GAS CITY, Ind. — Gas City I-69 Speedway got the Labor Day weekend off to a roaring start Friday with a four-division show that saw Tye Mihocko post his second 25-lap non-wing sprint car feature victory of the year at the Grant County quarter-mile oval.
Colin Grissom started second in the sprint car feature and passed polesitter Travis Hery with a move to the outside in turn two on the first lap to nab the early lead.
A little further back Jack Hoyer was going like gangbusters. He started ninth, but was sixth on lap one, fifth on lap two, fourth on lap three and third on lap five. On lap six he passed both Grissom and Mihocko, who had started third, to vault from third to the lead.
By lap 10 Hoyer had a 2.098-second advantage over the field.
Grissom and Mihocko were duking it out for second at that point, while Colten Cottle was fourth and defending track champion Scotty Weir was running fifth.
Cottle got third on lap 11 but Mihocko took the spot back on lap 13, and then Mihocko charged into second by passing Grissom to the outside in turn four on lap 16.
With all that dueling for positions behind him, Hoyer enjoyed a 2.130-second lead on lap 21 when the race’s only yellow waved after a car got off the track in turns one and two but somehow kept going.
That set up a four-lap dash to the finish and allowed Mihocko to close right up behind Hoyer. Hoyer held him off initially, but Mihocko got by at the start/finish line on lap 23 and went on to post a .746-second victory over Hoyer.
Anton Hernandez started fifth but dropped as far back as ninth on lap five before rebounding to finish third. Cottle placed fourth and Weir rounded out the top five.
Bryce Massingill claimed the 20-lap USAC SpeeD2 Midwest Thunder midget feature. Derek Losh posted his fifth Gas City modified feature victory of the season in that 20-lapper. It was the Rensselear, Ind.-based driver’s 21st feature win of the year overall. Newcomer Ken Ferman found everything to his liking, as he won the 15-lap hornet main event.