The Advanced Product Design $15,000 Warm-Up Wednesday at GALOT Motorsports Park attracted 330 entries for the first round of eliminations during the Strange Engineering Spring Fling presented by OPTIMA Batteries.
Before the eliminations, Cory Gulitti and Austin Thompson faced off in the RAD Torque Systems $20,000 Shootout final. Thompson was .017 and dead-on three, securing the win over Gulitti, who turned .001 red in his third final round appearance this month.
As the competition narrowed, Scott Albrecht, Jeff Serra, David Lowe, Jackson Worters, Bob Engelman, Noah Lewis, Austin Thompson, Jeff Taylor, Clayton Roberts, and Matt Dadas advanced past the initial rounds.
In the quarterfinals, Serra hit a perfect light and was .014 above the dial, defeating Worters, while Lowe was dead-on two, edging Albrecht by .002. Engelman advanced with an .011 total against Noah Lewis.
Lowe eliminated the last dragster, Engleman, with a .010 edge off the line, securing his spot in his first Fling final. Serra, on a bye run, was .001 better than Lowe, earning lane choice for the $15,000 race.
In the all-door car final, Serra was .013 on the tree, pushing Lowe to a .003 breakout and claiming his third Fling victory. Serra previously secured a $100,000 win and a $25,000 win in 2021 and has four additional runner-up finishes.
JEGS Performance $50,000 Thursday will start with new entry time trials at 8:15 a.m., followed by eliminations.
RACING ACTION CONTINUES WEDNESDAY AT SPRING FLING PRESENTED BY OPTIMA
The Strange Engineering Spring Fling presented by OPTIMA Batteries resumed at GALOT Motorsports Park with the Rob’s Auto Tuesday Test and Tune and the RAD Torque Systems $20,000 Shootout.
The event featured a 32-car field, comprising 16 door cars and 16 dragsters. In the quarterfinals, Pete D’Agnolo, Jeff Verdi, Cory Gulitti, and Richard Alford Jr. competed on the door car side, while Austin Thompson, Shane Thompson, Jeffrey Dobbins Jr., and Robbie Martell raced in the dragster category.
D’Agnolo eliminated Verdi in a double breakout, and Gulitti advanced past Alford Jr. with a total of .007. Austin Thompson edged Shane Thompson with a .004, while Dobbins II moved on past Martell in another double breakout.
In the semifinals, Gulitti’s run was dead-on five to the .011 of D’Agnolo, and Austin Thompson achieved a .015 total compared to Dobbins’ .017 light. This marks Thompson’s third final round appearance in April, coming off a victory in the dragster shootout and a runner-up finish in the 60K at the Las Vegas Spring Fling Million.
Soon after the final round call, a weather system prompted a postponement of racing action to Wednesday.
The Advanced Product Design $15,000 Wednesday will begin at 8:15 a.m., featuring time runs followed by the final round of the RAD Torque Systems $20,000 Shootout.
FLINGS HEADING TO GALOT FOR SPRING FLING PRESENTED BY OPTIMA BATTERIES
The Fling Team arrives at GALOT Motorsports Park for the Strange Engineering Spring Fling presented by OPTIMA Batteries following a record-breaking car count at the Spring Fling Million. This event, the original “Spring Fling,” was first organized by Peter Biondo and the late Kyle Seipel in 2010 and moved to GALOT in 2017.
Hundreds of racers are expected to participate, making GALOT a favorite venue for many. The week kicks off with Rob’s Auto and Collision Test and Tune on Tuesday, offering racers time to dial in their setups, along with the RAD Torque Systems $20,000 Shootout.
Advanced Product Design $15,000 Wednesday follows, with a thrilling JEGS Performance Thursday where the winner will earn $50,000. Silver State Refrigeration Friday and Wiseco Performance Products Saturday will each feature another $50,000 event.
“In 2010, Kyle and I chose our tagline to be ‘Race It. Experience It,’” said Biondo. “Putting bracket racers on the big stage was our goal, but more importantly, creating an experience that hopefully they will remember for years to come.”
Race fans can watch live coverage on the @RaceTheFlings YouTube channel throughout the week, sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tire and Robco Residential. The broadcast will include multiple cameras and a live drone for a unique perspective.
Beyond the purses, the Fling experience includes over $55,000 in giveaways, a Laris Motorsports Insurance Racer Appreciation Party, and the Glenn Development Fling Fun Zone for children.
