Daum
Edges Pickens in Tuesday’s Chili Bowl
Opener!
Brad
Loyet Wins Race of Champions…
 Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 12, 2010)
– Eighteen-year-old Zach Daum of
Pocahontas, IL, put the finishing touches
on a spicy Chili Bowl opener with a
dramatic last-corner pass of New
Zealand’s Michael Pickens to win Tuesday
night’s 25-lap Warren CAT Qualifying
“A” Main event at the QuikTrip
Center's Tulsa Expo Raceway.
Daum
and Pickens swapped the point several
times along the way before “The
Dauminator” crossed underneath the Kiwi
shoe exiting turn four and surged into the
lead to take the checkered flag that
closed out the first of four qualifying
nights at the 24th Annual Lucas
Oil Chili Bowl Nationals.
Also
on Tuesday night, Missouri’s Brad Loyet
backed up a 21-win season in 2009 by
wiring the field in the 20-lap Vacuworx
Race of Champions that featured past event
winners and perennial contenders.
While
Daum and the 27-year-old Pickens took the
top two positions in the nightcap,
California teen Shane Golobic snared the
third and final lock-in position to
Saturday night’s 50-lap Chili Bowl
championship main event.
It
marks the first time for both Daum and
Golobic to crack the Saturday night main
event, while Pickens placed sixth in his
only previous Chili Bowl outing in 2005.
Just
missing out on a guaranteed starting
position in Saturday’s finale was Brent
Beauchamp, who rallied from 16th
to fourth, with Bob East rounding out the
top five.
Piloting
his father’s (Dan Daum) Esslinger-powered
Daum Insurance No. 5d Midget, Daum earned
the pole position for the main event by
accumulating the most passing points
through heat race and qualifying action.
However,
it was front row outside starter Cale
Conley from West Virginia gunning into the
lead at the outset and pacing the opening
circuit before a caution flew for
second-row starter Dustin Morgan, who
looped it in turn two.
Twenty-one
laps of wild green flag racing action
followed, with Daum racing into the lead
on the second round and then Conley
finally succumbing to the advances of both
sixth-starter Pickens and third-starter
Tyler Walker by the seventh lap.
Piloting
Simon Longdill’s Synergy V8-powered CRC/Transitainer
No. 88nz Aggressor-chassis, Pickens reeled
in Daum and began pressuring for the lead
as traffic came into play at the midway
point.
Pickens
raced into the lead to complete the 15th
lap only to bobble in turns one and two,
allowing Daum to reclaim the point as
California’s Walker entered the fray.
The
trio diced for the top position over the
next several rounds, with Pickens back in
front on the 21st lap.
Two laps later, the race’s second
and final caution appeared when Walker’s
move for the lead resulted in a spin that
sent him to the tail along with Dave
Darland, who had advanced to sixth after
starting 17th.
With
just three laps remaining, Pickens
continued to work the high side of the
track as Daum kept the pressure on.
And, when Pickens got the slightest
bit loose exiting turn four with the
checkered flag in sight, Daum pounced on
the opportunity to snare the win.
Holding
down fourth until Walker’s spin, Golobic
crossed the stripe a close third in the
Gaerte-powered Corey Tucker Racing-BCI
Country Builders No. 39c Spike.
Beauchamp’s
rally from eight rows deep aboard Cruz
Pedregon’s Esslinger-powered
Snap-On/Sioux City Truck No. 75b Spike
came up one position short in fourth, with
Bobby East advancing a handful of
positions in the Klatt Enterprises
Ford-powered No. 4 Beast.
Steve
Buckwalter rebounded from a wild
qualifying race flip in turn two to race
from 19th to sixth in the main
event, with Oklahoma’s Brady Bacon
climbing from 15th to seventh.
Matt Streeter was eighth, with
Chili Bowl veteran David Camfield, Jr.,
and 20th-starting Missouri teen
Andrew Felker completing the top ten.
Pickens,
Buckwalter, Darland, Walker, Greg Bragg,
Streeter, Kevin Ramey and Tim Crawley
topped heat race action for Tuesday
night’s 63 competitors, with Billy Wease,
Conley, Joey Moughan and East winning the
qualifying races.
Jon
Stanbrough and Ray Allen Kulhanek won the
twin “C” Mains, with Darland and R.J.
Johnson victorious in the twin “B”
Mains.
Stanbrough had rallied through his
“B” Main to a transfer position in
third only to be sent to the tail of the
field after hitting the cone on a lap 13
restart in the 15-lapper.
Ricky
Williams flipped in heat race action, with
Curtis Bailey and Zach Cougill both
getting upside down in the “C” Mains.
Cole Smith, Buckwalter and Felker
each flipped on consecutive attempts to
start the second qualifying race, with
Chad Frewaldt taking a wild turn two
tumble in the third qualifier.
Sean-Mikael Dodenhoff, Harris
Brooks, Danny Burke and Kevin Ramey all
flipped in “B” Main action.
California’s
Keith Bloom was the only Chili Bowl rookie
contender to make Tuesday night’s
feature cut.
Bloom took the checkered flag 16th
in a race that had 22 of 24 starters
completing the distance.
Wease was unable to make the call
due to mechanical issues, while Conley’s
front row start was overshadowed by a DNF.
Fifteen
drivers drew for position in the Vacuworx
Race of Champions before Brad Loyet,
leaving him with the number one position
for the start.
It was all the 21-year-old from
Sunset Hills, MO, needed, as he gunned
into the lead at the outset and led all
the way in the Esslinger-powered Beaver
Stripes & Graphics No. 05 Spike.
USAC
Midget champion Brad Kuhn closed the gap
in the final rounds but fell just short of
mounting a serious charge, with Jay Drake,
Cole Whitt and Garrett Hansen rounding out
the top five.
Sammy
Swindell’s Chili Bowl began on a
somewhat inauspicious note after sweeping
the 2009 edition of the event.
Last year’s Race of Champions
winner drew the 14th starting
position among the 16-car field and then
got upside down in turn four on the third
lap after Gary Taylor and Tracy Hines got
together.
Action
at the 24th Annual Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Nationals continues with
Wednesday night’s River Spirit Casino
Qualifying Showdown firing off at 6:00
p.m.
Tuesday
Night’s Warren CAT Qualifier Results
from the 24th Annual Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Nationals:
Heat
Races (Top 40 in passing points to A
Qualifiers; Balance to twin C Mains)
Heat 1: 1. #88NZ Michael Pickens,
Auckland, NZ; 2. #86c David Camfield Jr.,
Decatur, IL; 3. #16 Jimmy Winkler,
Parkville, MO; 4. #1TX Paul White, Temple,
TX; 5. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK;
6. #99K Kyle Rayburn, Pueblo, CO; 7. #5M
Zach Cougill, Greenwood, IN; 8. #7RS Matt
Gilbert, Shawnee, KS
Heat 2: 1. #25 Steve Buckwalter,
Royersford, PA; 2. #5D Zach Daum,
Pocahontas, IL; 3. #39C Shane Golobic,
Fremont, CA; 4. #13X Andrew Elson, Carmel,
IN; 5. #8 Randi Pankratz, Atascadero, CA;
6. #97 Jon Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 7. #67H
Harris Brooks, Houston, TX; 8. #15J Jeff
Wimmenauer, New Whiteland, IN
Heat 3: 1. #4X Dave Darland,
Lincoln, IN; 2. #78 Nick Wean,
Phillipsburg, NJ; 3. #27S Andy Shouse,
Oklahoma City, OK; 4. #15B Danny Burke,
Houston, TX; 5. #75B Brent Beauchamp,
Fairland, IN; 6. #5* Ray Allen Kulhanek,
Magnolia, TX; 7. #10X Alissa Geving,
Penngrove, CA; 8. #27 Brock Lemley,
Bellingham, WA
Heat 4: 1. #32 Tyler Walker,
Encino, CA; 2. #92W Billy Wease,
Noblesville, IN; 3. #3C Cale Conley,
Vienna, WV; 4. #11S Chris Sheil,
Englewood, CO; 5. #6D Lex Burritt,
Redding, CT; 6. #16F Aaron Fiscus, Sun
Prairie, WI; 7. #40H Andy Huston,
Roseville, IL DNS – #85 Matt Johnson,
Oklahoma City, OK
Heat 5: 1. #0X Gregg Bragg,
Visalia, CA; 2. #76 Kellen Conover,
Sumner, IL; 3. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix,
AZ; 4. #73S Cole Smith, Plainfield, IN; 5.
#54 Evan Pardo, Gatesville, TX; 6. #82
Eric Johnson, Rockford, IL; 7. #35M Matt
Sherrell, Owasso, OK: 8. #11X Ricky
Williams, Clinton, OH
Heat 6: 1. #14JR Matt Streeter,
Galt, CA; 2. #6B Keith Bloom, Anderson,
CA; 3. #19 Colby Copeland, Roseville, CA;
4. #7S Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, CA;
5. #4 Bobby East, Brownsburg, IN; 6. #6E
Rafe Essary, Stillwell, OK: 7. #60 Eric
Sandage, Alexander, AR; 8. #36F Frank Flud,
Broken Arrow, OK
Heat 7: 1. #7M Kevin Ramey, Fort
Worth, TX; 2. #4F Chad Frewaldt, Kansas
City, KS; 3. #24 Rick Eckert, York, PA; 4.
#11A Andrew Felker, Carl Junction, MO; 5.
#05L Danny Lasoski, Higginsville, MO; 6.
#11H Garrett Hood, Concordia, KS; 7. #17K
Austin Mero, Kingsburg, CA; 8. #73X Greg
Edenholm, Malibu, CA
Heat 8: 1. #05C Tim Crawley,
Benton, AR; 2. #55B Joey Moughan,
Springfield, IL; 3. #U1 Dustin Morgan,
Tulsa, OK; 4. #15D Andrew Deal, Caney, KS;
5. #23 Tadd Holliman, Beaver Lake, NE; 6.
#9D Sean-Mikael Dodenhoff, Bakersfield,
CA; 7. #56X Curtis Bailey, Bartlesville,
OK
C
Mains (Top 4 in each transfer to back of
corresponding B Main)
C Main 1: 1. #97 Jon Stanbrough,
Avon, IN; 2. #16F Aaron Fiscus, Sun
Prairie, WI; 3. #9D Sean-Mikael Dodenhoff,
Bakersfield, CA; 4. #67H Harris Brooks,
Houston, TX; 5. #11H Garrett Hood,
Concordia, KS; 6. #36F Frank Flud, Broken
Arrow, OK; 7. #17K Austin Mero, Kingsburg,
CA; 8. #85J Matt Johnston, Oklahoma City,
OK; 9. #15J Jeff Wimmenauer, New
Whiteland, IN; 10. #82 Eric Johnson,
Rockford, IL; 11. #56X Curtis Bailey,
Bartlesville, OK. DNS -- #40H Andy Huston,
Roseville, IL
C Main 2: 1. #5* Ray Allen Kulhanek,
Magnolia, TX; 2. #35M Matt Sherrell,
Owasso, OK; 3. #6D Lex Burritt, Redding,
CT; 4. #10X Alissa Geving, Penngrove, CA;
5. #60 Eric Sandage, Alexander, AR; 6.
#73X Greg Edenholm, Malibu, CA; 7. #7RS
Matt Gilbert, Shawnee, KS; 8. #5M Zach
Cougill, Greenwood, IN; 9. #6E Rafe Essary,
Stillwell, OK: 10. #11X Ricky Williams,
Clifton, OH; 11. #27 Brock Lemley,
Bellingham, WA
A
Qualifiers (Top 16 in combined passing
points to A Main; Balance to twin B Mains)
A Qualifier 1: 1. #92W Billy Wease,
Noblesville, IN; 2. #5D Zach Daum,
Pocahontas, IL; 3. #14JR Matt Streeter,
Galt, CA; 4. #15B Danny Burke, Houston,
TX; 5. #4X Dave Darland, Lincoln, IN; 6.
#51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 7. #16
Jimmy Winkler, Parkville, MO; 8. #11S
Chris Sheil, Englewood, CO; 9. #99K Kyle
Rayburn, Pueblo, CO; 10. #15D Andrew Deal,
Caney, KS
A Qualifier 2: 1. #3C Cale Conley,
Vienna, WV; 2. #76 Kellen Conover, Sumner,
IL; 3. #39C Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA; 4.
#99 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK; 5, #7M
Kevin Ramey, Fort Worth, TX; 6. #0X Greg
Bragg, Visalia, CA; 7. #8 Randi Pankratz,
Atascadero, CA; 8. #11A Andrew Felker,
Carl Junction, MO; 9. #25 Steve Buckwalter,
Royersford, PA; 10. #73S Cole Smith,
Plainfield, IN
A Qualifier 3: 1. #55B Joey Moughan,
Springfield, IL; 2. #86C David Camfield,
Jr., Decatur, IL; 3. #32 Tyler Walker,
Encino, CA; 4. #75B Brent Beauchamp,
Fairland, IN; 5. #05C Tim Crawley, Benton,
AR; 6. #24 Rick Eckert, York, PA; 7. #27S
Andy Shouse, Oklahoma, City, OK; 8. #7S
Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, CA; 9. #54
Evan Pardo, Gatesville, TX; 10. #4F Chad
Frewaldt, Kansas City, KS
A Qualifier 4: 1. #4 Bobby East,
Brownsburg, IN; 2. #U1 Dustin Morgan,
Tulsa, OK; 3. #88NZ Michael Pickens,
Auckland, NZ; 4. #78 Nick Wean,
Phillipsburg, NJ; 5. #6B Keith Bloom,
Anderson, CA; 6. #19 Colby Copeland,
Roseville, CA; 7. #1TX Paul White, Temple,
TX; 8. #05L Danny Lasoski, Higginsville,
MO; 9. #13X Andrew Elson, Carmel, IN; 10.
#23 Tadd Holliman, Beaver Lake, NE
B
Mains (Top 4 in each transfer to A Main)
B Main 1: 1. #4X Dave Darland,
Lincoln, IN; 2. #25 Steve Buckwalter,
Royersford, PA; 3. #19 Colby Copeland,
Roseville, CA; 4. #0X Greg Bragg, Visalia,
CA; 5. #1TX Paul White, Temple, TX; 6.
#05L Danny Lasoski, Higginsville, MO; 7.
#78 Nick Wean, Phillipsburg, NJ; 8. #16
Jimmy Winkler, Parkville, MO; 9. #16F
Aaron Fiscus, Sun Prairie, WI; 10. #11S
Chris Sheil, Englewood, CO; 11. #99K Kyle
Rayburn, Pueblo, CO; 12. #97 Jon
Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 13. #67H Harris
Brooks, Houston, TX; 14. #9D Sean-Mikael
Dodenhoff, Bakersfield, CA; 15. #13X
Andrew Elson, Carmel, IN; 16. #23 Tadd
Holliman, Beaver Lake, NE
B Main 2: 1. #51J R.J. Johnson,
Phoenix, AZ; 2. #11A Andrew Felker, Carl
Junction, MO; 3. #8 Randi Pankratz,
Atascadero, CA; 4. #24 Rick Eckert, York,
PA; 5. #27 Andy Shouse, Oklahoma City, OK;
6. #5* Ray Allen Kulhanek; 7. #54 Evan
Pardo, Gatesville, TX; 8. #7S Shannon
McQueen, Bakersfield, CA; 9. #73S Cole
Smith, Plainfield, IN; 10. #15D Andrew
Deal, Caney, KS; 11. #35M Matt Sherrell,
Owasso, OK; 12. #10X Alissa Geving,
Penngrove, CA; 13. #6D Lex Burritt,
Redding, CT; 14. #7M Kevin Ramey, Fort
Worth, TX; 15. #15B Danny Burke, Houston,
TX; DNS – Chad Frewaldt, Kansas City, KS
Vacuworx
Chili Bowl Race of Champions (20 Laps)
1. #05 Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills,
MO; 2. #17B Brad Kuhn, Avon, IN; 3. #71K
Jay Drake, Val Verde, CA; 4. #71 Cole
Whitt, Alpine, CA; 5. #47 Garrett Hansen,
Manhattan Beach, CA; 6. #15H Scott Hatton,
Roscoe, IL; 7. #91X Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw,
WA; 8. #21K Cory Kruseman, Ventura, CA; 9.
#57B Johnny Heydenreich, Indianapolis, IN;
10. #1AU Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 11.
#44D Damion Gardner, Concord, CA; 12. #39B
Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 13. #11W
Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 14. #40
Jason Leffler, Long Beach, CA; 15. #1
Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN; 16. #11
Tracy Hines, New Castle, IN
A
Main (25 laps – Top 3 advance to
Saturday Night's Main Event)
1. #5D Zach Daum, Pocahontas, IL;
2. #88NZ Michael Pickens, Auckland, NZ; 3.
#39C Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA; 4. #75B
Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, IN; 5. #4 Bobby
East, Brownsburg, IN; 6. #25 Steve
Buckwalter, Royersford, PA; 7. #99 Brady
Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK; 8. #14JR Matt
Streeter, Galt, CA; 9. #86C David Camfield
Jr., Decatur, IL; 10. #11A Andrew Felker,
Carl Junction, MO; 11. #05C Tim Crawley,
Benton, AR; 12. #24 Rick Eckert, York, PA;
13. #8 Randi Pankratz, Atascadero, CA; 14.
#51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 15. #4X
Dave Darland, Lincoln, IN; 16. #6B Keith
Bloom, Anderson, CA; 17. #32 Tyler Walker,
Encino, CA; 18. #55B Joey Moughan,
Springfield, IL; 19. #U1 Dustin Morgan,
Tulsa, OK; 20. #19 Colby Copeland,
Roseville, CA; 21. #76 Kellen Conover,
Sumner, IL; 22. #0X Greg Bragg, Visalia,
CA; 23. #3C Cale Conley, Vienna, WV; DNS
— #92W Billy Wease, Noblesville, IN
(Photo
courtesy of Jim Fleming)
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