5/25/2016
Bryan Clauson
Clauson Set for Indy 500 with Circular Insanity Count at 56
Lonnie Wheatley, INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 25, 2016) – With Bryan Clauson turning the fastest laps he’ll turn all year, the brakes have been dragging on the “Circular Insanity” race count, albeit temporarily.
Adding his 13th win of the year in a four-race set in the weekend previous to last week’s Indianapolis 500 practice and qualifying festivities, the “Circular Insanity” pursuit of 200 races is up to 56.
Clauson will tack on several more in the coming days beginning with Thursday night’s USAC Silver Crown “Hoosier Hundred” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and then Sunday’s big double that includes Clauson’s third Indianapolis 500 followed up by some non-wing Sprint Car action later that evening at Kokomo Speedway.
This past weekend, Clauson qualified for the 100th Indianapolis 500 by stopping the clocks in the Dale Coyne/Jonathan Byrd’s Racing No. 88 Cancer Treatment Centers of America entry at 225.266 miles per hour. Clauson will grid Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 in the 28th starting position.
Prior to activities at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a four-race weekend in the Hoosier State featured action in Sprint Cars of both winged and wingless variety as well a Midget run that ran the season win count to 13.
Race 53
A Friday night, May 13, double dip at Plymouth Speedway began with Clauson posting his sixth World of Outlaws Sprint Car top-ten finish of the year in the Elk Grove Ford/Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 17w Sprint Car with a ninth-place run.
“We had a good qualifying effort and started seventh. We were kinda riding in eighth and then onto the wrong side of a double file restart. We fell back to tenth or eleventh and battled back to get a couple of spot by the end.”
Race 54
With rain threatening, the USAC Indiana Midget feature at Plymouth followed the WoO card. Clauson beat the rain and the competition in the Dooling Machine/Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s No. 63 Midget for his 13th win of the year.
“We started third, Brady (Bacon) left the bottom open a couple of laps in and we were able to take advantage and drive off. We beat the weather almost, they went checkered with one to go.”
Race 55
World of Outlaws action at Haubstadt’s Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, May 14, was next on the agenda for Clauson and the Elk Grove Ford/Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 17w Sprint Car. After getting caught up in a caution, Clauson finished the night off in 18th.
“It was an okay night. We didn’t qualify that great and started way back. We had a decent start and was rolling up through there. Then on one of the restarts we got caught in a gaggle of cars and got turned around. Once you’re that far back, it’s pretty hard to make much progress, it was just one of those nights.
Race 56
Pre-Indy action wrapped up with the Sunday night, May 15, King of Kokomo event where Clauson drove the Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s Restaurant & Hospitality Group No. 63 Non-Wing Sprint Car to a third-place finish.
“We had some motor issues early, the guys did a good job to get that taken care of and we won the heat race. We redrew the seven for the feature and got a couple of spots early. There was a long run to the finish in the race and just ran out of time more or less.
Thursday’s Silver Crown event and Sunday’s big double leads the way into USAC Midget Week action that includes six nights of double duty beginning next Tuesday at Montpelier Motor Speedway.
2016 Circular Insanity Tour Quick Stats: 56 races, 13 wins, 27 top-fives, 40 top-tens.
Up Next:
Thursday – USAC Silver Crown “Hoosier Hundred” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds (Cancer Treatment Centers of America/ Jonathan Byrd’s Restaurant and Hospitality Group No. 6 Silver Crown car)
Sunday – 100th Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Dale Coyne/Jonathan Byrd’s Racing Cancer Treatment Centers of America No. 88)
Sunday night – Kokomo (IN) Speedway (Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s No. 63 Non-Wing Sprint Car)
Keep Track: Keep track of Bryan Clauson’s 2016 Circular Insanity Tour at www.bryanclauson.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bryanclausonracing/?fref=ts and on Twitter at @bryanclausoninc.
If you would like Bryan Clauson “Circular Insanity Tour” press releases e-mailed directly to you, send your e-mail address to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Penning the recurring series of “The Wheatley Chronicles” articles on www.sprintcarmania.com, Lonnie Wheatley provides media, public relations and more for select tracks, drivers and events. For more information, Wheatley may be contacted at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley
