Plymouth Speedway fans enjoy 8 features on Independence Day

[NickHolt]

Plymouth Speedway Fans Enjoy Eight Features on Independence Day

 

By: Anita Soltis

 

(Plymouth, IN) It was a night packed full of track fireworks as eight features were scheduled at the Playground of Power Saturday night - three of those were makeup features from a rain-out on June 20.

 

It was John Rhoads showing the way in the first makeup feature of the night when he passed Keith Crissinger on the last lap for the win in the Walmart Thunder Stocks division. Bryan Banta took the third place finish in that race. Banta would later find himself on the top of the podium in the second feature of the night as he held off Rhoads in the closing laps. Eric Hunter put on a show with Banta and Rhoads but was later disqualified. Chad McLean was scored as the third place finisher.

 

“I don’t know how I did it, but I kept them behind me,” said Banta on his first feature win of the season. “A year ago I broke my arm that cost me the championship. This makes up for it.”

 

Eric Saunders took home two first place trophies in the Dickies Restaurant 600 Open Sprints division in both the make up and regularly scheduled features. Saunders’ brother, Garrett, had the lead in the first contest of the night, but spun while leading which put the elder brother at the top of the field. Eric Saunders finished first with Bud McCune and Blake Lamb rounding out the top three in that order. Eric Saunders was the benefactor of a mistake by leader Nick Yoder in the second feature of the evening. Yoder got out of his racing groove on the last restart of the race and hit the cushion on the track. That action allowed Saunders to race on by for the lead. Saunders won the feature with Yoder second and Dylan Woodling in third.

 

“The car was really great. It’s awesome to have so many people who support the track. There are so many people behind me supporting me too. It’s a great feeling,” said Saunders in his post-race interview.

 

The Day family spent the evening leading both of the Bane-Welker Cyber Stock features Saturday night. Carson Day won the makeup feature with Aaron Day following in second and Jake Straka in third. Aaron Day then held off Carson Day and Jake Straka for much of the second feature. The trio started in the back of the pack, but issues with other competitors thinned the field to four drivers at the end of the feature. Straka was bumped by Carson Day in the closing laps and Straka spun. Straka dropped to fourth in the running order while Carson Day was attempting to get track position. Day won the feature with Aaron Day in second place and Alyssa Clark in third.

 

“Carson and Straka have gotten faster as the season has gone on,” laughed Aaron Day. “We didn’t have a great car this evening, but I got lucky and got around them.”

 

Jamie Lomax quickly took the lead in the only Swan Lake Resort UMP Modified feature of the night and didn’t let anyone else by through the 20-lap feature. Lomax found himself on the bottom part of a three-wide race with lapped cars which allowed the second running car of Derek Losh to reel in Lomax. Lomax didn’t give up the position. Losh later fell to the fourth position when Dillon Nusbaum and Dylan Woodling moved up spots in the field. Nusbaum used the outside lane to get around Woodling for second place as the laps wound down in the contest. Lomax claimed the win while Nusbaum held the second position and Woodling occupied third in the running order.

 

The single WTCA Super Street feature found a different driver on top of the field. Roger Duszynski started on the outside pole and jumped to the lead quickly with points leader David Short in his tracks. Short tried everything he could to get by Duszynski, but he stayed in Duszynski’s rearview mirror. Meanwhile, Calvin Peek, Jr. moved into the third place after pole-sitter Bob McLean fell to the fourth position. Duszynski got the elusive win while Short finished second and Peek, Jr. in third.

 

Join us for autograph night on Saturday, July 11 where the drivers will have hero cards to sign for the fans. A regular night of racing is also included with the Swan Lake Resort UMP Modifieds, WTCA Super Streets, Walmart Thunder Stocks, Bane-Welker Cyber Stocks and Dickies Restaurant 600 Open Sprints. The gates open at 4 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. ET. For ticket and pit pricing information, visit www.plymouthspeedway.net.

 

About Plymouth Speedway:

 

Plymouth Speedway features a three-eighths (0.375) mile banked dirt oval owned by Ed Kennedy. Five different classes of racing are featured: UMP Modifieds, Non-wing 600 Sprints, Thunder Stocks, Cyber Stocks and Super Streets. Regular season races are scheduled in the months of April through August on Saturday nights with several special events. For information, visit www.plymouthspeedway.net, follow Plymouth Speedway’s official Facebook page, @PlymouthSpeed on Twitter or email info@plymouthspeedway.net.