ALLSTAR Sprints: K-C Raceway Results
27 May 1998
BY SCOTT WOLFEALMA, OHIO-Taking the lead from Dean Jacobs amid lapped traffic on lap 35, A hard-charging Frankie Kerr outdistanced himself from the rest of the field en route to claiming the 40-lap All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car feature Monday night at K-C Raceway.
Kerr said in victory lane, "Things got a little close there for a while in lapped traffic. I found a hole and pulled her through and the car just kept getting better. We set her up for the end of the race, that's what you try to do. On the red, I told the crew, 'leave it alone, it's coming on'. I knew that was the right choice."
The early portions of the race looked like an all-Jacobs cake walk as the eldest of the Jacobs boys, Kenny Jacobs throttled the Tim Hughes #94 into a quick lead from his outside second row start. Jacobs made a bid for a clean sweep after claiming the first heat, the Commercial Truck and Trailer Dash, and destroying the year-old Charlie Fisher track record (11:502) with a flawless 11:175 mark, an average of 133 miles per hour.
With Jacobs nearly a half track in front, local ace Jim Nier settled into second, until Kerr nestled Stan Shoffs machine into the runner-up slot on lap six. Kerr battled Dean Jacobs for the next five laps as the two combatants wagered a staggering, side-by-side campaign for number two.
Dean Jacobs hammered the Denny Ashworth #92 hard off the turn two cushion to outdistance Kerr for bridesmaid honors on the twelfth circuit. With clear sailing ahead, the youngest Jacobs delved heavily into his brother's lead, then got some help on the fourteenth circuit when Brian Smith and Jonathan Stevens tangled in turn four to bring out the caution.
The next five circuits brought out the best of brotherly love as Kenny and Dean went nose to tail for the next five circuits. The vibrant Hughes #94 felt the pressure and jumped the cushion on lap 19. Kenny Jacobs made a great save to keep the car in motion, but relinquished the top spot to brother Dean and second to Kerr.
The next caution period came when James Fisher stalled on the backchute on lap 20, while at the same time Bobby Clark suffered a flat. Clark changed the tire under caution and rejoined the field. On the 22nd circuit, Kenny Wallace crewman Billy Wilburn jumped the cushion and broke both front and rear suspension components. While under caution, the red waved for a fuel stop.
Joey Saldana suffered some mechanical problems before the field got restarted after the red, then dropped out two laps later. Keith Kauffman suffered a left front flat under the red and restarted at the tail of the field.
Dean Jacobs dominated the next ten circuits, but heavy traffic, sometimes three wide filled the track. Jacobs struggled the next three laps, trying different grooves in the track, but scrubbed off valuable speed. Using the advantage of running second, Kerr's Davey Brown Chevrolet-powered Eagle Chassis followed Jacobs for three laps, then dove low in turn three to pass Jacobs for the lead on lap 35. Jacobs continued to struggle in traffic and Kerr blitzed the field for a half track win.
Kerr added in victory lane, "This track is always great, but with all the rain we've had, this was a super track tonight! It held together very well. I'd like to thank my crew and sponsors for a great car, and give special thanks to Pro shocks and George Gillespie, who really helped us out tonight."
In reference to his jumping the cushion, Kenny Jacobs said, "That's what dropped us to third, but what it boils down to was that we just weren't real good at the end."
Dean Jacobs added, "We had a pretty good car under us tonight, but then we got in lapped traffic and we scrubbed off some speed. I got behind a lapped car and I couldn't get by. That's what racin's all about though. You gotta pass the lapped cars to win."
Rounding out the top ten behind Kerr was Dean Jacobs, Kenny Jacobs, Jim Nier, Kevin Huntley, Rodney Duncan (up from 13th), Chad Kemenah, Sarah Fisher, Charlie Fisher, and Keith Kauffman, who came from last to tenth.
Heats went to Kenny Jacobs, Joey Saldana, and Tim Allison, while Kenny Jacobs took the Commercial Truck and Trailer Dash win, and James Fisher claimed the United Expressline B-main.
Jackie Boggs jumped into the lead on the first lap and never looked back in a flag-to-flag victory in the American Late Model Series by Sunoco 25-lap UMP late model feature. Rounding out the top ten were Boggs, R.J. Conley, Mark Frazier, Justin Paxton, Jeff Houser, Kris Patterson, Jon Osman, Jerry Bowersock, Todd Nuding, and Bill Bocook. Fast time: Kenny Jacobs (New Track Record) 11:175
United Expressline Heat: Kenny Jacobs, Kevin Huntley, Frankie Kerr, Rodney Duncan, Bobby Clark
Southwest Expressline Heat: Joey Saldana, Hud Horton, Keith Kauffman, Chad Kemenah, Charlie Fisher
United Specialties Heat: Tim Allison, Jonathan Stevens, Dean Jacobs, Jim Nier, Brian Smith
Commercial Truck and Trailer Dash: Kenny Jacobs, Joey Saldana, Frankie Kerr, Dean Jacobs, Jim Nier, Keith Kauffman.
United Expressline B- Main: James Fisher, Sarah Fisher, Nick Nabor, Scott Jones, Chris Fraley, Craig McGuire, Keith Crabtree, Billy Wilburn, Eddie Slone, Dewey Cassell. DNF-Todd Kane, Donnie Jeschke
Feature: 1. Kerr, 2. D. Jacobs, 3. K. Jacobs, 4. Jim Nier, 5. Kevin Huntley, 6. Rodney Duncan, 7. Chad Kemenah, 8. S. Fisher, 9. Charlie Fisher, 10. Kauffman , 11.Stevens, 12. Horton, 13. Allison, 14. Jones, 15. McGuire, 16. Fraley, 17. Nabor, 18. Slone, 19. Clark, 20. Wilburn, 21. Saldana, 22. Smith, 23. J. Fisher, 24.Crabtree.
