DART Corn Belt Clash Series
Elko Speedway
October 15, 2011
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Rauen captures Corn Belt Clash season finale; Simpson clinches championship at Elko Speedway



CBC Media
ELKO, Minn. (October 15) - It looked like Lance Matthees might make it two-for-two in the final 2011 weekend of the Dart Corn Belt Clash Series but trouble with a lapped car allowed ‘Hammer Down’ Jason Rauen to drive his M-B Customs #98 to the topside in the closing laps to take the win and the $3,000 pay day in the series final event of the season.

Matthees and Chris Simpson started on the front row as determined by the re-draw after threatening weather had to cancel the Kindll LLC Fast Dash and put a delay in the night’s A-Main. After Elko Speedway track crews worked to get the dirt surface, laid over the track’s normal asphalt surface, back into shape after a rain drizzle mix made its way over the facility, it was Friday night’s winner Matthees who sped out to an early lead. He held the point over Chris Simpson, Jason Rauen, Tim Isenberg and newly crowned CBC Champion Chad Simpson.

The race took an interesting twist on lap 6 when Chad make contact with brother Chris in turns 1 and 2 while battling for the second position that resulted in the #32 spinning. As the yellow flag was displayed, a multi-car incident happened on the exit of turn four as John Kaanta ended up on his side after attempting to avoid another slowed car. On the ensuring restart following the Simpson/Simpson/Kaanta incident, Matthees re-took the lead with Rauen now in the runner-up position after both Simpson were sent to the tail of the field.

Matthees continued to lead the event, pulling out to almost a straightway lead over Rauen, Tim Isenberg and Justin Mitchell. Heavily lapped traffic slowed Matthees who stayed glued to the bottom groove and Rauen began to close the gap. In the closing laps, Rauen made a charge on the top-side exiting turn two to over take leader Matthees, using the lapped car as a pick, to take the lead. Rauen pulled away from Friday night’s winner over the final two laps to take the win in the series final race of 2011 over Matthees, Isenberg, Justin Mitchell and Jill George.

A-Main  
1 98 Jason Rauen Farley, IA
2 90 Lance Matthees Winona, MN
3 9T Tim Isenburg Marshfield, WI
4 28X Justin Mitchell Cedar Rapids, IA
5 22 Jill George Cedar Falls, IA
6 99 Darrell DeFrance Marshalltown, IA
7 11 Pat Doar New Richmond, WI
8 78 Rick Wendling Hazelton, IA
9 33X Adam Hensel Barron, WI
10 22 Charles McKenna Clear Lake, IA
11 28 Dennis Erb Jr Carpentersville, IL
12 58 Dave Eckrich Oxford, IA
13 25S Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA
14 3 Skip Frey Ely, IA
15 31 Jason Utter Columbus Junction, IA
16 55 Kevin Kuehn Winona, MN
17 3w Clarence Washburn Hector, MN
18 32 Chris Simpson Oxford, IA
19 33 Joe Ludemann Grand Meadow, MN
20 7 Dennis Hillson Blooming Prairie, MN
21 0 Jim Rychtik Port Washington, WI
22 1M Rob Moss Iowa City, IA
23 71 Andrew McKay Edina, MN
24 25 Toby Patchen Isanti, MN
25 3 Brent Swedberg Shawano, WI
26 85 John Kaanta Elk Mound, WI
27 31b Travis Budisalvich Cottage Grove, MN

-- unofficial results