TAYLOR TAMES GAS CITY FOR MIDWEST THUNDER MIDGET WIN
By: Linda Mansfield
Gas City, Indiana (July 10, 2020)………The 25-lap USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 midget feature got off to a rough start when Cory Guingrich of Celina, Ohio flipped hard on the backstretch on the initial start while several other drivers spun elsewhere. Luckily Guingrich climbed out of his car under his own power, but it set the stage for a race that saw three more caution flags and another red. The latter flew after Tom Hessel of Van Wert, Ohio flipped in Turn 2 with nine laps down. Luckily he escaped unscathed too.
Garry Loney started on the pole and led the first nine laps. Chett Gehrke of Bardstown, Ky. slipped under Jacob Denney of Columbus, Ohio in Turn 3 for second place on lap four only to suffer a blown engine complete with an oil fire five laps later.
That gave second to Stratton Briggs of Anna, Ohio, and he passed Loney for the lead with a move to the inside as they were going down the backstretch on that restart.
Taylor slipped under Loney for second on the backstretch on lap 11, and there was contact more than once between the pair on lap 12 as they raced side by side. Taylor got the lead working lap 13. Briggs remained in second until he went off course in Turn 2 working lap 17, which gave second back to Loney.
Taylor, who had started fourth, took the checkered with a straightaway advantage over Loney. Denney was third; Briggs hung on for fourth and Alex Watson of Columbus, Ohio came from 11th to fifth.
The winning midget is a Stealth by Spike sponsored by ATM, CSI Shocks, Engler Injection, SET Racing, Horizon Hobbies, NPL Oil Co. and Paint the Tunacan.
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USAC MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET SERIES RACE RESULTS: July 10, 2020 – Gas City, Indiana – Gas City I-69 Speedway
PERFORMANCE POWDER COATING FIRST HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Adam Taylor (#7T Taylor), 2. Gunnar Lucius (#22 Lucius), 3. Chett Gehrke (#93 Gehrke), 4. Cory Guingrich (#42 Guingrich), 5. Zack Gingerich (#8 Gingerich), 6. Alex Watson (#41 Watson), 7. Zane Briggs (#10 Briggs), 8. Ian Creager (#36 Creager), 9. Kyle Kriegbaum (#12 Kriegbaum), 10. Tyler Rankin (#17 Rankin).
PERFORMANCE POWDER COATING SECOND HEAT: (8 laps) 1. Garry Loney (#11L Loney), 2. Jacob Denney (#11T Taylor), 3. Stratton Briggs (#71 Briggs), 4. Kyle Dager (#2 Briggs), 5. Abby Hohlbein (#11H Hohlbein), 6. Tom Hessel (#7T Hessel), 7. Bryce Dues (#23 Dues), 8. Adam Schmenk (#6 Schmenk), 9. Tommy Kouns (#98 Kouns).
FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Adam Taylor (4), 2. Garry Loney (1), 3. Jacob Denney (3), 4. Stratton Briggs (6), 5. Alex Watson (11), 6. Gunnar Lucius (5), 7. Kyle Dager (8), 8. Zane Briggs (13), 9. Adam Schmenk (16), 10. Zack Gingerich (9), 11. Ian Creager (15), 12. Tyler Rankin (18), 13. Abby Hohlbein (10), 14. Tom Hessel (12), 15. Chett Gehrke (2), 16. Kyle Kriegbaum (17), 17. Bryce Dues (14), 18. Cory Guingrich (7), 19. Tommy Kouns (DNS).
**Cory Guingrich flipped on lap 1 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-9 Garry Loney; Laps 10-12 Stratton Briggs; Laps 13-25 Adam Taylor.
PERFORMANCE POWDER COATING/PPC HEAT WINNERS: Adam Taylor & Garry Loney
HAWK CHASSIS HARD CHARGER: Alex Watson (11th to 5th)
H & M TOOL & DIE HARD LUCK AWARD: Cory Guingrich
ROSEWOOD MACHINE & TOOL PRECISION MOVE OF THE RACE: Garry Loney
USAC MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET POINTS: 1-Jacob Denney-198, 2-Adam Taylor-178, 3-Stratton Briggs-156, 4-Abby Hohlbein-153, 5-Gunnar Lucius-142, 6-Zack Gingerich-141, 7-Zane Briggs-133, 8-Cory Guingrich-131, 9-Tommy Kouns-112, 10-Kyle Dager-103.