West Burlington, IA (Sunday, July 29, 2018) - For the second year in a row the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions 410 Sprint Cars made a visit to 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. Sunday nights event brought an end to the four race swing, as Thursday they made a stop at the Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Before traveling to the Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minnesota for a Friday night race, and then over to the Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa on Saturday night.
Ryan Smith would top the field on Thursday, as Kerry Madsen came into 34 Raceway as the winner of the past two events on Friday and Saturday. The question on the night would be could Madsen win three in a row, or perhaps could Smith earn his second win on the four day swing. Thirty-two 410 Sprint Cars signed in, which were divided into 8 groups of for time trials to determine their starting spots in the heat races. Rico Abreu was quick time in Group 1 with a time of 12.675. Ryan Smith topped Group 2 with a time of 12.590. Group 3 went to Spencer Bayston with a time of 12.376. While Cory Eliason topped Group 4 and was over quick time, with a time of 12.236.
The top four times in the four groups, that made up the heat races, were then inverted to set the line ups. Joey Saldana took advantage of his invert in heat 1 to claim the victory. Austin McCarl also took advantage of his heat race invert to win heat 2. Carson Macedo was the third driver to win a heat race from the pole. While Sammy Swindell broke the trend by winning heat race 4 from the outside of the front row. The top two from each heat race, along with the top two from overall time trials who advanced into the A-Feature through their respective heat races would make up the two 4 lap dashes. The odd number qualifiers would draw a starting spot for dash 1, while the even number qualifiers drew a spot for dash 2. Cale Conley would go on to win Dash 1, which also put him on the pole for the 30 lap A-Feature. Cory Eliason claimed the win in Dash 2 and earned the outside of the front row for the A-Feature.
With the top 5 out of the 4 heat races earning a starting spot in the 30 lap A-Feature, the remaining 12 cars would take to the track for the B-Feature. The top 4 cars out of the B-Feature would set the 24 car field for that A-Feature. Ryan Smith would go on to win the B-Feature, with Jac Haudenschild, Paul Nienhiser, and Chad Kemenah coming from 8th to grab the final transfer spot.
Now with qualifying all in the books, it was time to go feature racing. The 12 lap Mini Hauler Trucks would come out first, with Timothy Weyls and Drake Fenton drawing the front row for the event. Fenton used his starting spot to his advantage, as he grabbed the lead on lap 1 over John Helenthal and Lance Applegarth. Just as it looked like Fenton would pull away to an easy win, the first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 8. Hogan Brockert wnet off the track in turn 2 and got into the pit wall to bring out the yellow. On the restart Fenton jumped back out front, with Helenthal and Applegarth close behind. Fenton would hold on over the final laps to claim the win. Helenthal was 2nd, Applegarth was 3rd, Dylan Reverend was 4th, with Lake Carlson rounding out the top 5.
Cale Conley and Cory Eliason led the field to green in the 30 lap Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions 410 Sprint Car feature. Conley took advantage of his starting spot to jump out front on lap 1 over Eliason and Kerry Madsen. With the track staying heavy all night the pace that the front runners were running put them into lapped traffic on lap 4. Eliason would use the slower traffic coming off turn 4 on lap 5 to take over the top spot from Conley. While Eliason continued to work the heavy lapped traffic, Conley, Sammy Swindell and Madsen would close in on his back bumper. The action up front was slowed for the first time, as Carl Bowser climbed the wall in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Eliason moved back out front, with Conley and Swindell close behind.
Once again the fast pace that the leaders were setting put them into lapped traffic on lap 15. Swindell would use the lap cars to grab the runner up spot away from Conley on lap 17. Then just after that lap was scored complete the second caution of the race appeared. Jake Blackhurst slowed to a stop in turn 2 with a blown right rear tire to bring out the yellow. Eliason once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Swindell and Conley following close behind. Just as it looked like Eliason would pull away fro the win, he would enter lapped traffic on lap 26. This would allow Swindell to close in on him quickly. Coming off turn 4 to complete lap 27, Swindell went low to clear the lapped traffic and then emerged down the backstretch with the lead. One lap later, lap 28, Willie Croft climbed the wall down the backstretch and then came to a stop in turn 4 to bring out the final yellow. On the restart Swindell jumped back out front, with Eliason and Carson Macedo, who started 9th, trying to grab the lead away from Swindell. But Swindell would hold on over the final laps to claim the win and the $5,000 check to go with it. Eliason was 2nd, Macedo was 3rd, Conley held on for 4th, with Madsen completing the top 5.
The final feature to take to the track was the 12 lap Mod Lites, with Mike Morrill and Joel Huggins leading the field to green. Huggins would edge out Morrill at the line to lead lap 1, with Wyatt Wilkerson close behind in third. Coming out of turn 4 to complete lap 3, Huggins went to the middle of the track and left the top open for Morrill. And Morrill would use the momentum off the top of turn 4 to edge Huggins out at the line to take over the top spot. Morrill then cruised to his fifth win in five feature events at 34 Raceway. Huggins was 2nd, Wilkerson was 3rd, Devon Rouse was 4th, with Michael Dominguez rounding out the top 5.
Notes from 34: Parker-Price Miller started the 410 Sprint feature in 12th and finished 8th....Rico Abreu finished 9th after starting in 13th....Tony Stewart came from 18th to finish in 11th....Jac Haudenschild passed 9 cars from his 22nd place starting spot to come home in 13th. He would win the hard charger award....Paul Nienhiser finished 15th after starting in 23rd....Sammy Walsh, Bill Balog, Josh Schneiderman, Bobby Mincer, Tyler Esh, Jordyn Brazier, and Ryan Jamison were among the drivers who didn't qualify for the A-Feature....Lynton Jeffrey had troubles in his qualifying group that forced him to load up and head home early......Jason Masengarb and R.J. Gonzales would load up and go home before the Mod Lite feature.
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