NOWAK STORMS TO THUNDERSTRUCK WIN

Topics:  Lyle Nowak

Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
September 22, 2012

ELKO, Minn. (September 22, 2012) – Lyle Nowak admits he had a hard time believing he was in the same zip code as his competitors the last time the Mid-American Stock Car Series competed at Elko Speedway in 2005.

This time he had the correct five digits for the Elko New Market area, and he has a win in the Thunderstruck to add to those other numbers he’s been thinking about in the 2012 MASCS title chase.

Trailing Jeremy Spoonmore into a crucial weekend at Elko, Nowak cruised to a win in the 40-lap Thunderstruck feature Saturday night and captured the point lead by 17 markers heading into the final two events of Mid-American’s 20th season.

On Friday night Mid-American held qualifying and a Preview feature. Spoonmore gained three markers on Nowak in qualifying, but lost one in the Preview. Although Spoonmore did have a net game, it was Nowak who left smiling after a fourth-place finish.

“We drifted to the back of that preview race on Friday night and I just put caution to the wind and drove as hard as I could,” Nowak said. “I found the car liked both the grooves.”

With nearly 24 hours to make adjustments, Nowak and crew went to work getting the car exactly where they thought it needed to be for the 40-lap Thunderstruck on Saturday. Clearly, the changes paid dividends.

“I really felt like if the car reacted the way it did last night after the changes we made this morning that we would be ok, and the car was pretty good.”

Nowak buzzed to the lead after moving past early-race leader Jack Stern on lap seven and Ryan Gutknecht on lap 13. Chasing down Gutknecht with just a dozen laps in the record books, Nowak worked very patiently. He first tested the outside, then swung to the bottom and grabbed the top spot.

As Nowak began to cruise away from Gutknecht up front, attention turned to James Swan. Coming into Elko with three straight wins, Swan was the star of Friday night. He set fast time and charged to a win after starting 13th in the 30-lap Preview feature.

By the midway point Swan had crept into the seventh spot, following Brad Keith very closely. After swapping the sixth spot on several occasions, Swan and Keith’s charge toward the top five slowed. It was cut off completely on lap 27 when Swan tapped Keith entering turn three. Keith spun to the outside wall bringing out the yellow. Both drivers were sent to the tail of the field, erasing their chances at the win.

Although two top contenders were involved, Nowak said the caution could have cost him the win.

“After that caution came out it was like I had a different car there for a while,” he said. “I was just trying to be careful to protect the bottom and hold my line. I was a little worried there. I never like to see a caution when I get in such a good rhythm.”

Gutknecht kept close tabs on Nowak over the next five laps, but could get no closer than to Nowak’s bumper until the 2010 MASCS champ pulled away.

The win was Nowak’s second of 2012. Gutknecht finished second, just as he did in the Preview feature Friday, Jack Stern recorded his best career MASCS finish in third, Jake Finney was fourth and Ryan Farrell rounded out the top five.

Even more so than the win at Elko, Nowak was happy to get some retribution on the facility that got the better of him in 2005. “It’s always nice to be competitive,” he said. “It’s nice to be in the right zip code now.”

To dial in Nowak said he received advice from a few heavy hitters at the venue including Steve and Skylar Holzhausen and Elko locals and top guns Nick and Steve Murgic.

Some special significance added to the win for Nowak. The race was run in remembrance of Dan Ryan, who toured with Jake Ryan in the early-2000s with Mid-American. Ryan passed away from ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease in 2009. Nowak made his entrance into the series just as Ryan was making his move to Late Models.

“This is an awesome facility, built by awesome people who unfortunately lost their leader and loved one,” Nowak said. “If this helps them honor his memory, I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Mid-American makes its next stop at Rockford Speedway as part of the 47th National Short Track Championships this Sunday, October 30th. Qualifying is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. with MASCS racing scheduled for 12:30. For more information visit www.rockfordspeedway.com