Bright ends ARDC season with win; Perchak doubles up
It all came down to the final corner in the last race of the season for the USAC American Racing Drivers Club Midgets. Andrew Layser led 24 laps of the Midget feature while his teammate Alex Bright hounded him from the runner up spot. The two had distanced themselves from the field before a lap 23 yellow flag closed everything back up. A hard charging Brett Arndt had joined the fray, but was left to defend his podium spot.
On the restart, Layser and Bright broke away again. Layser guided the two around the speedway until the final corner, when Bright took the inside lane and inched ahead of Layser by .017 seconds at the start finish line. Arndt crossed in third followed by Adam Pierson, and series champion Ryan Greth.
Tommy Kunsman was sixth followed by Mark Lowrey, Chris Dyson, Josh Chess, and Rohan Beasley.
In a similar fashion to the Midget race on Friday night, The Hoosier Tire Wingless 600 Micro Sprints presented a nail biter down to the wire.
As leaders Ryan Groff and Tommy Kunsman weaved through lap traffic, the margin for error became smaller and smaller. Tim Buckwalter was also moving into the top three to join them if the leaders slipped up. The season ending Iron Cowboy race is run at a longer distance of 30 laps. That would prove to be a difference maker.
Groff, the race long leader, moved up slightly in the final corner coming up on a lap car. That allowed Kunsman to dive under the leader coming to the checkered flag. The two made slight contact, but that’s all Kunsman needed to take the win away. Groff settled for second with Buckwalter third.
Bj Antonio and Mike Thompson were fourth and fifth. Steve Whary, Jim Radney, Jesse Maurer, Brandon Heist, and Jacob Severn were the top ten finishers.
Friday marked the end of the season for the Titan Wings time trial series fueled by Roadrunner Race Fuels. Ross Perchak has been dominate the last two seasons and proved that it would continue to end the point season this year as well.
Perchak won both of the feature races run on Friday night for the Jersey Joe’s Boardwalk Café 270 Micro Sprints. The rescheduled King of the Wing from May has been rained out several times. The conclusion Friday was predictable with Perchak starting on the front row. Scott Gingrich raced Perchak hard early on, but when Gingrich retired to the pit area Perchak went the rest of the way in front to the win. Tommy Kunsman finished second followed by Jesse Maurer, Stone Keller, and Ken Miller.
In the regular program Perchak set quick time, won his heat, the dash, and the feature event for a clean sweep of the night. Kunsman again ran second in the event challenging Perchak along with Mike Boyer. Kunsman settled in the runner up spot. Josh Stoyer returned to the speedway with a podium finish.
Brandon Edgar and Scott Gingrich raced to top five finishes. Stone Keller held off Jesse Maurer, Brian Marriott, Austin Graby, and Toby Blumenshine in the top ten.
The yellow flag flew for the first time in the Slingshot feature on lap 12. The yellow broke up a good battle for the race lead between race long leader Dylan Hoch and Reese Nowotarski. When the racing resumed Hoch was able to pull an advantage over Nowotarski that would hold the rest of the race. Hoch drove to his first win of the season over Nowotarski. Brett Bieber drove to the final spot on the podium and in the process clinched the 2017 Slingshot championship.
Mike Glass, second in points, finished in fourth followed by Lindsey Garl in fifth.
Ronnie Spitler was sixth followed across the line by Scott Gray and then a few first time Linda’s Speedway Slingshot racers. Corbin Carraghan, Scott Miller, and Devin Bucks finished out the top ten.
Next Friday, October 6th, the 270 Micro Sprints, Winged 600 Micro Sprints, and Xcel 600 Modified will be in action. Gates open at 5:30 with racing starting at 7. For more information on the speedway or any of the upcoming event, including the National Open, you can visit LindasSpeedway.com, Facebook, Twitter, or call the speedway hotline at (717) 865-5330.
