---

Sauder Takes Checkers at Lima

/24/15) – A cool night for the Spring Fling at Limaland Motorsports Park produced some hot and fast action on the high-banked ¼-mile racing oval. A noticeably gripping surface was tailor-made for veteran competitors Kyle Sauder, Tony Anderson and Todd Sherman. All three dominated the opposition, adding to their respective legacies of success, at the facility owned and operated by the University of Northwestern Ohio.

The Budweiser Thunderstocks led the feature racing to the green flag with their 15-lap finale. Lima’s Chris Douglas took his pole starting position to the early lead with a serious pack of challengers hovering close behind. It took a full four laps of furious action before Douglas surrendered the lead to Tony Anderson and Shawn Valenti. Those two finished first and second a week ago at the season opener and seemed intent on renewing their rivalry again on this night.

Anderson’s pass for the lead on the outside clearly showed his car was strong anywhere on the track and Valenti followed closely behind. Almost as impressive was Jordan Conover taking control of the third running position. Those three owned the podium seven days ago and this night would be no different.

A restart following the caution flag at lap number 13 gave Valenti and Conover an opportunity to challenge Anderson. Neither was able to create a genuine threat and could not overtake Anderson as the Elida resident roared to a 33rd career win in the Thunderstocks division at the track. It also made him the second qualifier in this early season for the end-of-year Reineke Family Dealership King of the Quarter Mile Races.

“I have a great crew and they work really hard on these cars,” stated Anderson, a nine-time track champion. “My backup car (Modified) was stuffed in the fence earlier tonight, but we will get it fixed and try to get Max (Stambaugh) in there again yet this year. I’m blessed that I’m able to do something that I really love to do and have done for the past 22 years.”

The ever popular k & L Ready Mix NRA Sprint Invaders moved to center stage for their 25-lap tussle with veteran Kyle Sauder leading the field to the green flag.
Sauder was particularly dominant during the 2011-‘12 time frame, winning the track championship in 2011 and the All-Stars feature during Ohio Sprint Speedweek that season.

On this night, the Archbold, Ohio veteran took full advantage of the pole starting position and roared to the front at the start of the race. The track may have been too fast for Sauder to hug the wall around the top as he has many times previous. He was however able to make a middle-to-high racing line work superbly. Sauder was also passing cars on the inside at times, an indication of how well his vehicle was handling.

Hud Horton and Jared Horstman followed the red colored #83 machine around with multiple car lengths separating each of the three front runners. The most competitive race action on the track was for the second position with Horstman peaking inside of Horton for numerous laps around. Finally the orange #17 of Horstman made a pass on lap 23 to secure an eventual runner-up finish to Sauder.

Sauder’s triumph was his 14th career win at the track and first since 2012. “I have to thank God because with five laps to go I thought this car wasn’t gonna make it,” said a humble Sauder afterwards. “Fortunately, my guys had this thing hooked up pretty good tonight. I’m glad to be back on the front stretch (winner’s circle) again as it has been awhile.”

The K & N Modifieds closed out the evening’s features with their 20-lap event. Todd Sherman, the track’s all-time leading winner in the division, was intent on improving from a disastrous opening night that saw him fail to qualify for the feature race.

Veteran Andy Bibler led the 20-car field through the opening 8 laps with Sherman, Lima’s Jeff Koz and Wapakoneta’s Jerry Bowersock in hot pursuit. Sherman was stuck to the racing surface and seemed to be able to navigate anywhere he chose.

Finally on the lap number eight, Sherman blew past Bibler on the outside as the cars rolled through the start/finish line. From there, the Indiana veteran jammed the pedal down and although a pair of caution periods slowed his eventual run to the checkered flag, there was no one to overtake the five-time defending track champion. It marked the 41st win at the track for Sherman and propelled him back into the points chase for another title.

“There was no way I could afford a repeat of last week,” said Sherman. “We are way too good for that to happen and this track was tremendous for handling with my car tonight. The field of Modifieds this season so far keeps bringing out some very good drivers.”

Limaland Motorsports Park returns to action on Friday, May 1, with Modified Mayhem, featuring the K & N Filters UMP Modifieds. Also the K & L Ready Mix NRA Sprint Invaders and the Budweiser Thunderstocks will compete. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. Racing begins promptly at 7:30 p.m.

All the latest news and information about America’s premier quarter-mile dirt track can be found at www.limaland.com.

Limaland Motorsports Park – 4/24/2015
Anheuser Busch Night

McDonald’s Dash (5 Laps)

1. 17-Jared Horstman; 2. 10X-Dustin Stroup
2. 6S-J.R. Stewart; 4. 6M-Max Stambaugh

Bud Thunderstocks
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 7 Transfer)

1. 1-Jared Spalding; 2. OO-Paul Norris; 3. OOP-Dean Pitts;
2. O1-Austen Raybourn; 5. 2-Jordon Lawrence; 6. 89-Keith Schockery;
3. 26-Justin Long

Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 7 Transfer)

1. 7B-Shawn Valenti; 2. 7C-Jordan Conover; 3. 82-Chris Douglas;
2. 99-Andy King; 5. 53-Shane Aeschliman; 6. 17J-Jarrod Klay

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 7 Transfer)

1. 22T-Tony Anderson; 2. 27-Frank Paladino; 3. 22X-Rich Smith;
2. 52G-Stacey Gazarek; 5. 32-Scott Boyd Jr.; 6. 1J-Jj Butler

A-Main – (15 Laps) [#]-Starting Position

1. 22T-Tony Anderson[6]; 2. 7B-Shawn Valenti[7]; 3. 7C-Jordan Conover[4];
2. 27-Frank Paladino[3]; 5. 1-Jared Spalding[8]; 6. OO-Paul Norris[5];
3. 82-Chris Douglas[1]; 8. OOP-Dean Pitts[2]; 9. 26-Justin Long[19];
4. 53-Shane Aeschliman[14]; 11. O1-Austen Raybourn[10];
5. 2-Jordon Lawrence[13]; 13. 22X-Rich Smith[9];
6. 52G-Stacey Gazarek[12]; 15. 99-Andy King[11]; 16. 17J-Jarrod Klay[17]

K&L Ready Mix NRA Sprints
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 7 Transfer)

1. 28H-Hud Horton; 2. 8J-Jess Stiger; 3. 23-Devon Dobie;
2. 12-Kody Swanson; 5. 10X-Dustin Stroup; 6. 35-Ron Blair;
3. 12J-Tyler Moore

Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 7 Transfer)

1. 83-Kyle Sauder; 2. 6S-Jr Stewart; 3. 11-Tim Allison;
2. 49-Shawn Dancer; 5. 31N-Rod Henning; 6. 27R-Kyle Locke;
3. 16B-Dakota Busche

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 7 Transfer)

1. 17-Jared Horstman; 2. 10-Mitch Brown; 3. 6M-Max Stambaugh;
2. 22H-Randy Hannagon; 5. 12R-Nick Roberts; 6. 22R-Kevin Roberts

A-Main – (25 Laps) [#]-Starting Position

1. 83-Kyle Sauder[1]; 2. 17-Jared Horstman[3]; 3. 28H-Hud Horton[2];
2. 6S-Jr Stewart[5]; 5. 22H-Randy Hannagon[12]; 6. 8J-Jess Stiger[4];
3. 10-Mitch Brown[6]; 8. 6M-Max Stambaugh[9]; 9. 23-Devon Dobie[7];
4. 10X-Dustin Stroup[13]; 11. 11-Tim Allison[8]; 12. 12-Kody Swanson[10];
5. 49-Shawn Dancer[11]; 14. 31N-Rod Henning[14]; 15. 12J-Tyler Moore[19]; 16. 16B-Dakota Busche[20]; 17. 12R-Nick Roberts[15]; 18. 27R-Kyle Locke[17]; 19. 22R-Kevin Roberts[18]

---

Back to News