PLYMOUTH—Green flag racing was the theme for Saturday’s feature racing at Plymouth Speedway. Even the 600 mini sprints that had the biggest incident of the evening waited till the final lap bringing out the checkered and red flag.
Noah Miller collected the feature win on his birthday from his front row starting position. The final lap collision was between Kyle Gunkel running eighth and Chad Hartzell in ninth. After taking the white flag Gunkel spun in turn two and came to a stop broadside across the track. Hartzell, his rear brake glowing bright red possibly reducing his stopping ability was unable to avoid Gunkel striking him. Both cars went airborne with Gunkle landing on his cage and Hartzell on his tires. The 18 of Gunkel was leaking fuel siting upside down but he was able to get out and the car righted without any further issue.
Finishing the lap was Miller in first, Garrett Wagoner in second and Jacob Ruppe in third.
The Pro-Sprint feature also saw a big collision between brothers Eric and Garrett Saunders with both cars receiving damage but both continued on without bringing out a caution on lap three. Eric Saunders after the race took responsibility for the collision coming down on a passing Garrett Saunders who had a run on him down the back stretch. “I didn’t see him there when I turned down,” said Eric.
The damage didn’t seem to slow the two cars much as they went on to finish first and second even with a couple of yellows for spun vehicles.
Eric Saunders collected his fifth win of the season, Garrett Saunders limped to the finish in second and with a great view of the collision and saves finishing third was Jack James.
Super Streets put on a clean feature with plenty of passing and side by side racing with Ron Wilkes also winning his fifth feature of the season. The big news for the Super Streets was the pre-race announcement that the July 28 “Throwdown at the Playground” has grown to a 40 lap feature with a $10,000 to win purse.
Joining Wilkes on the podium was Michael Clark in second coming from a sixth start was the biggest mover of the race. Starting third finishing third was Calvin Peek Jr.
The UMP modifieds also had a clean action packed feature. The big mover in the feature was the winner Derek Losh. Losh started fifth getting a couple spots on the start and then methodically working his way past Dylan Woodling who started on pole and lead most of the first half of the race. Frank Marshall running low through the turns was eventually able to get past Woodling with a couple laps remaining to finish second. Woodling ran high through one and two and low through turns three and four seemed to hold off Marshall for several laps but it just wasn’t enough in the end to hold him off. Losh now has nine feature wins and a sizable 303 point lead over Matt Mitchell in second.
In the Thunder Stock division feature entertained with lots of racing as the biggest mover of the night across all the divisions was Bryan Banta. Banta started ninth in the twelve car feature because of a flat he suffered in the heat race, and finished on the podium in second behind Kevin Kerlin. Also passing a fair share of cars in the feature was Austen Hubbard. Hubbard started second but ended up taking an off track excursion while battling from his second place starting position with Banta and Kerlin. Instead of bringing out the yellow and going the back of the running order, Hubbard rejoined the racing in about the seventh position. As he worked his way forward he ran out of laps finishing fourth by half a car to Rodger Dillon.
Friday, July 20 the USAC Sprints visit Plymouth Speedway to kick off the 31st annual Indiana Sprint Week. This is the premier event on the USAC calendar as the best drivers in non-wing sprints will compete at a different track for a week. This is the first time the series will kick-off at Plymouth Speedway. General Admission is $25, reserved seats are $30 with hot laps beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the racing starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at www.usactickets.com.
The regular racing card will be racing Saturday making for an exciting two nights of racing.
Photos by Greg Hildebrand
Noah Miller of Akron, stands beside his winning 600 Mini-sprint after the feature. Miller celebrated his sixteen birthday with the win at Plymouth Speedway.
Eric Saunders sits on the top step of the podium after holding off his brother, Garrett Saunders, for the Pro-Sprint feature win. Eric Saunders is paralyzed from the chest down from a Motocross accident, he uses hand controls on his car and collected five features this year doing it. Also on the podium is Jake James in third place.
Ron Wilkes in the 19 Super Street fights along side the 12 of Matt Koval, Wilkes would go on to win the feature his fifth of the season at Plymouth Speedway. Saturday July 28 will feature these same drivers and plenty more as the Plymouth Speedway will host the “Throwdown at the Playground.” A 40 lap special event that will pay $10,000 dollars to the winner.
7/14/2018 at Plymouth Speedway
Modifieds
A Feature 1: 1. 21-Derek Losh, [5]; 2. 28M-Frank Marshall, [4]; 3. 3W-Dylan Woodling, [1]; 4. 14-Michael Thayer, [2]; 5. 2M-Matt Mitchell, [6]; 6. 37-Devin Wright, [3]; 7. 17T-Michael Tarlton, [7]; 8. 77L-Darrell Lowe, [8]; 9. 00-Cameron Head, [9]; 10. 08-DJ Streeter, [10]; 11. J7-Joey Iliff, [11]
Heat 1: 1. 21-Derek Losh, [1]; 2. 37-Devin Wright, [2]; 3. 2M-Matt Mitchell, [3]; 4. 17T-Michael Tarlton, [4]; 5. 00-Cameron Head, [5]; 6. J7-Joey Iliff, [6]
Heat 2: 1. 28M-Frank Marshall, 03:03.279[1]; 2. 3W-Dylan Woodling, 03:05.443[2]; 3. 14-Michael Thayer, 03:07.768[3]; 4. 77L-Darrell Lowe, 03:09.031[4]; 5. 08-DJ Streeter, 03:09.462[5]
600 Open
A Feature 1: 1. 35-Noah Miller, [2]; 2. 10-Garrett Wagoner, [3]; 3. 12-Jacob Ruppe, [5]; 4. 07-Tyler Chalk, [1]; 5. 15-Andy Hall, [6]; 6. 0C-Andrew Cockman, [12]; 7. 21-Brenton Lamb, [10]; 8. 18-Kyle Gunkel, [4]; 9. 57-Chad Hartzell, [9]; 10. 28H-Austin Helm, [15]; 11. 2M-Morgan Castle, [16]; 12. 6-Nick Schaefer, [7]; 13. 76-Zack Clark, [17]; 14. 18A-Devin Beer, [13]; 15. 27J-Joseph Irons, [19]; 16. 38-Brian Kunze, [18]; 17. 45-Ed Castle, [11]; 18. 3W-Dylan Woodling, [14]; 19. 69-Blake Lamb, [8]
Heat 1: 1. 15-Andy Hall, 05:10.023[1]; 2. 12-Jacob Ruppe, 05:10.268[2]; 3. 6-Nick Schaefer, 05:10.454[3]; 4. 21-Brenton Lamb, 05:11.313[4]; 5. 18A-Devin Beer, 05:12.297[5]; 6. 2M-Morgan Castle, 05:12.778[6]; 7. 27J-Joseph Irons, 05:13.399[7]
Heat 2: 1. 18-Kyle Gunkel, 08:39.545[1]; 2. 35-Noah Miller, 08:40.477[2]; 3. 69-Blake Lamb, 08:42.354[3]; 4. 45-Ed Castle, 08:45.146[4]; 5. 3W-Dylan Woodling, 05:50.780[5]; 6. 76-Zack Clark, [6]
Heat 3: 1. 07-Tyler Chalk, 02:06.104[1]; 2. 10-Garrett Wagoner, 02:06.341[2]; 3. 57-Chad Hartzell, 02:07.244[3]; 4. 0C-Andrew Cockman, 02:07.801[4]; 5. 28H-Austin Helm, 02:09.685[5]; 6. 38-Brian Kunze, 02:10.738[6]
Thunder Stocks
A Feature 1: 1. 34-Kevin Kerlin, [1]; 2. 7B-Bryan Banta, [9]; 3. 45-Rodger Dillon, [4]; 4. 114-Austen Hubbard, [2]; 5. 48C-Wade Clemmons, [8]; 6. 69M-James Mulkey Jr., [3]; 7. 18-Doug Grall, [6]; 8. 12-Chad McLean, [7]; 9. 99-Steven Neeley, [12]; 10. 21-jacob Kolwyck, [10]; 11. 94T-Blayne Townsend, [11]; 12. 5C-Tim Craig, [5]
Heat 1: 1. 34-Kevin Kerlin, [1]; 2. 18-Doug Grall, [2]; 3. 5C-Tim Craig, [3]; 4. 12-Chad McLean, [4]; 5. 7B-Bryan Banta, [5]; 6. 94T-Blayne Townsend, [6]
Heat 2: 1. 69M-James Mulkey Jr., [1]; 2. 114-Austen Hubbard, [2]; 3. 45-Rodger Dillon, [3]; 4. 48C-Wade Clemmons, [4]; 5. 21-jacob Kolwyck, [5]; 6. 99-Steven Neeley, [6]
Super Streets
A Feature 1: 1. 19-Ron Wilkes, [2]; 2. 91C-Michael Clark, [6]; 3. 88-Calvin Peek Jr, [3]; 4. 12-Matt Koval, [1]; 5. 15-Bob McLean, [4]; 6. 28-Joe Spiewak, [10]; 7. 91-Shane Pendleton, [5]; 8. 79-Mike Fincher, [8]; 9. 68-jason mitchell , [9]; 10. 83-Greg Marlow, [7]
Heat 1: 1. 12-Matt Koval, [2]; 2. 19-Ron Wilkes, [5]; 3. 88-Calvin Peek Jr, [4]; 4. 83-Greg Marlow, [1]; 5. 68-jason mitchell , [6]; (DNS) 51-Jason Fritz,
Heat 2: 1. 91C-Michael Clark, [2]; 2. 15-Bob McLean, [1]; 3. 91-Shane Pendleton, [4]; 4. 79-Mike Fincher, [3]; 5. 28-Joe Spiewak, [5]
Pro Sprints
A Feature 1: 1. 349-Eric Saunders, [1]; 2. 71-Garrett Saunders, [2]; 3. 99-Jack James, [3]; 4. 3G-John Gurley, [6]; 5. 18-Micheal Summers, [8]; 6. 42-Brayden Clark, [4]; 7. 70-Eli Lakin, [5]; 8. 48-Nicholas Hull, [7]
Heat 1: 1. 71-Garrett Saunders, [1]; 2. 70-Eli Lakin, [2]; 3. 349-Eric Saunders, [3]; 4. 48-Nicholas Hull, [4]
