GAS CITY, Ind. — Thomas Meseraull will have to wait for another chance to post his fifth 25-lap non-wing sprint car feature victory of the season at Gas City I-69 Speedway, as Shane Cottle used a last-lap shoot-out to defeat Meseraull by 0.008 seconds Friday night.
Meseraull started second in the 20-car sprint feature and charged to the outside around polesitter Mike Miller in turn four to take the lead on the second lap. Cottle, who started eighth in Jamie and Michelle Paul’s DRC with a Foxco-prepped engine, took second from Miller on lap five after a restart when Cole Ketcham was turned the wrong way between turns three and four with four laps down.
Defending track champion Clinton Boyles got around Miller on the next lap, and Meseraull, Cottle, Boyles and Miller ran in that order until the pace slowed again with 14 laps down when Dallas Hewitt spun on the frontstretch.
Boyles and Cottle battled fiercely for second following that restart. Boyles got around Cottle on lap 20 before Cottle passed him back two laps later. Ketcham spun low in turn two with 24 laps down to bring out another yellow and set up a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag.
Cottle made the winning move by dipping under Meseraull in turn three on the final lap, and they crossed the finish line only inches apart. Boyles finished third, while Jarett Andretti fought hard throughout the race and finished fourth.Miller hung on for fifth.
Derek Losh recorded his fourth 20-lap UMP modified feature victory at the quarter-mile clay oval during the “Summer Thunder” show.
The 15-lap hornet feature was a Headley family romp, with James Headley defeating his 15-year-old son, James Headley Jr. Tim Wilber nabbed his first 15-lap Gas City street stock feature victory, and Mike Landis was the winner of the 15-lap A-class winged micro-sprint feature.