A gorgeous November fall day on Saturday allowed me the chance to return to the Springfield Raceway yesterday for the 3rd Annual Turkey Classic. I was on hand last November for the event before persistent light rain forced officials to postpone the show until March. The bright sunshine and warmer temperatures allowed both drivers and fans alike to show up in bunches at the speedy quarter mile oval. It was announced that 170 race teams were packed in the pits, and the stands were probably close to capacity.
After finding a group of friends from Iowa that also made the trip, I sat down and visited a bit while hot laps were running. Much to my surprise, the modifieds and late models ran their heat races first. Seventy-five modifieds and thirty-five late models were on hand, a number that I hadn't expected. Modifieds ran eight heat races and five b-main events to narrow the field down to twenty, while the late models held four qualifying heats and two b-mains for the same starting field. Passing points was used for both classes to determine qualifiers out of the heat races along with starting lineups for the b-mains.
The modifieds would be the first feature to hit the track. After two failed attempts to get the race going, officials opted to use a single file start. Pole-sitter Steve Martin jumped out front early. The race would be plagued by several caution periods, roughly eight by my calculations. After one of the restarts, there was two and three-wide racing going on in the middle of the pack, showing fans how well prepared the track was. After bringing out the initial yellow flag as a result of a spin, Scott Drake was proving he would still be a factor as he set sail on the top side to try to make up ground. After restarting ninth, he quickly made his way up to the third spot before another caution flag waved, putting him back in fourth. Drake would advance to the runner up spot and put pressure on Martin, but the caution flag haulted his efforts every time. Steve Martin would be able to keep his distance out front as he pocketed the win. Scott Drake was second, Rex Merritt third, Jim Body fourth, and Paul Reeder I believe rounded out the top five.
1. 21M Steve Martin
2. 12D Scott Drake
3. 25 Rex Merritt
4. 71 Jim Body
5. 97 Paul Reeder
6. 09 Casey McClaskey (sp?)
The late models were up next for their feature event. Ken Essary and Johnny Fennwald paced the field to the green flag with Fennwald getting the edge on lap one. Essary and Justin Wells quickly challenged Fennwald's lead and made it three-wide down the front stretch before both were able to split Fennwald's machine going into turn one. Essary would get the advantage off the corner before he and Wells distanced themselves from the field. Wells would make his move on the outside as Essary got caught behind lapped traffic, giving him the lead. However, that pass would not stick as the caution flag came out before the lap could get completed, handing the lead back over to Essary. Four more caution flags would appear before the end of the race, which helped Brad Looney advance towards the front of the field. Looney used the low line to drive by Fennwald's machine to take over the third spot. A little further back, Chuck Comer was working the top groove as he climbed to sixth after starting fifteenth. Unfortunately as soon as I noticed that, he slowed entering turn three and pulled off the track. Up front Ken Essary maintained his lead as he went on to take the checkered flag ahead of Justin Wells, Brad Looney, Johnny Fennewald, and Matt Johnson.
1. 55 Ken Essary
2. 98 Justin Wells
3. 23 Brad Looney
4. 91 Johnny Fennewald
5. 5J Matt Johnson
6. 77A Justin Asplin
7. 97M Joey Mack (started 18th)
I would like to give the Springfield Raceway a big shout out. The track was in great shape all afternoon and evening and provided a lot of great racing. However, I would also like to give them one piece of constructive criticism. From a fan's perspective, it would be much appreciated if you had more then one official with a headset when trying to realign cars following a caution. I felt sorry for the guy on the front stretch having to do all the work pretty much by himself.
Due to the lengthy time of realigning cars and all the caution flags, I opted not to stick around for the bmods and legends as I had a 6 1/2 hour trip back home. For those of you who believe I am "crazy", I can had reinforcement to your belief as I pulled into my driveway around 3:15AM after leaving the track around 8:00pm.
The Springfield Raceway also made the announcement that they will be running E-mods next year. No rules were mentioned, but be sure to check out their track website throughout the winter months on this new class. Also mentioned was a pure stock/enduro shootout event scheduled for Memorial Day. The winner will receive a lofty paycheck of $2,000 as told by the announcer. As mentioned before, check out the track website at www.springfieldraceway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Howard Willis Picks Up Night 1 @ Battleground Speedway
The USMTS Southern Series was back in action at the Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas last night as the first night of a triple-header weekend. Forty-five USMTS modifieds were on hand along with 48 limited modifieds in action Thursday night at the 3/8-mile speedplant. Upon arrival, USMTS president Todd Staley greeted me and introduced me to the promoter. After spending a few minutes chatting with me, he was off to continue getting things ready for the evening.
As mentioned forty-eight limited modifieds were on hand, which were run in six heat races. The top three transferred directly to the feature while the rest went to one of two B-main events. The feature was scheduled to go twenty-five laps with Paul White leading the field to the green from the pole. White jumped out front by turn one, but the first lap failed to get put in the books as ten cars were involved in a big wreck in turn one. Four of those cars were able to return to the track after making repairs, but the decision was made to reduce the scheduled distance down to twenty laps.
White would again get the jump on the field when the green flag waved again, with Howard Willis giving chase close behind. Another caution would fly about five laps in, where once again the decision was made to reduce the laps to just fifteen. By this time, only thirteen cars remained on the track. White was able to keep a steady distance between himself and Howard Willis the remainder of the race, picking up a cool $1,000 paycheck. Brad Ball took home third place.
Also scheduled for twenty-five laps and a $1,000 payday, the USMTS modifieds made their presence on the track. New Mexico driver Bumper Jones redrew the pole position, but it would be Garrett Durrett assuming the top spot on lap one. Scott Green made his presence known as he dove to the inside of Jones a couple laps in to grab the runner up spot. Green would not stop there as he carried his momentum to the lead around Durrett on the next circuit. Howard Willis was a man on a mission as he quickly climbed his way to fourth after starting tenth. A caution on lap six bunched the field up, with Jones regaining the top spot on the restart. Willis and Scott Green both slipped under Durrett to move up to second and third, respectively.
Willis closed in on the rear bumper of Jones before slipping back a couple of car lengths. Meanwhile, the two drivers atop the Southern Series point standings were going at it side by side deeper in the pack as Kelly Shryock and Jason Hughes battled for the eighth spot. Both drivers advanced out of a B-main event. Morgan Bagley also had a great run as he started sixteenth and was up to the fifth spot around the midway point of the race. Up front, Willis made the low side stick as he passed Jones for the lead amidst lapped traffic. Willis would not look back as he slowly separated himself and went on to take the win. Bumper Jones, Scott Green, Dereck Ramirez, and Morgan Bagley rounded out the top five.
1. E Howard Willis
2. 111 Bumper Jones
3. 25 Scott Green
4. 4R Dereck Ramirez
5. 5R Morgan Bagley
6. 33z Zack VanderBeek
7. 12 Jason Hughes
8. 3 Kelly Shryock
9. 58 Garrett Durrett
10. 561 David Horner
11. 20 Rodney Sanders
Hughes gained a few points on Shryock's slim lead, narrowing the gap to just eight points in the Southern Series Hunt. Two more races are on hand at the Battleground Speedway this weekend before the Hunt concludes with a three-day extravaganza at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas the first weekend of December.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
As mentioned forty-eight limited modifieds were on hand, which were run in six heat races. The top three transferred directly to the feature while the rest went to one of two B-main events. The feature was scheduled to go twenty-five laps with Paul White leading the field to the green from the pole. White jumped out front by turn one, but the first lap failed to get put in the books as ten cars were involved in a big wreck in turn one. Four of those cars were able to return to the track after making repairs, but the decision was made to reduce the scheduled distance down to twenty laps.
White would again get the jump on the field when the green flag waved again, with Howard Willis giving chase close behind. Another caution would fly about five laps in, where once again the decision was made to reduce the laps to just fifteen. By this time, only thirteen cars remained on the track. White was able to keep a steady distance between himself and Howard Willis the remainder of the race, picking up a cool $1,000 paycheck. Brad Ball took home third place.
Also scheduled for twenty-five laps and a $1,000 payday, the USMTS modifieds made their presence on the track. New Mexico driver Bumper Jones redrew the pole position, but it would be Garrett Durrett assuming the top spot on lap one. Scott Green made his presence known as he dove to the inside of Jones a couple laps in to grab the runner up spot. Green would not stop there as he carried his momentum to the lead around Durrett on the next circuit. Howard Willis was a man on a mission as he quickly climbed his way to fourth after starting tenth. A caution on lap six bunched the field up, with Jones regaining the top spot on the restart. Willis and Scott Green both slipped under Durrett to move up to second and third, respectively.
Willis closed in on the rear bumper of Jones before slipping back a couple of car lengths. Meanwhile, the two drivers atop the Southern Series point standings were going at it side by side deeper in the pack as Kelly Shryock and Jason Hughes battled for the eighth spot. Both drivers advanced out of a B-main event. Morgan Bagley also had a great run as he started sixteenth and was up to the fifth spot around the midway point of the race. Up front, Willis made the low side stick as he passed Jones for the lead amidst lapped traffic. Willis would not look back as he slowly separated himself and went on to take the win. Bumper Jones, Scott Green, Dereck Ramirez, and Morgan Bagley rounded out the top five.
1. E Howard Willis
2. 111 Bumper Jones
3. 25 Scott Green
4. 4R Dereck Ramirez
5. 5R Morgan Bagley
6. 33z Zack VanderBeek
7. 12 Jason Hughes
8. 3 Kelly Shryock
9. 58 Garrett Durrett
10. 561 David Horner
11. 20 Rodney Sanders
Hughes gained a few points on Shryock's slim lead, narrowing the gap to just eight points in the Southern Series Hunt. Two more races are on hand at the Battleground Speedway this weekend before the Hunt concludes with a three-day extravaganza at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Texas the first weekend of December.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Duel in the Desert
Although I wasn't able to make the trip out to the dirt track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, I found myself glued to my computer screen watching the webcast of the 12th annual Duel in the Desert. The Duel boasts the biggest winner's check every year for IMCA modifieds, and this year's winner will take home $7,777.77.
Several Iowa stock car and modified drivers made the trip west. Stock car drivers included Trent Murphy, Kevin Opheim, and Jake Masters. The list of modified drivers included Jeremy Mills, Chris Abelson, Vern Jackson, Jay Noteboom, Reese Coffee, Troy Cordes, and Phil Penney. I may have missed a few, and if that's the case, I apologize.
The IMCA stock cars would run their 20-lap feature first with North Dakota driver Robby Roselli grabbing the early lead. Kevin Opheim made his presence felt a few laps in as he overtook the lead. Opheim appeared to be on his way to victory until the final set of corners. Opheim slid up the track and fellow Iowa driver Trent Murphy, the Boone Speedway track champion, was there to take advantage and steal the jackpot away. Robby Roselli would finish third.
Over 200 modifieds were on hand for the weekend's racing action, but the field was narrowed down to the best twenty-eight drivers. Sioux City's Chris Abelson and Colorado hotshoe Ricky Alvarado paced the field to the green flag of the forty-lap finale. Abelson would lead the first couple of laps before sliding up the track, handing the lead over to Alvarado. Alvarado, who had already picked up a Wild West Shootout victory earlier in the night, opened up a good lead while Johnny "The Jet" Saathoff followed him by Abelson.
The first caution flag would wave on lap twenty-one when Kellen Chadwick came to a stop. On the restart, Bob Moore slid up the track and lost several spots. The only other caution would bunch the field back up with thirteen laps remaining. Alvarado slid up in turn four, opening the door for Saathoff to scoot by underneath. Phillips also got by on the low side to snag the second spot, but "Jet" powered out to a commanding lead that was never challenged as he went on to pick up the big payday. Terry Phillips, Ricky Alvarado, Dominic Ursetta, and Scott Drake rounded out the top five.
Although watching on the internet isn't quite the same as being there live in person, I'd like to say thanks to the people who put on the webcast. They had a few bugs here and there, but for the most part the coverage was excellent. As they mentioned on the webcast, it takes a lot of work to get things lined up in order to provide that type of service to people that aren't able to be there.
While watching the events, I had an amazing thought run through my head. After looking back through my records, I discovered that this weekend was the first non-racing weekend since the end of March!! Two races were on my schedule for that weekend, but weather forced both tracks to cancel.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to hit any more races yet this year or not. I know there are a few left on my own personal schedule, but only time will tell. The only race left on the Positivelyracing.com calendar is the Turkey Classic held at the Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Missouri on November 28th. So if you're willing to sit out in chilly weather on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, don't be surprised if you see me there!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Several Iowa stock car and modified drivers made the trip west. Stock car drivers included Trent Murphy, Kevin Opheim, and Jake Masters. The list of modified drivers included Jeremy Mills, Chris Abelson, Vern Jackson, Jay Noteboom, Reese Coffee, Troy Cordes, and Phil Penney. I may have missed a few, and if that's the case, I apologize.
The IMCA stock cars would run their 20-lap feature first with North Dakota driver Robby Roselli grabbing the early lead. Kevin Opheim made his presence felt a few laps in as he overtook the lead. Opheim appeared to be on his way to victory until the final set of corners. Opheim slid up the track and fellow Iowa driver Trent Murphy, the Boone Speedway track champion, was there to take advantage and steal the jackpot away. Robby Roselli would finish third.
Over 200 modifieds were on hand for the weekend's racing action, but the field was narrowed down to the best twenty-eight drivers. Sioux City's Chris Abelson and Colorado hotshoe Ricky Alvarado paced the field to the green flag of the forty-lap finale. Abelson would lead the first couple of laps before sliding up the track, handing the lead over to Alvarado. Alvarado, who had already picked up a Wild West Shootout victory earlier in the night, opened up a good lead while Johnny "The Jet" Saathoff followed him by Abelson.
The first caution flag would wave on lap twenty-one when Kellen Chadwick came to a stop. On the restart, Bob Moore slid up the track and lost several spots. The only other caution would bunch the field back up with thirteen laps remaining. Alvarado slid up in turn four, opening the door for Saathoff to scoot by underneath. Phillips also got by on the low side to snag the second spot, but "Jet" powered out to a commanding lead that was never challenged as he went on to pick up the big payday. Terry Phillips, Ricky Alvarado, Dominic Ursetta, and Scott Drake rounded out the top five.
Although watching on the internet isn't quite the same as being there live in person, I'd like to say thanks to the people who put on the webcast. They had a few bugs here and there, but for the most part the coverage was excellent. As they mentioned on the webcast, it takes a lot of work to get things lined up in order to provide that type of service to people that aren't able to be there.
While watching the events, I had an amazing thought run through my head. After looking back through my records, I discovered that this weekend was the first non-racing weekend since the end of March!! Two races were on my schedule for that weekend, but weather forced both tracks to cancel.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to hit any more races yet this year or not. I know there are a few left on my own personal schedule, but only time will tell. The only race left on the Positivelyracing.com calendar is the Turkey Classic held at the Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Missouri on November 28th. So if you're willing to sit out in chilly weather on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, don't be surprised if you see me there!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Hovden Pulls Off The Trifecta
A rare accomplishment was made over the weekend in racing. Chris Hovden, the 2009 USRA hobby stock national champion, picked up wins on Friday and Saturday night at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri. He then backed it up with another victory on Sunday at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. And to add to the impressive weekend, Chris noted in his post-race interview at Oskaloosa that he had never visited the Memphis track until this past weekend.
USRA modifieds were on tap first as only sixteen cars were checked in for action. Outside front row starter Brad Pinkerton wasted no time in assuming command of the race as he sprinted to the lead utilizing the top side. Ryan Gustin and Scott Dickey settled into the second and third positions, respectively, and tried to run down Pinkerton but were unable to gain any ground. The first caution waved on lap ten, but it wouldn't take Pinkerton long to put plenty of distance on the pack. His lead grew to a full straight away with six laps remaining while he was also putting cars a lap down. Scott Dickey rode the cushion to get by Ryan Gustin with three laps to go, and Gustin would lose another spot to Zack VanderBeek on the last lap. Pinkerton's dominance meant only five of the thirteen cars running at the end were on the lead lap. Pinkerton took home the impressive win followed by Scott Dickey, Zack VanderBeek, Ryan Gustin, and Donovan Lodge.
Thirty-two USRA bmods were narrowed to a field of twenty-four for their feature event, which saw Colter Deutsch jump out front early. A.J. Johnson would take the lead away from him on lap three as Johnson used the high line to zoom past. Scott Davis, who started twelfth, quickly drove his way up to the third spot by lap four. Cayden Carter would get by Davis and challenge Deustch for the runner up spot. Johnson extended his lead to a comfortable advantage, letting the rest of the pack duke it out behind him. Carter, Davis, and Deutsch were grouped together closely as the laps were winding down. A.J. Johson took the checkered flag first followed by Cayden Carter, Scott Davis, Colter Deutsch, and Matt Lettow. Andrew Schroeder had a great run as he transferred out of a b-main, started 21st, and finished in the sixth spot.
The USRA hobby stocks were next to hit the track for their feature event, with Chris Hovden taking the early command from his second row starting spot. Todd Reitzler challenged Hovden on the inside, but Hovden's momentum on the top side kept him out front. The field got spread out and primarily ran the top side of the speedway. Don Nunnikhoven began to close the gap on Hovden late in the race, but was unable to find a way by as Hovden pocketed yet another victory on the weekend. Nunnikhoven was second, Todd Reitzler third, Danny Thrasher was fourth, and Kris Walker fifth.
The finale of the night would be the USRA stock cars. Matt Greiner used the outside groove to propel himself into the lead on the first lap with Nathan Wood and Mike VanGenderen closely behind. Just a couple of laps into the race, Wood's machine broke something in the right front as his tire was wobbling down the front stretch. Heading into turn one, VanGenderen opted to shoot to the outside. Wood apparently was unaware of his malfunctioning car and drove it deep into the corner, sliding up and making heavy contact with VanGenderen's car. A chain reaction ensued behind them, totaling six cars involved in the melee. In fact, Todd Staley's machine stood up on its nose and landed on Dan Christopher's hood. Shane Weller was also involved, but had a tow truck transport him to the work area. Beings there was only one tow truck on hand Weller opted to make repairs, including changing an A-arm. He was able to get things fixed just in time to tag the restart after what seemed to be at least a twenty-minute delay.
Brian Mitrisin would snag the lead away from Greiner on lap three, but would later drop off the backstretch and hand the lead back to Greiner. Mitch Hovden would be the next to challenge Greiner's lead, but all eyes were on Shane Weller at that point. Weller was quickly making his way back to the front as he snuck inside of Steve Jackson for the fourth spot with four laps to go. He closed up on the front two cars and was within striking distance after taking the white flag. Weller got a great run off turn two, swung to the inside down the backstretch, and passed both front running cars along with a lapped car before entering turn three. The fans rose to their feet in anticipation of a great finish in which Weller held on for the win! Matt Greiner would settle for second, Mitch Hovden third, Mike Bergan fourth, and Steve Jackson fifth. Weller also picked up the opening night of the Fall Challenge in Oskaloosa back in October.
What an exciting way to cap off a good night of racing!! While many cars got torn up throughout the night and several suffered mechanical troubles, the racing was good throughout the night. Todd Staley and his staff kept the show moving all night. It was very nice sitting in the 60+ degree temperature throughout the first weekend of November.
I'd personally like to thank Todd and Janet Staley. They have shown me a lot of hospitality throughout the 2009 racing season, and for that I am very thankful. They always take the time to talk either before or after the races and answer my questions.
While we are in the month of November, the Staley's are not done promoting. They have two separate weekends of the USMTS Southern Series yet to go down in the state of Texas. It was announced at Oskaloosa that free tickets are available for those interested in going to the Houston Raceway Park triple-header. Simply call the USMTS office at 515-832-7944 for more information.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
USRA modifieds were on tap first as only sixteen cars were checked in for action. Outside front row starter Brad Pinkerton wasted no time in assuming command of the race as he sprinted to the lead utilizing the top side. Ryan Gustin and Scott Dickey settled into the second and third positions, respectively, and tried to run down Pinkerton but were unable to gain any ground. The first caution waved on lap ten, but it wouldn't take Pinkerton long to put plenty of distance on the pack. His lead grew to a full straight away with six laps remaining while he was also putting cars a lap down. Scott Dickey rode the cushion to get by Ryan Gustin with three laps to go, and Gustin would lose another spot to Zack VanderBeek on the last lap. Pinkerton's dominance meant only five of the thirteen cars running at the end were on the lead lap. Pinkerton took home the impressive win followed by Scott Dickey, Zack VanderBeek, Ryan Gustin, and Donovan Lodge.
Thirty-two USRA bmods were narrowed to a field of twenty-four for their feature event, which saw Colter Deutsch jump out front early. A.J. Johnson would take the lead away from him on lap three as Johnson used the high line to zoom past. Scott Davis, who started twelfth, quickly drove his way up to the third spot by lap four. Cayden Carter would get by Davis and challenge Deustch for the runner up spot. Johnson extended his lead to a comfortable advantage, letting the rest of the pack duke it out behind him. Carter, Davis, and Deutsch were grouped together closely as the laps were winding down. A.J. Johson took the checkered flag first followed by Cayden Carter, Scott Davis, Colter Deutsch, and Matt Lettow. Andrew Schroeder had a great run as he transferred out of a b-main, started 21st, and finished in the sixth spot.
The USRA hobby stocks were next to hit the track for their feature event, with Chris Hovden taking the early command from his second row starting spot. Todd Reitzler challenged Hovden on the inside, but Hovden's momentum on the top side kept him out front. The field got spread out and primarily ran the top side of the speedway. Don Nunnikhoven began to close the gap on Hovden late in the race, but was unable to find a way by as Hovden pocketed yet another victory on the weekend. Nunnikhoven was second, Todd Reitzler third, Danny Thrasher was fourth, and Kris Walker fifth.
The finale of the night would be the USRA stock cars. Matt Greiner used the outside groove to propel himself into the lead on the first lap with Nathan Wood and Mike VanGenderen closely behind. Just a couple of laps into the race, Wood's machine broke something in the right front as his tire was wobbling down the front stretch. Heading into turn one, VanGenderen opted to shoot to the outside. Wood apparently was unaware of his malfunctioning car and drove it deep into the corner, sliding up and making heavy contact with VanGenderen's car. A chain reaction ensued behind them, totaling six cars involved in the melee. In fact, Todd Staley's machine stood up on its nose and landed on Dan Christopher's hood. Shane Weller was also involved, but had a tow truck transport him to the work area. Beings there was only one tow truck on hand Weller opted to make repairs, including changing an A-arm. He was able to get things fixed just in time to tag the restart after what seemed to be at least a twenty-minute delay.
Brian Mitrisin would snag the lead away from Greiner on lap three, but would later drop off the backstretch and hand the lead back to Greiner. Mitch Hovden would be the next to challenge Greiner's lead, but all eyes were on Shane Weller at that point. Weller was quickly making his way back to the front as he snuck inside of Steve Jackson for the fourth spot with four laps to go. He closed up on the front two cars and was within striking distance after taking the white flag. Weller got a great run off turn two, swung to the inside down the backstretch, and passed both front running cars along with a lapped car before entering turn three. The fans rose to their feet in anticipation of a great finish in which Weller held on for the win! Matt Greiner would settle for second, Mitch Hovden third, Mike Bergan fourth, and Steve Jackson fifth. Weller also picked up the opening night of the Fall Challenge in Oskaloosa back in October.
What an exciting way to cap off a good night of racing!! While many cars got torn up throughout the night and several suffered mechanical troubles, the racing was good throughout the night. Todd Staley and his staff kept the show moving all night. It was very nice sitting in the 60+ degree temperature throughout the first weekend of November.
I'd personally like to thank Todd and Janet Staley. They have shown me a lot of hospitality throughout the 2009 racing season, and for that I am very thankful. They always take the time to talk either before or after the races and answer my questions.
While we are in the month of November, the Staley's are not done promoting. They have two separate weekends of the USMTS Southern Series yet to go down in the state of Texas. It was announced at Oskaloosa that free tickets are available for those interested in going to the Houston Raceway Park triple-header. Simply call the USMTS office at 515-832-7944 for more information.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Greiner, Hovden Double Up In Memphis
Once was not enough for Chris Hovden and Matt Greiner, as both drivers pulled off the back-to-back weekend at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri Saturday night. A great field of 143 race teams jammed the pit areas for another great night of racing that saw the same classes of cars in action while also adding the outlaw hobby stocks.
The outlaw hobby stocks would be first to run their feature event. Sixteen cars were on hand and Dean Kratzer would take home the win. He was followed across the line by Dan and Jake Wenig, Brandon Symmonds, and Jeremy Pundt.
Next up would be the USRA hobby stocks. Twenty-five competitors took the green flag with Todd Reitzler grabbing the early lead. The red flag would wave twice early on in this race as Alan Hultz and Dale Porter wound up upside down in separate incidents. Both drivers would be okay. With Reitzler still out front, the battle for second heated up among Nathan Wood, Scott Spilde, and Chris Hovden. Spilde would lose two spots to Wood and Hovden before those two engaged in a battle with Reitzler for the lead. Reitzler would get caught on the outside of the three-wide row and fall back to fourth while Hovden would pull ahead of Wood for the lead. Spilde would battle back and challenge Wood for the runner up spot, and he would solidify that spot a lap later. A late race restart proved to be costly once again for Nathan Wood as he suffered a right rear tire on the final lap, ending his great run. Chris Hovden went on to take his second set of twin checkers of the weekend. Scott Spilde, Derek Kirkland, Todd Reitzler, and Clayton Crump rounded out the top five.
Pole-sitter Rodger Dresden led the first couple of laps the USRA bmods before giving it up to Cayden Carter on lap three. Andrew Schroeder mounted a challenge, but his luck ran out when he looped his machine in turn two. Geoff Olson took advantage of the double-file restart as he darted to the inside of Carter to take over the race lead. Several caution flags would wave before the end of the race, but Olson was able to keep his focus and take home the big payday. Brad Iverson, Friday night's feature winner Colter Deutsch, Cayden Carter, and Jason McDaniel rounded out the top five. McDaniel sliced through the field after starting sixteenth.
Only nineteen of the twenty-three USRA stock cars took the green flag, but that didn't prevent the class from putting on a great show for the packed stands. Outside front row starter Kurt Krauskopf appeared to have things well in hand early on, but Friday night's winner Matt Greiner was working his way to the front as he slid inside of Jason Cook to snag the second position. Greiner would pull even with Krauskopf and later take the lead away. Krauskopf would slide back a few more spots, but there was no sliding back for Greiner has he pocketed another big check. He was followed across the line by Nathan Wood, Jason Cook, Kurt Krauskopf, and Rich Vogt. A surprise competitor entered his name into the stock car class, as Todd Staley hopped behind the wheel of Zack VanderBeek's car and drove it Saturday night. Staley drove it Thursday night during practice and loved it, so he opted to race it Saturday night. Staley looked pretty good for a "rookie", until he drove off turn three in the feature after getting in too hot. Staley would boast a 13th place finish.
Twenty-four USRA modifieds hit the track for the final event of the night. Scott Weber would assume the lead at the start, but Corey Dripps would slowly begin to reel in the hotshoe. Dripps would take the lead, but Weber regained the lead before a caution flag waved. Zack VanderBeek was on the charge once again as he claimed the second spot away from Dripps, while Michael Long was trying to repeat Friday night's performance from deeper in the field. Long made his way up to fourth after starting twelfth, but up front VanderBeek powered his car around Weber on the outside to the lead. Long would work under Dripps for third, but a caution flag negated the pass. Weber would challenge VanderBeek's lead for a few laps, but VanderBeek was able to put some distance between them late in the race to take home the win. Scott Weber was second, and Corey Dripps was third. Ryan Gustin used the high line to get by Michael Long at the line for fourth and fifth, respectively.
The USRA hobby stock and stock car features were the best ones of the night, providing fans with plenty of side-by-side action throughout the field and boasting numerous battles for the lead. The track held up pretty good again, so once again I have to give the track crew big props for their hard work.
The action moves north and west today (Sunday) as the Southern Iowa Speedway will host their second day of the Fall Challenge, previous postponed twice. Action is scheduled to get underway with hot laps at 2:30 and racing at 3:00 I believe.
For complete results from Saturday night's action, check out http://www.usraracing.com/ and click on the "news and results" tab.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
The outlaw hobby stocks would be first to run their feature event. Sixteen cars were on hand and Dean Kratzer would take home the win. He was followed across the line by Dan and Jake Wenig, Brandon Symmonds, and Jeremy Pundt.
Next up would be the USRA hobby stocks. Twenty-five competitors took the green flag with Todd Reitzler grabbing the early lead. The red flag would wave twice early on in this race as Alan Hultz and Dale Porter wound up upside down in separate incidents. Both drivers would be okay. With Reitzler still out front, the battle for second heated up among Nathan Wood, Scott Spilde, and Chris Hovden. Spilde would lose two spots to Wood and Hovden before those two engaged in a battle with Reitzler for the lead. Reitzler would get caught on the outside of the three-wide row and fall back to fourth while Hovden would pull ahead of Wood for the lead. Spilde would battle back and challenge Wood for the runner up spot, and he would solidify that spot a lap later. A late race restart proved to be costly once again for Nathan Wood as he suffered a right rear tire on the final lap, ending his great run. Chris Hovden went on to take his second set of twin checkers of the weekend. Scott Spilde, Derek Kirkland, Todd Reitzler, and Clayton Crump rounded out the top five.
Pole-sitter Rodger Dresden led the first couple of laps the USRA bmods before giving it up to Cayden Carter on lap three. Andrew Schroeder mounted a challenge, but his luck ran out when he looped his machine in turn two. Geoff Olson took advantage of the double-file restart as he darted to the inside of Carter to take over the race lead. Several caution flags would wave before the end of the race, but Olson was able to keep his focus and take home the big payday. Brad Iverson, Friday night's feature winner Colter Deutsch, Cayden Carter, and Jason McDaniel rounded out the top five. McDaniel sliced through the field after starting sixteenth.
Only nineteen of the twenty-three USRA stock cars took the green flag, but that didn't prevent the class from putting on a great show for the packed stands. Outside front row starter Kurt Krauskopf appeared to have things well in hand early on, but Friday night's winner Matt Greiner was working his way to the front as he slid inside of Jason Cook to snag the second position. Greiner would pull even with Krauskopf and later take the lead away. Krauskopf would slide back a few more spots, but there was no sliding back for Greiner has he pocketed another big check. He was followed across the line by Nathan Wood, Jason Cook, Kurt Krauskopf, and Rich Vogt. A surprise competitor entered his name into the stock car class, as Todd Staley hopped behind the wheel of Zack VanderBeek's car and drove it Saturday night. Staley drove it Thursday night during practice and loved it, so he opted to race it Saturday night. Staley looked pretty good for a "rookie", until he drove off turn three in the feature after getting in too hot. Staley would boast a 13th place finish.
Twenty-four USRA modifieds hit the track for the final event of the night. Scott Weber would assume the lead at the start, but Corey Dripps would slowly begin to reel in the hotshoe. Dripps would take the lead, but Weber regained the lead before a caution flag waved. Zack VanderBeek was on the charge once again as he claimed the second spot away from Dripps, while Michael Long was trying to repeat Friday night's performance from deeper in the field. Long made his way up to fourth after starting twelfth, but up front VanderBeek powered his car around Weber on the outside to the lead. Long would work under Dripps for third, but a caution flag negated the pass. Weber would challenge VanderBeek's lead for a few laps, but VanderBeek was able to put some distance between them late in the race to take home the win. Scott Weber was second, and Corey Dripps was third. Ryan Gustin used the high line to get by Michael Long at the line for fourth and fifth, respectively.
The USRA hobby stock and stock car features were the best ones of the night, providing fans with plenty of side-by-side action throughout the field and boasting numerous battles for the lead. The track held up pretty good again, so once again I have to give the track crew big props for their hard work.
The action moves north and west today (Sunday) as the Southern Iowa Speedway will host their second day of the Fall Challenge, previous postponed twice. Action is scheduled to get underway with hot laps at 2:30 and racing at 3:00 I believe.
For complete results from Saturday night's action, check out http://www.usraracing.com/ and click on the "news and results" tab.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Long Dominates Pepsi Memphis Nationals Opening Night
For the first time in 2009, the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri hosted a racing event. According to some local people, the track looked more like a hay field earlier in the year. But a group of people were able to turn that "hay field" into a lightning-fast, smooth race track for Friday night's action. 116 race teams packed the pits on Friday night.
Up first would be the USRA hobby stock feature. Nathan Wood, the 2007 USRA national champion, would grab the lead on lap one while 2009 USRA national champion Chris Hovden was making his way through the field. After starting twelfth, Hovden found himself in third at the completion of the second circuit. Hovden used a restart to get inside of 2008 USRA national champion Jason McDaniel to take over the runner up spot and set his sights on the leader Wood. McDaniel would continue to falter as Scott Spilde and Todd Reitzler both got by him, along with Clayton Crump a few laps later. Wood's good run would come up short as he suffered a right rear flat tire as he exited turn two, handing the reigns over to Chris Hovden. Among the turn of events, Crump made his way to the second spot. Several cautions plagued the finish to the race, including an incident that involved Crump, Spilde, and McDaniel (2nd, 3rd, and 4th place drivers). Hovden would take advantage of that and take home the win followed by Andrew Hustead, Todd Reitzler, Scott Spilde, and Clayton Crump. Only eight of the twenty-one cars finished the race.
1. 70 Chris Hovden
2. 20 Andrew Hustead
3. 22R Todd Reitzler
4. 18x Scott Spilde
5. 3c Clayton Crump
6. 27 Clint Nelson
7. 62 T.J. Henderson
8. Big O Jordan O'Haver
Next up would be the USRA bmods. A field of over thirty cars were narrowed down to a starting field of twenty-four, with Bobby Penney and Geoff Olson up front early. Olson would solidify the lead on lap two while Ellsworth, Minnesota driver Colter Deutsch was working his way through the field. Deutsch started twelfth and was up to sixth by lap four. Bert McDaniel drove his machine to the inside of Penney to snare the second position away from Penney, but Brad Iverson would slip under McDaniel a lap later. Deutsch climbed his way to third by McDaniel before a caution flag waved. On the restart, Deutsch took command of the race by powering his machine to the inside of Geoff Olson and sprinting away from the rest of the field. Olson would come home second, Brad Iverson third, Bert McDaniel fourth, and Bobby Penney in fifth.
1. 5 Colter Deutsch
2. 2G Geoff Olson
3. 8 Brad Iverson
4. 98 Bert McDaniel
5. 16P Bobby Penney
6. 1 Paul Underwood
7. 16 Mike Shelton
8. 0 Mike Wanders
9. 62 Bill Gibson
10. 85 Jason McDaniel
A field of twenty-three USRA stock cars took to the track next for their twenty-lap feature. Front row starters Mike VanGenderen and Matt Greiner were side by side on lap one before Greiner took the slight edge the following lap. Following an early caution, VanGenderen and Kurt Krauskopf engaged in a side-by-side battle for the runner up spot. This would be the theme of the race as there were four rows of two-wide racing behind the leader. Nathan Wood used a late restart to get under Krauskopf for the runner up spot and closed in on Greiner. On the final circuit Wood shot off turn two and pulled even going into turn three. Wood was able to gas it up in the corner and take home an exciting win. Greiner finished second, Krauskopf third, a 3w car was fourth (sorry, didn't catch name; it was not Jeff Wollam), and Mike VanGenderen rounded out the top five.
1. 52 Nathan Wood
2. 29 Matt Greiner
3. 60 Kurt Krauskopf
4. 3w Werth ??
5. 57v Mike VanGenderen
6. 27J Jason Cook
Twenty-five laps was the distance for the USRA modifieds. After starting tail of the field in his heat race and picking up the win, Michael Long was almost a sure bet to win the feature after redrawing the outside front row. Long would grab the lead ahead of pole-sitter Mark Schulte at the drop of the green flag, while Ryan Gustin quickly moved into third. After a lap four caution, Gustin powered his machine to the outside of Schulte to snare the second position while Scott Dickey would also get by Schulte a bit later. The field would spread out in the middle part of the race before another caution would wave. Gustin would challenge Long for a couple laps, but Long was able to distance himself from the youngster and the rest of the field. Long took home the win followed by Gustin, Zack VanderBeek, Scott Dickey, and Donovan Lodge. VanderBeek was the one to watch late in the race as he used the high line to work his way from his 18th starting spot to finish third in his brand new 2010 Skyrocket car.
Racing action was concluded by 10:35, a respectable time considering racing action didn't get started until shortly after 7:00. The temperatures were very comfortable throughout the night, especially considering it is the first part of November. Temperatures were still hovering around 60* when I left the track.
One thing that I must note that makes the Memphis track a very unique one. It was nice to see that the "Missouri catwalk" was still in place. When I first visited this facility several years ago, I rode down with Positivelyracing.com's webmaster Sue McDaniel. When we got to the track, she pointed out this tall mound of dirt located on the pitside of turn one. When I asked her what that was for, she replied "that's the Missouri catwalk." Crew members stand on the dirt pile to watch their driver.
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, a lot of kudos must be mentioned to the people that worked on the track. I heard several people comment on how smooth the track was for practice Thursday night. While I did notice a bump or two in turn one during the modified feature, that was well beyond my expectations of a great surface to run on after the track had been shut down for almost a year.
The announcer also introduced the crowd to the promoter for next year. Wayne Messamaker will be the man in charge next year and is looking forward to hosting five classes of cars. After seeing the track surface and the multiple-groove racing last night, I hope he has hired the guys in charge of track prep for this weekend.
For more information regarding last night's races, including full results, check out the USRA website at www.usraracing.com and click on news and results.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Up first would be the USRA hobby stock feature. Nathan Wood, the 2007 USRA national champion, would grab the lead on lap one while 2009 USRA national champion Chris Hovden was making his way through the field. After starting twelfth, Hovden found himself in third at the completion of the second circuit. Hovden used a restart to get inside of 2008 USRA national champion Jason McDaniel to take over the runner up spot and set his sights on the leader Wood. McDaniel would continue to falter as Scott Spilde and Todd Reitzler both got by him, along with Clayton Crump a few laps later. Wood's good run would come up short as he suffered a right rear flat tire as he exited turn two, handing the reigns over to Chris Hovden. Among the turn of events, Crump made his way to the second spot. Several cautions plagued the finish to the race, including an incident that involved Crump, Spilde, and McDaniel (2nd, 3rd, and 4th place drivers). Hovden would take advantage of that and take home the win followed by Andrew Hustead, Todd Reitzler, Scott Spilde, and Clayton Crump. Only eight of the twenty-one cars finished the race.
1. 70 Chris Hovden
2. 20 Andrew Hustead
3. 22R Todd Reitzler
4. 18x Scott Spilde
5. 3c Clayton Crump
6. 27 Clint Nelson
7. 62 T.J. Henderson
8. Big O Jordan O'Haver
Next up would be the USRA bmods. A field of over thirty cars were narrowed down to a starting field of twenty-four, with Bobby Penney and Geoff Olson up front early. Olson would solidify the lead on lap two while Ellsworth, Minnesota driver Colter Deutsch was working his way through the field. Deutsch started twelfth and was up to sixth by lap four. Bert McDaniel drove his machine to the inside of Penney to snare the second position away from Penney, but Brad Iverson would slip under McDaniel a lap later. Deutsch climbed his way to third by McDaniel before a caution flag waved. On the restart, Deutsch took command of the race by powering his machine to the inside of Geoff Olson and sprinting away from the rest of the field. Olson would come home second, Brad Iverson third, Bert McDaniel fourth, and Bobby Penney in fifth.
1. 5 Colter Deutsch
2. 2G Geoff Olson
3. 8 Brad Iverson
4. 98 Bert McDaniel
5. 16P Bobby Penney
6. 1 Paul Underwood
7. 16 Mike Shelton
8. 0 Mike Wanders
9. 62 Bill Gibson
10. 85 Jason McDaniel
A field of twenty-three USRA stock cars took to the track next for their twenty-lap feature. Front row starters Mike VanGenderen and Matt Greiner were side by side on lap one before Greiner took the slight edge the following lap. Following an early caution, VanGenderen and Kurt Krauskopf engaged in a side-by-side battle for the runner up spot. This would be the theme of the race as there were four rows of two-wide racing behind the leader. Nathan Wood used a late restart to get under Krauskopf for the runner up spot and closed in on Greiner. On the final circuit Wood shot off turn two and pulled even going into turn three. Wood was able to gas it up in the corner and take home an exciting win. Greiner finished second, Krauskopf third, a 3w car was fourth (sorry, didn't catch name; it was not Jeff Wollam), and Mike VanGenderen rounded out the top five.
1. 52 Nathan Wood
2. 29 Matt Greiner
3. 60 Kurt Krauskopf
4. 3w Werth ??
5. 57v Mike VanGenderen
6. 27J Jason Cook
Twenty-five laps was the distance for the USRA modifieds. After starting tail of the field in his heat race and picking up the win, Michael Long was almost a sure bet to win the feature after redrawing the outside front row. Long would grab the lead ahead of pole-sitter Mark Schulte at the drop of the green flag, while Ryan Gustin quickly moved into third. After a lap four caution, Gustin powered his machine to the outside of Schulte to snare the second position while Scott Dickey would also get by Schulte a bit later. The field would spread out in the middle part of the race before another caution would wave. Gustin would challenge Long for a couple laps, but Long was able to distance himself from the youngster and the rest of the field. Long took home the win followed by Gustin, Zack VanderBeek, Scott Dickey, and Donovan Lodge. VanderBeek was the one to watch late in the race as he used the high line to work his way from his 18th starting spot to finish third in his brand new 2010 Skyrocket car.
Racing action was concluded by 10:35, a respectable time considering racing action didn't get started until shortly after 7:00. The temperatures were very comfortable throughout the night, especially considering it is the first part of November. Temperatures were still hovering around 60* when I left the track.
One thing that I must note that makes the Memphis track a very unique one. It was nice to see that the "Missouri catwalk" was still in place. When I first visited this facility several years ago, I rode down with Positivelyracing.com's webmaster Sue McDaniel. When we got to the track, she pointed out this tall mound of dirt located on the pitside of turn one. When I asked her what that was for, she replied "that's the Missouri catwalk." Crew members stand on the dirt pile to watch their driver.
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, a lot of kudos must be mentioned to the people that worked on the track. I heard several people comment on how smooth the track was for practice Thursday night. While I did notice a bump or two in turn one during the modified feature, that was well beyond my expectations of a great surface to run on after the track had been shut down for almost a year.
The announcer also introduced the crowd to the promoter for next year. Wayne Messamaker will be the man in charge next year and is looking forward to hosting five classes of cars. After seeing the track surface and the multiple-groove racing last night, I hope he has hired the guys in charge of track prep for this weekend.
For more information regarding last night's races, including full results, check out the USRA website at www.usraracing.com and click on news and results.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Terry Phillips Pockets $5,000 in Muskogee
After laying claim to the pole starting spot Friday night by virtue of winning the qualifying feature, Terry Phillips increased his chances of winning the $5,000 payday Saturday night. He would be flanked by Oklahoma hotshoe Jason Hughes with drivers like Kelly Shryock, Jeremy Payne, Greg Skaggs, and Johnny Bone Jr. sitting right behind them in rows two and three.
Phillips raced out to the early lead and the track quickly locked down on the bottom groove. A caution came out on lap eleven of the thirty-lap finale, bunching the field up. Another eleven laps clicked off until another yellow flag was displayed. On the restart, Johnny Bone Jr. worked to the inside of Jeremy Payne to take the third spot away while Phillips sped away from the field. A final yellow on lap twenty-six erased a big lead for Phillips, but nothing was going to stand in his way that night as he pocked the cool $5,000 top prize. Jason Hughes was second, Johnny Bone Jr third, Jeremy Payne fourth, and Kelly Shryock finished fifth.
Other feature winners on Saturday night include Jaren Frailey in the 360 modified class, Dale Richardson in the grand nationals / hobby stocks, and Matt Burnett in the pure stocks.
I was intrigued by one of the comments a driver made while being presented his trophy from a win a few weeks back. Modified track champion Joe Duvall was asked what he thought about the "heavy hitters" that were on hand for the high-dollar top prize, to which he replied "I guess they are heroes to their mamas." That got quite a chuckle from the crowd, and I'll assume he's a character on the microphone from what the announcer was saying later. However, Duvall did not back up his words in the feature as he started 16th on the grid and was the first car to retire from the race.
One note that I failed to mention from Friday night's races: when a caution flag waves, the field races back to the finish line (like the old NASCAR days). If the incident occurs between the leader and the finish line, the red flag/lights are displayed and the field stops and are realigned from the previously scored lap.
Friday night saw Tim Karrick end up on his side during the qualifying feature event. Karrick was unable to make repairs to his car, so his car builder Kelly Shryock loaned him his backup car to run on Saturday. Karrick started ninth and finished in seventh.
Kids wore their Halloween costumes to the races and were given the chance to walk through the pits to go Trick-or-Treating. Drivers handed out candy in front of their haulers to prevent kids from possibly getting injured from sharp parts on the race cars.
The racing action concluded just before 9:00 Saturday night, allowing those of us who traveled a distance to either get an early start on the trip home or get some extra sleep for the next day's travels. Of course the extra hour of sleep from the time change also helped in the lengthy trip back to Iowa!!
It was good to catch up with Wisconsin's Ed Reichert. Ed writes a column for the Hawkeye Racing News and I'm sure contributes to others as well. It's always fun to chat with him about where he's been lately and possible future races he might attend. It sounds like he still has a handful of races left on his 2009 list.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Phillips raced out to the early lead and the track quickly locked down on the bottom groove. A caution came out on lap eleven of the thirty-lap finale, bunching the field up. Another eleven laps clicked off until another yellow flag was displayed. On the restart, Johnny Bone Jr. worked to the inside of Jeremy Payne to take the third spot away while Phillips sped away from the field. A final yellow on lap twenty-six erased a big lead for Phillips, but nothing was going to stand in his way that night as he pocked the cool $5,000 top prize. Jason Hughes was second, Johnny Bone Jr third, Jeremy Payne fourth, and Kelly Shryock finished fifth.
Other feature winners on Saturday night include Jaren Frailey in the 360 modified class, Dale Richardson in the grand nationals / hobby stocks, and Matt Burnett in the pure stocks.
I was intrigued by one of the comments a driver made while being presented his trophy from a win a few weeks back. Modified track champion Joe Duvall was asked what he thought about the "heavy hitters" that were on hand for the high-dollar top prize, to which he replied "I guess they are heroes to their mamas." That got quite a chuckle from the crowd, and I'll assume he's a character on the microphone from what the announcer was saying later. However, Duvall did not back up his words in the feature as he started 16th on the grid and was the first car to retire from the race.
One note that I failed to mention from Friday night's races: when a caution flag waves, the field races back to the finish line (like the old NASCAR days). If the incident occurs between the leader and the finish line, the red flag/lights are displayed and the field stops and are realigned from the previously scored lap.
Friday night saw Tim Karrick end up on his side during the qualifying feature event. Karrick was unable to make repairs to his car, so his car builder Kelly Shryock loaned him his backup car to run on Saturday. Karrick started ninth and finished in seventh.
Kids wore their Halloween costumes to the races and were given the chance to walk through the pits to go Trick-or-Treating. Drivers handed out candy in front of their haulers to prevent kids from possibly getting injured from sharp parts on the race cars.
The racing action concluded just before 9:00 Saturday night, allowing those of us who traveled a distance to either get an early start on the trip home or get some extra sleep for the next day's travels. Of course the extra hour of sleep from the time change also helped in the lengthy trip back to Iowa!!
It was good to catch up with Wisconsin's Ed Reichert. Ed writes a column for the Hawkeye Racing News and I'm sure contributes to others as well. It's always fun to chat with him about where he's been lately and possible future races he might attend. It sounds like he still has a handful of races left on his 2009 list.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
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