Gabe Sommers Racing popped out to Oregon, Wisconsin to ring in the first weekend of May with the ASA Midwest Tour. Two hundred laps would kick off the 2025 ASA MWT season for Gabe and the No. 15 crew at the famed half mile, with the two time defending champions looking for a strong run to cement his early season status.
Friday saw many teams unload four a slate of four practice sessions, the series firing on all cylinders with 29 cars expected to attempt the Joe Shear Classic 200. The opening round saw Sommers take his place at the top of the pile, burning a 17.631 second lap time to take the number one spot by almost half a tenth. The Travis Sauter led crew would look for more long run speed, resulting in sixth and eighth place runs in the following two sessions. The final practice session was a return to form, topping the leaderboard to end the day with a 17.466 second lap time.
Saturday would see teams complete two more quick practice sessions before qualifying, with many focusing on mock runs and scuff sessions to better their chances of locking in on time for the 200 lapper, needing a top twenty effort. Gabe wouldn’t have any worries of not locking in, placing his No. 15 Ford Mustang fourth on the time charts with a 17.380. With a fifteen car invert, GSR would be rolling off from the sixth row for the Joe Shear Classic 200.
As the green flag flew, a gaggle of cars in the backside of the top ten immediately began to battle hard for position, one of them being Sommers. He would solidify himself inside the top ten by Lap 25/200, sitting in wait for more opportunities in the marathon race. A quick caution on lap 51/200 would bunch the field back up, allowing Sommers to move up to eighth place in a short twenty lap run before another caution flag would slow the field. Few more scattered cautions will allow teams to make changes and take tires, including GSR. Gabe continued to roll up the leaderboard, cracking the top five in the running order with 125 laps completed in the Joe Shear Classic 200, and remaining on the charge until taking the lead on lap 149/200. One final caution on Lap 179 would set the field up for a restart with sixteen laps to go, and some hard chargers were hot on Sommers’ heels. A heavy battle for the lead would ensue on the restart, with Gabe forced to relinquish the lead with just five laps to go in the Joe Shear Classic 200. He would come home in second place, hard fought, and with a car in one piece. Stay tuned on the Gabe Sommers Racing socials for where we will head next!