JACKSON, Minn. (September 4, 2016) – Kerry Madsen and Aaron Reutzel both charged to huge paydays on Sunday at Jackson Motorplex during the finale of the 38th annual AGCO Jackson Nationals.
Madsen captured the $25,000 top prize for claiming the National Sprint League main event, which featured the Spirit Lake Silver & Gold NSL 410 Sprint Cars, while Reutzel netted $10,000 for winning the Last-Deck® 360 Sprint Cars A Main that showcased the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour.
Madsen, who was driving the Matt Wood Racing No. 17w that was previously piloted by Bryan Clauson, who tragically passed away less than a month ago, capped the three-day event by leading the final six laps en route to his NSL leading fourth feature victory of the season.
“I wish I had words,” Madsen said in the Winner’s Circle. “I don’t. That car was on another level. It was driving itself somehow.”
Brian Brown powered into the lead on the opening lap of the 25-lap main event and he led the next eight circuits before Ian Madsen took command on Lap 9 with a slide job in turn four. Madsen entered traffic on the ensuing lap and he built nearly a two-second advantage by the time his brother, Kerry, passed Brown for the runner-up position on Lap 16.
Kerry Madsen reeled Ian Madsen in before a daring slide job that nearly resulted in contact between the two in turns three and four gave him the lead on Lap 20.
“Early I figured with the way the track was I didn’t have a shot to win,” Kerry Madsen said. “I just wanted to do my best. The harder I drove the car the faster it went. It was unbelievable. Then you go, ‘Ok, we’re on for the victory.’ I pushed and was aggressive, but sometimes that’s what you gotta do. It’s sprint car racing. If you be too patient with someone someone is going to put the move on you. When you have the momentum you have to go.”
A caution came out a lap later to give the new leader clean track in front of him. Two more cautions in the final five laps provided Ian Madsen an opportunity to reclaim the lead with a pass, but Kerry Madsen had enough in the tank to maintain the top spot.
Ian Madsen finished second, which secured the Jackson Motorplex Spirit Lake Silver & Gold NSL 410 Sprint Cars championship, with Brown rounding out the podium.
Sammy Swindell ended fourth with Craig Dollansky placing fifth.
Lap sponsors for the National Sprint League main event included: DKW Transport, RK Design Group LLC, Maxim Racing, Great Lakes Concrete, Martin County Ready Mix and Signs By Cooper.
Event contingency winners included: Kerry Madsen garnered a full filtration system from Walker Performance Filtration for winning the A Main and $500 courtesy of Arnold Motor Supply for being the hard charger. Kaley Gharst, the 13th-place finisher, was given a front bumper and Jacobs Ladder courtesy of Hysteria Chassis. The pole shuffle drivers split $1,200 courtesy of Impact Signs/NextLED. J.R. Huntley donated $50 to the third-place finisher, which was Brown.
The night began with Wayne Johnson and Tasker Phillips each winning a heat race with Swindell picking up the pole shuffle victory.
Last-Deck ® 360 Sprint Cars
Reutzel’s aggressiveness paid off as he garnered the Last-Deck® 360 Sprint Cars featuring the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour triumph thanks to a late-race caution.
“That race played out really good for us,” he said. “The first start went like it needed to go. The cautions fell when I needed them. It all played out perfectly.”
Reutzel started the 25-lap feature on the outside of the seventh row, but he quickly advanced to sixth place by Lap 3. He spent the next 15 laps battling Danny Lasoski for fifth place before securing that position on Lap 17 just before a caution on the following lap.
Reutzel picked up two positions on the restart before capitalizing on a caution with two laps remaining. While Ian Madsen, who started on the outside of the front row and led the first 23 laps, fought for the bottom of the track with Kerry Madsen in tow, Reutzel rocketed around the high side.
He passed Kerry Madsen in turns one and two before taking the lead in turn four. Reutzel officially led the final two laps for the win.
“On that last restart I watched them go to the bottom and chop each other,” he said. “I figured the only way I was going to win was if they did that again and I went to the top. I committed to the top and didn’t even watch to see if they were coming to the top. I just knew the only way I was going to win is if I could get a clean run through the top and sure enough they left me the top.”
Ian Madsen held off Kerry Madsen for the runner-up position with Josh Baughman finishing fourth and Sam Hafertepe Jr. rounding out the top five.
Gregg Bakker scored a sixth-place result and is the Last-Deck® 360 Sprint Cars champion at Jackson Motorplex.
Main event lap sponsors included: Kaleb Johnson Racing, Minnesota Mafia, Impact Signs, MyRacePass.com, Maxim Racing, Indy Race Parts, Hoseheads.com, SpeedShiftTV.com, Tweeters of Okoboji, Great Lakes Concrete, Martin County Ready Mix, Signs By Cooper, Pizza Ranch of Jackson, Bargain Barn Tire Center, SprintSource.com, Merle Johnson Farm Toys, Livewire Printing, Brian Brown Racing and Broken Arrow Whitetails.
Contingency winners included: Reutzel was awarded a full filtration system from Walker Performance Filtration for winning the A Main. He also netted $250 courtesy of Arnold Motor Supply for being the hard charger. The 13th-place finisher, Lee Grosz, was given a front bumper and Jacobs Ladder courtesy of Hysteria Chassis. J.R. Huntley donated $50 to the third-place finisher, which was Kerry Madsen.
Carson McCarl, Ryan Bickett, Kaley Gharst and Johnny Herrera each won a heat race to start the competition. Harli White and Logan Forler were the B Main winners.
Jackson Motorplex will return to action Sept. 23-24 for the IMCA Stock Car Nationals, which is the final event of the season at the half-mile oval.
The National Sprint League will be off next weekend before resuming racing on Sept. 16 at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa, for the Arnold Motor Supply Shootout and Sept. 17 at U.S. 36 Raceway in Osborn, Mo., for the FVP Missouri High-Banked Nationals. Both races are co-sanctioned with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series.
NATIONAL SPRINT LEAGUE NOTES : Wayne Johnson garnered a $100 certificate from Walker Performance Filtration for winning a heat race. … Tasker Phillips scored a $100 certificate from Kaeding Performance for winning a heat race. … Craig Dollansky was the So Close Award winner and received a certificate from Rod End Supply for being the highest starting NSL driver who missed the feature redraw. … Eric Schulz powered to the Locked in Award to garner a $100 certificate from Hooker Harness for being the final driver to start the A Main. … Kerry Madsen picked up a $50 certificate from KSE Racing Products for being the Hard Charger in the A Main. … Paige Polyak was given the Hard Luck Award, which provided a $100 certificate from Ti22 Performance for facing the worst luck of the night.
Spirit Lake Silver & Gold NSL 410 Sprint Cars Featuring the National Sprint League Race Report: Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., on Sept. 4, 2016 –
Walker Performance Filtration Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 2C-Wayne Johnson (2); 2. 2KS-Craig Dollansky (1); 3. 09-Matt Juhl (3); 4. 55L-Aaron Reutzel (4); 5. 84-Scott Bogucki (6); 6. 7D-Dustin Selvage (5); 7. 4W-Matt Wasmund (8); 8. 17E-Ryan Bickett (7); 9. 4H-Cody Hansen (9).
Kaeding Performance Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 7W-Tasker Phillips (2); 2. 19P-Paige Polyak (6); 3. 7X-Kaley Gharst (4); 4. 55-Brooke Tatnell (5); 5. 16-Travis Whitney (3); 6. 25-Dylan Peterson (7); 7. 14-Jody Rosenboom (8); 8. 4X-Eric Schulz (9); 9. 17-Josh Baughman (1).
Pole Shuffle : 3-Tim Kaeding d. 17w-Kerry Madsen; 3-Tim Kaeding d. 56n-Davey Heskin; 3-Tim Kaeding d. 21k-Thomas Kennedy; 18-Ian Madsen d. 3-Tim Kaeding; 18-Ian Madsen d. 2-Danny Lasoski; 1-Sammy Swindell d. 18-Ian Madsen; 1-Sammy Swindell d. 21-Brian Brown.
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 17W-Kerry Madsen (8); 2. 18-Ian Madsen (3); 3. 21-Brian Brown (2); 4. 1-Sammy Swindell (1); 5. 2KS-Craig Dollansky (9); 6. 3-Tim Kaeding (5); 7. 56N-Davey Heskin (7); 8. 2-Danny Lasoski (4); 9. 2C-Wayne Johnson (10); 10. 55-Brooke Tatnell (17); 11. 09-Matt Juhl (12); 12. 7W-Tasker Phillips (11); 13. 7X-Kaley Gharst (13); 14. 55L-Aaron Reutzel (14); 15. 84-Scott Bogucki (18); 16. 16-Travis Whitney (16); 17. 17E-Ryan Bickett (21); 18. 4H-Cody Hansen (25); 19. 25-Dylan Peterson (22); 20. 21K-Thomas Kennedy (6); 21. 7D-Dustin Selvage (19); 22. 4X-Eric Schulz (26); 23. 14-Jody Rosenboom (24); 24. 4W-Matt Wasmund (23); 25. 19P-Paige Polyak (15); 26. 17-Josh Baughman (DNS). Laps Led: Brian Brown 1-8; Ian Madsen 9-19; Kerry Madsen 20-25.
UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL SPRINT LEAGUE TOP 10 IN POINTS AFTER ROUND 21 –
1. 2-Danny Lasoski 7197; 2. 2ks-Craig Dollansky 6955; 3. 21-Brian Brown 6894; 4. 18-Ian Madsen 6597; 5. 55-Brooke Tatnell 5468; 6. 1s-Sammy Swindell 5355; 7. 29-Kerry Madsen 5199; 8. 7w-Tasker Phillips 4668; 8. 9. 56n-Davey Heskin 4490; 10. 10-Dakota Hendrickson 3876.