CANTON, Ill. — Putting an exclamation point on a weekend sweep, Logan Seavey continued his winning ways on Saturday night with an exciting late-race rally to take the cake at Spoon River Speedway.
Going top shelf, Seavey tiptoed around the outside of the three-eighths-mile track and treaded the cushion while rocketing to the lead with five to go and storming off for his ninth POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League win of the year.
Later in the night, he won the MOWA winged sprint car feature.
Not only did the 22-year old Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports star sneak closer to Christopher Bell’s record of 11 POWRi National Midgets wins in a single season, but he became the all-time leader in a separate category.
Scoring his 17th-career victory in thrilling fashion, Seavey advanced to eighth on the all-time wins list and surpassed Darren Hagen to become the winningest California driver in POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League history.
Before the pageantry of yet another victory lane commenced, a trio of leader commanded the field in what was an all-around enticing 30-lapper. Started by the front row of Tanner Carrick and Jake Neuman, it was Neuman who found the top first and led the opening lap aboard his Jim Neuman Racing, Brandt, BOSS/SR-11 No. 3n.
Neuman’s advantage was short-lived, however, as Carrick of Lincoln, Calif. came bolting to the lead on lap two and pointed his Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports, Walker Filters, Bullet/Toyota No. 71k to the top.
Bringing his KKM teammate along for the ride, Carrick saw a charging Seavey throw several sliders his way early on but responded to every attempt and maintained command lap in and lap out.
While Carrick and Seavey were focused on each other, a new challenger came roaring to life as Tyler Thomas methodically rolled the low line and put his BT Machine, Spike/Toyota No. 91t in contention. With open track ahead, Thomas drove by both Seavey and Carrick to assume the race lead on lap eight.
A lap-10 caution restacked the field and bunched them up, but Thomas remained strong out front while Seavey struggled with passing Carrick for the second spot and the back end of the top five continued shuffling with Spencer Bayston, Tucker Klaasmeyer, Ace McCarthy and Zach Daum all battling.
However, that intense fight for position soon turned drastic, as Bayston’s No. 19 and Klaasmeyer’s No. 27 collided at the entry to turn three, resulting in both cars going for nasty tumbles. Both drivers would climb out of their respective cars, although very gingerly, showing the magnitude of the scary crash.
Going back to green with 11 laps left, fans at Spoon River were treated to a three-way for the top spot as Thomas crept down low, Carrick rolled through the middle and Seavey. Blasted the cushion. Finding the sweet spot up top, Seavey swept around the outside and built his momentum before flying by Carrick and then tracking down Thomas for the lead with five to go.
Clearing the pass at the exit of turn four, Seavey’s No. 67 rocketed off the banking and went screaming down the frontstretch as he edged ahead of Thomas’ No. 91t to lead the 25th lap.
Completing a weekend sweep for the Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports, Mobil 1, Bullet/Toyota No. 67, Seavey won his first event at Spoon River.
Trailing Seavey to the finish line was Tyler Thomas with a close second-place result and Tanner Carrick with a third-place effort.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 67-Logan Seavey (4); 2. 91T-Tyler Thomas (5); 3. 71K-Tanner Carrick (1); 4. 5D-Zach Daum (9); 5. 71-Jesse Colwell (14); 6. 28-Ace McCarthy (10); 7. 97K-Jesse Love (18); 8. 47BC-Andrew Layser (11); 9. 67K-Holley Hollan (12); 10. 9-Daison Pursley (6); 11. 08-Cannon McIntosh (17); 12. 72-Sam Johnson (13); 13. 1NZ-Michael Pickens (7); 14. 7X-Brock Maskovich (15); 15. 86C-Dalton Camfield (19); 16. 99-Ryan Probst (21); 17. 16C-Dave Camfield Jr. (20); 18. 27-Tucker Klaasmeyer (3); 19. 19-Spencer Bayston (8); 20. 10-Lance Bennett (22); 21. 3N-Jake Neuman (2); 23. 9X-Clinton Boyles (16);