NICKLES BECOMES YOUNGEST MMSA WINNER AT LINCOLN PARK
Midwest Mini Sprint Association saw its youngest driver to date win his first feature event Thursday at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, IN. That stat was previously held by Seth Motsinger at the age of 15.
Fourteen-year-old Jac Nickles started on the pole position and held that spot for the entire 20 lap feature event. Jac started the night out, starting in the sixth position in his preliminary and raced to a 3rd place finish. By MMSA rules of passing points would set him up for a night he will always remember, starting P1 in feature!
Jac would get the jump on the field from his front row starting position in his N.W.O. Property Services, RCS Construction, T&D Interiors, R.D. Jones Excavating. Tim's Landscaping, Shawnee Manor, KPM Motorsports, C&M Building Maintenance and Ricker Repair Service backed sprinter to lead the first 8 laps. The red flag would wave for the 9 car of Casey Meyers. Casey tried to avoid a spinning car and as he went high on the track. he would jump the berm and do a series of barrel rolls in turn two. Casey would walk away uninjured.
The restart would put Nickles, Trammell, Schindler, and Langley lined up nose to tail to try to overhaul the youngster. Four laps would go by with Jac leading and Trammell right on his heels trying the high side then the low sign with no success. The caution would fly for the second time. The restart had to be nerve racking for the young lad knowing he had Trammell and a looming Keith Langley ready to strike at moment’s notice. The race would go another 4 laps before the third and final caution flag, for the 2s machine of Brad Strunk losing his chain off his ride.
Jac would have to do it all over again, but this time he would have his hands full of a red 26 machine of Langley. With 3 laps to go Langley found something on the top shelf to run down and overhaul second from Trammell and set his sights on the youngster up front. Langley would get to the tail of the leader and was looking to overtake that spot before Langley made a choice he would regret by giving up the high side. He went low side in 3 and 4 and nearly looped it. He would regain his composure back on top side, but it would only prove to be too late. Jac would take the win with Langley less than a second behind for the runner up spot. Following the top two to the line were, Trammell, Schindler, Powell, Deputy, Haas, Medler, Rutherford. and Parker. The Anthony Hass car started 23rd on the field of 25 and finished in the top 10.
Preliminary events saw Jeff Schindler out best Trammell and Nickles in heat 1. Heat 2 saw another young hot shoe Austin Powell take the win over the veteran Travis Stickels and Brandon Coffey. The 3rd and final heat Brandon Deputy showed the field the 19 car knows its way to the front also by claiming his first MMSA victory with Keith Langley and another young gun Kinser Medler in tow.
A great night of racing for the first of three nights on the dirt. Friday night the MMSA series will run at Bloomington Speedway and turn south Saturday to fill the weekend of racing at Tri-State Speedway, to claim the first Lightning Sprint Week winner!