Camargo, IL (8-2-09) – By Kelly Brown –Public Relations Director – On the last night of the marathon event of Thunder through the Plains there was not only a storm of action going on at Husets Speedway, but there was also a storm approaching the track creating almost as much thunder and lightning in the sky as the drivers of the O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions did on the track. At the end of the 30 Lap event, it would be Terry McCarl outrunning the storm and the fierce All Star competitors to collect a $10,000 payday.

On the initial drop of the Green Flag it was pole sitter Tim Shaffer who blew past Terry McCarl to take the lead, but before a lap could be scored there was a melee in Turn 1 involving four cars. When the dust settled Ryan Bunton, Mark Dobmeier, Greg Wilson and Greg Hall’s sprint cars were all stopped against the Turn 1 wall. All four cars retired for the night with too much damage to continue on.

The incident caused a complete restart and this time when the Green Flag was unfurled it was outside pole sitter Terry McCarl who breezed past Shaffer into the lead. In the early laps of the event there were several breaks in the racing action. On Lap 4 the first caution flag of the night flew when the 9x of Gary Wright slowed and came to a stop on the track. A second Yellow Flag would fly again on Lap 6 when the 23w of Scott Winters also came to a stop on the track.

On Lap 6 the Red Flag would fly with the 89g of David Gravel got into the wall exiting Turn 2 and sent him tumbling down the back stretch. When the Green Flag was presented to the field McCarl got a jump and held on to the lead with Shaffer, Tim Kaeding, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Shane Stewart in his tire tracks. The top –five would try to track down McCarl, but he opened up a significant lead until he encountered lapped traffic.

On Lap 18 the Red Flag would come out again. This time it was for the 4 car of Chad Myer. Going into Turn 3 his car got upside down and landed between Turns 3 and 4. Without anywhere to go the 92 of Daron Clayton would make contact with Myer, but would return to the track at the back of the field after changing a right rear tire.

McCarl led the field to the Green Flag with Shaffer in second and Hafertepe who had slid his way into the top-3. McCarl retained his lead and had the field covered until he started encountering lapped traffic which set up a finish that brought the crowd out of their seats.

When the White Flag was unfurled Shaffer had closed on McCarl and as they passed the start finish line Shaffer pulled to the inside of McCarl to execute the pass. McCarl would block his first attempt. While those two battled it allowed Hafertepe to close on the two. On the last turn of the last lap Shaffer sized up McCarl and made his final bid for the win. As Shaffer pulled to McCarl’s inside Hafertepe threaded the needle going between the two. At the finish line it was McCarl picking up the win with Hafertepe barely beating Shaffer to the line. Tim Kaeding and Gary Bakker would round out the top-five.

This is his 13th career All Star Circuit of Champions victory. Some of the biggest movers of the night were Gregg Bakker who finished fifth after starting 19th, Troy Myer who finished eighth after starting 20th, and Jody Rosenboom who finished tenth after starting dead last.

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