Two drivers earned the right to consider the Front Row Challenge Monday night at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa and both turned it down. It played out to be the right choice as those two drivers, Daryn Pittman and Brian Brown, left the field in their wake to finish one-two in Terry McCarl’s annual pre-Nationals party where a race just might break out. The story of the night though had to be the performance of the young phenom out of California Kyle Larson.
The UNOH All Star Circuit of Champions winged sprint cars were the headliners for the night while the USAC non-wing cars also ran a full program as a preliminary event to Tuesday night’s “Ultimate Challenge” and Larson was the only driver to file an entry in both divisions. The 20-lap USAC feature would run first with Larson earning the pole position after a thrilling charge in the final two laps of his heat race where he went from fifth to second tallying the most passing points. His lead was immediate upon the drop of the green and he raced away from the field in the same manner after a pair of restarts. In the final segment Dave Darland was almost able to maintain Larson’s pace, but there was no catching the youngster as he cruised to the checkers that waved just in time for him though as something broke in the rear suspension as he crossed the finish line.
Darland would finish in the second spot, the always entertaining (both in and out of the car) Robert Ballou was third, Brady Bacon finished fourth and Levi Jones completed the top five. Jones had his hands full over the final few laps as “The Modern Day Cowboy” Daron Clayton was throwing everything he could at him for the position after racing his way up to sixth from seventeenth. During a pair of frontstretch interviews Ballou provided his thoughts on USAC and their qualifying procedures among other things and twice noted that the motor in his #81 was “old enough to vote”.
The 25-lap All Star finale was up next and earlier both Daryn Pittman and Brian seemed tempted, but could not be convinced to take the Front Row “Challenge” of starting at the rear to make it a $50,000-to-win event for that daring driver. Pittman won the race into turn one with Brown all over him before the caution waved on lap two when Brad Sweet and Jason Meyers tangled in turn two. On the ensuing restart Caleb Helms spun in turn one and on the next attempt to get the race back underway the third-running Mark Dobmeier smacked the guardrail in turn three.
Once back to green Pittman pulled away and not even lapped traffic could help Brown close the gap as Pittman cruised to the checkers. Brown would finish second while not far behind him at the finish would be Kyle Larson who raced his way to third after starting twelfth. The kid seems to be getting the hang of running with the wing around a big and fast half-mile just in time for Knoxville. Tim Kaeding had another solid performance coming from the fifth row to finish fourth while Ryan Bunton was consistent all night to finish fifth.
It was a tough night for the All Star series regulars as the top two in points, Tim Shaffer and Dale Blaney scratched due to mechanical issues prior to the main event. The large crowd was abuzz after the right front wheel came off of Jeff Swindell’s #7K car entering turn one during his heat race and the wheel launched at a high rate of speed over the high guardrail and sailed into a residential area across the street. No word on where it landed or what it may have hit, or even if it was ever found! I enjoyed the banter between announcers Tony Bokhoven and Justin Zoch as the two were reunited for the evening after having worked for several years together at the Knoxville Raceway.
The USAC Sprint Cars return to action tonight at Oskaloosa for The Ultimate Challenge and they will be joined by a full program for the 305 Winged Sprints.
I will take a night off in hope of thwarting this allergy/cold that I feel coming on before heading back up to Knoxville on Wednesday night for the opening of the 52nd Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals. Wednesday and Thursday’s qualifying nights have always been two of the best nights of racing that you will find anywhere with inverted starts and every single position important for those valuable points. And now, with the change of format for Friday, make it three intense nights of qualifying for the big show on Saturday. If you have never been there before, or if it has been awhile since your last trip to the Nationals, I encourage you to take in at least a night or two this week as it should be spectacular!
No comments:
Post a Comment