Brown Bests ASCS Midwest Region at McCool

By Lonnie Wheatley

McCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. (June 30, 2006) – Brian Brown racked up yet another American Sprint Car Series Midwest Region feature win by wiring the field in Friday night's 25-lap feature at Junction Motor Speedway.

Brown outdueled last month's ASCS Midwest Region winner at McCool Junction, Jake Peters, on the opening round the led the rest of the way to secure his third ASCS Midwest triumph of the season aboard the Doogs-owned Ostrich-powered American Compressed Steel/Ditzfield Transfer/Diablo Ice No. 21 Maxim.

"I'm from Missouri but I really like racing in Nebraska, I have really good luck here and at I-80," Brown commented in victory lane. "Big tracks are more my style than the bullrings are. The track was narrow tonight and I knew I had to beat Jake (Peters) to the first corner. Some of the lapped cars were running as fast as we were and it was tough to get by. The car is running a little hot, the temperature gauge is at about 240 degrees."

Beat Peters into the first corner is exactly what Brown did at the drop of the green flag. But Peters fought back, with the pair racing wheel-to-wheel down the backstretch on the opening circuit for the point. Brown got the advantage in turn three and was never headed.

Following a quick early caution for a tangle involving Jason Danley and Toby Chapman, Brown began to slip away from Peters on the fourth round. Brown made his way into lapped traffic by the tenth round and kept at least one lapped car between himself and Peters the rest of the way as he lapped up to ninth place by the time the checkered flag flew.



Peters settled for the runner-up slot, with Chad Humston holding the show spot throughout. Sixteen-year-old shoe Jack Dover posted his second consecutive fourth-place finish in ASCS Midwest Region competition, with Seth Brahmer rounding out the top five.

Doug Lovegrove crossed the stripe in sixth, with Mark Pace notching an ASCS career-best seventh-place run. Chapman rebounded from the early tangle to finish eighth after originally starting 17th, with Rick Ideus and Larry Ball, Jr., completing the top ten.

Dover, Brown and Peters topped heat race action, with Danley winning the 12-lap "B" Main.

ASCS Midwest Region Results:

First Heat (8 Laps): 1. 53-Jack Dover, 23C-Chad Humston, 3. 31-Mark Pace, 4. 13-Seth Brahmer, 5. 1M-Billy Alley, 6. 44K-David Kubart, 7. 4S-Stuart Snyder, 8. Luke Cranston, 9. 84-Toby Chapman.

Second Heat (8 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown, 2. 44-Doug Lovegrove, 3. 28-Ken Klabunde, 4. 71R-Ryan Anderson, 5. 5B-Rick Ideus, 6. 82-Jason Danley, 7. 45-Jeff Lowery, 8. 7-Roger Sundquist, 9. 6G-Bryan Gossel.

Third Heat (8 Laps): 1. 57X-Jake Peters, 2. 5J-Larry Ball, Jr., 3. 99-Jimmy Davies, 4. 4-Mike Chadd, 5. 71-Keith Rauch, 6. 18-Ryan Roberts, 7. 9J-Mark Schmidt, 8. 17B-Ryan Bickett.

B Feature (12 Laps): 1. 82-Jason Danley, 2. 71-Keith Rauch, 3. 84-Toby Chapman, 4. 45-Jeff Lowery, 5. 18-Ryan Roberts, 6. 4S-Stuart Snyder, 7. 44K-David Kubart, 8. 9J-Mark Schmidt, 9. 17B-Ryan Bickett, 10. 7-Roger Sundquist, 11. 20-Luke Cranston, 12. 6G-Bryan Gossel.

A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 21-Brian Brown, 2. 57X-Jake Peters, 3. 23C-Chad Humston, 4. 53-Jack Dover, 5. 13-Seth Brahmer, 6. 44-Doug Lovegrove, 7. 31-Mark Pace, 8. 84-Toby Chapman, 9. 5B-Rick Ideus, 10. 5J-Larry Ball, Jr., 11. 71R-Ryan Anderson, 12. 45-Jeff Lowery, 13. 71-Keith Rauch, 14. 4-Mike Chadd, 15. 99-Jimmy Davies, 16. 28-Ken Klabunde, 17. 82-Jason Danley, 18. 1M-Billy Alley (DNS).

ASCS Midwest Region Points (Top Ten): 1. Brian Brown 728, 2. Chad Humston 699, 3. Toby Chapman 676, 4. Jack Dover 674, 5. Jake Peters 659, 6. Jason Danley 638, 7. Rick Ideus 628, 8. Luke Cranston 607, 9. Mike Chadd 581, 10. Chuck Swenson 550.