By Aaron Fry
2019 Ti22 Performance FAST tour champion, Cole Duncan, started fourth and used a combination of skill, patience and a little luck to score the win in the most prestigious annual event at Atomic Speedway, the Freedom 40. Sprint car veteran, Jac Haudenschild on his farewell tour, led the first 37 laps, but encountered heavy late race pressure from Duncan. One mistake at the incredible Atomic speeds sent Haudenschild over the turn 2 wall, leaving the race lead to Duncan. However, FAST runner-up in points, Lee Jacobs, snatched the lead briefly from Duncan and the pair threw down over the final 3 laps with Jacobs falling just short.
A beautiful late summer evening greeted race fans with 27 winged 410 sprint cars in the pit area. ARP Fasteners qualifying found heat race groups led by Duncan, Haudenschild and Tyler Street. Haudenschild was overall fastest qualifier with an 11.354 on the blistering fast and smooth 3/8 mile dirt oval. Heat race wins were claimed by Cale Stinson, Gary Taylor and Cale Thomas while Mitch Harble captured the MSD Ignitions B-Main event. Atomic Speedway regular, Lance Webb, rode out a tough flip in turn 2 during heat races, but was okay.
The Outsiders Apparel redraw put Haudenschild on the pole with Cale Thomas alongside. Street and Duncan would roll off from row 2 with Taylor and Stinson in row 3. Ryan Broughton and current FAST point leader, Cale Conley, started from row 4. The Ti22 Performance FAST tour starting grid paid tribute to all the lives lost 20 years prior in the 9/11 attack, along with the soldiers lost in the war on terror, by saluting the crowd with the “missing man” 4 wide formation.
Starter Adam Brimmer put the green flag in the air and the 22 car starting field sailed into the first turn for the 40 lap grind. 2 early cautions slowed the pace , but several long green flag runs saw exciting action all over the race track and all throughout the field. Haudenschild lead early with Cale Thomas in the Running Boxer Farms 101 and Tyler Street in the Wilson 14 both in tow. Duncan appeared the be patient, perhaps saving the tires, in the longest race of the year.
As the race wore on past the halfway mark, Duncan had gotten by Street and Thomas. At this point, Duncan was there and began to pressure for the lead. Upon realizing Duncan was there, the wily veteran turned up the wick. Through turns 1 and 2, just 3 laps from the finish, Haudenschild tried to use up more race track to keep Duncan behind him. But he used a little TOO much race track, catching the concrete wall, flipping violently up and over the turn 2 wall. He climbed out very quickly, unhurt.
With numerous track championships and past Freedom 40 wins under his belt, Duncan appeared to be well on his way to yet another win at Atomic Speedway. As the field roared to the restart, Lee Jacobs told everyone that HE had something to say about the finish and he said it with his right foot and the bravado to make daring moves to take the lead. The Atomic faithful rose to their feet, fists pumping, as the pair locked horns in an epic finish for the ages.
Duncan was able to retake the lead with a lap to go. Jacobs made one last big run into turn 3, but could not make the pass stick. Duncan raced across the line to claim the $7,500 top prize with Jacobs second then Gary Taylor, Cale Conley and Ryan Broughton completing the top 5. Tim Shaffer, Ryan Myers, Keith Baxter, Jordan Ryan and Tyler Street rounded out the top 10.
BOX SCORE
FAST on Dirt
Saturday, Sept 11, 2021
Atomic Speedway
Freedom 40
ARP Fasteners Qualifying:
Group 1: 1. 22-Cole Duncan 11.603, 2. 59-Bryan Nuckles 11.988, 3. 22B-Ryan Broughton 119.998, 4. 4xs-Cale Stinson 12.027, 5. 35-Stuart Brubaker 12.030, 6. 99-Ryan Myers 12.056, 7. 42-Chris Garnes 12.099, 8. 15-Mitch Harble 12.122, 9. 4xa-Anthony Haas
Group 2: 1. 3-Jac Haudenschild 11.354, 2. 81-Lee Jacobs 11.894, 3. 11N-Harli White 11.904, 4. 6M-Gary Taylor 12.300, 5. 7M-Geoff Dodge 12.307, 6. 23-Jordan Harble 12.449, 7. 40-Mark Imler 12.934, 8. 9-Lance Webb 13.084, 9. 08-Brandon Conkel 13.438
Group 3: 1. 14-Tyler Street 11.552, 2. 28-Tim Shaffer 11.555, 3. 101-Cale Thomas 11.589, 4. 3c-Cale Conley 11.735, 5. 25R-Jordan Ryan 12.048, 6. 1B-Keith Baxter 12.249. 7. 5J-Jake Hesson 12.465, 8. 8D-Josh Davis 13.391, 9. 83x-Nate Reeser DNQ
NAPA of Fremont – Heat 1: 1. 4xs-Stinson[1] ; 2. 22B-Broughton[2] ; 3. 22-Duncan[4] ; 4. 99-Myers[6] ; 5. 59-Nuckles[3] ; 6. 35-Blair[5] ; 7. 15-M.Harble[8] ; 8. 42-Garnes[7] ; 9. 4x-Haas[9]
Helms Construction – Heat 2: 1. 6M-Taylor[1] ; 2. 3-Haudenschild[4] ; 3. 11N-White[2] ; 4. 81-Jacobs[3] ; 5. 7M-Dodge[5] ; 6. 23-J.Harble[6] ; 7. 40-Imler[7] ; 8. 08-Conkel[9] ; 9. 9-Webb[8]
The Cushion.com – Heat 3: 1. 101-Thomas[2] ; 2. 3c-Conley[1] ; 3. 28-Shaffer[3] ; 4. 14-Street[4] ; 5. 5J-Hesson[7] ; 6. 25R-Ryan[5] ; 7. 1B-Baxter[6] ; 8. 8D-Davis[8] ; 9. 83x-Reeser[DNS]
MSD Ignitions – B Main: 1. 15-M.Harble[1] ; 2. 1B-Baxter[3] ; 3. 08-Conkel[5] ; 4. 42-Garnes[4] ; 5. 8D-Davis[6] ; 6. 4xa-Haas[7] ; 7. 40-Imler[2] ; 8. 9-Webb[DNS] ; 9. 83x-Reeser[DNS]
Ti22 Performance – Freedom 40 – A Main: 1. 22-Duncan[4] ; 2. 81-Jacobs[12] ; 3. 6M-Taylor[5] ; 4. 3c-Conley[8] ; 5. 22B-Broughton[7] ; 6. 28-Shaffer[10] ; 7. 99-Myers[11] ; 8. 1B-Baxter[20] ; 9. 25R-Ryan[18] ; 10. 14-Street[3] ; 11. 59-Nuckles[13] ; 12. 35-Blair[16] ; 13. 11N-White[9] ; 14. 4xs-Stinson[6] ; 15. 7M-Dodge[14] ; 16. 3-Haudenschild[1] ; 17. 101-Thomas[2] ; 18. 5J-Hesson[15] ; 19. 15-M.Harble[19] ; 20. 08-Conkel[21] ; 21. 42-Garnes[22] ; 22. 23-J.Harble[17]
The Bridge Restaurant – Hard Charger: Keith Baxter +12
Kear’s Speed Shop – Hard Luck: Harli White
All Star Performance – Sweet Move: Jake Hesson