Victory is Sweet’s at $20,000 Front Row Challenge
Oskaloosa, IA, August 10, 2015 – Brad Sweet wired the field and took home a $20,000 payday and much more at Monday’s 20th Annual Casey’s General Stores Front Row Challenge presented by Sea Foam Motor Treatment at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. The Grass Valley, California native led all 30 laps after getting the jump from his pole position in the FVP National Sprint League main event.
After topping Paul McMahan, Brent Marks and Kerry Madsen in match races in the Keith Hutton Memorial/TK Concrete $1,000 “King of the Hill”, Sweet beat Madsen to turn one when the feature green flag fell. Dale Blaney trailed in the third spot, but tagged the turn one wall hard on lap two. He would retire after 17 laps.
Marks took over the show position and would hold it until Bud Kaeding slowed on the backstretch with eight laps in the books. Sweet led Kerry Madsen, Marks, Ian Madsen and Rico Abreu back to green. Ian Madsen made quick work of Marks to take over the third spot, while Sammy Swindell shot from tenth to seventh.
At the halfway point, Sweet was into heavy lapped traffic. Kerry Madsen reeled him in at one point, but Sweet guided the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 through traffic with ease. Sweet cruised to his first NSL win and a big payday, ahead of Kerry Madsen, Ian Madsen, Marks and Abreu. McMahan, Swindell, Joey Saldana, Tim Kaeding and Danny Lasoski rounded out the top ten.
Heat winners were also rewarded handsomely. In addition to the usual NSL contingencies, they earned a $500 gift certificate from All Pro Cylinder Heads, Front wing kits from either HRP or Vortex, a Snow Pusher from Snowplow.com, and a canister of protein from Nutri Shop in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Heat winners included Kevin Thomas Jr., Mark Dobmeier, Brian Brown and Bryan Clauson. Clauson also picked up a KSE Power Steering Pump for being the feature hard-charger.
Kevin Ingle was awarded a brand new driver suit from Hinchman Racewear by random draw (a $1,400 value). Tasker Phillips dominated the B main, and earned a set of Weld front hubs. Brad Sweet’s mechanic picked up a 3/8 Micro Lithium Impact Kit courtesy of Des Moines Snap-On Tools Dealers.
Five lucky fans walked away with new flat screen TV’s courtesy of Sea Foam Motor Treatment and Monarch’s Restaurant in Pella! Much more was given away, including Hoosier tires, and certificates from Schoenfeld headers and Pro Shocks.
The FVP National Sprint League will compete next on Friday and Saturday, August 21 and 22. On Friday, they will be at the Fairmont Speedway in Minnesota, before heading to the Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa on the 22nd. For more information on the FVP National Sprint League, visit www.NationalSprintLeague.com.
Results from Southern Iowa Speedway
FVP A main (started), 30 laps: 1. 49, Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA [1]; 2. 29, Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. [2]; 3. 18, Ian Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. [6]; 4. 19M, Brent Marks, Myerstown, PA [3]; 5. 24R, Rico Abreu, St. Helena, CA [5]; 6. 51, Paul McMahan, Nashville, TN [7]; 7. 1, Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN [9]; 8. 71M, Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, IN [8]; 9. 3, Tim Kaeding, San Jose, CA [11]; 10. 2, Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO [10]; 11. 7, David Gravel, Watertown, CT [14]; 12. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO [15]; 13. 13, Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, ND [17]; 14. 17W, Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN [19]; 15. 93, Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, OH [18]; 16. 11K, Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN [21]; 17. 31B, Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA [22]; 18. 17B, Bill Balog, Brookfield, WI [12]; 19. 1B, Dale Blaney, Hartford, OH [4]; 20. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA [13]; 21. 7R, Roger Crockett, Medford, OR [23]; 22. 99, Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK [16]; 23. 0, Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA [24]; 24. 9K, Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, AL [20]. Lap Leader: Sweet 1-30. Hard-charger: Clauson.
Hooker Harness B main (started), 12 Laps: 1. Tasker Phillips [2]; 2. Sammy Swindell [1]; 3. Roger Crockett [3]; 4. Bud Kaeding [4] / 5. 4, Dakota Hendrickson, Omaha, NE [5]; 6. 55, Brooke Tatnell, Sans Souci, NSW, Aust. [6]; 7. 83, Aaron Reutzel, Clute, TX [7]; 8. 5v, Colby Copeland, Roseville, CA [9]; 9. 55XM, Brandon Wimmer, Fairmount, IN [8]; 10. 17M, Todd Mickelson, Minot, ND [10]; 11. 2K, Kevin Ingle, Huron, SD [11] DNS – 53, Jack Dover, Springfield, NE, 12, Lynton Jeffrey, Prairie City, IA, o5, Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, MO, 09, Matt Juhl, Tea, SD, 24, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA, 17A, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA
Fuel Safe Heat one (started), 8 Laps: 1. Kevin Thomas Jr. [1]; 2. Brady Bacon [2]; 3. Brent Marks [4]; 4. Kerry Madsen [6]; 5. Dale Blaney [5] / 6. Tasker Phillips [3]; 7. Colby Copeland [8]; 8. Dakota Hendrickson [7] DNS – Brad Loyet, Austin McCarl
DMI Heat two (started), 8 Laps: 1. Mark Dobmeier [2]; 2. Rico Abreu [4]; 3. David Gravel [3]; 4. Brad Sweet [6]; 5. Paul McMahan [5] / 6. Bud Kaeding [1]; 7. Brooke Tatnell [7]; 8. Todd Mickelson [8] DNS – Lynton Jeffrey
Kaeding Performance Heat three (started), 8 Laps: 1. Brian Brown [3]; 2. Kraig Kinser [1]; 3. Tim Kaeding [4]; 4. Sheldon Haudenschild [2]; 5. Danny Lasoski [5] / 6. Sammy Swindell [6]; 7. Aaron Reutzel [7]; 8. Brandon Wimmer [8] DNS – Terry McCarl
Maxim Racing Heat four (started), 8 Laps: 1. Bryan Clauson [2]; 2. Bill Balog [4]; 3. Ian Madsen [6]; 4. Joey Saldana [5]; 5. Shane Golobic [1] / 6. Roger Crockett [3]; 7. Kevin Ingle [8]; 8. Jack Dover [7] DNS – Matt Juhl
The Minnesota Mafia Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 Laps: 1. Kerry Madsen, 14.849 [15]; 2. Brad Sweet, 14.889 [20]; 3. Sammy Swindell, 14.910 [1]; 4. Ian Madsen, 15.012 [6]; 5. Dale Blaney, 15.050 [10]; 6. Paul McMahan, 15.068 [35]; 7. Danny Lasoski, 15.113 [23]; 8. Joey Saldana, 15.115 [36]; 9. Brent Marks, 15.166 [32]; 10. Rico Abreu, 15.208 [31]; 11. Tim Kaeding, 15.209 [9]; 12. Bill Balog, 15.210 [29]; 13. Tasker Phillips, 15.244 [21]; 14. David Gravel, 15.259 [25]; 15. Brian Brown, 15.277 [22]; 16. Roger Crockett, 15.292 [16]; 17. Brady Bacon, 15.321 [27]; 18. Mark Dobmeier, 15.328 [13]; 19. Sheldon Haudenschild, 15.352 [14]; 20. Bryan Clauson, 15.355 [3]; 21. Kevin Thomas Jr, 15.375 [18]; 22. Bud Kaeding, 15.395 [2]; 23. Kraig Kinser, 15.409 [8]; 24. Shane Golobic, 15.414 [17]; 25. Dakota Hendrickson, 15.434 [11]; 26. Brooke Tatnell, 15.465 [37]; 27. Aaron Reutzel, 15.472 [33]; 28. Jack Dover, 15.473 [30]; 29. Colby Copeland, 15.497 [4]; 30. Lynton Jeffrey, 15.514 [5]; 31. Brandon Wimmer, 15.620 [26]; 32. Kevin Ingle, 15.909 [24]; 33. Brad Loyet, 16.078 [19]; 34. Todd Mickelson, 17.407 [12]; 35. Terry McCarl NT [7] 36. Matt Juhl NT [28]; 37. Austin McCarl NT [34].
Contingencies
The Minnesota Mafia Quick Time – Kerry Madsen
Fuel Safe Heat – Tasker Phillips
DMI Heat – Mark Dobmeier
Kaeding Performance Heat – Brian Brown
Maxim Racing Heat – Bryan Clauson
Speedway Graphics “From the Tail Award” – Bryan Clauson
KSE Hard-charger Award – Bryan Clauson
Bell Helmets “Hard Luck Award” – Matt Juhl
Photo: Brad Sweet picked up the title belt and the $20,000 Front Row Challenge Monday night at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. (Rob Kocak Photo)
Sources: Bill Wright/FVP National Sprint League PR