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Larson wins record seventh consecutive Tony Stewart sprint car race

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Larson wins again
Larson wins again

Kyle Larson won his seventh straight Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 feature on Saturay night, setting a record with the series. The victory came at the Knoxville Raceway, where the Elk Grove, California-native swept the World of Outlaws weekend in June. Larson earned $5,000 for the win aboard the Paul Silva wrenched #57, and even lost a contact lens along the way.

The 25-lap feature was slow to get started. On the first try, Kasey Kahne got above the turn two cushion and slowed near the wall. Aaron Reutzel did the same on the bottom of turn one. Both visited the work area and returned to action.

The second try at green was no better. AJ Moeller broke his front end after contact with another car in turn two and slid down in front of the field. Fortunately, he didn’t turn over, or collect anyone.

Once green, it was for good, and Gio Scelzi took the early advantage ahead of Lynton Jeffrey and Larson. Brian Brown passed Kerry Madsen for fourth on lap two. Larson sized up Jeffrey, and took third on the third circuit.

Rico Abreu, who started thirteenth, shot from seventh to fifth on lap five. Brown claimed third from Jeffrey on the same lap. Abreu followed him into fourth a lap later.

Up front, Larson was gaining on Scelzi, and slid across turn four to take the point on lap eight. He was in lapped traffic a lap later, and by lap 12, had a straightaway lead. Brown and Scelzi see-sawed back and forth in a battle for second that saw three passes for that position until Brown claimed the spot with ten to go.

Abreu captured third from Scelzi and passed Brown in lapped traffic on lap 16. Larson’s lead over the three-way battle for second was over seven seconds by lap 19. Scelzi and Brown would return to battle, this time for the third spot, in the late stages.

Larson won convincingly over Abreu, Scelzi, who gained third on the last lap, Brown and Shane Stewart. Kerry Madsen, Cory Eliason, Davey Heskin, Ian Madsen and Josh Schneiderman rounded out the top ten. Larson posted quick time over the 46-car field. Heskin, Brown, Schneiderman, Hunter Schuerenberg and Moeller were heat winners. Scelzi and Jeffrey won the Dashes, Ayrton Gennetten won the C main, and Aaron Reutzel claimed the B main.

“It’s really cool,” said Larson of his record breaking seventh win in a row. It was his sixth career win at Knoxville. “I did read that earlier today, and it added pressure to tonight. Qualifying well is important in every format you run. It was a good solid night You could get that diamond going in one and two a lot. Even late, I could make time following the top all around. I lost a contact, so I couldn’t see as well as I needed to, but my car was just good and I had some lines working for me. I could make runs off of two and then slide them in three and four. The contact made it difficult. I hope I have a spare set in my bathroom bag!”

Larson now has three wins this year at Knoxville (after sweeping the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car weekend June 12-13) and six overall at famed dirt shirt track . He said knew of the ASCOC record, and “it added pressure” to Saturday’s race.

“It’s really cool,” he said in a series release. “It was a good solid night.”