9/29/2015
Cole Wood
MWR/Bryan Clauson – NSL Finale this Weekend!
MWR/Bryan Clauson – NSL Finale this Weekend!
(Bill W) September 29, 2015 – Bryan Clauson and the Matt Wood Racing/Elk Grove Ford #17w team have a lot to race for as the FVP National Sprint League season comes to a close this Friday and Saturday night at the I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska. Bryan is just eleven points behind Brian Brown for sixth place in the driver standings, while the team is just 23 points out of third in the owner standings.
Last Friday night, the team competed with the World of Outlaws at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio. Bryan would time in sixth quick. “We turned a really good lap for where we went out,” he said. “I think there was only one car after us that timed in better. With the Outlaw format, it was good, but not good enough.”
He would finish fourth in his heat and start tenth in the feature. “We could never quite get it going,” says Bryan. “We fell back quickly and we fell back far. I started running the top, then the middle, then finally down on the bottom where we needed to be. We were able to pick off a few spots, but we weren’t good enough.”
Bryan would checker eighteenth. “We’ve really struggled at tracks that have no grip,” he says. “If there’s a tiny bit to hold onto, we’ve been o.k. We just didn’t have it Friday night. We got to the bottom too late.”
Bryan had the rare chance to compete in the Dooling #63 in the sprint and midget portions of the 4-Crown weekend at Eldora as well. After qualifying third quick, he would start fourth in the sprint feature. “I ran the top and got to the lead,” he says. “We hit the wall, and went to the back. We went to the back with fifteen to go, and got back up to fourth. You had to be pretty committed up there to carry your speed. We were one of only a couple guys up there.”
He would also try the wall in the midget feature and, unfortunately, end upside down.
The #17w team is looking forward to I-80 Speedway this weekend. “We’re excited to get back there,” says Bryan. “We ran really strong there earlier in the year. We were battling ‘TK’ (Tim Kaeding) for second there earlier in the year when we blew up. There’s definitely some money on the line. We’re in a tight point battle on both the driver and owner side, so we’re looking forward to getting back there and getting to work!”
Matt Wood Racing would like to thank: Elk Grove Ford, Quick Lane, Fuel Safe, Schoenfeld and Vortex Wings!
To follow the Matt Wood Racing’s progress online, visit www.ColeWoodRacing.com!
Follow Bryan Clauson online at www.BryanClauson.com!
(Jeff Bylsma Photo)
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