The Hoosier Race Report: The Kid Makes a Statement

By Danny Burton

Danny Burton’s Hoosier Race Report appears courtesy of OpenWheelRacers.com

Lawrenceburg, IN… I often chuckle when people who should know better make predictions of any sort. Even trained professionals like meteorologists miss every now and then, as we all know. So, last night, September 10, I made another prediction and was wrong again.

Dickie Gaines started the feature at the Lawrenceburg Speedway on the front row and I thought that he would walk off with some of promoter Tom Wieck’s money. But Bryan Clauson, now in the Keith Kunz car, had other ideas. He took the lead early in the race and won the main event at the ‘burg. And reminded me why I don’t do much betting of any sort, not counting my insurance investments.

Throughout the weekend, and during the pleasant drive over to Lawrenceburg, I occasionally thought about the recent calamities in New Orleans and its surrounding areas. And with the four year anniversary of the destruction in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon, I had plenty to ponder. Our world is changing day by day, not always for the better, and not always for the worse. My continual prayer is that we learn from our mistakes, and from what life throws at us. Enough said.

I was running a bit late; Saturday night Mass at St. John’s Church in Dover, Indiana had already started. But things were running a bit late at the track as well. Matt Laffoon had taken a wild ride during hot laps before I arrived. He would take a trip to the local hospital, but returned later, no doubt hurting a bit.

38 cars, a good turnout, were in the house with five heat races. As mentioned, Bryan Clauson was now in the Kunz car. Darren Hagen was among the non-regulars on hand. Don Droud Jr. was also in the pits with the Indy Race Parts 71. And Derek Fisher was in the Greg Staub yellow 44 for the night, in what I believed to be his first ride in a sprint car. (Derek has a bit of TQ Midget experience and has also run some with the USAC Ford Focus Midgets this year. And yes, Virginia, he is from… Columbus, Indiana and his grandfather has sold me a few vehicles over the years.)

Clauson took the first heat over Brent Beauchamp and Ted Hines. Rick Vaughn came from fifth to win the second heat, followed by Tony Beaber and Jon Stanbrough. Dickie Gaines won the third heat, with Jason Knoke and Brandon Petty (from eighth) trailing. Matt Westfall came from fifth to win the fourth heat over Darren Hagen and Ryan Wunderlich, who made a nifty last lap pass. Rex Norris III took the last heat and Ryan Pace was second. Hud Cone, in the Hurst Brothers’ 91 instead of Mitch Cunningham, was third.

The B Main was sure to send some good cars home early. Luke Hall won the last chance race, taking Don Droud Jr., Kevin Besecker, Broc Burton (from 13th), and Chris Guinn to the feature with him. Chris Windom, Scotty Weir, and Troy Link led those who loaded up early.

Hagen and Gaines were the front row for the A Main. Norris, Beaber, Vaughn, Clauson, Knoke, Beauchamp, Pace, and Westfall made up the front half of the field. Gaines got the jump on Hagen at the start as Clauson began making his way to the front. It was around lap five when he took the lead, one that he’d not give up. Meanwhile Brandon Petty, who had started 15th, was up to sixth at lap five. Up at the very front Clauson, Gaines, and Hagen had broken away from the pack, leaving others to fight it out for the remaining spots. Halfway done and Westfall was fourth, followed by Petty and Vaughn. The only yellow flew on lap 19, giving Gaines one last chance at the lead. It wasn’t to be as Clauson won fairly easily. Dickie was trailed by Hagen, Petty, who had passed Westfall for fourth, and Matt held onto fifth. Knoke was a steady sixth, followed by Beaber, Burton (from 19th), Droud (from 17th), and Hines.

It’s true that Broc Burton is probably a very distant cousin, as we have figured out, but I have to mention that he did probably pass more cars last night than anyone else. 13th to fourth in the B Main, then 19th to eighth in the feature made for an eventful night for the kid from Columbus.

Jeff Harris came from mid-pack to win the UMP modified feature over J.D. Largent. Tony Anderson was only 11th in the modified feature, but won the super stock main event. And Jordan Paschal won the 600 Legends/KOIL Tour feature. I had to wonder if this guy is related to NASCAR great Jim Paschal, who raced from NASCAR’s earliest days until the early 70’s. He is from Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina, not far from Charlotte.

Next Saturday is the ‘burg’s next to last big show of the year. The All-Star Circuit of Champions will come to town for the Hoosier Fall Classic. This will be a one day show. The sprinters will be there as well for a $1500 to win program. And in addition the UMP modifieds will run for $700 to win.

I have to add that the following morning we head off to the mountains after a night spent in Erlanger, Kentucky, right across the river from Lawrenceburg.

INDIANA… Elsewhere, around the state Shane Cottle was the sprint winner at Gas City Friday night. 46 cars turned out up at the I-69 Speedway. Jesse Cramer and James Headley also won their features. Up at Angola Jimmy McCune won the HOSS feature last Sunday night. Derek Snyder was the midget winner. Doug Heck was the sprint’s winner at Paragon. Everett Bradham was the Wolfpack Challenge winner at Paragon. Winners at Lincoln Park were T.J. Farrar, Dan McCullough, Ritchie Hawkins, and Ed Shamhart, who won the UMP modified’s Patriot 100. Just across the state line at Kankakee it was Chris Arihood winning in IMOD action. Things are winding down as some tracks have already shut down for the year. But there is plenty of racing left in Indiana for another six weeks or so.

Keeping busy distributing crying towels for the Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon fans, I’m…

Danny Burton

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