Dirt on Dirt - Winger wins wild Hell Tour stop at Highland

July 8

Highland Speedway,

Highland, IL

Sanction: DIRTcar Summer Nationals - $10,000

Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated July 9, 7:52 am)

Winger wins wild Hell Tour stop at Highland

Ashton Winger
Jason Feger
Mike Harrison
Chad Zobrist
Bob Gardner
Rusty Schlenk
Tanner English
Rusty Griffaw
Paul Kuper
Kyle Hammer
Kye Blight
Todd Rehg
Blaze Burwell
Shannon Babb
Dean Carpenter
Clay Stuckey
B.J. Robinson
Rodney Melvin
Daryn Klein
Thomas Hunziker
Michael Kloos
Dan Jacober
Mick Quin

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Terry Page

Ashton Winger pounds the roof of his car in jubilation after his fifth Summer Nationals win of the season.

What won the race: Limping around the extreme bottom of Highland Speedway with a damaged left front suspension, Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., was able to lead the final three laps and win Saturday's $10,000 DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature. Winger earned his fifth tour victory of the season and the 11th of his career.

Quotable: “First off, I probably caused that caution there at the last lap, I don’t know, I just got out of a rhythm and my left front got knocked off there,” Winger said. “It was just wobbling down the straightaway, I mean the toe is knocked out of this thing probably 3 or 4 inches. The car was good, I enjoy racing with these guys, just kinda felt like I got KO’d there. It’s part of it, I kinda got into (Mike Harrison) a little bit down there, so the way I see it, we’re probably even.”

Key notes: Winger, who led three times for 23 laps (1-10, 14-23 and 38-40), sustained the left-front damage when hometowner Mike Harrison attempted a slide job into turn three on lap 24, his right rear striking Winger's left front. ... The 12th-starting Harrison led twice for 10 laps (24-26 and 31-37) before fading to finish third. ... Seventeenth-starting Jason Feger grabbed second on a lap-39 restart and finished 1.151 seconds behind Winger. ... Pole-starting Chad Zobrist finished fourth. ... Bob Gardner advanced nine positions and finished fifth. ... Rusty Schlenk overcame a lap-10 spin to finish sixth; Tanner English was involved in the same lap-10 incident and pitted with heavy right front damage; he was seventh. ... Rusty Griffaw gained 12 spots and finished eighth. ... Shannon Babb led twice for seven laps (11-13 and 27-30) before a flat left-rear tire while running second on lap 33 left him 14th. ... In total, the race featured six lead changes among three leaders (Winger, Babb and Harrison). ... B.J. Robinson ran as high as third before a flat sidelined him on lap 34. ... Thomas Hunziker flipped at the entrance of turn one on lap 16, necessitating a 10-minute red flag for cleanup; replay showed Hunziker hit the wall with his right front tire near the flagstand and rode the wall all the way to turn one, finally toppling over onto his roof; he was unhurt. ... Rodney Melvin ran as high as fourth in the early laps before contact with another car during the red flag triggered a disqualification. ... Saturday's feature was slowed by seven incidents and lasted 40 minutes, with 16 drivers completing 40 laps.

On the move: Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., started 17th and finished second.

Winner's sponsors: Winger’s Jeff Mathews Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by an Andy Durham Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Johnny Doan Plumbing, RV Select Inc., Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Shocks, Angry Elephant Tattoo and Piercing, FK Rod Ends, Super K Express, Hoosier Tire, Simpson Race Products, Collins Signs, DirtCarLift.com, VP Race Fuels, Boswell Oil and WrapTeck.

Points chase: After Highland (overall): 1. Ashton Winger (1,169); 2. Jason Feger (1,154); 3. Bob Gardner (906); 4. Kye Blight (817); 5. Tyler Clem (637). After Highland (Week 4): 1. Jason Feger (279); 2. Ashton Winger (257); 3. Mike Harrison (202); 4. Shannon Babb (200); 4. Bob Gardner (197).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 72°F

Car count: 37

Fast qualifier: Daryn Klein

Time: 13.315 seconds

Polesitter: Chad Zobrist

Heat race winners: Chad Zobrist, Blaze Burwell, Ashton Winger, Rodney Melvin

Consolation race winners: Clay Stuckey, Jason Feger

Provisional starters: Kye Blight, Rusty Griffaw, Dan Jacober, Mick Quin, Clay Stuckey

Next series race: July 9, Tri-State Speedway (Haubstadt, IN) $5,000

Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.

From staff reports

HIGHLAND, Ill. (July 8) — Updates from the 19th round of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals at Highland Speedway, an event highlighted by a $10,000-to-win feature for Super Late Models (results unofficial):

Feature

Limping around the extreme bottom of Highland Speedway with a broken left front suspension, Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., was able to lead the final three laps and win Saturday's $10,000 DIRTcar Summer Nationals feature. Winger earned his fifth tour victory of the season and the 11th of his career. Winger, who led three separate times for 23 laps (1-10, 14-23 and 38-40), sustained the left front damage when Mike Harrison attempted a slide job into turn three on lap 24, his right rear striking Winger's left front and moving him up the track. Twelfth-starting Harrison, of Highland, Ill., led twice for 10 laps (24-26 and 31-37) before fading to finish third at his home track. Seventeenth-starting Jason Feger moved into the runner-up position on a lap-39 restart and finished 1.151 seconds behind Winger.

Feature lineup

(40 laps)

Row 1: Chad Zobrist, Ashton Winger
Row 2: Rodney Melvin, Blaze Burwell
Row 3: Daryn Klein, Shannon Babb
Row 4: Todd Rehg, B.J. Robinson
Row 5: Michael Kloos, Tanner English
Row 6: Rusty Schlenk, Mike Harrison
Row 7: Dean Carpenter, Bob Gardner
Row 8: Paul Kuper, Thomas Hunziker
Row 9: Jason Feger, Kyle Hammer
Row 10: Kye Blight, Rusty Griffaw
Row 11: Dan Jacober, Mick Quin
Row 12: Clay Stuckey

Consolation race results

First consolation (10 laps; top three transfer to B-main): Clay Stuckey, Josh Boller, Jimmy Miller, Barry Quade, Rusty Griffaw, Lee Williams, Tim Welch. Scratched: Mick Quin, Timothy Welch II

B-main (10 laps; top two transfer to feature): Jason Feger, Kyle Hammer, Kye Blight, Dan Jacober, Josh Heuiser, Josh Boller, Jordan Suhre, Matt Santel, Jason Zobrist, Doug Tye, Ashton Zobrist, Jimmy Miller, Adam Tischauser, Brandon Carpenter, Clay Stuckey.

Heat race results

(Eight laps; top four transfer)

First heat: Chad Zobrist, Daryn Klein, Michael Kloos, Dean Carpenter, Josh Heuiser, Dan Jacober, Ashton Zobrist, Jimmy Miller, Mick Quin, Clay Stuckey.

Second heat: Blaze Burwell, Todd Rehg, Rusty Schlenk, Paul Kuper, Adam Tischauser, Doug Tye, Matt Santel, Tim Welch, Rusty Griffaw.

Third heat: Ashton Winger, Shannon Babb, Tanner English, Bob Gardner, Jason Feger, Kye Blight, Brandon Carpenter, Josh Boller, Lee Williams.

Fourth heat: Rodney Melvin, B.J. Robinson, Mike Harrison, Thomas Hunziker, Kyle Hammer, Jordan Suhre, Jason Zobrist, Barry Quade, Timothy Welch II.

Time trials

Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group A
Daryn Klein (10), Fairview Heights, Ill., 13.315
Blaze Burwell (44), Mount Vernon, Ill., 13.586
Jimmy Miller (18m), Highland, Ill., 13.680
Todd Rehg (17), St. Jacob, Ill., 13.729
Clay Stuckey (15), Shreveport, La., 13.850
Matt Sandel (17x), New Memphis, Ill., 13.901
Michael Kloos (6k), Trenton, Ill., 13.908
Rusty Griffaw (16), Festus, Mo., 13.936
Mick Quin (23nz), Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, 13.945
Paul Kuper (14), Aviston, Ill., 13.953
Chad Zobrist (7), Highland, Ill., 13.974
Adam Tischauser (T4), Mulberry Grove, Ill., 14.002
Ashton Zobrist (7z), Highland, Ill., 14.044
Rusty Schlenk (91), McClure, Ohio, 14.053
Josh Heuiser (1H), St. Jacob, Ill., 14.223
Doug Tye (4D), Troy, Ill., 14.447
Dean Carpenter (51), Coldwater, Miss., 14.517
Tim Welch (T56), Gillespie, Ill., 15.705
Dan Jacober (22), Highland, Ill., no time
Group B
Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 13.655
Rodney Melvin (27m), Benton, Ill., 13.736
Tanner English (96v), Benton, Ky., 13.770
B.J. Robinson (1), Bossier City, La., 13.807
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 13.830
Thomas Hunziker (38), Bend, Ore., 13.859
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 13.868
Mike Harrison (33), Highland, Ill., 13.879
Bob Gardner (4G), East Peoria, Ill., 13.897
Kyle Hammer (26H), Clinton, Ill., 13.906
Kye Blight (31aus), Katanning, W. Australia, 13.950
Jason Zobrist (87), Highland, Ill., 14.041
Brandon Carpenter (51B), Coldwater, Miss., 14.157
Jordan Suhre (4), Alhambra, Ill., 14.207
Josh Boller (05B), Greencastle, Ind., 14.261
Barry Quade (19), Schertz, Texas, 14.346
Lee Williams (17w), Haubstadt, Ind., 14.447
Timothy Welch II (B17), Gillespie, Ill., no time

Saturday’s schedule

(All times local)
6:30 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting
7 p.m. - On-track activity
- Late Model hot laps
- Modified hot laps/qualifying (3 laps)
- Late Model qualifying (2 laps)
- Pro modified hot laps
- Street stock hot laps/qualifying (3 laps)
Opening ceremonies
- Late Model heat races (8 laps)
- Modified heat races (8 laps)
- Pro modified heat races (8 laps)
- Late Model c-main (8 laps)
- Modified consolation (8 laps)
- Late Model consolation (10 laps)
Intermission/track prep
Feature races
- Late Models (40 laps)
- Modifieds (25 laps)
- Pro modifieds (25 laps)
- Street stocks (20 laps)