CANTON, ILL. (September 7, 2019) – Putting an exclamation point on a weekend sweep, Logan Seavey of Sutter, Calif. continued his winning ways on Saturday night with an exciting late-race rally to take the cake at Spoon River Speedway. Going top shelf, Seavey tiptoed around the outside of the 3/8th-mile and treaded the cushion while rocketing to the lead with five to go and storming off for his ninth POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League win of the year
In a season chalked full of dominance, Saturday’s triumph gave Seavey yet another accolade in his booming career. Not only did the 22-year old Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports star sneak closer to Christopher Bell’s record of 11 POWRi National Midgets wins in a single season, but he became the all-time leader in a separate category.
Scoring his 17th-career victory in thrilling fashion, the Sutter, Calif. native advanced to eighth on the all-time wins list and surpassed Darren Hagen of Riverside, Calif. to become the winningest California driver in POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League history.
Before the pageantry of yet another victory lane commenced, a trio of leader commanded the field in what was an all-around enticing 30-lapper. Started by the front row of Tanner Carrick and Jake Neuman, it was Neuman of New Berlin, Ill. who found the top first and led the opening lap aboard his Jim Neuman Racing, Brandt, BOSS/SR-11 No. 3N.
Neuman’s advantage was shortlived, however, as Carrick of Lincoln, Calif. came bolting to the lead on lap two and pointed his Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports, Walker Filters, Bullet/Toyota No. 71K to the top. Bringing his KKM teammate along for the ride, Carrick saw a charging Seavey throw several sliders his way early on but responded to every attempt and maintained command lap-in and lap-out.
While Carrick and Seavey were focused on each other, a new challenger came roaring to life as Tyler Thomas of Collinsville, Okla. methodically rolled the low line and put his BT Machine, Spike/Toyota No. 91T in contention. With open track ahead, Thomas drove by both Seavey and Carrick to assume the race lead on lap eight.
A lap ten caution restacked the field and bunched them up, but Thomas remained strong out front while Seavey struggled with passing Carrick for the second spot and the back end of the top five continued shuffling with Spencer Bayston, Tucker Klaasmeyer, Ace McCarthy and Zach Daum all battling.
However, that intense fight for position soon turned drastic, as Bayston’s No. 19 and Klaasmeyer’s No. 27 collided at the entry to turn three, resulting in both cars going for nasty tumbles. Both drivers would climb out of their respective cars, although very gingerly, showing the magnitude of the scary crash.
Going back to green with 11 laps left, fans at Spoon River were treated to a three-way for the top spot as Thomas crept down low, Carrick rolled through the middle and Seavey. Blasted the cushion. Finding the sweet spot up top, Seavey swept around the outside and built his momentum before flying by Carrick and then tracking down Thomas for the lead with five to go.
Clearing the pass at the exit of turn four, Seavey’s No. 67 rocketed off the banking and went screaming down the frontstretch as he edged ahead of Thomas’ No. 91T to lead the 25th lap. Keeping it close, Thomas kept Seavey honest and made it a close race until a slow lapper on the bottom held him up and essentially handed Seavey the W.
Leading only five laps, Logan Seavey lurked in the late running and capitalized for his ninth POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League win of the 2019 season. Completing a weekend sweep for the Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports, Mobil 1, Bullet/Toyota No. 67, Seavey won his first-ever event at Spoon River all the while inching closer to the history books.
Trailing Seavey to the finish line was Tyler Thomas with a close second-place result and Tanner Carrick with a third-place effort. Rounding out the top five was Zach Daum and Jesse Colwell, while top ten finishers included Ace McCarthy in sixth, Jesse Love in seventh, Andrew Layser in eighth, Holley Hollan in ninth and Daison Pursley in tenth.
The POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League resumes next weekend with a trip to Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. on Friday, September 13 and then a night at Macon Speedway in Macon, Ill. on Saturday, September 14.
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Auto Meter Heat One (8 Laps):
- 3N-Jake Neuman, New Berlin, IL (3); 2. 91T-Tyler Thomas, Collinsville, OK (4); 3. 9-Daison Pursley, Locust Grove, OK (6); 4. 86C-Dalton Camfield, Decatur, IL (2); 5. 97K-Jesse Love, Redwood City, CA (5); 6. 77-Blaze Bennett, Parker, CO (1); 7. 17C-Devin Camfield, Decatur, IL (7).
KSE Racing Products Heat Two (8 Laps):
- 67-Logan Seavey, Sutter, CA (2); 2. 5D-Zach Daum, Pocahontas, IL (3); 3. 71-Jesse Colwell, Red Bluff, CA (1); 4. 47BC-Andrew Layser, Collegeville, PA (7); 5. 9X-Clinton Boyles, Greenwood, MO (6); 6. 10-Lance Bennett, Parker, CO (4); 7. 16C-Dave Camfield Jr., Decatur, IL (5).
Advanced Racing Suspension Heat Three (8 Laps):
- 19-Spencer Bayston, Lebanon, IN (1); 2. 28-Ace McCarthy, Tahlequah, OK (3); 3. 1NZ-Michael Pickens, Auckland, NZ (6); 4. 72-Sam Johnson, St. Peters, MO (5); 5. 00-Luke Howard, Overland Park, KS (4); 6. 11-Tyler Baran, Joliet, IL (2); 7. 11B-Jeff Zelinski, Joliet, IL (7).
Schoenfeld Headers Heat Four (8 Laps):
- 71K-Tanner Carrick, Lincoln, CA (4); 2. 67K-Holley Hollan, Broken Arrow, OK (2); 3. 27-Tucker Klaasmeyer, Paola, KS (7); 4. 7X-Brock Maskovich (3); 5. 99-Ryan Probst, New Lenox, IL (6); 6. 10A-Ryan Shilkuski (1); 7. 08-Cannon McIntosh, Bixby, OK (5).
Rod End Supply B-Main (12 Laps / 6 Transfer):
- 08-Cannon McIntosh (12); 2. 97K-Jesse Love (3); 3. 86C-Dalton Camfield (2); 4. 16C-Dave Camfield Jr. (11); 5. 99-Ryan Probst (1); 6. 10-Lance Bennett (5); 7. 00-Luke Howard (4); 8. 10A-Ryan Shilkuski (10); 9. 77-Blaze Bennett (9); 10. 11-Tyler Baran (6); 11. 17C-Devin Camfield (7); 12. 11B-Jeff Zelinski (8).
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Main Event (30 Laps):
- 67-Logan Seavey (4); 2. 91T-Tyler Thomas (5); 3. 71K-Tanner Carrick (1); 4. 5D-Zach Daum (9); 5. 71-Jesse Colwell (14); 6. 28-Ace McCarthy (10); 7. 97K-Jesse Love (18); 8. 47BC-Andrew Layser (11); 9. 67K-Holley Hollan (12); 10. 9-Daison Pursley (6); 11. 08-Cannon McIntosh (17); 12. 72-Sam Johnson (13); 13. 1NZ-Michael Pickens (7); 14. 7X-Brock Maskovich (15); 15. 86C-Dalton Camfield (19); 16. 99-Ryan Probst (21); 17. 16C-Dave Camfield Jr. (20); 18. 27-Tucker Klaasmeyer (3); 19. 19-Spencer Bayston (8); 20. 10-Lance Bennett (22); 21. 3N-Jake Neuman (2); 23. 9X-Clinton Boyles (16);
Lap Leader(s): Neuman 1; Carrick 2-7; Thomas 8-24; Seavey 25-30.
Hard Charger(s): Love +11.
Photo Credit - Brendon Bauman Photos