OSKALOOSA, Iowa — It looked like it might be a repeat of the battle from a year ago between Kyle Larson and Corey Day at the 30th Annual American Rebel Light Front Row Challenge Presented by Country Builders Construction and SeaFoam Motor Treatment Monday at Southern Iowa Speedway.
In the end, Larson pulled away to win by a large margin, and cash in $21,000 in cash and contingencies for his fifth victory in the event aboard Paul Silva’s No. 57.
South Dakota’s Lee Goos Jr. made the trip worth it by winning the companion $1,000 IMCA Racesaver feature.
Day led early in the 30-lap feature, ahead of Kerry Madsen, Anthony Macri, Austin McCarl and Larson. Larson moved past McCarl into fourth on the second lap. Day was cruising on the big half-mile and entered lapped traffic on the seventh circuit.
Larson slid by the third-place car of Macri on lap eight, while Carson Macedo moved into the top five on lap 9. By lap 10, Day had opened up a 1.9 second lead, as both Larson and Macri moved by Larson into second and third.
Just one lap later, Macri spun ending his podium run, and bringing out the only caution of the event. Larson would slide by Day in turn four on the restart to take the lead. Day battled back and vied to retake the lead on the next circuit, but Larson pulled away from there.
James McFadden had a fast car late on the low side of the track, entering the top five on lap thirteen, before taking fourth from Macedo on lap 17, and third from Madsen on lap 19.
Larson’s lead increased in the late stages to a three-second difference by the checkers. Day was second, ahead of McFadden, Buddy Kofoid and hard-charger Ryan Timms.
Larson set quick time over the field, while McFadden, Macri and Tim Kaeding won the heats. Day won the $1,500 Priority Aviation Foot Race.
“I was not expecting (Day) to slide himself into one (on the restart),” said Larson. “Looking back, maybe he thought I’d be close. That’s what I did last year. It allowed me to be kind of equal with him off of two. I found the slider line in three and four in traffic. He was so far ahead, I didn’t know if he’d found it either. The times I ran the top in three and four, it was so far around on entry, I thought I’d be close enough to throw something at him and clear him. My car felt really good there, and a lot of fun. I think we lapped a ton of cars, so it was a cool race.”
“Once again on the restart here, I was a sitting duck,” said Day. “I really didn’t know what he was doing behind me. I didn’t feel too confident up front. Just a tough place to be in. Last year, we had the car to contend with him, but this year, they were way better than we were. I feel we got better as the night went on.”
“I was using a little bit of the grass to get some moisture on the bottom,” McFadden said of his late charge. “I kind of got that line rolling, and felt really, really good there. I got to the back of Corey and stalled out with lapped cars, but we’re happy with the performance tonight. It’s a tough track, and it was a lot of fun tonight.”
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. 57, Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA (6) 2. 14, Corey Day, Clovis, CA (1) 3. 21T, James McFadden, Alice Springs, NT, Aust. (10) 4. 83, Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, CA (11) 5. 10, Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, OK (16) 6. 41, Carson Macedo, Lemoore, CA (8) 7. 88, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (5) 8. 71P, Parker Price-Miller, Kokomo, IN (3) 9. 45c, Derek Hagar, Marion, AR (20) 10. 99, Skylar Gee, Leduc, ALB, Can. (19) 11. 27B, Jake Bubak, Arvada, CO (12) 12. 63, JJ Hickle, Quilcene, WA (15) 13. 55, Kerry Madsen, St. Mary’s, NSW, Aust. (2) 14. 3, Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO (24) 15. 67W, Justin Whittall, Vincentown, NJ (17) 16. 23D, Chase Dietz, York, PA (9) 17. 25, Tim Kaeding, San Jose, CA (14) 18. 5w, Lucas Wolfe, Mechanicsburg, PA (7) 19. 17GP Tim Shaffer, Aliquippa, PA (18) 20. 12x, Hank Davis, Sand Springs, OK (13) 21. 36, Jason Martin, Lincoln, NE (21) 22. 16G, Austyn Gossel, Fort Collins, CO (22) 23. 67, Jonathan Hughes, Knoxville, IA (23) 24. 39M, Anthony Macri, Dillsburg, PA (4) DNS – 24, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA; 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO.
