GAS CITY, Ind. — Thomas Meseraull had to work for it but he earned his sixth 25-lap non-wing sprint car feature victory of the year at Gas City I-69 Speedway Friday night to highlight the quarter-mile dirt oval’s “Summer Slam” program.
Chad Freeman was 0.652 of a second ahead of Roy Caruthers when he took the checkered flag in the 20-lap American Vintage Sprint Car Ass’n feature.
The 20-lap USAC SpeeD2 midget feature was so fast and furious it was hard to keep up with all the action, but Chett Gehrke was in victory lane at the finish just like he was here on June 14.
Three-time track champion Scott Orr picked up his second victory of the year at Gas City in the 20-lap UMP modified feature, while Andy Bishop collected his fifth victory of the season at the Grant County oval in the street stock division by winning that 15-lapper to close the five-division card at 10:42 p.m.
Meseraull started on the pole of the sprint car feature but fellow front-row starter Carson Short led the first 15 laps with TMez repeatedly trying to get by on the outside. When that didn’t work Meseraull dipped under Short in Turn 3 working lap 16 to finally head the pack. Scotty Weir passed Short working lap 23 to nail down the runner-up honors in one of the Goodnight sprint cars. Short hung on for third. Defending track champion Clinton Boyles came home fourth, while Cole Ketcham finished fifth.
Travis Hery had a nasty flip between turns three and four with 12 laps down to bring out a red flag, flying high through the air and revolving violently before he came to a stop at the top of the track. Luckily the postdoctoral researcher at The Ohio State University climbed out of his car under his own power.
The only other pause in the action in that race occurred with five laps down when Anthony D’Alessio got airborne in turn four but didn’t actually flip.
Meseraull’s winning car was the familiar No. 47 owned by Tom Eades, which is a DRC chassis with a Stensland-prepped engine. The team is sponsored by Physical Medicine Consultants. Allen Brown is the team’s chief mechanic.
Cale Ramey.