Gardner Jr. Captures Winchester Speedway Victory in Historic Photo Finish

Gardner edges Brick by .016 seconds as tire management defines Mid-Am Racing Series’ first appearance at Winchester

Winchester, IN — The Mid-Am Racing Series made its first-ever visit to the legendary Winchester Speedway and delivered a night for the history books. On the steepest banking in America, the series produced one of the closest finishes in its history, giving fans a debut they’ll never forget.

Qualifying Set the Stage

Qualifying set the tone for the evening as drivers attacked the high banks of Winchester Speedway. Scotty Gardner Jr. set the pace, grabbing fast time with a lap of 17.640 seconds. Veteran Josh Nelms wasn’t far behind at 17.964, with five-time champion Ron Vandermeir Jr. clocking in third at 18.037.

Rounding out the qualifying order were:

• Cody Clubb

• Daniel Calhoun

• Kyle Brick

• Rick Redig-Tackman

• Andrew Meyerhofer

• Rick Tackman Jr.

• Bill Prietzel

• Tim Schmitt

• Shane Sapp

• Michael Gerike

• Jim Thorson

• Josh Fehrmann

This competitive field set the stage for what became one of the most memorable features in Mid-Am history.

A Finish for the Ages

With an invert of 7, the 40-lap feature rolled to the green flag with the 74 of Rick Redig-Tackman on the pole, lined up alongside Kyle Brick on the front row. From the drop of the green, the field wasted no time putting the high banks of Winchester to the test, shuffling positions early and setting up what would become a race-long fight at the front.

Tire management played a role throughout the entire race, with drivers balancing speed against conservation on Winchester’s fast yet unforgiving track. As the laps wound down, the night turned into a showdown between Scotty Gardner Jr. and Kyle Brick. The two went wheel-to-wheel in the closing stages, pushing their cars and each other to the absolute limit.

Brick had already made contact with the outside wall before the final dash to the checkered, but refused to back down. As they raced to the line, he stayed door-to-door with Gardner Jr., crossing just .016 seconds behind. After the checkered flag, Brick made additional contact with the wall — proof of how deep he dug trying to score the win.

In the end, it was Gardner Jr. who prevailed, capturing victory in what instantly stands as one of the closest finishes in Mid-Am Racing Series history.

Veteran Josh Nelms held his ground through the intensity up front, bringing home a well-earned third-place finish to complete the podium.

Podium and Full Results

Official Results – Winchester Speedway

1. Scotty Gardner Jr. (wins by .016 sec)

2. Kyle Brick (contact with wall, never lifted)

3. Josh Nelms

4. Cody Clubb

5. Daniel Calhoun

6. Rick Tackman Jr.

7. Tim Schmitt

8. Andrew Meyerhofer

9. Bill Prietzel

10. Shane Sapp

11. Jim Thorson

12. Rick Redig-Tackman

13. Michael Gerike

14. Ron Vandermeir Jr.

15. Josh Fehrmann

    
    

Thank You to Our Hosts

The Mid-Am Racing Series extends its gratitude to Gary, our flagman, Dan, and the entire Winchester Speedway staff for their hard work and professionalism throughout the weekend. A special thanks also goes to the fans who packed the stands and took part in a successful pre-race autograph session, which helped make our first visit truly memorable.

We also want to thank all of the local businesses who catered to our teams, as well as the fans and community members who were so welcoming and supportive throughout the event. Your hospitality made this debut weekend at Winchester Speedway a success both on and off the track.

The Mid-Am Racing Series looks forward to building on this successful debut and hopes to return to Winchester Speedway next year.