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Winger and Gossum Win Hell Tour Events at Tri-City Motor Speedway

08/20/2021 (Auburn MI) Another beautiful Michigan night welcomed fans and drivers to the Tri-City Motor Speedway last Friday night. This night was the second to last evening of the annual UMP DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour for both UMP Modifieds and UMP Late Models. Drivers from over 10 states came to TCMS to compete against the Michigan favorites. In addition, the Auto Value Pro Stocks had their $3000 to win ALLSTAR Performance Challenge Series race. In all, the pits were packed with over 130 cars and drivers competing in front of a packed grandstand of eager fans.

Prior to the opening ceremonies, the ALLSTAR Performance Mini-Wedge drivers took to their track. In the unrestricted motor class, Addy Wade managed to beat Kyron DeShano in the heat race. However, DeShano was able to best Wade in the feature by taking the win to Wade’s second place. In the restricted motor division, point leader Cason Murphy took both the heat and feature wins.

The Summit Equipment UMP Modifieds brought twenty-seven of the nation’s best drivers, including NASCAR favorite Kenny Wallace, to complete against Michigan’s best UMP modified drivers. Jeffrey Erickson, Curt Spalding, and Kentucky’s Hunt Gossum captured heat race wins. Dave Baker was able to win the last chance qualifier to race his way into the thirty lap main event. Erickson jumped to the lead from the front row at the start of the main event. At lap fifteen, 16-year old Gossum was able to pull alongside Erickson to take charge of the feature field. Once Gossum took over, he was able to use lapped traffic to pull away from Erickson and take the win by a margin of 2.5 seconds. Erickson had to settle with a runner-up finish with Curt Spalding, Kenny Wallace, and Collin Thirlby taking the remainder of the top five finishing positions.

The Auto Value Pro Stock class had their ALLSTAR Performance Challenge Series event on Friday night paying an unprecedented $3000 to win the 25-lap feature. All of the regular season powerhouse drivers were in contention early before point leader Andrew Steele broke in turn two in the first half of the event knocking him to a fourteenth place finish. Nate Murphy looked to be a favorite for the win, but he, too, struggled to maintain speed. He held of challenges from Tim Murphy and Jared Rizer during the caution–filled event. However, it was Timmy Near, who won the most recent TCMS Pro Stock Challenge Series checkered flag, making the winning pass in the top groove and collect the big top prize. Rizer finished a close second ahead of Tim Murphy, Nate Murphy, and Danielle Robinson. Steele and Jack Emmons won their heat races.

The Auto House Factory Stocks kicked off the feature events for the capacity crowd. Jayden Boyd led the field of 24 to the green and was able to lead the first lap. It was short lived as Jake Thompson made it around Boyd. Thompson, who has been winless at TCMS so far in 2021, managed to survive numerous restarts keep the lead. The final restart gave Eric Lake and Jim Miller Jr. an opportunity to put the heat on Thompson. They battled three wide for a few laps before Lake took the lead to himself. On the final lap, Miller and Thompson made contact sending Thompson spinning to a stop in turn one. Miller Jr. ended up finishing behind Lake at the checkered flag with Thompson stuck with a 16th place finish. Ryan Nethers came from the back of the field after having to stop in the pits on the first lap of the race to finish third ahead of Kyle Andrzejewski and Katie Robinson. Robinson and Thompson took home heat race gold.

Twenty XLT Engineering 4-6 Cylinder drivers took the green flag in the 15-lap main feature. The show was dominated by the two drivers, Chad Freeman and Ethan Robarts, who had started in row two. Freeman was able to overtake Chris Wassman early to claim the top spot that he never relinquished. Despite the strong effort by Robarts, Freeman held off every challenge that Robarts made to take the lead. Freeman bested Robarts at the finish line with heat race winners Herb Freeman and Nick Bullock finishing in the top four spots. Wassman would survive with a fifth place effort.

Heat race winner Frank Heckenast Jr. jumped past Benton, Kentucky driver and pole sitter Tanner English (who also won his heat race) to lead the opening laps of the 40-lap feature for the DIRTcar Late Model Hell Tour. The Frankfort Illinois driver had his hands full on the slick surface but was able to keep the field well behind him until lap 10 when the caution flew for a spun Brandon Thirlby. By lap 20, Ohio driver and fan favorite Devin Moran (heat race winner) started to march his way to the front as were the Michigan favorites Chad Finley, Dona Marcoullier, Cody Bauer, Travis Stemler, and TCMS point leader Eric Spangler. Lap 21 had a change of the lead as Ashton Winger (heat race winner) used the low lane to pass Heckenast Jr.. With five laps remaining, Winger had a commanding lead despite Moran’s best efforts to track him down. Just as the checkered flag was about to wave, two cars spun in turn four bringing out the caution and creating a one lap shoot-out for the win. The single file restart for the final lap and a $10k payday put the crowd on their feet as second place car Moran pulled alongside leader Winger out of turn four making contact to the finish. However, the Georgia native was able to hold onto the lead and capture his fifth Hell Tour feature win of 2021 over Moran, Heckenast Jr., English, and Marcoullier. Joe Godsey won the last chance qualifier to secure his spot in the main event.

This Friday is Troll Smokehouse IMCA Modified night with the winning driver of the main event collecting $1000! All of our house divisions will be in action as the 2021 season starts to wind down and Champions begin to crowned. For updated and instant results, season and Challenge Series point standings and the 2021 race schedule, visit the TCMS website at tricityracetrack.com or download the MyRacePass app.

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