RACE REPORT: Ryan Smith Takes Advantage of Macedo’s Misfortune for Angell Park All Star Victory
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (July 26, 2018) – The “Kunkletown Kid” Ryan Smith earned his first Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 victory of the 2018 season in a thriller on Thursday night at Angell Park Speedway, inheriting command with just two circuits remaining after race leader, Carson Macedo, retired with mechanical woes. In actuality, Smith, the part-time pilot of the McGhee Motorsports/Mike McGhee and Associates/No. 11 sprint car, inherited the lead twice during the All Star/IRA Outlaw Sprint Series event in Sun Prairie, Wis., but the second proved to be worth $5,000.
Multi-time IRA Outlaw Sprint Series champion, Bill Balog, rallied nine positions to finish second at Angell Park Speedway, followed by Dave Blaney, Chad Kemenah, and California invader, Rico Abreu.
“I really can’t thank my guys enough for their hard work, and for them giving me this opportunity to drive their car,” Ryan Smith said in Angell Park Speedway victory lane. “We’ve been getting faster and faster every time we race together. It feels great to finally get an All Star win.”
Although Smith started from the pole position, it was fellow front row starter Aaron Reutzel who earned the early advantage, immediately taking control of the 24-car field as the opening green flags waved.
A quick pace around Angell Park Speedway’s 1/3-mile, clay oval led the Cute, Texas, native into traffic for the first time on lap four. Despite multiple roadblocks in the form of lapped cars, Reutzel was able to maintain momentum by utilizing the speedway’s gnarly cushion, weaving through traffic safely until the main event’s first caution appeared on lap 13. Unfortunately for Reutzel, he would become involved in that caution, eventually forced to retire and surrender the lead after another driver made contact with the seven-time All Star winner while attempting to slow for the caution. Reutzel’s damage was severe and would not return.
With Reutzel out, Ryan Smith would inherit the top spot, now with Chad Kemenah and Carson Macedo on his heels. Smith led the field for the next five circuits until a mistake cost him the point position. Miscalculating the turn four cushion, Smith jumped the edge of the racing groove and nearly lost control allowing fifth-starting Carson Macedo to drive by to lead lap 19.
Ironically enough, the turn four cushion, which nearly ended Smith’s feature campaign entirely, gave the “Kunkletown Kid” a second chance. As Macedo was battling through traffic with two and a half laps remaining, the Lemoore, Calif., native hopped the curb in turn four resulting in terminal front end damage. Macedo limped across the line but caution flags waved soon thereafter setting up a green-white-checkered restart. Ryan Smith inherited the top spot, ultimately holding off Bill Balog and Dave Blaney at the final checkers.
“Definitely a wild one tonight,” Smith continued. “That was a tough deal for Carson (Macedo). I’ve lost races the same way and it definitely hurts. The cushion bit us once, but we were able to capitalize on my mistake later in the race and get the win. We’ll head further down the road and try again tomorrow at Jackson.”
The Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 will continue their four-day trek through the Midwest with a stop at the Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., on Friday, July 27. Tony Stewart’s All Stars will battle for a $10,000 top prize during their visit to southern Minnesota’s state-of-the-art complex; the first and only All Star visit to the Land of 10,000 Lakes in 2018.
Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., will open pit gates at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 27. A mandatory All Star Circuit of Champions drivers meeting will take shape at 6:30 p.m., followed by hot laps at 7:30 p.m. Those seeking additional news and notes should visit Jackson Motorplex live on the Web at www.jacksonmotorplex.com.
Contingency Awards/Results: Angell Park Speedway – Thursday, July 26, 2018:
Sprint Spectacular
EMi Driver’s Meeting: 39 Entrants
State Water Heaters Warm-Ups: Dominic Scelzi – 12.204 seconds
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Ryan Smith – 12.056 seconds
Ford Performance Heat #1: Paul McMahan
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: Jac Haudenschild
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Aaron Reutzel
Mobil 1 Heat #4: Tony Stewart
JE Pistons Dash #1: Ryan Smith
Wix Filters Dash #2: Aaron Reutzel
Classic Ink USA B-Main: Cale Conley
Daido Engine Bearings Main Event Winner: Ryan Smith
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Parker Price-Miller (+11)
(Lincoln Electric, Daido Engine Bearings, MSD Performance: Need decal to qualify for contingency award)
Qualifying
Group (A)
1. 11-Ryan Smith, 12.056; 2. 3G-Carson Macedo, 12.092; 3. 5J-Jeremy Schultz, 12.267; 4. 13-Paul McMahan, 12.321; 5. 22-Brandon Spithaler, 12.402; 6. 5H-Sammy Walsh, 12.531; 7. 65-Jordan Goldesberry, 12.630; 8. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski, 12.846; 9. 19-Todd Daun, 13.090; 10. 29-Hunter Custer, 13.996
Group (B)
1. 83-Cory Eliason, 12.180; 2. 59-Sammy Swindell, 12.340; 3. 17B-Bill Balog, 12.375; 4. 3-Jac Haudenschild, 12.393; 5. 7K-Cale Conley, 12.425; 6. 4-Parker Price-Miller, 12.569; 7. 73-Ben Schmidt, 12.640; 8. 7-Scott Uttech, 12.735; 9. 4K-Kris Spitz, 12.834; 10. O2-Mike Reinke, 12.855
Group (C)
1. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 12.196; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.313; 3. 41S-Dominic Scelzi, 12.529; 4. 23-Russel Borland, 12.552; 5. 98-Carl Bowser, 12.825; 6. 24-Rico Abreu, 12.829; 7. 2W-Scotty Neitzel, 12.987; 8. 85M-Steve Meyer, 13.007; 9. 35-Tyler Esh, 13.040; 10. 63-Nick Matuszewski, 13.207
Group (D)
1. 14-Tony Stewart, 12.406; 2. 64-Scotty Thiel, 12.426; 3. 26-Joey Saldana, 12.528; 4. 70-Dave Blaney, 12.534; 5. 25-Jake Blackhurst, 12.558; 6. 10W-Brandon McMullen, 12.593; 7. 4B-Scott Biertzer, 12.665; 8. 43-Jereme Schroeder, 13.579; 9. 12-Mike Decker, NT
Heat #1 – Group (A) (10 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 13-Paul McMahan [1]; 2. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [2]; 3. 3G-Carson Macedo [3]; 4. 11-Ryan Smith [4]; 5. 22-Brandon Spithaler [5]; 6. 5H-Sammy Walsh [6]; 7. 65-Jordan Goldesberry [7]; 8. 19-Todd Daun [9]; 9. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski [8]; 10. 29-Hunter Custer [10]
Heat #2 – Group (B) (10 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 3-Jac Haudenschild [1]; 2. 59-Sammy Swindell [3]; 3. 17B-Bill Balog [2]; 4. 83-Cory Eliason [4]; 5. 4-Parker Price-Miller [6]; 6. 7K-Cale Conley [5]; 7. 73-Ben Schmidt [7]; 8. 7-Scott Uttech [8]; 9. 4K-Kris Spitz [9]; 10. O2-Mike Reinke [10]
Heat #3 – Group (C) (10 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [3]; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah [4]; 3. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [2]; 4. 24-Rico Abreu [6]; 5. 23-Russel Borland [1]; 6. 2W-Scotty Neitzel [7]; 7. 98-Carl Bowser [5]; 8. 35-Tyler Esh [9]; 9. 85M-Steve Meyer [8]; 10. 63-Nick Matuszewski [10]
Heat #4 – Group (D) (10 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 14-Tony Stewart [4]; 2. 70-Dave Blaney [1]; 3. 64-Scotty Thiel [3]; 4. 26-Joey Saldana [2]; 5. 25-Jake Blackhurst [5]; 6. 4B-Scott Biertzer [7]; 7. 43-Jereme Schroeder [8]; 8. 12-Mike Decker [9]; 9. 10W-Brandon McMullen [6]
Dash #1 (4 Laps)
1. 11-Ryan Smith [1]; 2. 70-Dave Blaney [2]; 3. 3G-Carson Macedo [3]; 4. 3-Jac Haudenschild [5]; 5. 59-Sammy Swindell [4]
Dash #2 (4 Laps)
1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [2]; 2. 14-Tony Stewart [1]; 3. 10H-Chad Kemenah [3]; 4. 13-Paul McMahan [5]; 5. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [4]
B-Main (12 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer
1. 7K-Cale Conley [1]; 2. 5H-Sammy Walsh [2]; 3. 2W-Scotty Neitzel [4]; 4. 10W-Brandon McMullen [13]; 5. 65-Jordan Goldesberry [5]; 6. 73-Ben Schmidt [6]; 7. 98-Carl Bowser [7]; 8. 12-Mike Decker [12]; 9. 14AJ-Wayne Modjeski [15]; 10. 35-Tyler Esh [10]; 11. 4K-Kris Spitz [14]; 12. 19-Todd Daun [11]; 13. 63-Nick Matuszewski [17]; 14. 4B-Scott Biertzer [3]; 15. 29-Hunter Custer [18]; 16. 43-Jereme Schroeder [8]; 17. 7-Scott Uttech [9]
A-Main (35 Laps)
1. 11-Ryan Smith [1]; 2. 17B-Bill Balog [11]; 3. 70-Dave Blaney [3]; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah [6]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu [16]; 6. 41S-Dominic Scelzi [13]; 7. 13-Paul McMahan [8]; 8. 83-Cory Eliason [14]; 9. 4-Parker Price-Miller [20]; 10. 59-Sammy Swindell [9]; 11. 64-Scotty Thiel [12]; 12. 22-Brandon Spithaler [17]; 13. 5J-Jeremy Schultz [10]; 14. 25-Jake Blackhurst [19]; 15. 7K-Cale Conley [21]; 16. 3G-Carson Macedo [5]; 17. 2W-Scotty Neitzel [23]; 18. 10W-Brandon McMullen [24]; 19. 14-Tony Stewart [4]; 20. 5H-Sammy Walsh [22]; 21. 87-Aaron Reutzel [2]; 22. 3-Jac Haudenschild [7]; 23. 26-Joey Saldana [15]; 24. 23-Russel Borland [18] Lap Leaders: Aaron Reutzel (1-12), Ryan Smith (13-18), Carson Macedo (19-33), Ryan Smith (34, 35)
All Star Circuit of Champions Driver Standings: (after 7/26/2018)
1. Carson Macedo – 3306
2. Chad Kemenah – 3300
3. Aaron Reutzel – 3294
4. Jac Haudenschild – 3206
5. Dave Blaney – 3160
6. Paul McMahan – 3120
7. Parker Price-Miller – 3082
8. Cale Conley – 2922
9. Carl Bowser – 2710
10. Brandon Spithaler – 2704
About the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1:
All Star Enterprises, LLC, wholly owned by Tony Stewart, d/b/a the All Star Circuit of Champions, is a winged sprint car series. The All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series is one of the oldest traveling 410 sprint car organizations and is a staple of grassroots, open-wheel racing. Formed in 1970 by Bud Miller, the series has largely been considered the first ‘outlaw’ Sprint Car organization of the modern era. Motorsports entrepreneur Tony Stewart agreed to terms with Guy Webb to become the sole owner of the original winged sprint car tour in January of 2015. In 2018, MAVTV Motorsports Network will be the official television home of the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 and will broadcast eight high-profile events.
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Photo Credit: All Star Media
Sources: Tyler Altmeyer/Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 PR