Speedway Digest Staff - Results from #70

Midwest sprint and midget fans, drivers, and teams facing a winter of racing withdrawal have one last chance to enjoy their favorite sport in 2021 this Friday and Saturday as Gas City I-69 Speedway hosts its third annual “Fall Festival of Speed and Non-Wing Nationals” as its 2021 season finale.

Friday night’s races start at 7:30 p.m. and consist of non-wing 410 sprint cars; IRA Auto Meter Wisconsin wingLESS sprint cars; USAC Midwest Thunder regional midgets, and 600cc non-wing micros.

Saturday’s races have been moved up to start at 6 p.m. That show also features non-wing 410 sprint cars and IRA Auto Meter Wisconsin wingLESS sprint cars, which will be joined by UMP/IMCA-style modifieds, street stocks and hornets.

The pit gate opens at 3 p.m. on Friday, with the grandstands opening at 4:30 p.m. The drivers’ meeting is at 6:05 p.m.; hot laps/group qualifying is at 6:35 p.m., and the racing begins at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday the pit gate opens at 1:30 p.m. and the grandstands at 4 p.m. The drivers’ meeting is at 4:30 p.m.; hot laps/group qualifying is at 5 p.m., and the racing starts at 6 p.m.

The ticket prices are the same for both shows: adult general admission is $20; admission for students is $15, and kids 12 and under are free. A pit pass costs $35.

Both non-wing 410 sprint car features will pay $2,000 to win and $200 to start. The USAC Midwest Thunder drivers are racing for a $5,000 purse with $1,200 to win and bonuses for the top-three SpeeD2 and mini-sprints finishers. The non-wing micro feature will pay $300 to win and $50 to start.

The modified feature winner on Saturday will earn $800, while all starters will receive $110. The street stock feature pays $500 to win and $80 to start. The hornet feature pays $300 to win and $50 to start. It’s open to both front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive four-cylinder cars that don’t use racing tires.

For more information see the track website at gascityI69speedway.com. Fans and competitors can also follow the track 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.

Owner, Restart Communications, RestartCommunications.com

Gas City PR

Emerson Axsom qualified fourth and finished fourth in the Nolen Racing No. 4 Saturday night at Anderson Speedway in the fourth and final non-wing sprint car race of the season at the quarter-mile, high-banked asphalt oval.

The event was the sixth annual “Tony Elliott Classic,” named in memory of the former Nolen Racing driver who was tragically killed in a private airplane accident in 2015. The event was on Paint the Night Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Night, and it was presented by CB Fabricating, “The Herald Bulletin,” and Sherwin Williams.

It was the last race of the season for both the track and for the New Whiteland, Ind.-based Nolen Racing team, as well as the final points race for the Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Super Series, which sanctioned the 125-lap race.

Axsom, 17, of Franklin, Ind., duplicated his best finish of fourth, as he finished fourth and sixth in two other 125-lap races driving for Nolen Racing at Anderson Speedway this season. Once again the young star drove a yellow Beast chassis sponsored by KECO Coatings and powered by a Tranter-prepped Chevy V6 engine.

Axsom qualified fourth with a lap in 11.377 seconds. That was only 0.385 off the fastest qualifier and eventual winner, Tyler Roahrig. It was also better than the qualifying time recorded by the defending race winner, Bobby Santo III, who qualified fifth on a brisk autumn evening with temperatures in the low fifties.

The top eight cars were inverted for the start, however, so Santos was fourth and Axsom was fifth at the drop of the green. The invert put Kyle O’Gara on the pole, and he led the most laps.

Axsom dropped to sixth on lap two and seventh on lap three after the always hectic start, and he remained in seventh until lap 25, including when he set his fastest lap of the race on lap 12 and the sixth-fastest overall with a time of 11.626 seconds. On a restart on lap 25 after the first yellow for a minor spin by another competitor, Axsom regain sixth by passing Brian Gerster.

That put Axsom right behind Jerry Coons Jr., and he applied pressure to Coons for many laps as he continued to run in sixth place through lap 79.

He moved into fifth place when the second-place driver, Santos, had an incident with a car he was lapping and spun to bring out the second yellow on lap 80.

Axsom got fourth on a restart on lap 102 when Coons ran into problems in front of him.

Axsom remained in fourth until lap 118, when Santos got around him again to push him back to fifth. Santos passed Caleb Armstrong for third on lap 121, which put Armstrong right in front of Axsom.

With four laps to go Axsom made a nice pass to move by Armstrong, and he was fourth at the checkered.

Behind Roahrig at the checkered were O’Gara, Santos, Axsom and Armstrong. Axsom was only 0.136 of a second behind Santos at the checkered, and he was 0.816 of a second ahead of Armstrong.

Only eight of the 17 starters finished.

“I feel like we caught the invert wrong; it’s really hard to pass here,” Axsom said after the race. “I felt like we had a top-three car, but with my lack of experience we got fourth. But anytime we race is good, because it’s important track time.

“That was the most comfortable I’ve been in this car yet,” he reported. “The team really worked hard to tune the car to my liking. We’re getting more speed every time we hit the track. The car never really fell off. I had no real close calls either. Finishing was important, so we’ll take the fourth. I can’t thank the Nolen Racing team enough for all the hard work they put into the No. 4.”

Nolen Racing competed in six pavement sprint car races in 2021 with three drivers: Tanner Swanson, Shane Hollingsworth and Axsom. Its best finish was Swanson’s third in the Pay Less Little 500 at Anderson Speedway May 29.

Now the team will go over all its cars carefully over the winter and prepare for the 2022 season.

For more information see NolenRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook and Twitter.

 Nolan Racing PR

It’s October and, as usual this time of year, M&M’S has brought back its Halloween-themed No. 18 M&M’S Toyota for driver Kyle Busch during the next two NASCAR Cup Series races – this weekend at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City and the following weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway – during one of M&M’S busiest seasons.

Busch and his M&M’S-themed Halloween “costume” first head to this weekend’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas hoping for a win that would lock him into the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway Nov. 7. For his part, Kansas hasn’t been nearly as spooky over his last 14 races there as opposed to a vastly stark record in his first 13 starts at the 1.5-mile oval, during which he had eight finishes of 20th or worse.

The two-time Cup Series champion collected two top-five finishes in a row in the fall 2014 and 2015 Kansas races before he broke through for his first Cup Series win at there in May 2016. That’s when the surface finally started to wear and become more agreeable to Busch’s driving style. He now has 11 top-10 finishes in his last 13 starts there, a streak that at one point included five consecutive top-fives.

Even better news for Busch and the M&M’S Halloween team is they are the most recent Cup Series winners at the Midwest track in May as they scored their second career Kansas victory and first of two wins so far this season.

Sunday’s Cup Series race at Kansas marks the second race of the Round of 8 of this year’s playoffs. Busch’s stage win and eighth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth last weekend helped boost him to fourth in standings, eight points above the top-four cutline. Kyle Larson won last weekend’s race and is the first driver eligible for the Championship 4 at Phoenix. With a win at either of these next two events, Busch can join Larson at Phoenix for his shot to race for the title for the sixth time in his career.

So, as the Cup Series heads to the Heartland of America Sunday, Busch will aim to make it a 2021 sweep of both Kansas races and the championship implications that come with it. And with Halloween fast approaching, Busch and his No. 18 team would like nothing more than to take their colorful, Halloween-themed M&M’S “costume” to victory lane.

TSC PR

FRM PR

The excitement of Mahoning Valley Speedway’s season ending Fall Brawl continues to mount as race teams are gearing up for the big showdown at the paved ¼-mile Lehighton oval and rightfully so as the track has put together enticing payouts for those classes that will see action on Saturday, October 30.

Along with the handsome finishing payday spots there will be a number of incentives with the most recent coming in for the Street Stocks.

Thanks to C&B Lawn Care & Landscaping of Kunkletown, Heat Wave Stoves LLC also of Kunkletown, Ripkey Racing and Stacey Brown, each Street Stock heat race winner will pick up $150. Clearly not a bad way to start off your day.

$100 is coming from C&B Lawn Care and Landscaping, a full-service lawn-care company that maintains a straightforward and unique design /build philosophy towards their clients.

Another $100 is courtesy of Heat Wave Stoves LLC is an official dealer of Regency, D.S. Machinery and Keystoker pellet, wood and coal stoves plus they handle all propane needs.

Both are also prime sponsors on the Ripkey Racing who likewise is putting in $100. Ripkey Racing this year captured the 2021 division championship with TJ Gursky. Also on the potent three car team are Mark Martini and Randy Ahner Jr., who this past season accounted for a combined 13 heat wins including a division leading eight by Gursky and five feature victories.

Additionally coming on board is multi-talented veteran and 2017 Street Stock champion Stacey Brown who is sweetening the deal with an extra $50 to each prelim winner making 10-lap runs worth $150.

For those who qualify for the Street Stock portion of the Fall Brawl they will be battling in a $50-lap/$1200-to-win feature.

Set for Saturday, October 30 and starting at 2:00 pm the Fall Brawl is headlined by a 125 lap/$3000-to-win feature for the Modifieds. The race will also pay $1000 for 10^th and $400 to take the green.

Also on the card are the Sportsman Modifieds running in a 40-lap/$1500 to win feature, the Hobby Stocks battling for a $500 first place prize in a 40-lap distance and the Futures/Rookie Hobby Stocks racing in a 20-lap contest.

There is a Bonus Bucks Draw for Modifieds, Street Stocks and Hobby Stocks finishers of positions 2-5. Lap prize money is also be collected and awarded for each division.

With this being Halloween weekend the speedway will play host to a Kids Candy Scramble at intermission.

For complete info on the Fall Brawl visit: http://www.mahoningvalley-speedway.com or Facebook at Mahoning Valley Speedway.    

MVS PR

Malicious Monster Truck Tour returns to All American Speedway presented by Roseville Toyota on October 23 for the A-All Mini Storage Monster Truck Bash! The action includes two shows in one day with the evening show featuring the season finale for the Riebes Auto Parts Trailer Bash as well.
 
Tickets for both the 2pm Matinee Show and the 7pm Evening Show are available now at www.AllAmericanSpeedway.com Adult general admission tickets are $20 while kids ages two to 12 are just ten bucks! Kids under two are free!
 
Gates open one hour before showtime for the pre-race party on the front stretch, with autographs, candy, and monster truck rides. See Rock Star, California Kid, Identity Theft, Spitfire, and Power House compete in freestyle and racing competition. The fire breathing, car crushing dinosaur Megasaurus will also make his Roseville debut.
 
The littlest ghouls and goblins can come dressed in their Halloween best to win prizes in the kids costume contest.
 
Riebes Auto Parts Trailer Bash sees drivers collide with each other’s trailers as they go for the $1,000 prize. The first driver to complete 15-laps with their trailer still attached is the winner!
 
All American Speedway wants to thank @the Grounds for their support along with partners Roseville Toyota, Jaws Gear & Axle, JM Environmental, Sinister Diesel, Riebes Auto Parts, Berco Redwood, AAMCO Transmission & Total Car Care of Auburn, CA, Guaranteed Rate Affinity- James Clark, Realtor Kim White, and A-All Mini Storage for making this season possible. Without competitor support and local community partners, these events would not take place.

AAS PR

StarCom Racing will be partnering with Chariton Valley and Creek Enterprise, LLC for the Hollywood Casino 400 this Sunday October 24th at Kansas Speedway. Chariton Valley will be highlighting their SHOELACE Business Communications Solutions on the #00, which is an advanced HPBX system integrated with your business network and staff to provide superior HD call quality, video conferencing and mobile phone applications that tie your business with customers.

Kirby J. Underberg, President and CEO of Chariton Valley, stated, “Creek Enterprise is assisting Chariton Valley in our growth trajectory. As our construction partner, they help us bring fiber to businesses through their quality fiber installation. We thank Creek for the generous opportunity to be a part of this weekend’s NASCAR race and to feature SHOELACE Business Communications Solutions, Chariton Valley’s Hosted PBX service, on their sponsored race car.”

The SHOELACE Business Communications Solutions ties together your business needs by offering feature-rich solutions, low up-front costs, and a seamless platform. With SHOELACE Unified Communications Hosted PBX, Chariton Valley is delivering a best-in-class phone system that allows you to buy only what you need. In conclusion, they take care of all the details – phones, equipment, installation, training, and ongoing service – so you can focus on your business.

Jason Derby, President of Creek Enterprise, stated, "It is our pleasure to partner with Chariton Valley, Missouri's premier communications provider for nearly 70 years, during this weekend's NASCAR event at the Kansas Speedway. As a strategic customer of ours, we are jointly working to expand Chariton Valley's fiber presence while also sharing the news of their high-quality Hosted PBX service, SHOELACE. SHOELACE is an excellent solution to seamlessly integrate your business voice, video conferencing, and mobile phone environments."

Starcom Racing PR

The fastest and most powerful cars to ever race at South Boston Speedway and a new speedway partner will be featured in a new two-night event in April 2022 as part of the track’s 65^th anniversary season.

For the first time in South Boston Speedway’s history, sleek 1,600-pound, near-900-horsepower open-wheel 410-winged sprint cars will hit the .4-mile oval during the Sentara Healthcare American Sprint Car Weekend on April 29-30, 2022.

Full shows for the 410-winged sprint cars will be featured both nights including heat races, a B-Main and feature races.

The Sentara Healthcare American Sprint Car Weekend was unveiled to race fans attending last Saturday night’s season-ending CARS Tour event at South Boston Speedway with a demonstration of the powerful 410-winged sprint cars by visiting drivers from the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Car Series.

“We are very excited to host 410-winged sprint cars for the first time ever here at South Boston Speedway,” said Incoming South Boston Speedway General Manager Chase Brashears. “We couldn’t think of a better time to showcase this event than the speedway’s 65^th anniversary season. Race fans from throughout the region will not want to miss seeing these insanely fast, near-900-horsepower machines compete here at South Boston Speedway.” 

Along with the first-ever event for 410-winged sprint cars, South Boston Speedway welcomes a new partner, Sentara Healthcare.

“We are really excited to bring this to Halifax County,” said Samantha Thompson, Practice Manager of Sentara Southern Virginia Orthopedics and Sentara Halifax General Surgery. “South Boston Speedway is so important to us, and we want to promote it and do as much as we can for the community.”

Thompson says she is excited about Sentara Healthcare’s first-time partnership with South Boston Speedway and first involvement in auto racing.

“I can’t explain how excited we are to do it,” Thompson remarked with a big smile. “This is a first-time event here and we’re looking forward to it.”

South Boston Speedway Director of Marketing Carly Brashears said having Sentara Healthcare as a new partner is big for the speedway.

“We are excited to welcome Sentara Healthcare to the South Boston Speedway family,” said Carly Brashears. “Sentara’s local medical center, Halifax Regional Hospital in South Boston, Virginia, is a great asset to our community and we are excited about our new partnership with them.”

The fastest unofficial lap ever turned at South Boston Speedway, 13.5 seconds, was recorded during Saturday’s demonstration run of the 410-winged sprint cars by Nolan Allison of Greensboro, North Carolina and Anthony Linkenhoker of Louisa, Virginia, with Allison hitting the mark. Both drivers predict lap times will be faster when the competitors visit South Boston Speedway next April and get their cars dialed in for the track.

“The speeds at this track will be extremely fast,” Allison remarked. “I think with the corner speed, the banking and how wide the track is, you’re just not going to touch the brakes. Last weekend we were probably running around 150 mph or so at times at Montgomery, Alabama. I think we will be pushing that, if not more, here at South Boston Speedway because the corners are so fast. I’m very excited about competing here.”

Like Allison, Linkenhoker is excited about racing at South Boston Speedway.
“I can’t wait,” Linkenhoker remarked. “This is an absolutely beautiful facility, and the track is great. The track is extremely smooth and that builds confidence in the car.

“Must See Racing has the top names in the sport,” Linkenhoker pointed out. “You’re racing with the best of the best. It’s going to be a great show.”

All four of South Boston Speedway’s regular racing divisions, the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division, the Limited Sportsman Division, the Budweiser Pure Stock Division, and the Budweiser Hornets Division will be in action during the April 29-30 weekend. In addition, fans will see the competitors of the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club in action.

The first race of the night on Friday night, April 29 will get the green flag at 8 p.m. The opening night’s racing action will feature a full show for the 410-winged sprint cars along with races for South Boston Speedway’s Limited Sportsman, Budweiser Pure Stock and Budweiser Hornets Division competitors.

Action will start at 7 p.m. on Saturday night, April 30 with fans seeing another full show for the 410-winged sprint cars. South Boston Speedway’s NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division drivers and teams will also be featured that night. The competitors of the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club will also be on hand, making the first of their two scheduled appearances for the 2022 season.
Ticket information and additional details for the event will be announced at a later date.

The latest news and information about South Boston Speedway can be found on the South Boston Speedway website, southbostonspeedway.com, and through the speedway’s social media channels.

Information about the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Car Series can be found on the series’ website mustseeracing.com.

SBS PR