Wayne Johnson took the ASCS portion of the Ultimate Challenge Tuesday (Chuck Stowe Image)
by Bill Wright
Oskaloosa, IA, August 6, 2019 – A pair of native Oklahomans stole the show Tuesday night in the Sage Fruit Ultimate Challenge presented by Searsboro Telephone Company at the Southern Iowa Speedway. Wayne Johnson used a mid-race pass to take the Ultimate ASCS Challenge, while Brady Bacon brought back memories of Jac Haudenschild in Oskaloosa, by coming from the tail to win in a POWRi/WAR non-wing sprint car event that saw the last 24 laps go non-stop. Bacon’s winnings exceeded $9,000 and a year’s supply of apples from Sage Fruit.
The 25-lap ASCS feature got off to a rocky start when Jon Agan and Shawn Murray crashed on the backstretch. Both walked away. Kyle Bellm also lost a head gasket and retired. Once underway, Californian Willie Croft led Tucker Doughty and Matt Covington. Wayne Johnson, who started in row four, was by Covington for third by lap four.
Four circuits later, Johnson slid by Doughty for second and set his sights on the leader. On lap 12, Johnson slid under Croft to lead, but Croft battled back by to lead lap 13 in a good battle. Johnson took the point for good on lap 14, before hitting lapped traffic on the 16th circuit.
ASCS point leader, Sam Hafertepe Jr., was surging as well, moving into the top three on lap 16. The final caution came out for a stopped Trey Starks with nine to go. Meanwhile, a fire ended Covington’s night while running fourth. No one was injured.
Johnson pulled away on the restart, while Hafertepe took second on lap 18. Johnson would hold on for the win, ahead of Hafertepe, Croft, Doughty and Scott Bogucki. Blake Hahn, Dusty Zomer, Mason Daniel, John Carney II and Jack Dover rounded out the top ten. Doughty, Murray, Croft and Hahn won heat races. Daniel claimed the B.
Brady Bacon and Kevin Thomas Jr. finished first and second in the Dash held for the POWRi/WAR non-wing sprinters. That gave them the option of going to the back and claiming a $2,500 bonus for winning, and a $100 per car passed incentive. Both took that option after a strong urging from the large crowd assembled.
Brad Wyatt spun with one lap completed, bringing out the only caution of the 25-lap event. Isaac Chapple had the early lead ahead of Zach Daum and Mitchell Davis. Meanwhile, Thomas Jr. (14th) and Bacon (16th) were serving notice on the first lap that they meant business!
By lap five, Bacon had gotten by Thomas Jr. into eighth, and three laps later, he was into the top five. Bacon was fourth by lap 10, and third by lap 12. The next circuit saw him go by both Daum and Chapple into a lead he would never relinquish!
By the end of the event, Bacon had lapped all but the top eleven finishers. Daum would cross second, ahead of Chapple, Landon Simon and Riley Kreisel. Thomas Jr. earned a $1,800 passing bonus for finishing sixth, and Mitchell Davis, Kory Schudy, Don Droud Jr. and Korey Weyant completed the top ten. Kreisel, Bacon and Thomas Jr. won heats. Josh Most and Doug Sylvester flipped in heat race action, but walked away.
In addition to his $3,000 first place money, Bacon earned a $2,500 bonus for winning from the tail, $2,200 in passing money, a $1,000 bonus from promoter Terry McCarl, and an additional $400 bonus (totaling $9,100). Brady’s family will also be furnished with a year’s supply of apples from Sage Fruit!
Sage Fruit Ultimate ASCS Challenge Presented by Searsboro Telephone Company Results
Sage Fruit Ultimate ASCS Challenge Main Event (started), 25 laps: 1. 2c, Wayne Johnson, Tuttle, OK (7) 2. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX (8) 3. 29, Willie Croft, Roseville, CA (1) 4. 2x, Tucker Doughty, Sunnyvale, TX (2) 5. 28, Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, SA, Aust (12) 6. 52, Blake Hahn, Sapulpa, OK (6) 7. 5, Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls, SD (11) 8. 33m, Mason Daniel, Springville, CA (17) 9. J2, John Carney II, El Paso, TX (10) 10. 53, Jack Dover, Springfield, NE (14) 11. 11, Roger Crockett, Broken Arrow, OK (22) 12. 21K, Thomas Kennedy, Winnipeg, MB, Can. (15) 13. 17w, Harli White, Lindsay, OK (18) 14. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (18) 15. 21P, Robbie Price, Cobble Hill, BC, Can. (23, prov.) 16. 77x, Alex Hill, Six Nations, ONT, Can. (21) 17. 1, Travis Rilat, Heath, TX (20) 18. 14, Jordon Mallett, Greenbrier, AR (24, prov.) 19. 95, Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK (4) 20. 44, Trey Starks, Puyallup, WA (9) 21. 75AU, Kyle Bellm, Nixa, MO (13) 22. 4, Jon Agan, Knoxville, IA (5) 23. 22, Shawn Murray, Jacksonville, FL (10) DQ – 3, Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO (19). Lap Leaders: Croft 1-11, W. Johnson 12, Croft 13, W. Johnson 14-25. KSE Hard-charger: Crockett. Snap-On Mechanic of the Race: Conner Nelson.
Heat one (started, *qualified for feature), 8 laps: 1. Tucker Doughty (2*) 2. Wayne Johnson (3*) 3. John Carney II (4*) 4. Thomas Kennedy (5*) 5. Trey Starks (9*) 6. Alex Hill (8) 7. 24N, Nate Mills, Bondurant, IA (7) 8. 50P, Harold Pohren, Lowell, IA (1) 9. 47x, Dylan Westbrook, Scotland, ONT, Can. (6)
Heat two (started, *qualified for feature), 8 laps: 1. Shawn Murray (1*) 2. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2*) 3. Scott Bogucki (3*) 4. Dusty Zomer (6*) 5. Robbie Price (4) 6. Harli White (9) 7. 5x, Jason Martin, Lincoln, NE (8) 8. 5D, Zach Daum, Pocahontas, IL (7) 9. 76, Brad Comegys, Bondurant, IA (5)
Heat three (started, qualified for feature), 8 laps: 1. Willie Croft (4*) 2. Matt Covington (6*) 3. Kyle Bellm (3*) 4. Tasker Phillips (5*) 5. Travis Rilat (2) 6. Roger Crockett (7) 7. B29, Adam Mason, Knoxville, IA (1) 8. 11B, Ben Woods, Newton, IA (8)
Heat four (started, qualified for feature), 8 laps: 1. Blake Hahn (1*) 2. Jon Agan (2*) 3. Jack Dover (3*) 4. Mason Daniel (5) 5. Jordon Mallett (4) 6. Ayrton Gennetten (8) 7. 3P, Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (6) 8. 14x, Ayrton Olsen, Indianapolis, IN (7)
B Main (started), 12 laps: 1. Mason Daniel (1) 2. Harli White (2) 3. Ayrton Gennetten (4) 4. Travis Rilat (8) 5. Alex Hill (3) 6. Roger Crockett (7) / 7. Ayrton Olsen (14) 8. Robbie Price (5) 9. Jordon Mallett (6) 10. Zach Daum (13) 11. Brad Comegys (17) 12. Jason Martin (9) 13. Nate Mills (10) 14. Adam Mason (15) 15. Harold Pohren (16) 16. Ben Woods (12) 17. Sawyer Phillips (11) DNS – Dylan Westbrook