(Image Credit: Ben Thrasher)
26 Promotions – Peoria, AZ – (May 31st, 2017) – Clay Sprau had the best results of his rookie season this past weekend at Canyon Speedway Park, but it was almost a weekend that didn’t happen. While putting the finishing touches on the car Friday night, Sprau noticed some metal shavings in the oil filter. With the help of Dale Eliason and Dale Eliason Jr from Eliason Motorsports, Sprau had a new bullet in the chamber for the weekend’s races.
Sprau kicked things off Saturday night with a good pill draw that lined him up on the outside of the front row for his Heat. Unfortunately, the racing groove was around the bottom of the track leaving Sprau hung on the outside on the start. He’d find an opening but fell back to finish fifth.
Scheduled to line up on the inside of the ninth row, Sprau moved up a row when another car was unable to make the call. Sprau’s race got off to an exciting start as he narrowly avoided being collected in a pile-up on the second lap when a car spun in front of the field in turns three and four. He’d again miss being involved in a caution a few laps later when a car spun in front of him outside of turn four. Being able to avert these incidents allowed Sprau to make his way up through the field for a seventh-place finish.
“I was really happy with how we ran in the Main,” he said. “I steadily moved up through the field, ran clean laps and minimized my mistakes to pick up another Top Ten finish.”
Sunday’s pill draw didn’t go as well for Sprau and he drew the highest pill out of all his competitors placing him seventh in his Heat. Sprau quickly went to work in his Heat picking up four spots and racing side by side for second to complete lap one. Sprau took control of second on lap two and held on to the position to earn the night’s Top Qualifier lining him up sixth for the Main.
Sprau spent most of the first portion of the race in the sixth position after fending off a challenge from seventh in the early laps. He’d move into fifth after a car in front of him got upside down just before the halfway point. Sprau went on to run the remainder of the race in fifth to bring home his first Top Five of the year.
“It was a great weekend for me getting my second Top Ten and first Top Five,” said Sprau. “I have to thank Dale Eliason and Dale Jr for making this weekend possible.”
Sprau will be back in action on June 17th and will tackle the big track at Canyon Speedway Park for the first time in his career.
Clay Sprau would like to thank K Corp, Resolute Performance Contracting, Paint by Steve and The Race Shack for their continued support.
Saturday’s Results:
Heat: 2nd -> 5th
Feature: 17th -> 7th
Sunday’s Results:
Heat: 7th -> 2nd
Feature: 6th -> 5th
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martin.sprau
Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinsprau
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martin21az/
- Darren Ward on May 31, 2017
- Article Date: 5/31/2017 by 26 Promotions