I want to start by saying what a great job The O'Connor Family and staff of Kokomo Speedway has done all season long. Every time a major race came up this year, mother nature threw a Knuckleball. The 2023 Klash no different. Saturday's Stock Car portion of the Kokomo Klash moved to Sunday...starting times moved up...last checkered flag flew at approximately 7:15pm EST.

I'm sure it would have been much easier with all the rain we had in the Kokomo area and chilly fall temperatures and cold North winds to just say the h*ll with it, let's just cancel it all and call it a season. No, instead The O'Connor Family and staff worked their tails off to get the track race ready for today's Stock Car portion of the Klash and make the race happen for hundreds of Drivers and Teams who had to preregister and pay a registration fee, also for the few fans who braved the cold and came out to watch racing on an unfamiliar Sunday afternoon race.

Some of the highlights included Dillon Nussbaum taking 3rd in the Late Model Feature and winning the Mods Feature. Also former Kokomo and Gas City Sprint Car Track Champion Stomp and Steer Scotty Weir taking the seat and wheel of the 23R Modified. An unfortunate situation developed for Lee Hobbs in the Street Stock division as Lee seemingly had the race all but won and lost power or motor coming out of turn 4 ending his night prematurely then getting rear ended on top of that. But then my favorite incident of the night though...

A guy I worked with for years at a Kokomo car dealership, a guy who is one of the nicest people you will meet, someone who runs hard but clean, someone I'm still friends with to this day, someone I just seen at Hacienda Friday evening who seemed down on the chances to run today, a guy who has won multiple Track Championships at multiple tracks across Indiana in the Hornet division, been trying for years to win the Klash, taking after his father who was a phenomenal Street Stock driver, Mr. Glen Gamblin, your 2023 Hornet Klash winner, Mr. Josh Gamblin!!!! The guy bust his tail Monday-Friday working a "regular job" here in Kokomo to support his family, getting to race when he can, and finally pulls off the win and getting to celebrate in BC Victory Lane with his family!!!! He couldn't even talk bc he was so ecstatic and in tears from winning something that means so much to him and his family as he has tried so hard to win the Klash over the years!!!! Way to go Josh!!

Finally I say thank you to The O'Connor Family, especially Reece and Rowdy who bust their tails all year making the baddest bullring in Indiana and arguably the best 1/4 mile track in the nation what it is and race ready even under less then ideal conditions!! Also thank you's tonight on a cold wet afternoon and evening go out to the push truck drivers, Mike, Brian, and others, Lawrenceburg Fire and Safety Crew, Martin's Wrecker Service of Kokomo, Russiaville Volunteer Fire Department, and Howard County EMA!! Also Congratulations to all winners and teams tonight and all season!!

PS: Congratulations Logan Seavey on your USAC Silver Crown Championship!!