ST. LOUIS – Jonathan Beason’s epic performance Saturday night at The Dome at America’s Center powered him to a sweep of the midget portion of the Gateway Dirt Nationals.
Beason rallied from an accident that knocked him out of the lead on lap 12 to just in time, racing around Chris Windom on the event’s final lap, for the $10,000 payday and third win in as many days.
He also rode around the latter part of the 30-lap main event with a broken right front shock.
“Golly, guys, if you didn’t enjoy that, I don’t know what you’re here for,” Beason said in victory lane.
Beason led the first 12 laps, shooting out front after polesitter Karter Sarff spun out of the lead on the opening lap.
His advantage was 1.8 seconds with 18 laps to go until he closed in on a car in traffic too quickly, making contact and knocking him sideways. Windom inherited the lead and Beason thought he was done for.
“I did,” Beason said. “Should have probably given a little more room there but I felt like with Chris on me I didn’t feel like I had time to let off. I really did think it was done.”
Beason hammered down on the top groove and surged back into top five with 11 laps to go, right when a caution period stacked the field back up. He then worked his way into the top three with three laps remaining and then passed Zach Daum for second with two laps to go.
Windom was rounding the final corner, about to see the checkered flag with Beason in hot pursuit, but third-running Daum caught a rut in turn three and subsequently flipped to change the race’s outcome.
Knowing Beason would opt for the high side if available, Windom raced to the top groove on the restart with one lap left. Beason countered with a slide job and the real estate he needed to maintain momentum and beat Windom back to the start-finish line.
The official margin between Beason and Windom rounded out at .304 seconds.
“I think I had to go all out to give it what we got,” Beason said. “I pulled some modified, late model shit right there. Rode the way, thought I’d impress you guys. It worked out. The car stayed together, and we made it three in a row. That’s pretty damn special.”
Nick Hoffman, Daniel Robinson and Jake Neuman rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Jonathan Beason, Chris Windom, Nick Hoffman, Daniel Robinson, Jake Neuman, Ronnie Gardner, Austin Brown, Bryan Stanfill, Sean McCleeland, Shane Cottle, Rylan Gray, Landon Crawley, Chett Gehrke, Terry Babb, Zach Daum, Danny Frye III, Kurt Stellhorn, Landon Simon, Karter Sarff