April 26, 2024

ACS kicks off 2018 season

By Trevor Maeder
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Kurtis Sharp, brother of Adams County Speedway mainstay Kevin Sharp, enters the track to do a Polish victory lap in memory of Kevin and the Sharp family this past Saturday at ACS. More about how the Sharps were honored Saturday can be found on page 9A. (Contributed photo)

CORNING – Adams County Speedway officially kicked off its 2018 racing season on Saturday night. In total, 106 cars from six different classes took to the dirt on B&S Concrete and K&N Filter Night. Classes running included Tri-State Ford Compacts, Stalker Chevrolet B-Modifieds, Chat Mobility Hobby Stocks, Northland Oil Stock Cars, Poet Bio-Refining Modifieds and O’Reilly Auto Parts Late Models.

Racers and fans began the racing season with a heavy heart as the track mourned the loss of the Sharp family; Kevin, Amy, Sterling and Adrianna Sharp with a moment of silence, then Kevin’s No. 2 2 Miller Lite Stock Car performed a polish victory lap that ended in the newly unveiled “Sharp Strong Taste Greatness Victory Lane.” Kevin’s car also served as the honorary pace car for the stock car feature later in the night.

Last year was a near perfect year for Dustin Thompson. The Villisca native picked up six wins in the Tri-State Ford Compacts in 2017 on his way to a track championship and a NASCAR Division V National Championship. 2018 began the way Thompson ended 2017 as he put his No. 24 car in victory lane. Thompson took the lead from Bryan Vannausdle near the mid part of the race and never looked back, surviving a late race caution to start his 2018 campaign on  a high note. Bryan Vannausdle finished in second, his father Chris Vannausdle took home third, Bobby Key finished fourth and Luke Ramsey wound up fifth.

Nobody had a better 2017 than Thompson with perhaps the exception of Stalker Chevrolet B-Modified driver Jerod Weston. Last year, Weston also found victory lane six times and took a home track championship in dominant fashion. Weston had to earn the win on Saturday night, but the Red Oak native returned to a place he was all too familiar with in 2017 – Victory Lane. Daniel Baudler and Cody Werner battled for the lead early on in the race, but Weston methodically reeled the youngsters down and took the lead from Werner. Weston then proceeded to pick up the win in dominant form. Baudler came home with a career-best runner-up finish, Josh Sink rallied from his 11th place starting position to finish third, Cody Werner came home in fourth and Shawn Kralik rounded out the top five.

Saturday night’s Chat Mobility Hobby Stock class featured 23 cars battling for the right to win the season opener. But in the end, it was the wily veteran David Weeda who took home the checkered flag. Weeda started in the second spot and took the lead on the green flag lap. Two-time defending track champion Luke Ramsey erased Weeda’s 3-second lead and tried urgently to get around Weeda, but failed to do so allowing Weeda to pick up his first points win at ACS since 2011. Ramsey finished in second, followed by Andy Davison in third, Matt McAtee in fourth and Jerid Lund in fifth.

Tony Hardisty had the fastest Northland Oil Stock Car throughout most the 2017 season, but inconsistency prevented the Corning native from capturing a track title. Hardisty has not committed to chasing a title in 2018, but if he does, he’s off to a solid start. Buck Schafroth started on the pole and led the early stages of the race, but Hardisty maintained his line and got around Schafroth and pulled away for the win in a race that consisted of zero cautions. Schafroth took home the runner-up spot, Todd Reitzler came home in third, Kevin Bruck finished fourth and Jason Rold rounded out the top five.

The opening race of the 2018 season for the Poet Bio-refining Modifieds featured 11 cars slinging it on the half-mile speedway. When the dust cleared, it was Red Oak native Josh Most who took home the checkered flag. Most got to victory lane courtesy of a mid-race pass on Jeff Wiggins. Most then sailed to victory. Todd Van Eaton finished second, defending champion Jeff James finished third, Wiggins came home fourth and Shane Demey rounded out the top five.

2018 marks the second year of the Gail’s Gold Rush Super Late Model Racing Series. Late Model drivers from across the Midwest will partake in the series that will race the Malvern Bank Super Late Model Series, the I-80 Speedway, the Adams County Speedway and the Shelby County Speedway. Bill Leighton began his quest for the gold in dominant fashion on Saturday night, leading the entire race from start to finish. The main story of the race however was the abrasive tire wear that led to a handful of drivers including defending track champion Corey Zeitner and Jason O’Brien suffering flat tires during the race. Leighton managed his tires and began 2018 where he ended 2017. Josh Krug finished second, Ben Schaller followed in third, Zach Zeitner took home fourth and Paul Glendenning rounded out the top five.

Night number two of racing at the Adams County Speedway will take place Saturday night as five classes will hit the dirt on Tri-State Carports/D&M Sales Night. Hot laps will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m., with racing to follow.