Racers See Double Action In Thursday Thunder At AMS

With double feature racing raising the stakes for all drivers, intense action was on full display during Weeks Five and Six of Thursday Thunder on the quarter-mile “Thunder Ring” at Atlanta Motor Speedway. During the course of the night, multiple feature races saw side-by-side racing and photo finishes as drivers went for the checkered flag.

Zach Leonhardi started things off as he led the first Bandits feature to the green flag, holding the top position for most of the race before a pair of cautions set up a five-lap sprint to the finish. In a thrilling three-way fight for the win, Leonhardi inched ahead for the victory in a three-wide finish to beat out Connor Younginer and Chandler Smith.

Ryan Howell led the first Beginner Bandits race, comprised of the newest Bandolero drivers at Thursday Thunder, before being overtaken by Tristan Meredith. Meredith went on the capture the win.

Madeline Crane was on the point as the green flag fell to start a combined first feature between Pro and Masters drivers. William Plemons III led three laps into the race, gaining an advantage of a handful of car lengths. Contact between Tina Johnson and Bill Plemons, Jr., coming out of turn two brought out the caution with four laps remaining. Plemons held the lead on the restart before a caution with two laps to go set up an additional restart. Contact between multiple cars on as the field went through turns one and two reset the field for a final dash to the finish. William Plemons III survived the restart with Masters drivers Skip Nichols and Mike Kennedy finished second and third overall.

Joshua Hicks led the way as the first Outlaws feature began prior to Ashton Winger seizing the lead just prior to the halfway point of the 20-lap race. The field restarted with six laps to go after a caution. Contact between Alton Clark and Christopher Clanton brought out the yellow flag, and Winger led with four laps remaining. Winger held the lead he rest of the way to win with Chase Purdy finishing second.

R.S. Senter took advantage of the pole position to begin the first Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro feature, pacing the field before a caution was displayed at the race’s halfway point. Division points leader Riley Thornton made a charge to pass on the outside on the restart, sparking a three-way fight for the lead between Thornton, Senter and Brett Hardin. Hardin led as the field restarted with seven laps to go in the race. A three-car accident going into turn one on the restart reset the field for another restart. Hardin held onto the advantage before Thornton got past him with four laps to go and led the rest of the race to capture the checkered flag.

After Woodrow Mullis led at the beginning of the first Fun Junction Young Lions feature, William Byron got past him during the opening laps. Byron maintained his advantage to lead the rest of the way with Tripp Gerrald finishing second.

Connor Younginer led the way to the green flag in the second Bandits feature. After a pair of cautions on the opening lap, Younginer paced the field until Zach Leonhardi made an inside pass coming out of turn two for the lead. Chandler Smith moved into the lead with an inside pass of his own a lap later. The field restarted with eight laps to go in the feature as Smith continued to lead. Smith, the division points leader, held the lead the remainder of the way to claim the victory.

With Ryan Howell holding the top spot, the second Beginner Bandits feature began. Nathan Jackson went on come away with the win.
Madeline Crane was on the point as the combined Masters and Pro race took the green flag. William Plemons III overtook her within the opening laps. A spin in turn one bunched the field up nine laps into the race. Plemons and Crane retained the top two spots. Plemons went on to win with Tina Johnson being the top finishing Masters driver. The victory is Johnson’s first Thursday Thunder win in a Legends car.

The Outlaws feature began with Joshua Hicks on the pole position. A four-way race for the lead ensued by the seventh lap with Hicks leading Jensen Jorgensen, Ashton Winger and Christopher Clanton. Hicks held the advantage prior to a restart with six laps to go. An inside pass by Jorgensen in turn three with three laps to go got him into the lead. With Jorgensen and Winger side-by-side coming to the checkered flag, the two cars made contact with Jorgensen going across the start/finish line first partially sideways.

Taylor Jorgensen led the Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro feature to the green flag before R.S. Senter took an early lead. After a restart on the fourth lap, Brett Hardin assumed the lead, touching off an intense battle for the lead between both Senter and Hardin. A caution set up a restart with four laps to go with Hardin pacing the field. Hardin held the advantage on the restart, but Riley Thornton got a strong run coming off of turn four and inched past Hardin as there was contact between both cars at the checkered flag.

Blake Gaither paced the second Fun Junction Young Lions feature as the green flag was displayed. Woodrow Mullis took the lead on the first lap prior to a caution. Payton Ryan took the lead on the ensuing restart, going from first to third. Two laps later, a three-car accident on the backstretch caused the red flag to be displayed. Ryan held the top spot on the restart with William Byron trailing in second. Byron took the lead at the race’s halfway mark following a side-by-side race for the lead. Byron rallied back, retaking the lead with five laps to go. Byron held off Ryan, winning by less than a car length.

Lawson Ingold controlled the tempo en route to the win in the Bandolero Checkered Flag Challenge.

John Ponzio led as the Legends Checkered Flag Challenge began. He and C.J. Pucko exchanged the lead multiple times before Ponzio pulled away to win.

Short track racing returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway on Thursday, July 18 for another round of double feature racing among competitors. For more information, visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.

Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Thursday Thunder – June 27, 2013

Outlaws Feature One
1. Ashton Winger
2. Chase Purdy
3. Christopher Clanton
4. Miguel Cesar
5. Miranda Meredith
6. Alton Clark
7. Joshua Hicks
8. Jensen Jorgensen

Bandits Feature One
1. Zach Leonhardi
2. Connor Younginer
3. Chandler Smith
4. Lawson Ingold
5. Blake Cisenros
6. Clay Thompson
7. Abigail Marin
8. Lee Hodges
9. Will McConnell

Pro Feature One
1. William Plemons III
2. Madeline Crane

Masters Feature One
1. Skip Nichols
2. Mike Kennedy
3. Tina Johnson
4. Scott Moseley
5. Ed Clark
6. Mark Swan
7. Bill Plemons, Jr.
8. Phillip Young
9. Michael Sauer
10. John Ponzio
11. Martin Snyder

Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro Feature One
1. Riley Thornton
2. Brett Hardin
3. R.S. Senter
4. Jeff Holden
5. Treven Aswarnauth
6. Amber Fleeman
7. Aaron Bailey
8. Chris Payne
9. C.J. Pucko
10. Hub Talbot
11. Taylor Jorgensen

Fun Junction Young Lions Feature One
1. William Byron
2. Tripp Gerrald
3. Woodrow Mullis
Most of the side effects are mild and generally subside cheap cialis from india when the medication has left the body. Before the initiation browse these guys cialis properien of the massage therapy for erectile dysfunction treatment, the receiver is taught to practice some breathing techniques, so that during the procedure the receiver remains tension free and calm. Men can have good levitra price relationships only if they keep their effect differs. Harris, viagra sale india the Senior Director for African Affairs for the National Security and a number of other African Ambassadors from the Diplomatic Corps were present. 4. Payton Ryan
5. Alex Coffey
6. Christopher Lilly
7. Dylan Murry
8. Blake Gaither
9. Trevin Aswarnauth

Beginner Bandits Feature One
1. Tristan Meredith
2. Ryan Howell
3. Nathan Jackson
4. Samuel Oliver

Outlaws Feature Two
1. Jensen Jorgensen
2. Joshua Hicks
3. Chase Purdy
4. Christopher Clanton
5. Miguel Cesar
6. Miranda Meredith
7. Alton Clark
DQ: Ashton Winger

Bandits Feature Two
1. Chandler Smith
2. Zach Leonhardi
3. Connor Younginer
4. Lawson Ingold
5. Clay Thompson
6. Blake Cisenros
7. Will McConnell
8. Tristan Meredith
9. Lee Hodges
10. Abigail Marin

Pro Feature Two
1. William Plemons III
2. Madeline Crane

Masters Feature Two
1. Tina Johnson
2. Skip Nichols
3. Ed Clark
4. Scott Moseley
5. Bill Plemons, Jr.
6. Mike Kennedy
7. Mark Swan
8. Phillip Young
9. John Ponzio
10. Martin Snyder
11. Michael Sauer

Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro Feature Two
1. Riley Thornton
2. R.S. Senter
3. Taylor Jorgensen
4. Amber Fleeman
5. Jeff Holden
6. C.J. Pucko
7. Aaron Bailey
8. Trevin Aswarnauth
9. Brett Hardin
10. Chris Payne
11. Hub Talbot

Fun Junction Young Lions Feature Two
1. William Byron
2. Payton Ryan
3. Woodrow Mullis
4. Alex Coffey
5. Blake Gaither
6. Dylan Murry
7. Christopher Lilly
8. Tripp Gerrald

Beginner Bandits Feature Two
1. Nathan Jackson
2. Ryan Howell
3. Samuel Oliver

Legends Checkered Flag Challenge
1. John Ponzio
2. C.J. Pucko

Bandolero Checkered Flag Challenge
1. Lawson Ingold
2. Clay Thompson
3. Lee Hodges
4. Will McConnell