Grain Valley, MO – In dominating fashion, Jake Neuman snapped the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports winning streak in POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League competition. By winning the second night of the Second Annual Thunder in the Valley, Neuman and his family owned team are now one of three different car owners to capture victories throughout 2018 with the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget and West League.
Neuman, hailing from New Berlin, Illinois, took the top spot from early race leader, Holly Shelton on lap 11 and set a blistering pace leaning against the tall Valley Speedway curb. Enduring a handful of yellows on his way to victory, Neuman was never seriously challenged. On the final lap in the final turn, last night’s winner, Tucker Klaasmeyer threw a haymaker of a slide job from the second position entering turn three in hopes of possibly cutting of Neuman coming off four, but Neuman’s head of steam was too much for the slide job to even threaten his lead. Klaasmeyer ultimately ended up spun around after hard contact with the cushion and finished 16th. Ryan Robinson took second with Holly Shelton in third, while Wesley Smith took fourth. Smith drove to fourth from 17th after taking the semi-feature victory. Kory Schudy completed the top five.
“I went out there and was looking at the top earlier when they were sheeps-footing it and watering it and just told my guys I would be up here,” commented Jake Neuman. “It actually worked out. I messed up probably about five laps in a row and was afraid a Kunz car was going to catch me, but they didn’t. I saw Tucker try to slide me down in three, but I just gassed it up because I wasn’t going to let him get around me. I can’t thank my sponsors, my family, and everyone that came out tonight enough.”
“Last night I moved down too late and tonight I was trying to stay down there early on,” said Ryan Robinson. “It was alright, I just can’t thank my team and sponsors enough. All these race fans, they’re true race fans sticking it out in all the rain and heat. It’s been a tough week.”
“I probably should have ran fourth,” stated Holly Shelton. “It’s unfortunate what happened to Tucker, but congrats to Ryan and Jake. They were quite a bit faster than me. I just couldn’t figure out the right line. I led quite a few there at the beginning. But, it’s fun racing with these guys. This car is fast and we’re only getting better.”
Midgets
Speedway Motors Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: 71 - RYAN ROBINSON, Heat 2: 67 - HOLLY SHELTON, Heat 3: 28 - KORY SCHUDY, Heat 4: 3N - JAKE NEUMAN, Heat 5: 5D - ZACH DAUM
Toyota Semi Feature Winner: 44 - WESLEY SMITH
Mesilla Valley Transportation Feature Winner: 3N - JAKE NEUMAN
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Feature Results (30 laps): 1. 3N - JAKE NEUMAN 2. 71 - RYAN ROBINSON 3. 67 - HOLLY SHELTON 4. 44 - WESLEY SMITH 5. 28 - KORY SCHUDY 6. 42 - HANK DAVIS 7. 08 - CANNON MCINTOSH 8. 93K - RILEY KREISEL 9. 21KS - KARTER SARFF 10. 9K - KYLE SCHUETT 11. 28M - ACE MCCARTHY 12. 4A - CASEY SHUMAN 13. 51 - JOE B MILLER 14. 14JR - HOLLEY HOLLAN 15. 5T - PRESLEY TRUEDSON 16. 27 - TUCKER KLAASMEYER 17. 77W - JOEY WIRTH 18. 24 - HUNTER FISCHER 19. 17E - BLAKE EDWARDS 20. 7 - AUSTIN BROWN 21. 5D - ZACH DAUM 22. 52 - CRAIG OAKES 23. 37 - CHETT GEHRKE 24. 3B - SHELBY BOSIE 25. 321 - CHAD WINFREY
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