strickler gets first career fairbury victory

FAIRBURY, Ill. — Since his first encounters with the DIRTcar UMP Modified over 15 years ago, Kyle Strickler has enjoyed a fruitful career behind the wheel with wins in multiple high-profile events at tracks across the nation.

But there remained one prestigious venue he’d yet to conquer – Fairbury Speedway.

In one of the most intense, back-and-forth UMP Modified battles seen this season, Strickler defeated rival Josh Harris in an epic duel for the lead in the closing 20 circuits of the 50-lap grind to claim $10,000 and his first career FALS Super NationalsModified title.

“It’s awesome to get $10,000, but it’s also awesome to get a win here at Fairbury,” said Strickler. “This place is one of my favorite racetracks in the country.”

While Strickler had solid results earlier in the evening, including a second-fast effort in group two qualifying and a win in heat race No. 5, Harris was forced to dig from further back. Harris, the veteran racer from Utica, Ky., finished two spots behind Strickler in the heat and transferred into the big show, but took the green from outside row eight.

“I knew that we had a really good car,” Harris said, reflecting his thoughts before taking the green. “But when you start that far back, you’ve gotta have a good car and you’ve gotta have a lot of luck.”

In the opening laps, Strickler stayed patient and ran securely inside the top-three, while Harris flipped on the nitrous. By lap 10, he was riding 10th and looked to be on the fast-track to the front, until the surge temporarily went flat.

Over the next 10 laps, Harris advanced only one position. Before the race’s first caution was thrown on lap 22, Harris sat ninth in the running order, looking for a bigger shovel to help him dig through the rest of the top-10. He found it almost immediately, jumping a whopping four positions on the race’s second restart two laps later to break into the top-five.

“My car was just really good through the black,” Harris said. “There was people searching for traction on the bottom, people searching for traction on the top, and I was able to roll through the middle. It’s my preferred lane, we nailed the setup, and I was able to roll through the center and pass them when they were up there or down around the tires. They left the lane open for me.”

Now riding fourth, Harris saw Strickler right in front of him with polesitter Cole Falloway and three-time FALS Super Nationals winner Mike Harrison leading the field. Harrison had passed Falloway for the lead on the lap 23 restart but broke a J-bar component after contact with the Turn 1 wall two laps later and retired to the infield.

Strickler and Harris made their way past Falloway for the lead by lap 30, and soon after, the battle was on.

Harris struck first with a pass for the lead on the bottom on lap 33; Strickler returned the favor to lead lap 34. Harris beat him to the line to lead lap 36; Strickler regained momentum on the cushion to lead lap 37. Back-and-forth the two swapped the lead – a total of six times before all was said and done.

After Strickler caught the outside wall a bit too hard on lap 38 and allowed Harris to pull ahead, Strickler was able to pull it back together and motor back around Harris one final time with six-to-go. A slight sprinkle of rain was falling on the track in the second half of the race, adding a touch of extra moisture, which Harris said may have hindered his plan.

“I was really good through the black, and then the rain started falling and I had to get into some traction – it made that black real greasy,” Harris said. “That made the top come back in, which was where (Strickler) was running.”

Still riding the outside wall, pounding the signature FALS cushion, “The Highside Tickler” was able to hang on to the lead in the final laps and drive it across the line for his first feature win of the season in Fairbury’s richest UMP Modified event.

“It feels so good to come out here and put on a show for the fans,” Strickler said. “It doesn’t get any more Fairbury than that right there. The place was going crazy; it was so much fun to be a part of it and the most fun I’ve had in a racecar all this season.”

In victory lane, the two racers shared smiles and a sincere handshake, congratulating one another on their great finishes. It was an important moment for both racers, who treated the Fairbury crowd to one of the cleanest and most exciting races all season.

“I said, ‘I really appreciate you running me as clean as you did,’” Strickler said in his conversation with Harris. “It’s easy to come off that bottom and just go right to the fence and not leave that guy a lane. So, I really appreciate that. There’s a lot of respect between both of us.”

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Kyle, racing with him the last few years before he went Late Model racing,” Harris said.

Tyler Nicely came from seventh to complete the podium, while fellow Elite Chassis driver Will Krup completed the top-five with Falloway, who fell back to fifth. Harrison, who led three laps before breaking, was credited with a 21st-place finish.

The Finish:

Feature (50 Laps): 1. 8-Kyle Strickler[4]; 2. 22H-Josh Harris[16]; 3. 25-Tyler Nicely[7]; 4. K9-Will Krup[8]; 5. 66-Cole Falloway[1]; 6. 25W-Allen Weisser[19]; 7. 35-David Stremme[9]; 8. 18L-Michael Long[12]; 9. 4L-Victor Lee[15]; 10. 89-Austin Friedman[5]; 11. 5B-Steven Brooks[14]; 12. 96M-Mike McKinney[22]; 13. 28M-Frank Marshall[13]; 14. 88S-Alan Stipp[20]; 15. 22-Will Bennett[23]; 16. 5CS-Curt Spalding[18]; 17. 4-Jeff Koz[24]; 18. 00-Ethan Dotson[6]; 19. 242-Brandon Bollinger[10]; 20. 37-Michael Ledford[17]; 21. 24H-Mike Harrison[3]; 22. 21-Derek Losh[2]; 23. 35W-Ethan Weber[21]; 24. 21W-Lyndon Whitfill[25]; 25. 52-Billy Knebel[11]

Keyword: Strickler Gets First Career Fairbury Victory

CAR'S NEWS RELATED

Marlar Keeps Wisconsin Streak Alive

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. — A well-timed change and a little luck kept Mike Marlar’s Wisconsin streak alive Thursday night at Cedar Lake Speedway. The Winfield, Tenn., driver was chasing Jonathan Davenport for the lead when he moved to the top in turns one and two. That’s when the 2018 World ...

View more: Marlar Keeps Wisconsin Streak Alive

Gundaker Remains Hopeful For First WoO Win

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. — Gordy Gundaker’s evolution on the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series tour has become more apparent every race. The Rookie-of-the-Year contender from St. Charles, Mo., started the year struggling to find his way into the top-15. But the second half of the ...

View more: Gundaker Remains Hopeful For First WoO Win

Pierce, Hoffman Reflect on Fifth Hell Tour Crowns

CONCORD, N.C. – For the fifth time in their young, yet storied careers, Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman have conquered the Hell Tour. Pierce, the 25-year-old from Oakwood, Ill., won seven features on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Model trail this year with 15 top-fives and only two finishes ...

View more: Pierce, Hoffman Reflect on Fifth Hell Tour Crowns

Yankowski, Von Dohren, Paunch Jr. Pocket Grandview Prizes

BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. – The NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series presented the Triple Roaring 20’s on Tuesday Night at Grandview Speedway where Craig Von Dohren, Billy Pauch Jr., and Alex Yankowski picked up Modified victories. Yankowski claimed the bulk of the spoils with a $3,000 bonus ...

View more: Yankowski, Von Dohren, Paunch Jr. Pocket Grandview Prizes

Turner Grabs Wild EMS SportMod Win

EAST MOLINE, Ill.  – The car pasted itself to the low groove and finally worked the way Erick Turner wanted. The Barstow, Ill. regular at East Moline Speedway had the hard work pay off with the 15-lap Legacy Corporation IMCA SportMod win Sunday evening during a wild race. “Everyone ...

View more: Turner Grabs Wild EMS SportMod Win

Upcoming Event At Iowa’s 34 Raceway Cancelled

AUSTIN, Texas — The Castrol® FloRacing Night in America event scheduled for Tuesday, August 2, at Iowa’s 34 Raceway has been canceled due to the ongoing tire supply shortage. “We were looking forward to making our debut at 34 Raceway on Tuesday, however, after talking with teams and area ...

View more: Upcoming Event At Iowa’s 34 Raceway Cancelled

McKinney Outduels Hoffman At Prairie Dirt Classic

FAIRBURY, Ill. — From Summit Modified races, the FALS Super Nationals, to the FALS Cup points championship, Mike McKinney had won just about every marquee DIRTcar UMP Modified race on the Fairbury Speedway schedule, except one. The Prairie Dirt Classic had evaded his grasp throughout his career, but now, ...

View more: McKinney Outduels Hoffman At Prairie Dirt Classic

PDC Victory Nets $100,000 For Sheppard

FAIRBURY, Ill. — Brandon Sheppard knew less than 10 laps into Saturday’s Prairie Dirt Classic his ability to read Fairbury’s surface would pay off well. And pay off big. As the New Berlin, Ill., driver saw a cushion building on the track’s high banks, he felt right at home. The ...

View more: PDC Victory Nets $100,000 For Sheppard

Four Winners, 16 Locked In At Fairbury

Four WoO LM Dirt Showdown Winners

Whittemore Eager For 50th Super DIRT Week

Sheppard Rules Orange Co. Mod Run

Tanner English Aims For Prairie Dirt Classic Win, Rookie Award

32nd Prairie Dirt Classic In Store For DIRTcar Modifieds

$100,000 On The Line At Fairbury Speedway

Godown Rules Bridgeport STSS Run

O’Neal Grabs $10,000 Davenport Prize

WoO Late Models At I-94 Cancelled

Davenport Is Boone Speeding Bullet

Davenport Banks 53,000 Silver Dollars

OTHER CAR NEWS

; Top List in the World https://www.pinterest.com/newstopcar/pins/
Top Best Sushi Restaurants in SeoulTop Best Caribbean HoneymoonsTop Most Beautiful Islands in PeruTop Best Outdoor Grill BrandsTop Best Global Seafood RestaurantsTop Foods to Boost Your Immune SystemTop Best Foods to Fight HemorrhoidsTop Foods That Pack More Potassium Than a BananaTop Best Healthy Foods to Gain Weight FastTop Best Cosmetic Brands in the U.STop Best Destinations for Food Lovers in EuropeTop Best Foods High in Vitamin ATop Best Foods to Lower Your Blood SugarTop Best Things to Do in LouisianaTop Best Cities to Visit in New YorkTop Best Makeup Addresses In PennsylvaniaTop Reasons to Visit NorwayTop Most Beautiful Islands In The WorldTop Best Law Universities in the WorldTop Richest Sportsmen In The WorldTop Biggest Aquariums In The WorldTop Best Peruvian Restaurants In MiamiTop Best Road Trips From MiamiTop Best Places to Visit in MarylandTop Best Places to Visit in North CarolinaTop Best Electric Cars For KidsTop Best Swedish Brands in The USTop Best Skincare Brands in AmericaTop Best American Lipstick BrandsTop Michelin-starred Restaurants in MiamiTop Best Secluded Getaways From MiamiTop Best Things To Do On A Rainy Day In MiamiTop Most Instagrammable Places In MiamiTop Interesting Facts about FlorenceTop Facts About The First Roman Emperor - AugustusTop Best Japanese FoodsTop Most Beautiful Historical Sites in IsraelTop Best Places To Visit In Holy SeeTop Best Hawaiian IslandsTop Reasons to Visit PortugalTop Best Hotels In L.A. With Free Wi-FiTop Best Scenic Drives in MiamiTop Best Vegan Restaurants in BerlinTop Most Interesting Attractions In WalesTop Health Benefits of a Vegan DietTop Best Thai Restaurant in Las VegasTop Most Beautiful Forests in SwitzerlandTop Best Global Universities in GermanyTop Most Beautiful Lakes in GuyanaTop Best Things To Do in IdahoTop Things to Know Before Traveling to North MacedoniaTop Best German Sunglasses BrandsTop Highest Mountains In FranceTop Biggest Hydroelectric Plants in AmericaTop Best Spa Hotels in NYCTop The World's Scariest BridgeTop Largest Hotels In AmericaTop Most Famous Festivals in JordanTop Best European Restaurants in MunichTop Best Japanese Hiking Boot BrandsTop Best Universities in PolandTop Best Tips for Surfing the Web Safely and AnonymouslyTop Most Valuable Football Clubs in EuropeTop Highest Mountains In ColombiaTop Real-Life Characters of Texas RisingTop Best Beaches in GuatelamaTop Things About DR Congo You Should KnowTop Best Korean Reality & Variety ShowsTop Best RockstarsTop Most Beautiful Waterfalls in GermanyTop Best Fountain Pen Ink BrandsTop Best European Restaurants in ChicagoTop Best Fighter Jets in the WorldTop Best Three-Wheel MotorcyclesTop Most Beautiful Lakes in ManitobaTop Best Dive Sites in VenezuelaTop Best Websites For Art StudentsTop Best Japanese Instant Noodle BrandsTop Best Comedy Manhwa (Webtoons)Top Best Japanese Sunglasses BrandsTop Most Expensive Air Jordan SneakersTop Health Benefits of CucumberTop Famous Universities in SwedenTop Most Popular Films Starring Jo Jung-sukTop Interesting Facts about CougarsTop Best Hospitals for Hip Replacement in the USATop Most Expensive DefendersTop Health Benefits of GooseberriesTop Health Benefits of ParsnipsTop Best Foods and Drinks in LondonTop Health Benefits of Rosehip TeaTop Best Air Fryers for Low-fat CookingTop Most Asked Teacher Interview Questions with AnswersTop Best Shopping Malls in ZurichTop The Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens In L.A.Top Best Mexican Restaurants in Miami for Carb-loading rightTop Best Energy Companies in GermanyTop Best Garage HeatersTop Largest Banks in IrelandTop Leading Provider - Audit and Assurance In The USTop Best Jewelry Brands in IndiaTop Prettiest Streets in the UKTop Best Lakes to Visit in TunisiaTop Highest Mountains in Israel