6/30/2025
Auto City Speedway
Results June 28th, 2025
Auto City Speedway Results 6/28/2025
What a perfect night it was this past Saturday at Auto City Speedway for the Salute to America Maximum Destruction. Mother Nature blessed the fans with a good splash of sunshine, temps in the 70’s and a slight breeze to top it all off. With the good weather came the fans, lots and lots of fans, in fact just over 3,500 packed the grandstands for a patriotic and exciting night of destruction.
In the early part of the evening, there was an honorary pace lap for a former racer who started the legacy of racing at Auto City, Grandpa Ted Persails. Grandpa Ted Persails who was in his 80’s passed away recently, and the Persails family and race friends all joined in to honor Grandpa Ted with a commemorative lap around the ¼ mile, some displaying flags stating ‘Persails Racing Legacy est. 1971’. Grandpa Ted started racing at Auto City Speedway back in 1971 when the track was dirt and since then, a Persails has raced at Auto City ever since.
A short time after that, it was time for the invocation, pledge of allegiance and national anthem.
To start the night of destruction, it was the infamous ten lap ‘Boat Race’.
There were eight boats lined up for the standing start and when flagman Adam Rhodes dropped the green, the race was on. There was plenty of water flying about and boats getting slung ‘to and fro’ as being tethered to the vehicles. When the water settled, it was Justin Pepitone in the #948 getting the win over Travis Michael (#29) and Gerald Persails Jr (#80).
To dry up the track, the ten lap ‘Draggin Race’ was next on the schedule, where drivers ‘drag’ tires behind their rides. There were twenty-five competitors for this race. Andrew Burton (#05) took the early lead and was followed by Jason Grissom (#224) and Josh Delong (#067) amongst others. When the tire smoke settled and the checkered waved, it was Burton, Anthony (Tony) Williams (#97) and Grissom.
The third race on the schedule was the twenty lap, wild and crazy ‘I-75 Race’. This race has two school busses cruising at a slower pace with competitor racing around them. When the busses put on their emergency lights, the competitors cannot pass them. Also, there is no contact allowed with a bus. When the green flew, it was a fast-paced race, but in the same breath, there was plenty of slowing and going. Jumping out to a quick lead was Josh Delong who was being chased by the likes of, Justin Pepitone, Jason Grissom, Andrew Burton and Maverick Morrow (#57). Right about lap six, Delong got caught and slowed for one of the busses and Burton took the top spot once the emergency lights were off with all others jockeying for position. Unfortunately for Burton, he did make contact with a bus as was DQ’d and sent to the pits. The battle continued now with Morrow and Delong going back and forth. During one of the ‘slow downs’, Maverick braked hard to not pass a bus but was rear-ended hard by Pepitone. Enough that Pepitone had to retire to the pits. Maverick kept going even though he had severe damage to the rear of his 1957 Chevy. When the twenty laps were completed, Maverick crossed the line first. But it was noted that during the race, Maverick passed one of the buses while its emergency lights were on, so the win went to Josh Delong.
The ‘Push Race’ was next and it was eleven teams going for the win in this twelve-lap race. Once the green was dropped, it was three teams battling for the top spot, being Pepitone/Persails, Randy Clayton Jr./Delong and Tony Williams/Burton. As the laps wound down, it was the team of Pepitone/Persails Jr. getting the win over Williams/Burton. Once in victory lane, it was noted that Pipitones Crown Vic had a hole in the oil pan and leaked oil where it sat, taking the #948 out of competition for the night.
Now up was the twelve lap ‘Chain Gang Race’. From the drop of the green it was the team of Clayton Jr./Delong taking the lead and stayed there for the win. Williams/Burton did finish a way back in second after they had a spin in the earlier laps.
There were twenty-six drivers lined up for the fifty lap ‘Enduro Race’. As the drivers got the green flag, it was Gerald Persails Jr. (#80) leading the pack with Rod Nettleton (#33) and Josh Delong following. At lap thirteen, there was a red flag and once back to racing, Delong had gotten the lead with Nettleton in pursuit. As the laps clicked down, Nettleton tried going high, low and even a slingshot move, but just couldn’t get by Delong’s Crown Vic. On lap forty-seven, there was another red flag. Once back to green, scoring showed Delong and Nettleton had lapped the whole field. The win went to Delong, with Nettleton, Randy Clayton Jr (#154), Jason Grissom (#224) and Shane Fogerty (#87) respectively.
The fifteen lap ‘Flagpole Race’ was next and it started out with nineteen drivers on the track ready to battle it out. There were lots of bumps and scrapes with a few getting bumped harder than they expected. Once the field thinned out, it was a battle between Delong and Morrow. Delong had the lead with Morrow doing all he could to get that top spot. As the laps counted down, Morrow made a last pitch effort at one of the flag poles (i.e. monster truck tires), but that is as close as he would get as when the checkered flew, it was Delong with the victory followed by Morrow, Josh Connell (#C7), Brad Weissgerber (#27) and Raymond Bland (#77).
The unique fifteen lap ‘Shark Race’ was ready for action. Two ‘sharks’ being Todd Nelson and Josh Delong, were driving the shark cars where they have to ‘tag’ the competitors known as the ‘fish’. The fish race on the ¼ mile and the sharks can go on any pavement to tag a fish. Once tagged, you are out. It proved to be a race of wits and who could outmaneuver who. When the sharks were done and the laps were completed, it was Randy Clayton Jr. getting away from the sharks and Jay Lindsey (#22) accomplishing the same for second place. All others were eaten by the sharks at some point during the race.
It was now time for the ‘School Bus Figure 8 Race’ and as the wheels on the buses went round and round, there were a few that took the rough road hitting the infield ruts and bumps. At the end of the ten laps, it was Josh Delong getting the win.
The last race of the night was the ten lap ‘Trailer Figure 8 Race’ and with fourteen competitors with trailers, it was a WOW factor. Plus, it was a perfect way to end the destruction before the fireworks display. As the field completed the figure 8, it seemed like trailer items were flying off trailers, trailers were getting turned over, sparks were everywhere and there were plenty of ‘hits’ at the intersection. Debris was everywhere on the track and it looked like Jason Grissom (#224) had the win all locked up on the last lap, but it wasn’t over till it was over as Grissom lost his trailer so he was out, that gave the lead to Gerald Persails Jr. (#80) and as he approached turn one, his car quit right there, that gave the lead to Andrew Burton (#05) who ended up getting the win.
Now it was time for the pre-4th of July celebration and Salute to America fireworks display put on by Night Owl Pyrotechnics. They did an absolutely phenomenal job at wowing the crowd, adults and kids alike and the music selection was a nice touch as the various fireworks happened.
Jacoby Motorsports offered Monster Truck rides after the fireworks to give the crowd a chance to thin out.
Speaking of Monster Trucks, the next show is Saturday, July 12th for a ‘full on’ Monster Truck show at Auto City Speedway as the “MONSTER TRUCK NITRO TOUR” will be hitting the track. There is more information at https://www.monstertrucktour.com/
Also, check out more details on upcoming events at www.autocityspeedway.com or the Auto City Speedway and Outdoor Events Facebook page and “We’ll See You at the City”.
Article Credit: Randy Adam
Submitted By: Sharon Fischer
