One race now remains in the battle for the season points championship in Thursday Thunder after week seven action on the quart-mile “Thunder Ring” at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The Masters division continues to be the tightest race for a season championship with nine points separating the top three drivers. Scott Moseley of McDonough closed the gap with his division-leading third win of the season. Moseley earned the heat race win and started on the pole. From the point, he held off charges by Tina Johnson of Senoia and Bill Plemons Jr. of Locust Grove as the pair flip-flopped second and third throughout the race as they battled to get by Moseley.
“It was good in the beginning but got really tight and I was doing all I could to hold them off with the break, gas and the wheel and everything I had,” said Moseley.
Johnson and Plemons fanned out behind the leader as they exited turn four on the final lap, but Moseley won the sprint to the checkered flag.
“It’s definitely taking it down to the last race,” said Moseley when discussing the season poins championship, “but that’s what we want. We are all having fun. All I can do is keep winning – I can’t do more than that, and hope they finish how they need to finish behind me so the points work out in my favor. We’ll just see next week how that happens.”
Johnson now holds an eight point lead on Plemons and is nine points ahead of Moseley.
DJ Canipe of Fallston, NC tightened his grip on the Bandits division lead with his fifth win of the season. It took Canipe three laps to get to the front of the field after he stared from the outside pole. Canipe then held off Blaise Maddox of Locust Grove and Clay Thompson of Bowersville for the win.
The Xtreme Fun on Wheels Outlaw division was dominated by a flag-to-flag victory by Weaverville, North Carolina’s Ashton Higgins. Higgins started on the pole and after a caution at the midway point of the race, opened up a 10-car length lead that continued to expand before a caution on the final lap ended the race under yellow. Stockbridge’s Connor Younginer finished second.
In the Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro/Young Lions Division, Stockbridge’s Jensen Jorgensen notched his first win of the season. Jorgensen battled Mason Diaz of Manassas, VA and Taylor Jorgensen of Stockbridge for the lead throughout the night. Contact on the final lap between Diaz and Taylor Jorgensen as they entered turn four pulled the pair out of line and the field slid by. Christopher Clanton of Brooks and Jordan Coker of Powder Springs were the beneficiaries as they finished in second and third respectively.
Albany’s Wilder Etheredge held off Stockbridge’s Ryan Younginer by inches for the checkered flag win in the Beginner Bandolereo feature. The pair battled off of turn four on the final lap for the lead, but Etheredge, who started on the pole, outran Younginer to the line for the win. Covington’s Cameron Potter finished third.
One race remains for drivers to challenge for a division championship. Drivers return to the “Thunder Ring” for week eight action on July 23rd at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Thursday Thunder features five racing divisions with various skill levels and competition, including Bandolero cars in the Beginner Bandits, Bandits, and Xtreme Fun on Wheels Outlaw divisions and Legends cars in the Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro/Young Lions and Masters/Pro divisions. The summer racing series hits the quarter-mile “Thunder Ring” at Atlanta Motor Speedway each Thursday through July 23, as drivers of all ages and skill levels compete in the 18th season of quarter-mile racing at AMS.
Grandstand tickets for the affordable, family-friendly racing series cost just $6 for adults, $2 for kids ages 6 through 11 and is free for children ages 5 and younger.
For more information, contact the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.
Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro/Young Lions
1. Jensen Jorgensen (Stockbridge), 2. Christpher Clanton (Brooks), 3. Jordan Coker (Poweder Springs), 4. William Martin (Douglasville), 5. Brandon Brock (Hampton), 6. Dylan Murry (Cumming), 7. Hannah Bell (Raleigh, NC), 8. Amber Fleeman (Dacula), 9. Taylor Jorgensen (Stockbridge), 10. Mason Diaz (Manassas, VA), 11. Nicholas Waters (Senoia)
Beginner Bandolero
1. Wilder Etheredge (Albany), 2. Ryan Younginer (Stockbridge), 3. Cameron Potter (Covington), 4. Dawson O’Connor (Stockbridge), 5. Keaton Hendrix (Homerville)
Bandits
1. DJ Canipe (Fallston, NC), 2. Blaize Maddox (Locust Grove), 3. Clay Thompson (Bowersville), 4. Nathan Jackson (McDonough), 5. Will Robusto (Fort Mill, SC), 6. Ryan Howell (McDonough), 7. Noah Dominy (Stathum), 8. Isabella Robusto (Fort Mill, SC)
Masters
1. Scott Moseley (McDonough), 2. Bill Plemons, Jr. (Locust Grove), 3. Tina Johnson (Senoia), 4. Spencer Moseley (McDonough), 5. Mark Swan (Dunwoody), 6. Phillip Young (Dallas), 7. Mike Kennedy (Alpharetta), 8. Dennis Hecht (Hoschton), 9. Randy Shubert (Conyers), 10. Wes Potter (Covington)
Xtreme Fun on Wheels Outlaws
1. Ashton Higgins (Weaverville, NC), 2. Connor Younginer (Stockbridge), 3. Ricky Springer (McDonough), 4. Gauntt Hudgins (Savannah), 5. Hayden Swank (Woodstock), 6. Trey Tadrzak (Stockbridge)
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