LEWISTOWN, Ill. — Joe B. Miller had a big night Friday at Spoon River Speedway, winning a pair of open-wheel features.
His triumph in the Morrow Brothers Ford MOWA Sprint Car Series feature, moved him into a tie for fifth place on the series’ all-time winners list. He also won the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series main event earlier in the program.
Miller started 12th in the sprint car feature and worked his way to third by lap 10.
Polesitter Kameron Key fended off challenges from fellow front row starter Max Guilford as the top two runners worked through lapped traffic. Working their way down the
backstretch, Key, Guilford and Miller went three wide, utilizing every lane of the three-eighths-mile oval.
Guilford led the trio back across the stripe, but Miller was lurking behind.
At lap 15, Miller found the top spot as Guilford put his No. 16c over the topside of turn four. It appeared that Miller’s No. 51b machine was set on cruise as the laps were winding down, but the field slowed at lap 17 for 2024 series champion Will Armitage, who bunched the field up.
Leading the field back to green, Miller was holding off a late charge from Ryan Newton.
As the 18th lap was scored, Newton found himself atop the
leaderboard but knew it wouldn’t be an easy task to hold off Miller. Miller slipped back to third as Max Guilford muscled his way back to second. Newton held a half-second lead as the field worked its way to the white flag.
Putting his No. 66 car on the top side of the track, Newton was working down the backstretch on the final lap, as second running Guilford slid over the top in turn two
forcing a caution to be thrown over the field. The caution allowed Miller to be within striking distance once more.
Taking the green and white together for one-lap dash to the finish, Newton protected the high line of the racing surface, while Miller stuck his car to the bottom side. Exiting turn two on the final lap, contact between Miller and Ryan Newton sent the driver of the No. 66 spinning off of the track in turn three.
Once more, a one-lap dash to the checkers was set to determine the winner of Night One of the Canton Clash.
Miller took the victory, with Key, Ayrton Gennetten, Brandon Wimmer and Colton Fisher following.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 51B-Joe B. Miller[12], 2. 12X-Karemon Key[1], 3. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[14], 4. 6-Brandon Wimmer[21], 5. 5H-Colton Fisher[23], 6. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[3], 7. 37-Bryce Norris[4], 8. 3N-Jake Neuman[5], 9. B8-John Barnard[7], 10. 97-Scotty Milan [9], 11. 77U-Chris Urish[15], 12. 49-Josh Schneiderman[20], 13. 85J-Logan Julien[19], 14. 9K-Kyle Schuett[22], 15. 16C-Max Guilford[2], 16. 29-Brayton Lynch[18], 17. 22-Riley Goodno-[6], 18. 01-Justin Standridge[13], 19. 66-Ryan Newton[8]; 20. 44-Cory Bruns[16], 21. 99W-Jarrett Weyant, 22. 7A-Will Armitage[10], 23. 96-Jake Blackhurst[17], 24.31-Joey
Moughan [11]
