(Bill W) October 17, 2016 – Brad Loyet and the Vacuworx Global #o5 team racked up a pair of podium finishes as the MOWA Series wrapped up their season Friday and Saturday at Jacksonville Speedway in Illinois. The Sunset Hills, Missouri native will compete in Thursday’s Jason Leffler Memorial at Wayne County Speedway in Wayne City, Illinois with the POWRi midgets.
In Friday’s event at Jacksonville, Brad timed in fifth quick and lined up outside row one of his heat. “I was able to get the jump on the start and led the whole thing,” he says. “We had a good car and we were happy with it. I didn’t want to push it too hard.”
He lined up inside row two for the feature. “Starting third was o.k., but (Ian) Madsen was there on the front row outside, and I knew he would be tough to beat from there,” says Brad. “We fell into third there quickly. It was typical Jacksonville with the cushion right on the fence.”
The leaders ran nose to tail most of the way. “We caught lapped traffic, but the problem was there were six cars there all at once,” says Brad. “It was tough to make any kind of move there with cars all over the track. We were all bumper to bumper there for 25 laps. No one could really make a move. That was it. I felt we had a great car, it was just a part of the game and we ended up third.”
Saturday’s finale started well for Brad. He set quick time before running away with his heat. “We were quickest in practice,” he says. “Before qualifying, they made some changes with the track. We made some changes, and I think most of the others left their cars alone. I think that was the difference for us in time trials and the heat.”
An invert of six would put him outside row three to start the main event. “We were able to get to fourth right away,” says Brad. “The track was really good around the top again. Everyone was the same speed for a while. It took me a long time to get by AJ Bruns for third. Once we got by him, I cleared (Jacob) Wilson for second.”
Jim Moughan Jr. was the leader. “He was about a half track ahead of me at that point,” says Brad of the closing stages. “He got in the open and got going. We ran him down in about three laps, but the problem was, the white flag was out. I tried something on the last lap, but I wasn’t even close enough to make that happen. We ran second. The race went green to checker, which is pretty rare for that place.”
Brad and the team were happy with the weekend. “I feel like we had a fast car both nights,” he says. “It was a car capable of winning, so we’ll take our second and third.”
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Brad and the Loyet Motorsports team would like to thank primary sponsors: Vacuworx Global 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.
Photo: Brad races with Joe B. Miller earlier this year at Jacksonville (Mark Funderburk Racing Photo)
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Monroe, IA USA