OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Australian World Series champion James McFadden added to his résumé Monday, when he dominated the $21,000 Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway.
The Alice Springs, Northern Territory native’s win came aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83 and was his first in Osky.
McFadden earned the pole position in a traditional way, by winning the foot race pitting the top eight drivers in a feat of speed. He made good use of it, getting the jump in the 30-lapper on fellow front row starter Carson Macedo, Brent Marks, Kyle Larson and Austin McCarl.
Larson, who had won this event two straight years coming in and had flown from a top five-finish in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan Int’l Speedway, stopped on lap two, bringing the caution.
McFadden took off on the restart, pulling away quickly from the field and entering lapped traffic by lap 11. Fourth-running McCarl, lost something on the car on lap 14 and slowed. Fifth-running Scott Bogucki could not avoid him and flipped hard in turn two.
McFadden led Macedo, Marks, Corey Day and Blake Hahn back to green. Marks performed a wheelie when the green fell, allowing Day by into third.
The top five hadn’t changed when Parker Price-Miller stopped and exited on lap 16.
The leader was undeterred, though a large lead was surrendered with each caution. McFadden built over a two second lead with 10 to go, entered traffic with seven to go, and piled on his margin to the checkers.
Macedo held onto second, ahead of Day, Marks and Hahn
A pair of hard crashes destroyed cars, but did not result in injury. Riley Goodno touched a wheel and flipped hard down the frontstretch. That collected both Ryan Timms and Buddy Kofoid. Rusty Hickman crashed hard in the B main as well.
Tyler Drueke was dominant in the IMCA Racesavers Support Class earning $1,000 for his win in the 15-lapper.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. 83, James McFadden, Alice Springs, NT, Aust. (1) 2. 41, Carson Macedo, Lemoore, CA (2) 3. 14, Corey Day, Clovis, CA (10) 4. 19, Brent Marks, Myerstown, PA (4) 5. 52, Blake Hahn, Sapulpa, OK (3) 6. 39m, Justin Sanders, Aromas, CA (8) 7. 7BC, Anthony Macri, Dillsburg, PA (12) 8. 21T, Cole Macedo, Lemoore, CA (24) 9. 3z, Brock Zearfoss, Jonestown, PA (14) 10. 5, Spencer Bayston, Lebanon, IN (18) 11. 26, Zeb Wise, Angola, IN (11) 12. 9, Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, WA (9) 13. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (19) 14. 95, Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK (20) 15. 25, Lachlan McHugh, Gold Coast, QLD, Aust. (13) 16. 35, Austin Bishop, Elverson, PA (17) 17. 9P, Parker Price-Miller, Kokomo, IN (15) 18. 88, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (5) 19. 10, Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, SA, Aust. (7) 20. 27B, Jake Bubak, Arvada, CO (16) 21. 3P, Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (21) 22. 57, Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA (6) 23. 17, Sheldon Haudenschild, Wooster, OH (23) 24. 20, Justin Peck, Monrovia, IN (22).
