ASA Report, Results, and Standings: World Cup 300 at I-70 Speedway
16 September 1997
Odessa, MO - When leader Kevin Cywinski lost his power steering with just 34 laps left, Iowa driver Brad Loney inherited the lead and went on to win the World Cup 300 at I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO.Loney, in the Bunsaver/Hunter's Specialties/Flexsteel Pontiac became the tenth different winner of an American Speed Association event in 16 races, which ties the mark set in 1993 and 1996.
"I was saving a little for the end," Loney said afterwards. "Kevin (Cywinski) was a little stronger on the long runs. I had a couple of problems with the previous restarts, but figured it out at the end. This win was sweeter because I realized what was happening. Last year at Toledo I was too stunned to realize what was taking place."
Points leader Cywinski in the Tecumseh Motorsports Pontiac started on the pole when ACDelco RapidFire Qualifications were cancelled due to a wet track.
Cywinski retook the lead for the third time in the race on lap 191 during a caution period when current leader Mike Garvey pitted the Truck Country/Metro Milwaukee Auto Auction Pontiac. Cywinski was followed by Loney, Gary St Amant, Jack Landis and Bob Senneker.
The caution waved again on lap 208 when Senneker in the Lane Automotive/KR Automation/Mr Gasket Ford spun coming off turn 2 but none of the leaders elected to pit.
With 60 laps remaining Cywinski continued to lead, still chased by Loney and Brandon Sperling in the Truck Air Transfer/Mechanix Wear Chevrolet after St Amant dropped a cylinder in the Wynn's West Michigan Chevy Dealers Chevrolet.
On lap 267 as Cywinski entered the third corner, the pontiac broke loose and spun towards the turn four wall, but never made contact with the concrete. It was later discovered that that a piece of lead went through the grill and severed the power steering line.
That put Loney in the lead, pursued by Sperling, Joe Nott, Rick Beebe and Scott Hansen. The yellow waved again on lap 278 when Beebe and Nott made contact entering the third turn, sending Nott spinning. During the caution period, Nott retaliated on the back straight by spinning Beebe and putting him a lap down.
The final caution was brought out when Cywinski's engine expired on lap 289 ending his string of top ten finishes at 15. On the restart Loney quickly opened a gap over Sperling and Hansen and maintained it to the checkers for his second career win on the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series. Sperling recorded his best career finish by taking second with Hansen finishing in third. Garvey finished in fourth and Senneker was fifth.
The win was doubly sweet for Loney as his grandmother, Margie Loney, had made a surprise trip to Odessa from her Iowa home and was there to help celebrate the win and the $13,230 winner's share of the purse.
Sperling, who has now scored five top ten finishes in a row, said the team made all their pit stops before the 200 lap mark, just as planned.
"I knew I had to keep the car on the bottom to hold off Scott (Hansen) and Mike (Garvey)," he said. "The car ran great all night and the tire strategy paid off. This is a big confidence booster for the entire team."
Hansen, in the Schrader Racing Teams Chevrolet said the team kept changing tires throughout the entire event.
"The car was junk all day," he said. "But we kept putting tires on the car and finally got it right at the end. On the final lap Mike (Garvey) gave me a pretty good bump and I was lucky to save the car."
The race featured eight different leaders among seven drivers with Cywinski leading the first lap before giving way to Hansen for a lap. Mike Miller in the AFC 100/Uniseal Pontiac led from lap 3 until he pitted on lap 97.
Local favorite Beebe led from lap 98 through lap 124 before being passed by Cywinski who stayed in front until lap 142. At that point St Amant took the point until Garvey took over on lap 149 setting up the final dramatic finish.
The next event for the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series will be Friday September 19 at Cedar Rapids, IA for the Pontiac Excitement 300 at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.
John Kaiser -- The Autochannel
I-70 Speedway - Provisional results for the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series, World Cup 300: Ps.Ql.No. Driver , Car Laps -- -- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- ----- 1 16 33 Brad Loney Bunsaver/Hunter's Spec/Flexsteel PONT 300 2 13 51 Brandon Sperling Sperling Motorsports CHEV 300 3 3 52 Scott Hansen AFCO Racing Products PONT 300 4 14 8 Mike Garvey AFCO Racing Products PONT 300 5 8 84 Bob Senneker Lane Auto/JR Automation/Mr GasketFORD 300 6 11 88 Mike Eddy GM Goodwrench Service/HRE PONT 300 7 2 7 Gary St Amant Wynn's/W Michigan Chevy Dealers CHEV 300 8 5 6 Dave Sensiba Engineered Polymer/W MI Auto AuctPONT 300 9 18 5 Steve Holzhausen Structural Transport FORD 300 10 10 81 Harold Fair Car Quest/ACDelco/Victor Reinz PONT 300 11 12 48 Joe Nott Valvoline/Allan Nott Toyota/RaabeFORD 300 12 4 23 Rick Beebe St Louis Gear/Royal Machine PONT 299 13 26 64 Ricky Bilderback Bilderback Auto Parts PONT 295 14 24 11 Doug Mayr(R) No Touch Car Care/Aqua Splash CHEV 295 15 1 1 Kevin Cywinski Tecumseh/LaFavre Racing PONT 288 16 17 07 Jack Landis Adirondak/Lyndaker/Maisto/N.YoderFORD 288 17 28 77 Dave Doran Doran Enterprises PONT 284 18 27 82 Sam Gottwald Pepsi/Uncommon Inc. FORD 277 19 9 55 Bobby Gill Leo M/S/Wehr/Racing Adventures PONT 253 20 6 87 Steve Carlson(R)Baker Enterprises/Clean Burn PONT 247 21 15 32 Ted Smokstad Corp. Auto/SMS Parts PONT 242 22 23 93 Alec Pinsonneault Build-A-Mold/Trimplas/Moldplas PONT 242 23 7 18 Mike Miller South East Air Service PONT 186 24 22 58 Billy Turner Sanifill/Central Fiber PONT 168 25 20 79 Mike Cofer (R) Black & Decker Versa Pack PONT 146 26 25 92 Carroll Adamy Dorothy Lynch Home Style Salad DrCHEV 131 27 21 0 Tom Jones Jones Motorsports PONT 68 28 19 72 Junior Hanley Skillman Motorsports PONT 51 (R)= Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie Candidate Time of Race : 1 hr 53 mins 42 secs Average Speed : 87.805 mph Margin of Victory : .328 secs Lap Leaders : Cywinski, Hansen, M Miller, Beebe, St Amant, Garvey, Loney Cautions : 10 for 46 laps Track Length : 0.5000 Miles Top 10 provisional points standings after 16 of 20 events for the ASA ACDelco Challenge Series. 1. Kevin Cywinski 2734 2. Gary St Amant 2540 3. Scott Hansen 2491 4. Rick Beebe 2348 5. Dave Sensiba 2342 6. Steve Carlson 2286 7. Bob Senneker 2198 8. Mike Miller 2177 9. Mike Eddy 2139 10. Harold Fair 2122