Thunder Mountain Speedway opened their 30th season on Saturday with a bang. Mike Maresca climbed the mountain and took the $1,992 payday in the first of three Thunder Throwdown races for the Dirt Track Digest.TV Modifieds. Shayne Spoonhower claimed $500 in the DIRTcar 358 Cash Dash. Alan Fink defended his track championship with an opening night win in the DIRTcar Sportsman. Justin LaDue started off his 2022 championship campaign strong with a win in the B-Walt’s Car Care 600cc Modifieds. Steven Deinhardt took a dominant street stock win. Rich Sharpsteen held off Buck Mills JR. and Jason Rhodes in the Pop’s Automotive Factory Stock Feature. Jonathan Fowlston carried his 2021 Open V. Crate class dominance into 2022 with a win.

Mike Maresca charged from tenth place to take the first of three Thunder Throwdown Modified races. Maresca invaded the Thunder Mountain Speedway and took home the $1,992 prize. Maresca started tenth and charged his way to fourth, battling Alan Barker, Rusty Smith, and Nick Nye for the race lead. Maresca took the lead from Nye off of a late race restart and held on to take victory. Nye finished second, ahead of ‘Fast’ Matt Meade who stormed to third after starting fourteenth. Alan Barker and Rusty Smith completed the top ten.

Shayne Spoonhower bested Rusty Smith and Tom Eiklor to take $500 in the 358 Modified Cash Dash. Spoonhower led all ten laps to take the money.

Alan Fink led all twenty-five laps of the DIRTcar Sportsman feature to take the win. Jordan Millard started on pole but was passed by Fink and Hunter Lapp, shuffling the McGraw Missile back to third. Lapp tried to put pressure on Fink, but Fink bested the field. Lapp finished second, followed by Millard, Will Shields, and Will Eastman.

Justin LaDue held off a variety of challengers to claim victory in the B-Walt’s Car Care 600cc Modified feature. LaDue battled with Chris Jordan on restart after restart, and despite his best efforts, Jordan could not prevail. Jordan was followed by Tom Donahue, Jake Waibel, and Nolan Smith.

Steven Deinhardt took a commanding Wheeler’s Excavating Street Stock victory. Donning his new number, No.160, Deinhardt held off challenges from Jerry Lobdell Jr. to claim victory in the fifteen lap Wheeler’s Excavating Street Stock feature. Lobdell Jr. finished second, followed by Doug Stack Sr, Trevor Dudley, and Mike Wilbur Jr.

Rich Sharpsteen held off Buck Mills Jr. and Jason Rhodes for an exciting Pop’s Automotive Factory Stock win. Mills Jr. and Rhodes battled Sharpsteen all race long, until they both came together with two laps to go. After they were un-stuck from each other, Sharpsteen held them off again to take the first factory stock win of 2022. Mills Jr. and Rhodes were followed by Frank Mills Jr. and Dominik Albanese.

Jonathan Fowlston held off Trey Palmer in the 15 lap Open V. Crate feature. Palmer led in the early going, but Fowlston passed Palmer a handful of laps in and never looked back. Palmer was followed home by Lucas Kastenhuber, Joe Gorsline, and Stephen Winsor

Thunder Mountain is back in action for a full card of racing next Saturday, May 7th.
THUNDER MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY: 30TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OPENER RESULTS

DIRT TRACK DIGEST.TV MODIFIEDS (35L, $1,992)
MIKE MARESCA, NICK NYE, MATT MEADE, ALAN BARKER, RUSTY SMITH, RYAN JORDAN, JIMMY ZACHARIAS, GARRETT RUSHLOW, PAT WARD, BRANDON WALTERS, KENNY HAMMOND, LARRY MEKIC, BRANDON LOUCKS, BAILEY BOYD, JASON ANDREWS, ERIC LEET, BRANDON KUHNS, DARREN SMITH, TJ FROST, SHAYNE SPOONHOWER

358 MODIFIED CASH DASH (10L, $500)
SHAYNE SPOONHOWER, RUSTY SMITH, TOM EIKLOR

DIRTCAR SPORTSMAN (25L)
ALAN FINK, HUNTER LAPP, JORDAN MILLARD, WILL SHIELDS, WILL EASTMAN, DAVE DICKEY, GORDON SMITH, CODY JACKSON, MIKE AUSTIN, MATT RICHARDSON, DARYL KREBS, ERIC WINSOR, DANE HEDLUND, JAMIE KAMROWSKI

B-WALT’S CAR CARE 600CC MODIFIEDS (20L)
JUSTIN LADUE, CHRIS JORDAN, TOM DONAHUE, JAKE WAIBEL, NOLAN SMITH, TRACY OLIVER, AIDEN MILLER, DOUG WINDHAUSEN, CHACE SCUTT, TOMMY PAIGE, TJ SMITH, DAKOTA ANDERSON, DEVON GREEN, TYLER PAIGE, LOGAN LADUE, JACK SHERWOOD, SAMUEL HUBBARD, KENNY HARRIS, ZACK MILLS, TYLER SMITH, JOSH TOWN, NICK HOGNSON, CHRISITAN HAFL, ALI SCUTT

WHEELER’S EXCAVATING STREET STOCKS (20L)
STEVEN DEINHARDT, JERRY LOBDELL JR, DOUG STACK SR., TREVER DUDLEY, MIKE WILBUR JR., LENNY MILLER, DOUG STACK JR., SHANE MOSHIER

POP’S AUTOMOTIVE FACTORY STOCKS (15L)
RICH SHARPSTEEN, BUCK MILLS JR., JASON RHODES, FRANK MILLS JR., DOMINIK ALBANESE, JASON BEEBE

OPEN VS. CRATE SPORTSMAN (15L)
JONATHAN FOWLSTON, TRES PALMER, LUCAS KASTENHUBER, JOE GORSLINE, STEPHEN WINSOR