Keller’s late move earns USRA Iron Man victory at Lucas Oil Speedway


In a special “Wednesday Night Madness” event at Lucas Oil Speedway, Doug Keller of Easton, Missouri, used a last-lap pass in turn four to overtake Bill Crimmins and earn the $750 first prize in the debut at the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks” by the Christie Door Company Iron Man Challenge and American Racer USRA Stock Cars.

Front-row starters Crimmins and Keller raced side by side through three laps with Keller leading the first two and Crimmins passing him coming out of turn four to complete lap three.

He held on to that lead all the way until the 25th and final circuit, when Keller made the winning move.

Crimmins, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, had a 1.5-second lead with just three laps remaining when the current Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series USRA Stock Car national points leader began to reel him in.

He was right on Crimmins’ back bumper while taking the white flag.

“The lapped traffic was getting there and I knew I only had one shot,” Keller said. “I was reeling him back in once I found the line in (turns) three and four. I just had to go wherever he doesn’t, so I went high and if he crossed over I was like, ‘Hell, I’ve got to go low and give it a try.’”

“That lapped car pushed and I thought that might be all I need.”

“Lapped car,” Crimmins said succinctly, of the difference at the end.

Even in disappointment, Crimmins added that he enjoyed the trip to Lucas Oil Speedway saying "I wish it wasn’t so far away."

USMTS boss Todd Staley finished third with fellow Iowans Pat Graham and Jessie Brown completing the top five in the 20-lap feature race presented by Medieval Chassis.

Hawkeye State tripleheader up next: The Christie Door Company Iron Man Challenge will be back in action in less than two weeks with a three-night excursion through Iowa. The Stuart International Speedway kicks things off June 16 followed by stops at the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton on June 17 and Mason City Motor Speedway on June 18.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Racing Association
Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series
Christie Door Company Iron Man Challenge built by Medieval Chassis
Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, Missouri
Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown.

AMERICAN RACER USRA STOCKS CARS

Heat #1 (8 laps):
1. (1) 35C Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
2. (2) 14 Todd Staley, Webster City, Iowa
3. (5) 7 Doug Keller, Easton, Mo.
4. (4) 91 C.J. Turner, Jamesport, Mo.
5. (72) 110W Gerald Wahwahsuck, Atchison, Kan.
6. (6) 31 James McMillin, Warrensburg, Mo.
7. (3) 14J Aaron Johns, Preston, Mo.

Heat #2 (8 laps):
1. (1) 11B Jesse Brown, Nashua, Iowa
2. (2) 2J Steve Jackson, Polk City, Iowa
3. (5) 05 Brett Heeter, Kansas City, Kan.
4. (3) 20 Robbie Jones, Osceola, Mo.
5. (6) 417 Kevin Anderson, Kansas City, Mo.
6. (7) 00W Nick Whalen, Kansas City, Kan.
7. (4) 3T Peyton Taylor, Batesville, Ark.

Heat #3 (8 laps):
1. (2) 1G Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa
2. (1) 91J Jaylen Wettengel, Topeka, Kan.
3. (6) 35 Curt Van Beek, Sioux Center, Iowa
4. (3) 99W Edwin Wells, Morrilton, Ark.
5. (5) 5X Jerry Brown, Hume, Mo.
6. (4) 00 Andy Altenburg, Truman, Minn.

“A” Main (20 laps):
1. (1) 7 Doug Keller, Easton, Mo.
2. (3) 35C Bill Crimmins, Fort Dodge, Iowa
3. (5) 14 Todd Staley, Webster City, Iowa
4. (2) 1G Pat Graham, Ankeny, Iowa
5. (7) 91J Jaylen Wettengel, Topeka, Kan.
6. (4) 11B Jesse Brown, Nashua, Iowa
7. (16) 00W Nick Whalen, Kansas City, Kan.
8. (20) 3T Peyton Taylor, Batesville, Ark.
9. (14) 417 Kevin Anderson, Kansas City, Mo.
10. (13) 110W Gerald Wahwahsuck, Atchison, Kan.
11. (6) 2J Steve Jackson, Polk City, Iowa
12. (8) 35 Curt Van Beek, Sioux Center, Iowa
13. (10) 91 C.J. Turner, Jamesport, Mo.
14. (11) 20 Robbie Jones, Osceola, Mo.
15. (12) 99W Edwin Wells, Morrilton, Ark.
16. (15) 5X Jerry Brown, Hume, Mo.
17. (19) 14J Aaron Johns, Preston, Mo.
18. (17) 31 James McMillin, Warrensburg, Mo.
19. (9) 05 Brett Heeter, Kansas City, Kan.
20. (18) 00 Andy Altenburg, Truman, Minn.

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USRA OFFICIAL SPONSORS: American Racer Racing Tires, Chevrolet Performance, Christie Door Company, CP-Carrillo, Fast Shafts, Jobbers Warehouse Supply, K1 RaceGear by Ryan Bowers Motorsports, KS Engineering, KSE Racing Products, Mesilla Valley Transportation, MSD Performance, MyRacePass, Nitroquest Media, Pace Performance, PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain, RacinDirt.com, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels.

USRA PARTICIPATING SPONSORS: Boubin Tire & Automotive, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Mensink Racing Products, PBM Performance Products, Traeger Wood Pellet Grills by Elliott Motorsports, YouDirt.com.

USRA CONTINGENCY SPONSORS: AFCO Racing Products, Allstar Performance, Beyea Headers, Bryke Racing, BSB Manufacturing, Champ Pans, Edelbrock, Forty9 Designs, Genesis Racing Shocks, Hooker Harness, Integra Racing Shocks and Springs, JE Pistons, Jerovetz Motorsports Racing Parts, Keyser Manufacturing, Landrum Performance Springs, Medieval Chassis, QA1, RacerWebsite.com, Real Racing Wheels, Sybesma Graphics, Wehrs Machine & Race Products, Wilwood Racing.

USRA RACE TRACKS: 81 Speedway, 82 Speedway, Ark-La-Tex Speedway, Big O Speedway, Buffalo Creek Speedway, Caney Valley Speedway, Cedar Lake Speedway, Chateau Speedway, Creek County Speedway, Cresco Speedway, Dallas County Speedway, Deer Creek Speedway, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Fayette County Speedway, Hamilton County Speedway, Humboldt Speedway, Huset’s Speedway, I-35 Speedway, I-37 Speedway, I-90 Speedway, Lake Ozark Speedway, Lawton Speedway, Lebanon Midway Speedway, Legit Speedway Park, Lucas Oil Speedway, Mason City Motor Speedway, Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Monarch Motor Speedway, Nevada Speedway, Nobles County Speedway, Outlaw Motor Speedway, Rapid Speedway, Red Dirt Raceway, Route 66 Motor Speedway, RPM Speedway, South Texas Speedway, Southern Iowa Speedway, Sports Park Raceway, Springfield Raceway, Superbowl Speedway, Texana Raceway Park, Tri-State Speedway, Upper Iowa Speedway, Vado Speedway Park, West Texas Raceway.