The FloRacing All Star Circuit of Champions returned to 34 Raceway west of Burlington on Friday night and I have to wonder if it was the performance of a local favorite during the preliminary feature that prompted an impressive run in the headliner.
During this past offseason the racing surface at 34 Raceway was refreshed and a track that has been overly kind to the rim riders over the past decade is now racy from top to bottom allowing drivers to hunt for the fast line that seems to change regularly throughout the night. Even before the change, if there was ever some grip to be found on the bottom it would be the cagey veteran Ryan Jamison that would find it and Jamison would draw the pole for tonight's twenty-lap 305 Sprint feature.
This race would have a tough time getting started though as when the field came down the front stretch on the second lap, contact between Harold Pohren and Andy Huston would send the field scrambling and thankfully nobody would get upside down. Huston would have to go pit side with damage and Nick Guernsey would require a push start after spinning to avoid. One more lap would be scored before debris slowed the field again and on lap five Jaslyn Jones would slide to a stop in turn two.
On the restart four cars would spin in turn two with Noah Samuel, Jeff Wilke, Aaron Ferch and Dustin Clark all involved and once back to green four more laps would be scored before Jones spun again in two. Finally the yellow fever would subside and the final eleven laps would run under green with Jamison leading the way.
Cody Wehrle had charged into second after starting fifth and while Jamison hugged the bottom, Wehrle was riding the top and was close to making the pass once back to green. But as the laps clicked away Jamison's low line proved to be the best as he would pull away for the win. The race for second was a good one over the closing laps as Daniel Bergquist also used a lower line to work his way back into the position that he had given up earlier to Wehrle and Devin Wignall would drop Cody to fourth in the final two laps. Dan Keltner raced his way up from tenth to fifth.
I wanted to run up and grab the wireless to get a victory lane interview with Jamison because I can guarantee you that it would have been a good one as the veteran driver was all but retired coming in to 2021 and he celebrated in victory lane like he never thought that he would be there again. It was also good to have Knoxville Pro Series regulars Wignall, Wilke and Jones join the local 305's for the evening.
The thirty lap feature for the All Stars would follow and after Jamison's dominating run around the bottom I thought that we would see several drivers setup to catfish the 3/8th-mile oval. That was not the case though, at least not in the opening five laps that were interrupted by a red flag on lap two when Cap Henry got upside down and Austin McCarl spun to a stop on the front stretch, and then when Riley Goodno spun in turn two on lap five.
Pole-sitter Bill Balog was the leader when the race was able to stay green with Spencer Bayston applying the pressure, but the driver to watch was Kerry Madsen who was now planting the Tony Stewart Racing #14 on the bottom line exiting turn four and passing cars nearly every lap after starting from tenth.
Balog was able to ward off the challenges from Bayston mid-race, but once Madsen moved to second the leader was a sitting duck as Kerry drove under him to take the lead with ten laps remaining. Tyler Courtney was a quick study and he too started to use the bottom to move into second and when Kyle Reinhardt stopped with a flat tire with five laps to go, Courtney would line up on the rear bumper of the leader for the restart.
Charging to the bottom entering turn one, Courtney would throw the slider only to have Madsen cross him over and retain the lead down the back stretch. Lap twenty-six would go in the books before Tasker Phillips and Rico Abreu tangled in turn four and the crowd was excited to see what Courtney could do with another restart.
Madsen knew just what to do though as he blocked the lower line into turn one and that would seal the deal as "The Madman" would ease away from his young challenger to take the victory. Courtney the non-wing convert who is now running away with the All Stars point lead would finish in second. Balog would fight off the challenges of Gio Scelzi late to hold on for third while Bayston would complete the top five.
The All Stars will close out their Midwest swing with their seventh event in eight nights tonight at the Knoxville Raceway while 34 Raceway returns to Saturday night racing on August 7th with their annual High Five for Kids Night. Sprint Cars return to 34 Raceway on Saturday August 21st with the Sprint Invaders.
As always thanks to Brad, Jessi and the entire 34 Raceway crew for their hospitality! Tonight it is on to Knoxville and on Sunday we will be with the Sprint Invaders at the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly. Hope to see you there!
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