By Ken de la Bastide

(August 5, 2013) - After a disappointing outing a week ago Tom Gossar bounced back to sweep the WMDH ThunderCar action on Murat Shrine night at the races.

Gossar for the second consecutive week set fast time and then led all 25 laps to capture his first WMDH Thunder Car feature win of the year.

Gossar was pressed the entire 25-lap distance by Rob Allman. Gossar had to survive one restart after Nick Lewis lost the left front wheel in turn two just past the mid-point.

On the AERCO Heating and Air Conditioning restart Allman attempted to make an outside move for the lead, but was unable to complete the pass. Trent Gossar used the outside line to pass Curtis Chapman on down the back straight to finish third. Robbie Wyman came home in fifth.

Gossar said he was concerned that on the restart Allman would be able to make the outside pass for the lead.

“I just got lucky,” he said of the victory. “It helped that I didn’t have someone beating and banging on me like someone else has done all year long,” Gossar said of Allman’s racing him clean.

Gossar said he was concerned on the restart that Allman’s tires would
hook-up on the track surface and propel him into the lead.

A week ago Gossar set the fast time but failed to start the feature event
with a cracked torque converter.

In the heat race, Tom Gossar used the high line entering turn four on lap
four to pass early leader Curtis Chapman and went on to record the
victory.

The caution flag waved once during the heat race the first time when Lewis spun on lap three on the back straight.

Although the caution flag didn’t wave, Jeff Hopkins night ended on lap
nine when he got loose exiting the fourth corner and made heavy contact
with a concrete barrier protecting track workers on the infield.

Finishing behind Gossar were Chapman, Allman, Trent Gossar and Robbie Wyman.