Kleyn Ends NWSLMS Championship Season with a Crown Jewel Victory

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 Sunday night. 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 37^th Annual “Fall Classic 200” at Tri-City Raceway RMEC, in front of a packed grandstand. For Kleyn, it was his fifth victory of the season, following up a Pro Late Model victory in the “Fall Classic 80” in 2023.

The win comes after Kleyn had nearly won several Super Late Model events at the tricky ½-mile triangle. He just missed victories in both the season opening “Apple Cup“, as well as the “Fall Classic”. He can now claim one of the Northwest’s Crown Jewels as his own.

“It means a lot” Kleyn exclaimed! “We have tried super, super hard and come so close in the “Apple Cups”, and we came so close in the “Fall Classic”. We were really close in the Pro (Late Model), to going back-to-back (after winning in 2023). It just really means a lot. We worked really hard, and it is a Crown Jewel event. To get this win really solidifies everything. We get our name on a hoodie, and we are so happy we finally did it.”

By all means, 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. Zandar Peters tuned a lap of 17.789 seconds to slot in second. BJ Tidrick, John Dillon, Johvan Dillon, Dawson Cox, Wyatt Gardner, and Evan Goetz rounded out the top eight redraw participants. When Tidrick had to make repairs just before the field rolled off, Ken Bonney took his position.

The father / son combo of John Dillon and Johvan Dillon pulled the number one and two pills. Gardner grabbed the number three with Kleyn, Peters, Dawson, Goetz, and Bonney rounding out the top eight redraw participants. At the Troy Blanton initial green, Johvan got the jump on his dad in the outside groove, to take the lead. A spin for JJ Mullins brought out the first caution on lap number four, with John Dillon taking advantage, grabbing the number one spot from the outside on the restart.

Saturday’s Pro Late Model winner Wyatt Gardner followed John a lap later, to grab the runner-up position, taking up pursuit of the leader. On lap 12, Garder got under the former NASCAR Northwest Tour champion to grab the lead, leading Dillon, Dillon, Gabe Sessler, and Dawson Cox. The second yellow flew on lap 25, as Dillon Huffines weekend went up in a ball of smoke.

The restart found John Dillon retake the top spot, with his son making it a Dillon top two a lap later. Gabe Sessler pushed Gardner back another position on lap 31, grabbing a podium spot before Christopher Kalsch spun in Turn 1 on lap 41. Kalsch’s adventurous night found him around in Turn 1 again on lap 52, as John Dillon led Johvan Dillon, Sessler, Gardner, and Cox.

After another yellow, Sessler continued his charge, getting under Johvan Dillon for second on lap 60, after slight contact. He closed on John Dillon, making his move for the lead on lap 64, as Johvan followed into the second position. Wyatt Gardner followed on lap 68, as John Dillon began to struggle to keep the car on the bottom, losing fourth to Cox on lap 70. As the leaders began to encounter heavy lapped traffic, Sessler made contact with Andy Beaman in three-wide traffic, sending the leader around in Turn 1 on lap 85.

With Johvan back to the lead, multiple cautions over the next several laps found Dawson Cox by Gardner for the runner-up position. 2023 “Fall Classic” winner Evan Goetz also took advantage moving to third, as did Max Schroeder, kicking Gardner back to fifth. On lap 93, Kasey 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 early break was a big break for the 2024 champion, as the Quincy, WA teenager was conserving tires when his axle broke. The pause in the on-track action gave the team time to make necessary repairs.

“I was really worried”, Kleyn recalled his thoughts about the early pause. “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.”

Coming out of the break, Johvan Dillon led Dawson Cox, Evan Goetz, Max Schroeder, Wyatt Gardner, Zach Riehl, John Dillon, Jason Jefferson, Gabe Sessler, and Doni Wanat. A multi-car wreck found the field under red on lap 94, before another restart found Evan Goetz under Cox for the runner-up position. The field finally found its footing, as Johvan opened up a comfortable lead over a four-car battle for second, led by Goetz. By lap 112, Sessler joined the pack of Goetz, Cox, Schroeder, and Gardner, battling for second. Sessler pushed Gardner outside the top five on lap 114, but a red appeared on lap 118, as 2022 “Fall Classic” winner Doni Wanat went up in smoke.

The restart found Goetz get a good jump and vault to the lead, with Schroeder around Cox for third. Sessler began pressuring Cox for third, but lost control on lap 125, trying to stay off Cox in Turn 1, bringing out another caution. Another restart saw Goetz out front with Cox able to get by Dillon on the outside for second. Riehl was also on the move putting Schroeder back to fifth. Schroeder repaid the favor a few laps later, as the top three broke away from the fourth-place battle.

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 filed for the restart. When action resumed, Schroeder used the outside line to grab third from Johvan Dillon before the red appeared once again for a multi-car accident off of Turn 2. Another restart found the top five of Goetz, Cox, Schroeder, Gardner, and Johvan Dillon break away from the field. Gardner grabbed third from Schroeder on lap 159, with Kleyn on the move, joining the lead pack. On lap 163, he moved into the top five for the first time, getting by Dillon.

In the meantime, Cox began putting heavy pressure on Goetz for the lead, making the pass on lap 164. But the caution came out again that lap, as Christopher Kalsch went around again, nullifying the lead change. Another red, after the ensuing restart, saw Johvan Dillon spinning into the infield after a chain reaction incident. At that point, Goetz pitted with a vibration, giving the top spot back to Cox.

Cox would not lead an official lap however, as Gardner grabbed the top spot from the outside, before another red slowed the action on lap 165, for a multi-car incident. At that point it was announced that all restarts would be single file, with Gardner now leading Cox, Kleyn, Schroeder and Riehl. The restart saw Kleyn muscle his way by Cox on the outside on lap 167 to take up the chase of the leader. It took Kleyn only eight laps before getting under Gardner on lap 175. On lap 183, Riehl put himself on the podium, grabbing third from Cox with an inside move.

With laps clicking off, it looked like Kleyn was home free, before Andy Beaman spun in Turn 1, just in front of the leader, who took evasive action. That gave the field one more shot at the 2024 series champion, in an eight-lap shootout. Fortunately for the leader, Kleyn was up to the task as he led the final stanza to the checkered, with Wyatt Gardner holding onto second in front of Zach Riehl. Dawson Cox was fourth with Trace Thompson the top five, after Gabe Sessler retired from the position after the lap 192 restart. Max Schroeder, John Dillon, Evan Goetz, Johvan Dillon, and Scott Murphy completed the top 10, all on the lead lap.

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. We drove around slow for the first 100 (laps), to make sure the left sides (tires) could make all those laps, was definitely a challenge.”

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. Even though we missed a race, we still powered through, so I can’t really complain about coming home with the win and the championship. I’m really excited and happy about that. We really hope to carry all this momentum into our next races and into next season also.”

Results: 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

ABOUT THE NORTHWEST SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES

The Northwest Super Late Model Series is the premier regional touring Super Late Model series in the Northwest. The series has many valued partners including RaceCals, Hoosier Racing Tire, McGunegill Engine Performance, Gibson Diesel Performance, AR Bodies, Penske Racing Shocks, Five Star Bodies, AFCO Racing / Longacre Racing Products, Franks Radio Service, Jefferson Racing, Impel Motorsports, The Fan’s Connection LLC, Northwest Road and Drive, and The Ti Company. For more information on the series visit www.nwslms.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

Story, Photo Credit: Kevin Peters, NWSLMS Media