Southern Illinois Center
Southern Illinois Center
DuQuoin, IL
Shamrock Classic
USAC National Midgets
45 cars
The event, promoted by Lauren Stewart, continues to gain momentum. Many efforts were made to involve youth and keep the crowd engaged during necessary down times for track prep. The building was as ventilated as possible with doors on both ends open throughout the night. For those pitting outside, it was decent weather for early March, but we could have done without the cool breeze.
Heat one (started): 1. Terry Babb 37 (1) 2. Tony Roney 1T (3) 3. CJ Leary 11A (2) 4. Justin Grant 17BC (4) 5. Jake Neuman 3N (7) 6. Thomas Meseraull 63 (5) 7. Glen Saville 37T (6) 8. Howard Moore 41 (8)
Heats were ten laps and used passing points to set up four Qualifiers that would follow. Bab led throughout. Meseraull was putting on a show, riding into fourth by lap two. He was collected when a third running Grant got a bit sideways (and kept going). Meseraull restarted at the tail, but it was too much to make up any ground. Leary shot by Grant on the last lap to grab third.
Heat two (started): 1. Kyle O’Gara 67F (1) 2. Zeb Wise 39BC (3) 3. Tyler Nelson 91 (8) 4. Zane Hendricks 27z (2) 5. Mark Chisholm 56x (5) 6. Kyle May 39 (7) 7. Joe B. Miller 51B (4) 8. Andy Bradley 49 (6)
Four car pileups on the first two tries at green slowed things down. O’Gara led the distance after that. Miller ran second with Wise third. Their battle was entertaining. Wise inched by on the white flag lap, and Miller would spin in turn one, ending his shot at a good run. Nelson was in the first tangle, but rebounded for third.
Heat three (started): 1. Brent Beauchamp 11 (1) 2. Gage Walker 7 (5) 3. Harli White 67K (7) 4. Dave Darland 68 (8) 5. Brayton Lynch 1K (2) 6. Josh Hawkins 80 (6) 7. Sam Johnson 72 (3) 8. Colten Cottle 37x (4)
Lynch got over the large infield berm early bringing caution. Beauchamp ran steadily up front for the distance. Walker jumped into second right away. Darland was collected by the Lynch spin, but would climb back to fourth. White ran a steady race in the Kunz midget and grabbed third on the restart for Lynch’s caution. Hawkins would tip over on lap three, and S. Johnson and Hawkins contacted on lap four, but the top four remained the same.
Heat four (started): 1. Ryan Robinson 71 (2) 2. Chad Boat 84 (7) 3. Tucker Klaasmeyer 27 (3) 4. Kevin Thomas Jr. 15 (4) 5. Daniel Robinson 57D (5) 6. Daniel Adler 50 (1) 7. Robert Bell 71.5 (6)
Adler led Klaasmeyer and Carrick early. Bell spun and exited on lap two. Carrick shot around his teammate Klaasmeyer on lap four for second. At that point, Boat emerged into the top four. Carrick would continue his charge, getting around Adler for the lead with three to go. Adler would got pitside, while Boat nipped by Klaasmeyer for second, becoming high-point driver in the heats.
Heat five (started): 1. Logan Seavey 67 (2) 2. Jerry Coons Jr. 25 (4) 3. Tyler Courtney 7BC (6) 4. Chris Andrews 95 (3) 5. Kory Schudy 28 (5) 6. Tony Lawrence 45 (1) DNS – Ryan Greth 4
Seavey led the distance. Coons move by Lawrence into second on lap two, and Courtney followed him into third. Lawrence and Andrews would tangle twice, but nothing changed up front.
Heat six (started): 1. Tyler Thomas 91T (2) 2. Tanner Carrick 71K (4) 3. Wesley Smith 44 (3) 4. Matt Moore 9 (5) 5. Ryan Hall 2 (6) 6. Spencer Bayston 97 (1) 7. Brady Bacon 76M (7)
T. Thomas led early over Bayston and Smith. Smith would use the low side to pass Bayston on lap two, and M. Moore would follow into third on lap three. Bacon was gaining on Bayston as well, when the two tangled and took themselves out of contention at the halfway point. Carrick would make the move of the race on the final lap, shooting from fourth to second.