Walker wins Front Row Challenge: Pittman comes from the back to third
OSKALOOSA, Iowa (Aug. 5, 2002) - Tyler Walker started on the front row and led every lap to become the first driver to score a repeat victory at the Front Row Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa with the Gumout World of Outlaws. Walker turned down a chance to race from the back of the pack to win $50,000, as did Fred Rahmer. Pennzoil World of Outlaws regular Daryn Pittman accepted a challenge from Front Row Challenge promoters Bill McCroskey and Terry McCarl to start at the tail of the field for a $15,000 bonus and raced up to the third position.
"We would have taken the challenge if this was not a point race" said Walker in victory lane. "If they would have taken the points out of it I would have went to the back in a heartbeat" said Walker as the fans playfully booed him and second place Rahmer in victory lane for not taking the challenge
Rahmer and Walker started on the front row for the 25-lap main event with Pittman starting at the tail of the field. Rahmer and Walker raced side by side through turns one and two and down the backstretch before Walker took the advantage into turn three. As the leaders pulled away Don Droud, Jr. and Wayne Johnson battled for the fourth position into turn three on lap two with Droud holding the position.
Walker checked out on the rest of the field as Brad Furr moved past Johnson on lap 13 and set hit sights on Droud for fourth. Then on lap 14 Jeff Mitrisin hit the wall between turns one and two and flipped. Pittman was making a massive charge through the field running two and three wide and worked his way up to the ninth position. As the red flag came out Larry Pinegar had a left rear tire go flat and Don Droud Jr. climbed over Pinegar's wheel and flipped hard into turn one. All three drivers were uninjured, but had to retire from the event.
On the restart all eyes were on Pittman as he made a tremendous three wide move through turns three and four to move all the way up to the fifth position. Pitttman then pulled right up on Furr who had inherited the fourth position after Droud's flip. Just as Pittman made the move around Furr, Wayne Johnson hit the fence hard between turns three and four and flipped to bring out the red flag. Johnson was uninjured.
After the restart Walker pulled away as Pittman once again worked on Furr. Pittman and Furr raced side by side until lap 21 when Pittman made he move stick down the backstretch to take fourth. By lap 23 Pittman was on Lance DeWease working the top in turns one and two, but Dewease was able to hang on to the spot. Then on the white flag lap Pittman moved past Dewease to take the third position.
Up front it was all Tyler Walker as he cruised to his second victory in the Front Row Challenge. Rahmer, Pittman, Dewase, and Furr rounded out the top five.
Kasey Kahne set a new track record in qualifications with a lap of 15.405 seconds, averaging 116.845 miles per hour around the big half mile oval. Droud, Walker, Rahmer, and Johnson won the Manufactures heat race events. Rahmer won the Gaerte Engiens dash while Walker won the B&B Oval Products dash. The Hank's Performance Parts B Feature victory fell to Travis Rilat.
Tomorrow night the SCRA Sprint Cars take to the Southern Iowa Speedway for the $30,000 to win Ultimate Challenge presented by Sanders Engineering and Eagle Chassis. This will be the highest paying traditional sprint car race in history.
Special Thanks to TJ of Tjslideways.com for contributing his story and time for tonite's racing program. Also to Larry Hol for scoring and Johnny Gibson, the voice of the WoO, for his announcing.
RESULTS
2002 World of Outlaws Gumout Series
The Front Row Challenge
Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa
August 5th, 2002
1. Kasey Kahne, Durst51, 15.405;
2. Lance Dewease, Hamilton 77, 15.430;
3. Brad Furr, Furr 2, 15.460;
4. Jason Johnson, Row 41, 15.528;
5. Dayrn Pittman, Sherdon 21, 15.531;
6. Sean Michael, Zemco 1z, 15.596;
7. Ricky Logan, HAMS 3s, 15.606;
8. Jason Meyers, Carter 14, 15.626;
9. Lynton Jeffery, Jeffery 4LK, 15.629;
10. Tyler Walker, C&W 35, 15.663;
11. Fred Rahmer, Hartz 88, 15.664;
12. Shane Stewart, Holbrook 8h, 15.665;
13. Don Droud, Jr., Vermeer 55, 15.796;
14. Dennis Moore, Jr., Moore 71, 15.845;
15. Bob Bennett, ACME 3, 15.855;
16. Wayne Johnson, Theat 29, 15.965;
17 . Kim Mock, Osbourn & Mock 1m, 15.975;
18. Tommy Tarlton, Tarlton 21t, 16.042;
19. Jason Sides, Rhodes 7, 16.064;
20. Jeff Mitrisin, Mitrisin 5J, 16.066;
21. Mike Reinke, Gifford 17R, 16.067;
22. Craig Keel, Potoroff 9, 16.068;
23. Toni Lutar, Lutar 4x, 16.091;
24. Skip Jackson, Jackson 21x, 16.092;
25. Michael Dupuy, MIN Motorsports 4M, 16.107;
26, Travis Rilat, Archer 1a, 16.108;
27. Jaymie Moyle, VanderEcken 10, 16.148;
28. Zach Chappell, Chappell 50z, 16.168;
29. Larry Pinegar, Pinegar 11L, 16.186;
30. Peter Murphy, Williams 0, 16.200;
31. John VanDenBerg, VanDenBerg V10, 16.237;
32. Terry Pletch, Pletch 29p, 16.250;
33. Mike Woodring, Woodring 19, 16.265;
34. Chad Meyer, Julius 1w, 16.268;
35. Jeremy Campbell, Campbell 10c, 16.276;
36. Derek Beckman, Cox 50D, 16.295;
37. Ryan Coniam, Coniam 6C, 16.540;
38. Brian Carlson, SC 18, 16.596;
39. Cory Kruseman, Gleason 21g, 16.601;
40. Bobby Mincer, Mincer 15, 16.625;
41. Collin Northway, Northway 12, 16.655;
42. Ryan Jamison, Jamison 51J, 16.732;
43. Randy Plath,, Plath 14P, 16.946;
44. Doug Strong, Strong 43, 17.306;
45. Tim Kaeding, Wright 35, NT;
Manufactures Heat Race #1 (eight laps):
1. Don Droud Jr.
2. Daryn Pittman
3. Lyton Jeffery
4. Kim Mock
5. Mike Reinke
6. Larry Pinegar
7. Mike Woodring
8. Collin Northway
9. Ryan Coniam
10. Michael Dupuy
11. Kasey Kahne
(first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Manufactures Heat Race #2 (eight laps):
1. Tyler Walker
2. Dennis Moore, Jr.
3. Lance DeWease
4. Sean Micheal
5. Craig Keel
6. Peter Murphy
7. Travis Rilat
8. Chad Meyer
9. Tommy Tarlton
10. Ryan Jamison
11. Brian Carlson
(first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Manufactures Heat Race #3 (eight laps):
1. Fred Rahmer
2. Brad Furr
3. Ricky Logan
4. Jason Sides
5. Bob Bennett
6. Jaymie Moyle
7. Tony Lutar
8. John VanDenBerg
9. Cory Kruseman
10. Toni Lutar
11. Jeremy Campbell
(first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Manufactures Heat Race #4 (eight laps):
1. Wayne Johnson
2. Jason Johnson
3. Jason Meyers
4. Skip Jackson
5. Jeff Mitrisin
6. Derek Beckman
7. Doug Strong
8. Zach Chappell
9. Shane Stewart
(first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Gaerte Engines Dash (five laps):
1. Fred Rahmer
2. Daryn Pittman
3. Don Droud, Jr.
4. Brad Furr
5. Ricky Logan
6. Lynton Jeffery
(finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows in
the "A" Feature)
B&B Oval Track Products Dash (five laps):
1. Tyler Walker
2. Lance Dewease
3. Wayne Johnson
4. Jason Johnson
5. Jason Meyers
6. Dennis Moore, Jr.
(finish determined the outside starting positions in the first eight rows in
the "A" Feature)
Hank's Performance B Feature (12 laps):
1. Travis Rilat
2. Kasey Kahne
3. Larry Pinegar
4. Jaymie Moyle
5. Tony Lutar
6. John VanDenBerg
7. Tommy Tarlton
8. Chad Meyer
9. Derek Beckman
10. Brian Carlson
11. Collin Northway
12. Bobby Mincer
13. Peter Murphy
14. Cory Kruseman
15. Ryan Jamison
16. Randy Plath
17. Doug Strong
18. Mike Woodring - DNS
19. Ryan Coniam - DNS
20. Shane Stewart - DNS
(first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (25-Laps):
1. Tyler Walker
2. Fred Rhamer
3. Daryn Pittman
4. Lance DeWease
5. Brad Furr
6. Jason Johnson
7. Jason Meyers
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Jason Sides
10. Ricky Logan
11. Sean Michael
12. Travis Rilat
13. Bob Bennett
14. Dennis Moor, Jr.
15. Kim Mock
16. Skip Jackson
17. Lynton Jeffery
18. Jaymie Moyle
19. Larry Pinegar
20. Wayne Johnson
21. Don Droud, Jr.
22. Jeff Mitrisin
23. Mike Reinke
24. Craig Keel
25. Shane Stewart - DNS
Lap Leaders: Walker 1-30
Provisional: Shane Stewart