Kyle Larson Wins $21,000 Chess Match with Brian Brown for Second Career Front Row Challenge Win
Colin Smith Wins with Racesavers
Oskaloosa, IA, Monday, August 9, 2021 – Kyle Larson won his second career Front Row Challenge title with a thrilling drive on Monday night at the Southern Iowa Speedway. The win, aboard Paul Silva’s #57, was worth $21,000 for the Elk Grove, California native.
A win in the Keith Hutton Memorial DeBerg Concrete King of the Hill Match Race set Brian Brown up on the pole of the 30-lap main event. Brown led Daryn Pittman, Kasey Kahne, Larson and Carson Macedo in the early going.
The leaders entered lapped traffic on the seventh circuit, and Larson worked his way under Kahne for the second spot on lap ten. Kahne battled back and briefly took the spot back on lap 13, but Larson pulled away and then stayed close as a blanket could be thrown over the lead trio of Brown, Pittman and Larson in traffic.
On lap 15, Larson shot around Pittman in turn two to take second and then rode the cushion around Brown to take the lead. Kahne shot by Pittman on lap 16 for third. A caution flew 18 laps in when Cale Thomas came to a stop.
On the ensuing restart, Larson kept his lead while back in the pack, Macedo gained fourth. Anthony Macri joined the top five with eight laps to go, and two circuits later, the final caution flew for a stopped Riley Goodno.
Brown went for broke on the restart and put a slidejob on Larson. He gained the lead in turn one, but Larson regained it with his momentum down the backstretch. He pulled away to another popular win (his first FRC title was in 2018).
Brown, Macedo, Macri and Kahne followed. Pittman, Shane Stewart, Gio Scelzi, Brock Zearfoss and Shane Golobic rounded out the top ten. Several drivers enjoyed contingencies (full list below). Scelzi set quick time, while Zearfoss, Tim Kaeding and John Carney II won heat races.
In the 15-lap $1,000 to win Badger Steel IMCA Racesaver feature, Monty Ferriera led Colin Smith and Jacob Hughes early. Hughes drove under Smith for second shortly thereafter. On lap seven, Jack Potter came to a stop setting up a restart.
The leaders stayed unchanged through a caution for a stopped Nate Weiler on lap nine. Two laps later, disaster struck the leader, as Ferriera came to a rest with four laps to go.
Hughes inherited the point, but Smith jumped him on the restart and sailed to victory over Mike Moore, who nabbed second with two to go, Hughes, Marcus Thomas and Jake Greenwood. Jack Potter, Katlyn Boland, Steve Hurst, Cam Martin and Ferriera completed the top ten.
26th Annual Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge presented by Musco Lighting Results and Contingencies
Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge Main Event (started), 30 laps: 1. 57, Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA (4) 2. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (1) 3. 41, Carson Macedo, Lemoore, CA (6) 4. 39M, Anthony Macri, Dillsburg, PA (8) 5. 83, Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, WA (2) 6. 39, Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK (3) 7. 71, Shane Stewart, Bixby, OK (7) 8. 18, Gio Scelzi, Fresno, CA (5) 9. 3z, Brock Zearfoss, Jonestown, PA (15) 10. 17w, Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA (10) 11. 11TK, Tim Kaeding, Campbell, CA (16) 12. 19, Brent Marks, Myerstown, PA (12) 13. 17A, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (14) 14. 7, John Carney II, El Paso, OK (11) 15. N47, Marcus Dumesny, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (19) 16. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (23) 17. 11, Spencer Bayston, Lebanon, IN (9) 18. 22, Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA (22) 19. 70, Sammy Swindell, Lakeland, TN (20) 20. 101, Cale Thomas, Fairland, IN (17) 21. 25, Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, SA, Aust. (13) 22. 07, Skylar Gee, Leduc, ALB, Can. (18) 23. 53, Jessie Attard, Landilo, NSW, Aust. (24) 24. 2K, Kevin Ingle, Huron, SD (21) DNS – Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO. Lap Leaders: Brown 1-14, Larson 15-30. KSE Steering Pump/ $500 Jack Housby Hard-charger: Martin. March Stuchel Snap-On Mechanic of the Race: Paul Silva.
Seafoam Motor Treatment $500 Quick Time: Gio Scelzi, 15.392 seconds.
Rayce Rudeen/HRP Heat Races ($1,000 in cash and prizes to win)
Heat one (started), 8 laps: 1. Brock Zearfoss (1) 2. Shane Golobic (2) 3. Kasey Kahne (4) 4. Brian Brown (5) 5. Austin McCarl (3) 6. Gio Scelzi (6) 7. Kevin Ingle (8) 8. Jessie Attard (7) DNS – Ayrton Gennetten
Heat two (started), 8 laps: 1. Tim Kaeding (1) 2. Scott Bogucki (2) 3. Anthony Macri (4) 4. Brent Marks (3) 5. Shane Stewart (5) 6. Carson Macedo (6) 7. Marcus Dumesny (7) 8. Riley Goodno (8)
Heat three (started), 8 laps: 1. John Carney II (2) 2. Skylar Gee (1) 3. Spencer Bayston (4) 4. Daryn Pittman (5) 5. Kyle Larson (6) 6. Cale Thomas (3) 7. Sammy Swindell (7) 8. Chris Martin (8)
DeBerg Concrete $1,000 Keith Hutton Memorial “King of the Hill,” 2 laps:Round one: 1. Kyle Larson (2) 2. Kasey Kahne (4) / 3. Gio Scelzi (1) 4. Shane Stewart (3) Round two: 1. Brian Brown (1) 2. Daryn Pittman (3) / 3. Carson Macedo (2) 4. Anthony Macri (4) Final Round: 1. Brian Brown (2) 2. Kasey Kahne (3) 3. Daryn Pittman (4) 4. Kyle Larson (1)
$1,200 Wilwood Hard Luck Award: Gennetten
$500 Hoseheads Highest Finishing PA Posse: Macri
Two Hoosier Tires from Premier Speedway for Highest Finishing Aussie: Dumesny
Hoosier Tires from Knoxville Raceway: Brown, A. McCarl, Martin
Other Contingencies: Schoenfeld Headers, HRP, BMRS
Badger Steel IMCA Racesavers
A main (started), 15 laps: 1. O5, Colin Smith, Sheldon, IA (3) 2. 69, Mike Moore, Des Moines, IA (7) 3. 8, Jacob Hughes, Hartford, SD (1) 4. 10G, Marcus Thomas, Corsicana, TX (9) 5. 43, Jake Greenwood, Woodward, IA (4) 6. 15, Jack Potter, Lee’s Summit, MO (8) 7. Katelyn Boland, Columbia, MO (11) 8. 45, Steve Hurst, Fremont, NE (10) 9. 4, Cam Martin, Ankeny, IA (6) 10. 45x, Monty Ferriera, Lincoln, NE (2) 11. 4w, Nate Weiler, Omaha, NE (5) 12. 4L, Mike Houseman Jr., Des Moines, IA (12) DNS – 12P, Ryan Navratil, Des Moines, IA, 53, Joe Miller, Vail, IA. Lap Leaders: Ferriera 1-11, Smith 12-15. Hard-charger: Moore.
Heat one (started), 6 laps: 1. Colin Smith (1) 2. Jake Greenwood (2) 3. Nate Weiler (4) 4. Mike Moore (6) 5. Jack Potter (7) 6. Ryan Navratil (3) 7. Katelyn Boland (5)
Heat two (started), 6 laps: 1. Monty Ferriera (2) 2. Jacob Hughes (5) 3. Cam Martin (7) 4. Marcus Thomas (3) 5. Steve Hurst (4) 6. Joe Miller (1) DNS – Mike Houseman Jr.
Sources: Bill Wright
Photo: Kyle Larson celebrates his win at the Front Row Challenge in Oskaloosa Monday (Paul Arch Photo)