Brian Nester leads all 50 laps of ICAR Dean Best Memorial at Baer Fiel

[NickHolt]

Brian Nester Adds To All-Time ICAR Career Wins Lead After Leading All 50 Laps Of Dean Best Memorial At Baer Field Speedway - First of Three straight ICAR North/South combo races complete; Next Two combo shows in the Great Lakes State

 

Fort Wayne, Indiana (August 1, 2015): The Broaster Chicken ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour resumed the first ever Northern VS Southern Division head to head match-up that was rained out on July 18th. The Genuine Broaster Chicken / Dean Best Memorial 50 Presented by Jason Dietsch Collision, Customs & Sales was on Saturday, August 1st as the fast 1/2 (0.500) mile semi-banked paved oval of Baer Field Speedway in Fort Wayne, Indiana hosted the premier open-wheeled Modified tour in the country and conclude the events of July 18th that were rained out.

 

After the two week delay in the main event and when all was said and done, it would be Brian Nester, the all-time career leader in victories adding another accolade to his storied ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour career. The Hamilton, Indiana driver in his #11 Burkett-Nester Racecars / Extreme Blower Spreader open-wheeled modified started on the pole and made no mistake the entire 50-lap main to bring home his ICAR all-time leading 26th career victory and extended his points lead in the ICAR Southern Division in the process. For the 40-year-old, it was also his third overall win of 2015.

 

"We need to win races like these especially if we get lucky enough to pull the #1 pill," Smiled the Hoosier State veteran who, despite leading most statistical categories in ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour history, has never won an ICAR Championship in his career. "This crew I have really bust their tails for me here at the track on race days and back home in the shop during the week. It's showing on the track this year. We've been fast wherever we go. We'll head to Michigan next weekend and see if we can go up there and beat those guys in their backyards." He added.

 

It would be Nester and 2012 Track Champion as well as 2010 BFS Late Model Sportsman Track Champion, Steve Minich Jr., led the stellar 24-car field to Chief Starter, Weo Schweyer's green flag for the 50-lap main. From the drop of the green cloth, Nester would take off and try to get away from the rest of the field. Several cautions slowed things down within the first 16 laps. After the final restart working on lap 17, the field would settle down with Nester still showing the way around the Summit City speed plant.

 

Two-Time Defending Modified Track Champion at the Fort Wayne, Indiana oval, Scott Coe, the 2008 ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour Champion, emerged as the runner-up in the rundown and would try in vain to make a charge at Nester who continued to pace the field. Coe was never able to get close enough to battle with Nester who would gradually pull away from the pack and keep a safe amount of lapped traffic between himself and the rest of the leaders en route to his second victory of the season at his home track and extend his points lead in the ICAR Southern Division in the process.

 

Coe, in his second ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour appearance of the season came home in second in his #28 Coe Heating & Air Conditioning entry. The 50-year-old driver has been running weekly at his home track and is the point's leader in the tracks weekly Emma Warehouse Modified division with three Feature wins. Bud Adams completed the podium finishers with a third place effort in his #47 Rebbco Abrasives ride. The Fort Wayne, Indiana driver, who two weeks ago, scored his second Economy Auto Parts Fast Qualifier award of the season, also moved back into second place in the ICAR South points. The 41-year-old driver is now only 30 markers back of Nester in the ICAR South title chase.

 

Veteran Brad Springer brought home a season high fourth place finish in his #61 Springer Motorsports machine. The 40-year-old long-time ICAR regular from Hudson, Indiana is second all-time in career starts within the tour, made his 115th career start in this event. In only his second career ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour start, 16-year-old Johnathon Gatton registered a career high fifth place finish in his #89 J.C. Automotive-NAPA ride. The Fort Wayne, Indiana teenager, who recently won his first career Feature in a Modified at Baer Field back on July 25th, qualified an impressive seventh quick out of the 30-car field back on this events original date of July 18th.

 

Nick Clemens was the highest finishing driver representing the ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour Northern Division with a sixth place finish while Brent Martin, who was subbing for original qualifier, Josh Nester in the starting line-up, was seventh. ICAR North Overall and Rookie of the Year Points Leader, Jason Parish scored his seventh straight M.P.H. Promotions Rookie of the Race award with an eighth ahead of fellow freshman, Bobby Heyink and Matt Dimit who completed the top 10. Trei Deubel, who originally withdrew from the event on July 18th, reentered the race, started 27th and scored the Allstar Performance Hard-Charger award with an 11th place finish. Outside pole-sitter, Minich Jr., got the Genuine Broaster Chicken Hard-Luck award after dropping out just 12 laps into the main.

 

Earlier in the day in the special nine-car nine-lap Australian Pursuit which kicked off the night in honor of the late Dean Best, Greg Fullarton went to victory lane over 2013 Tour Champion, Tim Burkett while Coe and Adams were the only other cars left on the track. Back on July 18th in Economy Auto Parts Qualifying, Adams won his second Fast Qualifier award of the season over a stout 30-car field with an 18.505 around the 1/2 (0.500) mile semi-banked paved oval. His lap measured out to 97.271mph. The ICAR Track Record remains with Adams who, back on September 18th, 1999, almost 16 years ago, turned in a 17.790. In the 12-Lap Last Chance Race, Mark Bott led all 12 laps to score the victory.

 

The Broaster Chicken ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour contingent will head north for the next two combination races between the North and South and they come on back to back nights. On Friday, August 7th, ICAR will make their first ever appearance at the fast 4/10s (0.400) mile progressively banked paved oval of Dixie Motor Speedway (MI), located north of Flint and south of Saginaw in Birch Run, Michigan as part of the tracks Big One XIII. The Mods will race in the Genuine Broaster Chicken 75 Presented Draper Toyota. There will also be a Fuel Stop for this event as well on Lap 38.

 

The following evening will be the highest paying race of the 2015 racing season for the ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour. The 2nd Annual Genuine Broaster Chicken / Hot Shoe 100 is on Saturday, August 8th at the fast 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved oval of Whittemore Speedway (MI), located west of Tawas in Whittemore, Michigan. A $3,000 payday awaits the winner as in the inaugural race one year ago; Brian Nester went to victory lane.

 

The Entry Forms are available for both races and are due at the ICAR Home Offices in Angola, Indiana by Wednesday, August 5th for Dixie and Thursday, August 6th for Whittemore. For more information about the rest of the 2015 racing season within both the Northern and Southern Divisions, go to the series website located at: www.topspeedmods.com. You can also follow along all season long on the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/TopSpeedModifieds and on Twitter as well at: www.twitter.com/ICARModifieds.

 

In addition, for more information about the host facilities for the next two overall races, both of which are North VS South combination events, go to each track website. For Dixie Motor Speedway, you can click on: www.dixiemotorspeedway.com and finally for Whittemore Speedway, the event website is located at: www.hotshoe100.com.