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MWR/Bryan Clauson – Break for Indy Follows Fourth Place Knoxville Run!
(Bill W) May 12, 2015 – Bryan Clauson is spending the week in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway preparing for qualifying this weekend for the May 24 Indy 500. As the Jonathan Byrd’s Racing #88 team preps for Indy, the Noblesville, Indiana driver reflected on two good runs with the FVP National Sprint League last weekend.
Things started at Eagle Raceway in Nebraska on Friday. Bryan had participated there, but it was without a wing with USAC. “It helps having a little bit of experience there, but at the same time, the winged car is so much different,” he says. “You can’t take a whole lot out of it other than the way the track lays out. We were just happy to even race with all the rain they had.”
Bryan qualified eighth-quick in the stout 30-car field aboard the Matt Wood Racing #17w. “It was a pretty good lap for us,” he says. “We went out pretty late (25th). We laid down a decent lap. Starting in the third row of the heat was tough. We actually got ourselves in a position to transfer and made a little bit of a mistake battling with Bill (Balog).”
The sixth place heat finish sent him to the B where he finished second and transferred to the main event. “You never want to run the B main,” says Bryan. “But laps at this point are good. I’m still pretty green and we have a new team here. We were able to have a good run in the B. We ended up searching a little bit and (Dusty) Zomer got by, but I felt we had a strong car.”
The 30-lap feature saw him start inside row five. “We got off to a good start,” says Bryan. “I felt we had a really good car early on and then we had an open red. We felt that equalized the field a little. Guys were able to work on their stuff. From there, it was tough to move. Third through eighth were all in the same corner at times. I made a couple of bad decisions as far as lanes and things like that. I think at one point we were sixth or seventh, but we ended up eighth.”
It was another good run for Bryan and the team. “It was a solid night,” he says. “Anytime you are where we’re at as a team, and you have a driver that’s growing in the winged car…if you finish eighth, you’re making progress.”
Saturday, the NSL moved onto Knoxville. Bryan would time in tenth quick amongst 38 cars.
“It felt like it was my first time qualifying at Knoxville,” he jokes. “I missed it a little bit. I felt like we had a top five car. I just didn’t do my job in qualifying. It’s one of those things that takes time to stick the bottom of (turn) two. I just didn’t get that done on my two laps.”
This time, he would make it through his heat. “It felt like we missed it in the heat, but we were able to hold onto fifth,” says Bryan. “We were really good in the feature. Shane Bowers and Adam worked really hard to tune some things in. We talked about some things after Eagle, and it helped us. They really brought the car to life.”
That was evident from the start of the 25-lap main event. “I think we went from tenth to sixth on the first start,” says Bryan. “That was a pretty big move. The starts are so important with the drivers we’re running with. It’s tough to make time once everyone is at speed. We got to sixth and we were rolling well. We were able to make some moves and end up fourth. I feel like we were a top three car at the end. Overall, it was a wonderful night for us.”
As far as Indy practice, Bryan is getting used to a new team there as well. “It’s been pretty good,” he says of the first two days. “We’re still looking for some speed. We’re still trying to get our legs underneath us. The team is jelling. In these deals, they bring in all new guys. It’s our first time working together. I feel like we’ve made progress every day. We’ve had a few gremlins to get out of the way. Hopefully, we’ll be ready for qualifying on Saturday.”
Matt will return to the wheel of the #17w for the "March Through Missouri" on May 28 and 29 in Farmington and Moberly.
Matt Wood Racing would like to thank: Elk Grove Ford, Quick Lane, Fuel Safe, Schoenfeld, Curb Records and Vortex Wings!
To follow the Matt Wood Racing’s progress online, visit www.ColeWoodRacing.com!
Follow Bryan Clauson online at www.BryanClauson.com!
Photo: Bryan battles with Dusty Zomer at Eagle (Brandon Anderson Photos)
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