CLERMONT, Ind. — Bryan Clauson passed Dave Steele for the lead on lap 12 and then held off Bobby East in the final circuits to win Saturday’s Toyota USAC Racing Classic at O’Reilly Raceway Park. Keith Kunz Motorsports earned its second-consecutive Toyota Challenge Crown in the $25,000, three-event championship within a championship.
It was Clauson’s first USAC National Midget Car Series victory of the season and gave the Kunz team the $15,000 winner’s share of the Toyota Challenge by only four points over runner-up Bobby East and Klatt Enterprises.
“I was nervous when I saw the 4 car of East behind me on the final restart,” Clauson said. “To win here on a night like tonight is a tremendous honor for me and the entire team.”
East, the series point leader, finished second, and had he been able to steal the victory, the Klatt team, which picked up $5,000 for second in the Toyota Challenge, would have won the top prize.
“It’s really great for Toyota to come into our sport as they have and help all of the owners and drivers regardless of their manufacturer,” Keith Kunz said. “It’s really a neat thing, and I wish the other manufacturers would step up to the plate like Toyota has.”
The summary:
Qualifications: 1. Kody Swanson, Nine Racing 19, 20.915; 2. Chase Scott, Real Race Cars 14, 21.114; 3. Bobby East, Klatt 4, 21.155; 4. Dave Darland, Nine Racing 9, 21.164; 5. Bryan Clauson, Kunz 67, 21.182; 6. Dave Steele, Nine Racing 91, 21.190; 7. Ron Gregory, Irvin 22, 21.291; 8. Bradley Galedrige, Galedrige 29, 21.323; 9. Marc Jessup, Kunz 97, 21.338; 10. Chuck Gurney, Jr., Gurney 51, 21.339; 11. Kevin Swindell, Kahne 79, 21.345; 12. Tom Hessert III, Hessert 5, 21.389; 13. Ben Petter, Petter 22x, 21.398; 14. Jerry Coons, Jr., Wilke-Pak 11, 21.411; 15. Chase Barber, Barber 90, 21.426; 16. Josh Wise, Pedregon 75, 21.436; 17. Mike Murgoitio, Murgoitio 10, 21.450; 18. Billy Wease, Western Speed 80, 21.451; 19. Darren Hagen, RFMS 32, 21.459; 20. Levi Jones, Stewart 20, 21.488; 21. Kyle Nicholas, Nicholas 02, 21.523; 22. Brady Bacon, Kahne 99, 21.525; 23. Brandon Wagner, Wagner 92, 21.539; 24. Stephanie Mockler, East 6, 21.554; 25. Bobby Santos III, Western Speed 40, 21.573; 26. Brian Olson, Olson 77, 21.583; 27. Dan Drinan, Lewis 333, 21.588; 28. Brad Loyet, Loyet 05, 21.617; 29. Brad Kuhn, Quin 43, 21.623; 30. Alfred Galedrige, Jr., Galedrige 26, 21.627; 31. Chris Windom, Windom 17, 21.643; 32. Cole Carter, Carter 7, 21.662; 33. Adam Kramer, Kramer 321, 21.718; 34. Nick Wagner, Wagner 93, 21.741; 35. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Stewart 21, 21.791; 36. Jeremy Warren, Warren 57x, 21.837; 37. Dustin Morgan, Walker/Morgan 111, 21.871; 38. Joe Liguori, Owen 28, 22.119; 39. Kevin Studley, Studley 57, 22.424; 40. Joey Polisczuk, Polisczuk 8, 22.598; 41. Brad Mosen, Kunz 71, 22.869; 42. Josh Lane, Lane 18, 22.891; 43. Parker Klingerman, Klingerman 133, no time.
Qualifying Race (8 laps): Stenhouse, Kramer, Warren, N. Wagner, Liguori, Mosen, Studley, Morgan, Lane, Polisczuk.
First Heat (8 laps): Swanson, Kuhn, Clauson, Murgoitio, Petter, Santos, Stenhouse, Nicholas, Jessup.
Second Heat (8 laps): Bacon, Coons, Scott, Gurney, Olson, A. Galedrige, Wease, Liguori, Steele.
Third Heat (8 laps): Swindell, Hagen, B. Wagner, East, Gregory, Windom, Drinan, Warren, Barber.
Fourth Heat (8 laps): Loyet, Wise, Carter, Hessert, Darland, B. Galedrige, Mockler, Jones, N. Wagner.
Semi (10 laps): Steele, Gregory, Darland, Petter, Santos, Barber, Mockler, Stenhouse, Drinan, Warren, A. Galedrige, Olson, Windom, Jessup, B. Galedrige, Nicholas, Liguori, Jones, Wease.
Feature (30 laps): Clauson, East, Scott, Steele, Gregory, Stenhouse, Swanson, Loyet, Kuhn, Hagen, Petter, Hessert, Jones, Barber, Coons, Bacon, Swindell, Carter, Gurney, Darland, B. Wagner, Wise, Murgoitio, Santos.