SPIRIT AUTO CENTER QUARTER MILE DOES IT FOR DANNY

Instead of multiple days of qualifying and racing, Doug Rose came up with the Skyscraper 250 which represented fifty lap features for the Hyper Racing 600s, the AC Racing Products 270s and the Speedway Entertainment Junior Slingshots.  The Speedway Entertainment All Star Slingshots closed out the program with a 100 lap main event.

The Winged 270s had their fifty lap event split into two segments – a twenty lap segment and then the final thirty laps were run after the Junior Slingshot feature event.

Polesitter, Lee Nardelli grabbed the lead on the start from former Skyscraper winner, Ross Perchak.  Nardelli led the way for the first three laps before Pat Bealer raced into the lead with the Palmucci No. 16c.  Bealer quickly sped away from the field.

A multi-car tangle on lap nine involved nearly half of the field bringing out the red.  Most of the cars were able to continue but several had significant damage, sidelining the drivers from the remaining laps.  Past  Skyscraper winner, Ross Perchak was one of the cars unable to continue.

Bealer went back to work when the green waved and led the field to the break followed by Isaac Grady, Nardelli, 2025 Champion, Alex Swift and Nick Walton.

The cars lined up for the second segment as they were running at the end of twenty laps with Bealer leading the way over Grady, Nardelli, Swift and Walton.

Ten laps into the segment, Bealer came up on a slower car and was caught off guard by the closing rate.  The leader spun to avoid the lapped car.  The caution waved with Grady as the new race leader and Bealer rejoining the rear of the field.

Swift raced in second but Grady’s Bagel Rack No. 77 was able to do something that not many had done this season as he led Swift all the way to the checkered.  Swift finished second followed by Nardelli, Bealer and Brandon Heist.  Nick Walton finished sixth followed by Josh Anderson, Tommy Ratchford, John Wagner and Cole Wyers.

Grady was not only a first time winner on the Spirit quarter mile but the Skyscraper 250 marked his first ever race on the Bridgeport quarter mile.  Grady indicated that it wouldn’t be his last visit stating, “that was a lot of fun!”

The Junior Slingshots were next on the schedule with win leader, Waylon Wolf and Hailey Burnatowski leading the field to the green flag.  Wolf led the first eight laps but pulled off during a lap nine caution.

Burnatowski led for two laps before Anna Strachko took the lead on lap nine.

On lap fourteen, the No. 20T of Preston Trautshold raced into second after starting inside row four.  Lap after lap, Trautshold raced Strachko for the lead.  He showed his nose to the leader on several occasions but Strachko would not yield to the challenge.  Finally, on a lap thirty-four restart, Trautshold made it three wide for the lead, beating both Strachko and Burnatowski for the position.

Trautshold went on to capture the fifty lap win in his first ever Spirit appearance.  Strachko finished second followed by Burnatowski, David Morrison and Khloe Dennis.  Morrison barrel rolled in turn two on lap nine.  Safety crews checked out the driver, rolled the car over and Morrison tagged the rear of the field and racing to a fourth place finish.  Tommy Morris finished sixth with MJ Trailes, Jack Brey, Bradley Dennis and Casey Peck rounding out the top ten.

PJ Williams and Tommy Kunsman made up the front row of the Hyper Racing 600 feature with Williams grabbing the lead on the start.  Williams held a lead of several car lengths over Kunsman who raced ahead of Tim Buckwalter for the first ten laps.  Connor Gross took over third a few laps later and raced in third behind Williams and Kunsman until the final laps.

Gross took over second on lap forty-two, setting his sights on the race leader.  Gross was relentless in his pursuit, finally taking the lead on lap forty-eight.  The two drivers agreed that lapped traffic played a role but Williams some handling issues late in the race, just enough to give Gross an opportunity.

It was Gross for the win over Williams, Kunsman, Buckwalter and James Hendricks who raced in the top five for the entire fifty laps.  Cole Neibert finished sixth followed by Julian Rexrode, AJ Chvostal, JT Bierman and Robert Pierce.

Gross is a past champion at Spirit but this marked his first Skyscraper victory.

Twelve time feature winner and 2025 Champion, Jonathan Laureigh started on the pole for the 100 lap feature for the All Star Slingshots with Brett Bieber to his outside.  It took several attempts to score the first lap but Laureigh led the first two time around the quarter mile.  Bieber took the lead on a lap three restart and went the distance, in spite of the challenges of several competitors.

Dylan Hoch and Darian Danyluk made their way by Laureigh on lap seventeen as Bieber managed to pull ahead by several car lengths, even racing through lapped traffic.  At the halfway fuel stop, Bieber led the way over Hoch, Danyluk, Brayden Morrison and J Laureigh.

Bieber went back to work after the break with Hannah Kormann racing into the top five in her first All Star Slingshot race.

With twenty-five laps to go, J Laureigh made his way back into the top five with Matthew Lachley in close pursuit.  Five laps later, Bieber had a near miss after contact with a lapped car that racing in the preferred line.  Bieber made it through but Hoch was then collected with both cars going over the second turn banking.  Hoch tagged the back of the field for the restart.

Bieber raced to the win followed by Jonathan Laureigh who had a very active one hundred laps.  Danyluk finished third followed by Hoch who rebounded to a fourth place finish over Lachley.  Hannah Kormann finished sixth followed by Brayden Morrison,  Christopher Laureigh, Austin Walls and Jason Kohler.

Thanks to all of the Skyscraper 250 Sponsors who made this possible – Cassidy Painting, AC Racing Products, National Fragile X Foundation, Dave Orange Racing Engines, Rodota Trucking & Excavating, Danny’s Pizza Pizzazz, Keith Gerhart, Jeff Ahlum, Hyper Racing, American Racer, Hoosier Tire, CPG Motorsports, KL Vincent Welding, All County Garage and Scott’s Auto and Towing.

1. Connor Gross, 2. P.J. Williams, 3. Tommy Kunsman, 4. Tim Buckwalter, 5. James Hendricks, 6. Cole Neibert, 7. Julian Rexrode, 8. A.J. Chvostal, 9. J.T. Bierman, 10. Robert Pierce, 11. Korey Inglin, 12. Billy Calvert, 13. David Burns, 14. Steve Miller, 15. Shea Wills, 16. Mike Lapicki, 17. Brett Conkling, 18. Jacob Walker, 19. Logan Dontonville

1. Isaac Grady, 2. Alex Swift, 3. Lee Nardelli, 4. Pat Bealer, 5. Brandon Heist, 6. Nick Walton, 7. Josh Anderson, 8. Tommy Ratchford, 9. John Wagner, 10. Cole Wyers, 11. Dom Pomponi, 12. Jonathan John, 13. Corey Andersen, 14. Jake Gent, 15. Dylan Pence, 16. Marshall Labuda, 17. Mark Landwher, 18. John Mauer, 19. Brett Estep, 20. Bennett Skelton, 21. Shea Wills, 22. Ross Perchak, 23. Joe Dopke, 24. Tyler Grau, 25. Logan Diehl, 26. Chase Walker, 27. Dylan DeVault, DNQ – Jack LeRoy, James Miller, Charles Chance, Jay Night, Tommy Kunsman

1. Brett Bieber, 2. Jonathan Laureigh, 3. Darian Danyluk, 4. Dylan Hoch, 5. Matthew Lachley, 6. Hannah Kormann, 7. Brayden Morrison, 8. Christopher Laureigh, 9. Austin Walls, 10. Jason Kohler, 11. Tina Dennis, 12. Gary Bozowski, 13. Dave Morrell, 14. Emily Suhr, 15. Gunner Heck, 16. Charlie Moore, 17. Axle LeRoy, 18. Wiiliam Evans III,

19. Vincent Robardo, 20. Aaron Weaver, 21. James Moeller, 22. Noak Hoskins

1. Preston Trautshold, 2. Anna Strachko, 3. Hailey Burnatowski, 4. David Morrison, 5. Khloe Dennis, 6. Tommy Morris, 7. M.J. Trailes, 8. Jack Brey, 9. Bradley Dennis, 10. Kasey Peck, 11. Waylon Wolf, 12. Kenna Evans, 13. Danny Kurtz, 14. Kylin Evans