SWEETWATER, Tenn. — Max Stambaugh scored a wire-to-wire win in the United Sprint Car Series Presented By K&N Filters 25-lap feature race co-sanctioned by the Great Lakes Sprint Series Friday night at I-75 Raceway. Stambaugh may have led every lap, but he had a long journey to get to the front.
Stambaugh started sixth and finished third in the Racing Electronics Third Heat Race. That placed him fifth in passing points and earned him a spot in the six-lap Hoosier Racing Tires Speed Dash with the top six in passing points. The drivers drew for their starting spots and Stambaugh drew the pole and won the Dash to earn the k&N Filters Pole Position pole for the main event.
The 22-car field with drivers representing seven states and one Canadian Provence were brought to the green flag for the 25-lap main event by Stambaugh on the pole, and he took the lead in turn one followed by Dustin Daggett, Chase Dunham, Phil Gressman and Hayden Martin.
Gressman passed Dunham for the third spot on lap two.
The red flag was displayed on lap three when Lance Moss sailed off the third turn and flipped outside the wall-less track. He was uninjured. Stambaugh pulled away on the restart while Gressman began looking to the inside of Daggett to challenge for the second spot. Lap four saw Liam Martin on the move, as he passed Hayden Martin and Dunham to move up to fourth.
Stambaugh began to encounter the cars on tail end of the lead lap on the seventh tour on the three-eighths-mile clay oval with a 1.5-second lead over Daggett. That advantage went away with a second red flag on lap 12 when Jac Nickles flipped in turn two while running sixth. He walked away uninjured.
Stambaugh quickly opened up a one second lead over Daggett on the restart and Turner moved into the top five. Stambaugh caught lapped traffic on lap 16 and he kept lapped cars between himself and Daggett. Lyles spun in turn two on lap 21 to bring out the final caution flag of the race. That set up a five-lap dash to the finish.
Stambaugh checked out on the restart, while Gressman moved up to challenge Daggett for second. Gressman took the spot on lap 22, but Daggett dove for the bottom of the track in turn one on lap 23 to reclaim the runner up spot.
Stambaugh took a 2.482 second margin of victory under the checkered flag in a race that took 32 minutes and 56.548 seconds to complete.
Feature Finish (25 Laps)
1. 71 Max Stambough, Lima, OH (1); 2. 85 Dustin Daggett, Portland, MI (2); 3. 7c Phil Gressman, Fremont, OH (5); 4. 9 Liam Martin, Binbrook, ON (8); 5. 15 Ryan Turner, Dunnville, ON (14); 6. 67 Hayden Martin, Olive Branch, MS (6); 7. 12 Corbin Gurley, Hebron, IN (9); 8. 66 Chase Dunham, Leipsic, OH (4); 9. 10 Terry Gray, Bartlett, TN (11); 10. 23d Devon Dobie, Wapakoneta, OH (12); 11. 91 Kyle Connery, Vero Beach, FL, (19); 12. 24 Kobie Allison, Lima, OH (7); 13. 4 Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH (18); 14. 17 Jared Horstman, Cloverdale, OH (17); 15. 00 P.J. Reutimann, Zephyrhills, FL (22); 16. 28 Jeff Willingham, Ripley, MS (21); 17. 17L Alex Lyles, Arlington, TN (3); 18. 23 Lance Moss, Cherryville, NC (15); 19. 31 Jac Nickles, Harrod, OH (10); 20. 46 Ryan Coniam, Burlington, ON (16); 21. 70 Eli Lakin, Buchanan, MI (20); 22. 10s Jay Steinebach, Hudsonville, MI (13).