Volusia Speedway Park concluded its Month of Money swing Saturday night by bringing fans the three biggest divisions in the region and bringing drivers three big checks.
For the first time this season, the Top Gun Sprint Car Series brought it’s winged-warrior show to “The World’s Fastest Half Mile,” joining the 602 Late Models and DIRTcar UMP Modifieds.
Walking away victors at the end of the night were Danny Martin Jr. (360 Sprint Cars), Eric Moon (DIRTcar UMP Modifieds) and Kale VanSickle (602 Late Models).
602 Late Models
The 25-lap 602 Late Model Feature commenced with Austin Leamon establishing an early lead. Three laps in, he was already three car lengths ahead.
Then, the first caution of the race came out on Lap 4, putting a pause on Leamon’s charge.
Once the race resume, Austin Lewis began positioning himself as a favorite, making his way up to fifth from his ninth-place starting position.
A caution and a red flag for a multi-car accident slowed the pace of the race in the early stages, but once the action picked up, Kale VanSickle became the new favorite to watch.
When the race resumed after the red flag, VanSickle got a strong launch off Turn 2 and passed two cars before the next turn, including the leader. From there, he maintained the lead to the checkered flag.
Leamon was left to settle for second and Tim Ryan rounded out the podium.
Josh Byrd, of San Mateo, FL, who finished fourth, was the hard charger of the night, driving all the way from 16th in his car’s debut.
“The track was good tonight, and the car was good,” Bryd stated in a post-race interview.
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 3K-Kale VanSickle[6]; 2. 28-Austin Leamon[1]; 3. 27-Tim Ryan[5]; 4. 42-Josh Byrd[16]; 5. 35-Justin Dean[12]; 6. 71-Davy Cline[11]; 7. 22-Dylan Dunn[14]; 8. 44-Billy Rodriguez[13]; 9. 21S-Shayne Dayhaw[24]; 10. 25-Donnie Chappell[26]; 11. 44K-Troy Kidd[23]; 12. 2B-Robert Brynteson[17]; 13. 32P-Jesse Powers[20]; 14. 1J-Jason Papp[19]; 15. 1AR-Travis Staats[15]; 16. (DNF) 9-Austin Lewis[9]; 17. (DNF) 12-Mikey Kopka[4]; 18. (DNF) 53-Brandon Yates[3]; 19. (DNF) 31-Donnie Birdwell[21]; 20. (DNF) 40-Adam Bennett[10]; 21. (DNF) 94-Holden Allen[8]; 22. (DNF) 02-Sean Babcock[18]; 23. (DNF) 9AR-Charlie Staats[22]; 24. (DNF) 36-James Haynes[2]; 25. (DNS) RP1-Ron Adams; 26. (DNS) 79-Victor Matthews; 27. (DQ) 1T-Tanner Thomas[7]
DIRTcar UMP Modifieds
Eric Moon ended Seth Geary’s Month of Money winning streak in a shortened Feature for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds.
Jared Allison started on the pole, but Moon and Geary made quick work of finding their way to the front with both drivers getting by Allison early on. Sitting first and second – Moon first and Geary second – their battle was slowed by multiple cautions throughout the race.
On one of the restarts, Geary tried to sneak by Moon for the lead but didn’t have a strong enough run to do so.
With another caution on Lap 8, the race was called due to the number of incidents and the time it took to get the race restarted after each one.
Feature (8 Laps): 1. 07-Eric Moon[4]; 2. 7G-Seth Geary[6]; 3. 51-Dalton Lanich[3]; 4. 18A-Jared Allison[1]; 5. 80-Paul Shead[16]; 6. 3S-Josh Sanford[5]; 7. 99-Wade Olmsted[13]; 8. 222-Cory Hupp[10]; 9. 70-Jim Britt[7]; 10. M12-Chris Meyer[14]; 11. 34P-Jim Passino[15]; 12. 16-Tony Campbell[17]; 13. 00B-Buzzie Reutimann[11]; 14. 78-Raymond Rogers[12]; 15. (DNF) 3D-Makayla Tyrrell[2]; 16. (DNF) 23-Jerol Stepp[8]; 17. (DNF) 11Z-Zane Oedewaldt[9]; 18. (DNS) 24B-Dillon Buhr; 19. (DNS) 12-Robert Gast
Top Gun Sprint Cars
Danny Martin Jr. is no stranger to Victory Lane at Volusia Speedway Park, having swept the Battle in Barberville in December. And on Saturday night, he made his third trip there in eight races.
Martin started third but made quick work of the front row starters Tyler Porter and Bryce Comer.
Once out front, Martin maintained about a three-second lead.
“We have been fast but have been having some bad luck,” Martin Jr. explained after the race. “I was able to get in clean air and get out in front early. Once it’s locked down its pretty hard to pass.”
Behind Martin, Garrett Green was trying everything in his toolbox to pass Mark Ruel Jr. for second. But with three laps to go, Green’s right rear tire blew out and was unable to finish.
Ruel who started in seventh held his ground after claiming the number two position on Lap 4.
“I took rubber pretty early to get into second,” Ruel shared. “I’ve been doing this quite a while, so I was trying to save tires and just had enough leftover at the end.”
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 24-Danny Martin Jr[3]; 2. 83-Mark Ruel Jr[7]; 3. 92-Matt Kurtz[4]; 4. 116-Nick Snyder[10]; 5. 20C-Tyler Porter[1]; 6. 48X-Dylan Hull[11]; 7. 28-Kenneth Ives Jr[12]; 8. 82-Garrett Green[6]; 9. 51-Tim Holston[9]; 10. 6S-Bryce Comer[2]; 11. (DNF) G6-Brandon Grubaugh[5]; 12. (DNF) 22-Shawn Murray[8]; 13. (DNS) 14-Danny Jones; 14. (DNS) 11K-Joshua Kunstbeck; 15. (DNS) 3A-AJ Maddox
The next race on Volusia Speedway Park’s schedule is the Mother’s Day Race on Saturday, May 11. The weekend will include Top Gun 360 Sprint Cars, 604 Late Models, and 3/4 Modifieds. Pit Gates and Grandstand Gates open at 4:00 pm EST, with Hot Laps beginning at 6:00 pm EST.
Can’t make it? Watch all the action live on DIRTVision.
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