Wermling bags first ASCS win in Frontier opener

BELGRADE, Mont. – Kory Wermling was in the right place in the right time, inheriting the lead when race long leader Trever Kirkland had problems with less than two laps to go, allowing Wermling to score his first career ASCS Frontier Region sprint car main event win.

The Great Falls, Montana driver survived a race that saw a lot of attrition and got the win at Gallatin Speedway, which was hosting its first sprint car race in about 23 months. Kirkland had a sizable lead in the closing laps, but quickly faded as his car fought tightness and worn brakes on a dry slick track that was quickly wearing tires out. Struggling to stay ahead of a quickly closing Wermling as he was coming out of Turn 4 for the white flag, Kirkland’s car suddenly locked up and veered to the right and came to a stop, handing the lead to Wermling, who made his worn right rear tire last two more laps on the green-white-checkered restart.

Wermling, who first got into sprint cars a few years ago, scored his first sprint car victory with a limited sprint car motor the prior weekend. He immediately followed that up with his first win with a 360ci motor on Friday, and of course his first in an American Sprint Car Series sanctioned event aboard his own No. 9k Ostrich-powered CS9.

Boise, Idaho’s Logan Forler, who won at Gallatin Speedway this weekend three years ago, came from the 11th starting position and found himself in second place late in the race. He made an effort to get by Wermling on the final restart but was forced to settle for second place in the family’s No. 2L Fisher-powered Maxim. The race was the first for Forler since September 2019 as he took the 2020 season off.

Gallatin Speedway was not able to race in 2020 due to local COVID-19 related restrictions and in 2019 the track lost four of its five scheduled sprint car races to rain. About 700 days after its last sprint car race, an ASCS National Tour event in July 2019, fans at Gallatin Speedway were happy to see sprint car racing at their track again and the grandstands were filled to capacity. Friday’s event was the season opener for the Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series.

Eighteen-year-old Meridian, Idaho driver Tyler Driever, racing at Gallatin Speedway for the first time Friday night, finished third and got his first career podium finish in a sprint car main event aboard his family’s No. 33t Shark-powered Maxim. Utah visitor Chauncey Filler survived the attrition and came from the tenth starting position to finish fourth and Bryan Brown of East Helena, Montana finished fifth, followed by Wyoming’s Shad Petersen. In just his second night out in a sprint car, Colorado visitor Michael Bingham brought his car home in seventh and Shane Moore, Heath Denney and Kirkland rounded out the Top 10. Friday’s race was Denney’s maiden voyage in a  sprint car.

Heat races earlier in the evening were won by Wermling, Damon McCune and Driever. Wermling’s heat race win came after a disqualification of another car for failing to scale following the race.

The ASCS Frontier Region next races Saturday at Big Sky Speedway, located north of Billings.

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Gallatin Speedway

Belgrade, MT

June 11, 2021

22 cars

Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 9k Kory Wermling, 2. 0J Jeremy McCune, 3. 31 Shane Moore, 4. 20 Mitchell Burns, 5. 38b Bryan Brown, 6. 00b Michael Bingham. DQ – 5c Channing Filler (did not scale. DNS – 2x Mike Manwill.

Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 77 Damon McCune, 2. 37 Trever Kirkland, 3. 2 Shad Peterson, 4. 2L Logan Forler, 5. 74u Chauncey Filler, 6. 18 Paul Jones, 7. 38c Caleb Crowther.

Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. 33t Tyler Driever, 2. 11 Mindy McCune, 3. 11h Heath Denney, 4. 14 Madison Crowther, 5. 38 D.J. Brink. DNS – 72 Phil Dietz, 81 Darren Smith

Feature (25 laps): 1. 9k Kory Wermling, 2. 2L Logan Forler, 3. 33t Tyler Driever, 4. 74u Chauncey Filler, 5. 38b Bryan Brown, 6. 2 Shad Petersen, 7. 00b Michael Bingham, 8. 31 Shane Moore, 9. 11h Heath Denney, 10. 37 Trever Kirkland, 11. 2x Mike Manwill, 12. 0J Jeremy McCune, 13. 38 D.J. Brink, 14. 20 Mitchell Burns, 15. 14 Madison Crowther, 16. 5c Channing Filler, 17. 77 Damon McCune, DNS – 11 Mindy McCune, 18 Paul Jones, 38c Caleb Crowther, 72 Phil Dietz, 81 Darren Smith.