Matt Kurtz
Article and photos from Dustin Carter
(10-3-16) The weather was all around Volusia Speedway Park this past Saturday night, but never got close enough to stop another action filled night of racing as five divisions took to the "Worlds Fastest Half Mile" with the exciting Eagle Jet Top Gun Sprint Car Series headlining the event for the final time in 2016.
The first feature to hit the track saw the Mercedes Benz Limited Late Models take the green and it was Nevin Gainey who would put on a show on his way to the front early on. Gainey would have the lead before the second lap could be completed over Steve Shead and checked out from the field driving Louis Ledlow's Snow Brothers #00 to his sixth win of the 2016 season. Gainey has been traveling around the state of Florida the past few weeks and had not been to VSP in over a month, but showed no signs of rust in a convincing victory in an unfamiliar race car. Steve Shead would come home in the runner up spot followed by Sonny Thompson, John Westbrook, and Tom Smith rounded out the top five.
Next up saw the exciting Allen Plumbing Hobby Stocks take the track as it was Donnie Ashford and Trevor Gamble battling out on the half mile with the tight points battle in the mix as well between the two local drivers. Ashford, who has seven wins on the year had Gambles number early on and would stretch his lead just past the half way point. Gamble would try all he could to catch the #66 of Ashford, but could not get close enough to strike. With just a handful of laps remaining, Gamble would
catch a break as Ashford would slow and pull off the track with a blown engine handing the lead over to Gamble who would go on and win his third feature of 2016 and extend his points lead to 26 markers of Ashford. Jordan McMillon came home an impressive second followed by Rusty Young, Cheyenne Sullivan, and Ashford.
catch a break as Ashford would slow and pull off the track with a blown engine handing the lead over to Gamble who would go on and win his third feature of 2016 and extend his points lead to 26 markers of Ashford. Jordan McMillon came home an impressive second followed by Rusty Young, Cheyenne Sullivan, and Ashford.
The main event of the evening went to the Eagle Jet Top Gun Sprint Car Series making their final appearance of 2016 at VSP. Dennis Musarca came into the event with just a 22 point lead over Matt Kurtz as the Sprint Cars wind down the 2016 season with just three events remaining. When the green flag dropped it was Matt Kurtz jumping out to the early lead with Gene Lasker on his rear nurf bar. As the race clicked away laps Kurtz would start top open up a sizable lead going into lap traffic and use amazing car control working his way through the rear of the field. Lasker held second until just under eight laps remaining when local standout Brett O'Donnell worked his way into the runner up spot. No one had anything for Kurtz though as he put on a clinic winning by just over five seconds. O'Donnell would come home in second followed by, Lasker, AJ Maddox, and Musarca rounded out the top five.
The fourth feature event of the evening went to the Revolution Racing presented by BOZARD Ford V8 Thunderstocks. Tim Hughes would lead the field to the green flag, but it was Travis Staats in the Action Automotive 9AR who was on the move early. Staats would take over the top spot just a few laps into the feature and open up a two second lead over the field. David Showers Jr., who started in row three, had some issues finding his way to the front of the field, but would ultimately find his way to the runner up spot with just six laps to go. Staats, who still had a sizable lead, would not be denied his first Thunderstock win of 2016 as Showers Jr. could not come close the the #9AR as Staats took home the win. Showers Jr. would cross the line in second followed by Alan Peacock, Tim Hughes, and Ben Hutto rounding out the top five.
The final feature of the night went to the Gary Yeomans Performance Parts Gladiators with Robert Young and Billy Barrington taking the field to the green. Barrington would jump out to the early lead on the high line as Young would drop to second and Jamie Sullivan Third. Barrington would open up a sizable lead over the field as Carter would do battle with Sullivan for third then slip past Young for the runner up spot with just five laps into the race. The first caution would come out for Jamie Sullivan having tire issues setting up a double file restart between Barrington and Carter. When Barrington went to fire he would have mechanical issues moving Carter into the lead. Barrington would get his #54 back into gear, but not before dropping to the rear of the field. Another caution would fall over the field on lap eight as Sullivan would get into Young. When the green dropped again Carter would continue to lead, but Barrington was on his rear bumper in hot pursuit after the mechanical issue. The race went down to the wire as Barrington would try a last ditch effort on the final turn to get around Carter, but the door was shut as Carter went on to win his eighth feature of the year. Barrington was second followed by Young, John Baxter, and Sullivan (docked two spots for jumping a restart).
Eagle Jet Top Gun Sprint Car Series - (10 Cars)
(Heat #1) Gene Lasker, Matt Kurtz, Dennis Musarca, Aileen Collins-Love, Frank Carlson
(Heat #2) AJ Maddox, Brett O'Donnell, Anthony D'Alessio, Dave
Thomas (DNS), Jeff Parks (DNS)
(Feature/25 Laps) Kurtz, O'Donnell, Lasker, Maddox, Musarca, D'Alessio, Collins-Love, Thomas, Carlson (DNF), Parks (DNF)
Mercedes Benz of Daytona Beach Limited Late Models - (12 Cars)
(Heat #1) Nevin Gainey, John Westbrook, Noah Cornman, Paul Shead, Tom Smith, Lisa O'Connor
(Heat #2) Sonny Thompson, Steve Shead, Ray Price, Chuck Jackson, Michael Ridgeway Jr., Jamie Dayhaw (DQ'ed)
(Feature/20 Laps) Gainey, S. Shead, Thompson, Westbrook, Smith, P. Shead, Cornman, Price, Jackson, Ridgeway Jr., O'Connor, Dayhaw (DNF)
Allen Plumbing Hobby Stocks - (6 Cars)
(Heat #1) Trevor Gamble, Donnie Ashford, Jordan McMillon, Rusty Young, Chris Doane, Cheyenne Sullivan
(Feature/20 Laps) Gamble, McMillon, Young, Sullivan, Ashford (DNF), Doane (DNF)
Revolution Racing presented by BOZARD Ford V8 Thunderstocks - (12 Cars)
(Heat #1) David Showers Jr., Travis Staats, Brett Carlton, Bobby McCormick, Donnie McCormick, James Parrish
(Heat #2) Alan Peacock, Ben Hutto, Tim Hughes, Matt Schloss, David Cloer, Javen Wells, Randy Bennett (DNS)
(Feature/20 Laps) Staats, Showers Jr., Peacock, Hughes, Hutto, Carlton, B. McCormick, Schloss, Bennett, D. McCormick, Parrish, Wells
Gary Yeomans Performance Parts Gladiators - (10 Cars)
(Heat #1) Jamie Sullivan, Dustin Carter, Billy Barrington, Robert Young, John Baxter
(Feature/15 Laps) Carter, Barrington, Young, Baxter, Sullivan, Michael Trotter, Matt Boner, Dalton Strehle, Danny Brown (DNS), Jay Wells (DNS)
