BECHTELSVILLE, PA (August 3, 2021) – It all came down to the last lap in the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midgets and the NASCAR 358 Modifieds for the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series on Tuesday Night at Grandview Speedway. Chris Windom scored the victory in the Ken Brenn Midget Masters, while Mike Gular won the 30 lap modified feature that took numerous twists and turns until the checker flag fell. A field to twenty-five USAC Midgets and thirty-five modifieds took part in the program. A superb track surface delivered a new track record eventually set by Kevin Thomas Jr, sixteen USAC Midget drivers broke the previous one lap track record.

Similar to his 2019 win in the Inaugural Ken Brenn Midget Masters, Windom lost the lead on the final lap of the main event – but wrestled away the $4,000 payday and the checkered flag. “I didn’t want it to be that exciting, but I’m glad we went down to the end,” Windom explained of the close call on the last lap. “Emerson [Axsom] made a great move, and I was able to get back by him.”

“Big Daddy” Chris Windom started on the front row alongside Chase Randall for the 30-lap NOS Energy Drink Midget Feature, with Randall besting the 2019 Ken Brenn Midget Masters winner on the initial start.

Windom made his move on the seventh circuit, sliding Randall for the lead in turn 1 – but Randall battled back, sneaking back to the top spot heading into turn three, before Windom eased inside Randall exiting turn 4, with Emerson Axsom following into second. Now in the top spot, Windom faced a barrage of lapped traffic as laps ticked down. With every lapped car, Axsom inched closer to the NOS Energy Drink No. 89 of Windom.

The white flag waved with the leaders in heavy lapped traffic, opening the door for Axsom, who dove into turn one second and exited turn two in the top spot. Windom charged back down the backstretch reclaiming the lead and sailing onto victory lane. It was a very exciting change of events on the final lap.

Windom’s flag-to-flag victory marked his third NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget race this season and his second Midget win at Grandview Speedway.
Axsom came home in the second position, Chase Randall in third, Kevin Thomas Jr. in fourth, and Tanner Thorson in fifth.

Kevin Thomas, Jr. set quick time – and a new track record — with a lap of 13.970, taking home the $100 from Fatheadz Eyewear plus an additional $150 and a case of wine from Clever Girl Winery. Sixteen USAC NOS Energy Drink Midgets erased the record set by Kyle Larson in 2019.

USAC Midget Qualifying Heat races were won by Alex Bright, Justin Grant, and Daison Pursley.

Tim Buckwalter’s misfortune was Mike Gular’s benefit in the NASCAR 358 Modified feature event. The winningest driver in Grandview Speedway history, Craig Von Dohren, started on the pole of the 30-lap feature event, alongside Douglasville, PA’s Tim Buckwalter. Buckwalter took the lead at the drop of the green flag, followed by Matt Stangle moving into the second position.

The only caution of the evening flew on lap 6 when Von Dohren spun on the backstretch while running inside the top-5. Buckwalter held control on the restart, while the battle for second heated up with Stangle, Ryan Krachun, Mike Gular, and Jeff Strunk. Buckwalter maintained a rapid pace for the bulk of the event, with his sight set on a $5,000 payday sweetened by the Pioneer Pole Building first-time winner bonus – that came to a halt when Buckwalter’s No. 23X machine slowed on the backstretch suffering from a flat right rear tire.

Buckwalter kept the lead until the white flag flew, but Gular closed quickly, with Ryan Krachun and Matt Stangle right behind. Gular would inherit the lead and earned $3,500 since he was a previous Thunder on the Hill feature winner. GT Radiators posted the extra $500 for the repeat winner and added an additional $200 to the runner-up spot. Krachun finished in the second position, Matt Stangle in the third spot, Craig Whitmoyer in fourth, and Jeff Strunk in fifth. Buckwalter limped home in the ninth position. The first time Thunder on the Hill winner’s bonus had four drivers, Buckwalter, Krachun, Stangle and Whitmoyer in the hunt for the $5,000 payday.

Modified Qualifying Heat races were won by Duane Howard, Tim Buckwalter and Mike Gular, collecting a $100 bonus courtesy of GT Radiator Repair of Ambler, Pennsylvania.

NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series returns on Thursday, August 26, with the All Star Circuit of Champions 410 Sprint Cars and the NASCAR 358 Modifieds presented by Levan Machine & Truck Equipment.

For more information visit www.thunderonthehillracingseries.com

USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Championship
Time Trials — 1. Kevin Thomas Jr. – 13.970; 2. Buddy Kofoid – 14.105; 3. Emerson Axsom – 14.126; 4. Tanner Thorson – 14.133; 5. Chase Randall – 14.143; 6. Chris Windom – 14.165; 7. Cannon McIntosh – 14.186; 8. Ethan Mitchell – 14.213; 9. Jonathan Shafer – 14.239; 10. Taylor Reimer – 14.242; 11. Hayden Reinbold – 14.253; 12. Zach Daum – 14.263; 13. Thomas Meseraull – 14.264; 14. Logan Seavey – 14.270; 15. Daison Pursley – 14.295; 16. Alex Bright – 14.309; 17. Justin Grant – 14.325; 18. Tommy Kunsman – 14.669; 19. Hayden Williams – 14.745; 20. Shawn Jackson – 14.752; 21. Steve Buckwalter – 14.822; 22. Kevin Woody – 14.939; 23. Michael Markey – 15.024; 24. John Heydenreich – 15.092; 25. Travis Buckley – 15.158; 26. Dan Bennett – 16.031; 27. Oliver Akard – N/T;
Heat 1 (8 Laps) – 1. Alex Bright 2. Thomas Meseraull 3. Tanner Thorson 4. Cannon McIntosh 5. Kevin Thomas Jr.
Heat 2 (8 Laps) – 1. Justin Grant 2. Logan Seavey 3. Ethan Mitchell 4. Buddy Kofoid 5. Chase Randall
Heat 3 (8 Laps) – 1. Daison Pursley 2. Zach Daum
3. Chris Windom 4. Tommy Kunsman 5. Emerson Axsom
Semi (10 Laps) – 1. Jonathan Shafer 2. Taylor Reimer 3. Hayden Reinbold 4. Steve Buckwalter 5. Hayden Williams 6. Travis Buckley 7. Kevin Woody
A-Main (30 Laps) – 1. Chris Windom 2. Emerson Axsom 3. Chase Randall 4. Kevin Thomas Jr. 5. Tanner Thorson 6. Daison Pursley 7. Justin Grant 8. Thomas Meseraull 9. Cannon McIntosh 10. Buddy Kofoid 11. Logan Seavey 12. Alex Bright 13. Taylor Reimer 14. Zach Daum
15. Ethan Mitchell 16. Hayden Williams 17. Steve Buckwalter 18. Jonathan Shafer 19. Hayden Reinhold 20. Tommy Kunsman 21. Kevin Woody Jr. 22. Travis Buckley

358 Modifieds
Heat 1 (10 Laps) – 1. Duane Howard 2. Jeff Strunk 3. David Burns 4. Matt Stangle 5. Brian Hirthler 6. Alex Yankowski
Heat 2 (10 Laps) – 1. Tim Buckwalter 2. Danny Bouc 3. Ryan Krachun 4. Aaron Bowes 5. Jack Butler 6. Rick Laubach
Heat 3 (10 Laps) – 1. Mike Gular 2. Craig VonDohren 3. Jared Umbenhauer 4. Craig Whitmoyer 5. Brett Kressley 6. Davey Sammons
Consi (10 Laps) – 1. Kevin Hirthler 2. Dylan Swinehart 3. Kenny Gilmore 4. Justin Grim 5. Ryan Beltz 6. Meme DeSantis
Feature (30 Laps) – 1. Mike Gular 2. Ryan Krachun 3. Matt Stangle 4. Craig Whitmoyer 5. Jeff Strunk 6. Duane Howard 7. Danny Bouc
8. Jared Umbenhauer 9. Timmy Buckwalter 10. Brett Kressley 11. Rick Laubach 12. Alex Yankowski 13. Craig Von Dohren 14. Dylan Swinehart 15. Davey Sammons 16. Jack Butler 17. Ryan Beltz 18. Brian Hirthler 19. David Burns 20. Aaron Bowes 21. MeMe DeSantis 22. Justin Grim 23. Kevin Hirthler 24. Kenny Gilmore