From Bryan Gapinski
Kansas City, Mo. — Brad Loyet completed a clean sweep winning Saturday Night’s 40-lap Lucas Oil Bull Ring Midget Nationals presented by Lucas Cattle Company at the Kemper Arena. Loyet celebrated his 22nd birthday in style collecting $10,000 for the first place prize, pushing his two-day total to a $17,000 payoff.
Loyet took the lead on the start over his teammate Danny Lasoski, and began lapping slower cars on Lap 5. One lap later Don Droud Jr. flipped escaping injury. On the restart Lasoski pressured Loyet for the lead, with the pair separated by less than a foot at the start-finish line for three straight laps, with Lasoski being credited as the leader on lap 12, before Loyet moved past Lasoski in Turn 1.
Loyet and Lasoski held a six car break-away from the field. Eight cautions and two minor flips slowed the event between laps 19-30. Each time on the restart Loyet held a slight advantage over Lasoski.
The final five laps the pair pulled away from the field, with Loyet edging Lasoski by one-car length at the finish. The pair drove identical Loyet Motorsports owned Spike/Ford-Esslinger’s. Brad Kuhn placed third followed closely by Shane Cockrum. Droud recovered from the lap 6 flip to finish in the fifth position.
“My mechanic Flea Ruzic had both cars spot-on tonight, its great to get a one-two finish, I needed to get the jump on the start from Danny it worked perfect ” commented Loyet.
Jacob Wilson captured the 20-lap Midwest Outlaw Lightning Sprint feature, while Greg Rossell won the 20-lap Dwarf Car/Mod Lite feature.
MIDGET SUMMARY
40-lap Feature: 1. Brad Loyet; 2. Danny Lasoski; 3. Brad Kuhn; 4. Shane Cockrum; 5. Don Droud Jr.; 6. Jerry Coons Jr.; 7. Kyle Hamilton; 8. Zach Daum; 9. Shane Hmiel; 10. Bryan Clauson; 11. Dave Darland; 12. Levi Jones; 13. Jason Grady; 14. Ron Kuhn; 15. Jimmy Light; 16. Mark Dotson; 17. Cale Conley; 18. Austin Brown; 19. Joe Butera; 20. Andrew Felker.
15-lap Semi Feature Winners: Dotson, R. Kuhn, Hmiel.
10-lap Heat Race Winners: Loyet, Grady, Hamilton, Jones, Darland, Coons, Lasoski.
Cars Present: 48 Top Point Earner: Lasoski. Feature Lap Leaders: Loyet 1-11, Lasoski 12, Loyet 13-40.
***Will Pierce flipped in second semi. Droud flipped on lap 6, Brown flipped on lap 19, Dotson flipped on lap 26 of feature. All drivers uninjured.
MIDWEST OUTLAW LIGHTNING SPRINTS
20-lap Feature: 1. Jacob Wilson; 2. Clint Wilson; 3. bobby Layne; 4. Steve Becker; 5. Richard Layne.
DWARF CARS/MODLITES
20-lap Feature: 1. Greg Rossell; 2. Brandon Gray; 3. Randy Bryan; 4. Steve Bower Jr.; 5. Dusty Masolini.