Lockbourne, Ohio’s Cole Duncan started the evening setting overall quickest time in Comp Cams qualifying Saturday night at Atomic Speedway. Then, starting from 6th in the main event, drove a patient race, taking the lead just past the halfway mark, and cruising on to claim the $3,000 to win Ti22 Performance main event.
The evening began as strange as any in FAST tour history in ARP Fasteners hot lap group one. Seven cars went green flag on the race track and only 4 were under power leaving the track. Mechanical issues wreaked havoc early. Nate Reeser was off the pace down the front straight while simultaneously, Cody Gardner had a left rear wheel center break, flipping the Appco 9G down the back straight. Back under green with just 5 cars, Atomic veteran Josh Davis had a rear axle snap, sending him flipping through turns 1 and 2. Thankfully, everyone was okay with Davis the only one done for the night.
Mitch Harble set fast time in NAPA of Fremont heat race #1 with a 13.046 clocking. Bryan Nuckles paced Helms Construction group 2 with a 13.239 and Duncan led Hawk Brakes group 3 with an overall quickest time at 13.007. Heat races were won by Tyler Gunn, Jacob Hesson and Duncan. By virtue of Duncan winning his team AND setting fast time, the final MSD Ignitions redraw spot went to Lance Webb who was 2nd quickest in heat 3. In heat race #2, the third flip victim of the evening was Kyle Kruger in the 9K, after heavy contact with the wall in turn one, and flipping into turn 2. He, too, was okay.
Jake Hesson and Mitch Harble drew the front row for the Ti22 Performance 30 lap main event. Gunn and Webb would roll off from row 2 with Nuckles and Duncan in row 3. It was Hesson rolling out to an early lead with Gunn and Duncan making up the early top 3. Using the extreme bottom of the race track off turn 4, Gunn was able to slip past Hesson for the lead on lap 6. A few laps later, Duncan got past for the runner-up spot and began to track Gunn for the race lead.
Through the middle stages of the race, Duncan ran a smooth line around the upper groove of the fast 3/8 mile oval, but Gunn deviated, using the extreme bottom of the race track in turns 3 and 4. The 2019 FAST champ (Duncan) and the 2020 FAST point leader (Gunn) put on a tremendous show for the fans using the 2 distinctly different grooves. As the race wore on, the bottom of the race track got harder to grip, and Gunn finally didn’t have the “bite” off turn four. The ever patient Duncan, with momentum, pounced on the opportunity, racing into a lead he would never relinquish.
A late raced red flag would see the 4th flip victim of the evening emerge unhurt. Nate Reeser spun in turn 3 and 4, collecting Bradley Ashford, sending Ashford up and over, but unhurt. Duncan would pull away in the closing laps with Gunn a clear second. The battles was for the balance of the top 5 as Hesson held off Bryan Nuckles for 3rd and Cody Gallogly rounded out the top 5. The remainder of the top 10 were Keith Baxter, Lance Webb, Mike Walter, Mitch Harble and current BOSS non wing point leader, Dallas Hewitt.
Next for the FAST on Dirt tour is the prestigious Jim and Joanne Ford Classic at Fremont Speedway this Friday and Saturday, October 9th and 10th. For 2020, this event is co-sanctioned with the All Star Circuit of Champions. Friday’s main event pays $5,000 to win and Saturday’s main event pays $10,000 to win. This will be a non-point paying event for FAST. The tour will conclude with one final race on October 24th at Atomic paying $6,700 to win called the “K-C Classic”. That event will pay tribute to the 67th anniversary of racing there and a salute to the years the facility raced under the K-C Raceway name!
BOX SCORE
FAST on Dirt
Atomic Speedway
October 3, 2020
20 Entries
Comp Cams Qualifying:
Group #1: 1. 15-Mitch Harble 13.046 ; 2. 68G-Tyler Gunn 13.369 ; 3. 19-Mike Walter 13.457 ; 4. 27-Cody Gallogly 13.617 ; 5. 22D-Josh Davis NT ; 6. 9G-Cody Gardner NT ; 7. 83x-Nate Reeser NT
Group #2: 1. 59-Bryan Nuckles 13.239 ; 2. 1B-Keith Baxter 13.487 ; 3. 9J-Jesse McCreary 13.596 ; 4. 5J-Jake Hesson 13.657 ; 5. A79-Dallas Hewitt 13.814 ; 6. 9K-Kyle Kruger 13.925 ; 7. 4x-Bradley Ashford NT
Group #3: 1. 22-Cole Duncan 13.007 ; 2. 9W-Lance Webb 14.040 ; 3. 5-Jordan Harble 14.186 ; 4. 08-Brandon Conkel 14.406 ; 5. 44-Charlie Vest 14.634 ; 6. 5W-Benjamin Webb NT
NAPA Auto Parts of Fremont – Heat #1: 1. 68G-Tyler Gunn[3] ; 2. 27-Cody Gallogly[1] ; 3. 19-Mike Walter[2] ; 4. 83x-Nate Reeser[6] ; 5. 15-Mitch Harble[4] ; 6. 9G-Cody Gardner[5] ; 7. 22D-Josh Davis[DNS]
Helms Construction of Findlay – Heat #2: 1. 5J-Jake Hesson[1] ; 2. 59-Bryan Nuckles[4] ; 3. 1B-Keith Baxter[3] ; 4. 9J-Jesse McCreary[2] ; 5. A79-Dallas Hewitt[5] ; 6. 4x-Bradley Ashford[7] ; 7. 9K-Kyle Kruger[6]
Hawk Brakes – Heat #3: 1. 22-Cole Duncan[4] ; 2. 08-Brandon Conkel[1] ; 3. 5-Jordan Harble[2] ; 4. 9W-Lance Webb[3] ; 5. 44-Charlie Vest[5] ; 6. 5W-Benjamin Webb[6]
Ti22 Performance – Main Event: 1. 22-Cole Duncan[6] ; 2. 68G-Tyler Gunn[3] ; 3. 5J-Jake Hesson[1] ; 4. 59-Bryan Nuckles[5] ; 5. 27-Cody Gallogly[7] ; 6. 1B-Keith Baxter[10] ; 7. 9W-Lance Webb[4] ; 8. 19-Mike Walter[9] ; 9. 15-Mitch Harble[2] ; 10. A79-Dallas Hewitt[14] ; 11. 5-Jordan Harble[11] ; 12. 9G-Cody Gardner[16] ; 13. 44-Charlie Vest[15] ; 14. 9J-Jesse McCreary[13] ; 15. 5W-Benjamin Webb[18] ; 16. 83x-Nate Reeser[12] ; 17. 4x-Bradley Ashford[17] ; 18. 08-Brandon Conkel[8] ; 19. 9K-Kyle Kruger[DNS] ; 20. 22D-Josh Davis[DNS]
Diversified Machine Inc (DMI) “Hard Charger”: 22-Cole Duncan +5
Kear’s Speed Shop “Hard Luck”: 9G-Cody Gardner
All Star Performance “Sweet Move”: 08-Brandon Conkel