6/19/2019
CHAD SIMPSON TOP'S THE FIELD AT DUBUQUE FOR MLRA WIN
Dubuque, IA-Defending Lucas Oil MLRA Series champion Chad Simpson beat mother nature and bested the field to score Saturday nights Lucas Oil MLRA feature win at the Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway. The $3,000 win was Simpson's first of the season with the MLRA in the inaugural event at the Eastern Iowa facility.
Decorah Iowa's Tyler Bruening took advantage of his DirtonDirt.com Pole position to take the early lead from series point leader Will Vaught as they set a wicked fast pace in the 40 lap main event. While Bruening's Capital Chassis was out in front by nearly two seconds, Chad Simpson began to slowly close the gap on the race leader as he searched for a quicker line around the 3/8-mile facility.
As the duo, along with Vaught, neared the half-way point they began to approach heavy lapped traffic. The traffic allowed Simpson to show the leader his nose multiple times, which appeared to benefit Bruening by allowing him to adjust his line to that of the fast closing Simpson. However, on lap number 21 Simpson was able to get under Bruening exiting turn four and take the advantage by the narrowest of margins at the line.
Just two laps later, after making contact with Bruening, Vaught spun at the entrance to turn three. The contact caused damage to the steering of the series leaders XR1 Rocket Chassis and would eventually sideline him from the night with a fifteenth place finish.
On the restart lady luck would strike the top five once again, as fifth running Jeremy Grady went around in turns one and two resulting in yet another caution on the speedway. Returning to green, Simpson and Bruening again battled for the top spot until fourth running Jeremiah Hurst brought out the caution with just eleven laps to go.
With the laps winding down it appeared that Bruening was going to be able to take a shot at the race leader. Utilizing the top side and its momentum, Bruening was within striking distance when disaster stuck with only four laps remaining. Bruening's hard run came up just short when he appeared to drop a driveshaft exiting turn number four and slowed down the front stretch bringing out the events final caution.
The final restart would find Chris Simpson in the runner-up position with a short at stealing the win from his brother. However, Chad Simpson would not be denied and cruised to the MLRA win while Chris settled for second. Mitch McGrath took advantage of Vaught's misfortunes and came home in third to tighten the series points battle, while Jason Rauen and Joel Callahan completed the top five.
Simpson credit Saturday nights victory to the spotting help from his crew. "I've got to thank both my crew guys (Gus) Farmer and Waylon (Schultz), they were standing on both ends for me. Bruening was just in the wrong place at the wrong time when I chased him down and got by him in the lapped traffic. Those guys right there, my two crew guys, are the ones that won me the race tonight," concluded Simpson.
Simpson said of the races final restart with four to go, "This Jay Dickens Motor runs like hell, it's a good piece. I just had to make sure I didn't slide up and get too free in the corner. I knew there at the end my brother would be pretty good on the bottom, so I had to make sure I covered that bottom too."
Next weekend the Lucas Oil MLRA will make their final appearances of the season in the state of Iowa. A rare Thursday date will kick things off on June 20th when the series makes their first ever stop at the Cresco Speedway located on the grounds of the Howard County Fairgrounds. The second half of the weekend will wrap up at the Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa. Both events are schedule to pay $3,000 to the winner with $400 to start the A-Main.
For all of the latest news and information fans are encouraged to visit the series website at www.MLRARacing.com.
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Article Credit: Ernie Leftwich
