From Tim Tuttle
Lincoln, IL — (August 17, 2012) — Bryan Clauson edged Casey Shuman by less than a foot to win the feature in the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series and Trent Beckinger passed Joe B. Miller on the final lap to take the feature in the POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series at quarter-mile Lincoln Speedway on Friday. The Midgets were co-sanctioned by Badger.
Clauson overtook Shuman in the final few feet to reach the finish .119 of a second in front.
“It wasn’t much, inches,” Clauson said. “He had me right to the line and my momentum carried me past.”
The 23-year-old from Noblesville, Ind., started 12th and, finding his Spike-Essingler going nowhere running the inside, went outside one-third of the way through the 30-lap race.
“It was just too tight on the bottom,” Clauson said. “I pulled out after 10 laps and committed to the top. We had the high line to ourselves.”
Clauson passed Zach Daum of Pocahontas, Ill., for the lead on the 23rd lap and held it through three restarts in the final six laps.
Shuman of Rattlesnake Bend., Ariz., lined up second, followed by Jerry Coons Jr. of Tucson, Ariz., and Rico Abreu of Rutherford, Calif., for the final restart with three laps to go.
Shuman on the inside, Coons in the middle and Clauson on the outside ran three-wide for much of the remaining laps and Abreu surged toward the front in the last two turns. They were separated by a car length exiting turn four headed for the checkered flag.
“I was convinced I had won, but the transponder (electronic scoring) said no,” Shuman said. “You can kind of look and see and I saw a nose (behind). I was set up to run the top, but the track got better and better on the bottom.”
Abreu passed Coons to take third. Andrew Felker of Carl Junction, Mo., finished fifth.
Daum started third, but blasted past pole sitter Shuman on the inside to take the lead at the start and held it for 22 laps. Daum pulled away in the early stints, but red flags and restarts on the 15th, 18th, 20th and 24th laps allowed the field to close up behind him.
It was Clauson’s 15th career POWRi Midget victory, third on the all-time list.
Beckinger passed Miller in traffic in turn one on the 20th and final lap for his second Outlaw Micro win of the season and seventh of his career.
“Joe B. had the race wrapped up and the lapped cars played right into our hand,” Beckinger said. “He got stuck behind some lapped cars going into turn one and moved out of the groove by a foot or two and went up the track.”
The 21-year-old from Evansville, Ind., was the POWRi Outlaw Micro champion in 2011, but has run a limited schedule due to work commitments this season. He’s finished in the top three in all five of his starts.
“It’s a good record,” Beckinger said.
Miller led the opening 19 laps. It was his sixth second place in 12 events this season and he’s frustrated by being so close so many times and not having a win. Miller is the season point leader.
“All I really care about at this point is winning a race,” the driver from Millersville, Mo., said.
Thirteen-year-old Justin Peck of Monrovia, Ind., finished third
POWRi’s Midgets and Micros race Saturday at Macon (Ill.) Speedway. For the Midgets, it’s the ninth annual Dana Godfrey Memorial, co-sanctioned with Badger.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget feature results (30 laps): 1. Bryan Clauson, 2. Casey Shuman, 3. Rico Abreu, 4. Jerry Coons Jr., 5. Andrew Felker, 6. Bubba Altig, 7. Daniel Robinson, 8. Colten Cottle, 9. Jake Blackhurst, 10. Andy Malpocker, 11. Dillon Welch, 12. Brad Kuhn, 13. Brett Anderson, 14. Tim Siner, 15. Zach Daum, 16. Garrett Aitken, 17. Austin Brown, 18. Ryan Criswell, 19. Shane Hollingsworth, 20. Tyler Thomas, 21. David Budres, 22. Tyler Robbins.
POWRi Speedway Motors 600cc Outlaw Micro Series feature results (20 laps): 1. Trent Beckinger, 2. Joe B. Miller, 3. Justin Peck, 4. Jeremy Camp, 5. Cale Thomas, 6. Jason Harms, 7. Derek LeMaster, 8. Jacob Patton, 9. Zach Hampton, 10. Andy Baugh, 11. Aaron Andruskevitch, 12. Derek Schuett, 13. Jimmy Wells, 14. Jake Neuman, 15. Spencer Montgomery, 16. Chad Elliott, 17. John Plotner, 18. Shelby Bosie, 19. Todd Kirkman, 20. Evan Weyant, 21. Nic Harris, 22. Chuck Walker.
For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.