Skyline Speedway
Aukland wraps up IRS title with Skyline victory
From track reports
STEWART, Ohio (Oct. 13) — Rick Aukland's championship in the first year of the Independent Racing Series finished with bang. The Zanesville, Ohio, driver topped Doug Drown of Wooster, Ohio, in the Jack-O-Lantern 50 at Skyline Speedway for a $5,000 victory.
Drown, who led 35 laps driving Brad Malcuit's No. 79 entry, settled for second while 13th-starting Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., rallied to finish third ahead of fellow West Virginia drivers Mike Balzano and Tim Dohm. Josh McGuire, who started 24th and went back to the tail after a lap-17 caution, came up to finish sixth.
The fast-qualifying Aukland's victory wrapped up the series championship over Ryan Markham, who trailed by 19 points entering the race and finished 10th in the feature after taking a provisional starting spot. Wayne Chinn's 17th-place finish wrapped up the rookie of the year title with IRS.
Notebook
The event drew 50 cars. ... Aukland's fast qualifying time was 13.806 seconds. ... Dohm, Rod Conley, Paul Wilmoth Jr. and Chris Garnes won heat races, while Conley won the dash. ... Larry Bond and Jason Montgomery won consolation races. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: John Mason, Delmas Conley, Rick Lucas, Joe Ramey, Jeff Esbenshade and Clint Coffman. ... Rod Conley led early before Doug Drown took the lead with an outside pass. ... Kenny Christy's lap-47 spin set up a three-lap dash to the checkers and Aukland held off Drown and Shaver.
Jack-O-Lantern 50: (1) Rick Aukland, (2) Doug Drown, (3) Steve Shaver, (4) Mike Balzano, (5) Tim Dohm, (6) Josh McGuire, (7) Rod Conley, (8) Ben Adkins, (9) Jeff Burdette, (10) Ryan Markham, (11) Jason Montgomery, (12) Larry Bond, (13) Corey Conley, (14) Kenny Christy, (15) Anthony Huber, (16) Chris Garnes, (17) Wayne Chinn, (18) Paul Wilmoth Jr., (19) Freddie Carpenter, (20) Charlie Swartz, (21) Ralph Withem, (22) Steve Wilmoth, (23) Chris Wilson, (24) Tracy Fritter.
