From Bryan Hulbert
MESQUITE, Texas (March 19, 2021) – The 1,000th Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network A-Feature came with a first-time winner as Washington’s JJ Hickle stormed into Victory Lane on Night 1 of the 48th annual Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals.
The 156th different winner with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, the 2021 Brodix Rookie of the Year contender worked slower traffic to perfection for his Devil’s Bowl triumph.
Asked what the win meant, JJ replied, “It means everything. This sets the stage, and this is why we came out here. It proves to all of us that, yes, we do belong out here. It’s an honor, and hopefully, we can keep this going.”
Chasing Oklahoma’s Danny Jennings, the first 10 laps, the No. 1j found his road blocked. Seeing a nearly one-second advantage evaporate in an instant, Hickle worked into the lead on Lap 11, with Seth Bergman also gaining the advantage for second on Lap 12.
On having to work slower traffic for the lead, JJ stated, “I just had to go where they’re not. Ivan gave me an awesome race car. I could drive this thing anywhere on the track and just bide my time. I knew I was pretty good off of four, so I just tried to be smooth.”
Red working Lap 13 as Blake Hahn and Garet Williamson made contact, the No. 24 flipped wildly off the top of the back straightaway but thankfully was unharmed. Realigned into the Delaware Double File Restart following an open red, Hickle had company as Seth Bergman charged the low line through the first and second turns. Unable to get the advance, clean air played to JJ’s advantage as the Ivan, and Jane Worden owned No. 63 steadily pulled away.
Into traffic with five laps to run, Bergman, like Borden 10 laps earlier, closed the gap in no time. Stalking Hickle, the two were inseparable before the caution lights came on. Red on the restart as Dylan Westbrook took flight in the third turn, the ensuing restart went single file with Seth again charging hard into the first turn. Keeping momentum over the Evergreen Coffee Co. No. 23, Hickle opened up his advantage to 1.164-seconds to become the sixth different Washington winner.
Seth Bergman held on for second over Blake Hahn, with Scott Bogucki rolling from 10th to fourth while Matt Covington raced from 13th to fifth. Chase Randall was sixth, with Roger Crockett emerging as the night’s Hard Charger with a run from 20th to seventh. Danny Jennings slipped to eighth with Jake Bubak tying Crockett at 13 positions advanced. Sammy Swindell completed the top ten.
A field of 37 teams from 10 states and three countries took part in Friday’s Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals event. Four SCE Gaskets Heat Races were contested, with wins going to Dylan Westbrook, John Carney II, Chase Randall, and Sammy Swindell. A trio of Hoosier Tire Qualifiers was topped by Garet Williamson, Devon Borden, and Blake Hahn. BMRS B-Features went to Casey Burkham and Colby Thornhill. Two provisions were used by Alex Hill and Ryan Bickett.
The Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network is back at the Devi’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, March 20. Races are slated to start at 8:00 P.M. (CDT). For tickets and directions, log onto http://www.devilsbowl.com or call (972) 222-2421.
The 2021 season is the 30th year of competition for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network.
48th Spring Nationals – Night #1
ASCS National Tour / ASCS Lone Star Region
Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Mesquite, Texas
Friday, March 19, 2021
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 19-Colby Thornhill[1]
2. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[2]
3. 23-Seth Bergman[7]
4. 95-Matt Covington[4]
5. 45B-Casey Burkham[5]
6. 11-Roger Crockett[8]
7. 20G-Noah Gass[10]
8. 88-Travis Reber[3]
9. 77-Damon McCune[6]
10. 77X-Alex Hill[9]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 11X-John Carney II[1]
2. 28-Scott Bogucki[3]
3. 63-JJ Hickle[5]
4. 2X-Tucker Doughty[6]
5. 24-Garet Williamson[8]
6. 74B-Jake Bubak[7]
7. 72-Chris Tarrant[2]
8. 6M-Blake Mallory[4]
9. 3W-Willy Reed[9]
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 9-Chase Randall[1]
2. 22X-Steven Shebester[2]
3. 1J-Danny Jennings[7]
4. 0-Eric Baldaccini[4]
5. 17B-Ryan Bickett[6]
6. 03-Joe Wood Jr[8]
7. 7M-Chance Morton[5]
8. 12-Brandon Howle[9]
9. #1-Justin Zimmerman[3]
Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 72S-Sammy Swindell[1]
2. 44-Chris Martin[4]
3. 8-Devon Borden[3]
4. 52-Blake Hahn[5]
5. 8M-Kade Morton[6]
6. 33C-Casey Carter[2]
7. 91-Zach Pringle[7]
8. 45-Martin Edwards[9]
9. 2-Dylan Opdahl[8]
Qualifier #1 (8 Laps)
1. 24-Garet Williamson[2]
2. 95-Matt Covington[1]
3. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[3]
4. 23-Seth Bergman[6]
5. 72S-Sammy Swindell[4]
6. 45B-Casey Burkham[8]
7. 45-Martin Edwards[10]
8. 19-Colby Thornhill[5]
9. 91-Zach Pringle[9]
10. 8M-Kade Morton[7]
Qualifier #2 (8 Laps)
1. 8-Devon Borden[2]
2. 0-Eric Baldaccini[1]
3. 1J-Danny Jennings[6]
4. 28-Scott Bogucki[4]
5. 22X-Steven Shebester[3]
6. 11X-John Carney II[5]
7. 74B-Jake Bubak[8]
8. 11-Roger Crockett[7]
9. 7M-Chance Morton[10]
10. 20G-Noah Gass[9]
Qualifier #3 (8 Laps)
1. 52-Blake Hahn[2]
2. 63-JJ Hickle[3]
3. 9-Chase Randall[4]
4. 44-Chris Martin[5]
5. 17B-Ryan Bickett[1]
6. 2X-Tucker Doughty[8]
7. 72-Chris Tarrant[7]
8. 12-Brandon Howle[6]
DNS: 03-Joe Wood Jr
DNS: 33C-Casey Carter
B-Main #1 (12 Laps)
1. 45B-Casey Burkham[1]
2. 17B-Ryan Bickett[2]
3. 45-Martin Edwards[3]
4. 03-Joe Wood Jr[5]
5. 91-Zach Pringle[4]
6. 6M-Blake Mallory[6]
7. 88-Travis Reber[7]
8. 77-Damon McCune[8]
9. 8M-Kade Morton[9]
10. 12-Brandon Howle[10]
11. #1-Justin Zimmerman[11]
B-Main #2 (12 Laps)
1. 19-Colby Thornhill[1]
2. 11-Roger Crockett[3]
3. 74B-Jake Bubak[2]
4. 20G-Noah Gass[5]
5. 7M-Chance Morton[4]
6. 77X-Alex Hill[7]
7. 2-Dylan Opdahl[6]
8. 72-Chris Tarrant[8]
9. 33C-Casey Carter[9]
10. 3W-Willy Reed[10]
A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 63-JJ Hickle[3]
2. 23-Seth Bergman[2]
3. 52-Blake Hahn[7]
4. 28-Scott Bogucki[10]
5. 95-Matt Covington[13]
6. 9-Chase Randall[6]
7. 11-Roger Crockett[18]
8. 1J-Danny Jennings[1]
9. 74B-Jake Bubak[20]
10. 72S-Sammy Swindell[12]
11. 45B-Casey Burkham[17]
12. 19-Colby Thornhill[16]
13. 17B-Ryan Bickett[19]
14. 8-Devon Borden[5]
15. 44-Chris Martin[8]
16. 22X-Steven Shebester[15]
17. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[9]
18. 0-Eric Baldaccini[11]
19. 88-Travis Reber[22]
20. 2X-Tucker Doughty[14]
21. 24-Garet Williamson[4]
22. 45-Martin Edwards[21]
23. 77X-Alex Hill[23]
24. 11X-John Carney II[24]
Winged 305 Sprint Cars
Heat Race #1
1. #1-Justin Zimmerman
2. 1M-Larry Long
3. 20-Chad Wilson
4. 5-Chip Graham
5. 16S-Steven Shebester
6. 33S-Briley Stone
7. 15-Michael Colaluca
8. V8-Robert Vetter
Heat Race #2
1. 14B-Robert Byrom
2. 91-Michael Day
3. 49-Justin Fifield
4. 4-Austin Mundie
5. 25-Chase Brewer
6. 72-Daniel Estes
7. 00-Jaden Brown
Heat Race #3
1. 44C-Cody Price
2. 82-Austin Sanders
3. 10G-Marcus Thomas
4. 2-Colby Stubblefield
5. 41M-Steve McMackin
6. 9TX-Brad Wesp
7. 24-Joseph Kasper
A-Main
1. 10G-Marcus Thomas
2. 20-Chad Wilson
3. 49-Justin Fifield
4. 1M-Larry Long
5. 4-Austin Mundie
6. 25-Chase Brewer
7. 2-Colby Stubblefield
8. 16S-Steven Shebester
9. 82-Austin Sanders
10. 33S-Briley Stone
11. 15-Michael Colaluca
12. 72-Daniel Estes
13. 44C-Cody Price
14. 14B-Robert Byrom
15. 5-Chip Graham
16. 00-Jaden Brown
17. 24-Joseph Kasper
18. 41M-Steve McMackin
19. V8-Robert Vetter
20. 9TX-Brad Wesp
DQ: 91-Michael Day
DQ: #1-Justin Zimmerman