From Bill Wright
OSKALOOSA, Iowa (August 7, 2023) — Australian World Series Champion, James McFadden, added to his resume Monday, when he dominated the $21,000 Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. The Alice Springs, Northern Territory native’s win came aboard the Roth Motorsports #83, and was his first in Osky.
McFadden earned the pole position in a traditional way, by winning the foot race pitting the top eight drivers in a feat of speed. He made good use of it, getting the jump in the 30-lapper on fellow front row starter, Carson Macedo, Brent Marks, Kyle Larson and Austin McCarl. Larson, who had won this event two straight years coming in, and had flown from a top five finish in the NASCAR race in Michigan, stopped on lap two, bringing the caustion.
McFadden took off on the restart, pulling away quickly from the field and entering lapped traffic by lap 11. Fourth running McCarl, lost something on the car on lap 14 and slowed. Fifth running Scott Bogucki could not avoid him and flipped hard in turn two. He was uninjured.
McFadden led Macedo, Marks, Corey Day and Blake Hahn back to green. Marks performed a wheelie when the green fell, allowing Day by into third. The top five hadn’t changed when Parker Price-Miller stopped and exited on lap 16.
The leader was undeterred, though a large lead was surrendered with each caution. McFadden built over a two second lead with ten to go, entered traffic with seven to go, and piled on his margin to the checkers. Macedo held onto second, ahead of Day, Marks and Hahn. Justin Sanders, Anthony Macri, hard-charger Cole Macedo, Brock Zearfoss and Spencer Bayston rounded out the top ten.
A pair of hard crashes destroyed cars, but did not result in injury. Riley Goodno touched a wheel and flipped hard down the frontstretch. That collected both Ryan Timms and Buddy Kofoid. Rusty Hickman crashed hard in the B main as well. Carson Macedo set quick time over the 39-car field for the second year in a row, while Brock Zearfoss, Zeb Wise, Kasey Kahne and McFadden won heats. Sawyer Phillips claimed the B.
Tyler Drueke was dominant in the IMCA Racesavers Support Class earning $1,000 for his win in the 15-lapper. The defending winner of the event, Adam Gullion led the first lap, but it was all Drueke from there, as the Eagle, Nebraska driver paced the last 14 laps.
Gullion was second, ahead of Ryan Kitchen, Kayla Martin and Lee Goos Jr. Mike Houseman Jr., Ryan Navritil, Gage Montgomery, Dusty Ballenger and Mike Moore completed the top ten. Dusty Ballenger and Lee Goos Jr. won the heats.
28th Annual Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge Presented by Your Life Iowa
Southern Iowa Speedway
Oskaloosa, Iowa
Monday, August 8, 2023
Qualifying
1. 41-Carson Macedo, 15.339[32]
2. 88-Austin McCarl, 15.483[14]
3. 57-Kyle Larson, 15.497[3]
4. 10-Scott Bogucki, 15.591[20]
5. 25-Lachlan McHugh, 15.599[26]
6. 14-Corey Day, 15.625[27]
7. 19M-Brent Marks, 15.629[10]
8. 83-James McFadden, 15.636[28]
9. 39M-Justin Sanders, 15.684[30]
10. 52-Blake Hahn, 15.687[35]
11. 35-Austin Bishop, 15.693[29]
12. 5T-Ryan Timms, 15.695[34]
13. 3P-Sawyer Phillips, 15.698[11]
14. 9P-Parker Price Miller, 15.700[24]
15. 9-Kasey Kahne, 15.747[1]
16. 83JR-Michael Kofoid, 15.758[7]
17. 7BC-Anthony Macri, 15.769[2]
18. 26-Zeb Wise, 15.771[18]
19. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips, 15.784[23]
20. 27B-Jake Bubak, 15.789[22]
21. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss, 15.795[16]
22. 95-Matt Covington, 15.816[19]
23. 5-Spencer Bayston, 15.828[33]
24. 22-Riley Goodno, 15.835[6]
25. 21T-Cole Macedo, 15.854[25]
26. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 15.861[31]
27. 17AU-Jamie Veal, 15.866[36]
28. 20-Justin Peck, 15.882[12]
29. 71-Shane Stewart, 15.911[37]
30. 50YR-JJ Hickle, 15.936[5]
31. 101-Cody Maroske, 15.938[8]
32. 45AU-Rusty Hickman, 15.942[17]
33. 16A-Colby Copeland, 15.957[9]
34. 12X-Ayrton Gennetten, 15.999[15]
35. G5-Gage Pulkrabek, 16.172[21]
36. 22W-Aaron Werner, 16.207[13]
37. 2KS-Chase Randall, 16.972[38]
38. 6-Frank Rogers, 17.230[4]
39. 6R-Ryan Bunton[39]
Oskaloosa True Value Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[1]
2. 7BC-Anthony Macri[2]
3. 41-Carson Macedo[6]
4. 39M-Justin Sanders[4]
5. 71-Shane Stewart[8]
6. 21T-Cole Macedo[7]
7. 16A-Colby Copeland[9]
8. 2KS-Chase Randall[10]
9. 25-Lachlan McHugh[5]
10. 3P-Sawyer Phillips[3]
Smith Titanium Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 26-Zeb Wise[2]
2. 52-Blake Hahn[4]
3. 95-Matt Covington[1]
4. 9P-Parker Price Miller[3]
5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[7]
6. 88-Austin McCarl[6]
7. 14-Corey Day[5]
8. 12X-Ayrton Gennetten[9]
9. 50YR-JJ Hickle[8]
10. 6-Frank Rogers[10]
Taso’s Steak House Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 9-Kasey Kahne[3]
2. 5-Spencer Bayston[1]
3. 57-Kyle Larson[6]
4. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips[2]
5. 19M-Brent Marks[5]
6. 35-Austin Bishop[4]
7. 17AU-Jamie Veal[7]
8. 101-Cody Maroske[8]
9. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[9]
DNS: 6R-Ryan Bunton
Sander Wheels Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 83-James McFadden[5]
2. 27B-Jake Bubak[2]
3. 10-Scott Bogucki[6]
4. 20-Justin Peck[7]
5. 45AU-Rusty Hickman[8]
6. 22W-Aaron Werner[9]
7. 22-Riley Goodno[1]
8. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[3]
9. 5T-Ryan Timms[4]
Priority Aviation Foot Race 1
1. 41-Carson Macedo[1]
2. 19M-Brent Marks[4]
3. 88-Austin McCarl[3]
4. 10-Scott Bogucki[2]
Priority Aviation Foot Race 2
1. 52-Blake Hahn[3]
2. 83-James McFadden[2]
3. 57-Kyle Larson[1]
4. 39M-Justin Sanders[4]
Priority Aviation Foot Race Final ($1500 to Win, $100 to Start)
1. 83-James McFadden[4]
2. 41-Carson Macedo[1]
3. 52-Blake Hahn[2]
4. 19M-Brent Marks[3]
B-Main
1. 3P-Sawyer Phillips[2]
2. 20-Justin Peck[3]
3. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[4]
4. 21T-Cole Macedo[5]
5. 17AU-Jamie Veal[9]
6. 16A-Colby Copeland[10]
7. 50YR-JJ Hickle[12]
8. 12X-Ayrton Gennetten[13]
9. 22-Riley Goodno[7]
10. 71-Shane Stewart[6]
11. 45AU-Rusty Hickman[8]
12. 101-Cody Maroske[11]
13. G5-Gage Pulkrabek[14]
14. 5T-Ryan Timms[1]
15. 22W-Aaron Werner[18]
DNS: 6R-Ryan Bunton
DNS: 83JR-Michael Kofoid
DNS: 2KS-Chase Randall
DNS: 6-Frank Rogers
Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 83-James McFadden[1]
2. 41-Carson Macedo[2]
3. 14-Corey Day[10]
4. 19M-Brent Marks[4]
5. 52-Blake Hahn[3]
6. 39M-Justin Sanders[8]
7. 7BC-Anthony Macri[12]
8. 21T-Cole Macedo[24]
9. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[14]
10. 5-Spencer Bayston[18]
11. 26-Zeb Wise[11]
12. 9-Kasey Kahne[9]
13. 7TAZ-Tasker Phillips[19]
14. 95-Matt Covington[20]
15. 25-Lachlan McHugh[13]
16. 35-Austin Bishop[17]
17. 9P-Parker Price Miller[15]
18. 88-Austin McCarl[5]
19. 10-Scott Bogucki[7]
20. 27B-Jake Bubak[16]
21. 3P-Sawyer Phillips[21]
22. 57-Kyle Larson[6]
23. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[23]
24. 20-Justin Peck[22]
Lap Leader: McFadden 1-30
KSE Steering Pump/ $1000
Jack Housby Hard-charger: Cole Macedo
DeBerg Concrete/Snap-On Mechanic of the Race (3/8 Lithium Impact Set): Brent Ventura
$500 Rob-See Co/Jeff Rens
BC Bonus: Parker Price-Miller
Knoxville Raceway Hoosier Right Rears: Tasker Phillips, Lachlan McHugh, Austin McCarl
Set of Four Sander Racing Wheels: Matt Covington
Seafoam Motor Treatment $500 Quick Time: Carson Macedo, 15.339 seconds.
Heat Race Winners: Smith Titanium Rotor, $250 Certificate to HRP, Armor Seat Belt from Ultra Shield, Front Wing from Elite Wings, Hydration IV from Skin Fusion FX During Knoxville Nationals, $100 from Dingus
Seafoam Motor Treatment IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Cars
True Value of Oskaloosa Heat Race #1 (6 Laps)
1. 2D-Dusty Ballenger[1]
2. 12-Tyler Drueke[6]
3. 15-Jack Potter[3]
4. 19-Nate Eakin[8]
5. 12P-Ryan Navratil[4]
6. 11F-Austin Fox[2]
7. 69-Mike Moore[9]
8. 80P-Jacob Peterson[5]
9. 28-Madison Miller[7]
10. 9-Abigayle Lett[11]
11. 122-Lane Warner[10]
Taso’s of Oskaloosa Heat Race #2 (6 Laps)
1. 17-Lee Goos Jr[2]
2. 11M-Kayla Martin[1]
3. 4L-Mike Houseman Jr[3]
4. 91-Adam Gullion[4]
5. 21-Ryan Kitchen[5]
6. 79-Gage Montgomery[7]
7. 6B-Bayley Ballenger[8]
8. 14J-Josh Riggins[10]
9. 30-Matt Johnson[9]
10. 81-Jared Jansen[6]
A-Main (15 Laps)
1. 12-Tyler Drueke[4]
2. 91-Adam Gullion[2]
3. 21-Ryan Kitchen[6]
4. 11M-Kayla Martin[1]
5. 17-Lee Goos Jr[9]
6. 4L-Mike Houseman Jr[8]
7. 12P-Ryan Navratil[5]
8. 79-Gage Montgomery[12]
9. 2D-Dusty Ballenger[7]
10. 69-Mike Moore[13]
11. 19-Nate Eakin[3]
12. 80P-Jacob Peterson[15]
13. 15-Jack Potter[10]
14. 6B-Bayley Ballenger[14]
15. 11F-Austin Fox[11]
16. 122-Lane Warner[21]
17. 81-Jared Jansen[20]
18. 9-Abigayle Lett[19]
19. 30-Matt Johnson[18]
20. 28-Madison Miller[17]
DNS: 14J-Josh Riggins