Gustin holds off crowd at King of America III

HUMBOLDT — It took Ryan Gustin about 25 laps to take the lead for good Saturday night at Humboldt Speedway.
For the next 75 laps, the Marshalltown, Iowa, product held off all charges — including a thrilling pass attempt by runner-up Chris Brown with three laps remaining — to claim the third annual USMTS King of America trophy in front of a packed speedway crowd.
The win capped a scintillating weekend that frequently was threatened by nasty weather — storms were reported north and east of the speedway all day Saturday — but still came off without a hitch.
Coming through unscathed was Gustin, who started on the outside of the second row of the 100-lap feature, and kept pole sitter Terry Phillips within range throughout.
Phillips led the first 25 laps before encountering lapped traffic, allowing Gustin an opening.
Gustin powered inside down the final turn to take the lead for the first time. Phillips stayed virtually even over the next six laps before Gustin secured the lead for good.
Phillips stayed within a car length or two for an extended period, occasionally darting inside or outside to challenge Gustin.
It wasn’t until the race’s first caution flag in lap 73 that bunched up the field for a dazzling conclusion.
Brown and Jeremy Payne used the restart to slide in front of Phillips. The duo nipped at Gustin’s wheels over the ensuing 25 laps, including two more cautions and restarts.
Brown’s last best chance came on lap 97, when he pulled alongside Gustin from the inside of the fourth and final turn. The pair raced side by side before Gustin crossed the line by a nose. He kept the momentum to regain a car length lead that he kept for the balance of the race.
Gustin’s victory garnered him $10,000. Brown, of Spring, Texas, was second. Payne and Phillips, both of Springfield, Mo., rounded up the top four. Zack VanderBeek of New Sharon, Iowa, took fifth.
Joey Jensen had one of the most exhilarating rides of the night. He finished fifth in one qualifying race and 11th in another to sneak into the “A” main feature in the 23rd spot. He snaked his way up into the top five before finishing in sixth.
Several drivers of local note made their mark on the evening.
Iola’s Justin Folk took advantage of a pair of impressive qualifying races to start at the front of Saturday’s “B” main feature. He was leading the pack — virtually ensuring a spot in the “A” main feature — before his engine went kaput midway through the 20-lap qualifier.
Chanute’s John Allen had an eventful weekend. He took second in a last chance race to make, then 10th in a “C” main feature to secure a spot at the rear of the “B” feature. He worked his way into the top 12 — which also would have qualified him for the main event — before exiting a few laps from the finish.

THE WEEKEND’S festivities included a pair of impressive showings by Fort Scott’s Brian Bolin in the USRA B-Mod feature series.
Bolin led nearly from start to finish in feature race victories on both Friday and Saturday, earning $3,000 in the process.
He led all 25 laps in Friday’s feature, then took the lead from defending B-Mod national champion Scott Drake of Joplin in lap 6 on Saturday.
Drake held on for second, followed by Corey Crapser of Wisconsin. Dan Wheeler and Jacob Bleess, both of Minnesota, rounded out the top five.
Thursday’s opening night winner, Kris Jackson, took home sixth. Jake Timm was seventh, Trevor Drake was eighth, Tim Van Gotten took ninth and Jason Schlangen took 10th.
Olathe’s Terry Bruner gave the crowd a scare in the C main feature Saturday. He collided with another car and flipped onto his side in the front straightaway.
Emergency crews pushed the car back onto its wheels, where Bruner emerged unscathed — shaken but not stirred.