By Bryan Gapinski
Sycamore, Ill., Aug. 17–Thomas Meseraull won Saturday Night’s 25-lap Zimbrick Chevrolet of Sun Prairie Badger Midget Racing Series feature at Sycamore Speedway.
Ryan Probst took the lead at the start, while Meseruall began improving positions from his 16th place starting position. Probst executed a “half-spin” while leading on Lap 2, bringing out the caution. Kevin Olson assumed the lead on the start, with Meseraull running in twelfth place.
Meseraull improved to sixth place, on Lap 6, when Scott Hatton took the lead from Olson. Meseruall was third on Lap 10, and one lap later took over the second position, as Hatton began lapping the tail of the field. Meseraull challenged Hatton several times for the lead, before taking over the top position on Lap 14, entering Turn 3.
Meseraull continued lapping cars, while increasing his lead over Hatton, as the pair separated themselves from the remainder of the field. Two cautions appeared between Laps 20-23 for stalled cars. Meseruall held off the challenges of Hatton on both restarts.
Meseruall driving the RMS Racing owned Spike/Honda No. 7 finished 1.25 seconds ahead of Hatton. Series points leader Jack Routson, trying for his third straight feature victory at the track finished third, with Zach Boden and Olson completing the top five.
“This place is awesome to drive, loved the cushion and ledge tonight, we were perfect for the feature, the lapped traffic was intense I knew I had to be aggressive in traffic, with Hatton right behind me” commented Meseruall, who was competing at the track for the first time in his career.
Routson leads McDermand by 135-points heading into Sunday Night’s Aug. 18 “Miller Lite Cornfest Racing Classic” at Angell Park Speedway (Sun Prairie, Wis.).
SUMMARY
25-lap Feature: 1. Thomas Meseraull; 2. Scott Hatton; 3. Jack Routson; 4. Zach Boden; 5. Kevin Olson; 6. Chase McDermand; 7.Ryan Probst; 8. Kurt Mayhew; 9. Matt Recheck; 10. Tristan Koenings; 11. Denny Smith; 12. Ryan Shilkuski; 13. R.J. Corson; 14. Jeff Zelinski; 15. Shay Sassano; 16. Harrison Kleven; 17. Mike Stroik.
8-lap AutoMeter Heat Race Winner: Probst.
8-lap Engler Machine Heat Race Winner: Hatton.
Schoenfeld Headers Fast Time: Meseraull, 14.582 seconds.
Cars Present: 18 Feature Lap Leaders: Probst 1, Olson 2-5, Hatton 6-14,
Meseraull 15-25.
Badger Midget Series Points: 1. Jack Routson 1238; 2. Chase McDermand 1103; 3. Zach Boden 1036; 4. Scott Hatton 958; 5. Ryan Probst 955; 6. Kevin Olson 929; 7. Jeff Zelinski 702; 8. Mike Stroik 694; 9. Matt Rechek 655; 10. Jordan Mattson 601.
RACE NOTES
—Scott Hatton established a new 10-lap track record winning the Engler Machine Heat Race Two.
—Jerry Hippel was at the track watching the racing events. Hippel competed with the Badger Midget Series in the early 70’s and was a multiple time top-five points finisher in the UARA Midget Series.
—Chase McDermand won the Howard Law Cash Draw, a bonus for a randomly selected feature finishing position.
—Thomas Meseraull claimed the Advance Race Suspensions Hard Charger Award improving fifteen positions.
—The final Sycamore Badger event of 2019 will be the Aug. 31 Franklin B. Alexander Memorial Race which will pays $5,000 to the feature winner.