2), Patrick Fiore (88), Davey Martin (55), Joshua Gennarie (93P), Rick Rutledge (4), Daniel Casey (3D), Callie Gubich (513), David Wood (31), James Prochaska (3), Trevor Appling (07A), Shan Harden Brook (727), Patrick Tabb (03), Timmy Simmons (111), Ricky Rutledge Jr. (124), D.J. Taylor (00), Hunter Lovelady (68). DNS – Kyle Kruse (1K), Jerry Moore (70)
GAGEL’S MODIFIEDS
Feature: Bryan Bernhardt (B69), Jeff Mathews (33), Garret Stewart (67), Tim McLeod (192), Roger Crouse (15), Scott Bane (23B), Rick Fenical (74), Pat Passanise (333), Austin Sanders (64), Cam Canova (6), Chris Bailey (77B)