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AJ Hopkins Scores Back-To-Back While Shon Flanary Snatches Big Modified Win

September 15, 2017, Bloomington, Indiana – It was a great night for close racing and thrilling finishes as AJ Hopkins captured the Fastenal non-wing sprint car main event, Friday, passing and re-passing Shane Cockrum to earn his second consecutive victory. Minutes later, Tennessee’s Shon Flanary edged Josh Harris by a whisker with a last turn charge to win the Summit American Modified Series feature. The MMSA Lighting Sprint Nationals first night was dominated by Don Harvey, and the Davis Automotive Super Stock main was claimed by Jamey Wilson.

“It’s pretty crazy isn’t it?” Hopkins said after the event. “I can’t thank the Ottingers enough for giving me a great car each and every night. It’s a testament to the car they put together and DRC chassis and everybody that’s behind us.”

Starting sixth, Hopkins had a good seat as Lee Underwood and Cockrum ran the first three laps side-by-side, before Cockrum took the lead. Hopkins had advanced to third before the tenth lap, with Brady Short on his tail. For the next dozen circuits, Hopkins and Short stalked Cockrum through packs of slower cars.

Finally, with a handful of laps remaining and Hopkins closing in, Cockrum’s machine jumped sideways in the cushion and then straightened, opening the door for Hopkins to slip past in turn four. For the next two laps, the leaders traded the top spot back and forth with slick passes and slide-jobs. On lap 24, Short joined in and grabbed second from Cockrum, allowing Hopkins to build a straightaway length lead at the checkers.

“(Cockrum) started to bobble. I just had to take what I could get and hit my marks each and every lap and just get past him as fast as I could,” Hopkins explained. “The top was key. It’s kind of hard to read the track with the modifieds running on it. They chewed it up a bit and kind of gave a false tacky look to it. I knew we were set up with the car a bit tight, so I got out there and got right back in our sweet spot.”

Timothy “Josh” Harris led the AMS modified main event from the green flag, racing through swarms of slower cars lap-after-lap, with Flanary and Trent Young in tow. Danny Schwartz moved to third just past the halfway point. As the laps counted down, Flanary found he was able to close the gap, but couldn’t mount a challenge. Then, on lap 30, Flanary went to the top in turns three and four and dove inside as they rocketed toward the flagstand. As they crossed the finish, Flanary nosed in front by inches. Timing and scoring confirmed the win with Schwartz third, followed by Young and David Stremme.

“He was committed to the bottom,” Flanary said later. “We were a touch better at times and kept showing our nose. With two laps to go, I just decided I didn’t come here to run second, so we rolled out to the outside, and I think he heard me out there in one and two on the white flag lap, he came through three and four really hot and I think he just lost his traction at the center of the track and he rolled out there in front of me and I just crossed over. We barely got him. It was one of them deals where without transponders I’m not sure they would know who won that one.”

He recalled racing at Bloomington Speedway once before, in 2011. “We always wanted to come back. The track was racy then, it had a top and a bottom groove. It’s so hard anymore to find a race track that’s prepared where it has two grooves like that. They did a great job preparing this track tonight. With sprint cars here usually you end up with a burned up racetrack, but not at Bloomington. This thing was baaad.”
Jamey Wilson led the super stock main event flag-to-flag, but Jason Hehman nearly spoiled the party. On a restart with two laps remaining, Hehman went to the top, passing Steve Peeden before pulling even with Wilson on the final turn. Wilson held his ground, claiming the victory by half of a car length.

Results, September 15, 2017
USAC Lightning Sprint Nationals and Summit American Modified Series presented by Tom White and Company

Fastenal Non-wing Sprints (25 laps)

1. AJ Hopkins, 2. Brady Short, 3. Shane Cockrum, 4. Jordan Kinser, 5. Braxton Cummings, 6. Billy Cribbs, 7. Jamie Williams, 8. Ethan Barrow, 9. Tony DiMattia, 10. Daylan Chambers, 11. Tim Creech II, 12. Matt McDonald, 13. Lee Underwood, 14. Jaden Rogers, 15. Kevin Chambers, 16. Hunter O’Neal, 17. Jeff Bland Jr., 18. Bub Cummings

Summit American Modified Series (30 laps)

1. Shon Flanary, 2. Josh Harris, 3. Danny Schwartz, 4. Trent Young, 5. David Stremme, 6. Steven Brooks, 7. Gabe Menser, 8. Brian Shaw, 9. Michael Turner, 10. Bradley Sterrett, 11. Tait Davenport, 12. John Clippinger, 13. Sam Wray, 14. Matt Tiller, 15. Lucas Wehmiller, 16. Ryan Thomas, 17. Jacoby Hines, 18. Jeff Deckard, 19. Earl Plessinger, 20. Roy Bruce Jr., 21. Jordan Wever, 22. Devin Gilpin, 23. John DeMoss

Davis Automotive Super Stocks (25 laps)

1. Jamey Wilson, 2. Jason Hehman, 3. Steve Peeden, 4. Steve Hollars, 5. Josh Divine, 6. Jack Frye, 7. Scotty Massie, 8. Levi Ray Godsey, 9. Aubrey Eagan, 10. Randy Brawley, 11. Winston Howe, 12. Steve Hawkins, 13. Douglas McCullough, 14. Michael Clark, 15. Justin Jeffries, 16. Chip Slagle, 17. Travis Todd, 18. Scott Beeler, 19. Hayden Rogers, 20. Jeffery Jessup

Midwest Mini Sprint Association / USAC Lightning Sprint Nationals (20 laps)

1. Don Harvey, 2. Brad Strunk, 3. Andy Bradley, 4. Tom Brown, 5. Anthony Haas, 6. Bobby Michnowics, 7. Rod Henning, 8. Austin Powell, 9. Cody Trammell, 10. Kevin Blue, 11. CJ Malueg, 12. Jesse Vermillion, 13. Austin Archdale, 14. Kyle Hathaway, 15. Blake Vermillion, 16. Tim Light, 17. Brandon Smith, 18. Scott Bradley, 19. Bradley Ashford, 20. Justin Lewis, 21. Keith Arvin

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