GAS CITY, Ind. — Seventeen-year-old Gio Scelzi extended his reign as the “King of the Wings” at Gas City I-69 Speedway to a second year when he won Friday night’s 30-lap feature for the NAPA Auto Parts FAST on Dirt winged 410 sprints presented by the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series.
It was a perfect night for the youngest son of four-time NHRA drag racing champion Gary Scelzi.
Driving Bernie Stuebgen’s Indy Race Parts No. 71, Scelzi won his heat and during qualifying he set a one-lap record for 410 winged sprint cars at the quarter-mile dirt oval with a time of just 10.413 seconds.
That broke the record of 10.653 seconds set by Caleb Armstrong last Aug. 31 before Scelzi also won the BOSS winged sprint car feature at Gas City that night.
The sprint car feature had no cautions but two reds for flips, but luckily all the drivers walked away.
The action ground to a stop before one lap was in the books when Jordan Harble flipped in turn four, setting up a complete restart. Polesitter T.J. Michael led that initial start and also lap one.
Scelzi dipped under Michael for the lead in turn two working lap two and led the rest of the way. He had to survive a five-lap shootout at the end, however. That was set up after the second red flew with 25 laps down when Brandon Wimmer and 17-year-old Noah Dunlap made contact going into turn one and both flipped hard.
Scelzi had a good restart, however, and he took the checkered flag 1.233 seconds before point leader Cole Duncan did to post the $3,000 victory. Scelzi’s only real challenge was getting through lapped traffic, but he could work both the top and the bottom at will.
After a torrid battle, Duncan passed Michael for second working lap 18 and then slowed dramatically on the frontstretch for an instant. He was able to resume quickly, but not before Michael regained the runner-up spot.
Duncan was able to repass Michael for second on lap 24, however, before the red flew for Wimmer, who had been fourth, and Dunlap’s flips.
Kody Kinser was in the thick of things all night and ended up third, while Michael took fourth place. Tyler Gunn rounded out the top five.
Derek Losh won his fifth feature for the United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) modifieds at Gas City this year in a 20-lap main event.
James Headley Jr. got his fifth feature victory of the year at the Grant County track too; his came in the 15-lap hornet feature. Joey Spiewak, who won the street stock feature on opening day in May, was triumphant in the 15-lap street stock main event.
The finish:
Gio Scelzi, Cole Duncan, Kody Kinser, T.J. Michael, Tyler Gunn, Lee Jacobs, Max Stambaugh, Brandon Matus, Brinton Marvel, Paul May, Brandon Long, Cody Bova, Critter Malone, Andy Bishop, Adam Byrkett, Mark Imler, Tylar Rankin, Landon Lalonde, Brandon Wimmer, Noah Dunlap, Brent Matus, Jordan Harble.