HAMPTON, Ga. - The quarter-mile “Thunder Ring” roared to life as the 18th season of Thursday Thunder opened with a bang last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga.
Drivers jostled for position in the point standings as the eight week series got underway on the on the infield quarter-mile raceway.
Bill Plemons, Jr. of Locust Grove, Ga. dominated the Masters/Pro feature race as he earned the checkered flag from the pole.
“We came down here with a mission tonight,” said Plemons. “We’ve just been giving away races, messing up, and I just decided I’ve got to get after it now and try something. At my age I ain’t got many races left.”
A caution early in the race slowed the pace as the field ambled behind the leader. Plemons capitalized on the pace as he captured the momentum and controlled the race. Plemons held off Tina Johnson, who finished second, while Mark Swan finished third, with Tony Armbruster in fourth and Scott Moseley in fifth.
In the Allred Family Dentistry Semi-Pro/Young Lions feature, William Martin led from flag to flag for the victory. Martin was the control car on the restart for a pair of green-white-checker attempts and held off the field as he drove to victory lane.
“It was crazy with all the cautions,” said Martin, “I’d stretch out the lead a little bit and then all the cautions would come out and we’d get bunched up and I was getting all nervous and everything. I’m just glad that we won it. I hope this is the first of many this season.”
Martin was in the middle as it went three wide exiting turn two with Taylor Jorgensen and Gainesville, Ga.’s Jeff Holden on the final lap, but he was able to pull away for the win. Dylan Murry came home in fourth, with Brandon Brock in fifth.
Joshua Hicks and Ashton Higgins battled side-by-side and exchanged the lead over the first seven laps of the Xtreme Fun on Wheels Outlaws Division feature before Higgins pulled away on lap nine. Higgins built a sizeable lead over the next nine laps before a caution on lap 18 bunched up the field and pulled Hicks back within striking distance on the ensuing restart.
A wiggle by Higgins as he came out of turn four on the final lap opened the door for Hicks, who slipped to the inside and beat Higgins to the line for the checkered flag. It was Hicks’ 9th career Thursday Thunder victory and his first trip to victory lane since a Week 4 win in 2013. Lexi Gay, Hayden Swank and Lawson Ingold rounded out the top five.
A pair of first time winners in the first two feature races of the night saw D.J. Canipe in the Bandits division and Noah Dominy in the Beginnner Bandolero division make trips to victory lane.
Canipe dominated the Bandits feature race as he earned the win from the pole. Clay Thompson finished second as he battled Will Rubusto over the final five laps for the runner-up spot. Isabella Robusto came home in fourth, with Blaise Maddox in fifth.
A spirited battle in the Beginner Bandolero feature race saw a green-white-checker finish with Noah Dominy holding off the field for the win over the final two laps. Dominy started on the outside pole and was able to get by Samuel Oliver on lap two. Oliver scraped back even on lap four as the pair raced door-to-door into turn three. Dominy held strong as Oliver spun in turn four and fell out of the race. Wilder Etheredge finished second, followed by River Allen in third, Cameron Potter in fourth and Dawson O’Connor in fifth.
Thursday Thunder continues June 11, featuring five racing divisions including Bandolero cars in the Beginner Bandits, Bandits, and Outlaw divisions and Legends cars in the Semi-Pro/Young Lions and Masters/Pro divisions. The summer racing series continues through July 23, as drivers of all ages and skill levels compete in the 18th season of quarter-mile racing at AMS.
For more information, visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, GA
Thursday Thunder Week 1 – June 4, 2015
Masters/Pro
1. Bill Plemons, Jr.
2. Tina Johnson
3. Mark Swan
4. Tony Armbruster
5. Scott Moseley
6. Willie Gray
7. Phillip Young
8. Don Maness
9. Wes Potter
10. Dennis Hecht
11. Randy Schubert
12. Mike Kennedy
Semi-Pro/Young Lions
1. William Martin
2. Taylor Jorgensen
3. Jeff Holden
4. Dylan Murry
5. Brandon Brock
6. Jensen Jorgensen
7. Hannah Bell
8. Ryan Millington
9. Miranda Meredith
10. Jordan Coker
11. Christopher Clanton
12. Amber Fleeman
13. Aaron Bailey
14. Sebastian Arias
Outlaws
1. Joshua Hicks
2. Ashton Higgins
3. Lexi Gay
4. Hayden Swank
5. Lawson Ingold
6. Trey Tadrzak
7. Connor Youniger
8. Austin Geer
DQ: Ricky Springer
Bandits
1. D.J. Canipe
2. Clay Thompson
3. Will Robusto
4. Isabella Robusto
5. Blaise Maddox
6. Ryan Howell
7. Nathan Jackson
Beginner Bandoleros
1. Noah Dominy
2. Wilder Etheredge
3. River Allen
4. Cameron Potter
5. Dawson O’Connor
6. Ryan Younginer
7. Samuel Oliver
