8/1/2019
POWRi
MARTIN BEGINS BELLEVILLE WEEK WITH THAYER COUNTY TRIUMPH
DESHLER, NEB. (July 31, 2019) – Jason Martin of Lincoln, Neb. tuned up for this weekend’s Belleville 305 Sprint Car Nationals by racing to victory lane in Wednesday’s 25-lap POWRi Lucas Oil United Rebel Sprint Series main event at Thayer County Speedway.
Pouncing on teenager Kyler Johnson for the lead on a lap two restart, Martin kept a closing Jake Bubak at bay over the closing rounds to secure his third series win of the year aboard the Midwest Linings/Trucks Plus No. 5X.
While Martin scored the win, Shane Sundquist was awarded runner-up honors after Bubak crossed the scales below the minimum weight requirement with Stu Snyder filling out the podium in third.
With Martin taking the green flag from the outside of the second row, Johnson outgunned polesitter Sundquist for the initial lead as Martin quickly moved into second before a lap two caution flew for a turn one skirmish that sent Toby Chapman to the pit area with race-ending damage.
Martin outgunned past Johnson for the lead on the restart with the red flag flying one lap later for a turn four melee that ended the night for Tracey Hill, Ryan Jenkins, Zach Blurton and Shayle Bade.
Following a final caution with four laps in the books, the remaining 21 rounds were contested in non-stop fashion with Martin working the topside of the track as Bubak claws his way forward from fourth after starting fifth.
As Martin set a torrid pace, Bubak battled into third by the eighth round and then into second by the 16th circuit. Bubak cut into Martin’s lead over the closing rounds and made a bid for the point as the white flag flew only to fall short at the line and then come up light at the scales.
Adam Gullion rebounded from a mishap on the lap three restart to capture fourth behind Martin, Sundquist, and Snyder at the stripe with Johnson rounding out the top five.
Up next for the POWRi Lucas Oil United Rebel Sprint Series is the most prestigious event on the calendar, the second annual Belleville 305 Sprint Car Nationals at the Belleville High Banks in Belleville, Kansas. It all begins with an evening of practice on Thursday, August 1, followed by preliminary action on Friday, August 2, with Saturday, August 3 serving as the grand finale.
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POWRi Lucas Oil United Rebel Sprint Series Main Event (25 Laps):
- 5X-Jason Martin; 2. 7X-Shane Sundquist; 3. 5-Stu Snyder; 4. 91-Adam Gullion; 5. 45X-Kyler Johnson; 6. 12-Tyler Drueke; 7. 12N-Neil Nickolite; 8. 88J-Jeremy Huish; 9. 9-John Webster; 10. 36K-Rick Hansen; 11. 11-Luke Cranston; 12. 33K-Aaron Ploussard; 13. 28-Tracey Hill; 14. 6-Ryan Jenkins; 15. 2J-Zach Blurton; 16. 03-Shayle Bade; 17. 7-Toby Chapman; 18. 74B-Jake Bubak (DQ-Weight).
Article Credit: Brian Walker