From Bryan Hulbert
ELMA, Wash. (June 28, 2019) – Leading start to finish to open up the Fred Brownfield Classic at Grays Harbor Raceway, 16-year old Devon Borden added his name to the list of winners with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network to become the 148th different winner with the National Tour.
With the win, Borden edges Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. by 40-days to become the youngest winner in the history of the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network.
“This thing was on rails here tonight. My crew, my Dad, just everyone with this thing had it perfect,” stated a nearly breathless Devon Borden.
Stalked into traffic by John Carney II on two occasions, Borden was able to keep pace. Asked if he could hear the No. J2 closing in, Devon replied, “I couldn’t hear him. It got a little hairy there in traffic and I made some small mistakes, but all that matters is we’re standing on the front stretch.”
The fifth time a driver for the state of Washington has topped the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, Borden’s win came from the right of the front row. Winning the drag race off the fourth turn over Bailey Sucich on two occasions, as the first start fell victim to caution when Austen Wheatley spun in the second turn, Borden opened his advantage quickly as the race for second went to John Carney II.
Finding traffic on Lap 6, Borden was quick around the slower machines. Having to move off his preferred high line a couple of times, the moves allowed Carney to close in before the caution lights came on with nine laps complete for Jay Cole.
Restarting with a slower car between himself and Carney, clean air was to the advantage of the No. 8 as Devon ran to a nearly two-second advantage before finding traffic again on Lap 16.
Racing back and forth with Sam Hafertepe, Jr. as the pair also found the back of the field, John Carney II traded the runner-up position through a series of slide jobs with Carney holding the position at the flag-stand with each exchange. Closing on Borden, the distance between the top two positions had shrunk to only a few tenths of a second as slower traffic raced wheel to wheel directly ahead of the leaders. Making a couple of small mistakes trying to navigate the backmarkers, both Carney and Hafertepe were locked in, only to have the caution fly working Lap 22 as Roger Crockett lost power down the back straightaway.
Back in clean air, Borden gapped the race for second, opening his lead by 1.298 seconds at the drop of the checkered flag. Trading second numerous times over the final four laps, John Carney II kept pace for his eighth career runner-up finish against the National Tour with Sam Hafertepe, Jr. third for the 16th time, and in doing so closed the battle for the point’s lead to 12 markers. Rattling off this third top five of the season, Arkansas’ Jordon Mallett crossed fourth with Seth Bergman making up eighth positions to finish fifth.
Scott Bogucki crossed sixth with Colton Heath emerging from the BMRS B-Feature to advance 10 positions to seventh. Bailey Sucich slipped from the pole to eighth with Austin Wheatley making a tremendous comeback from bringing out the opening lap caution to finish ninth. Blake Hahn, who was running as high as seventh, slipped through the cushion in the closing laps and ended up tenth.
A field of 34 drivers was on hand to open the Fred Brownfield Classic with four SCE Gaskets Heat Races going to Bailey Sucich, Devon Borden, Jordon Mallett, and John Carney II. The BMRS B-Feature was won by Colton Heath. Two provisionals were taken by Harli White and Alex Hill.
The Fred Brownfield Classic continues Saturday, June 29 with gates opening at 5:00 P.M. and races at 7:00 P.M. (PDT). More information on the event, including ticket prices and directions, can be found at http://www.graysharborraceway.com.
For other news, notes, and information on the American Sprint Car Series, from the National Tour to any of the nine Regional Tours that make up ASCS Nation in 2019, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com, follow on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter (@LucasOilASCS).
Fred Brownfield Classic – Night 1
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV
Summer Thunder Sprint Series
Grays Harbor Raceway
Elma, WA
Friday, June 28, 2019
SCE Gaskets Heat Races (Top 16 in Passing Points advance to the A-Feature)
Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 14B-Bailey Sucich, [2]
2. 44W-Austen Wheatley, [3]
3. 6-Breyton Davison, [1]
4. 9-Shawn Rice, [4]
5. 21P-Robbie Price, [6]
6. 11-Roger Crockett, [8]
7. 97R-Jason Reed, [5]
8. 24-Tyler Anderson, [7]
9. 91-Chase Goetz, [9]
Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 8-Devon Borden, [2]
2. 17-Cam Smith, [1]
3. 52-Blake Hahn, [3]
4. 18-Jason Solwold, [4]
5. 33-Colton Heath, [6]
6. 6A-Kyle Miller, [8]
7. 77X-Alex Hill, [9]
8. 2X-Tucker Doughty, [7]
9. 71-John Stuart, [5]
Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 14-Jordon Mallett, [2]
2. 0J-Jay Cole, [3]
3. 28-Scott Bogucki, [5]
4. 151-Duke Johnson, [1]
5. 18T-Tanner Holmes, [6]
6. 17W-Harli White, [7]
7. 17C-Chris Bullock, [8]
8. 33S-Lance Sargent, [4]
Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. J2-John Carney II, [2]
2. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [3]
3. 9R-Reece Goetz, [4]
4. 22X-Travis Jacobson, [1]
5. 23-Seth Bergman, [7]
6. 57-Jake Helsel, [6]
7. 95-Matt Covington, [5]
8. 96-Andrew Caruana, [8]
BMRS B-Feature (Top 6 advance to the A-Feature)
B-Main (12 Laps)
1. 33-Colton Heath, [1]
2. 11-Roger Crockett, [3]
3. 6A-Kyle Miller, [4]
4. 22X-Travis Jacobson, [6]
5. 95-Matt Covington, [12]
6. 57-Jake Helsel, [9]
7. 17W-Harli White, [7]
8. 77X-Alex Hill, [8]
9. 151-Duke Johnson, [5]
10. 24-Tyler Anderson, [13]
11. 17C-Chris Bullock, [10]
12. 71-John Stuart, [16]
13. 18T-Tanner Holmes, [2]
14. 97R-Jason Reed, [11]
15. 96-Andrew Caruana, [18]
16. 2X-Tucker Doughty, [14]
17. 33S-Lance Sargent, [15]
18. 91-Chase Goetz, [17]
A-Feature
A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 8-Devon Borden, [2]
2. J2-John Carney II, [3]
3. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [7]
4. 14-Jordon Mallett, [4]
5. 23-Seth Bergman, [13]
6. 28-Scott Bogucki, [6]
7. 33-Colton Heath, [17]
8. 14B-Bailey Sucich, [1]
9. 44W-Austen Wheatley, [5]
10. 52-Blake Hahn, [11]
11. 17-Cam Smith, [9]
12. 21P-Robbie Price, [16]
13. 18-Jason Solwold, [15]
14. 95-Matt Covington, [21]
15. 17W-Harli White, [23]
16. 9R-Reece Goetz, [10]
17. 11-Roger Crockett, [18]
18. 9-Shawn Rice, [14]
19. 22X-Travis Jacobson, [20]
20. 0J-Jay Cole, [8]
21. 6-Breyton Davison, [12]
22. 6A-Kyle Miller, [19]
23. 77X-Alex Hill, [24]
24. 57-Jake Helsel, [22]
Lap Leader(s): Devon Borden 1-25
Hard Charger: Colton Heath +10
High Point Driver: Bailey Sucich
Provisional(s): Harli White (Points); Alex Hill (Points)