TULARE, Calif. — Ryan Timms took the lead on lap one of the 30-lap main event on Thursday and claimed a $4,000 victory on the opening night of the 28th Trophy Cup at Thunderbowl Raceway.Â
Points earned in qualifying and heat races added to main event points put Timms in fifth place in points out of the 86-car field.
The field was split into two groups for qualifying and heat races and then combined for main event lineups. Qualifying gives 150 points to the quickest lap with a one point drop per position. Heat races offer 36 points for a win with a three point drop per position.
Each group ran four heats and the winner and highest point car from each moved directly to the A main while each of a pair of B mains elevated four additional drivers to the night’s finale. Heats and B mains inverted six and the main event had a 12-car inversion, all by points.
The A main is 100 points for a win with a two point drop per position. A sweep would be 286 points.
Entering the main Carson Macedo, Shane Golobic and Kyle Hirst we’re the top three in points. Since Macedo will be in Pennsylvania Saturday, he will not be finishing the Trophy Cup.
Timms and Landon Brooks filled the front row it was a short time in front for Brooks as a snapped axle left him sitting after one quarter of a lap. Tony Gomes inherited the outside front row spotÂ
Timms edged Gomes at the line on lap one and pulled away. Justin Sanders took second using the bottom of turns three and four to claim second on lap three. Hunter Scheurenburg slowed after six laps with engine issues and Tyler Courtney took third out of turn four before a multi-car tangle in turn one drew a yellow.
The Restarts
Trophy Cup restarts are all single file and Timms maintained his lead and 14 non-stop laps saw Sanders close on Timms but then drop back.
Sanders got into the turn-two wall and flipped to promote Courtney to second and Kyle Hirst into third with six laps remaining.
With clear air Timms controlled the final laps to win over Courtney, Hirst, Golobic and Macedo.
Friday’s action will mirror the opening night’s format except the second group from Thursday qualifying will go first and the order within each group is reversed.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 5T-Ryan Timms[1]; 2. 57W-Tyler Courtney[8]; 3. 94-Kyle Hirst[10]; 4. 17W-Shane Golobic[11]; 5. 21T-Carson Macedo[12]; 6. 18T-Tanner Holmes[3]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu[14]; 8. 5J-Kalib Henry[18]; 9. 21-Mitchell Faccinto[5]; 10. 83T-Tanner Carrick[15]; 11. 9R-Chase Randall[7]; 12. 7C-Tony Gomes[4]; 13. 26-Zeb Wise[23]; 14. 7B-Sean Becker[16]; 15. 14-Corey Day[19]; 16. 88N-DJ Netto[20]; 17. 22-Ryan Bernal[17]; 18. 5V-Colby Copeland[21]; 19. 2XM-Max Mittry[22]; 20. 2X-Justin Sanders[6]; 21. 28-Chase Johnson[24]; 22. 83-Tim Kaeding[13]; 23. 73-Hunter Schuerenberg[9]; 24. 94TH-Landon Brooks[2]