GAS CITY, Ind. — Thomas Meseraull must be on Santa Claus’ nice list, because the latter came all the way from the North Pole to watch Meseraull win his fifth 25-lap non-winged sprint car this year at Gas City I-69 Speedway Friday night.
Santa brought gifts for the children in attendance and a real reindeer named Nutcracker was led in front of the main grandstand to the delight of children of all ages as the quarter-mile clay oval celebrated Christmas in July.
Clark W. Griswold of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, who looked a lot like James Headley, won the 15-lap hornet feature in a car with Mr. Griswold painted on its side, a Christmas wreath on its nose, and a Christmas tree strapped to its roof. Not only did the tree stay in place, its lights remained lit throughout the feature, and Headley exchanged his helmet for a trooper cap like Cousin Eddie Johnson wore for his victory lane celebration.
Less festive but equally happy winners during the program were Zeke McKenzie after the 20-lap UMP modified feature; Justin VanDrunen after the 15-lap street stock feature, and Jac Nickles after the 15-lap American Mini Sprint Ass’ winged mini-sprint feature.
Meseraull started second in the 20-car sprint feature, charged by polesitter Shane Cottle with a move to the outside in turn two on the first lap, and led all 25 laps despite three cautions that tightened up the field behind him. He was a straightaway ahead of Cottle at the finish.
Tom Eades owns Meseraull’s DRC, which uses a Stensland-prepped engine. The car is sponsored by Physical Medicine Consultants and is wrenched by Allen Brown.
Scotty Weir started sixth, passed Dustin Ingle and Tim Creech to move into fourth on the first lap, and got third after defending track champion Clinton Boyles stopped on the backstretch and retired with four laps complete. Weir went on to finish third, but Ingle spun in turn two with seven laps down while running fourth, and Creech spun in turn four with nine laps down while running sixth. Dallas Hewitt, who started tenth, ended up fourth at the checkered while Travis Hery turned a 14th-place starting spot into a fifth-place finish.
Sixteen-year-old Brayden Clark flipped in turn four at the halfway point of the sprint car B main, but luckily climbed out of his car under his own power.
Headley started second in the hornet feature and led the whole way followed by his son, James Headley Jr. Headley Jr. got close on lap four while the pair lapped a slower car, but Headley Sr. had a half-straightaway lead over his son at the checkered.
Polesitter Jason Spencer ran in third place for the whole race in his 2006 Chevy Cobalt. Kolton Sollars came out on top of the best battle of the race when he finished fourth in Kinnie Sollars’ No. 33S. Randy Brommer placed fifth.
McKenzie became the fifth different UMP modified feature winner at Gas City this year when he was victorious in the BZ Enterprises No. 24. He started fourth, charged into second place on the first lap, and got the lead on lap two after a caution when Jim Post and Josh Betts got together in turn four.
McKenzie survived two other cautions to win handily over Daniel Sanchez, who started second but dropped to third before dipping under Andy Bishop working lap five on the frontstretch to secure the runner-up honors. The big battle in that race was for third, which finally went to Jerry Bowersock. Bill Griffith placed fourth and Derek Losh, who has won four UMP modified features this year at Gas City, came from the 22nd starting spot to finish fifth.
VanDrunen started on the pole of the street stock feature in his Full Auto Racing Supply No. 71 and led the first five laps before Mike Fincher passed him in turn two. VanDrunen got the lead again by dipping under Fincher in turn two working lap 10. Fincher spun in turn four on the white-flag lap to bring out a yellow and set up a one-lap shootout to the checkered. That gave second to Zac Banta, who finished in that spot followed by Larry Persinger and Fincher.
Nickles, who also won the June 21 mini-sprint feature at Gas City, started sixth but was second by the end of lap one in his yellow CTK Motorsports No. 31. He took the lead by getting under polesitter Kinser Medler coming out of turn four with six laps down, right before a yellow was needed for Chris Bounds, who spun between turns one and two. There were no more yellows in that race and Nickles won by straightaway over Medler.
Chris Miller finished third. Adam Schmenk placed fourth. Bill Dunham rounded out the top five.