HAGERSVILLE, ON (September 30, 2020)- The strong start for OSCAAR Modified rookie TJ Edwards ended off on a high, as he scored his first career feature victory on Saturday at Jukasa Motor Speedway.
It’d be Gary McLean laying down the quickest lap in qualifying at 18.987 seconds ahead of TJ Edwards (19.117), Andy Kamrath (19.195), Kelly Balson (19.320), and Chad Strawn (19.333). Jake Watson qualified sixth, followed by Brent McLean, Norman Newman, AJ Emms, and Jason Keen.
The invert would see Watson on the pole ahead of Strawn, Balson, Kamrath, Edwards, Gary McLean, Brent McLean, Newman, Emms, and Keen. Ryan Dick started 11th, followed by Craig Downey, Dale Reinhart, Cory Horner, Coltin Everingham, Bob Franks, Mark Hamacher, Wally Wilson, and Bob Gruntz.
Strawn would grab the early lead on the start with Kamrath into second ahead of Watson, Gary McLean, Balson, Edwards, Newman, Keen, and Downey. Emms would get alongside Downey for ninth on Lap 3, taking the spot a lap later as Horner ran 11th.
Kamrath would challenge Strawn for the top spot on Lap 6, taking it two laps later. McLean would look to follow suit, getting alongside Strawn for second on Lap 9 ahead of Watson, Edwards, Balson, Newman, Keen, and Emms, as Reinhart slowed with a problem and headed pit side on Lap 11.
With 12 laps on the board, Kamrath led ahead of Strawn, as McLean and Watson battled for third. McLean got the spot on Lap 14, with Edwards following suit a lap later. Watson now ran fifth ahead of Balson, Keen, Newman, and Emms. McLean’s strong run came to an end, when he blew the motor for the first caution at Lap 16.
The restart would see Kamrath and Strawn battle for the lead ahead of Edwards, as Emms and Watson battled for fourth. Through turn one and two on Lap 18, Kamrath came up off the bottom slightly, contact occurring in the process, with Strawn going around off of turn two for the second caution.
The first attempt at a restart would not go accordingly, with Franks making significant contact with the outside front stretch wall following contact with Hamacher. The second attempt was clean with Kamrath escaping with the lead ahead of Edwards, Emms, and Balson.
Edwards would get alongside Kamrath for the top spot on Lap 19, taking over the lead a lap later. Balson, meanwhile, would make the pass on Emms to move into third. Brent McLean ran fifth ahead of Keen, Watson, Newman, Downey, Dick, Horner, Strawn, Everingham, Hamacher, Wilson, and Gruntz.
Balson would get alongside Kamrath for second on Lap 25, taking the spot a lap later. Meanwhile, Emms would get into turn three a little too hard, sliding up the track, brushing the wall before getting it back straight and going. This would allow McLean and Keen to both get by in the process, bumping Emms back to sixth. Downey continued his charge forward, passing by both Watson and Newman to grab eighth on Lap 29.
TJ Edwards led the rest of the way en route to scoring the victory ahead of Kelly Balson, Andy Kamrath, Brent McLean, and Jason Keen. AJ Emms finished sixth, followed by Norman Newman, Craig Downey, Ryan Dick, and Coltin Everingham. Jake Watson placed 11th, followed by Chad Strawn, Cory Horner, Mike Hamacher, Ben Gruntz, Wally Wilson, Bob Franks, Gary McLean, and Dale Reinhart.
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By: Ashley McCubbin
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