Gabe Sommers Racing was able to become part of a bigger story, the start of a new tradition, this past Saturday night. Jefferson Speedway hosted the inaugural Orange Blossom Classic, in honor of the legendary Jerry Eckhart’s career that has spanned almost six decades, and continues to roll on at the time of this writing. Jerry has been a large proponent of enjoying every moment at the racetrack, something all drivers, crew, and fans should strive for while attending any racetrack. The GSR clan was ready to do just that as they prepared for twin 61 lap feature events at the technical Jefferson Speedway, a track that few drivers have been able to find consistent success at over the years.
Rotating practice would kick off the day’s on track festivities, with a stacked field of Super Late Models eager to hit the pavement running, every driver looking to claim the early edge over their competitors. Gabe would roll onto the speedway and quickly find himself in a good starting position, holding down fourth place on the speed charts after rotating through multiple rounds of practice. The Travis Sauter led crew continued to work on the No. 15 after the conclusion of practice in an effort to find that remaining bit of speed needed to pull themselves up to the top of the board.
Soon enough, qualifying would commence with a bang. Gabe would lay claim to the only sub 13.500 second lap of the session, earning fast time for the Orange Blossom Classic. After some photo ops and carrying our beloved Stars and Stripes around the track for the national anthem, it was time to get down to business. GSR would use the Odd Dash race as a tune up for the upcoming features, putting an emphasis on keeping the car in one piece. The No. 15 would roll off from the fourth spot and stay there for the eight lap sprint, collecting valuable data for both driver and crew.
Slotting in at the sixth spot to begin the first of two 61 lap features, Gabe would have his work cut out for him with some heavy hitters in the vicinity. Getting a move on quickly, it only took nine laps for Sommers to scoot up into a podium spot, engaging in a fierce battle for third. For over ten laps, the No. 15 would engage in tug of war before settling for fourth and filing into line, saving both tire and car for later. Slipping back a couple more spots just after the halfway point of the race, Gabe was now down to sixth and forced to make the decision to get back on the offensive. With just fifteen laps to go, he’d climb back into the fourth position, where he’d remain all the way to the checkered flag.
After making some changes to the platform by the crew, it was time to turn it around for the second half of the Orange Blossom Classic. Starting from 7th, it was clear to all right away that the No. 15 would not be waiting for the field to sort itself out before making his move. Picking off a pair of cars early on, Gabe would move up to fifth by lap 13/61, and setting his sights on the next duo of drivers in front of him. Only ten laps later, Sommers had now materialized in the third position, hounding the leaders with a sense of purpose. Persistence would pay off right at the halfway point, as the No. 15 Ford would perform the final lead change of the race, motoring away from the pack by over two seconds on his way to victory lane.
Narrowly missing out on the overall championship between the two features, GSR still went home with a lot of hardware. Being fast time and feature winners always results in plenty of smiles all around, and the resulting confidence will be carried into State Park Speedway on July 27 for the Larry Detjens Memorial 125 with the ASA Midwest Tour. You can find us trackside, or watch along on TrackTV.com!