Travis Dickes takes the low line to try to get by #32 Chris Simpson at I-80. Simpson was the class of the field until a blown motor ended a near sure shot at the big win. (Jeff Bylsma)

MLRA/NCRA/Cornbelt Clash: With Brother's Misfortune, Simpson Best of 54 in I-80 Alphabet Soup Event

Ashley Berry and David Smith, Jr.

BUCKNER, Mo. - May 30. Chad Simpson took his Brinkman Motorsports MasterSbilt to Victory Lane on Sunday as the 10th annual co-sanctioned "Alphabet Soup" race at I-80 Speedway drew a stacked field of 54 Late Model teams under the MLRA, NCRA, and Cornbelt Clash Series banners. Simpson, of Mt. Vernon, Iowa took advantage of his brother’s mechanical misfortune with just three laps to go to claim the tenth annual “Alphabet Soup” event

Chad Simpson won an event on three different ours all in one race at Greenwood, Nebraska's I-80 Speedway. (Lloyd Collins)

Dave Eckrich jumps the right front tire of #3 Mike Collins in the first turn after the start of the main event at I-80 Speedway. (Jeff Bylsma) 

Simpson won his heat race, but started the feature from the fourth row. Chris Simpson started on the pole for the 50 lap feature and held off repeated challenges from outside front row starter Kyle Berck, then brothe, Chad, who advanced quickly into the top three.

It looked as though Chris would become the ninth different “Alphabet Soup” feature winner but his hopes went sour as his motor blew with just three laps to go.  A back and forth battle for the top three race positions consumed the

Kyle Berck storms the high side of I-80 Speedway and #88 Jason Rauen. Berck claimed a second place finish at the Alphabet Soup event. (Lloyd Collins)

feature until Chad's brother Chris Simpson, who was leading the race, lost a motor with just three laps to go. Chad was able to take the lead on the restart and hold off twotime NCRA champion Berck for the $5,000 win. Berck was fast all night, winning in his A-Modified earlier in the evening and sitting on the outside pole for the A-Main.

John Anderson races CLMA regular Dean Moore for position at I-80. (Jeff Bylsma)

Berck was followed to the checkers by Lucas Oil MLRA points leader Al Purkey, who had to race into the feature through a B Feature and rally from the 16th starting position. When the caution for Chris Simpson with three to go came, he was sitting in sixth. On the restart, Purkey went to third in just three laps. Kyle Berck ran in the front of the field during the entire feature, got high in turn two, and lost two positions before working back to fight off Al Purkey and Travis Dickes for his second place finish. Dickes finished fourth and Steve Kempt rounded out the top five.

Steve Kempt (90) made a strong fifth place showing at I-80, while Oklahoma teen Gary Christian finished eighth. (Lloyd Collins)

Joe Kosiski had an impressive night, making the feature through a SLMR provisional starting the feature from the back and taking the KRC Hard Charger Award for his seventh place finish, just behind Al Humphrey.

Scott Koscovich (80) gets a little piece of #15 Jace Kaiser during one of the B-Mains for the 54-car field of entries at I-80 Speeedway. (Jeff Bylsma)

May 29 - I-80 Speedway NCRA/MLRA/Cornbelt Clash 1) Chad Simpson, 2) Kyle Berck, 3) Al Purkey, 4) Travis Dickes, 5) Steve Kempt, 6) Al Humphrey, 7) Joe Kosiski (prov.), 8) Gary Christian, 9) Alan Vaughn (prov.), 10 John Anderson (prov.), 11) Tim Isenberg, 12) Matt Furman, 13) Jason O'Brien, 14) Dave Eckrich, 15) Dean Moore, 16) Justin Zeitner (prov.), 17) Chris Simpson, 18) Bo Egge (prov.), 19) Bryant Goldsmith (prov.), 20) Jason Utter (prov.), 21) Billy Koons, Jr. (prov.), 22) Denny Eckrich, 23) Jason Rauen, 24) Mike Collins, 25) Corey Zeitner, 26) Andrew McKay, 27) David Turner, 28) Ricky Kay, 29) Kurt Kile (prov.), 30) Leon Zeitner, 30) Brady Smith Heat winners (54 entries): Denny Eckrich, Christian, Chris Simpson, Chad Simpson, Dickes, Berck; B-Main winners: Smith, Purkey
Jeff Bylsma photo