Bill W) August 8, 2011 – Sammy Swindell won his third straight Front Row Challenge, but this one was the most lucrative, as the Germantown, Tennessee driver netted $10,000 for the All Star Circuit of Champions win. Swindell led the duration of the 25-lap feature in the Big Game Treestands #1 sprinter to claim the 15th running of the Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge over the 39 cars signed in on Monday night at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Swindell earned the right to start on the pole after winning the "King of the Hill" match race over fast-timer, and new track record holder, Brad Sweet. Sweet drove the Kasey Kahne Racing #9 to a lap of 15.084 seconds on the half-mile in qualifying to earn a Weld wheel. The lap broke Cale Conley's year old record of 15.222 seconds. Both drivers refused the "Front Row Challenge" and started up front in the feature.
Swindell shot out to an early lead in the main event with Sweet in tow. By lap five, Swindell and Sweet led Daryn Pittman, Cody Darrah and Dale Blaney. With nine laps in, Jason Solwold spun on the backstretch, bringing the first caution of the event. On the restart, the leaders remained the same, but 360 Nationals champion, Shane Stewart was on the move, and jumped from seventh to fifth when the green flag dropped.
Three laps later, Solwold brought about another caution to tighten the field once more. After the race resumed, Stewart moved by Darrah for fourth, and on lap 18, took third from Pittman. The lead pair approached heavy traffic at that point.
Swindell slowed behind the lapped cars of Ryan Anderson and Austen Wheatley, while Sweet took the opportunity to close in. Stewart was right there as well completing lap 21, when Anderson's left rear tire blew. At that point, the race was red-flagged for fuel. The final four laps saw Sammy cruise to victory.
Sweet maintained second and Stewart third. Fourth place was a tough place to be the last two laps, as first Darrah slowed, and then Pittman went up in smoke while taking the white flag. Sam Hafertepe Jr. claimed fourth ahead of hard-charger Donny Schatz. Blaney, Jonathan Allard, Mark Dobmeier, Kraig Kinser and Fred Rahmer rounded out the top ten.
Heat winners receiving a $400 gift certificate from All Pro Heads included Dobmeier, Swindell, Lance Dewease and David Gravel. Second place heat finishers took home a HRP front wing. Those drivers were Anderson, Allard, Seth Bergman and Solwold. Gravel also won a Winters rear-end for winning a foot race for first and second place heat finishers. Wayne Johnson tangled with another car in turn three during his heat and didn't return. He was not injured.
Paul McMahan was the B main winner, receiving a Schoenfeld Header. Dustin Daggett was awarded 1000 autograph cards from Driverwebsites.com, and Brady Bacon, Darrah, Allard, Bergman and Gravel received tear-offs compliments of Kear's Speed Shop. As the first non-qualifier, Bacon also picked up $100 from John Lemon.
15th Annual Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge Results
A main (25 laps, started): 1. 1, Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN (1) 2. 9, Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA (2) 3. 57, Shane Stewart, Bixby, OK (10) 4. 15H, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX (6) 5. 15, Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND (13) 6. 2, Dale Blaney, Hartford, OH (5) 7. 0, Jonathan Allard, Chico, CA (8) 8. 13, Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, ND (16) 9. 22K, Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN (14) 10. 51, Fred Rahmer, Salfordville, PA (7) 11. 83x, Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN (11) 12. 29, Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA (12) 13. 89G, David Gravel, Watertown, CT (18) 14. D4, Danny Holtgraver, Pittsburgh, PA (20) 15. 7K, Robby Wolfgang, Sioux Falls, SD (15) 16. 1z, Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, NY (9) 17. 27, Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK (4) 18. 44w, Austen Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA (23) 19. 91, Cody Darrah, Red Lion, PA (3) 20. 71R, Ryan Anderson, Deloit, IA (19) 21. 23, Seth Bergman, Snohomish, WA (21) 22. 53, Jack Dover, Springfield, NE (24) 23. 30c, Lance Dewease, Fayetteville, PA (17) 24. 55x, Jason Solwold, Mt. Vernon, WA (22). Lap Leaders: Swindell 1-25. Hard Charger: Schatz.
Fast time: Brad Sweet, 15.084 (New Track Record)
"King of the Hill" Match Race Winner: Sammy Swindell
Heat one (8 laps, Top Five to A main): 1. Mark Dobmeier (2) 2. Ryan Anderson (1) 3. Shane Stewart (3) 4. Dale Blaney (5) 5. Brad Sweet (6) / 6. Bud Kaeding (4) 7. 99, Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK (7) 8. 17, Tyler Walker, Los Angeles, CA (8) 9. 04, Cap Henry, Bellevue, OH (9) DNS – 6R, Ryan Bunton, Morton, IL
Heat two (8 laps, Top Five to A main): 1. Sammy Swindell (6) 2. Jonathan Allard (4) 3. Danny Holtgraver (1) 4. Daryn Pittman (5) 5. Austen Wheatley (7) / 6. 8, Kaley Gharst, Decatur, IL (8) 7. 12, Glen Saville, Camden, NSW, Aust. (9) 8. 00, Brad Foster, Melbourne, VIC, Aust. (10) 9. 2m, Dustin Daggett, Portland, MI (2) 10. Donny Schatz (3)
Heat three (8 laps, Top Five to A main): 1. Lance Dewease (2) 2. Seth Bergman (1) 3. Kraig Kinser (3) 4. Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5) 5. Jessica Zemken (4) / 6. Paul McMahan (6) 7. 3, Pete Miller III, Port Vue, PA (9) 8. w20, Greg Wilson, Benton Ridge, OH (7) 9. Jack Dover (8) DNS – 83, Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA
Heat four (8 laps, Top Five to A main): 1. David Gravel (2) 2. Jason Solwold (1) 3. Cody Darrah (6) 4. Robby Wolfgang (3) 5. Fred Rahmer (5) / 6. 2x, Dustin Morgan, Tulsa, OK (8) 7. 18, Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, KS (7) 8. 2K, Kevin Ingle, Huron, SD (9) 9. 38, Wayne Johnson, Knoxville, IA (4)
B main (12 laps, Top Four to A main): 1. Paul McMahan (1) 2. Donny Schatz (3) 3. Bud Kaeding (2) 4. Jack Dover (6) / 5. Brady Bacon (5) 6. Dustin Morgan (9) 7. Tony Bruce Jr. (4) 8. Kaley Gharst (7) 9. Glen Saville (11) 10. Kevin Ingle (10) 11. Ryan Bunton (8) 12. Brad Foster (12) DNS – Pete Miller III, Dustin Daggett, Cap Henry, Wayne Johnson, Greg Wilson, Tyler Walker, Tim Shaffer