SWANSON, HATKE, LAND MAIN EVENT WINS AT MAGIC VALLEY SPEEDWAY

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Kingsburg, Cal. resident Tanner Swanson settled in quickly at Magic Valley Speedway to secure the United States Auto Club main event win Saturday night. En route to the victory, Swanson was able to keep his cool through several late race cautions in the Oasis Stop ‘N Go USAC 100.

At the halfway point of the main event Swanson had nearly a quarter-track lead over Eric Humphries and Nick Rescino who were battling for second. Three caution flags in the next 43 laps forced Swanson to test his restart skills, but each time the 17-year old driver looked to have been shot out of cannon. With the yellow flag displayed with just three laps to go, Humphries had his best opportunity to catch the No. 17 car.

“That was the worst one,” Swanson said of the final restart. “I was trying to figure out where he (Humphries) was running and what we had to do. Usually I had a lap car between me and him for the restarts – so that one scared me quite a bit.”

In addition to cracking the qualifying record in the series at MVS, with the win Swanson maintained his points lead in just his first full season of racing in the USAC Western States division.

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In the first race in the Chase for the Championship the tension was as thick as the syrup on the track.

Stevie Fisher immediately manufactured a considerable lead for the first 18 laps of the main event race with Mike Greco and Jonathon Gomez his closest rivals. A caution at lap 18 when Rob Vest tagged the back bumper of Louis Lopez between turns three and four then set up a restart. With Fisher taking the inside lane and Gomez up top, the pair ran side-by-side for several laps, each not giving an inch as they raced for the lead.

It was at lap 31 when something finally did give and the pair met in turn four.

“We were running clean for several laps – I was giving him plenty of room and I thought he was giving me plenty of room,” Fisher said. “It just so happened I went up and he came down. We connected and we went around. That’s all there really is to it. I didn’t intentionally take him out and I don’t think he intentionally took me out.”

“We were just racing hard – I wanted the lead and so did he,” Gomez said. “I think I had him but he was still trying. Then I think his car was going away a little bit and he drove in a little hard and got loose.”

The battle between Fisher and Gomez was then relegated to the rear of the field – but it was far from over.

On the restart Hatke took the high side with McKean right outside his driver’s side door. However the yellow caution lights soon flashed to the field once again as Gomez and Fisher continued to play out their issues at the rear of the field.

“I felt really bad when I hit him on the next restart – I hit him in the back to let him know that I was mad at him – but I didn’t have any reason to be. He didn’t do it on purpose – I screwed up,” Gomez admitted.

Hatke and McKean regrouped on the restart with Shelby Stroebel and Vest - who had worked his way back up to fourth - directly behind. Five laps later Vest fell off while Stroebel desperately searched for a way through Hatke and McKean who were door-to-door for the final 10 laps. In the end Stroebel had to settle for a third place finish – but gained the lead in the point standings.

Hatke credited his first main event win of the season to his strategy gaining good position on the track.

“We needed to be on the top groove and I knew if I could keep Kris (McKean) pinched in underneath me on the bottom – and not let him get away – I wasn’t sure I could beat him but could get a second, maybe a first,” Hatke said. “He (McKean) did a great job – he’s going for a championship and he didn’t want to wreck.”

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Shiela Harms led for the early laps until chase leader Steve Edens took control of the 25-lap main event race. Edens then quickly pulled away from the 12 cars in the rest of the field – and cruised to the win. Spencer Meyer got by Harms for a second place finish.

Quale’s Electronics Hornets

Lane Buddenhagen took an E-ticket ride over the embankment in turns three and four in the second heat race for the division - coming to rest on his roof in the dirt. Buddenhagen climbed out of the car but was finished for the rest of the night.

For the main event the drivers quickly scrambled for track position amongst the field of 22 cars entered in the race.

Evan Albright took charge of the swarm until bad luck hit at lap 13 – slowing in turn two and parking his ride on the infield.

This opened the gate for Justin Slocum, who had not seen the winner’s circle for several races. Gerod Bosh and Larry Goff gave chase to the end – but ran out of laps as Slocum took the checkered flag.