Greensburg resident J.T. Stapp, perhaps better known in the area as “The Tree City Tornado,” put the pedal to the floor and blasted his way to his first career sprint car feature win last Saturday night at the Clay County Speedway in Flora, Ill.
For years, Stapp has been involved in racing. He is an experienced sprint, midget, TQ midget and mini-sprint driver.
His lucky races were the second event of the 2009 SCORA Spring Series schedule. Stapp’s lucky night started off with a nine car field running an eight lap heat race, the first of the night. Stapp worked his way through the field, sliding around his competition to finish third.
That third place finish was then inverted for the eight lap qualifying race. Stapp finished second, coming up from behind for the harrowing finish.
The lineup for the 20 lap A-Main race was set by a lucky fan who drew the much revered and feared “8 pill” to invert the top eight in points following the heat and qualifying races. For Stapp, that meant that he would start in seventh place.
When the race got underway, the competitors shot from their marks and began the high speed duel. Before one lap was made, one of Stapp’s competitors named Tony Sessions dumped his number 17 mount hard between the third and fourth turns. Fortunately, he walked away from the wreck uninjured.
The feature race finally got the green on the second try as the top four racers, Matt Humphrey, Dusty Wright, Alex Coonan and Stapp himself began their battle hard for the first half of the race.
The night's only yellow flag came out when Coonan and Stapp got together in the third turn as Stapp was attempting to pass him on the top. The collision would take Coonan out of the event and Stapp restarted in third place behind Humphrey and Wright. Humphrey picked up the gas early on the backstretch but the green still came out. An elbows-up kind of battle continued with the three cars, as Stapp worked on Wright and picked him off around the top heading into the first turn and dove under Humphrey down the backstretch to take the lead. Stapp would lead the remaining five laps to get the victory in the 20 lap showdown. He was driving the Bryan Robinson owned Osgood Grub Co., Competition Race Fuels, number 57R Maxim. Dusty Wright would take second place and Matt Humphrey, in only his third race in a sprint car would come home third.
The SCORA Sprint Car Series will now head into a big weekend with races at Kankakee, Ill on Friday and Kamp Motor Speedway in Boswell, Ind. on Saturday. Stapp leads the point standings heading into the doubleheader weekend.
Features
Related Photos
-
contributed photo
Stapp On The Gas
- Features
-
-
Local Volunteer Named "GOTR Coach of the Year"
GREENSBURG - Katy Riester, of Greensburg, was recently named Girls on the Run Coach of the Year for 2011.
-
GES Kind Deed winners
GREENSBURG - In September, the students and staff at Greensburg Elementary School accepted RachelÕs Challenge to change the world through our kind deeds.
-
Decatur County son is Native June
GREENSBURG - Good Fryday ended on a deserted stretch of highway just north of Flagstaff, Ariz.
-
Harlem Globetrotters to visit Batesville
BATESVILLE - The high-flying basketball antics of the historic Harlem Globetrotters are coming to Batesville Jan. 11.
-
Native son lives rock and roll dream
GREENSBURG - Few musicians would point to Thanksgiving as the origin for their dreams of rock-and-roll greatness.
-
club chatter 121411
Country Girls and Guys 4-H
The Country Girls and Guys 4-H Group met at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec.11 at the Kingston Presbyterian Church. -
Events 121411
Local clubs, service groups, fraternal organizations and others are encouraged to send their Coming Events information to the Daily News at news@greensburgdailynews.com or Daily News, PO Box 106, Greensburg, IN 47240.
-
Foundation cookbook available in new locations
The Hospital Foundation has announced that its new cookbook, "Recipes for a Cause," is now available in additional locations for last-minute shoppers.
-
Wenning is Optimist Youth for November
The Greensburg Optimist Club selected South Decatur Senior Danielle Wenning as its Youth of the Month for November.
-
DCMH lends support to Cheer Fund
In honor of the board of trustees and the medical staff, Decatur County Memorial Hospital donated $1,500 to the Daily News Cheer Fund.
- More Features Headlines
-
Romney Takes Strong Lead in Nevada GOP Victory
Police Clear Tents From Occupy Site in DC
Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life
Army Orders Bradley Manning Court-martial
Cancer Charity Revives Breast-screening Grants
Heavy Snowstorm Hits Colorado On Its Way East
2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim
Prosecutors Close Armstrong Inquiry, No Charges
Sights and Sounds: Football Fans Pour Into Indy
Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3%
Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs
GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle
More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue
Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands
Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths
'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant
Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest
First Person: Will Peyton Manning Stay in Indy?
Egypt Shaken After Deadly Soccer Riot
