5/5/2015
Cornell Wins Twice on Opening Weekend
(Photo by Lucas Oil Speedway)
CALIFORNIA, Mo. – With his season opener being pushed back two weeks after consecutive rainouts, Jonathan Cornell was finally able to get underway, and the results likely came as no surprise. The Sedalia, Mo. native won every race he was a part of over the weekend to dominate the American Sprint Car Series Warrior Region feature at Lucas Oil Speedway on Saturday, followed by a triumph at Double-X Speedway on Sunday.
A fresh layer of dirt covering Lucas Oil Speedway made for lightning-quick action all night long. One of 23 ASCS Warrior competitors signed in, pill draw placed Cornell sixth on the grid in his heat race. He quickly set his sights toward the front, and nabbed the win.
Cornell’s passing point total from his heat race earned him the pole for the 25-lap feature. He would decisively take the lead on the start, but a car flipping in turn four resulted in a red flag stoppage with two laps in the books. By lap eight, the Kiowa Line Builders No. 28 had built a straightaway lead when it reached the back of the field. A caution emerged with 12 laps complete, for a soon-to-be-lapped car spinning right in front of Cornell. He again pulled away on the restart, and controlled the latter half of the race just as he had the first half. Dispatching lapped cars was no issue for Cornell, as he took the checkered first, winning with a four-second gap behind him.
Sunday night offered up a mainstay on Cornell’s schedule for several years: Double-X Speedway in California, Mo. With several regulars sustaining damage to their cars at Lucas Oil, the number of competitors on hand was lower than usual. 13 sprint cars arrived in the pit area, setting up two heat races and a 25-lap main event. Cornell started on the outside of the front row for his heat race, then pulled ahead at the drop of the green on his way to a win by a straightaway.
The lineup based off heat race finish moved Cornell to the pole position for the nightcap. On the start, he moved to the point, only to be negated for a car stalled outside turn one. A complete restart allowed multiple-time track champion Tyler Blank to lead. Two cautions and a red flag all came with one lap down, without another lap being completed between. The subsequent restart would prove to be the final restart of the race. Blank handled the lead in the early going, but a Cornell slidejob in turn one earned him the front spot on the eighth circuit. He rapidly built a substantial margin, but a new second-place car would cut into the gap over the next few laps. The challenger pulled within striking distance, but lapped traffic ahead played greatly in Cornell’s favor. His expertise navigating lapped cars earned him his second win of the season in two attempts.
Jonathan Cornell Racing would like to thank Kiowa Line Builders, Starline Brass, Gas Monkey Tequila, VKCC Motorsports, Yeager's Cycle, Champion Brands, Ostrich Racing Engines, Peak Performance, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Weld Racing, Hoosier Racing Tire, Maxim Chassis, Rod End Supply, Lucas Oil, KSE Racing Products, ButlerBuilt, Factory Kahne Midwest, Duinkerken Farms, Steve Watt Enterprises, R2C Performance Products, Simpson Race Products, Don's Truck Towing & Truck Wash, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Outlaw Wings, Sparks Electric Co., SureCoat, Xtreme Fuel Stick, and Steve and Charlie Smith, as well as all of his fans for their continued support.
Cornell is next scheduled to compete on May 7 at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. with the Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series and Warrior Region, on May 8 at Callaway Raceway in Fulton, Mo. with the ASCS Warrior Region, and on May 10 at Double-X Speedway in California, Mo., all in the No. 28 360ci winged sprint entry.
Quick Results
May 2 – Wheatland, MO – 360ci Winged Sprint – Heat: 1st (6); Feature: 1st (1)
May 3 – California, MO – 360ci Winged Sprint – Heat: 1st (2); Feature: 1st (1)
2015 Stats
2 races, 2 features, 2 wins, 2 top fives, 2 top tens, 0 DNFs
Social Media
Twitter: http://twitter.com/teamtwentyeight
Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions
