With less than 10 total starts in Lucas Oil MLRA competition, Ryan Gustin was poised to knock down a series win sooner rather than later. To those who have watched him race up the ranks, his Friday night performance in the Alphabet Soup feature, at I-80 Speedway, comes as no surprise. Gustin passed four cars, in his heat race, to earn the KRC Top Qualifier Award. However, he led only the opening lap before Tommy Weder Jr. got around him in the feature. Weder led the next 10 circuits, before Gustin passed him for good.
“I knew we had a good car right off the bat,” stated Gustin. “Once we got going, kind of reined him (Weder) back down and got in lapped traffic and used that to our advantage. I just tried not to look back.” The pass for the win came on the twelfth lap and Gustin explained his simple approach. “I was really good on the bottom down there in three and four. So you could really drive it in hard and all that moisture would catch you. I just drove ‘er in there wide open.”
The race went caution free until Brunson Behning spun on lap 33 causing a slowdown. The final three lap shootout reaffirmed the speed Gustin had in his race car. It also allowed Chris Simpson a shot at Tony Jackson Jr, for third, which he took by feet, at the line.
Gustin’s win gives him an automatic provisional in next month’s 3rd Annual Silver Dollar Nationals paying $27,000 to win. Friday’s Alphabet Soup checkers was worth $3,700. Tomorrow the Lucas Oil MLRA will make their one and only visit of the season to Adams County Speedway in Corning, IA for the Liberty 50. It will pay the winner $5,000.
RESULTS
Lucas Oil Products Heat 1 (10 laps): 1. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE), 2. Will Vaught (Crane, MO), 3. Chris Simpson (Oxford, IA), 4. Terry Phillips (Springfield, MO), 5. Bryant Goldsmith (Corning, IA), 6. Mark Dotson (Cameron, MO), 7. Justin Asplin (Birch Tree, MO), 8. Andrew McKay (Eden Prairie, MN), 9. Andrew Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 10. Justin Mitchell (Cedar Rapids, IA).
ProtectTheHarvest.com Heat 2 (10 laps): 1. Ryan Gustin (Marshalltown, IA), 2. Brunson Behning (Calamus, IA), 3. Jason O’Brien (Atlantic, IA), 4. John Anderson (Omaha, NE), 5. Jesse Stovall (Billings, MO), 6. Trenton Jackson (Marshalltown, IA), 7. Doug Herrick (West Concord, MN), 8. Junior Coover (Norfolk, NE), 9. Alonzo Grosse (Council Bluffs, IA), 10. Jason Krohn (Slayton, MN).
MAV TV American Real Heat 3 (10 laps): 1. Robbie Andersen (Omaha, NE), 2. Josh Most (Red Oak, IA), 3. Chad Simpson (Mt Vernon, IA), 4. J.C. Wyman (Griswold, IA), 5. Kevin Sather (Des Moines, IA), 6. Leon Zeitner (LaVista, NE), 7. Spencer Diercks (Davenport, IA), 8. Robert Cullen (Chilton, WI), 9. Troy Daly (Omaha, NE), 10. Leroy Johnson (Battlefield, MO).
Powertrain Industries Heat 4 (10 laps): 1. Travis Dickes (Madison, NE), 2. Tony Jackson, Jr (Lebanon, MO), 3. Brad Looney (Republic, MO), 4. Dave Eckrich (Cosgrove, IA), 5. Jason Utter (Columbus Junction, IA), 6. Bill Leighton (Omaha, NE), 7. Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 8. Dustin Walker (Peculiar, MO), 9. Brian Kosiski ( Papillion, NE), 10. Clint Benson (Papillion, NE).
Hoosier Racing Tires Heat 5 (10 laps): 1. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 2. Tommy Weder Jr. (Woodward, OK), 3. Denny Eckrich (Tiffin, IA), 4. Justin Zeitner (LaVista, NE), 5. Chase Junghans (Manhattan, KS), 6. Jake Meier (Tipton, IA), 7. Josh Krug (Omaha, NE), 8. Scott Daley, 9. Justin Gregg (Hastings, NE).
Casey’s General Stores "B" Feature 1 (12 laps): 1. Terry Phillips (Springfield, MO), 2. Chase Junghans (Manhattan, KS), 3. Kevin Sather (Des Moines, IA), 4. Justin Asplin (Birch Tree, MO), 5. Bill Leighton (Omaha, NE), 6. J.C. Wyman (Griswold, IA), 7. Junior Coover (Norfolk, NE), 8. Jason Krohn (Slayton, MN), 9. Jake Meier (Tipton, IA), 10. Doug Herrick (West Concord, MN), 11. Bill Koons (Omaha, NE), 12. Dustin Walker (Peculiar, MO), 13. Clint Benson (Papillion, NE), 14. Brian Kosiski, 15. Alonzo Grosse (Council Bluffs, IA), 16. Justin Gregg (Hastings, NE), 17. Jason Utter (Columbus Junction, IA), 18. Dylan Smith (Osceola, NE).
Sunoco Race Fuels "B" Feature 2 (12 laps): 1. Justin Zeitner (LaVista, NE), 2. Brad Looney (Republic, MO), 3. Mark Dotson (Cameron, MO), 4. Leon Zeitner (LaVista, NE), 5. Andrew McKay (Eden Prairie, MN), 6. Josh Krug (Omaha, NE), 7. Justin Mitchell (Cedar Rapids, IA), 8. Spencer Diercks (Davenport, IA), 9. Robert Cullen (Chilton, WI), 10. Jesse Stovall (Billings, MO), 11. Scott Daley, 12. Andrew Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 13. Bryant Goldsmith (Corning, IA), 14. Troy Daly (Omaha, NE), 15. Trenton Jackson (Corning, IA), 16. Leroy Johnson (Battlefield, MO).
Lucas Cattle Company "A" Feature (35 laps): 1. Ryan Gustin (Marshalltown, IA), 2. Tommy Weder Jr. (Woodward, OK), 3. Chris Simpson (Oxford, IA), 4. Tony Jackson, Jr (Lebanon, MO), 5. Chad Simpson (Mt Vernon, IA), 6. Travis Dickes (Madison, NE), 7. Terry Phillips (Springfield, MO), 8. Kyle Berck (Marquette, NE), 9. John Anderson (Omaha, NE), 10. Denny Eckrich (Tiffin, IA), 11. Will Vaught (Crane, MO), 12. Mark Dotson (Cameron, MO), 13. Jesse Stovall (Billings, MO), 14. Chase Junghans (Manhattan, KS), 15. Jason O’Brien (Atlantic, IA), 16. Dave Eckrich (Cosgrove, IA), 17. Justin Zeitner (LaVista, NE), 18. Brad Looney (Republic, MO), 19. Robbie Andersen (Omaha, NE), 20. Justin Asplin (Birch Tree, MO), 21. Justin Gregg (Hastings, NE), 22. Doug Herrick (West Concord, MN), 23. Kevin Sather (Des Moines, IA) 24. Andrew Kosiski (Omaha, NE), 25. Dustin Walker (Peculiar, MO), 26. Brunson Behning (Calamus, IA), 27. Leroy Johnson (Battlefield, MO), 28. Josh Most (Red Oak, IA), 29. Jake Meier (Tipton, IA), 30. Bill Leighton (Omaha, NE).
Contingency Awards:
KRC Top Qualifier – Ryan Gustin
Eibach Springs Race Winer – Ryan Gustin
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