From MudclodBob/Dick Jordan
Bryan Clauson took the lead on lap 16 of the 40 lap Kokomo USAC “Sprint Car Smackdown” and never looked back as he took the $10,000 prize in the inaugural event of the three day extravaganza after winning the feature Thursday night.
After accumulating enough points through the first two nights of competition Clauson and seven other drivers were locked into the 40 lapper but had to earn starting spots through a series of two lap match races dubbed “King of the Hill. Clauson would start from inside the 3rd row.
Tracy Hines and Thomas Meseraull started on the front row with Meseraull leading the initial eight laps ahead of Hines, Dave Darland, Clauson and Damion Garder. Tracy Hines dove under Meseraull on lap nine with 12th starting Kevin Thomas Jr. on a roll moving up to 6th.
Caution came out for a Blake Fitzpatrick and Jerry Coons tangle in turn three on the 11th circuit. On the re-start Hines had his hands full with Clauson closing fast after disposing of Meseraull. Lap 16 saw Clauson take the top spot and motored off to a big lead while running high.
Clauson continued to lead Hines with Thomas continuing his fine run, now in 3rd. The running order was still Clauson, Hines, Thomas, Damion Gardner, Darland and Meseraull through lap 30.
The yellow flew once again on 31 for a three car melee in turn three involving Coleman Gullick, Meseraull and Chad Boespflug. As the green came out Clauson maintained his margin over Hines, Thomas, Darland and now Kyle Larson from 16th.
As lap 35 concluded, Jon Stanbrough flipped hard into the opening at turn one and was then struck by Robert Ballou who had nowhere to go and he in turn filled violently into the turn one wall with his throttle stuck open in a frightening looking accident. Damion Garner and Boespflug were involved also, with Gardner restarting.
With five laps to go Clauson, Hines, Thomas, Darland and Larson took the green with no lapped cars. Darland, Larson and Thomas had a fine battle in the closing laps as Clauson held off Tracy Hines for the victory.
In victory lane Clauson thanked his crew for a great car and Kokomo Speedway for a great event and he was excited to hear the “Smackdown” would return in 2013.
The four 10 lap qualifying races were won by Coleman Gulick, Jonathan Hendrick, Jon Stanbrough and Kevin Thomas Jr.. Brent Beauchamp won the B main.
AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: August 25, 2012 – Kokomo, Indiana – Kokomo Speedway – “Sprint Car Smackdown”
FIRST QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps) 1. Coleman Gulick (#14 Gulick), 2. Jerry Coons Jr. (#71p Phillips), 3. Justin Grant (#40 Hery), 4. Brent Beauchamp (#11B Beacuhamp), 5. Chase Briscoe (#5B Briscoe), 6. Nick Drake (#55 Cline), 7. Logan Jarrett (#83 McIntyre), 8. Brady Short (#36 Short). NT
SECOND QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps) 1. Jonathan Hendrick (#68 Hendrick), 2. Billy Puterbaugh Jr. (#10E Edison), 3. Blake Fitzpatrick (#10 Fitzpatrick), 4. Scotty Weir (#57 Hazen), 5. Robert Ballou (#81 MPHG), 6. Ted Hines (#12 Hines), 7. Damion Ramsay (#71x Indy Race Parts), 8. Chris Gurley (#12G Team Automotive). 2:14.69
THIRD QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps) 1. Jon Stanbrough (#21x Roberts/Tate), 2. Chase Stockon (#32 Stockon), 3. Chad Boespflug (#22 Batcheldor/Rice), 4. Dakota Jackson (#9p Ronk), 5. Wes McIntyre (#5 Baldwin), 6. Josh Spencer (#66J Spencer), 7. Tyler Courtney (#23c Courtney). 2:14.22
FOURTH QUALIFYING RACE: (10 laps) 1. Kevin Thomas (#9k Black Jack), 2. Kyle Larson (#53 Fox), 3. Levi Jones (#20 Stewart/Curb-Agajanian), 4. Casey Shuman (#17 McGhee), 5. Ryan Bernal (#5x Baldwin), 6. C.J. Leary (#30 Leary), 7. Kurt Gross (#1x Gross). NT
“KING OF THE HILL” 2-CAR SHOOTOUTS: (2 laps each) Round 1: Thomas Meseraull (#69 Dynamics) defeated Bryan Clauson (#7 CTR/BCI/Curb-Agajanian), Damion Gardner (#71 DG) defeated Hunter Schuerenberg (#35 Byram), Dave Darland (#11 Walker) defeated Shane Cottle (#2 Epperson), Tracy Hines (#4 Hines) defeated Chris Windom (#21 Pollock), Round 2: Meseraull defeated Gardner, Tracy Hines defeated Darland, Final Round: Tracy Hines defeated Meseraull.
B MAIN: (15 laps) 1. Beauchamp, 2. Weir, 3. Shuman, 4. Fitzpatrick, 5. Boespflug, 6. Briscoe, 7. Spencer, 8. Bernal, 9. Courtney, 10. Leary, 11. McIntyre, 12. Jones, 13. Ramsay, 14. Jackson, 15. Drake, 16. Gross, 17. Ted Hines, 18. Grant, 19. Ballou, 20. Jarrett. NT
FEATURE: (40 laps) 1. Bryan Clauson, 2. Tracy Hines, 3. Kevin Thomas Jr., 4. Dave Darland, 5. Kyle Larson, 6. Levi Jones, 7. Shane Cottle, 8. Chris Windom, 9. Hunter Schuerenberg, 10. Thomas Meseraull, 11. Jonathan Hendrick, 12. Casey Shuman, 13. Scotty Weir, 14. Damion Gardner, 15. Billy Puterbaugh Jr., 16. Jerry Coons Jr., 17. Chase Briscoe, 18. Jon Stanbrough, 19. Robert Ballou, 20. Chad Boespflug, 21. Coleman Gulick, 22. Brett Beauchamp, 23. Blake Fitzpatrick, 24. Chase Stockon. NT
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**Short flipped during the first qualifying race. Stanbrough and Ballou flipped on lap 35 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 Meseraull, Laps 9-15 Tracy Hines, Laps 16-40 Clauson.
NEW AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT POINTS: 1-Jones-1,615, 2-Stanbrough-1,589, 3-Darland-1,577, 4-Clauson-1,487, 5-Tracy Hines-1,370, 6-Gardner-1,350, 7-Schuerenberg-1,242, 8-Stockon-1,235, 9-Ballou-1,230, 10-Thomas-1,216.
NEXT AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT RACE: August 31 – Pontoon Beach, IL – Tri-City Speedway