Logan Diehl was a sleeper pick going into the National Open after several strong
performances in 2014. He left with his name on the big trophy and etched in time forever. Diehl is a 20
year old college student who started racing at Linda's Speedway in a 600 Modified. Last year he and his
family made the move to the 270 Micro Sprint class. Diehl qualified for the Nationals last year in his first
attempt. This year, with some help from Randy West and Brian Carber, Diehl was able to race weekly with
some of the best. He said after his qualifying night win that he tried to race like it was any other night.
We all know it was anything but. The win Thursday gave Diehl the number one seed going into Saturday's
Front Row Challenge and a shot at $10,000. When Saturday came, Diehl was the first driver in the staging
area for the Front Row Challenge. He was focused on the goal. He didn't win the FRC but, he settled into
a third starting spot. Diehl again was one of the first up for the feature. He sat alone in the staging area at
he stared at the race track. His studying of the surface would quickly go away when rain fell. It changed
everything. Diehl was ready. When Randy West and Steve Dunmire tangled on the start, Diehl made a
breath-taking move to the inside and his three wide move was worth $3,000, a National Open trophy,
and hope to anyone who isn't a favorite going into the big weekend.
But, this story isn't all about Logan Diehl. It is also about another person. Diehl is 20 years
old and unofficially is the youngest driver to ever win the Nationals. How about the youngest driver to
ever attempt a start at the National? Devin Adams is 14 years old, and five days. He made the minimum
age by five days. Adams had a so-so night one, but was looking for more after a long Friday in school.
Adams returned to the track hungry and ready. He showed that by
timing very well and making the invert. He started on the pole of his
heat. Randy West was in that heat. Adams led the first four laps as
West attacked. West did about everything to rattle Adams' cage. He
would not budge. West did eventually work by Adams and win the
race. Adams qualified to the feature. In the feature as the field came
to take the green Adams slowed. The master link had broken on his
chain causing his car to lose power. It was a heartbreaker and his
shot at a top sixteen spot was gone. Most drivers, not just
teenagers, but all drivers would have been thrown off; not this kid.
He told his parents Friday night we will race in tomorrow. It wasn't
cockiness, it was confident, and really it wasn't even confidence, it
was simply determination. Adams raced all night to get into the BMain. He got to second and pressured Mike Skias for the win the
whole race. He kept his word and qualified for the National. The
master link again broke Saturday in the 50 lap Main Event taking him
out early.
In this year's National Open, a lot of drivers stepped
into a new league, but these two drivers became more. They might
have finished first and last, but each wrote a little bit of their own
history in an epic 25 year story.
6 ~ The Inside Track