Wheatland, Missouri (May 8, 2016) – Tanner Thorson celebrated his 20th birthday with the best possible present – a victory in the Lucas Oil POWRi Midget feature Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Thorson, of Minden, Nevada, completed a sweep of the Missouri Mid-State Midget Nationals after capturing the POWRi feature win a night earlier at Valley Speedway.
The POWRi Midgets’ lone visit to Lucas Oil Speedway was part of the 5th annual Impact Signs Awnings Wraps Open Wheel Showdown.
Brandon Hanks (Lucas Oil ASCS Warrior/Red River Region Sprints) and Zach Dahm (Boss Chassic WAR Sprints) prevailed in the other features in front of about 4,000 fans.
The pits were filled with 104 cars in the three divisions.
Thorson, driving a Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports car, took the lead on lap seven and held it the rest of the way. He had to withstand a re-start after a lap 23 caution that wiped out his sizable lead, but was able to navigate the final seven laps for the win.
“This track is pretty sweet,” Thorson said after his fifth career POWRi Midgets win. “I can’t thank all the fans enough for coming out. This is crazy to get all these people to come out.”
As for winning on his birthday, Thorson said, “Just another day. But it is pretty cool to be able to win on your birthday. I think I’ve won on all my birthdays so that’s a trend I hope continues.”
A night earlier at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Thorson advanced from a 12th starting position to win his first feature of the season.
Carson Macedo of Lamar, Calif., was second and Spencer Bayston of Lebanon, Ind., would up third as the Kunz Motorsports team swept the first three spots.
Justin Peck made an impressive run from 14th to fourth in the feature.
Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With it’s entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks. In the ASCS feature, Hanks was an impressive wire-to-wire winner for his third ASCS victory of the season.
“I had an idea about 2016. We’re going to call it the sweet 16 because it’s the best year I’ve ever had,” Hanks said. “Before tonight, I can’t even tell you the last time I made a show here.”
A bean farmer from Burlison, Tenn., the 20-year-old Hanks joked in victory lane that it felt good to win in front of “my people” in the middle of Missouri farm country.
The race lost a contender on lap six when veteran Johnny Herrera, the ASCS National Tour points leader, rolled his car onto its side in turn two when a car suddenly slowed in front of him. Herrera was running second at the time.
Derek Hager of Marion, Ark., a past winner at Lucas Oil Speedway, was a distant second with Josh Baughman of Odessa, Texas, third.
In the first B main for the ASCS cars, Ricky Lee Stangl brought out the red flag with a hard crash, flipping his car on the front stretch after clobbering the turn-four wall. Stangl, of Lee’s Summit, climbed out of the mangled car without apparent injury.
Dahm grabbed the lead away from Clinton Boyles just before the midpoint of the WAR Sprint feature and went on to earn the victory. Dahm, of Pocahontas, Ill., finished ahead of runner-up Korey Weyant of Springfield, Ill.
“The first few laps we were biding our time,” Dahm said. “I went back to the top (of the track) and was like ‘we have a good car now.’ He kind of bobbled and I got by him and, after that, I just tried to hit my marks.”
Boyles, seeking his third straight series win, settled for third.
Racing at Lucas Oil Speedway resumes next Saturday, May 14 with the Budweiser Weekly Championship Series back in action. Presented by Nichols Media, Inc. and Sport Boats USA, the Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds will be featured and run a $750-to-win, 25-lap feature.
Also on the program will be the Carson’s Corner NAPA Auto Street Stocks, the Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods and the ALPS Food Stores ULMA Late Models.
Gates open at 5 p.m. with hot laps at 7 and racing at 7:30.
To inquire about availability of VIP Suites for next Saturday’s program, contact Anna Harnden at (417) 282-5984 or via email at anna@lucasoilspeedway.com.
For complete event information, archived stories, ticket info and schedule information for the season, visit lucasoilspeedway.com
RESULTS SATURDAY MAY 7, 2016
5th ANNUAL IMPACT SIGNS AWNINGS WRAPS OPEN WHEEL SHOWDOWN
POWRi LUCAS OIL MIDGETS
Feature – 1, Tanner Thorson. 2, Carson Macedo. 3, Spencer Bayston. 4, Justin Peck. 5, Zach Dahm. 6, Tyler Thomas. 7, Tucker Klaasmeyer. 8, Andrew Felker. 9, Holly Shelton. 10, Jake Neuman. 11, Michelle Decker. 12, Chett Gehrke. 13, Alex Sewell. 14, Chance Morotn. 15, Ty Hulsey. 16, Ariel Biggs. 17, Ryan Robinson. 18, Austin Brown. 19, Grady Chandler. 20, Brayton Lynch. 21, Blake Edwards. 22, Jason McDougal. 23, Nick Bailey.
Speedway Motors Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: Carson Macedo. Heat 2: Zach Daum. Heat 3: Andrew Felker. Heat 4: Tyler Thomas.
B Main winner: Nick Bailey.
LUCAS OIL ASCS SPRINTS
Feature – 1, Brandon Hanks, Burlison, Tenn. 2, Derek Hager, Marion, Ark. 3, Josh Baughamn, Odessa, Texas. 4, Wayne Johnson, Knoxville, Iowa. 5, Zach Daum, Pocahontas, Ill. 6, Jack Dover, Springfield, Neb. 7, Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla. 8, Cody Baker, Lone Jack, Mo. 9, Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia, Mo. 10, Blake Hahn, Sapulpa, Okla. 11, Jay Russell, Elwood, Kan. 12, Chris Morgan, Topeka, Kan. 13, Corey Nelson, Eugene, Mo. 14, Tyler Thomas, Collinsville, Okla. 15, Chance Morton, Coweta, Okla. 16, Evan Martin, Lohman, Mo. 17, Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, N.M. 18, Kyle Bellm, Nixa, Mo. 19, Austin Alumbaugh, Higginsville, Mo. 20, Randy Martin, California, Mo.
For complete results, see www.ASCSracing.com
BOSS CHASSIS WAR SPRINTS
1, Zach Daum, Pocahontas, Ill., 2, Korey Weyant, Springfield, Ill. 3, Clinton Boyles, Greenwood, Mo. 4, Terry Babb, Decatur, Ill. 5, Kyle Clark, Sand Springs, Okla. 6, Mitchell Moore, Edgerton, Kan. 7, Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, Mo. 8, Glen Passmore Jr., Affton, Okla. 9, Katlynn Leer, Moulton, Iowa, 10, Riley Kreisel, Warsaw, Mo. 11, Craig Carroll, Collinsville, Okla., 12, David Stephenson, Porter, Okla. 13, Jeff Wingate, Centertown, Mo. 14, Derek Hagar, Marion, Ark. 15, Zach Clark, Olathe, Kan. 16, Casey Willis, Sperry, Okla. 17, Ryan Kitchen, Lincoln, Neb. 18, Taylor Walton, Warrensburg, Mo. 19, Vincent Ward, Warrenton, Mo. 20, Tyler Shoemaker, Deer Creek, Ind.
Complete results at www.WARSprints.com
Click www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.
In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking “Like” at www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway.
####
CONTACT:
Dan Robinson
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Lucas Oil MLRA Series Director
Office: (417) 282-5984
About Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway is considered by fans, drivers and industry insiders to be one of the top five Race Tracks in the Nation. Located in Wheatland, Missouri, approximately an hour from Springfield, Missouri and just a quick hour and a half from the Kansas City Metro Area, dubbed the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks” Lucas Oil Speedway certainly lives up to the title.
Twenty-One VIP Luxury Suites, HD Jumbo-Tron Screen, Stadium Style Musco Sports Lighting, a Bose Sound System, Go-Kart Slick Track, The Diamond Bar, Track Treasures Gift Shop, the best track food in the country and paved pits are a few of the spectacular amenities setting the Diamond of Dirt apart. 2016 marks the 6th season for the Liquid Quarter Mile Drag Racing Lake, Lake Lucas. Two Nationally televised Drag Boat Races featuring the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Racing Series will be held in 2016.
Lucas Oil Speedway hosts some of the largest and most popular events in the Midwest! National and regional touring series appear frequently for Special Events on the Diamond of Dirt Tracks. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, POWRi Midget National Series, Lucas Oil Pro-Pulling League, United States Modified Touring Series, ASCS Sprint Cars and the Lucas Oil MLRA.
In addition to the incredible Special Events, the Lucas Oil Speedway Budweiser Weekly Racing Series features, the ALPS Food Store ULMA Late Models, Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds, Carson’s Corner NAPA Street Stocks and the USRA B-Mods, racing weekly.