BEAVER DAM, Wis. — Cory Eliason won Friday night’s Gib Wiser Classic at Dodge County Fairgrounds.
Eliason’s second All Star Circuit of Champions victory of the season earned him $8,000 in an event that was co sanctioned by the All Stars and the Interstate Racing Ass’n.
Eliason now has 10 career All Star victories to his credit. He led all 25 circuits at the Dodge County half-mile, cruising unchallenged for much of the program until he was forced to withstand a late-race slider by Brent Marks.
Despite the attempt, Eliason held strong, driving on to clinch his second All Star victory of the season with his first occurring in Weedsport, New York. Incidentally, that victory also awarded $8,000.
Starting from the pole position via heat race and dash victories, Eliason, ace of the Crouch Motorsports No. 11, was an obvious threat from start to finish, utilizing a perfect jump to earn command at the drop of the initial green.
As mentioned, Eliason’s campaign at the front of the field was, for the most part, unchallenged, although he was forced to restack on lap five due to a caution, then he experienced a slight momentum shift with traffic beginning on lap 10.
Marks’ eventual slider occurred on lap 21, using a lapped car as a pick to slide Eliason entering turn one. Eliason ultimately powered ahead, regaining the top by the exit of turn two.
Marks hung on to finish second, followed by Rico Abreu, Anthony Marci and “Sunshine” Tyler Courtney.
“The track was really in my favor to get back by Marks. The lapped car ahead of me luckily went to the middle of the track and I was able to drive back around him. It all worked out for us,” Eliason elaborated. “Hats off to this team and crew. Our success is a testament to their hard work. When we put our heads together, we can make anything work.
“You never know how much tire you have, and you never want to use it all up,” Eliason continued. “I tried to be patient with lapped cars. I wanted that checkered to come soon because I wasn’t sure how much longer we were going to make it.”
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 11-Cory Eliason[1]; 2. 19-Brent Marks[3]; 3. 24R-Rico Abreu[6]; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri[4]; 5. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 6. 25M-Lachlan McHugh[5]; 7. 69K-Lance Dewease[13]; 8. 9P-Parker Price Miller[9]; 9. 26-Zeb Wise[7]; 10. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[12]; 11. 4-Chris Windom[10]; 12. 1-Brenham Crouch[14]; 13. 97-JJ Hickle[18]; 14. 45-Tim Shaffer[19]; 15. 23-Russel Borland[17]; 16. 25-Danny Schlafer[20]; 17. 29-Sye Lynch[16]; 18. 65-Jordan Goldesberry[22]; 19. U2-Jack Vanderboom[24]; 20. 70-Scotty Thiel[15]; 21. 17B-Bill Balog[21]; 22. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[11]; 23. 49-Josh Schneiderman[8]; 24. 2W-Scott Neitzel[23]