Bryan celebrates his victory at Creek County (Lonnie Wheatley/ASCS Photo)
(Bill W) June 20, 2016 – Bryan Clauson was aboard the Matt Wood Racing #17w for the first time in over a month last week, and the team made it count. The Noblesville, Indiana driver drove to his 21st win of the season (he captured #22 Saturday in USAC Midget action at Riverside International Speedway) during ASCS Speedweek at Creek County Speedway near Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also drove a MWR car at both Lawton Speedway in Oklahoma and at Creek County, running 15th both nights. Currently, the team is into their second night of Ohio Speedweek action, competing at Wayne County Speedway near Orrville tonight.
After the Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas washed out on Tuesday, the team gathered at Lawton Speedway Wednesday. Bryan ran a strong second in his heat, before lining up fifth for the feature. “We were really fast at Lawton,” he says. “We just suffered a flat there running third, and then we had an issue towards the end, so we pulled off. We were fast, so we felt really good going into Creek.”
At Creek County Thursday, Bryan would roar to a heat win after starting sixth. “We were able to get up through there and get the win, which is obviously, a great start to the night, especially the way the format is,” he says. “We were able to use some of the things we learned there earlier in the year.”
The #17w was the high point car heading into the Qualifiers, where they would start sixth. “We were able to move up through there in the Qualifier,” says Bryan. “We got to second, and we were able to use the race to move around and figure out how we could get better for the feature.”
The high point effort meant Bryan would start on the pole of the feature. “(Kyle) Bellm got through turn one first,” he says. “We were able to move to the top and get going. Once we got our speed up, we got out front. From that point, we needed to minimize our mistakes.”
The bullring presented plenty of action. “Lapped traffic was a little hairy towards the middle of the race, but we caught a yellow,” says Bryan. “We caught back up with it the last couple of laps to go, but by then we had built up a good lead.”
The win was the team’s second of the year together. They picked up their first at Knoxville Raceway earlier this season. “We felt like we’ve been close a few times,” says Bryan. “We’ve been away from the winged car for a while, so it was nice to get our legs underneath us again with a win.”
That all changes from here on out, as Bryan tackles Ohio Speedweek at Wayne County tonight, Sharon Speedway Tuesday, and Atomic Speedway near Chillicothe Wednesday. Then the team heads to Pennsylvania Thursday at Susquehanna Speedway Park near Newberrytown, and Pennsylvania Speedweek Friday Williams Grove Speedway near Mechanicsburg, Lincoln Speedway near Abbottstown Saturday, Path Valley Speedway Park Sunday and Grandview Speedway near Bechtelsville next Tuesday.
Matt Wood Racing would like to thank: Elk Grove Ford, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Jonathan Byrd’s Hospitality and Restaurant Group, America’s Best Value Inn, Quick Lane and Impact Signs, Awnings & Wraps!
Photo: Bryan celebrates his victory at Creek County (Lonnie Wheatley/ASCS Photo)
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