ALTAMAHAW, N.C. – What appeared to be a straightforward win for Jimmy McCune turned into a final-lap thrill show during the opener to the Must See Racing Championships Friday night at Ace Speedway.

McCune, who assumed command of the 30-lap tilt on lap 14 after early leader Ryan Litt went to the work area with a flat right-rear tire, appeared to be cruising to victory over Brian Gerster as he took the white flag from chief starter Bill Shipman.

Jimmy McCune won Friday's Must See Racing sprint car bout at Ace Speedway. (David Sink photo)

Then turn three came along, and McCune found himself suddenly pinned behind the slower car of Johnny Petrozelle III with the checkered flag in sight.

At that moment, Gerster pitched a Hail Mary pass attempt down to the apron of the fourth corner, nosing ahead of McCune for an instant before his longtime rival used the momentum off the high side of the race track to surge back past coming to the finish line.

Knifing around another lapped car and nearly shoving Petrozelle across the stripe, McCune edged out Gerster by a car length – or .114 seconds – for his fourth win of the season, extending his point lead.

“I knew he was going to throw it down there; I saw the way that those lap cars were at the end and I was like, ‘Oh God, I don't want to hit the bottom,’ so I just held it there. And then I saw him go and I just hit the hammer. I was gonna push the 81 (Petrozelle) across the line if I needed to.”

The victory was the 33rd of McCune’s Must See Racing Sprint Car Series career in the tour’s maiden visit to the four-tenths-mile, semi-banked North Carolina oval.

And while Friday night’s triumph did put McCune in prime position to sew up his fifth straight championship during Saturday’s season finale race, that was the last thing on his mind in victory lane.

“Everyone knows I don’t think about points, but man, Litt was real strong early,” McCune acknowledged. “It looked like we were just starting to catch him when he got to the heavier traffic; we were just starting to inch back up, because I made a couple of adjustments during that run and the car seemed to like it and started coming back to me. I thought maybe we would have had something for him.

“It would have been nice to race him. It’s just an unfortunate that he had that tire cut down, because it would’ve been a hell of a battle between the three of us.”

Gerster hung on for second in the breathtaking finish, admitting that if the stakes were higher, he might have used a different tactic to reach the line first instead of the squeaky-clean finish that ensued.

“If we were racing for $10,000 in this one, I probably would have fed him a right rear (tire),” said Gerster of his battle with McCune.

Joe Liguori filled out the podium, racing to his strongest result of the season, with Litt climbing back to fourth after a successful tire change in the work area.

Litt was attempting to pass the lapped car of Tim Henthorne going down the frontstretch when the two made contact, cutting down both Henthorne’s left-front tire and Litt’s right rear.

“I could have been a little more patient, but I basically had him (Henthorne) cleared,” noted Litt. “He came down and apologized. It’s just really disappointing. This thing was a rocketship tonight.’

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

RACE RESULTS: Must See Racing Sprint Car Series; Ace Speedway; Oct. 18, 2019

Hamilton Trucking Time Trials: 1. #50m – Brian Gerster, 13.567; 2. #88 – Jimmy McCune, 13.655; 3. #13 – Joe Liguori, 13.709; 4. #07 – Ryan Litt, 13.726; 5. #26 – Jeff Bloom, 13.845; 6. #75c – Jerry Caryer, 14.034; 7. #8 – Anthony McCune, 14.065; 8. #9s – Charlie Schultz, 14.180; 9. #81 – Johnny Petrozelle III, 14.498; 10. #8a – Adam Biltz, 14.634; 11. #72s – Joe Speakman, 14.710; 12. #17 – Bobby Komisarski, 14.750; 13. #85 – Rick Holley, 15.159; 14. #15 – Tim Henthorne, 15.458; 15. #51 – Joshua Sexton, 15.575; 16. #4L – Anthony Linkenhoker, 15.969; 17. #74 – Ivan Shaver, 16.250; 18. #7 – Tom Jewell, 16.342; 19. #32 – Todd McQuillen, 17.115.

Abe’s Auto Parts Heat #1 (8 laps, all transfer): 1. Joe Liguori (4), 2. Bobby Komisarski (1), 3. Johnny Petrozelle III (2), 4. Jerry Caryer (3), 5. Rick Holley (5), 6. Anthony Linkenhoker (6), 7. Todd McQuillen (7).

Abe’s Auto Parts Heat #2 (8 laps, all transfer): 1. Charlie Schultz (2), 2. Jimmy McCune (4), 3. Jeff Bloom (3), 4. Joe Speakman (1), 5. Tim Henthorne (5), 6. Ivan Shaver (6).

Abe’s Auto Parts Heat #3 (8 laps, all transfer): 1. Anthony McCune (2), 2. Brian Gerster (4), 3. Ryan Litt (3), 4. Adam Biltz (1), 5. Joshua Sexton (5), 6. Tom Jewell (6).

Engine Pro A-Feature (30 laps): 1. #88 – Jimmy McCune (5); 2. #50m – Brian Gerster (6); 3. #13 – Joe Liguori (4); 4. #07L – Ryan Litt (3); 5. #9s – Charlie Schultz (7); 6. #75c – Jerry Caryer (1); 7. #26 – Jeff Bloom (2); 8. #81 – Johnny Petrozelle (8); 9. #8a – Adam Biltz (9); 10. #72s – Joe Speakman (10); 11. #85 – Rick Holley (11); 12. #15 – Tim Henthorne (12); 13. #4 – Anthony Linkenhoker (13); 14. #51 – Joshua Sexton (16); 15. #74 – Ivan Shaver (14); 16. #17 – Bobby Komisarski (15); 17. #32 – Todd McQuillen (18); 18. #7 – Tom Jewell (17); 19. #8 – Anthony McCune (DNS).

Lap Leader(s): Ryan Litt 1-13, Jimmy McCune 14-30.

Hard Charger: #88 – Jimmy McCune (+4)

--
Jacob Seelman
Freelance Writer
Series Announcer for Must See Racing