T-Mez takes home LPS sprint car mid-season title

Monday, July 16, 2018
Scotty Weir (No. 17) battles for position with Brady Ottinger during heat race action on Saturday. Weir went on to claim second in the mid-season sprint car championship race.
Carey Fox photo

PUTNAMVILLE – Thomas Meseraull invaded Lincoln Park Speedway Saturday night in his own self-described Frankenstein sprint car and took home the mid-season championship over Scotty Weir and AJ Hopkins.

For James Walters (UMP Modifieds) and Larry Raines (UMP Super Stocks), the heat of the summer has seen them have great success on the dirt oval. Walters pulled away from the field to claim his second straight feature event at LPS. Raines was able to nail down the top spot in the UMP Super Stock feature after a re-start with four laps to go. Jordan Almanza scored his third bomber feature win of the year ahead of Ethan Litton.

In the 25-lap sprint car feature, Weir started on the pole and led the field as Matt McDonald and Meseraull raced wheel-to-wheel for third ahead of Colten Cottle, Brady Ottinger and Jeff Bland Jr. Meseraull settled into second place and set his sights on the leader, running the cushion while closing on Weir.

Through lap 14, Weir was able to fend off Meseraull’s advances, but on the following circuit it was Meseraull flashing through turn one and blasting into the lead off of turn two. Bland followed the lead duo closely for a lap, but Meseraull was hooked up in his No. 00 sprinter that he noted was put together with parts given to him by several friends and fellow drivers. The San Jose, Calif. native finished building the car during the week before debuting it on Friday night.

By lap 20, Meseraull had pulled away from the field before a caution flew with one lap remaining.

With a last lap dash for the cash, Meseraull was able to keep the competitors at bay. Weir held down second ahead of A.J. Hopkins, Bland and Shane Cockrum.

Walters and Jake Leitzman started on the front row for the UMP Modified feature, but it was Richie Lex that was dueling for the lead early on with Walters. Lex and Walters ran within a car length of each other through the first nine laps of the 20-lap feature. However, Lex would begin to slow on lap 10 and would pull to the pit area.

Leitzman assumed the second spot and had his hands full with Derek Groomer as the two separated from the third spot battle between Travis Shoulders, Jay Humphrey Jr. and Brent Hudson. Ahead of them, Walters was pulling away on his way to victory. Leitzman would hold off Groomer for second ahead of Shoulders and Humphrey.

In the UMP Super Stock feature it was Doug McCullough leading the early laps with Paul Wright giving chase. However, Ralph Groomer was closing on both and would pull even with McCullough for the lead by lap 10. Raines was able to get past Wright for the third spot as Wes McClara raced for fourth. Groomer was able to slip past into the lead on lap 11 with Raines into second by lap 15.

On a restart with four laps to go, Raines snagged the lead coming out of turn four as Groomer lost a spring and would eventually pull to the pit area. Raines kept the hammer down and claimed the win over McCullough, McClara, Wright and Matt Jordan.

Ethan Litton would lead the bomber feature, but was battling hard with Cody Wright and Jeff Allen through the first five laps. However, Wright would lose a wheel to end his evening. Allen was able to track down Litton on lap eight and take the lead before a caution flag flew. On the restart, Almanza took over the second spot running the top side to perfection. Allen was still in the lead through lap 12, but Almanza made his decisive pass for the lead with three laps to go coming out of turn four. He would take the checkered flag ahead of Litton, Allen, Megan Cavaness and Josh Litton.

Sprint car feature

(Midseason championship)

1. Thomas Meseraull, 2. Scotty Weir, 3. AJ Hopkins, 4. Jeff Bland Jr., 5. Shane Cockrum, 6. Colten Cottle, 7. Shane Hollingsworth, 8. Matt McDonald, 9. Travis Berryhill, 10. Andrew Prather, 11. Shelby VanGilder, 12. Daylan Chambers, 13. Tim Creech II, 14. Nate McMillin, 15. Jadon Rogers, 16. Aaron Davis, 17. Brady Ottinger, 18. Josh Cunningham, 19. Lee Underwood, 20. Korbyn Hayslett

B-main winner: McMillin

Heat winners: VanGilder, McDonald, Prather, Weir

UMP Modified feature

1. James Walters, 2. Jake Leitzman, 3. Derek Groomer, 4. Travis Shoulders, 5. Jay Humphrey Jr., 6. Matt Hamilton, 7. Brent Hudson, 8. Jeff Deckard, 9. Sydney Landes, 10. Josh Boller, 11. Jimmy Hayden, 12. Aaron Pace, 13. James Grider, 14. Justin Cundiff, 15. Richie Lex, 16. Tyler Loughmiller, 17. Wil Prater, 18. Roger Mills, 19. Rob Brickert, 20. Michael Wesselman

Heat winners: Lex, Hudson, Leitzman

UMP Super Stock feature

1. Larry Raines, 2. Doug McCullough, 3. Wes McClara, 4. Paul Wright, 5. Matt Jordan, 6. Bryce Shidler, 7. Randy Brawley, 8. Dale Hayes, 9. Michael Clark, 10. Austin Phelps, 11. Brandon Shoulders, 12. Ralph Groomer, 13. Kris Starks, 14. Michael Beatty, 15. Hayden Rogers, 16. Michael O’Conner

Heat winners: Groomer, Jordan

Bomber feature

1. Jordan Almanza, 2. Ethan Litton, 3. Jeff Allen, 4. Megan Cavaness, 5. Josh Litton, 6. Matt Raber, 7. Gary Hayden, 8. Tom Cox, 9. Keivan Clodfelter, 10. Barry Hicks, 11. Corey Anstead, 12. Chad Steinert, 13. David Bumgardner, 14. Joesph Raber, 15. Jeff Beggs, 16. Tim Wright, 17. Cody Wright, 18. Andrew Pollock, 19. Steve Smiley, 20. Glen Ogden

B-main winner: Beggs

Heat winners: Steinert, Allen, Ethan Litton, Wright