(Video Highlights from DirtVision.com)
4/12/24
I-55 Raceway
Pevely, MO
WoO
41 cars
Cars were split into two qualifying groups. Gio Scelzi (19th car out to time) set quick time on the 3/10 mile at 10.390 seconds to lead the first group. Bill Balog (1st car out) was second quick, followed by Sheldon Haudenschild (8th), Donny Schatz (4th) and Garet Williamson (21st). Danny Sams III failed to get a time in. Carson Macedo (11th car out) set quick time in the second group at 10.504 seconds. He was followed by David Gravel (3rd), Matt Covington (2nd), Joe B. Miller (1st) and Landon Crawley (9th).
Heat one (started): 1. Scelzi 18 (1) 2. Haudenschild 17 (2) 3. Williamson (3) 4. Brock Zearfoss 3z (4) 5. Kraig Kinser 70 (5) / 6. Danny Sams III 24D (11) 7. Riley Goodno 22 (9) 8. Noah Gass 20G (7) 9. Cody Gardner G6 (8) 10. Ben Brown 7B (10) 11. Scotty Milan 97 (6)
10-lap heats took the top five to the feature and the top two to the Dash. Scelzi led the distance. Milan grabbed fifth right away, but came to a stop with mechanical difficulties with two to go. That handed the last transfer spot to Kinser.
Heat two (started): 1. Schatz 15 (2) 2. Balog 17B (1) 3. Logan Schuchart 1s (3) 4. Brian Bell 23B (4) 5. Christopher Thram 24T (6) / 6. Logan McCandless 29 (5) 7. Ayden Gatewood 37 (9) 8. Gage Pulkrabek G5 (7) 9. Bill Rose 6 (8) DNS – Adyn Schmidt 12s
Schmidt hit the wall when exiting during time trials and didn’t return. The heat itself was mostly single file.
Heat three (started): 1. Macedo 41 (1) 2. Aaron Reutzel 87 (5) 3. Ayrton Gennetten 3 (4) 4. Crawley 7s (3) 5. Austin McCarl 88 (6) / 6. Chase Randall 2KS (7) 7. Jake Neuman 3N (8) 8. JJ Hickle 22x (10) 9. Kyle Bellm 14E (9) 10. Covington 95 (2)
Covington and Macedo battled for the lead early before the latter took it. Covington’s right rear started going flat about three laps in. Reutzel was on the move, taking fourth from Crawley high in turn four on lap three and then passing both Covington and Gennetten on lap four to capture second and a Dash spot. Covington came to a stop with four to go. Randall made a late charge at McCarl for the final transfer, but fell short.
Heat four (started): 1. Gravel 2 (1) 2. Buddy Kofoid 83 (3) 3. Miller 122 (2) 4. Gunner Ramey 21 (4) 5. Scotty Thiel 73 (5) / 6. Skylar Gee 99 (6) 7. Derek Hagar 44 (9) 8. Jace Park 45x (8) 9. Gage Montgomery 79 (7) 10. Steve Short 8s (10)
Gravel led Miller and Kofoid early. Kofoid shot a slider in turn one on lap two to take second from Miller. Thiel took the final transfer from Park on the same lap.
C main (started): 1. Gardner (1) 2. Bellm (2) / 3. Rose (3) 4. Montgomery (4) DNS – Brown, Schmidt, Short, Milan
The 8-lapper took the top two to the back of the B.
Dash (started): 1. Scelzi (2) 2. Gravel (1) 3. Kofoid (4) 4. Balog (3) 5. Macedo (5) 6. Haudenschild (6) 7. Schatz (7) 8. Reutzel (8)
The 8-lapper set the first four rows for the feature. Scelzi and Gravel battled most of the way for the win.
B main (started): 1. McCandless (1) 2. Sams (2) 3. Gee (5) 4. Gass (8) / 5. Hagar (9) 6. Goodno (4) 7. Hickle (11) 8. Neuman (7) 9. Gatewood (6) 10. Park (12) 11. Bellm (14) 12. Randall (3) 13. Pulkrabek (10) 14. Gardner (13) DNS – Covington
The 12-lapper sent the top four to the feature. Sams jumped the original start and was sent back a row. McCandless led Randall, Sams and Goodno early. Gee took the final transfer spot from Goodno on lap two. Gardner came to a stop on lap four. On the restart, Pulkrabek had a run on Gee for fourth, but the two came together and Pulkrabek spun. Randall gave up second when he had mechanical issues and exited. Pulkrabek contacted Park on the next try at green and then exited without brakes. McCandless led Sams, Gee and Goodno back to green. Gass used the restart to surge into the final transfer.
A main (started): 1. Gravel (2) 2. Kofoid (3) 3. Macedo (5) 4. Balog (4) 5. Scelzi (1) 6. Haudenschild (6) 7. Schuchart (11) 8. Schatz (7) 9. Zearfoss (13) 10. Miller (12) 11. Kinser (17) 12. Gass (24) 13. McCarl (18) 14. Sams (22) 15. Crawley (14) 16. Bell (15) 17. Gennetten (10) 18. Williamson (9) 19. McCandless (21) 20. Gee (23) 21. Ramey (16) 22. Thram (19) 23. Thiel (20) 24. Reutzel (8)
The 40-lapper saw Gravel leading Scelzi, Kofoid and Balog early. The leaders were lapping car by lap six. At that point, Kofoid used the low side of four to pass Scelzi for second. Macedo slaos gained fourth from Balog. Thram spun eight laps in, bringing the first caution. Gravel chose the outside lane on the double-file restart, ahead of Kofoid, Scelzi, Macedo, Balog and Haudenschild. Reutzel surrendered a top ten spot when he stopped on lap elven. Macedo used that restart to get by Scezli for third. On lap 16, Balog followed him into fourth. Balog was on a roll, and used the low side to get by Macedo on lap 17. The leaders were back in lapped traffic at that point. Contact between Ramey and Thram, saw Ramey’s front wheel flying into turn four. Both were done. Gravel again chose the outside lane, ahead of Kofoid, Balog, Macedo and Scelzi. Scelzi got back by Macedo for fourth, and then took third from Balog at the halfway point. Balog returned the favor however in a nice battle. Macedo would enter the fray again and tkake fourth from Scelzi on lap 23, and third from Balog on lap 24. A final caution came for a spun Williamson with seven to go. Gravel held the lead the rest of the way. Macedo gained second from Kofoid on the restart, but Buddy came back and passed him with three to go. Gass was the hard-charger.