(Image Credit: Speedmax.tv)
GREAT FALLS, Mont. – It was a moment Joe Perry had waited over seven years for. Sunday night at the Montana Roundup finale at Electric City Speedway, Perry finally got that second sprint car main event win as he raced his way to a thrilling ASCS Frontier Region victory.
Perry raced his way into the lead following a restart, trading sliders and crossovers with series points leader Trever Kirkland before getting the lead again and clearing a slider thrown by Kirkland to hold onto to that top spot in a wild set of laps around the 3/10-mile clay oval bullring. Perry then navigated his way through slower traffic and held off the late race charge by James Setters in the final laps, taking the win aboard the Chuck Perry No. 28 Kannady-powered Maxim.
For the Billings, Montana driver it was his second career ASCS Frontier Region sprint car win, and it was a long wait to get that win. His first win, which also came at Electric City Speedway, was all the way back in June 2015. A clearly tired Perry was still very happy to celebrate with his family. Perry and his wife Lauren had just become parents before that first win and took a victory family photo with their then infant daughter that night. Sunday night they got to take a victory photo as a family of four as their son joined in for the first time.
The win was very popular in the pit area following the race. Perry also thanked Big Sky Speedway owner and former racer Jerry Brey for help securing the motor to race this weekend. Perry and his father and crew chief Chuck had dealt with multiple engine failures this year, making for a frustrating season. That made Sunday’s win all the more satisfying for the father and son duo.
Perry started outside the front row for the 25-lap feature. Kirkland, who won Friday’s Montana Roundup opener, led the opening lap but soon was in a three-way war with Perry and Great Falls driver Kory Wermling that saw furious racing between the three veteran racers. Contact was then made between Kirkland and Wermling as they raced for the lead in front of Perry, and that sent Wermling into the front stretch wall suffering severe damage, ending his night.
With Wermling out, Kirkland held the lead position but lost it to Perry after their slide job battle following the restart. Perry drove off with the lead while Kirkland then had to fight for positions with Setters and five-time sprint car champion Phil Dietz. After getting by Kirkland for second place Setters tried to make a run at Perry as they moved through lapped traffic, but ran out of time.
Setters, from Spirit Lake, Idaho but now living in Great Falls, settled for a strong runner-up finish at his home track in his family’s No. 2 Borello-powered Helix. Setters won his first career 360 sprint car main event win in the May 28th ASCS Frontier Region main event at Electric City Speedway.
Getting around Kirkland late in the race, Phil Dietz earned a podium finish and took third after charging from the tenth starting position aboard the Dietz Racing No. 72 Panella-powered Maxim. Kirkland finished fourth and Alberta’s Kelly Miller finished fifth. Saturday’s feature winner Tyler Driever of Meridian, Idaho finished sixth. Bryan Gossel, Shad Petersen, Bryan Brown and Austyn Gossel rounded out the Top 10.
Heat races earlier in the evening were won by Perry, Austyn Gossel and Miller. Perry won his heat race all three nights this weekend at the Montana Roundup. The pole shuffle for the first four starting positions in the main event saw Kirkland sweep all three rounds, defeating Wermling in a wild first round before besting Austyn Gossel. Kirkland then defeated Perry in the final round to win the pole position.
Two races remain on the 2022 season for the Brodix ASCS Frontier Region. The series is again the Friday show of the Big Sky Supernationals at Gallatin Speedway outside Bozeman on Friday, September 9th. The season wraps up with a Saturday show on September 10th at Big Sky Speedway outside Billings.
More information on the Brodix Frontier Region of the American Sprint Car Series, along with news and info on the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour and other ASCS regional tours, can be found online at www.ascsracing.com. Stagg Motor Sports, the promoting company of the ASCS Frontier Region, can be found at www.staggmotorsports.com.
Brodix ASCS Frontier Region
26th Montana Roundup – Final Night
Electric City Speedway
Great Falls, MT
September 4, 2022
Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 28 Joe Perry, 2. 2x Mike Manwill, 3. 37 Trever Kirkland, 4. 2n Shad Petersen, 5. 24 Leroy Brush, 6. 3 Jordan Milne, 7. 35m Cody Masse.
Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 16g Austyn Gossel, 2. 9k Kory Wermling, 3. 2 James Setters, 4. 24m Ian Myers, 5. 14p Darren Smith, 6. 4p Junior Nelson, 7. 22 Brianna Widhalm.
Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. 2jr Kelly Miller, 2. 33t Tyler Driever, 3. 6g Bryan Gossel, 4. 72 Phil Dietz, 5. 38b Bryan Brown, 6. 31 Shane Moore.
Pole Shuffle: 37 Trever Kirkland d. 9k Kory Wermling in Round 1. 37 Trever Kirkland d. 16g Austyn Gossel in Round 2. 37 Trever Kirkland d. 28 Joe Perry in Final Round to win pole position for main event.
Feature (25 laps): 1. 28 Joe Perry, 2. 2 James Setters, 3. 72 Phil Dietz, 4. 37 Trever Kirkland, 5. 2jr Kelly Miller, 6. 33t Tyler Driever, 7. 6g Bryan Gossel, 8. 2n Shad Petersen, 9. 38b Bryan Brown, 10. 16g Austyn Gossel, 11. 3 Jordan Milne, 12. 31 Shane Moore, 13. 35m Cody Masse, 14. 14p Darren Smith, 15. 24m Ian Myers, 16. 22 Brianna Widhalm, 17. 2x Mike Manwill, 18. 4p Junior Nelson, 19. 24 Leroy Brush, 20. 9k Kory Wermling.
Upcoming ASCS Frontier Region events
September 9
Big Sky Supernationals
Gallatin Speedway – Belgrade, MT
September 10
ASCS Frontier Region Season Finale
Big Sky Speedway – Billings, MT
2022 ASCS Frontier Region feature winners
May 20 – Canceled at Desert Thunder Raceway (tire shortage)
May 21 – Canceled at Desert Thunder Raceway (tire shortage)
May 27 – Trever Kirkland at Electric City Speedway
May 28 – James Setters at Electric City Speedway
June 10 – Colby Thornhill at Gallatin Speedway
June 11 – Colby Thornhill at Big Sky Speedway
July 1 – Phil Dietz at Gallatin Speedway
July 3 – Canceled at Electric City Speedway (rained out)
July 4 – Canceled at Electric City Speedway (rained out)
July 15 – Logan Forler at Big Sky Speedway
July 16 – Logan Forler at Big Sky Speedway
July 29 – Kory Wermling at Gallatin Speedway
July 30 – Trever Kirkland at Big Sky Speedway
August 12 – Nick Haygood at Sweetwater Speedway
August 13 – Trever Kirkland at Sweetwater Speedway
August 19 – Logan Forler at Big Sky Speedway
August 20 – Logan Forler at Big Sky Speedway
September 2 – Trever Kirkland at Electric City Speedway
September 3 – Tyler Driever at Electric City Speedway
September 4 – Joe Perry at Electric City Speedway
ASCS Racing
www.ascsracing.com
Stagg Motor Sports
www.staggmotorsports.com
Contact:
Josh Stagg, ASCS Frontier Region coordinator & promoter – josh@staggmotorsports.com
Andrew Kunas, public relations & announcer – andrew@staggmotorsports.com
