Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville gives Beuseling first Deery Brothers victory
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (July 26) — Nate Beuseling's first Deery Brothers Summer Series victory came at one of the tour's biggest stages.
The 23-year-old driver from Silvis, Ill., started on the pole and led all 35 caution-free laps Tuesday at historic Knoxville Raceway. Beuseling's $2,000 victory on the IMCA circuit came in the Late Model portion at the sprint-car stronghold's annual Harris Clash.
Outside front-row starter Todd Cooney of Des Moines, Iowa, finished second at the half-mile oval followed by Mike Garland of Morrison, Ill. Iowans Jay Johnson of West Burlington and Matt Strassheim of Burlington rounded out the top five in the seventh series race at Knoxville.
Beuseling built a 10-length lead by the fifth lap and continued to pour on the coal, but Cooney never went away. The race soon boiled down to a two-car battle.
Bueseling came upon his first backmarker on lap 15, and difficulties getting past allowed Cooney to catch up as most of the field used the low groove. When Bueseling finally dispatched of the slower car, Cooney was right with him.
Again Beuseling faced trouble with a slower car, and when he tried a high-side pass, it nearly cost him the race as Cooney almost slipped underneath. But Beuseling regained control, slipped past the slower competitor and extended his lead before another parade of slower cars impeded him. Bueseling kept Cooney in check the rest of the way.
Harris Clash: (1) Nate Beuseling, (2) Todd Cooney, (3) Mike Garland, (4) Jay Johnson, (6) Matt Strassheim, (7) Brian Harris, (8) Ray Guss Jr., (9) Andy Eckrich, (10) Justin Reed, (11) Tom Goble, (12) Tommy Elston, (13) Darrel DeFrance, (14) Terry Neal, (15) Jeff Aikey, (16) Tyler Bruening, (17) Mike Klinkkamer, (18) Tom Darbyshire, (19) Joel Callahan, (20) Colby Springsteen, (21) T.J. Criss, (22) Spencer Diercks, (23) Todd Malmstrom, (24) Eric Sanders. Heat race winners (among 38 cars): Strassheim, Aikey, Springsteen, Bruening. Consolation winners: Guss, Reed.
