Mid-Season Non-Wing Bonanza at MCS on Saturday July 31st

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider

Photos By: Fred Patton (http://www.fredericsphoto.com/)

Source: http://www.miamicountyspeedway.com/

PERU, IN.- The action-packed regular program of micro sprint racing was rained out last Saturday at the Miami County Speedway. This Saturday, July 31st, the Miami County Speedway is set to host the high-flying, action-packed  Mid-Season Non-Wing Bonanza!!!

Come out and watch the Non-Wing racers do battle for the big $1000.00 winner's purse. It will be only $40.00 for Non-Wing racers to start. MCS will race all classes non-wings, including the Senior, Junior, and Restrictor classes of micro sprints. For the Senior, Junior, and Junior classes, it will be $25.00. The pit passes from last weekend's rain-out will be honored for the next two race weekends (July 31st and August 7th). Just bring $5.00 and last weekend's pit pass wrist band, but you have to have the wrist band to get the discount. Come join us at the always exciting Miami County Speedway this Saturday night for the Mid-Season Non-Wing Bonanza!!!!!

Darland Wins Hastings Law Firm Midseason Doubler

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (www.davespitpassphotos.com)
Source: http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/SPRINTS%207-23-2010.htm, http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/MODIFIEDS%207-23-2010.htm
, http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/STREET%20STOCKS%207-23-10.htm, http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/THUNDER%20CARS%20FOR%207-23-2010.htm

GAS CITY, IN.- Lincoln, IN. racer Dave Darland (Pictured Left) won the 5th Annual Hastings Law Firm Midseason Doubler this last Friday night at the Gas City (I-69) Speedway. "It feels good to win tonight. I gotta thank the Goodnight Racing team for putting together a great car tonight. I would also like to thank the Hastings Law Firm (Indianapolis, IN.) for their support of the Gas City (I-69) Speedway. I was glad to be here. It was a great night for us," Darland said.

Sikeston, MO. racer Hunter Schurenberg (Pictured Right) charged his way through the field, finishing just behind Darland in second. After the hard fought battle with Darland, Schurenberg said, "It was good, but I'm so close to winning. I put it up on the high side. We just needed to get in lap traffic sooner." Schurenberg would like to thank his sponsors for their continued support this season. Schurenberg's sponsors include, Epperson Paint; Walter's Construction; Simpson; Creative Finishing; and Rock Steady Racing.

San Jose, CA. native Thomas Meseraull (Pictured Left) fought hard, and came away with a solid third place finish in Friday's A-Main. "It was a good night. The track went away . The track position was everything tonight," Meseraull said. "I caught a break after Ted Hines flipped earlier in the race. They restarted me outside the pole. I didn't even know I was supposed to restart there," Meseraull explained. Thomas Meseraull would like to thank the following people and sponsors for their continued support this season. The following include, Paul Hazen; Kercher Engines; Bell Helmet (Thank you for the new helmet); Buds Auto Sales; and the Physical Medicine Consultants.

Noblesville, IN. racer "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson worked his way through the field to come home fourth. Fifth belonged to Carmel, IN. native Andrew Elson. Alexandria, IN. racer Brandon Petty put together a solid race, to finish sixth. Seventh went to New Castle, IN. native Thursday's Byrider 100 winner Tracy Hines. Tempe, AZ. racer Casey Shuman ended his night in eighth. Matt Westfall came home in nineth, while Crown Point, IN. native Chris Gurley rounded out the top ten finishers in Friday's A-Main.

Bobbie Bittle brought home the win in Friday's UMP Late Modified A-Main. Taking second behind Bittle was Derek Losh, while third went to Glenn Bradley. Andy Bishop raced his way to fourth, while fifth belonged to Steven Hogue.

Both the Street Stock and the Thunder Car A-Main were rained out and will be made up within the next two weeks.

All the action returns to Gas City (I-69) Speedway this Friday, July 30th when they host the always exciting, high flying fun that comes along with their regular program. The program will consist of Sprint Cars, UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Thunder Cars. Come out and watch some great racing action this Friday night. I'll be there, will you?

USAC Doubleheader at O'Reilly Raceway Park

Big Night for Swanson and Wilke Racing
USAC Mopar Midget Series

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (http://www.davespitpassphotos.com/)
Source: http://www.usacracing.com/index.php?id=3923

CLERMONT, IN.- Kingsbury, CA. racer Kody Swanson (Pictured Left) broke through with a big win in the USAC Mopar Midget A-Main on Thursday night. The California native also gave his race team (Wilke Racing) the all-time record for USAC Mopar Midget A-Main victories with 134.

Second place belonged to Jason Leffler, while third went to Levi Roberts. Riverside, CA. native "The Hawk" Darren Hagan took the checkers in fourth, while Kasey Kahne Racing's Brad Sweet rounded out the top five feature finishers in Thursday's 30 lap A-Main.

Daniel Bedford came home sixth. Tucson, AZ. racer Jerry Coons Jr. finished seventh, while Dakoda Armstrong raced his way to an eighth place finish. "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson ended the night nineth, while Caleb Armstrong finished tenth.

Finishing behind Armstrong was Indiana Midget Week Co-Champion Brad Kuhn in 11th. Chuck Gurney Jr. took 12th, while "The People's Champ" Dave Darland came home 13th. Tracy Hines ended his night in 14th, while 15th belonged to Brownsburg, IN. native Bobby East. David Byrne came home 16th, while Henry Clarke took the checkers in 17th. Mario Clouser finished 18th, while 19th went Adam Kramer. "The Dauminator" Zach Daum finished the night in 20th. Kyle Hamilton, Tate Martz, and Bobby Santos III finished 21st, 22nd, and 23rd respectfully.

The USAC Mopar Midget series gets a little break before they head west to race at the Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconson on August 28th and 29th.

Hines Hangs On to Win the Byrider 100
USAC K&N Silver Crown Series

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider

Photos By: Dave Merritt (http://www.davespitpassphotos.com/)

Source: http://www.usacracing.com/index.php?id=3924

CLERMONT, IN.- New Castle, IN. racer Tracy Hines (Pictured Left) took the lead in the final laps to win Thursday's Byrider 100 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. 

Tony Stewart Racing's Levi Jones finished second, while Jacob Wilson finished third. Fourth went to Grassvalley, CA. native Brad Sweet. Rounding out the top five was Brownsburg, IN. native Bobby East.  

Bobby Santos III finished sixth. The current USAC K&N Silver Crown points leader Bud Kaeding took seventh. "The Real Deal" Shane Hmiel came home eighth, while nineth belonged to Troy DeCaire. "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson raced his way to tenth.

Brian Tyler took home 11th, while Eric Gordan came home 12th. Mario Marietta took the checkers in 13th, while 14th went to A.J. Fike. Justin Carver finished 15th. Aaron Pierce came home 16th, while 17th went to Lafayette, IN. racer Shane Hollingsworth. Mike Larrison finished 18th, while Jerry Coons Jr. raced his way to 19th. Tanner Swanson ended his night in 20th, while Derek Hagar took 21st. Coleman Gulick raced his way to 22nd, while Thursday's Mopar Midget feature winner Kody Swanson came home in 23rd. South Bend, IN. native and former (1999) Silver Crown Champion Ryan Newman finished in 24th. Mike Lichty was 25th, while Peru, IN. native Russ Gamester came home 26th. "The Dauminator" Zach Daum took the checkers in 27th. Jason Leffler ended the night in 28th. Zach Martini and Tyler Walker rounded out the thirty USAC K&N Silver Crown competitors in Thursday's 100 lap J.D. Byrider 100 at the O'Reilly Raceway Park.

The next scheduled race for the USAC K&N Silver Crown Series is August 4th, when they race the "Steel Palace Classic" in Oswego, NY.

I would once again like to thank all the readers and supporters of my race column "Through the Gears". Thanks- Matt "Night" Rider

Pro Late Models Hit Gas City Speedway

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photo By: http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/2009_racing_schedule.htm
Sources: http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/LATE%20MODELS%207-16-2010.htm, http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/MODIFIEDS%207-16-2010.htm,  http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/STREET%20STOCKS%207-16-2010.htm,  http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/THUNDER%20CARS%207-16-2010.htm

GAS CITY, IN.- The Pro Late Models returned to action at the Gas City Speedway last Friday night (July 16th) for the "Summertime Classic". Zak Blackwood won the Pro Late Model feature from the pole position. Randy Shuman finished right behind Blackwood in second. Scott Graham came home third, while fourth belonged to Eric Varner. Taking fifth was Troy Clark.

Finishing just outside the top five was James Griffith in sixth. John Heyn took the checkers in seventh, followed by Mike Bechelli in eighth. Terry Romans took the checkers in nineth, while David Daughtery rounded out the top ten finishers in the "Summertime Classic" Pro Late Model feature.

Terry Hull won from the pole position in last Friday's UMP Modified feature. Andy Bishop put together another solid run to finish second. Third went to Bub Patrick, while Clint DeMoss came home fourth. Rounding out the top five finishers in the UMP Modified feature was Doug Losh.

Marion, IN. racer Ervin Turner raced his way to another impressive feature win in last Friday's Street Stock feature. Landon Miller finished right behind Turner in second, while third went to Brett Clark. John Van Pelt took the checkers in fourth, while Melanie Gaff rounded out the top five finishers in the Street Stock feature.

In the Thunder Car feature, DJ Holt raced his way to victory. Feature polesitter Josh Owens finished in second, while Jerald Owens rounded out the top three. Fourth place belonged to Mark Keith, while Jason Shrout came home in fifth.

The Gas City Speedway returns to action this Friday (July 23rd), as they welcome back the always exciting 5th annual Mid-Summer Doubler, sponsored by the Hastings Law Firm. Come out and enjoy the fun this Friday night at the Gas City Speedway. I'll be there, will you?

Stanbrough Takes 2010 ISW Title

Fitzpatrick takes 30 lap A-Main at Haubstadt

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (www.davespitpassphotos.com)
Source:  http://www.usacracing.com/index.php?id=3899

HAUBSTADT, IN.- Terre Haute, IN. racer Blake Fitzpatrick (Pictured Lower Left) tracked down "The People's Champ" Dave Darland in the final laps to win tonight's USAC Amsoil Sprint 30 lap feature at the Tri-State Speedway. With his second place finish at Haubstadt, Avon, IN. racer Jon Stanbrough (Pictured Right) was crowned the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week Champion. Third went to Darland, while "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson put together another good race, finishing the night in fourth. "The Demon" Damion Gardner rounded out the top five finishers in Saturday night's feature.

New Castle, IN. racer Tracy Hines finished just outside the top five with his sixth place finish. Seventh belonged to Kurt Gross, while "The Bear" Chris Windom brought home eighth. "100%" Hunter Schuerenberg raced his way to nineth, while Danny Holtsclaw came home with another top ten in tenth.

New Castle, IN. native Ted Hines was 11th, while Jerry Coons Jr. came home 12th. "The Bedford Blaster" Brady Short bounced back from a Lap 2 flip to take the checkers in 13th. Jeff Bland Jr. raced his way to 14th, while 15th belonged to Casey Riggs. Henry Clarke ended the night in 16th, while Ricky Williams finished 17th. Kyle Cummins finished right behind Williams in 18th, while 19th went to tonight's top qualifier (13.137 sec.) Justin Grant. Matt "Rocky Balbou" Mitchell took the checkers behind Grant in 20th. New Castle, IN. racer Kyle Robbins raced his way to 21st, while Kevin Thomas Jr. came home in 22nd. The 23rd spot went to "The Modern Day Cowboy" Daron Clayton, while 24th went to Levi Jones who was involved in the Lap 2 flip with Brady Short.







Stanbrough won the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week with a total of 384 points. Jones finished second with 349 points, while third went to Clauson, who finished with 327. Fourth belonged to Darland, who had 319. Windom and Short were both tied with 309, and both occupied fifth and sixth respectively. Fitzpatrick ended Indiana Sprint Week in seventh with 276. "The Demon" Damion Gardner bounced back to end Indiana Sprint Week in eighth with 269. Jerry Coons Jr. came home in nineth with 263, while "100%" Hunter Schuerenberg rounded out the top ten finishers in the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week standings with 243.

Miami County Speedway Hosts Thrilling Racing

 Great night for Logan Jarrett
Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Fred Patton (www.fredericsphoto.com)

PERU, IN.- It was another great night of racing at the Miami County Speedway. The hot, muggy afternoon weather was replaced by clouds and cooler weather. This made for some thrilling racing on Saturday night.

Saturday night's racing at Miami County Speedway was also special, as the track welcomed the return of the Restrictor Class Special. The two Restrictor Class feature starters had the option of taking the Front Row Challenge. The Front Row Challenge is when the racer is given the option of starting the feature in last, but if they go on to win the 25 lap feature, they receive $180.00. Neither of the Restrictor Class starters took tonight's Front Row Challenge. 

Peru, IN. native Braiden Black (Pictured Left) drove to victory, winning Saturday night's Restrictor Class Special. "It felt good to win tonight. I would like to thank GRP Chassis (located in Peru, IN.) and my Dad for all their hard work." Columbus, OH. racer Lauren Longbrake came home with a hard fought second place finish in the Restrictor Class. After the race, Longbrake, "It was an exciting finish tonight. We worked really hard for 2nd place." Third place went to Pierceton, IN. native Brent Busz. "It was a hard fight out there. We did good with the laps we had left, but we just ran out of time," said Busz.

Kokomo, IN. racer Kayaleb Bolton (Pictured Right) brought home another impressive A-Main victory in the Junior Class division. After the win, Bolton said, "It felt good to win tonight. I would like to thank all my sponsors, along with my Grandma and Grandpa, my parents and brother, and the Mouser family for all their help." Taking second in the Jr. A-Main was Jared Van Ness, while Justin Harper raced his way to a third place finish.

Argos, IN. racer Travis Ray (Pictured Left) took the checkered flag, winning the 25 lap Nonwing A-Main on Saturday night. After the win, Ray said, "It felt pretty good to win tonight. The car was actually working for us." Second went to Zeke Lewis. Logan Jarrett raced his way to a hard fought third place finish.

Knightstown, IN. native Rob Parrish (Pictured Right) took home the Senior Class 25 lap feature win on Saturday night. "It felt good. I would like to thank the car owner Willard Frost," said Parrish. Mike Stahl came home second, while Brian Bitzel took third place honors in the Senior Class finale.  

Warsaw, IN. racer Stuart Hanft (Pictured Left) held off a hard-charging Andrew Peters to win Saturday night's 25 lap Wing Class feature. After the race, Hanft said, "It felt good to win tonight. I could feel Andrew Peter's engine screaming at me from behind. It was the longest five laps of my life." Andrew Peters started the race in sixth, but was caught up in a lap one spin. Peters restarted in the back of the field to roar his way through the field, taking home an impressive second. Third belonged to Logan Jarrett.

Stanbrough Hangs for 3rd ISW win in 2010

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (www.davespitpassphotos.com)
Source: http://www.usacracing.com/index.php?id=3897

BLOOMINGTON, IN.- For the third time in a manner of days, Avon, IN. racer Jon Stanbrough (Pictured Left) broke free of the front runners, taking the 30 lap A-Main victory at Bloomington Speedway on Friday night. Stanbrough made his way to victory lane at both the Gas City Speedway last Saturday and the Terre Haute Action Track this past Wednesday.  "100%" Hunter Schuerenberg led 13 laps in tonight's A-Main and took the checkers in second place. The 2010 Indiana Sprint Week points leader Levi Jones continued to his success, taking a strong third place finish. "The Demon" Damion Gardner raced his way to fourth. Jon Sciscoe rounded out the top five finishers on Friday night.

"The Bullet" Bryan Clauson put together another great run to finish sixth, while seventh belonged to "The Bear" Chris Windom. Brownsburg, IN. racer Bobby East (Pictured Right) set the quick time for tonight's racing action, and later took the checkers in eighth place. JJ Hughes raced his way to nineth, while "The People's Champ" bounced back to finish tenth.

Jesse Cramer finished right behind Darland in 11th, while Tucson, AZ. native Jerry Coons Jr. raced his way to 12th. Danny Holtsclaw finished the night in 13th, while Dickie Gaines took home 14th place. A pair of racers from New Castle, IN. (Tracy Hines and "K-Rob" Kyle Robbins) raced their way to the 15th and 16th places respectfully. Hud Cone came home in 17th, while "The Madman" Robert Ballou finished 18th. Last night's A-Main winner "The Bedford Blaster" Brady Short took the checkers in 19th place, while Matt "Rocky Balbou" Mitchell finished 20th. Ricky Williams raced his way to 21st, while Terre Haute, IN. native Blake Fitzpatrick ended the night in 22nd place. "The Modern Day Cowboy" Daron Clayton came home 23rd, while Henry Clarke and Jared Harris ended their nights in 24th and 25th respectfully.

Tony Stewart Racing's Levi Jones is still hanging on to the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week points lead with 328. With his third ISW feature win, Jon Stanbrough has narrowed Jones' lead to only seven points. Stanbrough sits in second with 321 points. Brady Short is third with 277. "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson is in fourth with 269.  "The Bear" Chris Windom sits in fifth with 264 points. Dave Darland is sixth with 259 points, while Jerry Coons Jr. occupies seventh with 227. After his fourth place finish tonight, "The Demon" Damion Gardner is currently eighth with 216. "The Modern Day Cowboy" Daron Clayton stands in nineth with 212, while "100%" Hunter Schuerenberg rounds out the top ten in the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week points standings with 199 points.

The final stop for the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series is tomorrow night, when the USAC Amsoil Sprint Cars roar into the always exciting Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN.





 

Short Wins a Close One at Brownstown

 Jones regains ISW points lead

23rd Indiana Sprint Week 
Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (www.davespitpassphotos.com)
Source: http://www.usacracing.com/index.php?id=3896

BROWNSTOWN, IN.- "The Bedford Blaster" Brady Short (Pictured Right) fought hard, coming away with the 30 lap A-Main in the fifth night of the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series. "The Bear" Chris Windom put together another top five run, finishing the night in second. Third went to Avon, IN. racer Jon Stanbrough, who has won two races (Gas City and Terre Haute) during 2010 Indiana Sprint Week competition. Tony Stewart Racing's Levi Jones bounced back from a flip, to finish fourth. Hunter "100%" Schuerenberg led a total of eight laps, and came home in fifth place.

Jeff Bland Jr. raced his way to a strong sixth place showing. "The Madman" Robert Ballou took seventh place, while eighth belonged to Hud Cone. Justin Grant came home nineth, while Dickie Gaines took the checkers in tenth place.

Casey Riggs raced his way to an 11th place finish. Taking 12th place was Henry Clarke. Terre Haute, IN. native Blake Fitzpatrick came home 13th. "The Real Deal" Shane Hmiel finished right behind Fitzpatrick in 14th. Jerry Coons Jr. ended the night in 15th. Fortville, IN. racer Jonathan Hendrick took the checkers in 16th, while 17th belonged to Ethan Barrow. Coming home in 18th place was Mark Perry III, while Carmel, IN. native Andrew Elson finished the night in 19th. Greg Bragg finished right behind Elson in 20th. "The Demon" Damion Gardner took the checkers in the 21st spot. New Castle, IN. racer Tracy Hines came home 22nd, while "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson took 23rd, while Kokomo, IN. native Shane "The Throttle" Cottle finished 24th.

Olney, IL. racer Levi Jones (Pictured Left) has regained the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week overall points lead, because Dave Darland didn't make the 30 lap A-Main on Thursday night. Jones is currently the 2010 ISW points leader with 268. With his recently victory, Short is now second in the ISW points standings with 254. Stanbrough is currently third with 249 points. "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson sits in fourth place with 223 points, while "The People's Champ" Dave Darland is fifth with 219 points. With another great top five finish, Windom is sixth with 217 in 2010 Indiana Sprint Week competition. "The Modern Day Cowboy" Daron Clayton and Jerry Coons Jr. are seventh and eighth, both having 192 points. Fitzpatrick is nineth with 185 points, while "The Demon" Damion Gardner is tenth with 158 points.

Tonight (Friday), the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series head to Bloomington Speedway (Bloomington, IN.) to race the sixth night of Indiana Sprint Week competition.

Stanbrough Wins 2nd at Terre Haute

23rd Indiana Sprint Week
Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (www.davespitpassphotos.com)
Source: ( http://www.usacracing.com/index.php?id=3895)

TERRE HAUTE, IN.- Avon, IN. racer Jon Stanbrough (Pictured Left) took the checkers in both his heat and later the 30 lap feature to claim his second win in 2010 Indiana Sprint Week competition. Stanbrough's other 2010 Indiana Sprint Week victory came at Gas City Speedway last Saturday, July 10th. Lincoln, IN. native Dave Darland put together another impressive run to pick up second. "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson raced his way to a strong third place showing. Jerry Coons Jr. came home in fourth, while fifth belonged to "The Modern Day Cowboy" Daron Clayton. Clayton (Pictured Lower Right) also set the fast time in the qualification sessions earlier in the night.

New Castle, IN. racer Tracy Hines ended his night with a sixth place finish. Seventh went to New Yorker Coleman Gulick. Terre Haute, IN. native Blake Fitzpatrick raced his way to eighth, while Temecula, CA. racer Mike Spencer finished nineth. Rounding out the top ten feature finishers was Matt "Rocky Balbou" Mitchell.

"The Real Deal" Shane Hmiel took the checkers in 11th. Polesitter Henry Clarke came home in 12th. The "Bedford Blaster" Brady Short ended the night in 13th. Another native of New Castle, IN. "K-Rob" Kyle Robbins finished right behind Short in 14th. J.J. Phillips came home 15th, while 16th went to Hud Cone. Caleb Armstrong took the checkers in 17th, while Kokomo, IN. native Shane "The Throttle" Cottle ended the night in 18th. Canton, IL. racer "The Bear" Chris Windom finished right behind Cottle in 19th. Levi Jones and  "The Demon" Damion Gardner both flipped on Lap 14th. Jones ended the night in 20th, with Gardner finishing right behind him in 21st. "The Madman" Robert Ballou came home 22nd, while Ricky Williams brought up the rear in 23rd.

One other note, Adam Nigg had a nasty flip during the qualifying sessions, and was later taken to Terre Haute Regional Hospital for treatment. An update on Nigg will be on Through the Gears soon. Jones and Gardner were both okay after their crash on Lap 14 of the A-Main.

The new points leader for the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week is "The People's Champ" Dave Darland (Pictured Left). Darland has 218 points and holds an eleven point advantage over TSR racer Levi Jones, who has 207 points. Clauson is right behind Jones in third with 203 points. Clayton is fourth with 192 points, while Stanbrough sits in fifth place with 190 points. The next stop on the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series is Brownsburg Speedway tomorrow (Thursday, July 15th). Look for continued coverage of the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series each night from the one and only "Through the Gears." Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Goodnight and God Bless.

Action-Packed Saturday Night at MCS

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Fred Patton (http://www.fredericsphoto.com/)
Source: http://www.miamicountyspeedway.com/results07-10-10.htm

PERU, IN.- Miami County Speedway hosted another action-packed program this past Saturday night. Taking another impressive Junior Class feature was Kokomo, IN. native Kayaleb Bolton (Pictured Left, #X). Jacob Bigger finished right behind Bolton in second. Third belonged to Seth Ireland. Brian Bunner came home fourth, while fifth went to Stanley Abbott.

In the Restrictor Class division, Jacob Melvin (Pictured Right, #0) took the checkered flag. Cole Angle put together a solid run to finish second. Shelby Larson came home third. Last weekend's Restrictor feature winner Barbie Kimmel raced her way to a fourth place finish. Rounding out the top five Restrictors was Zach Shepler.

Warsaw, IN. racer Stuart Hanft (Pictured Left, #69H) won the Wing Class feature on Saturday night. Chris Wilner came home second. Jason Montel took third. Fourth went to Brian Busz, while Kenyon Midget racer and Kokomo, IN. native Halen Shafer rounded out the top five.

Zeke Lewis (Pictured Right, #33Z) picked up the feature win in Nonwing action. Peru, IN. racer Brandon Rose took home a solid second place finish. North Manchester, IN. native Jordan Lambert finished right behind Rose in third. Fourth went to Jacob Moore, while Amboy, IN. racer took the checkers in fifth place.

Jeff Weideman (Pictured Left, #92) took the feature victory in the Senior Class. John DeGood came away with a hard fought second place finish. Gary Miller raced his way to a third place finish, while Jim Ray finished fourth. Mike Stahl rounded out the top five finishers.

Miami County Speedway will host the Restrictor Class Special this Saturday night (July 17th). The winner of the Restrictor Class feature will be awarded $150. Along with the $150, the feature winner will be awarded double points. Miami County Speedway will also be running it's action-packed regular program on Saturday night. Come check out Miami County Speedway next Saturday (July 17th). It's only $5.00 for adults.  Children 12 years or under get in for free. I'll be there, will you?

Jones Comes Through with Big Win at Kokomo

Jones Increases his ISW lead

23rd Induana Sprint Week

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider

Photos By: Dave Merritt (http://www.davespitpassphotos.com/)

Source: http://www.usacracing.com/index.php?id=3885

KOKOMO, IN.- Tony Stewart Racing's Levi Jones (Pictured Left) took the checkered flag Sunday night, winning the third night of the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week. "It felt awesome to win tonight. It was awesome to be able to run wide open for 30 laps," Jones said.  Jones holds a 32 point advantage over second place "The Bedford Blaster" Brady Short in the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week points standings.

Taking a hard fought second place finish was the "Bedford Blaster" Brady Short. After the race, Short explained, "It felt pretty good to get 2nd. We started the A-Main in 16th place. We came here to Indiana Sprint Week, trying to win a title. We have two 2nd place finishes so far." Short continued, "We go to some of my favorite tracks. We're gonna go out and try to win a couple."

Canton, IL. racer "The Bear" Chris Windom put together a solid run to finish third. "It was kind of a tough race tonight. We led it and fell back. We are happy with 3rd," said Windom.

Kokomo, IN. native Shane "The Throttle" Cottle came away with a strong fourth place finish. "It felt good considering the week we are having. It gives us some confidence, heading into these next couple of tracks," Cottle said.

Rounding out the top five was Tucson, AZ. native Jerry Coons Jr. "The People's Champ" Dave Darland took the checkers in sixth place. "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson came up through the field to pick up a seventh place finish. Eighth went to Terre Haute, IN. racer Blake Fitzpatrick. Tracy Hines came home in nineth, while Henry Clarke was tenth.

"The Real Deal" Shane Hmiel worked his way up to finish 11th. Matt Mitchell finished 12th, while Fortville, IN. native Jonathan Hendrick came home 13th. Fourteenth belonged to Bud Kaeding. Clayton ended the night in 15th. Justin Grant and Chase Stockton took the checkers in 16th and 17th respectfully. Temecula, CA. racer Mike Spencer finished 18th. "The Hawk" Darren Hagan finished 19th. Rocklin, CA. native Robert Ballou took 20th, while Jeff Bland Jr. raced his way to 21st.

"Hundred Percent" Hunter Schuerenberg flipped coming outta four in the Sprint Car B-Main. Jon Stanbrough raced his way from 20th all the way up to 4th, before flipping on Lap 24. Stanbrough ended the night in 22nd.  Brownsburg native Bobby East and "The Demon" Damion Gardner both flipped during the A-Main. East finished the night in 24th, while Gardner came home 25th.

The Indiana Sprint Week series will return to action this Wednesday (July 14th) at the Action Track in Terre Haute, IN.

I would like to thank all the Sprint Car racers, their families, the race track officials, and USAC for letting me come in and cover the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series. I've made some good friends. I also would like to give a big thank you to everyone out there, who follows "Through the Gears"!!! You all ROCK!!! Look for continued coverage from the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series throughout the rest of this week and weekend.  -Matt "Night" Rider

Stanbrough Breaks Through With Big Win

23rd Indiana Sprint Week
Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (http://www.davespitpassphotos.com/)

GAS CITY, IN.- Avon, IN. racer Jon Stanbrough (Pictured Left) won a hard fought 30 lap feature in front of the largest crowd to ever gather at Gas City Speedway in the second night of 2010 Indiana Sprint Week competition. Following the big win, Stanbrough said, "It felt good especially after last night. We definitely needed this one to build our confidence." 

Taking a strong second finish in Saturday night's A-Main was Temecula, CA. native Mike Spencer. "It felt really good. Sprint Week is tough. This was the first time we raced this week. It feels good to come outta here with a top three finish." Tony Stewart Racing's Levi Jones edged former TSR teammate Tracy Hines for third. "We kept it in one piece and that's what you gotta do over a seven race series," Jones said.

The 2010 Indiana Sprint Week continues tomorrow (Sunday) night at the always exciting Kokomo Speedway.

Darland Wins In Late Stages at Lawrenceburg

23rd Indiana Sprint Week
Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photo By: Dave Merritt (http://www.davespitpassphotos.com/)
Source: http://www.usacracing.com/index.php?id=3879

LAWRENCEBURG, IN.- Lincoln, IN. racer Dave Darland opened the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series with a victory at the Lawrenceburg Speedway on Friday.

Bedford, IN. native Brady Short came home second, while third went to Brownsburg, IN.'s Bobby East. Last year's Indiana Sprint Week Champion Levi Jones raced his way to fourth.  "The Demon" Damion Gardner rounded out the top five finishers on the first night of the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series.

Sixth place belonged to Hunter Schuerenberg, while Daron Clayton put together a good run to finish seventh. Justin Grant came home eighth, while Terre Haute, IN. racer Blake Fitzpatrick raced his way to a nineth place showing. Rounding out the top ten finishers from the first night of the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series was "The Bullet" Bryan Clauson.

The 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series will head up north for the weekend, racing at the always exciting Gas City (I-69) Speedway on Saturday, July 10th and the Kokomo Speedway on Sunday, July 11th. Check the Amsoil National Sprint Car schedule (http://www.usacracing.com/sprint_index/schedule_s) for the rest of the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series schedule.

2010 Indiana Sprint Week Preview

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (http://www.davespitpassphotos.com/)
Schedule Source: http://www.usacracing.com/sprint_index/schedule_s
Points Standings Source: http://www.usacracing.com/sprint_index/points_s

ALL OVER INDIANA- The USAC National Sprint Cars are set to do battle in what some call, including me, the most exciting week, in dirt track racing.  The 2010 Indiana Sprint Week kicks off at the Lawrenceburg Speedway on Friday, July 9th. Then it's off to Gas City Speedway (Saturday, July 10th) and Kokomo Speedway (Sunday, July 11th). The series takes a few days off to regroup before returning to action at the Action Track in Terre Haute on Wednesday, July 14th. On Thursday, July 15th, the series heads to Brownstown Speedway. The 2010 Indiana Sprint Week wraps up with two weekend shows in Bloomington and Tri-State Speedways on Friday and Saturday, July 16th and 17th.

 Last year, Tony Stewart Racing's Levi Jones edged out the Bullet Bryan Clauson for the Indiana Sprint Week title. In my book, Jones and Clauson (Pictured #2B Upper Left) are my favorites to take this year's title or possibly repeat as Champion. Jones is the current Sprint Car points leader, with "The Demon" Damion Gardnre in second, and Clauson is close by in third. Other names to look out for, when considering a winner would be Lincoln, IN. native "The People's Champ" Dave Darland. Along with Darland, Jerry Coons Jr. Brad Sweet has to be another pair of favorites. Lastly, I would like to mention that Kokomo, IN. racer Shane "The Throttle" Cottle (Pictured #10E Upper Right) has won Track Championships at both the Gas City Speedway and Kokomo Speedways. He will be racing the #10E for Edison Motorsports in this year's Indiana Sprint Week competition.

Everyone has a favorite and anyone could win it. I can't wait to see a very competitive field in the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week series! I'll be there, will you?

2 Nights of Racing Action at Miami County Speedway

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Fred Patton

PERU, IN.- This 4th of July weekend was a memorable one for Miami County Speedway. The Speedway hosted not one, but two nights of micro sprint racing action on Saturday and Sunday nights.  On Saturday, 127 cars signed in to race, with 63 cars racing on Sunday. The Speedway made up two big features in the Nonwing and Restrictor classes.

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010

Delphi, IN. native Matt Johnson (Pictured Left) took the checkered flag in the 25 lap Nonwing feature make-up.  After the big win, Johnson said, "It was awesome to win tonight. This was my first feature win in the Nonwing class. My Dad (Rob) won the Senior Salute to the Troops feature makeup. This is awesome to win it." Second place belonged to KC Hughes, while #08 Austin Brown came home third.

There were a total of four B-Mains raced on Saturday night, because of the large car count. Winning the first Nonwing B-Main was North Manchester, IN. racer #23L Jordan Lambert. Coming in second was the #17 of Joe Leek, while #88 Travis Ray took the checkers in third. In the second Nonwing B-Main, #33Z Zeke Lewis won from the pole. The #44T of Zach Taylor raced to a second place finish, while #2J Justin Moore took third.

In the first Wing B-Main, Tyler Courtney cruised to victory. John DeGood finished second, while third went to #4 Sam Kimmel. Taking the second Wing B-Main was the #11J of Jason Montel. The #305 of Randy Shilling raced his way to second, while third went to #62  Joe Taylor.

Denver, IN. racer Justin Harper (Pictured Right, red car) took the win in the Junior 25 lap A-Main on Saturday night. "It felt good to win tonight. This was my fourth Junior Class feature win of the season," Harper said. Kayaleb Bolton came home second, while Stanley Abbott ended his night with a good third place run.

Taking Saturday night's Wing Class A-Main was Indianapolis, IN. racer Zach Taylor (Pictured Left). After the big win, Taylor explained, "It felt great. I started fourth. Everyone was running the high side, but I was able to run the low side." Travis Ray came home second, while Kris Knox raced his way to a hard fought third place finish.

Mentone, IN. native Barbie Kimmel (Pictured Right) won Saturday night's 25 lap Restrictor A-Main from the pole. "It felt amazing to win tonight. I haven't won since last year, so it felt awesome to come back and do it again," Kimmel said. Dax Kendall finished right behind Kimmel in second, while Addison True took home third place honors.

Kendallville, IN. racer Ben Taylor (Pictured Left) raced his way to a hard fought win in Saturday night's Nonwing A-Main. "It felt good to win. It's been awhile since my last feature win," Taylor said. Peru, IN. native Brandon Rose picked up second place, while Tyler Courtney finished in third.

Delphi, IN. racer Rob Johnson (Pictured Right) raced his way to another big win in the Senior Class finale. After the exciting win, Johnson said, "It was super. It's a blessing when you get to win. It was what I came to do." Taking second place honors was Gary Miller. Mike Morock raced his way to a solid third place finish.

SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2010

Special night for Parker Price-Miller

First off I would like to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July! Second I would like to thank the many men and women of our United States Armed Forces, who continue to fight for our freedom!

On Sunday night, Kokomo, IN. racer Parker Price-Miller (Pictured Left and Right) did something that is rarely seen in the racing world. He won the make-up "Salute to the Troops" Restrictor Class feature, then went on to later win Sunday night's Restrictor Class feature! I want to congratulate Price-Miller on this awesome feat. After winning both Restrictor Class features, Price-Miller said, "It felt really good. It was hard to win 2 features in one night. We crashed last night, and wasn't for sure if we could race it tonight. The pit crew di a great job, getting the car back together. I want to thank my pit crew and family."

Taking second in Sunday night's Restrictor Class A-Main was Peru, IN. racer Braiden Black. Richard Dobbins took home a solid third place finish.

Another Kokomo, IN. racer, Kayaleb Bolton (Pictured Right) took the victory in Sunday night's 25 lap Junior Class feature. After the win, Bolton said, "It felt good to win tonight. I would like to thank Ryan, my Dad, my Grandpa and Grandma, my Uncle Jimmy, and all my sponsors for their support this season." Taking second behind Bolton was Jered Van Ness. Taking third place honors was Tate Andrew Price.

Kokomo, In native Andrew Peters (Pictured Left) bounced back from a flip in Saturday night's Wing A-Main, to take the win in Sunday night's Wing Class A-Main. Taking second place honors was North Manchester, IN.racer Jordan Lambert, while Tyler Courtney came home in third place.

North Manchester, IN. native Jordan Lambert (Pictured Right) raced his way to Sunday night's 25 lap Nonwing A-Main victory. After the big win, Lambert said, "It felt great to win tonight. The track felt good for the win. I would like to thank my Dad, Rodney Stealy, NAPA, and Shreoder Automotive for all their support this season." Taking the checkers in second place was Westfield, IN. racer Stephanie Mockler, while third belonged to Amboy, IN. native Laine Hite.

.Camden, IN. racer Tony Carlson (Pictured Left) took Sunday night's Senior Class A-Main.  After the Senior Class victory, Carlson said, "It felt good to finally win one (feature). I would like to thank John "Bubba" Banes and Nick Banes. They were my help tonight." Taking second place honors was Rob Parish, while third went to #53.

Micro sprint racing resumes at the Miami County Speedway this coming Saturday night, July 10th. Look for coverage of the 2010 Indiana Sprint Week, starting Friday, July 9th and all throughout this next week on Through the Gears.

The #3 Wins One More TIme

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photo By:  Sports Illustrated (http://sports.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/racingfront.asp?series=NATIONWIDE&eref=sinav)

Schedules and Times: NASCAR Nationwide Series (http://nationwide.nascar.com/nationwide-series/races/2010/schedule); NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/)

DAYTONA BEACH, FL.- The famous #3 was back for one more night. Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag, winning the Jalapeno 250 Nationwide race in the vintage #3 (Pictured Left), honoring the amazing legacy of his legendary father Dale Earnhardt Sr.

I will be completely honest with you on this one. When I saw that Dale Jr. won in the #3, I cried tears of joy. Like many, many others, I am a Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr. fan. This was a race I will never forget, for many reasons. First off, the #3 came back for one more night and won! As I watched this amazing victory, I couldn't help, but think that Dale Sr. was in the driver's seat, right there with his son Dale Jr. This race also brought back memories of the 7-Time NASCAR Champion's victory in the 1998 Daytona 500! I really thought it was cool how all the Earnhardt fans raised the #3 in honor of Dale Sr. as Dale Jr. took the checkers!!! I just want to give a shout out to all the Dale Sr. and Jr. fans out there!!! This was one hell of a win!!!

Finishing second after Dale Jr. was Joey Logano. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. picked up a third place finish, while fourth belonged to Brad Keselowski. Kevin Harvick came home fifth, while Clint Bowyer took sixth. Finishing seventh was Kyle Busch, while South Bend, IN. native Ryan Newman ended his night in eighth. Brian Ickler raced his way to a nineth place showing, while Steve Arpin rounded out the top ten finishers in Friday night's Japaleno 250 at Daytona.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action tonight. You can catch the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola on TNT (or your local racing channel). All the action kicks off at 7:30 PM tonight from Daytona. After another exciting race, it's off to Chicagoland Speedway for the Nationwide racers. Next Friday, July 9th, the NASCAR Nationwide Series will race the Dollar General 300 Powered By Coca-Cola. All the action next Friday night kicks off on ESPN (or your local racing channel) at 7:30 PM.

Big Win For Ballou

Written By: Matt "Night" Rider
Photos By: Dave Merritt (http://www.davespitpassphotos.com/)

GAS CITY SPEEDWAY (GAS CITY, IN.)- It was another beautiful night for racing at the Gas City Speedway.  The Gas City Speedway ran it's regular program of Sprint Cars, UMP Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Thunder Cars on Friday night.

Rocklin, CA. native Robert Ballou (Pictured Left) took home his second Gas City Sprint Car feature win this season. After the big win, Ballou said, "It felt good to win tonight. We won once here this season. This is probably one of the hardest tracks we come too, because it's D-Shape." Ballou would like to thank Dallas Malvaney, Jim Plew, Donnott Racing Engines, and Hinchman Uniforms for all their support this season. 

Fortville, IN. native Jonathan Hendrick came home with a hard fought second place finish in the Sprint Car feature. "It was good. We've been having some trouble lately, so it was good to come out of here with a top three finish," Hendrick said.  Taking third was Carmel, IN. racer Andrew Elson. "It felt really good to finish in the top three. It was just hard to pass out there tonight," Elson said. Finishing fourth was Chris Gurley, while fifth belonged to Kokomo, IN. racer Shane Cottle.

 Claypool, IN. racer Zeke McKenzie took the checkers, winning the 25 lap UMP Modified finale. An excited McKenzie said, "It felt great to win tonight. We are doing good this season. We have three feature wins, two at Gas City Speedway, and one up north in Butler, MI." McKenzie went on to explain, "We got a lot of help from family, my Uncle, and Ryan Cripe." McKenzie would like to thank his Grandpa, his Dad, Zach, Rick, Cripe, and all of his sponsors for all their support this season.

Coming home with a strong second place finish was Columbia City, IN. racer Tommy Beasley II. "It felt awesome to have another good run tonight. We're leading the UMP Modified point standings, so it was a good points night for us," Beasley II said. Finishing right behind Beasley II was North Manchester, IN. native Ryan Cripe. After the race, Cripe said, "It felt real good to get a top three finish tonight. I just wish we could get up there and race with Zeke." Cripe would like to thank the McKenzie family and Dwayne Eakright for all their support this season. Fourth went to JD Francis, while Jeff Ochs took home a top five finish in the UMP Modified feature.

Craig Walker came home with the Street Stock feature victory on Friday night. Brandon Roundtree took second place, while third belonged to Brett Clark. Landon Miller raced his way to a hard fought fourth place finish, while Jeff Baldauf ended the night in fifth.

DJ Holt started outside the front row and never looked back, winning the Thunder Car finale. Polesitter Josh Owens put together another solid race to come home second. Third went to Jerald Owens. Jason Strout finished the night in fourth, while Mark Keith came home with the final spot in the top five feature finishers.

Gas City Speedway will not race it's regular program this coming Friday (July 9th). They will return to action on Saturday, July 10th, as the speedway welcomes back the USAC National Sprint Cars. This is going to be a very exciting race, as the USAC National Sprint Cars will be running the 23rd annual Indiana Sprint Week Series. I'll be there, will you?