By Lonnie Wheatley
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 28, 2016) – Another week of “Circular Insanity” netted Bryan Clauson yet another win.
And oh so close to another one only to run afoul of trouble in lapped traffic.
The lapped traffic encounter while leading last Friday’s MOWA feature event at Jacksonville Speedway preceded Clauson’s 11th overall win of the year in the POWRi Midget nightcap atop the ¼-mile clay oval.
Clauson raced forward to another top-five Knoxville Raceway feature finish on Saturday night and then picked his way forward to 12th in World of Outlaws action at I-30 Speedway as the season race count climbed to 46 in the pursuit of 200 events on the year.
Weather permitting, the “Circular Insanity Tour” resumes with a pair of World of Outlaws events this weekend at Oklahoma’s Salina Highbanks Speedway on Friday and then Pevely Missouri’s Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway on Saturday along with some POWRi Midget action followed up by some non-wing competition in Sunday’s Kokomo Speedway season opener.
Race 43
A Friday double-dip at Illinois’ Jacksonville Speedway began with MOWA action Matt Wood’s Elk Grove Ford/Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 17w Sprint Car. Clauson won his heat race and was leading the way in the feature event only to get collected in lapped traffic, forcing win number 11 of the year to wait for another hour or so.
“We were able to get into the lead. We got to lapped traffic pretty quick, we got through the first couple of cars and then they were three-wide in front of me. Then we got caught up in a lapped car’s mess and turned it over. It’s not how we wanted to end it, but at least we got to the lead.
Race 44
The quickest way to get over one that got away is to get right back after it. Clauson had that opportunity as he jumped into the Dooling Machine/Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s Restaurant & Hospitality Group No. 63 Midget for the POWRi portion of the Jacksonville double. Clauson took the lead six rounds into the 30-lapper and cruised on to his 30th career POWRi triumph and 11th overall win of 2016.
“We started up front and settled in at second early. I went to the bottom and was just trying to be patient, biding my time. Tyler (Thomas) made one little mistake and opened the door for me and we were able to take advantage. Then it was just a matter of hitting my marks over the last 20 laps or so.”
Race 45
With the 410-ci car damaged in the Friday crash, the 410-ci powerplant was dropped in the 360 car for Saturday’s winged 410-ci action at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway. Clauson worked his way forward to post a fourth-place run in the Elk Grove Ford/Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 17w Sprint Car.
“We weren’t really where we needed to be with the car early, but the guys made some good adjustments. We started seventh and fell back a spot to eighth at the start. We had good speed and improved as the race went on. There was a gaggle of about eight of us battling for position at one point, it was pretty exciting. We were able to work up to fourth, it was another solid night at Knoxville.”
Race 46
Clauson got his first taste of Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway with a wing up top in Tuesday’s World of Outlaws return to the ¼-mile clay oval. Despite early struggles, Clauson worked his way to a solid 12th-place finish by night’s end aboard the Elk Grove Ford/Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 17w Sprint Car.
“I hadn’t been to I-30 without a wing and neither had my guys. We struggled early, we really struggled to find a balance most of the night. We finally got it pretty close in the ‘A’, we survived early and then passed a few late in the race. We salvaged a respectable night.”
Another pair of World of Outlaws nights along with a wingless Kokomo go await “Circular Insanity”.
2016 Circular Insanity Tour Quick Stats: 46 races, 11 wins, 23 top-fives, 34 top-tens.
Up Next:
Friday – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars at Salina (OK) Highbanks Speedway (Elk Grove Ford/Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 17w Sprint Car)
Saturday – World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and POWRi Midgets at Pevely, Missouri’s Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway (Elk Grove Ford/Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 17w Sprint Car and Dooling Machine/Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s No. 63 Midget)
Sunday – Kokomo (IN) Speedway (Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s Restaurant & Hospitality Group No. 63 non-wing Sprint Car)
Keep Track: Keep track of Bryan Clauson’s 2016 Circular Insanity Tour at www.bryanclauson.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bryanclausonracing/?fref=ts and on Twitter at @bryanclausoninc.
If you would like Bryan Clauson “Circular Insanity Tour” press releases e-mailed directly to you, send your e-mail address to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Penning the recurring series of “The Wheatley Chronicles” articles on www.sprintcarmania.com, Lonnie Wheatley provides media, public relations and more for select tracks, drivers and events. For more information, Wheatley may be contacted at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.