Jonathan Cornell scores Lucas Oil ASCS victory at Wheatland

by: Bryan Hulbert

WHEATLAND, Mo. (June 22, 2013) – For the second year running, the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real capped off the Sizzlin’ Summer Speedweek at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. and in just as many years a first time National Tour winner was crowned as Sedalia’s Jonathan Cornell charged from eighteenth to win the Impact Signs, Awnings, and Wraps Speedweek Finale at the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks”

“This is incredible” were the words of a jubilant Cornell in victory lane who became the season’s twelfth different winner and 117th overall with the Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real.

Commenting on having to come from eighteenth, Cornell said simply, “I had to live with it, running the B-Main. Starting that far back, you know, they tore the track up and I thought it was going to take rubber sooner so I was just hanging on.”

Capturing the night’s second B-Feature presented by DMI Rear Ends, The Kiowa Line Builders No. 28 worked steadily on the bottom groove while Miranda Arnold jumped to the point over Jeff Swindell.

The feature’s lone caution flew for the stalled No. 3h of Brandon Hanks on Lap 5 as the Mid-Mo Auto Sales No. 5m worked the hub of the Lucas Oil Speedway with Jason Johnson, who worked to second on the start, challenging on the cushion.

Distancing from the MVT No. 41 on the restart, Arnold worked clear racetrack as Brad Loyet shuffled Johnson to third on Lap 7, followed by the Hammers No. 94 of Swindell on Lap 12.

Committed to the cushion with a stuck Bleeder in the left rear Wheel, Swindell began closing the gap as slower traffic began playing a role, just as Cornell cracked the top three on Lap 17.

Working past the No. 94 on Lap 21, Cornell closed in quickly on Arnold.

“No one was really running the bottom like we could and when I got to Miranda [Arnold] I didn’t know what place she was in until I looked at the scoreboard and I saw that we were right there” said Cornell.

Nearly stalled by a slower car on the twenty-third circuit, Arnold found the VKCC No. 28 to her inside line entering turn three to complete the Lap 24. Missing the line just enough for Cornell to get the nose of the car even with Arnold’s rear axle, Cornell secured the lead, running to a 2.362 second advantage at the checkered flag.

Miranda Arnold’s runner up finish was the Missouri native’s best finish against the National Tour. “We’ve needed this to pick our whole team up and keep us going. It’s night’s like this that keep you racing, and wanting to race.”

Jeff Swindell earned his sixth podium in as many night and in doing so, secured the 2013 ASCS Sizzlin’ Summer Speedweek Championship and Bob Westphal Memorial Trophy. “We were good from the get go really” said Swindell. “We fell back to fourth there on the start and everyone started running the bottom so I decided to go somewhere they weren’t. We were a little tight there, plus the bleeder on the left rear stuck, so we just committed to the top.”

Jason Johnson ended up fourth with Brad Loyet completing the top five. Winning the night’s first Joie of Seating B-Feature, Logan Forler advanced from seventeenth to sixth followed by Dustin Morgan, Cole Wood, Johnny Herrera, and Tony Bruce, Jr.

The night was paired with the Speedway Motors Warrior Region with Cornell earning top points followed by Miranda Arnold, Jay Russell, Brian Brown, and Kyle Bellm as the region’s top five point earners.

Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real
Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, Mo.
Speedweek Finale presented by Impact 4800
Saturday, June 22, 2013

Car Count: 37

Wesmar Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 05-Brad Loyet[1]; 2. 77-Mitchell Moore[2]; 3. 45X-Johnny Herrera[6]; 4. 11W-Wyatt Burks[3]; 5. 9M-J.D. Black[7]; 6. 17X-Josh Baughman[5]; 7. 65-Trevor (T.J.) Muths[8]; 8. 3Z-Zach Davis[4]

BMRS Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 23-Seth Bergman[2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson[4]; 3. 28-Jonathan Cornell[1]; 4. 14-Randy Martin[3]; 5. 92J-J.R. Topper[5]; 6. 14T-Andrew Turley[7]; 7. 22-Dustin Barks[6]; DNF 9-Casey Baker[8]

Rod End Supply Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 93-Dustin Morgan[1]; 2. 2A-Randy Hibbs[2]; 3. 76-Jay Russell[3]; 4. 4-Evan Martin[5]; 5. 29-Brandon Hahn[4]; 6. 75-Tyler Blank[6]; 7. 93X-Taylor Walton[7]

Ti22 Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 86-Kyle Bellm[1]; 2. 21-Brian Brown[2]; 3. 5M-Miranda Arnold[5]; 4. 17W-Cole Wood[7]; 5. 3-Raven Culp[4]; 6. 94L-Layne Himebaugh[3]; 7. 22AU-Chad Ely[6]

Saldana Heat 5 (8 Laps): 1. 94-Jeff Swindell[2]; 2. 3H-Brandon Hanks[1]; 3. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[4]; 4. 2L-Logan Forler[5]; 5. 33-Austin Alumbaugh[3]; 6. 38-Cody Baker[6]; 7. 6-Bryan Grimes[7]

Joie of Seating B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 2L-Logan Forler[1]; 2. 29-Brandon Hahn[4]; 3. 75-Tyler Blank[6]; 4. 14-Randy Martin[3]; 5. 22AU-Chad Ely[10]; 6. 9M-J.D. Black[2]; 7. 93X-Taylor Walton[8]; 8. 14T-Andrew Turley[5]; 9. 3Z-Zach Davis[11]; 10. 65-Trevor (T.J.) Muths[9]; 11. 17X-Josh Baughman[7]

DMI B Feature 2 (12 Laps): 1. 28-Jonathan Cornell[1]; 2. 11W-Wyatt Burks[2]; 3. 38-Cody Baker[6]; 4. 94L-Layne Himebaugh[7]; 5. 6-Bryan Grimes[8]; 6. 33-Austin Alumbaugh[5]; 7. 92J-J.R. Topper[3]; 8. 22-Dustin Barks[9]; DNF 3-Raven Culp[4]; DNF 9-Casey Baker[10]

Protect the Harvest A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 28-Jonathan Cornell[18]; 2. 5M-Miranda Arnold[1]; 3. 94-Jeff Swindell[2]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson[3]; 5. 05-Brad Loyet[6]; 6. 2L-Logan Forler[17]; 7. 93-Dustin Morgan[8]; 8. 17W-Cole Wood[5]; 9. 45X-Johnny Herrera[13]; 10. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[14]; 11. 76-Jay Russell[15]; 12. 21-Brian Brown[11]; 13. 23-Seth Bergman[4]; 14. 86-Kyle Bellm[7]; 15. 4-Evan Martin[16]; 16. 75-Tyler Blank[21]; 17. 38-Cody Baker[22]; 18. 77-Mitchell Moore[9]; 19. 29-Brandon Hahn[19]; 20. 11W-Wyatt Burks[20]; 21. 3H-Brandon Hanks[12]; 22. 2A-Randy Hibbs[10]

Lap Leaders: Miranda Arnold (1-23), Jonathan Cornell (24-30)
PitstopUSA.com Hard Charger: Jonathan Cornell +17
FSR High Points of the Night: Seth Bergman
Hawk Performance Products Fastest Lap of the Night: Brad Loyet – 14.980
Provisionals: N/A

2013 “A” Feature Winners: Jason Johnson-4, Johnny Herrera-3, Jeff Swindell-2, Brian Brown-1, Roger Crockett-1, Kyle Bellm-1, Brad Loyet-1, Danny Lasoski-1, Jack Dover-1, Seth Bergman-1, Logan Forler-1, Jonathan Cornell-1

Lucas Oil ASCS Driver Standings (Top 10): 1. Johnny Herrera 2,286; 2. Jason Johnson 2,230; 3. Jeff Swindell 2,154; 4. Brad Loyet 2,138; 5. Tony Bruce Jr. 2,057; 6. Logan Forler 2,027; 7. Seth Bergman 2,016; 8. Dustin Morgan 1,846; 9. Cole Wood 1,846; 10. Brandon Hahn 1,472;

Bob Westphal Memorial Speedweek Driver Standings (Top 10): 1. Jeff Swindell 854; 2. Jason Johnson 777; 3. Brad Loyet 731; 4. Johnny Herrera 724; 5. Tony Bruce, Jr. 703; 6. Cole Wood 674; 7.Logan Forler 667; 8. Seth Bergman 652; 9. Dustin Morgan 608; 10. Brandon Hahn 504;

The 2013 season marks the twenty-second year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, which brings the best of Sprint Car racing to dozens of different tracks throughout the nation and into Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of nine different Regions throughout the nation.

Lucas Oil Products is the title sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. More information can be found on Lucas Oil Products at www.lucasoil.com. MAVTV is the presenting sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. Log onto www.mavtv.com for information regarding availability and listings in your area.

Associate sponsors for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV include: Hoosier Racing Tire and Brodix

Team Lucas Sponsors for the American Sprint Car Series consist of Protect the Harvest, Hawk Performance Products, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, and General Tire.

Product and Contingency Sponsorship provided by: K&N Filters, PitstopUSA.com, Engler Machine and Tool, Roush Yates Racing Engines, FSR Radiator and Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Fuel Safe, Saldana Racing Products, SBI Fuel Bladders, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Xtreme Accu-Tach, Simpson, LeJoie Seating, Ti 22 Performance, Wesmar Racing Engines, Hinchman Indy Racewear, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, DMI Rear Ends, Rod End Supply, Smiley’s Racing Products, Speedway Motors, and Hilborn Injection Systems.

Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com as well as Twitter (@LucasOilASCS) and Facebook. News and information can also be sent to you with the ASCS E-News by texting ASCS to 22828 with any mobile device.

Category: Lucas Oil Speedway, Missouri