Brandon Carlson Dominates Inaugural “Kennedy Classic 150” at Saratoga Speedway

For Immediate Release: Northwest Super Late Model Series Media Relations

Spokane, WA – Brandon Carlson dominated the inaugural “Kennedy Classic 150” at

Saratoga Speedway (BC), as the Northwest Super Late Model Series presented by

Knottical Marine visited Canada for the first time in series history. Carlson took home

$10,000 for the rich win, $1,000 for the “John J.R. Edgett Memorial Pole Award” and

$6,000 in lap leader money from Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd., for a haul exceeding

$17,000 after contingencies. Carlson was driving a brand-new Port City Racecars Phase

II Chassis from Jefferson Racing and led wire-to-wire.

(PC: Aaron Creed via NWSLMS Facebook)

Although it looked easy for a majority of the contest, the result was somewhat in doubt,

as the laps wound down in the track’s first Super Late Model event. Multiple cautions

slowed the race late in the running, after a mostly clean initial 122 laps. A lap 130 restart

found Carlson spinning in Turn 2, after third-place runner Michael Haslam was unable to

slow his Super Late Model entering Turn 1, after earlier contact down the front stretch.

Multiple cars were caught up in the incident, but the lineup was restored, with Carlson

leading the remaining 20 laps over Kyle Cottam, in his damaged machine.

“Oh boy, business picked up with 20 to go like we talked about”, Carlson recalled! “We

had an incredible racecar! We just rode and kept our head on straight and kept the tires

under it. Dad did a great job of coaching me, and we just executed our game plan. The

number one pill helped out and paid off. 20 laps from the end it got racy. I get it, it is go-

time, but no one likes to get turned around. But Mike (Haslam) was super respectful the

second restart. I think we got some damage, the wheel was about a half a turn off, but we

just held our head on, and kept our forward drive in it, and got the “W”.

Carlson had to deal with a variety of drivers at the front of the field, but his stiffest

competition may have come from Daryl Crocker. Crocker just missed Fast Time honors

by 0.004 seconds on Friday night and drew the number three pill in the eight-car redraw.

He lined up right behind Carlson, Jason Frost and inside of Darryl Midgley. At the drop

of the initial green, Crocker dove beneath Frost for second, and rode the rear bumper of

Carlson, as the field settled in. But on lap 18, Crocker’s day came to an end in a trail of

smoke, pulling to the inside of the front stretch and retiring. Darryl Midgely and Kyle

Cottam took up pursuit of Carlson over the next 100 laps, swapping the second position

on each restart, with a dominant lower groove.

The field was on another extended green flag run, when the second Competition Caution

fell on lap 122, after a 40-lap green flag sprint. Cottam was second with Midgley third,

Frost fourth, and Haslam rounding out the top five. The chaotic restart saw Haslam and

Midgley make contact a lap later, with Midgley spinning in Turn 2, with damage. The

altercation ended Midgley’s shot at victory and was a catalyst for successive yellows,

which slowed the action. The lap 123 restart saw Cottam lead Carlson for the first time

down the backstretch, but Carlson battled back by the end of the stanza, leading lap 124.

Another caution, this time for Christopher Kalsch on Lap 124, found Carlson leading

Cottam, Haslam, Spencer Carlson, and Andy Beaman. The following six-lap run saw

Haslam challenging Cottam for the runner-up position with Beaman up to fourth, before

Kalsch and Frost made contact for the lap 130 yellow. The dramatic restart saw most of

the remaining field involved, including the leader. But with zero laps complete, the field

was restored to the previous running order, with the exception of those who pitted. The

remaining 20 laps were run caution free with Brandon Carlson leading Kyle Cottam,

Michael Haslam, a recovering Darryl Midgley, and the damaged car of Christopher

Kalsch. Andy Beaman led the second five followed by Spencer Carlson, Jason Frost,

Geoff Robinson, and David Smith. Chris Preston and Daryl Crocker rounded out the

remaining field with Kyle Wade and Corey Meeres unable to make the call.

The next event for the Northwest Super Late Model Series will be the “Weatherguard

200" at South Sound Speedway (WA) on August 1st. The event is traditionally the

biggest Super Late Model event of the year at the 3/8-mile oval. Several Canadian teams

are expected along with a strong contingent of Western Washington racers.

Remaining Schedule:

August 1 - "Weatherguard 200" - South Sound Speedway

August 29 - "Neal Newberry 125" - Wenatchee Valley Super-Oval

October 4 - "Fall Classic 200" - Tri-City Raceway RMEC

ABOUT THE NORTHWEST SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES

The Northwest Super Late Model Series is the premier regional touring Super Late

Model series in the Northwest. The series has many valued partners including Knottical

Marine, RaceCals, Hoosier Racing Tire, McGunegill Engine Performance, Penske

Racing Shocks, Five Star Bodies, AFCO Racing / Longacre Racing Products, Franks

Radio Service, Jefferson Racing, Zero Handicap Golf Cars, Atomic Screen Printing, Port

City Racecars, In Front Motorsports, Peltier Racing, and Short Track Heroes.

For more information on the series visit www.nwslms.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

Article: K. Peters, NWSLMS Media

PC: Saratoga Speedway FB