Reimert Wins Emotional First Freedom 76 After Blocking Strunk From His Ninth

By LEN SAMMONS
Louden Reimert wasn’t going to let this one get away.
A year after a devastating loss in the Freedom 76 at Grandview Speedway, Reimert went on defense in the closing laps to hold off Jeff Strunk and win the prestigious 56th running of one of dirt Modified racing’s crown-jewel events.
In last year’s event, Reimert was challenging for the lead midway through the race when contact with veteran Duane Howard while making what he felt would be the winning pass eventually resulted in a flat tire.
This year, the role was reversed when veteran Strunk drove through the slick middle and pulled alongside Reimert with two laps remaining, attempting the winning pass.
“He surprised me a little bit, but I had slowed down so much for the lap cars, I didn’t want to come off the bottom, but Jeff got up alongside me,”  Reimert replayed.
“I drove into three and was trying to crowd him up. I think he was trying not to let me do that, and we came together. It was a racing deal, $37,000 to win and two laps to go. Bets are kind of off.”
The young gun abandoned the bottom lane he had been running through the corners for the last 20 or so laps and made a decisive move to block the veteran. The move greatly irritated Strunk afterward.
“I was flat alongside of him, wheel to wheel with him, and he flat turned up into me. I was all the way outside of him,” said Strunk.
“I could understand if I was only a half-car alongside, but my left front was at his right front and he started steering up into me halfway down the backstretch. I ended up running up over the left front.”
That move decided the race. Strunk lost ground to the leader but was able to hold on to finish second. The incident cost Strunk over $27,000. The base purse for first was $37,531, while second paid $10,000.
“He ran the same bottom groove for I don’t know how many laps, but he decided to change it only because I was alongside of him,” said Strunk.
“Anyone else would have spun him out, but I kept my cool because I race to make money and knew what second paid. Thank God there were not more laps left; I wouldn’t have finished because it ripped the shock tower off.”
While the exchange between the young gun and veteran was heated last year, the only words that appeared to have been exchanged this time came in victory lane, when Strunk had to be asked to join Reimert for podium photos.
“He put the icing on the cake when he told me on the stage, ‘Jeff, you owe me one.’ I told him, ‘I sure do,’” said Strunk.
“It’s a shame that some of these kids today race that way. Me, Billy Pauch Sr., Craig Von Dohren and all the older guys I raced against over the years had respect for each other.”
Reimert acknowledged that he did make the statement to Strunk in victory lane but hopes he doesn’t retaliate.
“I did say in victory lane that he owes me one, and I’m sure at some point there will be one; hopefully I take it well. I would feel the same way; we did make contact, but it’s racing,” said Reimert.
“I’ve seen enough 76ers and races at Grandview to know contact happens here. I wish it didn’t happen like that, but it did, and at some point we’ll probably get together again.”
Reimert started off the season by winning the Bruce Rogers Money Maker at Grandview. Over Labor Day weekend, he won the year-end Coalcracker at Big Diamond Raceway after clinching the track championship at that facility.
“It’s so cool to win this race and be in the same conversation with these great guys who have won it over the years,” said Reimert afterward in the pits.
“To have my name in the history book next to them won’t sink in for a while.”
The victory was an emotional one for Reimert, who won the biggest race of the year at his home track, where his great-grandfather, Newman, once owned race cars. His grandfather, Terry, and father, Shawn, both raced family-owned cars at Grandview and are now dedicated members of his pit crew on the Doug Flurer No. 16.
“We definitely have had a great season. I got to thank all my guys so much. They bust their butts every week to make this hot rod go around,” said Reimert.
“Can’t thank my car owner Doug and Annie Flurer and all the sponsors. To get it done for everyone means a lot.”
It was the first Freedom 76 victory for the Reimert family, and the tears of joy could not be held back—especially after last year’s disappointment produced frustration and outrage instead of celebration.
“I’m 25, but I probably have been to 24 76ers in my lifetime and have now been involved in several. To finally get one done after last year’s incident, which ended my race after I got the lead, makes me feel pretty good,” said Reimert.
“My entire family puts their entire soul into this. To win the biggest one of the year really feels good. We worked all year to be in a position to be fast at these big races. Feels good to get this one.”
Reimert started fourth but moved quickly to take the lead on lap two with a pass of Jared Unbenhauer. He then battled Unbenhauer for the lead for the majority of the first half of the race, losing it for two laps following restarts.
“You don’t really want to be that aggressive so early in a long race like this, but you have to take the opportunity when you have a chance to get out front and control the pace of the race,” said Reimert.
Strunk, like the old bull who walked, not ran, up the hill, took his time advancing from a 12th starting spot. It wasn’t until lap 65 that he took second and began to chip away at a lead Reimert had developed.
“I did my deal; it’s a long race, was pinned down on the bottom on the restarts, and that’s not where you wanted to be. I kept having to pass the same guys over and over, but I had to be patient and pick and choose passes when I could,” said Strunk.
“Once I got to second with an open track in front of me, I didn’t want to see a yellow. The car still felt good, and I kept gaining on him little by little.”
Early in the race, Reimert ran the top cushion before migrating to the bottom, as did many others late in the race.
“Having experience here definitely helps. Knowing what to look for as the race goes on. I felt really good on both the top and bottom early,” said Reimert.
“When Jared got me on the top on that one restart, I was able to clear him on the bottom and get back to the cushion, and I felt comfortable up there for a while before I moved down.
“Was afraid someone might rip the top and get alongside of me, but the bottom kept getting better and better towards the end of the race. I felt if anyone was going to be able to do that, it would have been early on.”
On a lap 49 restart, Matt Stangle went from fourth to second using the outside lane. He came close to getting alongside Reimert for the lead but fell short. Then came Strunk on the bottom to get second.
“I saw he was second and know he’s really good late in a race when the track slicks off,” said Reimert, who admitted he scoreboard watches.
“I figured he was coming, but I didn’t know where, and that was the problem. That’s why I stayed where the grip was on the bottom to protect a little there at the end. He came around the middle where he’s always good. But I was able to hold him off and get the win.”
Despite a line of well-wishers stopping by to congratulate him in the pit area afterward, Reimert didn’t expect he would celebrate the big win into the early morning hours.
“I would love to hang out for a long time and celebrate, but I’m dog tired. I didn’t feel the best today, but I was able to keep it together for 76 laps, but it might be bedtime shortly,” said Reimert just after 11 p.m.
“Racing doesn’t get more intense than that. For 76 laps it’s about as intense as it gets. It’s definitely tiring.”