JUST ENOUGH LUX TO WIN AT MONTPELIER
Montpelier, Indiana (July 8, 2023)………Matt Lux’s surefire victory came in jeopardy on the final corner of the final lap during Saturday night’s USAC Midwest Thunder SpeeD2 Midget feature at Indiana’s Montpelier Motor Speedway.
Lux (Manilla, Ind.) took over the lead with four laps remaining, then as he rounded the fourth and final turn, the rearend on his car broke. As he coasted to the line, he had just enough to reach the line and defeat Tate Martz by a narrow 0.215 second margin.
The victory was Lux’s first of the points season after earlier winning back-to-back non-points special events in May at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway and at Indiana’s Circle City Raceway.
Lux also picked up Performance Powder Coating Hard Charger honors for his effort in advancing from seventh to first.
Points leader Zach Wigal (Belpre, Ohio) led the opening lap before yielding to last weekend’s Waynesfield, Ohio winner Luke Hall (Ludlow Falls, Ohio). Hall led the next four before Tate Martz took his turn at the front from laps six through 15.
Hall moved by to the top of the scoring pylon with five laps remaining to earn the victory with Martz second, VMS Motorsports Fast Qualifier Bryce Massingill (Troy, Ohio) third, Wigal fourth and Ian Creager (Covington, Ohio) third.
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USAC MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET RACE RESULTS: July 8, 2023 – Montpelier Motor Speedway – Montpelier, Indiana
VMS MOTORSPORTS FIRST QUALIFYING GROUP: 1. Matt Lux, 5KB, Wells-14.913; 2. Zach Wigal, 18, Wigal-15.039; 3. Stratton Briggs, 71, Briggs-15.173; 4. Luke Hall, 74, Heitmeyer-15.234; 5. Gunnar Lucius, 22, Lucius-15.262; 6. Travis Walters, 97, Walters-15.693.
VMS MOTORSPORTS SECOND QUALIFYING GROUP: 1. Bryce Massingill, 35, Massingill-14.866; 2. Michael Magic, 5m, Magic-14.919; 3. Ian Creager, 36, Creager-15.175; 4. Abby Hohlbein, 11H, Hohlbein-15.190; 5. Chett Gehrke, 10, Moore-15.380.
VMS MOTORSPORTS THIRD QUALIFYING GROUP: 1. Jakeb Boxell, 44JB, Boxell/Merkler-15.006; 2. Aaron Leffel, 11T, Taylor-15.429; 3. Tate Martz, 34, GMB-15.555; 4. Luke Lemons, 33L, Lemons-15.819; 5. Josh Yenser, 16y, Yenser-15.899; 6. Steven Gresham, 27G, Gresham-18.126.
U.S. LAWNS FIRST HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Luke Hall (3), 2. Zach Wigal (4), 3. Matt Lux (5), 4. Stratton Briggs (6), 5. Gunnar Lucius (1), 6. Travis Walters (2). NT
STIEFEL’S HOME & AUTO SECOND HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Ian Creager (6), 2. Bryce Massingill (5), 3. Abby Hohlbein (3), 4. Chett Gehrke (1), 5. Michael Magic (2), 6. Steven Gresham (4). NT
PERFORMANCE ELECTRONICS THIRD HEAT: (8 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Tate Martz (5), 2. Aaron Leffel (4), 3. Jakeb Boxell (3), 4. Luke Lemons (2), 5. Josh Yenser (1). NT
FEATURE: (20 laps) 1. Matt Lux (7), 2. Tate Martz (3), 3. Bryce Massingill (5), 4. Zach Wigal (4), 5. Ian Creager (2), 6. Abby Hohlbein (8), 7. Stratton Briggs (10), 8. Aaron Leffel (6), 9. Michael Magic (14), 10. Gunnar Lucius (13), 11. Josh Yenser (15), 12. Luke Lemons (12), 13. Jakeb Boxell (9), 14. Travis Walters (16), 15. Luke Hall (1), 16. Chett Gehrke (11), 17. Steven Gresham (17). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Zach Wigal, Laps 2-5 Luke Hall, Laps 6-15 Tate Martz, Laps 16-20 Matt Lux.
USAC MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET POINTS: 1-Zach Wigal-585, 2-Bryce Massingill-564, 3-Stratton Briggs-511, 4-Matt Lux-489, 5-Ian Creager-456, 6-Gunnar Lucius-452, 7-Josh Yenser-444, 8-Jakeb Boxell-430, 9-Abby Hohlbein-396, 10-Alex Watson-326.
NEXT USAC MIDWEST THUNDER SPEED2 MIDGET RACE: July 14, 2023 – Moler Raceway Park – Williamsburg, Ohio
CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:
VMS Motorsports Fast Qualifier: Bryce Massingill (14.866)
U.S. Lawns First Heat Winner: Luke Hall
Stiefel’s Home & Auto Second Heat Winner: Ian Creager
Performance Electronics Third Heat Winner: Tate Martz
Performance Powder Coating Hard Charger: Matt Lux (7th to 1st)
Rosewood Machine & Tool Precision Move of the Race: Michael Magic