BRADY SMITH HOLDS OFF CHRIS SIMPSON FOR DEER CREEK WIN By Bill Nelson
Spring Valley, MN Sep 02, 2008 - Brady Smith held off a late race charge by Chris Simpson to claim the World Dirt Racing League win at Deer Creek Speedway. Despite a late race yellow, Smith was able to hold of Chris and Chad Simpson for the win.
Chris Simpson (Oxford, IA) and Brady Smith (Solon Springs, WI) battled back
and forth for the lead as the forty-lap feature began. Chad Simpson (Mount
Vernon, IA) ran third just behind the battle for the lead.
Chris Simpson eventual took over the top spot, but Smith stayed close. The
two worked for heavy lapped traffic. Smith would work back around to the
lead when Chris Simpson hopped the cushion trying to deal with a lapped car.
A caution on lap thirty-eight would tighten the field, but Smith was able to
hold of both Simpson brothers for the win.
"I wasn't saving the car," Smith admitted in victory lane. "I was giving it
all I had. The track worked the track before the show, and I hope the fans
saw a great race. I think they did. You could run anywhere on the race
track."
Smith talked about the pass for the lead through heavy lapped traffic.
"I learned a long time ago that you can't slow down for lapped traffic,"
Smith commented. "We got in there, and there was no contact. The moved
paid off."
"I'd like to dedicate this win to my daughter (Rowan)," Smith smiled. "It's
her birthday today."
Chris Simpson finished second. Chad Simpson, Justin Fegers, and Eric Pember
rounded out the top five.
Alan Mondus led all 35 laps of the O'Reilly USMTS National Tour main event
Saturday night at the Deer Creek Speedway for what appeared to be his first
O'Reilly USMTS National Tour victory.
Unfortunately for the 20-year-old from Lakeville, Minn., his celebration was
cut short when his Modified rolled across the scales and failed to meet the
minimum weight requirement, resulting in his disqualification.
His loss was Tim Donlinger's gain as Donlinger was awarded the win after
finishing second to Mondus on the track. The win was Donlinger's second in a
row and third in the Casey's General Stores Hunt for the O'Reilly USMTS
National Championship.
Donlinger, who has six USRA Modified wins during weekly racing action at
Deer Creek this season, pocketed $2,000 for his efforts. Perhaps more
important, the win propelled the Rochester, Minn. veteran to the top of the
rankings in 'The Hunt' as he seeks to become just the third driver in the
10-year history of the USMTS o take the title.
Fertile, Iowa's Kelly Shryock, who possesses eight of the nine O'Reilly
USMTS National Championship crowns and has nine career USMTS victories at
Deer Creek, came into Saturday night's 5th Annual Labor Day Dual as the
points leader. He started 15th in the main event, went to the rear of the
field early in the race after changing a flat tire, then raced back through
the pack to finish fourth.
Despite his efforts, Shryock dropped two spots in the standings behind
Donlinger and Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, who started next to
Shryock in 16th, but finished two spots ahead in second.
With nine races in the books and six more to go, a mere eight points
separate the trio at the top of the standings. Donlinger has 849 points,
VanderBeek 845 and Shryock 841. Jon Tesch is fourth with 793 markers,
followed by Al Hejna (760), Dereck Ramirez (689), Tommy Weder Jr. (664),
Brandon Kenny (637), Corey Dripps (628) and Alan Mondus (621).
The second-winningest driver in USMTS history behind Shryock, Tommy Myer
finished third in Saturday's Holley "A" Main, while Mike Sorensen finished
fifth. Sixth went to Layne Meyer, Richie Gustin Jr. was seventh, Nate
Wasmund finished eighth, Jason Cummins was ninth and Jeff Schluetter rounded
out the top-10.
Wasmund started 21st on the 24-car grid and earned the KSE Racing Products
Hard Charger Award by passing 13 cars in the 35-lapper.
A jam-packed grandstand was on hand Saturday night as the WDRL Late Models
were also on the racing card. With 52 USMTS Modifieds checked in for action,
this was the final tune-up race before the 10th Annual Featherlite Fall
Jamboree, Sept. 17-20 at the Deer Creek Speedway.
