Meseraull & Swanson Split Gas City Loot

GAS CITY, Ind. – Thomas Meseraull and Jake Swanson split a pair of 21-lap non-winged sprint car features on Friday night at Gas City I-69 Speedway.

Meseraull got the jump on his fellow front row starter Tyler Hewitt at the start of the first 21-lap sprint feature, but Hewitt stuck close to him and the timing monitors had him leading lap eight. Meseraull was not to be denied in the Simon Racing No. 23S DRC Claxton Chevy, however, and he was back on top on lap nine and led the rest of the way in the non-stop race for the $2,000 victory. The Covington, Ohio-based team is sponsored by USI Cable Corp., Mark Knupp Muffler and Tire, and Fortney Performance. 

Swanson started seventh, teetered between fourth and fifth for the first 15 laps, and passed both Scotty Weir and Hewitt on lap 15 to move into second. He was .251 seconds behind Meseraull at the checkered. 

Weir, the track point leader, finished third followed by Tye Mihocko and Hewitt. 

Polesitter Koby Barksdale made the most of his starting spot in the second 21-lap sprint feature and led the first 10 laps. 

Sixteen-year-old Emerson Axsom who just hours earlier was named as the new driver of the Clauson Marshall Racing Driven2Save Lives No. 39BC, started fourth and passed Brayden Clark for second on lap five. He seemed poised to pass Barksdale for the lead with seven laps down but a yellow for two accidents in both turn two and turn four wiped that out. He got by Barksdale for good on lap 11 before another yellow flew on lap 11. 

Axsom was competing in only his third sprint car event ever and his first night of dirt sprint car racing ever. His previous experience came through Nolen Racing, when he recorded sixth- and fourth-place finishes on the pavement at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway in July. He also tested a dirt sprint car with that team one time at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway. 

Swanson started way back in 11th, but he broke into the top five on lap four, ran third from laps six through 11, and passed Barksdale for second on lap 12. He flew around the outside of Axsom on lap 17 in turn two to take the lead and then immediately had to take evasive action for a spinning Aaron Davis in turn four, who brought out the second and final yellow. 

Swanson and the Daming Excavating DRC Rider Chevy No. 5T were up to all challenges on the restart and the owner of Jake Swanson Shock Technology enjoyed a 1.813-second victory over Axsom for his first feature victory ever at this track. Barksdale finished third. Colten Cottle and Max Guilford rounded out the top five. 

Derek Losh was the star of the modified division, while Glenn Bradley posted his first street stock feature victory of the year. Kolton Sollars recorded his first hornet feature victory ever at the quarter-mile Grant County oval.