GAS CITY, Ind. — Duane Chamberlain won the 25-lap late model feature and Clayton Bryant won a similar main event for UMP modifieds to wrap up the season at Gas City I-69 Speedway on Sunday.
Chamberlain took $1,500 home for his day’s work while Bryant earned $1,000 for his feature victory.
Chamberlain only led the last two laps of the late model feature and the rear end of his Weber Motorsports No. 20C was crumbled in the victory lane photos, but he didn’t seem to mind.
The battle that initially had everyone’s attention was the one between polesitter Chad Finley, Chamberlain, and Rusty Schlenk. Finley led the first eight laps with Chamberlain on his rear bumper until Schlenk passed Chamberlain to take over second on lap nine. Schlenk got under Finley in turn three on lap 15 to take the lead, but Finley retook command on the following lap by diving under Schlenk in turn four.
Schlenk got the lead back on lap 19 by dipping under Finley in turn four and led through lap 21, but then he got into a lapped car, hit an infield tire in turn two, and stopped in turn four to bring out a yellow with 21 laps down. He had to retire after that and ended up 16th.
Schlenk’s departure put Chamberlain on Finley’s bumper for the restart. That pair made contact in turn four on lap 23 and on the frontstretch on lap 24, which was when Chamberlain finally wrestled the lead away from Finley. Devin Shiels saw an opportunity at the same moment and also passed Finley to nail down the runner-up honors at the end. He was just 0.380 behind Chamberlain at the checkered.
Finley finished third followed by Joe Godsey and Eric Spangler. The latter had started 13th in the 20-car field.
It took three attempts to get the UMP modified feature underway. Track champion Scott Orr led the first lap before Todd Sherman got under him in turn two. Bryant, who drives the Kingsland Motor Company No. 114, moved into second on lap three and Sherman, who won at Gas City on Sept. 13, had to fight Bryant off repeatedly.
On lap 17 white smoke began pouring out of Sherman’s car in turn four. When the fourth-place driver, Tim Wilbur, stopped on the backstretch with 18 laps down to bring out a caution, Sherman headed for the pits due to his mechanical difficulties. He was credited with 16th.
Bryant inherited the lead with Sherman’s departure and he led the rest of the way.
Luke Hubbell passed Orr for second on lap 21, and on the next lap Ryan Ramseyer, who had been fourth, spun in turn four to bring out another yellow. Hubbell did his best to catch Bryant in the waning laps but finished just .316 of a second behind him. Orr held on for third. Jerry Bowersock finished fourth and Tony Anderson turned a 11th place starting spot into a fifth-place finish.
Track champion Andy Bishop won the 25-lap feature for street stocks and thunder cars, while Bill Lewis took the top honors in another 25-lapper for super streets and sportsman drivers. James Headley closed the show at the quarter-mile clay oval by winning the 20-lap feature for hornets/compacts.