Brian Brown Pockets $15,000 To Win Lucas Oil ASCS High Roller Classic

_Top Stories, American Sprint Car Series, ASCS National Tour
Brian Brown. (Bob Buffenbarger Photo)

 

 

By Bryan Hulbert

SEDALIA, Mo. (August 21, 2016) Denied the big prize in 2015, Brian Brown was all business as the Casey’s General Store/FVP No. 21 led start-to-finish in Sunday’s W-K Chevrolet High Roller Classic presented by Casey’s General Stores with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network at Sedalia’s Missouri State Fair Speedway.
Brown’s second career National Tour triumph at the “Historic Half-Mile”, and 17th overall with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour, the $15,000 payday was made all the sweeter as the Missouri native brought along the memory of Bryan Clauson.
(ASCS / Nicole Lee Photo)
“This win is for Bryan Clauson, Matt Wood Racing, and Elk Grove Ford. A lot of you may not know this, but that’s one of Bryan’s engines and Matt Wood let us borrow it so he’s been riding with us the whole night and all his crew guys are here. If we can bring a smile to their face just for a minute, it’s worth it,”
Rolling top-shelf into the race lead through the first two turns after starting third, Brown led Sam Hafertepe, Jr. and Josh Baughman through the opening laps. Challenged briefly by the No. 15h, following a restart on Lap 1, Brown was able to quickly extend his advantage with traffic coming into play on Lap 7.
Allowing Hafertepe to close, the caution would bring the field single file on the eighth circuit. With clean air to his advantage, Brown’s No. 21 powered away from the field.

Meeting traffic again at the race’s half-way point, the gap between first and second was again cut down quickly by Sam Hafertepe, Jr. who now had Wayne Johnson to contend with for the runner-up spot. Taking the fight to the back of the field, Brown worked feverishly to keep Hafertepe and Johnson at bay before the caution again flew on Lap 22 for Brad Loyet.

To the green, the race on the track was for third as Josh Baughman, who had fallen as far back as sixth, was on the rebound. Denied the spot by Wayne Johnson, the final rounds were in sight with Brian Brown setting sail once again, but one last caution flew on Lap 28 for Kyle Bellm who lost an engine while running seventh.
Keeping the field to his back bumper, the race for the silver was three wide as Josh Baughman stormed the bottom groove to jump from fourth to second on the restart, but would not be able to catch the No. 21.
Baughman’s second podium of the weekend, the Texas native now has a dozen top-five finishes in Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour competition in 56 feature starts.
“We had a great car, we’re just not good from the front row but we’re on the podium every night. I can’t say enough about my team. We’re there and I hope the wins come really soon. These guys work really hard,” said Baughman who was able to claim the runner-up spot despite the engine appearing to let down in the closing laps.
Able to follow Baughman by the No. 15h, Wayne Johnson put the City Vending No. 2c on the final podium step for the wily veteran’s fifth podium of the season.
“I’ve got to thank my guys, they’ve been busting their butts. We built this car is a couple of day here a couple weeks ago and we’ve been working on this thing ever since. This car is a Maxim and it’s really changed our year. We struggled and struggled but now, when me make adjustments to this thing, you can tell and it’s showing with the way we’re finishing.”
Commenting on the final restart, Johnson said, “I really figured Sam was going to block us on that last restart, so went to the top, and when I did, that opened the door for Josh to slide us both, but that’s part of it.”
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. would hold on for a fourth place finish with Danny Lasoski bringing the Team Jack Foundation No. 1m home fifth. Matt Covington from 11th crossed the line sixth with Terry McCarl charging from 17th to seventh. With mechanical issues sending the No. 28 to the pits early in the B-Main, a Promoter’s Provisional put the Sedalia driver 25th in the lineup with Cornell not wasting the chance with a run to eighth with Blake Hahn following in ninth.

Having won the B-Feature, Johnny Herrera was subsequently disqualified for going to his pit before reporting to the scales. While the No. 45x was stripped of the B-Main win, Herrera was still eligible to utilize a point’s based provisional and in doing so, was able to run from 23rd to tenth.
The Missouri State Fair Speedway saw 31 drivers in competition. Four Heat Races went to Brian Brown, Chris Morgan, Danny Lasoski, and Kyle Bellm. Terry McCarl was credited with the win in the B-Feature. Provisional starters numbered three with Danny Thoman in with 100% attendance with the Speedway Motors ASCS Warrior Region presented by Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps in 2016. Johnny Herrera used a point’s based provisional, and Jonathan Cornell was granted a Promoter’s Provisional.
The next event for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network will be the AGCO Jackson Nationals at the Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. with the National Sprint League. The Lucas Oil ASCS will complete on Friday, September 2 and Sunday, September 4 of the three day event.
For continued update on the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com.

Race Results:
ASCS National / ASCS Warrior
Missouri State Fair Speedway – Sedalia, Mo
2nd annual High Roller Classic
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Car Count: 31
ButlerBuilt Heat Races (Top 16 in Passing Points advance to the A-Feature)
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown[4]; 2. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[6]; 3. 52-Blake Hahn[3]; 4. 5-Matt Close[1]; 5. 4-Evan Martin[7]; 6. 20G-Jake Greider[8]; 7. 41-Scott Comstock[5]; 8. (DNF) 47-Matt Simpson[2]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 81A-Chris Morgan[1]; 2. 75-Tyler Blank[2]; 3. 23-Seth Bergman[5]; 4. 17-Josh Baughman[7]; 5. 38-Cody Baker[4]; 6. 2L-Logan Forler[6]; 7. 33-Austin Alumbaugh[3]; 8. 24L-Lanny Carpenter[8]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 1M-Danny Lasoski[4]; 2. 5J-Jamie Ball[1]; 3. 34-Corey Nelson[2]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[6]; 5. 45X-Johnny Herrera[3]; 6. 28-Jonathan Cornell[5]; 7. 24-Terry McCarl[7]; 8. 9JR-Derek Hagar[8]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 14K-Kyle Bellm[1]; 2. 2C-Wayne Johnson[7]; 3. 05-Brad Loyet[2]; 4. 86-Tony Bruce Jr[4]; 5. 20K-Kevin Ulmer[3]; 6. 75E-Broc Elliott[6]; 7. (DNF) 27-Danny Thoman[5]
BMRS B-Feature (Top 6 finishers transfer to the tail of the A)
B Feature (12 Laps): 1. 24-Terry McCarl[9]; 2. 38-Cody Baker[3]; 3. 9JR-Derek Hagar[14]; 4. 5-Matt Close[2]; 5. 2L-Logan Forler[6]; 6. 33-Austin Alumbaugh[12]; 7. 24L-Lanny Carpenter[13]; 8. 20G-Jake Greider[1]; 9. 41-Scott Comstock[10]; 10. (DNF) 28-Jonathan Cornell[8]; 11. (DNF) 27-Danny Thoman[11]; 12. (DNF) 47-Matt Simpson[15]; 13. (DNF) 75E-Broc Elliott[7]; 14. (DNF) 20K-Kevin Ulmer[5]; (DQ) 45X-Johnny Herrera[4]
Protect the Harvest A-Feature
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown[3]; 2. 17-Josh Baughman[2]; 3. 2C-Wayne Johnson[5]; 4. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[1]; 5. 1M-Danny Lasoski[7]; 6. 95-Matt Covington[11]; 7. 24-Terry McCarl[17]; 8. 28-Jonathan Cornell[25]; 9. 52-Blake Hahn[12]; 10. 45X-Johnny Herrera[23]; 11. 86-Tony Bruce Jr[16]; 12. 9JR-Derek Hagar[19]; 13. 5J-Jamie Ball[10]; 14. 38-Cody Baker[18]; 15. 4-Evan Martin[15]; 16. 33-Austin Alumbaugh[22]; 17. 14K-Kyle Bellm[4]; 18. 5-Matt Close[20]; 19. (DNF) 05-Brad Loyet[14]; 20. (DNF) 75-Tyler Blank[9]; 21. (DNF) 34-Corey Nelson[13]; 22. (DNF) 27-Danny Thoman[24]; 23. (DNF) 2L-Logan Forler[21]; 24. (DNF) 23-Seth Bergman[6]; 25. (DNF) 81A-Chris Morgan[8]
Lap Leader(s): Brian Brown 1-30
FSR High Point Driver: Wayne Johnson
Hard Charger: Jonathan Cornell +17
Provisional(s): Johnny Herrera (Points Provisional); Danny Thoman (Regional Provisional); Jonathan Cornell (Promoter Provisional)
2016 ASCS National Driver Standings (Top 10): 1. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 3,586; 2. Johnny Herrera 3,375; 3. Blake Hahn 3,178; 4. Wayne Johnson 3,150; 5. Seth Bergman 3,087; 6. Matt Covington 3,072; 7. Logan Forler 3,045; 8. Aaron Reutzel 2,850; 9. Kyle Bellm 2,191; 10. Josh Baughman 2,183;
2016 ASCS National Winner(s): Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 7 (5/13 – Texas Motor Speedway; 6/12 – Rt. 66 Motor Speedway; 6/18 – Lucas Oil Speedway; 6/25 – Skagit Speedway; 7/1 – Grays Harbor Raceway; 7/2 – Grays Harbor Raceway; 8/20 – St. Francois County Raceway); Johnny Herrera 4 (3/17-Heart O’ Texas Speedway; 6/3-Hartford Speedway; 7/22 – Black Hills Speedway; 7/23 – Black Hills Speedway); Blake Hahn 3 (7/8 – Gallatin Speedway; 7/9 – Gallatin Speedway; 7/28 – Park Jefferson Speedway); Brian Brown 2 (5/5 – Lakeside Speedway; 8/21 – Missouri State Fair Speedway); Brad Loyet 2 (6/15 – Lawton Speedway; 6/17 – Mo. State Fair Speedway); Bryan Clauson 2 (6/16 – Creek County Speedway; 7/31 – Badlands Motor Speedway); Aaron Reutzel 1 (5/14 – Texas Motor Speedway); Wayne Johnson 1 (3/19 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway); Brandon Hanks 1 (3/25-Cotton Bowl Speedway); Josh Baughman 1 (3/26 – Bronco Raceway Park); Marc Duperron 1 (6/24 – Skagit Speedway); Jamie Ball 1 (8/4 – Knoxville Raceway); Jamie Veal 1 (8/5 – Knoxville Raceway); Sammy Swindell 1 (8/6 – Knoxville Raceway)
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