ELDON, Mo. — For the second time this season, Cap Henry powered his way to FloRacing All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 victory lane, doing so in spectacular fashion in an all-out brawl at Lake Ozark Speedway Friday night.
The victory, earning Henry an $8,000 payday, was accomplished from the pole position, leading early before fading to fourth, all before finding some late race stamina around the bottom to charge his way back to the top spot.
Henry now owns six All Star Circuit of Champions victories in his career.
“We were so good at the beginning, then I messed up and allowed all of those guys to get by me. It got hairy there a few times, but I’m happy to be standing here,” Henry said. “I could see I was making gains, so I had to stick with it. With about five to go, I was starting to struggle a little bit and I was missing the bottom. I knew then that it was time to move up and just get going.”
Despite starting the 30-lapper from the pole, Henry’s Beach Brawl preliminary campaign was far from a walk in the park. In fact, Henry was forced to battle with some of the sport’s finest including series point leader and recent Kings Royal champion, Tyler Courtney, as well as KCP Racing’s Gio Scelzi, and rising open wheel star, Zeb Wise. Scelzi, who joined Henry on the front row, actually earned the initial jump before Henry took command for the first time on lap two.
A brief stronghold, Henry’s initial command over the field was quick, eventually losing the top spot to Courtney on lap four. A pair of cautions on laps 14 and 17 acted as Henry’s saving grace, allowing the Ohioan, who had faded to fourth by lap 12, to power his way back to the top of the running order.
Utilizing each of the ensuing restarts to his advantage, as well as the very bottom of the speedway, Henry was back in charge by lap 18, ultimately driving back by Clauson Marshall Racing’s Courtney at the exit of turn four. The main event’s final caution appeared on lap 20, this time allowing Wise to also sneak past Courtney.
Wise did his best to reel in Henry around the very topside of the speedway, but a kiss with the wall on lap 25 sealed Henry’s fate; Wise held on to finish second, followed by a hard-charging Christopher Bell.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 4-Cap Henry [1]; 2. 10-Zeb Wise [5]; 3. 39-Christopher Bell [14]; 4. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [3]; 5. 18-Gio Scelzi [2]; 6. 26-Cory Eliason [4]; 7. 3-Ayrton Gennetten [15]; 8. 5-Paul McMahan [6]; 9. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [10]; 10. 91-Kyle Reinhardt [7]; 11. 18T-Tanner Holmes [19]; 12. 50K-Kyle Bellm [21]; 13. O7-Skylar Gee [18]; 14. 17B-Bill Balog [13]; 15. 1X-Jake Bubak [20]; 16. 20G-Noah Gass [9]; 17. 21-Kameron Key [22]; 18. 21BP-Brinton Marvel [8]; 19. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [23]; 20. 11-Cale Thomas [11]; 21. 13-Justin Peck [16]; 22. 31-Joe B. Miller [12]; 23. 24W-Garet Williamson [17]; 24. 47N-Marcus Dumesny [24] Lap Leaders: Gio Scelzi (1), Cap Henry (2, 3), Tyler Courtney (4-17), Cap Henry (18-30)