WINNINGEST SPORTSMAN
WINS AGAIN
SPORTSMAN
It’s often observed that Scott Serydynski has the most wins ever in the Sportsman Division and he’s still active in that division. This time, he added another victory to his skein with a bit win over Ryan Flood. It was a down-to-the-wire affair with Scott hanging tough and edging Flood out by 55 thousandths of a second.
At first it seemed that Flood shared in the glory by capturing the Phil’s Propane Triple Crown, but tech inspection found his car didn’t meet specs and that, too was gone.
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John Hanafin ran third on the night, followed by Dick Benoit and points leader Scott Bruneau.
It was door-to-door between Chad Baxter and Jesse Melberg and they stayed in that mode through turn two. Baxter nosed out down the back and grabbed control of the front in turn four. Tom-the-Bomb Adams grabbed third in the early going but debris on the track brought caution and Adams, the source of the debris, headed pitside.
Baxter and Melberg came back to the front and again were door-to-door until lap three when Melberg fired past. But Baxter headed back up and came alongside again.
Corey Fanning got involved in a three-wide and spun to the infield afterwards. Five cars headed pitside to adjust. On the lap four restart, Melberg had the pole and Baxter the outside. Jesse grabbed the lead and Flood got under Baxter. Flood looked under Melberg and Baxter ran outside setting up a three-wide at the front. Flood grabbed the lead and Serydynski danced in under Melberg while Craig Pianka got under Baxter. Melberg got very wide and Serydynski took advantage to take over second.
By lap 10, Flood led Serydynski, then Pianka, Dick Benoit, Hanafin, Baxter and Rey Lovelace. The field went single file on lap eleven.
Serydynski then began looking under Flood. Flood was guarding his lead well, and Scott stayed on his bumper. Behind them, Pianka, Benoit and Hanafin were running nose-to-tail.
Lap 18 saw Benoit get under Pianka, followed by Hanafin and finally Lovelace all taking their toll. Now Flood was one car up on Serydynski, but Scott close to his bumper again and was running high-low-high-low. Hanafin looked under Benoit, was refused and grabbed some bumper.
With five to go, Flood still had Serydynski on his bumper and Benoit in third, still holding off Hanafin. Baxter ran fifth, ahead of Pianka. Bruneau was now at Pianka’s back door and he nosed under.
Serydynski finally got his nose under Flood on lap 27 and they were door-to-door on lap 28. They were still side-by-side under the white flag as Adams spun in turn four bringing a caution --- and a green-white-checkered restart.
Flood still had the pole with Scott to his outside. Benoit and Hanafin were behind them and Baxter held the low side of row three with Bruneau on his shoulder.
It was door-to-door at the green. Serydynski nosed ahead and was three-quarters past Flood but Ryan reached down and found some more and they roared out of turn four toward the finish almost dead even. At the stripe, the electronics told the tale of fifty-five thousands and another win for Serydynski.