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Gio Scelzi Dominates Gas City FAST Winged Sprints

California's Giovanni Scelzi won from 14th starting spot at Gas City Speedway one year ago. So last night's 30 lapper, starting from 6th, had to have his confidence very high. After setting fast time in his group, he won his heat race from fourth. After redrawing the 6, Scelzi tracked early leader T.J. Michael, passed for the lead, and checked out.

The eveing began with 22 sprint cars and drivers from 7 states signed in for competition. FAST and Gas City officials were pleased with the turnout after the Saturday portion of the doubleheader weekend was canceled on Thursday. Montpelier Motor Speedway owner / promoter Harold Hunter, suffering from health issues, closed his race track for the weekend.

The 22 cars were divided into 3 heat race groups. Scelzi set fast time in group one and fast time overall at 10.413. Kody Kinser paced group 2 with a 10.757 and Brandon Wimmer topped group 3 with a 10.650. Scelzi, Andy Bishop and Max Stambaugh won the three heats. A scary moment for Bishop in his heat. As he took the checkered flag, it appeared he had hand grenaded the engine. Fortunately, only a plug on the oil pump had disembarked from the Jeff Davis owned 33.

The main event was called to the grid shortly before 9 pm. Texas native T.J. Michael would lead the field to green with series point leader Cole Duncan alongside. Illinois driver Andy Bishop occupied row 2 with tour regular Jordan Harble. Stambaugh would go from row 3 with Scelzi. At the drop of the green, Michael got the quick lead, but the heavy Gas City surface found Harble bicycling in turn 4. He saved it, but his right front was clipped by another car, dumping him on his head. He climbed out unhurt, but done for the event.

A complete restart found Michael again grabbing the early lead from Duncan. But Scelzi had advanced a row in the Harble misfortune, and was now 3rd on the opening lap. In just a couple of laps, he had slipped past Duncan for the runner-up spot, then worked past Michael for the lead. At this point, Scelzi began to check out, but heavy traffic would change everything. Michael and Duncan began to close the distance, then, Kody Kinser, Lee Jacobs, and Brandon Wimmer joined that runner-up pair, and no less than 5 cars waged an epic battle on the hallowed grounds that IS Gas City Speedway.

You could have "thrown a blanket" over the 5 car battle for the runner-up spot, when a pair of lapped cars came into play. One of the slower cars tried to stay low and leave a lane open for the faster cars, but Brandon Wimmer saw an opening and a shot at glory and tried to shoot the gap going into turn one. Contact was made, sending Wimmer and Noah Dunlap on a scary series a tumbles. Both emerged unhurt, bringing out the race's second and final red flag.

This set up a 5 lap shootout, with Duncan and Kody Kinser on the rear bumper of Scelzi. But Scelzi was up to the task and motored away to the win with Duncan, Kinser, T.J. Michael and Tyler Gunn rounding out the top 5. Lee Jacobs, Max Stambaugh and Brandon Matus were 6th through 8th and the final cars on the lead lap. Brinton Marvel and Paul May rounded out the top 10. Eighteen of the 22 starters finished the race.

The Saturday, September 7th event at Waynesfield Raceway Park has been moved to Saturday, October 12th and will be run in conjuction with the sister series, the non winged Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series. It will be the 2019 championship finale for both tours.

Box Score
FAST on Dirt
Gas City Speedway
Friday, August 30th, 2019
22 Entries

NAPA Auto Parts - Heat #1: 1. 71-Gio Scelzi[4] ; 2. 8M-T.J. Michael[1] ; 3. 13-Brandon Matus[2] ; 4. 81-Lee Jacobs[5] ; 5. 02-Brandon Long[3] ; 6. 20B-Cody Bova[7] ; 7. 2L-Landon Lalonde[6] ; 8. 39-Tylar Rankin[8]

Ohio Logistics - Heat #2: 1. 33x-AndyBishop[2] ; 2. 5-Jordan Harble[1] ; 3. 4K-Kody Kinser[4] ; 4. 21-Brinton Marvel[3] ; 5. 78-Adam Byrkett[6] ; 6. 7-Critter Malone[5] ; 7. 33M-Brent Matus[7]

Helms & Sons Construction - Heat #3: 1. 97-Max Stambaugh[2] ; 2. 22-Cole Duncan[3] ; 3. 68G-Tyler Gunn[1] ; 4. 79A-Brandon Wimmer[4] ; 5. 71M-Paul May[5] ; 6. 40-Mark Imler[6] ; 7. 37-Noah Dunlap[7]

30 Lap - A-Main: 1. 71-Gio Scelzi[6] ; 2. 22-Cole Duncan[2] ; 3. 4K-Kody Kinser[8] ; 4. 8M-T.J. Michael[1] ; 5. 68G-Tyler Gunn[9] ; 6. 81-Lee Jacobs[10] ; 7. 97-Max Stambaugh[5] ; 8. 13-Brandon Matus[7] ; 9. 21-Brinton Marvel[11] ; 10. 71M-Paul May[15] ; 11. 02-Brandon long[13] ; 12. 20B-Cody Bova[16] ; 13. 7-Critter Malone[17] ; 14. 33-Andy Bishop[3] ; 15. 78-Adam Byrkett[14] ; 16. 40-Mark Imler[18] ; 17. 39-Tylar Rankin[22] ; 18. 2L-Landon Lalonde[19] ; 19. 79A-Brandon Wimmer[12] ; 20. 37-Noah Dunlap[21] ; 21. 33M-Brent Matus[20] ; 22. 5-Jordan Harble[4]

The Bridge Restaurant - "Hard Charger": Gio Scelzi +5

Kear's Speed Shop - "Hard Luck": Brandon Wimmer

All Star Perfromance - "Sweet Move": Tyler Gunn and Lee Jacobs