SHERIDAN, Wyo. – Trever Kirkland had a monkey that just wouldn’t get off his back at the start of the season as he had the worst of luck, but Sunday night he completed a turnaround by winning the inaugural ASCS Frontier Region sprint car event at Sheridan Speedway in Wyoming.
The Helena, Montana driver scored a $2,500 victory when he outlasted the field in a caution and red flag marred 25-lap main event that eventually was cut three laps short due to the late hour and following several cars losing tires or getting torn up. With only a handful of the remaining starters still running on the track, the decision was made to pull the plug, with Kirkland out front and winning his first race since August 2020 at Big Sky Speedway.
Kirkland’s win aboard the Kirkland Racing No. 37 Shark-powered Triple X was his fourth career ASCS Frontier Region victory and came after finishing second each of the prior two evenings at Big Sky Speedway. On opening weekend in June Kirkland was leading both nights in the closing laps when car problems derailed things, costing him two victories and an early points lead. Then on opening night of the Grizzly Nationals at Gallatin Speedway earlier this month Kirkland lost a motor and was out of action the next evening, knocking him out of points contention early on. His weekend run of podium finishes and a win completed a big turnaround, and got that monkey off his back. Kirkland was eager to praise his loyal crew for their work all weekend.
James Setters and Kory Wermling each ran second place at times in the feature, but Setters lost a right rear tire and had to go to the pit area, knocking him back to a tenth place finish, and Wermling then ran out of fuel before the checkered flag was thrown, costing him three positions and relegating him to fifth in the official running order. Shad Petersen of Casper, Wyoming wound up as one of the survivors and tied his career best ASCS Frontier Region finish, taking second aboard the Novotny Racing No. 2 Ostrich-powered J&J.
Points leader Tyler Driever of Meridian, Idaho had an eventful main event. Starting tenth after a tough heat race, Driever drove his way into the Top 5 only to lose a right rear tire on a track that started to take some rubber. Driever was able to get his tire changed in the work area and returned to the track. Driever was able to drive back to finish third, backing up his first career win the night before at Big Sky Speedway and extending his points lead aboard the Driever Racing No. 33t Shark-powered Maxim.
Mindy McCune backed up her third place finish from Friday night with a fourth place run ahead of Wermling, scored fifth after his luck ran south and he ran out of fuel. Darren Smith, Chauncey Filler, Mike Manwill, Michael Bingham and Setters rounded out the Top 10.
Several accidents happened during the main event, including a frightening crash on the initial start where Damon McCune suffered front suspension damage after contact with another car and lost control going down the back stretch. Most cars managed to evade but Trevor Plambeck was unable to, striking McCune and sending him flipping upside down while Plambeck lost control and went into the infield pit area near turn 3, hitting a unoccupied cart and crashing into the 1/4-midget track inside turns 3 and 4 and ending up on his side. Both drivers emerged from their cars and everyone in the infield pits were ok as well.
Heat races earlier in the evening were won by Mindy McCune and Damon McCune. Instead of having the Top 8 in passing points redraw for their main event starting positions as ASCS typically does, ASCS Frontier Region officials and Sheridan Speedway staff decided to mark the inaugural event at Sheridan Speedway by instead having a pair of dash races set the lineup. and giving the fans extra racing to watch. The first dash, featuring the Top 4 in passing points, was won by Kirkland who earned the pole position and a $100 bonus. Wermling won the second dash, featuring the next four in passing points, and earned the fifth starting position.
The ASCS Frontier Region continues its season on August 13th and 14th at Sweetwater Speedway in Rock Springs, Wyoming before returning to Montana for an event at Gallatin Speedway on August 27th and the Harvey Ostermiller Memorial at Big Sky Speedway on August 28th.
More information on the Brodix Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series, the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour and other ASCS regional tours can be found online at www.ascsracing.com. Stagg Motorsports, the promoting company of the ASCS Frontier Region, can be found at www.staggmotorsports.com.
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ASCS Frontier Region
Sheridan Speedway
Sheridan, WY
July 25, 2021
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
14 cars
Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 11 Mindy McCune, 2. 37 Trever Kirkland, 3. 9k Kory Wermling, 4. 2 Shad Petersen, 5. 33t Tyler Driever, 6. 34 Trevor Plambeck, 7. 2x Mike Manwill.
Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 77 Damon McCune, 2. 2j James Setters, 3. 0J Logan Forler, 4. 00b Michael Bingham, 5. 18 Paul Jones, 6. 81 Darren Smith, DNS – 74u Chauncey Filler.
Dash 1 (6 laps): 1. 37 Trever Kirkland. 2. 2j James Setters, 3. 11 Mindy McCune, 4. 77 Damon McCune. Finish determined first four starting positions of Feature.
Dash 2 (6 laps): 1. 9k Kory Wermling, 2. 18 Paul Jones, 3. 2 Shad Petersen, 4. 0J Logan Forler. Finish determined fifth through eighth starting positions of Feature.
Feature (22 laps, time/safety): 1. 37 Trever Kirkland, 2. 2 Shad Petersen, 3. 33t Tyler Driever, 4. 11 Mindy McCune, 5. 9k Kory Wermling, 6. 81 Darren Smith, 7. 74u Chauncey Filler, 8. 2x Mike Manwill, 9. 00b Michael Bingham, 10. 2j James Setters, 11. 0J Jeremy McCune, 12. 18 Paul Jones, 13. 34 Trevor Plambeck, 14. 77 Damon McCune.
