Clauson Top
Warren CAT Qualifier in Chili Bowl Opener!
Sammy Swindell
Wins Race of Champions
Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 11, 2011) Only 21 years old, Bryan Clauson of
Noblesville, IN, has already topped nearly every major Midget racing event. About the only trophy missing from his mantel is a
Golden Driller from the Chili Bowl Nationals.
Clauson
put himself in prime contention to claim one of those coveted Golden Drillers by racing to
victory lane in Tuesday nights 25-lap Warren CAT Qualifying main event to kick off
the 25th Anniversary of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals at the QuikTrip
Centers Tulsa Expo Raceway.
Its
awesome, this place has kind of had my number over the six or seven years Ive been
here, Clauson explained. Its
frustrating to go about anywhere else in the country and feel like were the dominant
car and then come here and struggle like weve done in the past.
There
were no struggles on Tuesday night, as after posting heat and qualifying race wins Clauson
swept past New Zealands Michael Pickens for second on the fourth round of the
feature event and led the rest of the way aboard the Corey Tucker Racing/Mike Curb
Esslinger-powered NOS Energy Drink/Curb Records No. 39c Spike to lock into his second
career Chili Bowl championship finale after a fourth-place run in 2008.
This
year we were finally able to stay out of trouble and not make any mistakes, Clauson
stated. Really, what it comes down to,
I did my job this year.
Pickens
held the runner-up slot the rest of the way to secure a spot in the Saturday finale for
the third time in as many Chili Bowl efforts, with Indiana Sprint Car ace Jon Stanbrough
fending off some bids for the third and final lock-in position to what will be his sixth
Saturday finale.
While
Clauson took top honors over the nights 65-car field, it was Sammy Swindell taking
his second Vacuworx International Race of Champions victory in three ties with a
wire-to-wire run over Dave Darland Jason Leffler.
The
first effort from the five-car Loyet Motorsports stable, Pickens earned the pole position
for the feature by accumulating the most points and heat race and qualifying race action
with Broken Arrow, Oklahomas Jonathan Beason alongside on the front row.
After
the initial start was waved off for an Eric Todd miscue, Pickens gunned into the lead with
fourth-starter Clauson quickly moving into second on the opening circuit.
With
Pickens working uncharacteristically low on the ¼-mile clay oval, Clauson swept by in the
middle of turns one and two and raced into the lead down the backstretch for ducking back
down low in three and four on the fourth lap.
With
Pickens and Stanbrough chasing, Clauson worked both top and bottom as traffic came into
play after a dozen circuits. Clauson found
open track soon after though when the caution flew for Kevin Bayers spun mount in
turn three with 14 laps in the books, negating a Brad Kuhn pass of Stanbrough for third.
Clauson
went virtually unchallenged the remaining distance, not letting one last quick yellow for
Chad Boats stalled mount in turn four just four laps shy of the checkered flag deter
his pace.
Clauson
took the checkered flag with a 1.083-second advantage over Pickens, who settled for
runner-up honors in the Loyet Motorsports Esslinger-powered Loyet Landscape
Maintenance/Meramec Heights Collision No. 05p Spike.
Pickens
explained of his first outing in one of the familiar No. 05 Midgets, To begin with,
youre uncomfortable because its unfamiliar, but you just have to get a few
laps under your belt. We got that in hot laps
and I was more comfortable.
Kuhn
and then Beason both pressured for that critical third position, but Stanbrough proved to
be up to the task in Spike-powered F&F Mechanical/DMS No. 51x Spike wrenched by Rusty
Kunz.
I
dont run the Midgets very often at all throughout the year, Stanbrough
explained. So to come here and be with
a guy like Kunz that knows what hes doing obviously gives me a lot of confidence. It showed tonight, were in the show.
Beason
just missed out on locking into his first Chili Bowl finale by finishing fourth in the BA
Lawn & Garden No. 36, with Kuhn rounding out the top five in the Rotondo Weirich No.
17b.
Caleb
Armstrong crossed the stripe sixth, with 15th-starter Tony Roney, Mike Hess,
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Jac Haudenschild completing the top ten. Mike Goodman turned in the features top
passing performance by climbing from 22nd to 12th.
Brady
Bacon, Hess, Beason, Roney, Kuhn, Pickens, Clauson and Stanbrough topped the nights
heat race action, with Beason, Clauson, Armstrong and Andy Shouse winning the qualifying
races.
Chris
Coker and J.T, Imperial topped C Mains, with Boat and Josh Wise winning the
B Mains.
After
winning the first race of the week, Broken Arrows Bacon was leading his qualifier
when engine woes occurred as the white flag flew. Bacon
bounced back to transfer from a B Main and then finished 14th in
the main event.
Californias
Kyle Larson had the nights eighth and final heat race well in hand until he tripped
over the turn one cushion and flipped just as the yellow lights flickered for a Chad
Frewaldt tumble in turn three. Rather than a
solid position in a qualifying race, Larson punched a quick ticket to a Saturday K
Main when forced to scratch for the rest of the night.
Choctaw,
Oklahomas Cody Brewer was the weeks first official flip victim when he got
upside down entering turn one in the second heat race.
Mario Clouser also flipped in the second heat, Nick Chivello tumbled in the first
C Main, Sean Dodenhoff went for a wild ride down the backstretch in the first
qualifier and Dean Franklin tipped over in the second B Main.
In
VIROC III, the Third Annual Vacuworx International Race of Champions, five-time Chili Bowl
champion Sammy Swindell drew the pole position and made the most of it by leading all the
way in the non-stop 20-lapper aboard the Swindell Motorsports Esslinger-powered John
Christner Trucking No. 1 Spike.
Swindell
was joined on the VIROC podium by Wilke-Pak rep Dave Darland and Kasey Kahne Racing shoe
Jason Leffler, with J.J. Yeley and Clauson rounding out the top five. Clauson was the only of the 16 VIROC competitors
to also mix it up in the Tuesday qualifying portion of the event.
Tuesday
Nights Warren CAT Qualifier Results from the 25th Annual Lucas Oil Chili
Bowl Nationals:
Heat Races (8 Laps Top
40 in passing points to A Qualifiers; Balance to twin C Mains)
Heat 1: 1. #67 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK; 2. #43 Brent Beauchamp, Indianapolis,
IN; 3. #37F Tanner Berryhill, Bixby, OK; 4. #7BX Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 5. #9M Cory
Mallo, Cheyenne, WY; 6. #44X Dean Franklin, Tulsa, OK; 7. #2 Mark Bush, Cumming, GA; 8.
#11 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, CA; 9. 38 Randi Pankratz, Atascadero, CA
Heat 2: 1. #4H Mike Hess, Springfield, IL; 2. #17W Josh Wise, Riverside, CA; 3.
#21T Eric Todd, Falcon, MO; 4. #93X Ronnie Gardner, Whittier, CA; 5. #98 Chad Boat,
Phoenix, AZ; 6. #20 Shon Deskins, Waddell, AZ; 7. #06 Mario Clouser, Auburn, IL; 8. #96
Cody Brewer, Choctaw, OK
Heat 3: 1. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 2. #93 Dustin Morgan, Tulsa, OK;
3. #14JR Matt Streeter, Galt, CA; 4. #0S Ryan Smith, Kunkletown, PA; 5. #01 Orval Zane
Burke Jr., Salinas, CA; 6. #33H Cameron Hagin, Broken Arrow, OK; 7. #1TX Paul White,
Temple, TX; 8. #76 Kellen Conover, Sumner, IL
Heat 4: 1. #1T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, MO; 2. #71B Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH;
3. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 4. #91K Kevin Bayer, Bixby, OK; 5. #8B Bud Kaeding,
Campbell, Ca; 6. #10F Nick Foster Jr., San Jose, CA; 7. #12 Chris Gurley, Crown Point, IN;
8. #19N Nick O'Neal, Wagoner, OK
Heat 5: 1. #17B Brad Kuhn, Avon, IN; 2. #77H Mike Goodman, Broken Arrow, OK; 3. #6R
Jody Rosenboom, Rock Rapids, IA; 4. #73S Aaron Pierce, Daleville, IN; 5. #12K Rick
Hendrix, Palmdale, CA; 6. #7C Pat Schudy, Springfield, MO; 7. #18 Floyd Alvis, San Carlos,
CA; 8. #99 Kyle Rayburn, Pueblo, CO
Heat 6: 1. #05P Michael Pickens, Auckland, NZ; 2. #27S Andy Shouse, Oklahoma City,
OK; 3. #7CA Caleb Armstrong, New Castle, IN; 4. #9D Sean Dodenhoff, Bakersfield, CA; 5.
#45 Chris Coker, New Braunfels, TX; 6. #85J Matt Johnson, Edmond, OK; 7. #67X Britton
Bock, Angwin, CA; 8. #27 Nick Chivello, Manteca, CA
Heat 7: 1. #39C Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 2. #3 Rickey Stenhouse Jr., Olive
Branch, MS; 3. #86R Bill Rose, Plainfield, IN; 4. #91T Bob Ream Jr., Glendale, AZ; 5.
#36DD J.T. Imperial, Mesa, AZ; 6. #15B Jackie Burke, Houston, TX; 7. #19JR Chad Shields,
Grain Valley, MO; DNS -- #3A Dustin Arnall, Hartville, MO
Heat 8: 1. #51X Jon Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 2. #33A Steven Arnold, Seymour, IN; 3.
#0TN Bill Stines, Dover, TN; 4. #14AZ Mike Daniels, West Valley, UT; 5. #40 Andy Huston,
Roseville, IL; 6. #4F Chad Frewaldt, Kansas City, KS; 7. #38 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA;
8. #5F Ryan Cole, Porter, OK
C Mains (10 Laps Top 4
in each transfer to back of corresponding B Main)
C Main 1: 1. #45 Chris Coker, New Braunfels, TX; 2. #11 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg,
CA; 3. #10F Nick Foster Jr., San Jose, CA; 4. 37C Pat Schudy, Springfield, MO; 5. #33H
Cameron Hagin, Broken Arrow, OK; 6. #2 Mark Bush, Cumming, GA; 7. #12 Chris Gurley, Crown
Point, IN; 8. #19JR Chad Shields, Grain Valley, MO; 9. #99 Kyle Rayburn, Pueblo, CO; 10.
#27 Nick Chivello, Manteca, CA; 11. #5F Ryan Cole, Porter, OK; DNS -- #38 Kyle Larson, Elk
Grove, CA; #3A Dustin Arnall, Hartville, MO
C Main 2: 1. #36DD J.T. Imperial, Mesa, AZ; 2. #06 Mario Clouser, Auburn, IL; 3.
#67X Britton Bock, Angwin, CA; 4. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, OK; 5. #85J Matt Johnson,
Edmond, OK; 6. #8 Randi Pankratz, Atascadero, CA; 7. #18 Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA; 8.
#76 Kellen Conover, Sumner, IL; 9. #15B Jackie Burke, Houston, TX; 10. #19N Nick O'Neal,
Wagoner, OK; DNS -- #4F Chad Frewaldt, Kansas City, KS; #1TX Paul White, Temple, TX
A Qualifiers (10 Laps
Top 16 in combined passing points to A Main; Balance to twin B Mains)
A Qualifier 1: 1. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 2. #4H Mike Hess,
Springfield, IL; 3. #91K Kevin Bayer, Bixby, OK; 4. #51X Jon Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 5. #98
Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ; 6. #86R Bill Rose, Plainfield, IN; 7. #33A Steve Arnold, Seymour,
IN; 8. #9M Cory Mallo, Cheyenne, WY; 9. #67 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK; 10. #9D Sean
Dodenhoff, Bakersfield, CA
A Qualifier 2: 1. #39C Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 2. #05P Michael Pickens,
Auckland, NZ; 3. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 4. #1T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, MO; 5.
#8B Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA; 6. #12K Rick Hendrix, Palmdale, CA; 7. #37F Tanner
Berryhill, Bixby, OK; 8. #21T Eric Todd, Falcon, MO; 9. #01 Orval Zane Burke Jr., Salinas,
CA; 10. #93 Dustin Morgan, Tulsa, OK
A Qualifier 3: 1. #7CA Caleb Armstrong, New Castle, IN; 2. #71B Jac Haudenschild,
Wooster, OH; 3. #17B Brad Kuhn, Avon, IN; 4. #3 Rickey Stenhouse, Olive Branch, MS; 5. #43
Brent Beauchamp, Indianapolis, IN; 6. #93X Ronnie Gardner, Whittier, CA; 7. #6R Jody
Rosenboom, Rock Rapids, IA; 8. #7BX Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 9. #44X Dean Franklin,
Tulsa, OK; 10. #14AZ Mike Daniels, West Valley, UT
A Qualifier 4: 1. #27S Andy Shouse, Oklahoma City, OK; 2. #0S Ryan Smith,
Kunkletown, PA; 3. #91T Bob Ream Jr., Glendale, AZ; 4. #14JR Matt Streeter, Galt, CA; 5.
#17W Josh Wise, Riverside, CA; 6. #40 Andy Huston, Roseville, IL; 7. #20 Shon Deskins,
Waddell, AZ; 8. #0TN Bill Stine, Dover, TN; 9. #77H Mike Goodman, Broken Arrow, OK; 10.
#73S Aaron Pierce, Daleville, IN
B Mains (15 Laps Top 4
in each transfer to A Main)
B Main 1: 1. #98 Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ; 2. #43 Brent Beauchamp, Indianapolis, IN;
3. #93X Ronnie Gardner, Whittier, CA; 4. #21T Eric Todd, Falcon, MO; 5. #86R Bill Rose,
Plainfield, IN; 6. #45 Chris Coker, New Braunfels, TX; 7. #40 Andy Huston, Roseville, IL;
8. #6R Jody Rosenboom, Rock Rapids, IA; 9. #10F Nick Foster Jr., San Jose, CA; 10. #20
Shon Deskins, Waddell, AZ; 11. #7C Pat Schudy, Springfield, MO; 12. #33A Steve Arnold,
Seymour, IN; 13. #11 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, Ca; 14. #14AZ Mike Daniels, West Valley, UT;
15. #0TN Bill Stines, Dover, TN; DNS -- #01 Orval Zane Burke Jr., Salinas, CA
B Main 2: 1. #17W Josh Wise, Riverside, CA; 2. #67 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK;
3. #77H Mike Goodman, Broken Arrow, OK; 4. #8B Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA; 5. #12K Rick
Hendrix, Palmdale, CA; 6. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, OK; 7. #93 Dustin Morgan, Tulsa, OK;
8. #73S Aaron Pierce, Daleville, IN; 9. #06 Mario Clouser, Auburn, IL; 10. #37F Tanner
Berryhill, Bixby, OK; 11. #36DD J.T. Imperial, Mesa, AZ; 12. #67X Britton Bock, Angwin,
Ca; 13. #9M Cory Mallo, Cheyenne, WY; 14. #44X Dean Franklin, Tulsa, OK; 15. #7BX Joe
Boyles, Greenwood, MO; DNS -- #9D Sean Dodenhoff, Bakersfield, CA
VIROC III Vacuworx
International Chili Bowl Race of Champions (20 Laps)
1. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN; 2. #4X Dave Darland, Lincoln, IN; 3. #91X
Jason Leffler, Long Beach, CA; 4. #1J J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, AZ; 5. Bryan Clauson,
Noblesville, IN; 6. #24 Tracy Hines, Wilkinson, IN; 7. #05 Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, MO;
8. #39M Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 9. #21K Cory Kruseman, Ventura, CA; 10. #71 Cole
Whitt, Alpine, CA; 11. #05G Damian Gardner, Concord, CA; 12. #39 Kevin Swindell,
Germantown, TN; 13. #15M Jay Drake, Val Verde, CA; 14. #35 Johnny Heydenreich,
Indianapolis, IN; 15. #47X Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, CA; 16. #15H Scott Hatton,
Roscoe, IL
A Main (25 laps Top 3
advance to Saturday Night's Main Event)
1. #39C Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 2. #05P Michael Pickens, Auckland, NZ; 3.
#51X Jon Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 4. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 5. #17B Brad
Kuhn, Avon, IN; 6. #7CA Caleb Armstrong, New Castle, IN; 7. #1T Tony Roney, Herculaneum,
MO; 8. #4H Mike Hess, Springfield, IL; 9. #3 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Olive Branch, MS; 10.
#71B Jac Haudenschild, Wooster, OH; 11. #0S Ryan Smith, Kunkletown, PA; 12. #77H Mike
Goodman, Broken Arrow, OK; 13. #43 Brent Beauchamp, Indianapolis, IN; 14. #67 Brady Bacon,
Broken Arrow, OK; 15. #8B Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA; 16. #27S Andy Shouse, Oklahoma City,
OK; 17. #14JR Matt Streeter, Galt, CA; 18. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 19. #91K Kevin
Bayer, Bixby, OK; 20. #91T Bob Ream Jr., Glendale, AZ; 21. #93X Ronnie Gardner, Whittier,
CA; 22. #21T Eric Todd, Falcon, MO; 23. #98 Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ; 24. #17W Josh Wise,
Riverside, CA |