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Winger tops Clarksville foes for $10,000 payday

Continuing his recent surge in his freshman year on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, Ashton Winger banked another $10,000 victory on Saturday night. His latest winning accomplishment came at Tennessee’s Clarksville Speedway in his E-Z-GO No. 12 Dekalb / Johnny Doan Plumbing/ Keyser Manufacturing/ Clements Racing Engine Super Late Model. (Josh James Artwork)

The victory marked his fourth DIRTcar Summer Nationals win of the year and his fifth triumph overall.

"Things have really picked up for our team in the past few weeks. My dad and Will went to work and our car got better. I really felt like we were going to win some races earlier in the year, whether it was going to be on the Hell Tour or not, and they got away from me. Then I had some motor trouble — and I've been doing some dumb stuff," Winger said. "On this Hell Tour, I started on the front row a couple of times, and honestly, I just didn't do a good job, you know what I'm saying? And then it got to the point where we all started clicking and jelling and me and my dad sat down and we had a serious conversation about what it takes to win these races, even if they are 40 laps.

“I’m truly grateful to be out here getting to do this, and I thank everyone who supports us from the very bottom of my heart. "It's hard to win a 20-lap race, so if you are to tell me I'd have won four races, especially after Fayette County when I started next to (Brandon Sheppard) and run like seventh, man, I'd have told you that you were a liar. Luckily we have eight or nine more of (Summer Nationals races) to go, so hopefully we can shoot for 12 or 13 (victories)."

The fifth week on tour with DIRTcar Summer Nationals brought Ashton Winger to Springfield Raceway (Springfield, Mo.) on Thursday afternoon to do battle for the $5,000 prize. With a second-place finish in his heat race placing him fifth on the starting grid for the feature, Winger advanced forward three spots in the 40-lapper to register a runner-up finish. He followed Bobby Pierce across the line with Scott Crigler, Joe Godsey, and Tim Lance rounding out the Top-5.

On Friday evening at Tri-City Speedway (Granite City, Ill.) for the Russ Wallace Memorial, Ashton secured his spot into the $10,000-to-win A-Main with a second-place finish in his heat. Scoring a podium finish in the 40-lap affair, Winger passed three cars to finish third. Bobby Pierce and Ryan Unzicker took the checkers ahead while Tanner English and Shannon Babb completed the Top-5 finishers.

In a field of 26 cars on Saturday at Clarksville Speedway (Clarksville, Tenn.), Winger came in second fastest overall before placing first in his heat race. With the redraw positioning him on the pole, Ashton avoided a lap-12 tangle to lead all 40 laps over Bobby Pierce, Dennis Erb Jr., Tanner English, and Joe Godsey. He pocketed $10,000 for his fifth win of 2021.

Sunday night took the team to Richmond (Ky.) Raceway, where Ashton advanced from the fourth-starting spot to finish second in the finale behind Bobby Pierce with Tanner English, Joe Godsey, and Derek Fisher completing the Top 5.

Ashton remains in third in the latest Summer Nationals point standings.

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