(Bill W) September 24, 2014 – It was a tough points weekend at I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska for Brad Loyet and the Vacuworx Global/Miller Truck Lines #o5 team. A podium finish had things rocking on Friday night, but a DNF on Saturday ended the weekend. Still, the Sunset Hills, Missouri driver emerged seventy-two points ahead of Jason Johnson in the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series championship standings. This weekend, the series heads to Lucas Oil Speedway near Wheatland, Missouri for the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial.
Things started well for Brad on Friday when he charged from eighth to third in his heat. “We were lucky and got to capitalize off of a back row heat race,” he says. “We were able to do some moving. Luckily, a couple of cars dropped out in front of us and we were able to get by some guys. That made it easier the rest of the night not having to run the B main and being able to get in the redraw.”
The redraw would see a seven drawn putting Brad inside row four for the preliminary feature. “We had a really good start,” he says. “A couple of starts got called back, but once we went, we were able to get up to third quickly. We worked our way up to second.”
Running the low line, he would set a good pace in the runner-up spot. “I felt we were running (leader) Wayne (Johnson) down,” says Brad. “Unfortunately, the line we were running was the same as a lot of the lapped traffic. We got hung up on a lapped car, and Jason (Johnson) was able to slip by us there on the last lap. Overall, it was a good night and got us locked into Saturday.”
Saturday’s redraw would see Brad draw a three and start inside row two. “Unfortunately, it was over pretty quick,” he says of the finale. “I think we fell into fifth right away. I kind of got stuck in a position where I didn’t want to be. I was having to run a different line than the one I wanted trying to get by some guys.”
Brad was running sixth when contact from another car ended his night. “It was a situation where I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he says. “A guy kind of hopped over our right front and knocked the axle out. It seemed like the tow truck took forever to get us to the work area. By the time we got there, they went green.”
The team is now focusing on the next race. “It hurt a bunch as far as points go,” says Brad. “Fortunately, we have eight races left. We just need to keep plugging away and going for this championship.”
Brad has two top fives in the last two years at Lucas Oil Speedway. “We’re looking forward to running there,” he says. “We’ve always run pretty decent there. I haven’t been able to win a race in a sprint car there, but we’ve been close. Maybe this is the time we can finally do that.”
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Brad and the Loyet Motorsports team would like to thank primary sponsors: Vacuworx Global, Miller Truck Lines, and Loyet Landscape Maintenance. Associate sponsors: Maxim Race Cars, J and D Performance Racing Engines, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems, Meramec Heights Collision Center, KSE Racing, Weld Wheels, Penske Shocks, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Hepfner Racing Products, DMI, Saldana Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Bell Helmets, TI 64, Conroy Control, The Engine Heater, Ealey Transportation, and Speedway Motors.
Attached: Brad at I-80 Speedway (IBRACN Photo)
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