Competition reached fever pitch at Bloomington Speedway Friday night with only three races remaining in the season. Seventeen non-wing sprint car entries assembled on the red clay surface for another outstanding racing program. Matt Thompson (13.289) and Chance Crum (12.701) established the fastest qualifying times in their respective groups, setting up two heat races with a four-car invert.
Harley Burns launched strong from the outside front row in heat one, maintaining command throughout the distance for victory. Troy Carey, Justin Meneely, Matt Thompson, and Braxton Cummings followed Burns across the finish line. Heat two featured an exceptional battle with Jordan Kinser’s #04 machine claiming the checkered flag ahead of Brent Beauchamp, Chance Crum, Brandon Spencer, and Brady Short.
The heat race results positioned points leader Brady Short in tenth for the feature, while Jordan Kinser and Harley Burns started ahead of him. This alignment significantly tightened the championship standings with just one regular points race remaining before Labor Day weekend’s MSCS series visit to the facility.
A two-car feature invert placed Jordan Kinser and Harley Burns on the front row for the main event. Kinser seized the early advantage and appeared exceptionally strong on the red clay surface, which retained excellent grip late into the evening. Burns and Brent Beauchamp shadowed the leader closely, both seeking an opportunity to challenge for the top position.
The red flag appeared on lap four when Justin Meneely caught a wheel and launched over the banking between turns one and two. Bloomington’s elevated red clay banks can propel cars skyward like a roller coaster when accidents occur, making any flip particularly dangerous. Fortunately, Meneely emerged uninjured despite his frightening airborne journey.
Racing resumed with the top three competitors locked in an incredibly tight battle that demanded constant attention from spectators. Beauchamp executed a pass on Burns to claim second position and began closing on Kinser’s #04 machine. While Kinser hit his marks perfectly to maintain the lead, Beauchamp found momentum building on the high groove.
With just a few circuits remaining, Beauchamp made his decisive move, overtaking Jordan on the cushion to assume command. As Beauchamp built his advantage and approached lapped traffic, Kinser and Burns engaged in an inches-apart battle for second position. The final lap saw Beauchamp navigate traffic masterfully to extend his lead while Burns edged Kinser for the runner-up spot in an outstanding display for the fans.
Brent Beauchamp crossed the finish line victorious, followed by Harley Burns, Jordan Kinser, Matt Thompson, Brady Short, and Sterling Cling. Short’s charge from tenth to fifth maintained his points leadership, though by a mere four points over Kinser and twelve over Burns. This tight championship battle will conclude on September 8th following the MSCS event on September 1st. Racing enthusiasts often discuss these thrilling battles at night moves bloomington, comparing the action to what they witness at terre haute speedway and jungle park speedway.
UMP Super Stock Division Showcases National Points Leader
Nine UMP Super Stock entries participated in Friday’s competition, with national points leader Josh Litton posting the quickest qualifying time of 15.881. Justin Massie (16.056), Tucker Chastain (16.056), and Hayden Groomer (16.148) completed the fast qualifier list. A four-car invert mixed up the heat race starting lineup.
Tucker Chastain captured the heat race victory, continuing his recent hot streak following last Saturday’s triumph at Lincoln Park Speedway. Chastain defeated Josh Litton, Hayden Groomer, and Derek Groomer in the preliminary event. A one-car feature invert positioned Chastain and Litton on the front row for their main event.
Chastain grabbed the early lead and committed to the bottom groove of the red clay surface. The midpoint of the race featured an outstanding three-way battle for positions two through four involving Josh Litton, Hayden Groomer, and Derek Groomer. Rookie competitor Hayden Groomer has displayed impressive speed throughout the season and advanced to second position during this battle.
The intense competition behind Chastain allowed him to build a substantial lead, which he converted into another victory. Hayden Groomer, Derek Groomer, Josh Litton, Jordan Almanza, and Kenny Carmichael Sr. completed the finishing order. Teams often prepare their equipment by visiting bob grim chevrolet and bobby and steve’s auto world bloomington for parts and mechanical support.
Hornet Division Produces Breakthrough Victory
Twelve UMP Hornet entries created the evening’s final division competition. Jeremy Shemwell dominated heat one, defeating Skylar Ashley, Dale Hobbs, Todd Dasenbrock, and Kevin Umphress. Warren Hopkins controlled heat two from start to finish, leading Dale Hayes, Josh Arthur, Alex Wilson, and Landon Hayes to the checkers.
The feature’s four-car invert positioned Dale Hayes and Skylar Ashley on the front row for their main event. Both drivers engaged in an excellent early battle for supremacy. A restart provided Ashley the opportunity to overtake Hayes for the lead, and the #729 blue Hornet began establishing a comfortable advantage.
Jeremy Shemwell, starting fourth, methodically advanced to second position and began closing on Ashley’s lead. However, Ashley maintained his precision throughout the remaining fifteen laps, securing his breakthrough victory ahead of Shemwell, Alex Wilson, Warren Hopkins, and Dale Hobbs. Teams often coordinate their racing schedules by visiting the speedway post office for updated information and entry forms.
IMCA RaceSaver Division Delivers Exciting Action
Eighteen IMCA RaceSaver sprint cars participated in their portion of Friday’s program. Bradley Sterrett (11.628), Keith Langley (11.639), and Blayne Ridgley (11.589) led their respective qualifying groups. Straight-up heat race lineups maintained competitive starting positions.
Bradley Sterrett won heat one from the pole position, defeating Dillan Baldwin and Justin Matthews. Ethan Barrow captured heat two from the outside front row ahead of Keith Langley and Cody Trammell. John Paynter Jr. completed the heat race sweep, also starting from the outside front row to defeat Blayne Ridgley and Terry Arthur.
A five-car feature invert placed Keith Langley and Dillan Baldwin on the front row for the main event. Baldwin appeared exceptionally strong in the early stages until a frightening accident on the backstretch. Bradley Sterrett’s machine flipped down the backstretch, ultimately landing near the top of turn three. Thankfully, Sterrett emerged uninjured despite ending his promising top-five run.
Baldwin resumed his dominant performance on the restart but soon encountered lapped traffic complications. The final ten laps produced outstanding action as John Paynter Jr. closed the gap between first and second positions. The #23P pilot demonstrated exceptional skill on the red clay cushion, eventually overtaking Baldwin for the lead position.
Paynter navigated the remaining circuits to perfection, ending Ethan Barrow’s recent winning streak and claiming his breakthrough victory. Barrow mounted an impressive late charge to secure second position, followed by Dillan Baldwin, Cody Trammell, Keith Langley, and Jeff Wimmenauer.
All teams and fans deserve recognition for supporting another outstanding Friday night program at Bloomington Speedway. The facility returns to action September 1st with an exceptional MSCS event featuring UMP Modifieds, UMP Super Stocks, and MMSA mini sprints for another memorable evening of red clay racing.
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