GAS CITY, Ind., May 21 —The answer to the question, “Who’s the boss?” on Friday night was Thomas Meseraull, as the Waveland, Ind.-based driver won the 25-lap MPD Racing Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series (BOSS) sprint car feature at Gas City I-69 Speedway.
Kyle Dager of Fort Wayne, Ind., won the 20-lap USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 midget feature. James Headley of Marion, Ind., was triumphant in the 15-lap street stock feature, and Landon Arcaro of Brookville, Ind., took his brand-new hornet to victory lane in that 15-lap main event.
BOSS Sprint Cars
Meseraull started on the pole in the BOSS sprint feature, but Korbyn Hayslett of Troy, Ohio and Kyle Shipley of Lebanon, Ind., made the two-time track champion earn his victory in Dwight Cheney’s Maxim Claxton Chevy sponsored by Racing Optics and SteelcoUSA.com.
Hayslett, a 19-year-old student at Ohio University, started second and passed Meseraull on the outside in Turn 2 on the first lap to lead the initial lap. Hayslett showed the way until Meseraull used the outside line in the same turn to take the lead on lap four.
Shipley, who started fourth, charged under Hayslett on the backstretch on lap six to take second, but by lap 10 Meseraull already had over a 2-second lead.
The fight for second between Shipley and Hayslett was very heated at that point, and Hayslett regained second on lap 12 in Dave and Kim Hayslett’s DRC/Myers Chevy, which is sponsored by Line-X Protective Coatings of Troy, the Gasson family, I-Deal Auto Sales, Roof America and Indy Racing Images.
A lap later the race’s only yellow flew when Ricky Lewis of Ventura, Calif., and Jamie Frederickson of Kokomo, Ind., got together on the backstretch, slowing the field and erasing Meseraull’s 3.735-second lead over Hayslett.
Shipley regained second from Hayslett on lap 14 by dipping under him in Turn 4 following the restart.
“The People’s Champ,” Dave Darland of Atlanta, Ind., started third, ran in fourth place initially, but regained third on lap 16 when both he and defending track champion Scotty Weir of Marion, Ind., passed Hayslett.
Shipley regained the lead by passing Meseraull on lap 18. He looked to be on his way to victory in Michael Dutcher’s Maxim which is sponsored by Lifestyle Homes, Pro Source and Griffin’s Propane, but Meseraull passed him again on lap 22.
Shipley fought back to lead lap 23, but Meseraull regained the lead and led the last two laps for a 0.536-second margin of victory over Shipley. Darland finished third for the second week in a row in his own No. 36, which is a DRC/Claxton sporting the colors of Bolted Spine Designs. Weir placed fourth in Scott and Donna Pedersen’s DRC/Pedersen sponsored by Red’s Racing Engines, Indy Race Parts and AFCO Shocks, and Hayslett rounded out the top five.
Issac Chapple of Willow Branch, Ind.; Colten Cottle of Kansas, Ill.; Cole Bodine of Rossville, Ind.; last week’s winner, Tye Mihocko of Phoenix, Ariz., and Koby Barksdale of Avon, Ind., rounded out the top 10.
USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midgets
Dager started second in the USAC D2 midget feature, passed polesitter Carl Peterson of Waterford, Mich., to the outside in Turn 2 on the first lap, survived four restarts, and led all 20 laps for his first D2 midget feature victory. Dager’s car is the Briggs Racing/CRIT Motorsports No. 2, a Beast/Focus sponsored by SBM, Armor Coat and BMI Karts.
Dager had a 1.582-second margin of victory over Wes Pinkerton of Reynolds, Ind., who started sixth but took second on lap 11 by dipping under Stratton Briggs of Anna, Ohio at the end of the backstretch and going into Turn 3. Pinkerton, who is a lab technician, drove a Ripper midget sponsored by I-65 Truck Sales, MAGS Logistics, All In Transport and Full Tilt Fabrication.
Drew Rader of Findlay, Ohio and Briggs had a heated battle for third, with Rader getting the show spot in his Hawk/Ecotec sponsored by Heitmeyer Concrete, Ohio Logistics and Hawk Racing. Briggs finished fourth in his Triple X/Honda sponsored by SBM, BMI Karts and Superior Bearing and Supply. Sixteen-year-old Bryce Massingill of Troy, Ohio rounded out the top five in his Boss/Ecotec sponsored by Creative Labels, Summit Flooring and Double Jay Construction.
Bryce Dues of Minster, Ohio; Peterson; Ryan Thomas of Indianapolis; Josh Yenser of Plain City, Ohio, and Ian Creager of Covington, Ohio rounded out the top 10.
Street Stocks
If a driver wants to win a street stock feature at Gas City, he or she is going to have to pass Headley. For the second week in a row he led every lap of the street stock feature in his No. 1 sponsored by Headley Tree Service and Dudding’s Heating and Cooling.
Top chassis manufacturer Lee Hobbs of Mitchell, Ind. started fourth but ran second to Headley the whole race with his No. H0 sponsored by Superior Systems and Supply, Erv’s Card Shack/Living Room Center. He was 1.721 seconds behind Headley at the checkered.
Defending track champion Andy Bishop of Gas City started on the pole but ran third all 15 laps with his Thompson Trucking and R & R Transmission No. 14. Jerrad-Drea Krick of Earl Park, Ind., finished fourth in the No. 99K sponsored by J&L Albertson Trucking, HP Machine and B&S RaceCars. James Headley Jr. of Wabash, Ind., started sixth and finished fifth in the Dudding’s Heating and Cooling, Edwards Automotive No. 00.
There were two yellows early to tighten up the field, but Headley was up to all challenges. The first yellow flew with two laps down when the car of Marion, Ind.’s Bill Bradley lost its driveshaft in Turn 4. The second occurred with three laps down when Justin Ralston stopped on the frontstretch.
Hornets
There were three different leaders of the hornet feature. Brady Hines of Denver, Ind., started third but he led the first four laps. Last week’s winner, Topher Hillman of Camby, Ind., led laps five through eight, but then the eventual winner, Arcaro, took command and led the rest of the race for his first feature victory at Gas City. He drove a brand-new car sponsored in part by Remax Preferred Choice, Gilman Home Center and Robertson Residential Pressure Washing and Painting.
Arcaro started fifth but was third before the first lap was in the books. He took second on lap six after both he and Jeremy Jones of Gas City passed Hines. He got the lead on lap nine by passing Hillman.
Jones took second from Hillman on lap 13 and finished in that position, 2.421 seconds behind Arcaro. Hillman was third, Hines finished fourth and Alexes Spaulding of Roanoke, Ind., rounded out the top five.
What’s Next?
Gas City will be dark over the Memorial Day weekend, but returns to action on Friday, June 3 with the fifth annual “Jack and Jiggs Classic” in honor of track owner Jack Himelick and former promoter Jiggs Thomason. Non-wing sprint cars, modifieds, street stocks, hornets and Kenyon midgets are on the jammed-packed card. The modified feature is part of the Gas City/Montpelier Speedway “Neighborly Modified Challenge” races, which offers $1,600 in additional point fund money for this mini-series held at both tracks.
The grandstands will open at 5 p.m. with hot laps/qualifying at 6:30 p.m. and racing at 7:30 p.m.
Gas City I-69 Speedway is located on State Road 22, approximately a half-mile west of exit 259 of Interstate 69, about halfway between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Ind.
For the complete 2022 schedule and more information see the track’s website at gascityI69Speedway.com and also follow its social media outlets. The track is on Twitter (@GasCitySpeedway), Instagram (@GasCitySpeedway) and Facebook (GasCitySpeedwayOnTheGas).
The results:
BOSS Sprint Group 1 Qualifying: 1. Kyle Shipley, 12.332 seconds; 2. Ryan Thomas, 12.337; 3. Scotty Weir, 12.401; 4. Cole Bodine, 12.545; 5. J.J. Hughes, 12.569; 6. Lee Underwood, 12.689; 7. Tye Mihocko, 12.746; 8. Cody White, 12.797; 9. Zack Pretorius, 12.815; 10. Andrew Cockman, 13.910.
BOSS Sprint Group 2 Qualifying: 1. Matt Goodnight, 12.257; 2. Luke Hall, 12.450; 3. Jack Hoyer, 12.476; 4. Colten Cottle, 12.522; 5. Aaron Davis, 12.848; 6. Jamie Frederickson, 12.853; 7. Austin Nigh, 12.868; 8. Zach Lamb, 13.125; 9. Jack James, 13.433.
BOSS Sprint Group 3 Qualifying: 1. A.J. Hopkins, 12.222; 2. Thomas Meseraull, 12.238; 3. Dave Darland, 12.353; 4. Dustin Ingle, 12.381; 5. Ricky Lewis, 12.414; 6. Tyler Hewitt, 12.494; 7. Koby Barksdale, 12.613; 8. Blake Vermillion, 12.791; 9. Bryar Schroeter, no time.
BOSS Sprint Group 4 Qualifying: 1. Korbyn Hayslett, 12.345; 2. Saban Bibent, 12.399; 3. Travis Hery, 12.605; 4. Paul Dues, 12.665; 5. Brandon Long, 12.707; 6. Jesse Vermillion, 12.738; 7. Issac Chapple, 12.946; 8. Brian Ruhlman, 13.240; 9. Brady Click, 14.095.
BOSS Sprint Heat 1 Sponsored by TCB Speed (8 laps, 4 to qualify): 1. Scotty Weir, 2. Cole Bodine, 3. Kyle Shipley, 4. Tye Mihocko, 5. Ryan Thomas, 6. Cody White, 7. Zack Pretorius, 8. J.J. Hughes, 9. Andrew Cockman, 10. Lee Underwood, did not start.
BOSS Sprint Heat 2 Sponsored by Brave Breed Rescue (8 laps, 4 to qualify): 1. Colten Cottle, 2. Jack Hoyer, 3. Matt Goodnight, 4. Jamie Frederickson, 5. Aaron Davis, 6. Jack James, 7. Austin Nigh, 8. Zach Lamb, 9. Luke Hall.
BOSS Sprint Heat 3 Sponsored by Watch the Cushion (8 laps, 4 to qualify): 1. Thomas Meseraull, 2. Dave Darland, 3. Ricky Lewis, 4. Koby Barksdale, 5. Dustin Ingle, 6. Tyler Hewitt, 7. Blake Vermillion, 8. Bryar Schroeter, 9. A.J. Hopkins.
BOSS Sprint Heat 4 Sponsored by Outsiders Apparel (8 laps, 4 to qualify): 1. Korbyn Hayslett, 2. Paul Dues, 3. Issac Chapple, 4. Jesse Vermillion, 5. Travis Hery, 6. Brian Ruhlman, 7. Saban Bibent, 8. Brady Click, 9. Brandon Long (did not start).
BOSS Sprint B-Main 1 Sponsored by MSD Ignitions (10 laps, 3 to qualify): 1. Ryan Thomas, 2. J.J. Hughes, 3. Cody White, 4. Tyler Hewitt, 5. Dustin Ingle, 6. Zack Pretorius, 7. Blake Vermillion, 8. Lee Underwood, 9. Zach Lamb, 10. Bryar Schroeter.
BOSS Sprint B-Main 2 Sponsored by MSD Ignitions (10 laps, 3 to qualify): 1. Saban Bibent, 2. Travis Hery, 3. Brian Ruhlman, 4. Austin Nigh, 5. Jack James, 6. Brady Click, 7. Aaron Davis, 8. Luke Hall (did not start).
BOSS Sprint Feature (25 laps, with starting position in parenthesis): 1. Thomas Meseraull (1); 2. Kyle Shipley (4); 3. Dave Darland (3); 4. Scotty Weir (7); 5. Korbyn Hayslett (2); 6. Issac Chapple (12); 7. Colten Cottle (6); 8. Cole Bodine (9); 9. Tye Mihocko (13); 10. Koby Barksdale (15); 11. Matt Goodnight (8); 12. Jesse Vermillion (16); 13. J.J. Hughes (19); 14. Jack Hoyer (10); 15. Travis Hery (20); 16. Cody White (21); 17. Saban Bibent (18); 18. Ryan Thomas (17); 19. Brian Ruhlman (22); 20. Paul Dues (5); 21. Ricky Lewis (11); 22. Jamie Frederickson (14).
Lap Leaders: Laps 1-3, Hayslett; laps 4-17, Meseraull; laps 18-21, Shipley; lap 22, Meseraull; lap 23, Shipley, laps 24-25, Meseraull.
Margin of Victory: 0.537 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: Meseraull, 12.808, lap 4.
USAC SpeeD2 Midget Qualifying Session 1: 1. Stratton Briggs, 13.297; 2. Jakeb Boxell, 13.362; 3. Drew Rader, 13.636; 4. Wes Pinkerton, 13.714; 5. Josh Yenser, 13.762; 6. Ryan Thomas, 13.930; 7. Michael Magic, 13.959; 8. Cody Dye, 14.660; 9. Bryce Massingill, no time.
USAC SpeeD2 Midget Qualifying Session 2: 1. Ian Creager, 13.476; 2. Kyle Dager, 13.523; 3. Carl Peterson, 13.532; 4. Abby Hohlbein, 13.566; 5. Bryce Dues, 13.790; 6. Luke Lemmons, 14.232; 7. Chuck Taylor, 14.444; 8. Jim Jones, 16.096.
USAC SpeeD2 Midget Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. Stratton Briggs, 2. Drew Rader, 3. Wes Pinkerton, 4. Jakeb Boxell, 5. Ryan Thomas, 6. Josh Yenser, 7. Bryce Massingill, 8. Michael Magic, 9. Cody Dye.
USAC SpeeD2 Midget Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. Kyle Dager, 2. Abby Hohlbein, 3. Carl Peterson, 4. Bryce Dues, 5. Ian Creager, 6. Jim Jones, 7. Chuck Taylor, 8. Luke Lemmons.
USAC SpeeD2 Midget Feature (20 laps, with starting position in parenthesis): 1. Kyle Dager (2); 2. Wes Pinkerton (6); 3. Drew Rader (3); 4. Stratton Briggs (5); 5. Bryce Massingill (13); 6. Bryce Dues (8); 7. Carl Peterson (1); 8. Ryan Thomas (9); 9. Josh Yenser (11); 10. Ian Creager (10); 11. Abby Hohlbein (4); 12. Jim Jones (12); 13. Chuck Taylor (14); 14. Jakeb Boxell (7); 15. Luke Lemmons (16); 16. Cody Dye (17).
Lap Leaders: Laps 1-20, Dager.
Margin of Victory: 1.582 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: Dager, 13.462, lap 1.
Street Stock Qualifying Session 1: Bill Bradley, 14.257; 2. Jerrad Krick, 14.340; 3. James Headley, 14.589; 4. Chris Hunter, 14.624; 5. Garrett Bradley, 14.660; 6. Adam Lantz, 14.742; 7. Brian Kuehner, 15.257; 8. Coby Shoemaker, 16.193.
Street Stock Qualifying Session 2: 1. Lee Hobbs, 14.596; 2. Bill Lewis, 14.612; 3. Andy Bishop, 14.823; 4. James Headley Jr., 14.902; 5. Bronson Means, 15.028; 6. Jeff Nelson, 15.057; 7. Justin Ralston, 17.747; 8. Andrew Short, 15.110.
Street Stock Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. James Headley, 2. Chris Hunter, 3. Jerrad Krick, 4. Adam Lantz, 5. Coby Shoemaker, 6. Brian Kuehner, 7. Garrett Bradley, 8. Bill Bradley.
Street Stock Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. James Headley Jr., 2. Lee Hobbs, 3. Andy Bishop, 4. Bronson Means, 5. Bill Lewis, 6. Andrew Short, 7. Jeff Nelson, 8. Justin Ralston.
Street Stock Feature (15 laps, with starting position in parentheses): 1. James Headley (2); 2. Lee Hobbs (4); 3. Andy Bishop (1); 4. Jerrad Krick (3); 5. James Headley Jr. (6); 6. Adam Lantz (7); 7. Bronson Means (8); 8. Garrett Bradley (13); 9. Andrew Short (12); 10. Jeff Nelson (14); 11. Bill Lewis (10); 12. Coby Shoemaker (9); 13. Brian Kuehner (11); 14. Justin Ralston (16); 15. Bill Bradley (15).
Lap Leaders: Laps 1-15, Headley.
Margin of Victory: 1.721 seconds
Fastest Race Lap: Headley, 13.977, lap 7.
Hornet Heat (10 laps): 1. Topher Hillman, 2. Landon Arcaro, 3. Jeremy Jones, 4. Brady Hines, 5. Tracy Runion, 6. Alexes Spaulding, 7. Brandon Pasken, 8. Jaime Razo, 9. Hunter Rasmussen, 10. Brad Evans, 11. Greg Marlow, 12. Emily Johnson.
Hornet Feature (15 laps, with starting position in parenthesis): 1. Landon Arcaro (5); 2. Jeremy Jones (1); 3. Topher Hillman (4); 4. Brady Hines (3); 5. Alexes Spaulding (2); 6. Brandon Pasken (7); 7. Tracy Runion (6); 8. Hunter Rasmussen (9); 9. Brad Evans (10); 10. Emily Johnson (12); 11. Greg Marlow (11); 12. Jaime Razo (8).
Lap Leaders: Laps 1-4, Hines; laps 5-8, Hillman; laps 9-15, Arcaro.
Margin of Victory: 2.421 seconds.
Fastest Race Lap: Arcaro, 15.624, lap 8.