ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – Fifteen-year-old Colby Thornhill looked like a veteran in his first visit to Sweetwater Speedway, taking the main event win Friday night with the ASCS Frontier Region sprint car tour.
The Enumclaw, Washington driver’s win, his first with the ASCS Frontier Region, came after he passed early leader Trever Kirkland a few laps into the 25-lap event. Thornhill made the pass on the high side of the track, getting enough momentum to move by as they exited Turn 4 of the wide, high-banked 3/8-mile dirt oval. Thornhill, who had been racing with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour and gained valuable experience while out there, would lead the rest of the way.
After the initial start was called back, they completed 21 straight laps under green before a spin by Damon McCune slowed things. Logan Forler of Boise, Idaho had moved into second place during that run but as had happened on the initial starts Forler’s machine was slow to take off when the green flag came back out, allowing Thornhill to motor away.
Just as Thornhill was about to cross the finish line, a violent flip by Chauncey Filler brought out the red flag. It was decided Thornhill didn’t cross the line before the red flag and thus a green-white-checkered restart was set up, but again Thornhill got the restart he needed and took the win, becoming the eighth different winner in eight races this season in ASCS Frontier Region competition aboard the family’s No. 19 Shark-powered Triple X.
Despite his car being slow to take off, Forler was still fast and finished second aboard his No. 2L Fischer-powered Maxim, bouncing back from a disastrous weekend in late July in which he lost multiple motors and the points lead. Kirkland, out of Helena, Montana finished third after leading the opening laps aboard his No. 37 Shark-powered Triple X, backing up his win during the ASCS Frontier Region’s last outing at Sheridan Speedway last month.
Colorado’s Nick Haygood, who won at Sweetwater Speedway last year, finished fourth aboard the Rick Lowery No. 1 USA Performance-powered Maxim. Series points leader Tyler Driever of Meridian, Idaho finished fifth in the family’s No. 33t Shark-powered Maxim, and extended his lead in the standings over Great Falls, Montana driver Kory Wermling, who finished eighth.
Shad Petersen, Michael Bingham, Wermling, McCune and C.J. Thorne rounded out the Top 10.
Heat races earlier in the evening were won by Filler, Forler and Thornhill.
The series races again Saturday night at Sweetwater Speedway. It returns to Montana later with events at Gallatin Speedway on August 27th and Big Sky Speedway for the Harvey Ostermiller Memorial on August 28th. More information on the 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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American Sprint Car Series – Frontier Region
Sweetwater Speedway
Rock Springs, WY
August 13, 2021
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
21 cars
Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 74u Chauncey Filler, 2. 1 Nick Haygood, 3. 88 Travis Reber, 4. 86 Zac Taylor, 5. 11 Heath Denney, 6. 38 Caleb Crowther, DNS – 14 Madison Crowther.
Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 2L Logan Forler, 2. 37 Trever Kirkland, 3. 00b Michael Bingham, 4. 81 Darren Smith, 5. 56x Mark Chisolm, 6. 64z Preslie Thorne, 7. 2x Mike Manwill.
Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. 19 Colby Thornhill, 2. 77 Damon McCune, 3. 2 Shad Petersen, 4. 33t Tyler Driever, 5. 14x C.J. Thorne, 6. 9k Kory Wermling, 7. 34 Randy Whitman.
Feature (25 laps): 1. 19 Colby Thornhill, 2. 2L Logan Forler, 3. 37 Trever Kirkland, 4. 1 Nick Haygood, 5. 33t Tyler Driever, 6. 2 Shad Petersen, 7. 00b Michael Bingham, 8. 9k Kory Wermling, 9. 77 Damon McCune, 10. 14x C.J. Thorne, 11. 81 Darren Smith, 12. 56x Mark Chisholm, 13. 2x Mike Manwill, 14. 64z Preslie Thorne, 15. 74u Chauncey Filler, 16. 14 Madison Crowther, 17. 34 Randy Whitman, 18. 86 Zac Taylor, 19. 11 Heath Denney, DNS – 38 Caleb Crowther, 88 Travis Reber.
