ALBION, Neb. — Making his fourth start of the season with the American Sprint Car Series presented by RacinDirt.com on Friday at Boone County Raceway, Blake Hahn held off the charge of Nebraska’s Jack Dover at the line by .008 seconds.
“We had a really good car, and Jack was fast there at the end. He gave it all he had in that last corner, but we were able to get by. Going down the front stretch dragging, I put the pedal down as far as she’d go, and I might have floated the valves a little bit, but that was all she had, and actually, I wasn’t even looking straight; I was looking right to see if I got him at the line,” stated Hahn.
“It doesn’t get much better than that, and I need to thank Jack [Dover] for racing us so clean. He had every opportunity to lean on us a little bit, but that’s what good racing is. To be able to race that hard and never touch.”
Hahn’s 21st career win with the American Sprint Car Series made Boone County Raceway the 14th track that Hahn has earned a win at, and second in the state of Nebraska.
Taking off third in the DriveWFX.com No. 52, the opening laps were commanded by Matt Covington, who led the opening revolution, then Jack Dover, who took over the point on lap two when the field came back to green after a spin by Tim Estenson off the second turn.
Hahn to second on lap four with an inside, out move on Covington, the chase for the lead was on as traffic came into view.
Working the cushion at both ends of the three-eighths-mile oval, the pair went three wide in traffic working lap eight with Dover holding the point by .009 seconds. Hahn to the top in the first and second turns, Dover stuck low, leaving the top open into turn three.
Across the track to take the line, three wide again for a moment, Hahn had just enough room to turn under the No. 53 and take the lead.
A scare racing by slower cars on lap 11 when Hahn went to squeeze between the lapped car and the wall, the No. 52 found right side tires and went air born. Able to keep the car upright and rolling, the leaders got a reprieve from traffic with a caution on lp 14 for Joey Danley who stopped at the bottom of the second turn.
Blake was able to begin pacing away for a moment on the restart, but the final ten laps again brought the back of the pack into play. Starting to inch up on Hahn, the No. 53 closed for a shot on lap 23. Sliding Hahn in one and two, Blake was able to work back around to hold the lead.
To the white flag, and Hahn nearly slipped the cushion in turns three and four. Giving Dover one last shot, the No. 53 rolled a diamond off the second turn.
Shooting under Blake into three and four, the slide job from Dover was met with a crossover and drag race to the line with Hahn able to secure the top of the podium.
Jack Dover in second was followed by Jason Martin from eighth. Following from ninth, Missouri’s Garrett Williamson wheeled to fourth with Don Droud Jr. earning the KSE Hard Charger of the Race with a run from 12th to fifth.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 52-Blake Hahn[3]; 2. 53-Jack Dover[4]; 3. 36-Jason Martin[8]; 4. 55-Garet Williamson[9]; 5. 1M-Don Droud Jr[12]; 6. 95-Matt Covington[1]; 7. 3-Howard Moore[10]; 8. 2J-Zach Blurton[11]; 9. 14D-Joey Danley[15]; 10. 45X-Kyler Johnson[16]; 11. 44-Chris Martin[7]; 12. 14-Jordon Mallett[5]; 13. 4X-Jason Danley[19]; 14. 6-Christopher Townsend[17]; 15. 55B-Brandon Anderson[21]; 16. 0J-Jeremy McCune[18]; 17. 91-Michael Day[14]; 18. 1-Brian Gramm[22]; 19. 91X-Brandon Stevenson[13]; 20. 36X-Rick Hansen[20]; 21. 14T-Tim Estenson[2]; 22. 27B-Jake Bubak[6]; 23. 57B-Boyd Peterson[24]; 24. 14J-Josh Riggins[23]