From Bryan Hulbert
WHEATLAND, Mo. (September 21, 2019) – One win deserves another, and Blake Hahn made it one of the biggest of his career; leading start to finish for Saturday’s $10,000 score in the 9th annual Hockett/McMillin Memorial with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network.
Hahn’s ninth career SawBlade.com A-Feature victory with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, the triumph was enough to retake the series point’s lead from Sam Hafertepe, Jr. by 20 markers. Hitting the turn-four wall in his Last Chance Qualifier, Hafertepe’s night ended one spot shy of a transfer into the A-Feature.
“I want to thank the fans for hanging out for this awesome, long race,” stated Hahn of then night’s program, which was nearly claimed by Mother Nature following a late afternoon downpour that delayed the Hockett/McMillin Memorial finale over two hours.
Grabbing the cushion from the start, Hahn pulled away from pole sitter, Josh Baughman, before the caution lights blinked on with three laps complete for Brinton Marvel. Keeping pace with Hahn on the restart, Blake tried the bottom through turns three and four, nearly allowing the No. 17 to get a run before finally moving to the top at both ends of the Lucas Oil Speedway.
Getting into traffic with 10 laps complete, Hahn began searching for lines as Derek Hagar closed in to challenge for second.
Getting the run under the No. 17 on Lap 14, Hagar pushed through the fourth turn; tagging Baughman’s left front tire and sending him flying up the track. Avoiding the flip and the wall, Baughman recovered in seventh.
Taking advantage of the situation, Dylan Westbrook peddled by Hagar on Lap 17.
Reeling in Hahn numerous times as the pair weaved through traffic, the Sage Fruit, Co. No, 52 was able to keep the No. 47x at bay all the way to Lap 35. Peeling off the cushion to clear a slower car in the third and fourth turns, Hahn pushed up the track and into the path of Westbrook. With no time to react, the two front runners slammed right rear to left rear; sending Hahn over the hood of the No. 47x, who in turn, flipped off the exit of turn four.
“I hate to see anybody turn upside down,” stated Hahn. “I was trying to get underneath some lapped cars and got into the slop down on the bottom and just pushed up in front of him. It was my fault.”
Able to keep rolling, Hahn was pursued on the restart by Pennsylvania’s Mark Smith.
Committed the bottom of the three-eighths-mile oval, Smith tried for the lead but couldn’t make it work as Hahn ran away over the final five laps to a 2.271 seconds advantage over the No. M1 with Brady Bacon hard charging through the field from 16th to complete the podium. Derek Hagar would slip to fourth with Seth Bergman making a charge through the field from 10th to complete the top five.
Racing his way in through a B-Feature, Matt Covington made up for two rough nights to open his Hockett/McMillin Memorial with a run from 17th to sixth. Paul Nienhiser crossed seventh, followed by Jonathan Cornell who moved up to eighth from 13th. Ayton Gennetten in ninth was trailed by Roger Crockett in tenth.
Overall, the weekend saw 71 drivers in attendance from 15 states, as well as drivers from Canada and Australia. The combined attendance of both classes put the overall at 132 Sprint Cars.
The next event for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series is the John Christner Trucking Fall Fling Presented by James Hodge Ford at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. on Friday, October 11 and Saturday, October 12. Opening at 5:30 P.M. followed by Hot Laps at 7:00 P.M. with racing at 7:30 P.M. (CT) both nights, Friday’s show with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network will offer up $3,000 to win, $400 to start with Saturday upping the bounty to $4,000 to win, $400 to start.
More information on the John Christner Trucking Fall Fling presented by James Hodge Ford will be posted as the event dates near. Creek County Speedway is located at 18450 West Hwy. 66 between Sapulpa and Kellyville. For more information on Creek County Speedway, including a complete lineup of events and directions, log onto http://www.creekcountyspeedway.co or call (918) 693-RACE (7223) or (918) 838-3777. The track can also be found on social media at https://www.facebook.com/CreekCountySpeedway.
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).