KLEYN CAPS CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON WITH FALL CLASSIC VICTORY
From NWSLM Media & NW Motorsports News Services
West Richland, Wash. – Kasey Kleyn made it a weekend to remember when he clinched the Northwest Super Late Model Series presented by RaceCals championship, as well as scoring one of the biggest wins of his young career.
Kleyn grabbed the lead for the first time on lap 175 and led the rest of the way for a $10,000 victory in the 37th Annual “Fall Classic 200” on Oct. 6 at Tri-City Raceway in front of a packed grandstand.
The win comes after Kleyn had nearly won several Super Late Model events at the ½-mile tri-oval. He just missed victories in both the season opening Apple Cup as well as the 2023 Fall Classic.
“It means a lot” Kleyn said “We have tried super, super hard and come so close in the ‘Apple Cups’, and we came so close in the ‘Fall Classic,’ Kleyn said. “To get this win really solidifies everything. We get our name on a hoodie, and we are so happy we finally did it.”
It was not an easy victory for the Quincy, WA teenager. He opened the day’s competition by earning the AFCO Racing / Longacre Racing Products Fast Time Award with a lap of 17.714 seconds in a field of 32 drivers.
On lap 93 Kleyn slowed on the backstretch with what turned out to be a broken axle. With fuel issues a concern, the series called for the break at that point, with teams allowed to change two tires.
The pause in the on-track action gave the team time to make necessary repairs.
“I was really worried”, Kleyn said. “The break couldn’t have come at a better time. We lost the axle and then we went to break, which allowed us to call my dad to get the axle out of the trailer. It wasn’t down here, so it took a lot to get to the axle and we barely got it in time. I am just really grateful to my crew. They really busted their butts to get that taken care of and get us back on track.”
The caution flew once again on lap 142, as Scott Walker spun from the seventh-place position, after contact from Kleyn. Both drivers went to the tail of the field for the restart.
By lap 159 Kleyn was on the move, joining the lead pack and on lap 163, he moved into the top five for the first time and on 175 Kleyn was in the lead for good.
With laps clicking off, it looked like Kleyn was home free, before Andy Beaman spun in Turn 1, just in front of the leader. That gave the field one more shot at the 2024 series champion, in an eight-lap shootout.
After his Victory Lane celebration, Kleyn talked about the most challenging part of the 200-lap affair.
“Going from day to night and keeping your left sides (tires) on for 200 laps”, Kleyn related as his biggest race challenge. “The weather change definitely changed all the cars.”
After a five-win season in the Northwest Super Late Model Series season, Kleyn was excited to take home the championship, and looks forward to the future.
“It feels really good, we worked hard all season”, Kleyn stated. “I think that was our fifth win of the season. We finished inside the top three in a lot of them. We probably could have had a couple more wins if things had gone a little better, but we still powered through.
As for past Fall Classic winers in the field, defending champion Evan Goetz was eighth, 2016 winner Jason Jefferson 20th with 2022 winner, Donnie Wenat 24th and 2006’s titlist, BJ Tidrick in 32nd spot.
The father / son combo of John Dillon and Johvan Dillon pulled the number one and two pills earning a unique spot in race history on the front row in the top eight redraw of fastest qualifiers.
Kasey Kleyn from Quincy, Wash. capped off his 2024 Northwest Super Late Model Series championship by winning the final race at the Fall Classic at Tri City Raceway, Oct. 6. NWSLM photo Kyler Hope, Elevate Media
37TH ANNUAL FALL CLASSIC FINISH
1. Kasey Kleyn, 2. Wyatt Gardner, 3. Zach Riehl, 4. Dawson Cox, 5. Trace Thompson, 6. Max Schroeder, 7. John Dillon, 8. Evan Goetz, 9. Johvan Dillon, 10. Scott Murphy, 11. Andy Beaman, 12. Jeff Hillock, 13. Danica Dart, 14. Christopher Kalsch, 15. Kaden Holm, 16. Gabe Sessler, 17. Zandar Peters, 18. Rod Schultz Jr., 19. Ray Clever, 20. Scott Walker, 21. Jason Jefferson, 22. Dave Garber, 23. Doni Wanat, 24. Ken Bonney, 25. Ryan Phipps, 26. JJ Mullins, 27. Terry Halverson, 28. Jess Havens, 29. Jan Evans, 30. Steve Thompson, 31. BJ Tidrick, 32. Dillon Huffines
FATHER AND SON AT FALL CLASSIC
Some history was likely made at the 37th annual Fall Classic at Tri City Raceway on Oct. 6 with dad, John and son, Johvan, who both raced. It is possibly the first such generational combination in the long history of the event. Through the luck of the draw the two wound up sharing he front row at the start of the race and finished No. 8 and No. 10 respectively for the Meridian, Idaho duo.
NWSLM photo Kyler Hope, Elevate Media
NASCAR DRIVER BIFFLE, X’S MUSK STOPPED IN HELENE AID EFFORT
Semi-retired NASCAR Cup driver and Vancouver, Wash. native Greg Biffle put on his helping hands hat following Hurricane Helene only to be thwarted in his efforts by federal officials according to Newsweek.
Biffle was nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom on social media for his efforts after Helene created a swath of devastation up the interior Eastern seaboard and the Appalachian Mountains.
But according to Biffle and Elon Musk, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) refused to allow personal helicopters from delivering aid.
While Biffle teamed with Polaris to provide generators, Musk had planned to provide in the neighborhood of 200 Starlink satellite systems to provide communication that was lost to the storm.
Newsweek reported that Musk went on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter) to explain how people aren’t allowed to transport essential supplies by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“SpaceX engineers are trying to deliver Starlink terminals & supplies to devastated areas in North Carolina right now and @FEMA is both failing to help AND won’t let others help. This is unconscionable!!” Musk posted.
Biffle said “He made six landing attempts before finally succeeding, due to the challenging terrain,” the Newsweek account noted.
Survivors on the ground got Biffle’s attention by using signal mirrors which generated the X post that followed.
“The mirror that caught our attention well over a mile away; only way we we were able to find someone stranded in the mountains at bottom of steep canyon. 6 attempts to land due to difficulty but we got there - got him a chainsaw, EpiPens, insulin, chicken food, formula, gas, 2 stroke oil, and sandwiches premade from Harris Teeter before we left #hurricanehelene.”
Vancouver, Wash. native and notable NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle reportedly has had major roadblocks put in the way by FEMA of relief he has offered to provide to Hurricane Helene victims. Greg Biffle photo
