The Left Turn
By: Ron Burt
Friday, May 9th, the USAC Midwest Thunder Midgets were at Limaland Motor Sports Park for the Mike Streicher Memorial, it was also their first race of the 2025 season. 25 drivers showed up to compete. Past Thunder Midget season champion Zach Wigal had the fast qualifying time 00:13.480. He also won his heat race. Gunnar Lucius, Bryce Massingill, and Luke Hall won the other 3 heat races.
When the Thunder Midgets took the track for the feature, the fans weren’t disappointed. It was close wheel to wheel racing all 25 laps. Bryce Massingill would lead the field to green with Gehrke grabbing the early lead. Caution would fly on lap 2 as Jakeb Boxell came to a stop on the front stretch with a broken fuel pump ending his bid to win back to back Streicher Memorial races. Gehrke would resume his lead on the restart, but Massingill would take the lead on lap 5 and never look back. 2023 Mike Streicher Memorial winner Zach Wigal, would charge to second on lap 18, but would not be able to close on Massingill, who would win and become the first two-time winner of the Streicher Memorial, winning over Wigal, Gehrke, Luke Hall, and Matt Lux. Other Feature winners on this Friday night at Limaland, UMP Modifieds Dylan Woodling, Thunder Stocks Todd Sherman and Dirt Trucks Rolly Heyder.
At Attica Raceway Park, Friday, May 9th Cap Henry has served notice – he is the driver to beat at Raceway Park in the 410 Sprints. The defending and three time Attica champion took the lead on lap seven and sliced his way through dense lapped traffic to score his second win of 2025 on the Eric Phillips 37th Anniversary Classic. Rounding out the top 5 for the 410 Wing Sprints, Craig Mintz, Nate Dussel, DJ Foos, and Bryce Lucius.
UMP Late Model A-main was a thriller. Mike Bores battled with Devin Shiels the first 16 laps of the 25-lap affair before a caution. On the restart Ryan grabbed second and closed on Bores. Rusty Schlenk, who won all four feature events at Attica in 2025 had stayed in the top five the entire race and looked like he would see his win streak end. A caution with three laps left set up a dramatic finish. Bores led the charge to the green while Schlenk blasted from fifth to second utilizing the high line of the track. Bores looked like he had the feature win in sight, but Schlenk used the cushion on the last lap and snuck past Bores for his fifth straight win of 2025 at Attica. Bores, Missler, Casey Noonan and Ryan Markham rounded out the top five. The win is the 48th late model victory of Schlenk’s career at Attica and with a pair of stock car wins at the track places him third on the all-time win list.
The Fremont Fence 305 Sprint A-main was exciting. Defending Attica champion Jamie Miller jumped into the early lead but by lap 15 Seth Schneider caught him, and the two battled side by side. Following a caution with 10 laps remaining, last week’s winner Dustin Stroup put pressure on Miller, taking the lead on lap 18. Miller kept his composure and used the low line to retake the lead with just three laps to go. Miller drove away for his fourth win of 2025 at Attica over Stroup, Schneider, Paul Weaver and Matt Foos.
The Great Lakes Super Sprints returned to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa Michigan Friday. Jared Horstman picked up the featured win, in a race marred by wrecks. With the win, Horstman is the winningest driver all-time with the Great Lakes Super Sprints.
Quite a few area race fans and drivers went to Montpelier Speedway on Saturday. Todd Sherman won the UMP Modified feature, Tony Anderson found victory lane in his Super Stock, Kaleb Hinkley got the Street Stockwin and Josh Gamblin won the Hornet feature.