The fourth race of the Sim Racer's Edge Alpha IR18 Series Season 4 presented by Ecency.com at Iowa Speedway was the first short-track race of the season, with the track measuring 7/8 of a mile in length. The design of the track allows the use of multiple lines in the corners, meaning that the drivers expected a hotly contested event and a lot of side-by-side racing. Strategies could be huge at this track due to how quickly the laps click off, typically at around 18 seconds per lap. A green flag pit stop could easily place a driver multiple laps down to the leader. The fuel stints were predicted to be between 52-55 laps, so fuel strategy could definitely be a factor, but the right front tire could be an issue as well, as drivers have to avoid wearing out that tire through the course of the fuel stint.
(Glaser lead the field to the green flag)
Qualifying would be very tight, with Bentley Glaser barely beating Kris Walker to pole position by a mere .005 of second, with a lap of 17.267 seconds. Behind Walker would be Chad Simpson and Nate Siefker in row 2, Chris Simard and Lyle Swearingen in row 3, Rick Ravon and Mike Grandy in row 4, with Butch Davis and Tim Bates in row 5 to round out the top 10. Dan Brasington and Jeff Rollette would start from row 6, Brett Beasley and Jake Walsh in row 7, Jari Bruppacher and Jose Viguera in row 8, Ryan Cruze and Jack Turner in row 9, with Paul Krumrei and Ernie Ludwig in row 10 to round out the top 20. Mark McFadyen and Kevin O'Brien would start from row 11, with Shane Loveridge starting from the final spot in the field. Paul Krumrei would opt to not start the race, effectively making it a 22-car field for the race.
(Blasting into turn 1!)
Glaser brought the field to green and held a small lead over Walker entering turn 1, but his lead was short-lived as Walker used the high line to gain momentum and rocketed out in front of Glaser at the exit of turn 2. The man on the move early was Bruppacher, who got a great start and moved from P15 to P11 on the first lap, and then to P9 by the end of lap 2. Walker grazed the wall exiting turn 2 on lap 4 and subsequently spun as he entered turn 3 only moments later, bringing out the first caution of the night. Unfortunately for Walker, the contact with the outside wall was enough to end his night early.
(Mutli-groove racing at its finest!)
At the restart on lap 9, Siefker would lead Ravon to the green flag, with Swearingen, Glaser, and Simpson rounding out the top 5. Grandy would restart in P6, with Bruppacher having moved up eight spots from the start to P7. Bates was P8, Simard P9, and Davis P10. Beasley was up two spots from his starting position and was now P11, with Rollette, Brasington, Walsh, and Viguera finishing out the top 15. Cruze was P16, while the remaining drivers behind him, McFadyen, Ludwig, Loveridge, Turner, and O'Brien, had taken advantage of the yellow flag to make pit stops for fresh tires and fuel, showing that strategies were already in play. Ravon quickly made a move on the backstraight to take the lead from Siefker on the restart, and would have the lead before starting lap 10. Bruppacher made his way around Grandy quickly, and was soon challenging reigning champion Simpson for P5. On lap 14, Loveridge brushed the wall exiting turn 4 but managed to maintain control of the car and soldier on, though he would pit at the end of lap 15 to make repairs. At the front, Ravon continued to lead, opening up a decent gap over P2 Siefker. Grandy and Bates were having an epic tussle for P7, with the drivers racing side-by-side numerous times. Simard and Davis would do the same, battling for P9 over several laps. O'Brien would be the next driver to get too up close and personal with the walls, scraping his right side against the wall ever so slightly as he entered turn 1 on lap 21. Davis finally made the pass on Simard at the end of lap 21, moving up to P9. Cruze was running P16 still, but obviously holding up the cars behind. On lap 23, Ludwig made the pass on both Turner and Cruze to move up to P16. Lap 26 would be the first encounter with lapped traffic for the leader, as McFadyen moved high to allow Ravon to pass. Cruze and Turner made contact on lap 26 entering turn 1, sending Cruze up high into the wall, though he was able to not only keep going, he held position. Turner was finally able to get around Cruze on lap 29, now with the leader hot on his heels as Ravon continued his assault on the back portion of the field. Loveridge would pit on lap 32, retiring the car due to the damage that had slowed his car significantly.
(Trouble for Bates and Cruze!)
Lapped traffic was now playing a major role as slower drivers were embroiled in their own fights for position, making it more difficult for the lead lap cars to pass and maintain their gap to the leader. Lap 33 was unkind to Swearingen, who lost P3 to Glaser, P4 to Simpson, and P5 to Bruppacher, moving from P3 to P6. Ravon moved to the top side of the track to put Turner a lap down on lap 35, having now lapped up to P17. Swearingen brushed the wall on lap 36 as he simply drifted towards the outside on the backstraight, thankfully not damaging the car save for leaving a little paint behind. On the same lap, Bates finally made the outside move stick, taking P7 from Grandy. After all of the work to make the pass, Bates drifted high on the entry to turn 1 on lap 38 and got into the wall, riding against it until the exit of turn 2. This cost Bates three positions, moving him from P7 to P10 as Grandy, Davis, and Simard all were able to get around him. Lap 39 saw Davis take advantage of the lapped traffic, moving around Grandy to take over P7. Grandy fought back and repassed Davis on lap 41. On lap 42, Beasley was finally able to clear the lapped car of Cruze on lap 42, and now was pushing hard to regain the ground he lost to the pack ahead. Lap 43 saw Grandy clear the lapped car of McFadyen, and then Bates get around Davis for P8 as lapped traffic continued to have an impact on the lead lap cars. The lapped traffic allowed both Beasley and Walsh to make up a massive amount of time to the pack ahead that consisted of Grandy, Bates, Davis, and Simard, putting them right back into the thick of the mid-field lead lap battle.
(Parts flying everywhere!)
At the front, Ravon continued to hold a commanding lead over Siefker, now having lapped up to Ludwig in P16. About a straightaway behind Siefker, Glaser was running P3, with Simpson and Bruppacher rounding out the top 5 but in heavy traffic. Swearingen was P6, almost 2 seconds behind P5 but in clean air and gaining ground. Cruze was struggling mightily on worn tires, falling further and further off-pace. Bates was able to get around Grandy on lap 48 to take over P7, demoting Grandy to P8, with Davis and Simard just behind in P9 and P10. Davis would finally make the pass on Grandy at the end of lap 50 to move up to P8. Simard capitalized on Grandy's failed counterattack to also get around and move to P9 on lap 51. On the leader's lap 52, the most controversial incident of the night occurred as Cruze brushed the wall exiting turn 4, damaging the suspension on his car. As his pace slowed even more than it had been previously, he moved down the track while Bates was coming hard on the racing line. With a 40mph difference between the cars, there was little time for Bates to avoid Cruze as he inexplicably moved back up the track and into the racing line. The hit was massive, as both cars started showering the track with parts while veering left into the inside wall on the front straight. Both cars had to be towed, ending a strong run for Bates and a forgettable night for Cruze.
With the yellow flag out, Ravon had now lapped the field up to P13, with Brasington getting the first "lucky dog" free pass of the night, allowing him to get back on the lead lap. With all of the drivers pitting for fuel and tires, the field was ready to roll at the start of lap 59, with Ravon leading Siefker, Glaser, Simpson, and Bruppacher as the top 5. Davis had jumped Swearingen to move to P6, with Swearingen in P7, Simard in P8, Walsh in P9, and Grandy in P10. Beasley was P11, with Viguera P12, and Brasington P13 as the last car on the lead lap and restarting from the rear of the field. At the end of lap 59, Walsh pushed out wide on the exit of turn 4, slamming the wall significantly with the right side of his car. Walsh would pit at the end of lap 60 to make repairs. At the front, Ravon still held the lead, but just barely clipped the yellow line at the bottom of the track that shows the separation of the racing surface from the apron. This caused Ravon to have to lift and adjust his line mid-corner. As Ravon entered turn 1 on lap 61, the back-end of the car stepped out. Ravon somehow managed to save the car as it slid sideways through the corner, only to have the back-end kick out again at the exit. Siefker took the opportunity to pull to the bottom of the track to make a move for the lead as they raced down the backstraight. Unfortunately for Ravon, the heat generated by the two slides was just too much for the tires to handle as he entered turn 3, the rear of the car sliding out yet again. Siefker, Glaser, and Simpson rocketed past Ravon's Gould Charge machine, but Bruppacher was not as fortunate. As Ravon continued to wrestle with his sideways car in an attempt to keep it out of the wall on the exit of turn 4, Bruppacher dealt a crushing blow as he was unable to avoid Ravon even though he was completely out of the throttle. The accident would immediately end the night for Bruppacher, but Ravon was able to limp his car to pit lane. Grandy made a late move to pit lane, unaware that Ravon was to his left on the apron, and the two drivers made contact right at pit entry. Ravon would not be able to get his car repaired and was forced to retire from the race. Grandy made repairs and returned to the track in P11, 1 lap down.
(Trouble for the leader!)
The restart on lap 67 saw Siefker leading, with Glaser P2, Simpson P3, Davis P4, Simard P5, Swearingen P6, Beasley P7, Viguera P8, Brasington P9, and Rollette P10 as the only cars on the lead lap. The field finally settled down for a long green flag run, with Siefker stretching his lead over Glaser, and Glaser doing the same over Simpson. It wasn't until lap 95 that Siefker caught up to the back of the field, allowing Glaser and the rest an opportunity to close the gap. Davis took advantage of the lapped traffic, moving to the outside of Simpson through turns 3 and 4, putting himself in P3. While Siefker and Glaser continued to not only fight each other but also the lapped traffic, Davis, Simpson, Simard, and Swearingen continued to close the gap. Glaser momentarily took the lead entering turn 1 on lap 99, but was unable to maintain position as Siefker used the momentum of the outside groove to propel himself back into the lead on corner exit. At the start of lap 100, the top 6 drivers were now all nose-to-tail with lapped traffic still in front of the leader. On lap 101, Davis made move to the bottom of the track under Glaser and was able to slot himself just in front on corner exit, moving him to P2. Having worked through all of the traffic except McFadyen, the battle for the lead was on. Davis looked to the inside a few times, but Siefker had to run low as well to avoid the dirty air from McFadyen's car. Siefker finally cleared McFadyen on lap 104 in turns 1 and 2. Davis tried to get around McFadyen in turns 3 and 4, but couldn't maintain the momentum on corner exit and slotted back in behind him. Entering turn 1 on lap 105, the message came down from McFadyen's spotter that he would go low to allow the lead lap car of Davis to pass. McFadyen dove to the bottom of the track on corner entry with Davis up high, but the dirty air from Siefker's car caused McFadyen to slide up the track and into the path of Davis. Davis was hard on the brakes to avoid contact with McFadyen, but Glaser didn't react fast enough, running into the back of Davis and sending him spinning and into Simpson who had gone low to avoid the melee. With the yellow out again, it would set the field up for a 65 lap dash to the finish. Davis would make repairs and return to the track, now 1 lap down and in P10. Simpson's repairs took significantly longer, returning to the track in P11.
(Battles everywhere!)
The restart on lap 112 would see Siefker leading the field to green, with Swearingen P2, Glaser P3, Simard P4, Beasley P5, Viguera P6, Brasington P7, Turner P8, and Rollette in P9 as the remaining cars on the lead lap. Davis would line up in P10, the first car 1 lap down, with Simpson in P11 also 1 lap down. Grandy was P12, O'Brien P13, and Ludwig P14, all 2 laps down. McFadyen was P15, 4 laps down, with Walsh the last car running in P16, 16 laps down. Siefker jumped out to an 8-car length lead at the start, with the field quickly stringing out and finding their own little piece of track to run on. Walsh spun the car exiting turn 4 on lap 116, ending up in the grass on the front straight. Davis, though a lap down, was pushing hard to try to get his lap back, moving around Brasington on lap 115, and then Viguera on lap 119, followed by Beasley on lap 123. Glaser moved to the inside of Swearingen in turn 3 on lap 128, moving up to P2. Simard would make the same move on Swearingen on lap 131, moving himself up to P3. O'Brien was the first driver to hit pit road under green, sliding into the pit lane on lap 153. Grandy would be next to the pit lane on lap 156, with Siefker being the first lead lap car to pit on lap 157. Pitting just in front of Siefker was Brasington, in danger of losing a lap. With Glaser picking up the lead after Siefker pulled to the pits, he would stay on track until pitting on lap 159, surrendering the lead to Simard. Turner would give up P6 to pit on lap 160, with Simard following on lap 161 and giving up the lead to Swearingen with 14 laps to go. Beasley was now running P2, Viguera P3, and Rollette P4 as the last car on the lead lap. Beasley dove to pit lane on lap 163, giving up P2.
After Beasley's stop, Swearingen now held a half-lap lead over Viguera in P2 and Rollette in P3 with 10 laps to go. Viguera gave up P2 on lap 167 as he pitted, leaving only Swearingen and Rollette on the lead lap. On lap 168, Davis, who was now running P4, slowed dramatically, but kept the car on the bottom side of the track to stay out of the faster cars' way. Swearingen's pace also dropped quickly, running a full second slower than he had been. With only 5 laps remaining, it seemed as though both drivers were trying to stretch their fuel to the end of the race, a monumental task to get 63 laps from a single tank of fuel. Siefker and Glaser were the fastest cars on track, doing everything they could to navigate traffic and make up the positions lost to both Davis and Swearingen through the pit stop cycle. Davis was quickly overhauled by not only Siefker and Glaser, but also Simard and Beasley, to relegate him to P6. On lap 172, Swearingen had now adopted Davis' low line to match his slowed pace, now a full two seconds off his previous laps, and in doing so, allowed Siefker to blitz by on the outside to get back the lap he had lost. By lap 173, Swearingen had dropped another half second off of his lap times, now running 20.3 seconds per lap compared to Siefker's 17.5 seconds per lap. Swearingen took the white flag at the start of lap 175 having just turned a lap of 21.452 seconds, now four full seconds slower than Siefker's previous lap. Siefker and Glaser charged hard, but were to be denied as Swearingen held on for the unsuspected victory thanks to an amazing job of managing his fuel usage, not even having enough fuel to do a victory burnout.
(Swearingen coasts to the win, literally!)
Swearingen's win helps him move up in the season points standings, but more importantly, it's a warning shot to the rest of the field that he's capable of running strong and winning both with speed and strategy. Siefker and Glaser were able to join Swearingen on the podium, with Simard and Beasley rounding out the top 5. Davis rebounded from the incident with McFadyen to finish 6th, 1 lap down to the leader. Brasington's 7th place finish was disappointing, but still a good day overall. Turner's premier in the league was a strong showing with an 8th place finish, with Viguera right on his heels in 9th. Rollette completed the top 10, the last car 1 lap down to the leader. Simpson's 11th place was disappointing considering the pace he showed before the incident, with Grandy in 12th, both finishing 3 laps down to the leader. O'Brien was 13th, with Ludwig and teammate McFadyen in 14th and 15th. Walsh was classified in 16th and listed as the last car still running at the end of the race. Ravon ended up 17th after retiring following damage sustained in his accident while leading on lap 61. Bruppacher was 18th, also a victim of the lap 61 incident. Bates was 19th, having retired after the incident with Cruze on lap 50. Loveridge was 20th, not a good day for the Aussie. Walker was 21st after his early exit. Cruze was listed as 22nd, though his disqualification for rules infringements would effectively negate any points gained. Krumrei would be listed as finishing 23rd, though he would also score no points as he elected to not start the event.