Casey Johnson Wins 2019 Midwest Tour Championship
Ty Majeski survived a series of late race cautions and picked up the win today in the Oktoberfest 200 while Casey Johnson was crowned the 2019 ARCA Midwest Tour Champion. It was Johnson’s first Tour championship. Gabe Sommers was the 2019 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year.
Only one point separated Johnson and Austin Nason coming into the final race. After the checkered flag waved, Johnson finished 5thwhile Nason was three spots back in 8th.
A pair of rookies, Carson Kvapil and Sommers, had the honors of bringing the twenty-eight car field to the green flag in the Oktoberfest 200. Kvapil quickly took the point with Erik Darnell pulling ahead of Sommers for second with Goede in fourth. On lap 4 Matthew Henderson passed Billy Mohn to join the top five just before the caution came out for an incident in turn two involving John DeAngelis Jr. and Luke Fenhaus.
Kvapil and Darnell brought the field back to green on lap 9. Kvapil was able to retain his lead. On lap 12 Austin Nason passed Goede to take over the fifth position. On lap 27 Ty Majeski worked his way past Nason to take fifth.
Ty Majeski powered his way to the inside of Matthew Henderson to take fourth on lap 35. On lap 39 the leaders had caught the tail end of the field and began to work their way through traffic. This allowed Darnell to cut into Kvapil’s lead and cut the advantage to a single car length. On lap 52 Majeski was able to take the third spot from Sommers while coming out of turn three.
In racing things change quickly and on lap 56 disaster struck for Kvapil when he made heavy right side contact with the wall in turn two. Kvapil was able to make it back to the pits to the attention of his crew. He was able to make it back on the track and join the end of the lead lap cars.
For the restart on lap 62, Darnell and Majeski would bring the field back to the green. Majeski was able to grab the lead over Darnell with Johnny Sauter, who started 19th, Sommers, and Dan Fredrickson rounding out the top five. Fredrickson moved into fourth on lap 68 when he slid by Sommers coming out of turn one.
With eighty laps complete, Majeski had increased his lead to two car lengths over Darnell who had his hands full with Sauter. Darnell would increase his lead over Sauter while also closing Majeski’s advantage to a car length.
On lap 88 Sauter’s car slowed on the backstretch forcing him to the pits and bringing an early end to his day.. A lap later Darnell caught Majeski and powered by him to take the lead. Darnell opened up a three car length lead while Majeski was now in danger of losing his second position to Dan Fredrickson.
At the half-way point the top three were once again able to work their way through lapped cars. While the top three were checking away from the field, the caution flag came out on lap 110 when Tim Springstroh spun in turn two.
Every car took the opportunity to pit at this time. While many drivers made adjustments to their cars, Majeski didn’t make any changes.
Darnell and Majeski brought the field back to the green on lap 117. Majeski took over the lead while Jacob Goede moved past Fredrickson for third. On lap 120 Darnell took the lead back from Majeski with Goede, Fredrickson, and Casey Johnson completing the top five.
Johnson was the man on the move as he passed Fredrickson on lap 127 for the fourth position. Out front, Darnell was increasing his lead to eight car lengths. Austin Nason moved into sixth on lap 132 when he passed Henderson. Nason worked his past Fredrickson on lap 145 to take fifth and set his sights on Johnson.
On lap 153 Johnson worked his way past Goede for third and was closing the gap on Majeski for second. On lap 161 Jonathan Eilen passed Nason to break into the top five.
On lap 166 Majeski was on the rear bumper of Darnell but was unable to get by for the lead. The caution flag came out on lap 170 for a competition yellow. Nason and Fredrickson both elected to go to the pits for adjustments.
For the restart on lap 174 Darnell elected to start on the inside with Majeski on the outside with Johnson and Goede side by side in row two followed by Eilen and Andrew Morrissey. The first attempt at a restart failed when the car of Rich Bickle Jr. made contact with the wall in turn two.
The second start on lap 181 was waved off. The third time was a charm with Majeski getting the lead followed by Darnell, Johnson, Eilen, and Goede. A pile up back in the pack in turn four involving several cars brought out yet another caution flag.
This would set up a ten lap shootout. Majeski paced the field in the single file restart and quickly opened up an eight car length lead. On lap 193 Fredrickson moved into fourth when he passed Eilen. But out front Majeski was sailing away as he increased his lead to a dozen car lengths. Fredrickson moved up one more spot when he passed Johnson for third on lap 196 and then passed Darnell two laps later for second.
But this race belonged to Majeski who picked up the win by 2.197 seconds followed by Fredrickson, Darnell, Goede, and Johnson.
Dan Fredrickson set fast time with a lap of 18.586 followed in the top five by Skylar Holzhausen (18.760), Andrew Morrissey (18.799), Ty Majeski (18.813), and Casey Johnson (18.818). Jason Weinkauf won the Last Chance Race.
