(Video Highlights from FloRacing.com)
8/21/26
Thunderbowl Raceway
Tulare, CA
High Limit
34 cars
Cars were split into two groups for qualifying Aaron Reutzel (17th car out to time) came out last in the first group at set quick time at 13.467 seconds, followed by James McFadden (4th car out), Justin Peck (9th), Chase Randall (6th) and Landon Brooks (2nd). The track fell off a cliff in the second group, with Corey Day (13th car out) setting the quickest time at 14.088 seconds, followed by Chance Grasty (1st), Rico Abreu (10th), Caeden Steele (4th) and Brent Marks (3rd).
Heat one (started): 1. 26, Justin Peck (1); 2. 21L, Landon Brooks (2); 3. 13, Tanner Holmes (3); 4. 2XM, Max Mittry (5); 5. 87, Aaron Reutzel (4) / 6. 55, Kerry Madsen (9); 7. 4, Kasey Kahne (8); 8. 15, Nick Parker (6); 9. 2A, Austin Wood (7)
8-lap heats took the top five to the feature, and the winner and the quickest qualifier (starting fourth) who finished in the top five to the Dash. Madsen had to head to the work area before the heat started, and surrendered his starting spot outside row three. He quickly advanced to sixth, but could not get to Reutzel to gain the final transfer on a track that had too good a bottom in the heats.
Heat two (started): 1. 7BC, Tyler Courtney (2); 2. 9R, Chase Randall (1); 3. W, Kaleb Montgomery (3); 4. 21, James McFadden (4); 5. 31, Jett Yantis (6) / 6. 17W, Shane Golobic (5); 7. 2K, Jake Andreotti (7); DNS - 5, Dominic Scelzi
D. Scelzi took it pitside before the green. Courtney led the distance. Montgomery was all over Randall, but couldn’t find a way to pass. Same for Golobic, who was hounding Yantis to no avail.
Heat three (started): 1. 19, Brent Marks (2); 2. 24, Rico Abreu (1); 3. 14, Corey Day (4); 4. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (3); 5. 0, Tim Kaeding (6) / 6. 2X, Justin Sanders (8); 7. 88, Tanner Thorson (5); 8. 26R, Levi Hillier (9); 9. 73, Ryan Bernal (7)
The top five was established on lap one. There was one caution for Bernal, who broke a motor two laps in.
Heat four (started): 1. 121, Caeden Steele (1); 2. 10, Dominic Gorden (2); 3. 24D, Danny Sams III (3); 4. 88N, DJ Netto (8); 5. X1, Chance Grasty (4) / 6. 9, Daison Pursley (7); 7. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (5); 8. 42, Sye Lynch (6)
Steele led wire to wire over Gorden and Sams. Netto used a high side move on lap one to move into fourth. Grasty, who had a Dash transfer on the line was shuffled to fifth, and then Lynch passed him for that spot on lap two. Fortunately for the youngster, Lynch spun in the last corner, giving him back his transfer.
Dash (started): 1. 87, Aaron Reutzel (2); 2. 7BC, Tyler Courtney (4); 3. 14, Corey Day (7); 4. X1, Chance Grasty (1); 5. 19, Brent Marks (5); 6. 121, Caeden Steele (8); 7. 26, Justin Peck (3); 8. 21, James McFadden (6)
The 7-lapper decided starting spots 1-8 in the A. A reworked, juiced up track would prove to be the remedy for good racing. Peck and McFadden contacted on the first lap and both headed pitside. Reutzel and Courteny had a spirited duel for the win. Day moved up to third with a lap two pass of Grasty.
B main (started): 1. 88, Tanner Thorson (2); 2. 5, Dominic Scelzi (1); 3. 17W, Shane Golobic (5); 4. 55, Kerry Madsen (3) / 5. 2X, Justin Sanders (4); 6. 4, Kasey Kahne (7); 7. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (8); 8. 2K, Jake Andreotti (9); 9. 2A, Austin Wood (13); 10. 42, Sye Lynch (12); 11. 15, Nick Parker (11); 12. 26R, Levi Hillier (10); 13. 9, Daison Pursley (6); DNS - 73, Ryan Bernal
The 12-lapper took the top four to the A. Pursley suffered a flat right rear after contact from Zearfoss on the start, and restarted at the tail. Thorson led the distance and pulled away at the end. D. Scelzi, Golobic and Madsen moved into the transfer spots. Sanders passed Kahne for fifth on lap four, but could advance no more.
A main (started): 1. 14, Corey Day (3); 2. 21L, Landon Brooks (9); 3. 87, Aaron Reutzel (1); 4. 7BC, Tyler Courtney (2); 5. X1, Chance Grasty (4); 6. 21, James McFadden (8); 7. 19, Brent Marks (5); 8. 13, Tanner Holmes (13); 9. 26, Justin Peck (7); 10. 88, Tanner Thorson (21); 11. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (16); 12. 121, Caeden Steele (6); 13. 9R, Chase Randall (11); 14. 88N, DJ Netto (18); 15. W, Kaleb Montgomery (15); 16. 17W, Shane Golobic (23); 17. 10, Dominic Gorden (12); 18. 9, Daison Pursley (25, prov); 19. 0, Tim Kaeding (20); 20. 55, Kerry Madsen (24); 21. 42, Sye Lynch (26, prov); 22. 24, Rico Abreu (10); 23. 2XM, Max Mittry (17); 24. 5, Dominic Scelzi (22); 25. 31, Jett Yantis (19); 26. 24D, Danny Sams III (14)
The 30-lapper was pretty chaotic in an exciting way mostly. Reutzel led Courtney, Day, Grasty and Marks early. Marks slid by Grasty for fourth on lap three. On lap four, Day used the low side to gain second from Courtney. That’s when things went off the hinges. Sams and Abreu crashed at that point, and collected Yantis. Only Sams would retire, but Abreu returned after a complete rear end job that didn’t seem complete. Lynch also visited the work area. Reutzel took the inside line on the double-file restart, ahead of Day, Courtney, Marks, Grasty and Steele. On lap six, Day cruised by Reutzel for the lead, while Grasty and Brooks got by Marks for fourth and fifth. Montgomery got into the fence hard, but kept it going. A yellow was thrown and he was blended in on a restart that saw the eight place car of Groden spin, collecting Lynch. On lap eight, Grasty worked by Courtney for second. On lap 11, in unrelated flips, both Gorden and Yantis got upside down synchronously. Day took the inside line on the restart, ahead of Reutzel, Grasty, Courtney and Brooks. Grasty put away Reutzel for second, getting under him, while Brooks took fourth. Brooks was the show banging the wall in one and two, and may have had the fastest car, but more of that later. On lap 16, Brooks shot by Reutzel, while McFadden moved in the top five. Reutzel got back by Brooks in a good race on lap 18 before D. Scelzi spun to bring the final caution. Day no led Grasty, Reutzel, Brooks and Courtney back to green, but Kaeding and Lynch got together, slowing that. When tings went green again, Courtney got by Brooks for fourth. Reutzel took a couple of slide bombs at Grasty for second, with the second one sticking with nine to go. Courtney followed him into third. Brooks went into action on the high side of one and two, circling around Grasty for fourth on lap 23, and shooting by Courtney for third with five to go. Day was in lapped traffic with three to go, but had no threats. Brooks quickly reeled in Reutzel, and flew by him high banging off the turn two wall on the final lap to claim second. Day earned $12,000 for his win. Thorson was the hard-charger.