New ASA Late Model Series Northern Division Points Leader, Trent Snyder (88) completes the winning pass on ASALMS Southern Division Rookie contender, Brandon Johnson (41) on Lap 130 and from there, the Ironton, Minnesota driver would go on to win the biggest Feature of his career in the North VS South Shootout/World Cup 200 on Sunday September 23, 2007 at the I-70 (MO) Speedway.
Ironton, Minnesota’s Trent Snyder represents the North well by winning the North VS South Shootout/World Cup 200 for a clean ASALMS sweep at I-70 (MO) Speedway. By ASA Late Model Series
The Ninth Race of the 2007 Season in the ASA Late Model Series Northern Division Presented by GM Performance Parts as well as the Eighth Race of the ASALMS Southern Division campaign is now complete. The wicked fast 0.543 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval of the I-70 (MO) Speedway, located East of Kansas City in Odessa, Missouri served as hosts for the running of the North VS South Shootout/World Cup 200.
The annual event pitting the ASALMS Northern and Southern Divisions head to head saw a Northern domination led by Ironton, Minnesota driver, Trent Snyder who took the lead from South counterpart, Brandon Johnson on Lap 130 and from there, the new ASALMS Northern Division Points Leader held off a late charge from 15-year-old Alex Kennedy to win his second ASALMS North Feature of the season and sweep the two events held at I-70 in 2007!
ASALMS Southern Division Rookie of the Year title contenders, Chris Fontaine and Brandon Johnson both making the long haul from their home state of Florida, led one of the most star studded fields of the season to Chief Starter, Tim Goodlet’s green flag to begin the longest distance Feature of the 2007 campaign for the ASALMS Northern and Southern Division competitors.
Johnson edged out in front of Fontaine heading into Turn One as the field quickly sorted themselves out behind the South duo. Johnson led the first lap but Fontaine stayed glued to his inside and they stayed that way for several laps until Johnson had built up enough momentum on the outside to pull out ahead, forcing Fontaine to tuck in behind the fellow Sunshine State driver.
As the field quickly began jockeying for position, Johnson and Fontaine pulled away from the rest of the field. Soon ASALMS Northern Division Rookie of the Year title contender, Dave Gentile Jr., caught up to the South duo and after several more laps of side by side racing, Gentile Jr., was able to get by Fontaine and set his sights on Johnson.
Gentile Jr., wasted no time challenging Johnson as the two freshman began to dice for position with Gentile Jr., making his pass to the inside stick on Lap 30 to take over the top spot. The Elwood, Illinois freshman began to pull away from Johnson and the rest of the pack when on Lap 50, he slowed with a Flat Tire bringing out the first of seven cautions of the afternoon.
This gave the lead back to Johnson who was now trailed by the Brothers Racing Team of Beau Slocumb and 17-year-old John Wes Townley as the ASALMS Southern Division began flexing their muscle early in the 200-lap Feature. Townley, the winner of the last ASALMS South event on September 15, 2007 at the New Senoia (GA) Raceway, began working on his teammate while Slocumb himself had his hands full with Johnson.
I-70 Speedway regular, Brian Green brought out the second caution of the day on Lap 83 when he spun coming out of Turn Four. Luckily the Pierce City, Missouri driver stayed away from both the inside and outside front stretch walls and was able to continue.
As Johnson, Slocumb, and Townley tried to pull away from the pack, ASALMS Northern Division contender, Trent Snyder, who made the haul from Ironton, Minnesota came to life and reeled in the South trio as the Lap 100 halfway break was approaching.
The break came a little early as on Lap 98, 15-year-old Thor Anderson slammed the Turn Four wall a ton! The one time Feature winner in 2007 in I-70 weekly competition was ok, but his car was destroyed and he was done for the day. With cautions laps counting up until Lap 190, ASALMS Officials displayed the crossed flags and sent the teams into the pits for service.
Johnson led Slocumb, Townley, Snyder, and 15-year-old Alex Kennedy onto pit road as the 10-Minute break allowed the ASALMS North and South teams to change Two (2) Hoosier Racing Tires, fill the fuel cells full of Torco Racing Fuel and make any other adjustments they could in a 10 Minute time span. Identical to the ASALMS Challenge Division halfway break procedures.
As the green flag returned, Snyder immediately made his presence felt to the three South drivers in front of him as he began to challenge both of the Zaxby’s Real Chicken machines for position. Then on Lap 109 things turned out in the favor of Snyder when Townley and Slocumb collided heading into Turn Three sending Slocumb head first into the Turns 3-4 wall!
Three more competitions, 19-year-old Jimmy Lang, 17-year-old Brian Blum, both South drivers, and 19-year-old Josh Wallace all had nowhere to go and piled into Slocumb as he began his descent down the Show-Me State high-banks.
All four drivers were and all but Blum were done for the day. Townley was sent to the rear of the field as the original cause of the caution! This gave second place to Snyder who was trailed by Kennedy, Mike Heiss, and Jesse Saunders, putting four ASALMS North teams on the back bumper of Johnson who had maintained the lead throughout the Slocumb/Townley ordeal.
As Johnson brought the field back to the green, Snyder followed the Longwood, Florida drivers’ tire tracks for several laps before he began to challenge for the lead. Finally on Lap 130, Snyder made the most crucial pass of the race by Johnson to take the lead as Johnson had a slew of Northern Division competitors waiting for him.
The final caution flew on Lap 176 when Dave Gentile Jr., who went several laps down due to his flat tire earlier in the event and benefitted from a couple of ASALMS “Free Passes” to get back on the lead lap, found the Turn Two wall and was forced to end his day early after working so hard to get back onto the lead lap.
The final restart saw Snyder lead the field back to the green while an all Northern Division Top Five was sitting behind him as Johnson fell back to Sixth. With 10 laps to go, Johnson’s developed a slow leak in his Right Front Tire and fell all the way back to 11th at the finish. In the meantime, Snyder began pulling away from the rest of the field.
As Snyder was looking ahead at the I-70 sweep for the 2007 season since he won the Missouri 100 Presented by KC Power Equipment back on June 9, 2007 in an ASALMS North event, 15-year-old Kennedy got away from ASALMS Northern Division Rookie of the Year Points Leader, Jesse Saunders and tried in vain to reel in the leader for one last battle.
But in the end, Kennedy would have too much real estate to make up as Snyder as the new ASALMS Northern Division Points Leader was way out in front and made no mistake the rest of the race to pick up his second ASALMS Northern Division/first ASALMS South Feature win of the 2007 season.
The Ironton, Minnesota driver in his Dondelinger Chevrolet/Jean Ross Eyewear/Milaca Unclaimed Freight Featuring Ice Castle Fish Houses/Chevrolet Monte Carlo will take a 15-point lead (Unofficially) into the ASALMS Northern Division Season Championships at the LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin on Saturday October 6, 2007 for the 38th annual Oktoberfest Weekend.
The 15-year-old Kennedy from Aztec, New Mexico finished a career high second over ASALMS North Rookie of the Year Points Leader, Jesse Saunders who has a somewhat commanding 40-point lead over fellow rookie, Mike Heiss, who grabbed fourth, in the chase for the Rookie of the Year title heading into Oktoberfest.
19-year-old Nick Neville completed the Top Five for an ASALMS Northern Division clean sweep of the Top Five as Derek Neville was sixth while Peter Cozzolino came home seventh after going a lap down early in the event and trails Snyder by those 15 markers heading into Oktoberfest. The first Seven (7) finishers all represented the ASALMS Northern Division!
17-year-old John Wes Townley was the highest finishing ASALMS South representative with an Eighth place showing even after being sent to the rear in the incident with his teammate, Beau Slocumb. 2006 ASALMS Northern Division Champion, 18-year-old Jesse Smith was ninth as Charlie Menard rounded out the Top 10.
Earlier in the afternoon in ARP Bodies/Aluminum Racing Products Qualifying, ASALMS Southern Division Overall and Rookie of the Year Points Leader, Jeff Choquette won his second ARP Bodies Fast Qualifier Award of the 2007 season as the Loxahatchee, Florida driver turned a 16.636 which measures out to 117.504 MPH.
The ASALMS track record was set during last year’s North VS South Shootout/World Cup 200 when Jack Smith turned in a 16.296.
Also earlier in the day, 18-year-old Billy Crane won the 25-lap GM Performance Parts Shootout over fellow I-70 Speedway regular, Ron Hartford. Both drivers transferred into the 200-lap Feature. 17-year-old Phil Gill finished third ahead of Mike Vannoy Jr., and ASALMS North GM Performance Parts Shootout Points Leader, Mike Osgar completed the Top Five.
The ASALMS Challenge Division will now step into the spotlight and will end the month of September with the running of the 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Season Championships/USA Digital 200!
The 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Championship and 2007 Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year titles will be decided on Friday and Saturday September 28-29, 2007 at the fast 0.500 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval of the Five Flags (FL) Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.
West Bend, Wisconsin’s Travis Dassow sits in the driver’s seat and has the inside track on winning the 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Championship and third title in a row for the #89 car with the last two championships under the WalTom Racing stable.
This potential title would be the first for T. D. Racing Development, who purchased the WalTom team before the start of the 2007 season. The 20-year-old Two-Time Feature winner will carry a comfortable 93-point lead over Colt James and 97 markers ahead of Eddie Hoffman and Dassow merely needs to finish 21st or better to clinch the 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Championship!
As for the chase for the 2007 Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year title, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Rookie, Sean Murphy is the new Rookie Points Leader and will carry a 22-point advantage over Lakeport, California’s Derek Thorn into his native Sunshine State. Murphy simply needs to be within four positions ahead of Thorn in Pensacola, Florida during the 200-lap Feature to clinch the Freshman title!
Joining the ASALMS Challenge Division will be two of Five Flags’ regular weekly divisions of Sportsmen and Super Stocks who will be conducting their 2007 Season Championships as well in what is billed as Championship Weekend in Pensacola, Florida. In addition, the Open Wheeled Modifieds, a non regular division, will also be a part of the action.
The entry form for the ASALMS Challenge Division Season Championships/USA Digital 200 is available and the deadline to get those into the ASALMS Home Offices in Lexington, Michigan has been extended to Tuesday September 25, 2007.
Then to begin the month of October, both the ASALMS Northern and Southern Divisions will be in action again only this time in two separate locations as for the only time in 2007, they will both be racing on the same day.
The ASALMS Southern Division cars and stars head out to the fast 0.375 Mile Semi-Banked Paved Oval of the Desoto (FL) Super Speedway, located South of Tampa/St. Petersburg in Bradenton, Florida on Friday and Saturday October 5-6, 2007 for the running of the Seafest 100.
Joining ASALMS Southern Division contingent over the special Two-Day Weekend will be the All-American Challenge Series Super Late Models as well as a host of support divisions including Modifieds, Street Stocks, Bombers, the Pro Challenge Series, Pure Stocks, Modified Minis, Magic 4s, and F. A.S. T. Mini Cups.
On the same weekend, the 2007 ASALMS Northern Division Championship and Rookie of the Year titles will be decided in the ASALMS Northern Division Season Championships / Oktoberfest 100 on Saturday October 6, 2007 during the 38th annual Oktoberfest Weekend!
The ASALMS Northern Division will headline the prestigious Weekend on Saturday October 6, 2007 at the LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway, located East of the Minnesota/Wisconsin state line and the city of LaCrosse in West Salem, Wisconsin.
Joining the ASALMS Northern Division on Saturday October 6, 2007 during the Saturday portion of the 38th annual Oktoberfest Weekend will be the Mid-American Stock Car Series and preliminary events for the ASAMidwest Tour.
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