Volusia Speedway Park welcomed back the Top Gun 360 Sprints for an action-packed night of weekly racing alongside the 602 Late Models and 3/4 Modifieds on Saturday night.
Danny Samms lll (360 Sprints), Tanner Thomas (602 Late Model), and Timmy Hogan (3/4 Modifieds) took home the trophies and checks.
360 Sprints
Fans rose to their feet as the Top Gun 360 Sprint Cars paraded around Volusia Speedway Park, building anticipation for the Sprint Cars’ long-awaited return.
When the green flag flew and the tension released for the 25-lap Feature, front row starters Sport Allen and AJ Maddox left an open path for Danny Samms III to charge through into the first corner and take the lead by Turn 2.
With clean air out front, Samms wasted no time building his lead.
Behind him, Danny Martin Jr. also had a good start, following Samms inside line, leaping two spots into third. He and Maddox were in a battle for second when the yellow came out on Lap 6.
On the restart, Martine worked the same inside lane that got him into third, sliding passed Maddox in Turn 3. He was able to complete a lap before another yellow came out, securing him the number two spot.
With 13 Laps to go, Matt Kurtz was charging to the front of the pack. From 13th, he fought all the way up into fourth place. Kurtz was unable to catchup and pass Maddox and was unable to fend off Allen in the final laps.
Samms lll found lap traffic and was able to maneuver around with ease securing the win.
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 92-Danny Sams III[3]; 2. 24-Danny Martin Jr[5]; 3. 3A-AJ Maddox[2]; 4. 88-Sport Allen[1]; 5. 20C-Matt Kurtz[18]; 6. 6S-Bryce Comer[4]; 7. 14-Danny Jones[7]; 8. 41-Luke Hill[11]; 9. 20Z-Harley Zimmerman[8]; 10. 116-Nick Snyder[10]; 11. 48X-Dylan Hull[13]; 12. 71-Robbie Smith[9]; 13. 28-Kenneth Ives Jr[12]; 14. 16-Tyler Porter[16]; 15. 44C-Cheyenne Potter[19]; 16. 4X-Scott Baldwin[15]; 17. 99-Tanner Witherspoon[6]; 18. 51-Dustin Burtron[14]; 19. (DNS) 10X-Joel Charles
602 Late Models
Before the drop of the green flag, 602 Late Model drivers circled the speedway in the missing man formation to honor Hall of Fame Late Model driver Scott Bloomquist, who died on Friday.
When the 20-lap Feature began, second-place starter Davey Cline used the outside line to his advantage and shot to the lead by the first corner. Chase Giddens, who started behind him in fourth, followed him through around the outside to move into second.
A caution slowed the field early, but on the restart on Lap 3, Cline slowly started to pull away and found himself with a 0.910 second lead, his largest lead of the night. Giddens, on Lap 9 cut that lead down and continued to cut the lead down to the point he attempted an inside pass.
With 10 laps to go, Giddens let the hammer drop. Inches off the inside wall, Giddens was able to gain position and slide in front of Cline to take the lead coming out of Turn 2.
With Giddens starting to create some separation from the pack, eyes turned to the battle between Justin Dean and Tanner Thomas. Dean, no matter what Thomas tried, held his line and defended his position while not giving Thomas anything.
With two laps to go, a yellow came out bringing the whole field together making for a thrilling ending.
On the single file restart, Giddens jumped out in front. Behind him, Thomas was able to stick his nose on the inside of Dean. They were side by side down the front stretch into Turn 1. Thomas found himself half a car length ahead when the yellow light started flashing around the track brining everyone back together again with two laps left.
Learning from the previous restart, Dean blocked the inside lane from Thomas. Giddens got out in front early again with Cline not far behind.
Dean, caught up to Cline and tried to pass him in Turn 4. Dean was unsuccessful and slid up the track, giving Thomas time to catch back up. Down the front stretch, Thomas found himself on the inside of Dean again. Down the backstretch, they were nose to nose. Thomas dove into Turn 3 and was able cross the finish line 0.147 seconds ahead of Dean.
Due to technical issues, Giddens and Cline were both disqualified, sending Thomas to Victory Lane.
“No one in front of me really made any mistake,” Thomas said. “Then, finally one made a mistake and ran up the track a little bit. I got next to him, and we raced hard there until the end.”
Feature (20 Laps): 1. 1T-Tanner Thomas[6]; 2. 35-Justin Dean[1]; 3. 17SR-Brody Smith[8]; 4. 53-Brandon Yates[12]; 5. 3K-Kale VanSickle[5]; 6. 1J-Jason Papp[7]; 7. 40-Adam Bennett[10]; 8. 9A-Austin Lewis[11]; 9. RP118-Ron Adams[15]; 10. 2B-Robert Brynteson[16]; 11. (DNF) 131-Matt Herlong[9]; 12. (DNF) 42-Josh Byrd[13]; 13. (DNF) 44-Billy Rodriguez[14]; 14. (DNF) 66-Dustin Childers[18]; 15. (DQ) 12C-Chase Giddens[4]; 16. (DQ) 71-Davy Cline[2]; 17. (DQ) 28-Austin Leamon[3]; 18. (DQ) 36-James Haynes[17]
3/4 Modifieds
The final event of the night was a 15-lap 3/4 Modified Feature. It didn’t take long for Timmy Hogan, the points leader, to jump out in front with Rusty Young right behind him in second.
Making a leap to seventh from 14th off the start was Colton Lane. Lane’s car broke down while leading his heat race putting him to start shotgun for the Feature. He continued his momentum and climbed into third right before a yellow was brough out.
Following the restart lane found himself in second place, 0.9 seconds behind Hogan. It didn’t take long for him to close that gap, putting him within striking distance of Hogan. With four to go, a yellow came out and Lane, who was battling Hogan, had to turn it in for the night.
On the final restart of the night, Hogan catapulted ahead and cruised all the way to his third checkered flag this season.
“We had a good car and when I saw Lane was here tonight, I watched lap times and know he had the fastest car of the night, just had some bad luck,” Hogan explained in Victory Lane. “I’m loving being in the points lead and just having fun racing with my son and friends.”
Feature (15 Laps): 1. 859-Timmy Hogan[2]; 2. 48-Rusty Young[4]; 3. 51-Dustin Peterson[3]; 4. 57-Ethyn Hwan[9]; 5. 27-Steven Powers[6]; 6. 5-Chase Cooke[5]; 7. 7-Chris Olmstead[11]; 8. 57H-William Inabnett[7]; 9. 26L-Colton Lane[14]; 10. F5-Nathan Rhoades[1]; 11. 59-Nathyn Hwan[10]; 12. 00-Justin Woodrough[8]; 13. (DNS) 9-Logan Malone; 14. (DNS) 16-Brian Schrunk
UP NEXT: Racing at Volusia Speedway Park returns on Saturday, Aug. 31, for the Labor Day Classic. The weekend will feature 3/4 Modifieds, 602 Late Models, 604 Late Models, DIRTcar UMP Modifieds, and Thunder Stocks. The pit gate and grandstand gate open at 4 p.m. (ET), with Hot Laps scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Can’t make it? Watch all the action live on DIRTVision.
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