GREAT FALLS, Mont. – Colton Heath topped the opening night of the 26th annual Montana Round Up on Friday evening at Electric City Speedway.
Heath maneuvered from his fifth starting position to score the 360ci sprint car victory at the dirt oval, earning the $1,500 top prize and building momentum for the remainder of the three-day event.
Polesitter Tanner Holmes led the first lap of the main event before J.J. Hickle took over the top spot on lap two. It didn’t take long for Heath to find the front of the field and he pulled away late in the race in traffic.
Garen Linder advanced from eighth to second place and Jason Solwold rounded out the podium. Holmes finished fourth and Montana native Trever Kirkland was fifth.
Kirkland, Heath, Colby Thornhill and D.J. Brink were the heat race winners in a field of 30 drivers. James Setters won the B Main. Chance Crum was the A Main Hard Charger, rallying from 20th to eighth after maneuvering from 12th to fourth place in the B Main to secure the final transfer position into the feature.
Round two of the 26th annual Montana Round Up is Saturday with hot laps scheduled for 7 p.m. IMCA Modifieds and WISSOTA Midwest Mods join the sprint cars as part of the program.
Grandstand seating was limited this weekend because of COVID-19 restrictions and has been sold out. However, pit passes remain and there will be a live video stream of all of the action at www.ElectricCitySpeedway.TV.
The finish:
1. 33-Colton Heath (5); 2. 22-Garen Linder (8); 3. 18-Jason Solwold (4); 4. 18T-Tanner Holmes (1); 5. 37-Trever Kirkland (7); 6. 63-JJ Hickle (3); 7. 7-Tyler Thompson (10); 8. 10L-Chance Crum (20); 9. 8-Devon Borden (6); 10. 19-Colby Thornhill (2); 11. 96-Greg Hamilton (14); 12. 38-DJ Brink (9); 13. 2-James Setters (17); 14. 81-Daren Smith (12); 15. 33T-Tyler Driever (18); 16. 0-Kory Wermling (19); 17. 3M-Shane Moore (13); 18. 10C-Brock Lemley (11); 19. (DNF) 17-Cam Smith (15); 20. (DNF) 1F-DJ Freitas (16).