It was a return to Victory Lane for both Luke Thomas and Kyle Reinhardt in Friday night Micro Sprint action at the Spirit Auto Center Speedway. Matt Miller picked up the win in the Speedway All-Star Bagel Stop Slingshot feature while Scott Miller raced to his seventh win in Four Cylinder Enduro competition. Nathan Smith returned to Victory Lane in the 600 Novice feature event.
It was Thomas’ second Spirit victory of the season but his first since the arrival his daughter, Kinzey, just two weeks earlier. Thomas dedicated this win to Kinzey.
Kyle Spence and Mike Linderman led the field to the start of the twenty lap main event with Spence leading the way for the first four laps while Thomas advanced from his seventh place start. It was a three car race for the lead when Thomas joined Spence and Linderman on the third circuit. Thomas grabbed the lead on lap five.
Three time feature winner, Matt Smith raced into third on lap seven but Linderman proved to be a worthy opponent as he battled with Smith to the checkered flag for his best ever Spirit Auto Center Speedway finish,. Travis Hill battled from mid-pack to a fourth place finish at the checkered.
Thomas took the checkered flag over Linderman, Smith and Hill. Sam Lamothe finished fifth after running in the top five throughout the entire event.
Thomas as not been racing on a weekly basis this season but he couldn’t thank car owner, Kenny Vincent enough for the hours spent preparing the No. 97T for competition. “This isn’t the same car that we usually race here,” Thomas related. “The racing is always good here.” And if you could tear your eyes away from the leaders, there was plenty of side by side action all the way through the back as positions were contested right to the checkered flag.
Tyler Reinhardt has won many times in 270 Micro competition at Spirit but the reigning track champion has never had the competition that he is experiencing this season. Coming into the night’s events, Reinhardt was locked in a dead heat in the points battle with Alex Swift who had already collected two wins this season.
Polesittler, John Wagner, led lap one before Reinhardt and Colin Bustard raced for the lead at the end of lap two. Reinhardt won the battle with Swift getting by Bustard for second just past the halfway mark. Swift challenged Reinhardt for the lead on a lap fourteen restart but another quick restart allowed Reinhardt to change his line and maintain the lead. Reinhardt began to pull away from the field as the laps counted down.. Swift finished second with Ken Andreas taking third. Kyle Weiss crossed the finish line in fourth with Bustard rounding out the top five.
Matt Miller topped off a perfect evening – first winning the qualifying race and then the twenty lap feature event for the Speedway All-Star Bagel Stop Slingshots. Miller picked up the win over Dave McCullough, Rich Partite, Chris Gall and David Bell.
Joe Garey started on the pole but it was Scott Miller who led every lap to capture the win in the i2M Technologies 4 Cylinder Enduro main event. Garey crossed the finish line in second with Kevin Revilla finishing third.
Nathan Smith was the winner of the eight lap Novice 600 Micro Sprint feature event.
Spirit Auto Center returns with three divisions of racing this Friday night at 8pm when the 270 & 600 Micro Sprints and Four Cylinder Enduros take to the quarter mile speedway.
600CC NOVICE MICRO SPRINT FEATURE (8 laps): 1. Nathan Smith, 2. Matt Davis, 3. Rich Afflerbach, 4. Kristi Hicks, 5. Ed Wolf
600CC MICRO SPRINT FEATUE (20 laps): 1. Luke Thomas, 2. Mike Linderman, 3. Matt Smith, 4. Travis Hill, 5. Sam LaMothe, 6. Gary Bozowski, 7. Jon Keller, 8. Kyle Spence, 9. Tyler DeVault, 10. P.J. Williams, 11. Lee Nardelli, 12. Richie Keller, 13. Josh Martin, 14. Joe Bednarek, 15. Brandon Pavel, 16. Billy Calvert, 17. Justin Murphy, 18. Rich Mellor, 19. Dave Damaio, 20. Nathan Smith, 21. Matt Davis, 22. Jermain Godshall, 23. Nick Walton, 24. Jim Tippin, 25. Nick Havens, DNQ – Kristi Hicks, Joe Dopke, Ed Wolf, Rich Afflerbach
270CC MICRO SPRINT FEATURE (20 laps): 1. Tyler Reinhardt, 2. Alex Swift, 3. Ken Andreas, 4. Kyle Weiss, 5. Colin Bustard, 6. Luke Fogg, 7. Rich Keller, 8. John Wagner, Jr., 9. Brandon Shipley, 10. Barry Pollard, 11. Billy Murphy, 12. Ryan Wozunk, 13. John Blanda, 14. Decker Morrow, 15. Tyler Grau, 16. Billy Gray, 17. Fred Hicks, 18. Ross Holler, 19. Jonathan John, DNS – Steve Corlis
SPEEDWAY ALL-STAR BAGEL STOP SLINGSHOTS (20 laps): 1. Matt Miller, 2. Dave McCullough, 3. Rich Partite, 4. Chris Gail, 5. David Bell, 6. Ashley Therien, 7. Dave Morrell, 8. Lou Partite, DNS – Steve Schenker
i2m FOUR CYLINDER ENDUROS (20 laps): 1. Scott Miller, 2. Joe Garey, 3. Kevin Revilla, 4. Art Knapp
Upcoming events
Friday, August 11 – 270 & 600 Micro Sprints, 4 Cylinder Enduros, racing at 8pm
Friday, August 18 – 270 & 600 Micro Sprints, 4 Cylinder Enduros & Slingshots, racing at 8pm
Friday, August 25 – 270 & 600 Micro Sprints, 4 Cylinder Enduros & Slingshots, racing at 8pm
Friday, September 1 – Final Points Night – 270 & 600 Micro Sprints, 4 Cylinder Enduros, racing at 8pm
Fridays, September 8, 15, 22 – No Racing
Friday, September 29 – Skyscraper Qualifier – 270 & 600 Micro Sprints and 4 Cylinders (rain date for final night of points – if needed) , Slingshots & Eight Cylinders – final points, racing at 8pm