By: Kevin Ramsell

FULL RESULTS

SCHERERVILLE, IN (Saturday, June 20, 2009) - Jacob Goede was more than ready for a win, any kind of a win, as his last personal win came back on June 26, 2008. Tonight, he held off a hard charging Mark Kraus to win the 8th Annual Elmer Musgrave Memorial 100 in front of a great crowd at Illiana Motor Speedway, an ASA Member Track.

Goede started fifth in the 26-car field and would take over the top spot from early leader Steve Carlson on lap 36 and then held off a hard charging Mark Kraus to claim his second American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment Super Late Model Series event.

“That was huge, I thought he was going to be tough to beat especially with him starting up front especially the way how he drove away from everybody in the last two races,” an excited Goede stated in victory lane as he talked about passing the veteran Carlson for the lead. “To be able to drive by him was amazing, I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it as fast as I did.”

After he got by Carlson, he was on cruise control. But behind him, Mark Kraus was making the charge to the front from his ninth starting position. On lap 51, Kraus would get by Jonathan Eilen for the second spot. By lap 62, he caught up to the back of Goede’s bumper and pressured him throughout the remaining 38 laps. “Man, he was making me nervous back there,” Goede said with a smile. “I was going as hard as I absolutely could and I had nothing left. I wish I had a little more so I could have been a little more comfortable but it all worked out.”

Kraus recorded his best finish ever in the ASAMT, and this finish was very special as he ran the race in memory of his longtime car owner Don Fanetti who recently passed away. “I had a good car tonight and I only had three guys here with me and they have been with me all year,” an emotional Kraus stated after the race. “Missing my owner, but we will keep moving on and be thinking about him, but it was great.”

Jonathan Eilen picks up another podium finish with a strong third-place run, “I think we had a really good long run car, its real good to come out here and not see the track here ever and coming in here and finishing third and that’s really good,” Eilen stated. “I just thank how hard my guys worked on the car tonight and it was a good run for us, we really needed it.”

Veteran Larry Schuler grabbed the lead over polesitter Nick Murgic at the start of the 100-lap event. But Murgic would get past him for the top spot on lap 5. Two laps later, Murgic fell out of the race with mechanical problems including a small oil fire that the safety officials were able to extinguish in the infield. This kept the field under green flag conditions.

A few laps later, Carlson would get by Schuler and take over the top spot. Carlson continued to lead until Goede would get the top spot on lap 36.

Only two caution flags flew in the event, the first being the competition yellow on lap 75 which allowed the lead lap cars to re-start ahead of the lap cars for a 25-lap shootout to the finish. The second occurred on lap 80 when Dan Fredrickson spun in turn two.

Over the final 20 laps, Kraus was looking for any way to get past Goede for the lead. On the last lap, Kraus gave it the old school try on the outside but to no avail and it was Goede taking the win.

Carlson would finish fourth with current ASAMT points leader Nathan Haseleu finishing fifth. Haseleu also picked up the ECHO/Oregon Cutting Systems “Quick Cut” Qualifying Award with a fast time of 19.544 seconds (92.100 mph).

The ASAMT returns to action on Friday, July 3rd for the 37th Annual Keith Fleck Miller 100 at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, IA.