Gabe Sommers racing made their annual trip to the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” last
weekend to partake in the ASA Midwest Tour’s Thunderstruck 93 at Elko Speedway. As
the only Super Late Model event on the schedule for the ⅜ mile speedway, fans come
out in droves for the annual treat of seeing the fastest racecars in the region invade their
home track. Four prior winners of the event were in the 23 car field and ready for
another shot at the coveted electric guitar trophy, a centerpiece for any display case.
Sommers and company would be looking to lay claim to their first.
Unloading for practice under gloomy skies and the threat of precipitation, keeping up
with an ever changing racetrack was on many teams’ minds. Known for aggressive
swings in grip and lane dominance, being able to adapt and overcome would be
paramount for all Midwest Tour drivers. Cool conditions dominated most of the twin
practice sessions, and the No. 15 Ford Mustang appeared to be well suited for it. After
clicking off twenty two laps, Sommers would call time on his efforts, settling into the
second position on the time charts. After a light sprinkle, the sun decided to make an
extended stay for the remainder of the afternoon and evening, altering the track state
just enough to make teams scramble for some last minute changes.
After a one hour long driver autograph session, where the fans got to set foot on the
racetrack and interact with their favorite local and regional drivers, it was time to hit the
pavement running for Midwest Tour qualifying. Of the twenty three drivers that took time,
Sommers would wind up fifth, only sixty four thousandths of a second off of the fastest
qualifying time. Soon after, dash races and qualifying heats for the ASA Midwest Tour
would roll onto the speedway, giving teams a chance to fine tune their machines better
to the changing track state. Gabe would roll off in P6 for the eight lap sprint, and use the
top side to his advantage to pick up four spots to finish in the runner up spot.
After the conclusion of the Elko Speedway local divisions’ races, it was now time for the
stars and cars of the Midwest Tour to battle it out for 125 laps. The No. 15 Ford Mustang
would be launching from the outside of the second row, a solid place to start at a track
so renowned for being hard to pass at. Gabe wasted no time at the drop of the green,
rolling from up into a podium spot by the completion of the first lap. He didn’t stop there,
steaming his way up the order and into the lead by Lap 12/125. He’d hold the point for
just seven laps before Sommers appeared to get a sudden twitch in the corner. Slowly,
the No. 15 dropped to the backside of the top five before coasting to a stop by the wall
in turn three on the 34th circuit. Sommers would head pitside to the attention of his
Travis Sauter led crew, where issues were diagnosed quickly before returning to the
track.
Now restarting in the 22nd position with only ninety laps to go, it would be “go time” for
GSR from now til the end. Business had picked up, and so had the pace of the field as
they jockeyed for position while closing in on the Lap 93 break. Sommers used the top,
bottom, and even middle lanes to make up ground and positions, sliding his way up five
spots in only fifteen laps. Now 17th and hungry for more, Gabe kept the pedal to the
metal, able to pick up another trio of spots before the yellow flag flew for the scheduled
pit stop. Only fuel and tire pressures would be allowed to be adjusted on this stop,
limiting the teams on time and the ability to make big swings. After the quick breather,
Sommers and Co. would go back to business, making the most of aging tires and a
clogged up track in the final thirty two laps. The stark white Ford Mustang continued its
march forwards, clicking off another three positions in his seven laps. Now just one spot
outside of the top ten, Gabe would lay chase to the lead pack as the laps continued to
fall off of the scoreboard. Eating away at the gap between himself and the cars in front,
Sommers would finally catch the top ten with just five laps to go, and making the pass
for tenth on Lap 123/125 before finally running out of laps.
After the tenth place finish at Elko Speedway, Gabe Sommers Racing will take a three
point lead into the Midwest Tour finale at Lacrosse Fairgrounds Speedway’s Oktoberfest
Race Weekend. A strong run will be mandatory to pick up GSR’s third straight ASA
MWT points championship. You can watch all of the action live on TrackTV.com on
October 2-5!