1/23/2016
Bryan Clauson
Clauson Makes it Two-for-Two at Winter Challenge - Win Number 3 on Circular Insanity Tour
Lonnie Wheatley, PEORIA, Ariz. (January 23, 2016) – Eight races into the Circular Insanity Tour quest for 200 races in 2016, Bryan Clauson picked off his second Winter Challenge win in as many nights on Saturday to run the early season win total to three.
After winning Friday night’s USAC Southwest vs. USAC West Coast Sprint Car Winter Challenge opener, Clauson and the Mike Martin-owned team found themselves in scramble mode when mechanical woes surfaced.
“We had a little trouble with the Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 16b, we were able to jump into Mike’s backup car,” Clauson explained. “I can’t say enough about how hard those guys work, we didn’t have any laps in that car when we went out for the heat race and we were able to get it working well enough.”
While Clauson gridded the feature field outside the second row, Brian Hosford set the early pace before spinning to a stop in turn three after getting together with a lapped car after eight laps.
Charles Davis, Jr., assumed the point with R.J. Johnson, Josh Hodges and Clauson dicing for position in his wake. Clauson made his way up to second by the time a red flag flew after 17 laps for Guy Weedman, who got on his side in turn one, and then charged by Davis, Jr., on the high side of turns one and two on the restart to take command.
“I screwed up on the restart, I went to the bottom and that wasn’t the right thing to do,” Davis, Jr., commented afterward.
Johnson followed Clauson around Davis, Jr., and tried to mount a late charge, but to no avail. “I tried a couple of Hail Mary’s, it just wasn’t enough.”
Clauson’s second win in as many nights came atop the 1/3-mile clay oval that has been friendly to home over the years. “This is kind of like a home away from home, I don’t really know what it is but we always seem to get around here pretty good.”
Canyon Speedway Park
January 23, 2016 – Winter Challenge 2016 Night Two of Five Results
USAC Southwest vs. USAC West Coast Sprint Cars:
Heat One: 1. 74x-Josh Hodges, 2. 13-Dennis Gile, 3. 27w-Guy Weedman, 4. 45-Bob Strait, 5. 4-David Dykes, 6. 16-Mike Martin.
Heat Two: 1. 16b-Bryan Clauson, 2. 50-Charles Davis, Jr., 3. 0k-Kenny Perkins, 4. 48T-Thomas Ogle, 5. 34-Tanner Grau, 6. 50x-Will Perkins.
Heat Three: 1. 51-R.J. Johnson, 2. 22b-Brian Hosford, 3. 11c-Michael Curtis, 4. 12k-Mason Keefer, 5. 58-Connor Strait, 6. 5x-Matt McCarthy.
“A” Feature (30 Laps): 1. 16b-Bryan Clauson, 2. 51-R.J. Johnson, 3. 50-Charles Davis, Jr., 4. 74x-Josh Hodges, 5. 22b-Brian Hosford, 6. 13-Dennis Gile, 7. 48T-Thomas Ogle, 8. 0k-Kenny Perkins, 9. 16-Mike Martin, 10. 11c-Michael Curtis, 11. 34-Tanner Grau, 12. 4-David Dykes, 13. 45-Bob Strait, 14. 58-Connor Strait, 15. 50x-Will Perkins, 16. 12k-Mason Keefer, 17. 27w-Guy Weedman, 18. 5x-Matt McCarthy.
(Photo courtesy of Sean Buckley)
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley
Submitted By: Bryan Clauson