SPENCER, Iowa — A driver from Arizona has found a new home in victory lane at Clay County Fair Speedway.
Jake O’Neil drew the pole for Monday night’s IMCA Sunoco Stock Car main event and led all 40 laps of a fast-paced IMCA Speedweek opening event, collecting $5,000 and a starting spot in the upcoming B & B Chassis All-Star Invitational.
“It helped starting on the front row,” said O’Neil. “I wasn’t sure where to be on the race track. I could feel spots of rubber here and there on the track. The last 10, 15 laps I could feel my brakes kind of going out and I couldn’t hit her like I needed to.”
Randy Brands headed the early pursuit, giving up the second spot to Tom Berry following a lap-seven restart.
Berry kept O’Neil in his sights as 13th starting Kelly Shryock and 16th-starting Dallon Murty moved through the field during a long green flag run.
The final Clay County Clash caution came as O’Neil was catching traffic with eight laps left. Shryock passed Berry on the ensuing restart, but just couldn’t catch O’Neil and settled for second.
“Once I saw Kelly down there, I knew I needed to protect the bottom pretty hard,” O’Neil said. “I appreciate him racing me clean. It was a fun race.”
Berry, Murty and Brands were next across the stripe.
One hundred and twenty-six cars saw action at Spencer and $1,000 feature winners were Brandon Beckendorf in the IMCA Modifieds, Malik Sampson in the IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks and Colby Fett in the Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods.
IMCA Speedweek continues Tuesday night with the 30th annual Harris Clash at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. The Harris Clash will be broadcast by IMCA.TV.