Meseraull, Swanson Double Down at Gas City I-69 Speedway;
Losh Dominates the Modifieds; Bradley Tops Street Stocks
And Sollars Rules the Hornets Friday Night
GAS CITY, Ind., Aug. 21 – With more than $20,000 in prize money for the non-wing sprint cars and extra cash for the modified, street stock and hornet divisions too, the action was as hot as the temperature Friday night at Gas City I-69 Speedway for the “Double Down Classic.” Thomas Meseraull of Waveland, Ind. and Jake Swanson of Anaheim, Calif., won the twin 21-lap sprint car features, with Swanson earning a $300 bonus for passing the most cars in both races. Derek Losh of Rensselaer, Ind. was the star of the modified division, while Glenn Bradley of Marion, Ind., posted his first street stock feature victory of the year here. Kolton Sollars of LaFontaine, Ind. recorded his first hornet feature victory ever at the quarter-mile Grant County oval.
Non-Wing Sprint Cars
Meseraull got the jump on his fellow front-row starter, Tyler Hewitt of Marion, Ind., at the start of the first 21-lap sprint feature, but Hewitt stuck close to him and the timing transponders had him leading lap eight. Meseraull was not to be denied in the Simon Racing No. 23S DRC Claxton Chevy, however, and he was back on top on lap nine and led the rest of the way in the non-stop race for the $2,000 victory. The Covington, Ohio-based team is sponsored by USI Cable Corp., Mark Knupp Muffler and Tire, and Fortney Performance.
Swanson started seventh, teetered between fourth and fifth for the first 15 laps, and passed both Scotty Weir of Marion, Ind. and Hewitt on lap 15 to move into second. He was only 0.251 seconds behind Meseraull at the checkered.
Weir, the track point leader, finished third followed by Tye Mihocko of Phoenix, Ariz., and Hewitt.
Polesitter Koby Barksdale, a native of Norman, Okla., made the most of his starting spot in the second 21-lap sprint feature and led the first 10 laps.
Sixteen-year-old Emerson Axsom of Franklin, Ind., who just hours earlier was named as the new driver of the Clauson Marshall Racing Driven2Save Lives No. 39BC, started fourth and passed Brayden Clark of Tipton, Ind. for second on lap five. He seemed poised to pass Barksdale for the lead with seven laps down but a yellow for two accidents in both Turn 2 and Turn 4 wiped that out. He got by Barksdale for good on lap 11 before another yellow flew on lap 11.
Axsom was competing in only his third sprint car event ever and his first night of dirt sprint car racing ever. His previous experience came through Nolen Racing, when he recorded sixth- and fourth-place finishes on the pavement at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway in July. He also tested a dirt sprint car with that team one time at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway.
Swanson started way back in 11th, but he broke into the top five on lap four, ran third from laps six through 11, and passed Barksdale for second on lap 12. He flew around the outside of Axsom on lap 17 in Turn 2 to take the lead and then immediately had to take evasive action for a spinning Aaron Davis of Windfall, Ind., in Turn 4, who brought out the second and final yellow.
Swanson and the Daming Excavating DRC Rider Chevy No. 5T were up to all challenges on the restart and the owner of Jake Swanson Shock Technology enjoyed a 1.813-second victory over Axsom for his first feature victory ever at this track. Barksdale finished third. Colten Cottle of Kansas, Ill. and Max Guilford of Auckland, New Zealand rounded out the top five.
Modifieds
Losh started second and led all 20 laps of the non-stop modified feature in his No. 21 Longhorn by Loenbro/Mullins Race Engines sponsored by Superior Sales and Service, R & R Transmission, Aggressive Graphics and Rensselaer Iron and Metal.
Todd Sherman of Churubusco, Ind., who started second, chased him the whole way but never really was close enough to attempt a pass with no caution flags to close up the field. Dylan Woodling of Warsaw, Ind. started fourth and finished third, while Tony Anderson of Lima, Ohio started third and finished fourth. Bub Roberts of Warren, Ind., rounded out the top five.
In victory lane Losh said “this place feels like home,” and it should as it was the defending track champion’s fifth feature victory of the year here. “The surface is pretty technical tonight,” he added, and noted that lapped traffic made things challenging.
Street Stocks
The 15-lap street stock feature also ran non-stop, with Bradley leading the whole race from the pole. Bradley, who has earned 17 track championships during his career, said he’s probably raced against Lee Hobbs of Mitchell, Ind., for 30 years, and on Friday night when Bradley posted his first feature win of the year at Gas City it was Hobbs who chased him the whole way. Bradley was just 0.308 of a second ahead of Hobbs at the checkered but it was good enough for the victory for the driver of the No. 2 sponsored by Los Amores Mexican Restaurant, First Option, Express Trucking and Ryan’s Auto Service.
Another veteran, James Headley of Marion, Ind., finished third followed by defending track champion Andy Bishop of Gas City. Gerald Mullenix of Marion, Ind., rounded out the top five.
Hornets
There were few drivers happier at Gas City on Friday night than Sollars, who earned his first hornet feature victory ever at the track with a commanding 6.878-seconds margin of victory.
James Headley Jr. of Wabash, Ind., started second and led the first two laps. Sollars, who started fourth, passed Headley Jr. for the lead following a caution for debris with two laps down. Eddie Tucker Jr. of Troy, Ohio, who started third, wrestled second away from Headley Jr. following a restart with four laps down after Alexes Spaulding of Roanoke, Ind., spun between Turns 3 and 4 while running ninth. Tucker chased Sollars the rest of the way, but Sollars was firmly in command.
Dan Richardson took third from Headley Jr. on lap six and finished in that position. The battle for fourth, fifth and sixth was good throughout the race. Robbie White of Kokomo, Ind., came from 13th to finish fourth; Tracy Runion of Wilkinson, Ind., placed fifth, and Headley Jr. held on for sixth.
Sollars, who will turn 18 on Wednesday, Aug. 25, is sponsored by Central Waste LLC, Buck Wild MMA, and Holt Auto Body. Melissa and Kinnie Sollars were the winning car owners.
Red Flags
There were two red flags during the evening and they both came in the second sprint B-main. Travis Hery of Hilliard, Ohio flipped in Turn 1 at the initial start of the race. Then with seven laps down, Paul Dues of Minster, Ohio got up on the outer fence on the frontstretch while running 12th. The car of the driver who had been running 11th, Rodderick Payne Jr., also received extensive damage. All the drivers got out of their cars under their own power.
What’s Next?
Gas City I-69 Speedway is dark on Friday, Aug. 27 to allow its drivers and fans to attend the Elliott’s Custom Trailers and Carts Sprint Car Smackdown X at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway.
Gas City is back in action over the Labor Day weekend with the Labor Day Classic on Friday, Sept. 3. Non-wing sprint cars, modifieds, street stocks, hornets, and USAC SpeeD2 Midget Thunder midgets are on the card. It’s a big night for the street stock division, as it will feature the “Street Stock Rumble” with a $7,000 purse, $1,000 going to the winner, and $100 to start the feature. Fireworks will also be included in a show that only costs $15 for an adult general admission ticket, with kids 12 and under free. A pit pass costs $30.
The pit gates will open at 3 p.m. and the grandstands at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 6:30 p.m. and the racing starts at 7:30 p.m.
The complete 2021 schedule and more information are on the track’s website at GasCityI69Speedway.com. Fans and competitors can also follow it on Twitter: @GasCitySpeedway; Instagram: @GasCitySpeedway and Facebook: GasCitySpeedwayOnTheGas.
Gas City I-69 Speedway is located on State Road 22, approximately a half-mile west of I-69, exit 259. The quarter-mile dirt oval is about halfway between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, and attracts drivers and fans from all over the Midwest.
Photo credits: Indy Racing Images
