Montpelier, IN - Border Wars 5 brings together the top cars of the NRA Sprint Invaders and the top cars of GLSS for a showdown at Montpelier Motor Speedway, giving the winner the bragging rights for the coming year. Missing the redraw in his heat race by finishing 3rd, Dustin Daggett (Portland, MI) picked his way to the front from an 11th place finish and took the feature win for the second straight year as well as picked up the Engler Machine & Tool Hard Charger award.
With 28 cars in the pits tonight, hot laps and qualifying were combined tonight to conserve time and preserve the track. Going out in the 7th group, Shawn Dancer (Delphos, OH) and Devon Dobie (Wapakoneta, OH) set quick time with a 12.452 and 12.484 second lap, respectively. Jared Horstman (Cloverdale, OH), Phil Gressman (Helena, OH) and Hud Horton (German Town, OH) rounded out the top 5 qualifiers.
In the Kistler Engines & Racing Parts Heat 1, Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, OH) got out to a good start and was the car to beat. Brad Lamberson (Parma, MI) was running good and was holding Hud Horton (German Town, OH) off for the first 5 laps, but as he came out of turn 2 high, Horton had an opportunity to go under Lamberson for 2nd. Hall goes on to take the checkered flag with Horton, Lamberson and Dancer all punching their tickets directly to the A-Main.
Tim Allison (Lima, OH) brings out the Campbell Performance Heat Race 2 and takes them to the green flag. Allison gets a good run and leads the field for the first 4 laps. Randy Hannagan (Pitsboro, IN) kept Allison close, but then took advantage of slipping past him in the 5th lap for the lead. Chase Ridenour (Perry, MI) moved up a spot and Devon Dobie (Wapakoneta, OH) moved up a spot as well. Hannagan took the checkered flag with Allison, Ridenour and Dobie rounding out the top 4 transfer spots.
In the Perfit/Engine Pro Heat 3, Gregg Dalman (Bellevue, MI) got out to a good start and never looked back as he lead coast to coast to take the checkered flag, winning the heat. Horstman got around Daggett in the third lap to take home 2nd, while Daggett took 3rd and Jeff Williams (Belle Centrer,0lH secured the final transfer spot to the A-Main.
Josh Shantz (Waterloo, ONT) led the last group out in the needmethanol.com Heat Race 4. As the flag drops, the field succesfully makes their first lap around the track. Coming out of turn 4, Jared Lamberson smacked the concrete wall hard and slowed to a craw bringing out the caution. Going off the track, Lamberson was done for this race. In the mean time, Shantz, who was now leading was sent off the track with a flat right rear tire, he too would be done for the night. With this change of events, Gressman took the lead and led them directly to the checkered flag, with Cale Stinson (Vandalia, OH), Kobe Allison (Lima, OH) and Kyle Poortenga (Woodland, MI) rounded out the top 4 transfer spots.
Next out was the Addvanced Heating and Cooling B-Main to secure the last 4 spots in the A-Main. Sitting on the pole, Conner Morrell (Bradenton, FL) gets out front early and leads the field for the first 10 laps. In the 11th lap, Andrew Scheid (Sparta, MI) over takes Morrell for the lead and then with a last lap pass, Dan McCarron (Britton, MI) gets around Morrell for 2nd. Scheid holds on to take the checkered flag, with McCarron, Morrell and Garrett Saunders (Lakeville, IN) rounding out the last 4 transfer spots.
The top 8 cars from the heats had their numbers drawn at the grandstands to determine the line up in the first 4 rows. With the luck of the draw, Hannagan would be starting the feature on the pole with Hall starting next to him. After our traditional 4 wide salute to the fans, the cars were quickly lined up and the given the 1 lap signal.
As the green flag flies, we have a clean start with Hannagan leading the field after the first lap. With the cars fighting for position behind him, Hannagan had smooth saling out front by himself. Behind him, Daggett had worked his way up to 2nd in ten laps. Now in clear site of Hannagan, Daggett was finding traction in the bottom and working on reeling him in. In lap 17 coming out of turn 4, Hannagan was working the top and Daggett was working the bottom and as they crossed the finish line, we had a new leader.
Daggett is able to go the rest of the way and take the checkered flag, with Horstman edging Hannagan at the finish line. Dalman and Gressman rounded out the top five finishers after 25 laps.
Kobe Allison took a nasty flip down the front stretch in lap 8 as Dancer and Allison made contact, bringing out the red flag. Allison was okay, but his car wasn't. We'll keep Kobe in our thoughts and prayers since the real aches and pains will set in overnight.
Great Lakes Super Sprints will be off this next weekend with several of our drivers making the trip to the Knoxville 360 Nationals. We'll be back in action on August 9th at Hartford Speedway and on the 10th at Thunderbird Raceway park.
Thank you to our marketing sponsors, Beacon and Bridge Markets, Addvance Heating & Cooling, Specialty Fuels and Logistics and Hoosier Midwest. Also to our race sponsors, Kistler Engines and Racing Products, Campbell Performance, Perfit/Engine Pro and Engler Machine and Tool.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the current pictures and activities. For our schedule, points and results go to our website at www.greatlakessupersprints.com.
- Barry Marlow on Jul 28, 2019
- Article Date: 7/27/2019 by Barry M. Marlow