Pontoon Beach, IL (October 15th, 2022) – Logan Martin came up one spot shy of Cedar Creek Beef Jerky Victory Lane on Friday night at the Tri-City Speedway, but the 26 year old from West Plains, Missouri would not be denied on Saturday night as he went on to capture the win in the Lucas Oil MLRA’s season finale.

Martin started the main event from the eight spot on the grid, and made a slow but steady climb towards the front in the early going of the 40 lapper. Frank Heckenast Jr. led the field to the green from the pole after laying claim to the nights DirtonDirt Fast Time and winning his respective heat race. However, outside front row starter and veteran Billy Moyer took command of the field at the drop of the green from the outside pole and led the first nine laps.

A lap eight caution bunched up the field and Brian Shirley took advantage of a Moyer bobble, snagging the race lead on lap 10. For the majority of the event it looked like for the second year in a row Shirley would capture the win in the MLRA finale, as he built up a lead of over five seconds as the field closed in on the final ten laps. With Shirley in control Martin and Heckenast Jr. wagged a great side by side battle for second with Martin getting the position just before the races second cation waved with 13 laps to go.

Martin elected to restart on the bottom and Heckenast Jr. drove back by for the runner up spot just before the nights final caution waved for debris one lap latter. This time around Martin took the spot back and began his pursuit of Shirley. Just as he did one night ago, Martin took his XR1 Rocket Chassis to the high line of the track and quick reeled in Shirley. As the leaders entered turn three coming to five laps to go, Martin made the Swift Springs Move of the Race diving to the bottom and sliding up in front of Shirley. The leaders made contact and both nearly came to a stop, but it was Martin getting back to the throttle first to take over the top spot.

 

Martin managed to driver away from Shirley in the closing laps, scoring his second career Lucas Oil MLRA win by a 1.433 second margin over Shirley. Rusty Schlenk finished out the podium in third after starting in tenth. Moyer hung on for a 4th place finish while modified ace Mike Harrison made the charge from 18th to finish in fifth.

“It’s just awesome, Martin said of his $7,000 triumph. “I’m typically not that great here, so to come out here and be able to pick up a big win here at the end of the year means a lot for our whole team. Kevin Gundaker has a super facility here and had us an awesome track tonight.”  Martin continued in saying, “The track was super top dominant. I want to apologize to Shirley and his crew, I think I got into him down there when I passed for the lead which for sure was not our intentions. I’ve got a ton of respect for that guy (Shirley) and hate that we made contact down there. I don’t get to run very many MLRA races any more so I’m just thankful for the ones we do get to win and appreciative.” 

Martin dedicated the win to Hayden Ross, the young Oklahoma late model racer who passed away unexpectedly this week. “Hayden was definitely riding with me tonight and I want to dedicate this win to him,” concluded Martin.

Shirley came up just five laps short of his fourth career MLRA win, noting, “We were pretty good, we just needed to be a little better. Unfortunately we just couldn’t enter in on it as good as I needed to. Logan could enter in on it a little better and I think he was freeer’ to where he could run on it and get on it.”

The nights third place finisher Schlenk commented after the race, “I love this place man, and that’s why we make the seen hour trip over here all the time. It’s one of my favorite places to race. Top, bottom, middle you can race all over this thing. I like when it rolls up a little cushion on the wall too because it kind of separates the men from the boys. I think I sealed my right front tire off at the end, after we went back green I had no right front tire and I couldn’t steer at all anymore so I was kind of relying on the cushion. If it wasn’t for that I think we were kind of hanging with Logan for most of the race and might have been able to have given him a run for his money.”

CHAD SIMPSON CROWNED 2022 LUCAS OIL MLRA CHAMPION

 

 

Chad Simpson wrapped up his third career Lucas Oil MLRA Championship on Saturday night at the Tri City Speedway. The Mount Vernon, Iowa driver collected two wins on the season enroute to the $20,000 title, which was his first as an owner and driver.

"This is the first year for me as a car owner to do this," said Simpson. "My entire family and my crew guys are here, unfortunately we are missing a couple of crew guys that couldn't make it this weekend , but hats off to everybody that helps us to be able to do this. It's definitely a long battle all year long."

"Everyone of them means something special," he said of his three MLRA titles. "It's a lot of work all year long and its a lot of up and down the road, and we miss a lot of stuff-- birthdays, weddings, and things like that at home, but we came out on top and they get to come down here and celebrate this with us."  

Marketing partners for Simpson's Championship Pro Powered Black Diamond Chassis include: Ideal Ready Mix, Randy Davidson Trucking, WHERS Machine, Michelle Ruefer Chiropractic, Subway, Performance Bodies, Simpson Farms, Midwest Frame & Axle, Burich Trucking, D&K, Volker Trucking, Five Star Shop Service, Bilstein Shocks, Swift Springs, BMRE Electric Carts.

For the latest updates on the 2023 Lucas Oil MLRA schedule and series news be sure to visit www.mlraracing.com and subscribe and like our social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Tri-City Speedway Contingencies 10/15/22
Lap Leaders – Moyer (1 -9), Shirley (10 - 35), Martin (36 - 40)
Cautions – 3
DirtonDirt.com “Overall Fast Time Award" -- Frank Heckenast Jr. (14.932 sec.)
Lucas Oil Slick Mist "Pole Award" – Frank Heckenast Jr.
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race – Brent Martin
Hooker Harness "11th Place Finisher" – Chad Simpson
Performance Bodies "Performer of the Race" – Logan Martin
Sunoco “Rookie of the Race” – Daniel Hilsabeck
Swift Springs “Move of the Race” – Logan Martin
Midwest Sheet Metal "Points Leader Spoiler Challenge" – Chad Simpson 

A Feature Cedar Creek Beef Jky 40 Laps | 00:23:37.620

1. 36M-Logan Martin[8]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 3. 91S-Rusty Schlenk[10]; 4. 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[2]; 5. 33H-Mike Harrison[18]; 6. 25F-Jason Feger[9]; 7. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[1]; 8. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[12]; 9. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[16]; 10. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[17]; 11. 25-Chad Simpson[14]; 12. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[11]; 13. 99T-Dylan Thompson[6]; 14. 11H-Jeff Herzog[5]; 15. 78S-Steve Stultz[23]; 16. (DNF) 7B-Mark Burgtorf[21]; 17. (DNF) 51F-Matt Furman[20]; 18. (DNF) 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[3]; 19. (DNF) 2J-David Jumper[15]; 20. (DNF) 42-Johnathan Huston[13]; 21. (DNF) 25N-Tyler Nicely[7]; 22. (DNF) 33F-Rickey Frankel[19]; 23. (DNF) 16C-John Clippinger[22]; 24. (DNF) 50C-Kayden Clatt[24]

B Feature 1 Sunoco 10 Laps | 00:06:21.332

1. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[1]; 2. 33F-Rickey Frankel[2]; 3. 7B-Mark Burgtorf[3]; 4. 5V-Austin Vincent[4]; 5. 26V-Mark Voigt[8]; 6. 50C-Kayden Clatt[5]; 7. 3-Brennon Willard[6]; 8. 23H-Cody Holtkamp[7]

B Feature 2 Hoosier 10 Laps | 00:04:02.602

1. 33H-Mike Harrison[1]; 2. 51F-Matt Furman[2]; 3. 16C-John Clippinger[4]; 4. 78S-Steve Stultz[3]; 5. 1ST-Justin Reed[7]; 6. 16-Rusty Griffaw[6]; 7. 14W-Dustin Walker[8]; 8. 23-Chad Walter[5]

Heat 1 Midwest Sheet Metal 8 Laps | 00:02:37.054

1. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[1]; 2. 11H-Jeff Herzog[2]; 3. 25F-Jason Feger[3]; 4. 42-Johnathan Huston[4]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[6]; 6. 7B-Mark Burgtorf[5]; 7. 50C-Kayden Clatt[7]; 8. 23H-Cody Holtkamp[8]

Heat 2 Hooker Harness 8 Laps | 00:03:15.094

1. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[1]; 2. 25N-Tyler Nicely[2]; 3. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[3]; 4. 2J-David Jumper[4]; 5. 33F-Rickey Frankel[5]; 6. 5V-Austin Vincent[6]; 7. 3-Brennon Willard[7]; 8. 26V-Mark Voigt[8]

Heat 3 My Race Pass 8 Laps | 00:05:01.353

1. 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[1]; 2. 99T-Dylan Thompson[2]; 3. 91S-Rusty Schlenk[3]; 4. 25-Chad Simpson[5]; 5. 33H-Mike Harrison[4]; 6. 78S-Steve Stultz[7]; 7. 23-Chad Walter[8]; 8. (DNS) 1ST-Justin Reed

Heat 4 Fast Shafts 8 Laps | 00:06:43.504

1. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 2. 36M-Logan Martin[3]; 3. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[2]; 4. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[4]; 5. 51F-Matt Furman[6]; 6. 16C-John Clippinger[5]; 7. 16-Rusty Griffaw[7]; 8. 14W-Dustin Walker[8]

Pontoon Beach, IL (October 14th, 2022) – What started out as disaster with a broken motor during Thursday nights practice session at Tri-City Speedway ended in a career victory for Trevor Gundaker, as the St. Charles, MO driver captured his first career Lucas Oil MLRA victory at his home track on Friday night.

With a broken rocker arm, Gundaker appeared to be sidelined for the weekend, but long time sponsor Reid Millard loaned out his primary car to the 19 year old Gundaker to keep his weekend rolling. Gundaker set the DirtOnDirt Fast Time with a lap of 15.047 seconds which led him to an eventual third row inside starting spot for the thirty lap main event. 

Austin Vincent rolled from the Lucas Slick Mist pole for the first time in his career alongside of modified ace Mike Harrison. Vincent would take control on the first lap, but his reign at the top was short lived as Harrison used the high line to take the lead on lap two. Harrison jumped out to a near two second lead as the first twelve laps went caution free. With lap traffic just in front of Harrison, Gundaker began closing in on the leader before the first caution waved for debris. 

On the restart, Gundaker continued to roll the low line of the speedway and used a strong turn four exit to grab the top spot as the field took the cross flags. The second caution of the night slowed action on lap 19 as Rusty Schlenk slowed down the back stretch. With Gundaker controlling the top spot it was ninth starting Logan Martin charging to the front, running in third when the final caution waved with just six to go.

Gordy Gundaker was scored in second on the final restart and elected to restart on the bottom putting Martin on the top line, the same line he used on his march to the front. On the restart, it looked like it would be a Gundaker 1 – 2 finish as the brothers battled it out in the closing laps. Trevor Gundaker bobbled with two laps to go, but it would not be enough as he went on to record his first career MLRA victory and the $5,000 pay day. Martin slipped past Gordy in the final laps to finished second. Brian Shirley came home in fourth while Jason Feger rounded out the top five.  

 

“We unloaded for practice last night in our primary car and heard a tick in the motor and a rocker bearing went out and nobody around hear had the right rocker, the right parts to fix it,” explained Trevor Gundaker on his Thursday night woes. “Luckily our great sponsor Reid Millard, Millard Family Chapels, was coming down here and I called him and asked him if I could run his car, and thank God he said yes because we’re standing here in victory lane.” 

It was an emotional Cedar Creek Beef Jerky Victory Lane for Gundaker, as he dedicated the win to Mark Eckman, primary sponsor with Gateway Powder Coating who recently passed away. “We we’re just good all night, and tweaked on the little things after hot laps just to get it to my driving style and made very small adjustments all night. I’ve got to thank Chris (Carter) and Reid for letting me drive this tonight—the car was pretty good!”

 Martin came one sport shy of his second career MLRA win noting, “Props to Trevor and his whole team, it was cool to see him win this deal especially here at his home track. Our car was good enough, we just buried ourselves too deep and I just wasn’t consistent enough as I needed to be up on the cushion and I kept making mistakes and bobbling.  And then them last six laps with that restart, I just kind of went full send and I clipped the wall down the backstretch and knocked the right front lower off it, and hit the wall down here in three and four I felt like and knocked the spoiler and deck out of it. We ran second and just had a second place car tonight.”

Big brother Gordy Gundaker who finished out the podium joking said of his top three run, “Logan ruined the party, I really wanted to run first and second that would have been pretty neat. It’s crazy, I can’t win here but Trevor sure can, so if I’ve got to be on the podium and run third behind somebody it better be my little brother.”

The Gundaker brothers shared a moment in victory lane following the win and when asked what was said Gordy replied, “I told him he was a little shit head for beating me. I made a mistake early and it open the door and he did it and the time he made a mistake I wasn’t there. It’s really really cool to do this at our home track, in front of a lot of family and friends. I’m glad to finally have a good night, we have been struggling so to have a podium finish is great.”

KOLBY VANDENBERGH LOCKS UP SUNOCO RACE FUEL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

 

Kolby Vandenbergh celebrates after locking up the 2022 Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Award following Friday nights main event.  Photo--Lloyd Collins, FastTrack Photos

The final curtain will fall on the Lucas Oil MLRA’s 2022 season on Saturday night at the Tri-City Speedway as drivers will battle it out in a $7,000 to win finale. Series Champion Chad Simpson along with Sunoco Race Fuels Rookie of the Year Kolby Vandenbergh will each be honored following the main event in Cedar Creek Beef Jerky Victory Lane.

Tri-City Speedway Contingencies 10/14/22
Lap Leaders – Vincent (1), Harrison (2 - 15), T. Gundaker (16 - 30)
Cautions – 3
DirtonDirt.com “Overall Fast Time Award" -- Trevor Gundaker (15.047 sec.)
Lucas Oil Slick Mist "Pole Award" – Austin Vincent
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race – Chris Carter
Hooker Harness "11th Place Finisher" – Tony Jackson Jr.
Performance Bodies "Performer of the Race" – Trevor Gundaker
Sunoco “Rookie of the Race” – Kolby Vandenbergh
Swift Springs “Move of the Race” – Trevor Gundaker
Midwest Sheet Metal "Points Leader Spoiler Challenge" – Chad Simpson 

A Feature Cedar Creek Beef Jerky 30 Laps | 00:25:53.183

1. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[5]; 2. 36M-Logan Martin[9]; 3. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[3]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[11]; 5. 25F-Jason Feger[13]; 6. 33H-Mike Harrison[2]; 7. 7B-Mark Burgtorf[8]; 8. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[14]; 9. 25-Chad Simpson[7]; 10. 1ST-Justin Reed[15]; 11. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[16]; 12. 33F-Rickey Frankel[18]; 13. 11H-Jeff Herzog[17]; 14. 99T-Dylan Thompson[6]; 15. 3-Brennon Willard[22]; 16. 11D-Brian Diveley[21]; 17. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[19]; 18. 78S-Steve Stultz[23]; 19. 42-Johnathan Huston[12]; 20. (DNF) 5V-Austin Vincent[1]; 21. (DNF) 91S-Rusty Schlenk[10]; 22. (DNF) 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[4]; 23. (DNF) 50-Kaeden Cornell[24]; 24. (DNF) 25N-Tyler Nicely[20]

B Feature Sunoco 12 Laps | 00:05:50.889

1. 11H-Jeff Herzog[4]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 3. 11D-Brian Diveley[3]; 4. 23-Chad Walter[6]; 5. 78S-Steve Stultz[7]; 6. 14W-Dustin Walker[5]; 7. 21S-Dalton Imhoff[8]; 8. (DNF) 14M-Reid Millard[9]; 9. (DNF) 51F-Matt Furman[1]

B Feature 2 12 Laps | 00:04:03.027

1. 33F-Rickey Frankel[2]; 2. 25N-Tyler Nicely[1]; 3. 3-Brennon Willard[3]; 4. 50-Kaeden Cornell[5]; 5. 5W-Brian Wolfmeier[4]; 6. 26V-Mark Voigt[8]; 7. 16C-John Clippinger[6]; 8. 50C-Kayden Clatt[7]

Heat 1 Midwest Sheet Metal 8 Laps | 00:03:18.316

1. 5V-Austin Vincent[2]; 2. 14G-Trevor Gundaker[1]; 3. 36M-Logan Martin[3]; 4. 25F-Jason Feger[4]; 5. 51F-Matt Furman[6]; 6. 11D-Brian Diveley[7]; 7. 14W-Dustin Walker[8]; 8. 78S-Steve Stultz[9]; 9. 21S-Dalton Imhoff[5]

Heat 2 Hooker Harness 8 Laps | 00:03:31.497

1. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[1]; 2. 25-Chad Simpson[2]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 4. 1ST-Justin Reed[4]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[6]; 6. 11H-Jeff Herzog[5]; 7. 23-Chad Walter[7]; 8. 14M-Reid Millard[8]

Heat 3 My Race Pass 8 Laps | 00:05:11.709

1. 33H-Mike Harrison[2]; 2. 99T-Dylan Thompson[1]; 3. 91S-Rusty Schlenk[3]; 4. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[5]; 5. 25N-Tyler Nicely[4]; 6. 3-Brennon Willard[7]; 7. 50-Kaeden Cornell[8]; 8. 50C-Kayden Clatt[6]

Heat 4 Fast Shafts 8 Laps | 00:07:08.347

1. 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[2]; 2. 7B-Mark Burgtorf[3]; 3. 42-Johnathan Huston[4]; 4. 56JR-Tony Jackson Jr[1]; 5. 33F-Rickey Frankel[5]; 6. 5W-Brian Wolfmeier[8]; 7. 16C-John Clippinger[6]; 8. 26V-Mark Voigt[7]