The Independence Motor Speedway was host to the American Stock Car Shootout series along with the Deery Brothers late model series on Wednesday night, June 30th. The event was the third of four stops on the stock car series schedule and the eighth late model series race. This event saw eighty laps of feature action last year that was only slowed by two cautions combined, so I was looking forward to seeing what this year's showing would be like.
The total number of IMCA stock cars was down a bit from previous nights but still boasted a field of thirty-five or so along with forty-eight late models. Qualifying events were run to set up a pair of twenty-four car starting fields for feature action.
First up would be the IMCA stock cars with Chris Ullrich and Brett Mather setting the pace. Ullrich would take command once the green flag fell with Sean Johnson quickly settling into the runner up position. Jerod Weepie would sling his machine to the inside of Kyle Frederick to take the third spot away as Johnson and Ullrich battled it out for the race lead. Johnson took control on lap four, but just behind them Brian Irvine was lurking as he passed Weepie for third. Ullrich continued to keep the pressure on Johnson up front as he made the pass for the lead once again before the caution waved on lap eight. Johnson would take advantage of the restart as he again moved past Ullrich to snare the lead away. Weepie dove to the inside of Ullrich to take the runner up position away as Brian Irvine gave chase as well, following Weepie to third.
Two more caution periods would keep the field close, allowing Irvine to power by Weepie on the top side for the second spot. Weepie's good run would come up short as he got his car sideways in the corner and several more cars would get caught up in the mess. Irvine took advantage of the late race caution to move out front of the field and never look back as Brian Irvine picked up his second American Stock Car Shootout series win in three days. Sean Johnson would settle for second, Damon Murty was third, Norman Chesmore was fourth after starting fifteenth, and Chris Ullrich rounded out the top five. Nineteenth starter Phil Holtz wound up sixth.
The IMCA Deery Brothers late models headliner was next as the field got set for fifty laps around the fast oval. When the cars made their way to the track, the group I was sitting with had already written off the race as Mark Burgtorf redrew the pole with Rob Toland outside of him. Burgtorf wasted no time in getting out front while Kevin Blum and Toland engaged in a battle for second. The two would seesaw throughout the race while Burgtorf opened up a decent advantage ahead of the field. Terry Neal was on the charge as he dipped to the inside of Jeremiah Hurst for fourth. The caution waved when Jeff Aikey got his machine sideways and a couple other cars made contact, including race leader Mark Burgtorf who had just encountered the tail end of the field. Burgtorf was forced to retire from the event as one can only assume due to radiator issues.
Toland and Blum would then battle side by side for the top spot with each driver leading a handful of laps at a time. Terry Neal continued his quest for the lead as he moved past Kevin Blum for second, but he was unable to track down race leader Rob Toland as the laps clicked away. Toland would capture the win ahead of Terry Neal, Kevin Blum, Dan Shelliam, and Ray Guss Jr.
The doubleheader was concluded before the 10:00 hour. That allowed fans to venture to the pits to talk to their favorite drivers or for people to get home and get some sleep before work the next morning. I used the time to chat with Brett Root and Jim Zimmerline in the pits for a bit. For photos of Wednesday night's action, check out www.zippsphotos.com.
The American Stock Car Shootout series concludes their week with their final stop at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson on Thursday night. Also in action will be the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for IMCA modifieds along with the hobby stocks. For more information, check out www.imca.com, www.independencemotorspeedway.com, or www.leecountyspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wacky Night at BVR Finds Smith in Victory Lane
A picture perfect evening was in store for night #2 of the IMCA American Stock Car Shootout series event held at the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta Tuesday night. Another stout field of forty-eight competitors were on hand to try their luck at the fast oval along with the rest of the weekly order of classes.
The first feature event held would be the bombers. Just six cars were in attendance Tuesday night, a number that soon dwindled to three in a matter of a couple laps. Shawn Halder would take the win ahead of Colby Davis and Kevin Blume of the running cars.
Next up would be the four-car field of IMCA sport compacts. Pole sitter Cory Flanigan wasted no time, and for that matter energy and effort, in securing the top spot. At the halfway point Mike Brabec lost a tire in turn two that wound up flying over the catch fence, onto and over Highway 7, and followed the railroad tracks for a moment before coming to a rest. A motorcyclist saw the tire and removed it from the intersection as far as I could tell before a track official picked it up. Flanigan would go on to take the win ahead of Mark Lindgren as they were the only two cars left running when the checkers waved.
The IMCA hobby stocks would be next to the track with twenty-four cars set to do battle. And trust me when I say battle. Devin Smith powered his machine to the lead from the pole, but Shannon Anderson quickly moved into second following an early restart as he passed Bill Woehler for the position. Just as it appeared Justin Nehring was going to add his name to the list of potential winners by climbing into the top five on lap four, his luck would run out as he spun his machine in turn three to bring out the caution.
An old fashion Devin Smith/Shannon Anderson duel was shaping up to be a good one for the win, but Merle Bass was staying within striking distance just behind. As Smith and Anderson exchanged the lead several times, Anderson would get the advantage late by utilizing the inside lane. After the two had made somewhat light contact throughout much of the race, apparently more was to come as Smith and Anderson got together in turn two to send Anderson around. Merle Bass was in the right spot at the right time as he came out smelling like a rose for the time being as he crossed the finish line to take the win ahead of Devin Smith, Bill Woehler, Matt Mahoney, and Kyle Robinson. However, Smith would be penalized for the contact with Anderson and Bass would relinquish the win as he failed post-race tech. That handed the win over to Bill Woehler with the rest of the top five looking like Mahoney, Robinson, Nick Meyer, and Jason Kohl. Unfortunately that was the extent of the results I was able to jot down.
The hobby stock feature definitely provided a lot of excitement for the crowd as they really got into the event. Cheers and boos were heard throughout the covered grandstand with the loudest pop coming when Bass crossed the finish line for what appeared to be the win. Unfortunately the crowd was never informed that Bass failed post-race tech, or at least I didn't hear it announced.
Sixteen IMCA sportmods would be led to the green flag by Doug Smith. Brett Meyer moved into second after passing Chris Grothe before a caution appeared. Following another quick yellow, Smith would lose the handle on his machine in turn four, handing the reigns over to Meyer. Two more yellows would keep the field closely bunched, but Meyer would go on to take the win ahead of Zach Norgaard, Clay Evans, Tim Rupp, and Chris Grothe.
1. 1M Brett Meyer
2. 14z Zach Norgaard
3. 54E Clay Evans
4. 33 Tim Rupp
5. 90 Chris Grothe
6. 99 Jesse Sobbing
7. 1and Brady Joynt
8. 57 Doug Bartels
9. 11c Chad Dills
10. 33R Ryan Roder
11. 3 Dale McGuire
12. 1 Greg Sidles
13. 12 Doug Smith
14. 65 Matt Sangwin
15. 7w Tim Wilcox
16. 69M Garrett Merrill
Mike Albertsen would take control early on in the IMCA modified feature field of twelve cars. Two early cautions saw the field closely stacked on top of each other, and that was evident as the top six were within a carlength or so when trouble struck in turn three. I didn't see what happened, but the end result was Albertsen's fuel cell laying on the track and Craig Reetz's car being towed to the pits. Brian Schmitt and Brad Williams were also involved in the incident. With Albertsen out of the mix, Jay Noteboom would assume command of the ship. Clayton Christensen would apply pressure early on following a lap seven caution, but Noteboom was able to distance himself as the laps clicked off late to pick up the win. Christensen would finish second, Justin Sackett third, Jim Thies fourth, and Nick Deal in fifth.
1. 7N Jay Noteboom
2. 1cc Clayton Christensen
3. 17 Justin Sackett
4. 23 Jim Thies
5. 55D Nick Deal
6. 22BW Brad Williams
7. 10E Stacey Mills
8. 61 Brian Schmitt
9. 23 Scott Sturm
10. z3 Mike Albertsen
11. 1R Craig Reetz
12. 52 Mark Gaskill
The stage was now set for the headliner, the thirty-lap IMCA stock car showdown. Inside row two starter Donavon Smith jumped out front in the early running while Jake Masters slipped by Randy Brands for second. Smith would extend his lead to a comfortable margin with in the first four laps as the action heated up behind him. Damon Murty and Dustin Smith were on the prowl as they found themselves fourth and fifth before the first caution waved on lap ten. A double-file restart behind the leader was used, which allowed Dustin Smith to slip under Murty for third. Murty would not go away quietly, though, as he battled back and engaged in a fierce battle with Smith for several laps.
Both Murty and Dustin Smith made their way by Masters for the runner up and third positions, respectively. With those two fighting it out, Donavon Smith was loving it as he pulled away once again to a sizable margin. Donavon Smith would cruise to the easy victory and an $1,100 payday as Wade Sembach donated an extra $100 to the winner's share of the purse. Dustin Smith would come home in second, Damon Murty in third, Jeffrey Larson finished fourth after starting seventeenth, and Brian Blessington rounded out the top five.
While the action was hot and heavy on the track, the evening would have to be considered a success for promoter Jeff Herrig. The stands were packed and the pits were near capacity for a rare Tuesday night race at the Beaver. My only complaint was the time factor as it was somewhat late getting the show over.
The American Stock Car Shootout series will travel a couple hours east along Highway 20 as they make their third stop at the Independence Motor Speedway on Wednesday. Along with the stock cars will be the IMCA Deery Brothers late model series. This event last year was a good one as the two features ran eighty laps with only two cautions combined. For more complete results and information, check out www.imca.com, www.buenavistaraceway.net, or www.independencemotorspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
The first feature event held would be the bombers. Just six cars were in attendance Tuesday night, a number that soon dwindled to three in a matter of a couple laps. Shawn Halder would take the win ahead of Colby Davis and Kevin Blume of the running cars.
Next up would be the four-car field of IMCA sport compacts. Pole sitter Cory Flanigan wasted no time, and for that matter energy and effort, in securing the top spot. At the halfway point Mike Brabec lost a tire in turn two that wound up flying over the catch fence, onto and over Highway 7, and followed the railroad tracks for a moment before coming to a rest. A motorcyclist saw the tire and removed it from the intersection as far as I could tell before a track official picked it up. Flanigan would go on to take the win ahead of Mark Lindgren as they were the only two cars left running when the checkers waved.
The IMCA hobby stocks would be next to the track with twenty-four cars set to do battle. And trust me when I say battle. Devin Smith powered his machine to the lead from the pole, but Shannon Anderson quickly moved into second following an early restart as he passed Bill Woehler for the position. Just as it appeared Justin Nehring was going to add his name to the list of potential winners by climbing into the top five on lap four, his luck would run out as he spun his machine in turn three to bring out the caution.
An old fashion Devin Smith/Shannon Anderson duel was shaping up to be a good one for the win, but Merle Bass was staying within striking distance just behind. As Smith and Anderson exchanged the lead several times, Anderson would get the advantage late by utilizing the inside lane. After the two had made somewhat light contact throughout much of the race, apparently more was to come as Smith and Anderson got together in turn two to send Anderson around. Merle Bass was in the right spot at the right time as he came out smelling like a rose for the time being as he crossed the finish line to take the win ahead of Devin Smith, Bill Woehler, Matt Mahoney, and Kyle Robinson. However, Smith would be penalized for the contact with Anderson and Bass would relinquish the win as he failed post-race tech. That handed the win over to Bill Woehler with the rest of the top five looking like Mahoney, Robinson, Nick Meyer, and Jason Kohl. Unfortunately that was the extent of the results I was able to jot down.
The hobby stock feature definitely provided a lot of excitement for the crowd as they really got into the event. Cheers and boos were heard throughout the covered grandstand with the loudest pop coming when Bass crossed the finish line for what appeared to be the win. Unfortunately the crowd was never informed that Bass failed post-race tech, or at least I didn't hear it announced.
Sixteen IMCA sportmods would be led to the green flag by Doug Smith. Brett Meyer moved into second after passing Chris Grothe before a caution appeared. Following another quick yellow, Smith would lose the handle on his machine in turn four, handing the reigns over to Meyer. Two more yellows would keep the field closely bunched, but Meyer would go on to take the win ahead of Zach Norgaard, Clay Evans, Tim Rupp, and Chris Grothe.
1. 1M Brett Meyer
2. 14z Zach Norgaard
3. 54E Clay Evans
4. 33 Tim Rupp
5. 90 Chris Grothe
6. 99 Jesse Sobbing
7. 1and Brady Joynt
8. 57 Doug Bartels
9. 11c Chad Dills
10. 33R Ryan Roder
11. 3 Dale McGuire
12. 1 Greg Sidles
13. 12 Doug Smith
14. 65 Matt Sangwin
15. 7w Tim Wilcox
16. 69M Garrett Merrill
Mike Albertsen would take control early on in the IMCA modified feature field of twelve cars. Two early cautions saw the field closely stacked on top of each other, and that was evident as the top six were within a carlength or so when trouble struck in turn three. I didn't see what happened, but the end result was Albertsen's fuel cell laying on the track and Craig Reetz's car being towed to the pits. Brian Schmitt and Brad Williams were also involved in the incident. With Albertsen out of the mix, Jay Noteboom would assume command of the ship. Clayton Christensen would apply pressure early on following a lap seven caution, but Noteboom was able to distance himself as the laps clicked off late to pick up the win. Christensen would finish second, Justin Sackett third, Jim Thies fourth, and Nick Deal in fifth.
1. 7N Jay Noteboom
2. 1cc Clayton Christensen
3. 17 Justin Sackett
4. 23 Jim Thies
5. 55D Nick Deal
6. 22BW Brad Williams
7. 10E Stacey Mills
8. 61 Brian Schmitt
9. 23 Scott Sturm
10. z3 Mike Albertsen
11. 1R Craig Reetz
12. 52 Mark Gaskill
The stage was now set for the headliner, the thirty-lap IMCA stock car showdown. Inside row two starter Donavon Smith jumped out front in the early running while Jake Masters slipped by Randy Brands for second. Smith would extend his lead to a comfortable margin with in the first four laps as the action heated up behind him. Damon Murty and Dustin Smith were on the prowl as they found themselves fourth and fifth before the first caution waved on lap ten. A double-file restart behind the leader was used, which allowed Dustin Smith to slip under Murty for third. Murty would not go away quietly, though, as he battled back and engaged in a fierce battle with Smith for several laps.
Both Murty and Dustin Smith made their way by Masters for the runner up and third positions, respectively. With those two fighting it out, Donavon Smith was loving it as he pulled away once again to a sizable margin. Donavon Smith would cruise to the easy victory and an $1,100 payday as Wade Sembach donated an extra $100 to the winner's share of the purse. Dustin Smith would come home in second, Damon Murty in third, Jeffrey Larson finished fourth after starting seventeenth, and Brian Blessington rounded out the top five.
While the action was hot and heavy on the track, the evening would have to be considered a success for promoter Jeff Herrig. The stands were packed and the pits were near capacity for a rare Tuesday night race at the Beaver. My only complaint was the time factor as it was somewhat late getting the show over.
The American Stock Car Shootout series will travel a couple hours east along Highway 20 as they make their third stop at the Independence Motor Speedway on Wednesday. Along with the stock cars will be the IMCA Deery Brothers late model series. This event last year was a good one as the two features ran eighty laps with only two cautions combined. For more complete results and information, check out www.imca.com, www.buenavistaraceway.net, or www.independencemotorspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Irvine Scores Opening Night American Stock Car Shootout Checkers
The opening night of the American Stock Car Shootout series was held Monday night at the Marshalltown Speedway. With just over fifty IMCA stock cars in attendance, along with twenty-three IMCA sportmods and twenty-three IMCA hobby stocks, there would definitely be plenty of action throughout the night.
After qualifying events were held in all three divisions, the first feature of the night would be the IMCA sportmods. Pole-sitter Jenae Gustin would pace the field early on, but Cayden Carter would out-duel her and overtake her on lap four to secure the lead. Rookie Dylan Book and Kyle Brown would also make their way by Gustin as the race was extended to twenty laps on this night. With five laps to go Scott Davis climbed inside the top five when he, too, passed Gustin. On the final lap Book apparently pushed up too high and went over the banking in turn three, giving up the third position. Cayden Carter would score his fourth victory at the speedway as he finished ahead of Kyle Brown, Scott Davis, Fred Leytham, and Jenae Gustin.
Next up would be the twenty-lap IMCA hobby stock feature. This event would be plagued with several caution periods along with a red flag when a car rolled off turn one. The driver, Jacob Thompson, was okay but was transported for precautionary measures. Outside front row starter Todd Reitzler assumed command from the drop of the green flag, but caution flags waved on lap three and four to keep the field close. When lap four was completed, top-four runner Bill Bonnett exited the track to the pits while Josh Irvine had already worked his way to eleventh after starting twenty-second on the grid.
Following another yellow on lap five, Jason Kohl would dive to the inside of Matt Webb and Eric Larson to advance to the third spot. Meanwhile up front Scott Lograsso would challenge Reitzler for the race lead as he continued to work the inside while Reitzler kept his momentum up on the cushion. Two more cautions would keep the field close as six cars were in contention for the win when the white flag was displayed. Todd Reitzler was able to hold off a swarm of competitors for the win followed by Michael Murphy, Josh Irvine, Curt Ganoe, and Scott Lograsso. That finish was definitely wild with all six having a possible shot at victory!!
That would set the stage for the thirty-lap IMCA stock car feature. David Smith and Abe Huls paced the field to the green with Huls getting the edge at the stripe to complete lap number one. The rest of the pack raced two and three-wide behind them. Case in point was Dustin Smith, Damon Murty, and Keith Knopp battling it out for fourth in the early running. Smith would get the advantage before the only caution of the race came out on lap six. A double-file restart behind the leader was used, and Brian Irvine cashed in his chips as he swung to the inside of David Smith to snare the runner up spot away before using the same line to steal the lead away from Huls on the next set of corners.
Damon Murty had found a groove a few lanes up from the bottom as he found himself up to third. Murty, along with David and Dustin Smith, would engage in a three-car battle for the third spot as Irvine began to put some distance on the pack. A short time later Dustin Smith, Murty and Abe Huls would fight it out for the second position at the halfway point. Smith and Murty would both get by Huls, pushing the Illinois driver back to the fourth spot. Smith and Murty would attempt to chase down Irvine, but it was not to be as Brian Irvine took home the $1,000 paycheck and the win. Dustin Smith would finish second, Damon Murty third, Donavon Smith fourth, and Abe Huls rounded out the top five.
The stock cars put on one heck of a show despite the field getting somewhat spread out. The track provided plenty of two and three-wide racing for the fans despite the northerly breeze blowing the dust into their faces. I, for one, will not complain about the dust considering the great action I saw on the track. Hats off to Toby Kruse and his staff on a great racing surface tonight!
I'd also like to thank Brett Root with IMCA for his hospitality. Brett took the time to answer my questions after the races among all the activity going on with motor and carburetor claims. Also a big shout out to Blake Anderson for mentioning Positivelyracing.com a couple times on the mic. Thanks Blake!!
The IMCA American Stock Car Shootout series will load up and head northwest to the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta on Tuesday night. For more information, and more results from Marshalltown, check out www.imca.com. For sportmod and hobby stock results, be sure to click on www.marshalltownspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
After qualifying events were held in all three divisions, the first feature of the night would be the IMCA sportmods. Pole-sitter Jenae Gustin would pace the field early on, but Cayden Carter would out-duel her and overtake her on lap four to secure the lead. Rookie Dylan Book and Kyle Brown would also make their way by Gustin as the race was extended to twenty laps on this night. With five laps to go Scott Davis climbed inside the top five when he, too, passed Gustin. On the final lap Book apparently pushed up too high and went over the banking in turn three, giving up the third position. Cayden Carter would score his fourth victory at the speedway as he finished ahead of Kyle Brown, Scott Davis, Fred Leytham, and Jenae Gustin.
Next up would be the twenty-lap IMCA hobby stock feature. This event would be plagued with several caution periods along with a red flag when a car rolled off turn one. The driver, Jacob Thompson, was okay but was transported for precautionary measures. Outside front row starter Todd Reitzler assumed command from the drop of the green flag, but caution flags waved on lap three and four to keep the field close. When lap four was completed, top-four runner Bill Bonnett exited the track to the pits while Josh Irvine had already worked his way to eleventh after starting twenty-second on the grid.
Following another yellow on lap five, Jason Kohl would dive to the inside of Matt Webb and Eric Larson to advance to the third spot. Meanwhile up front Scott Lograsso would challenge Reitzler for the race lead as he continued to work the inside while Reitzler kept his momentum up on the cushion. Two more cautions would keep the field close as six cars were in contention for the win when the white flag was displayed. Todd Reitzler was able to hold off a swarm of competitors for the win followed by Michael Murphy, Josh Irvine, Curt Ganoe, and Scott Lograsso. That finish was definitely wild with all six having a possible shot at victory!!
That would set the stage for the thirty-lap IMCA stock car feature. David Smith and Abe Huls paced the field to the green with Huls getting the edge at the stripe to complete lap number one. The rest of the pack raced two and three-wide behind them. Case in point was Dustin Smith, Damon Murty, and Keith Knopp battling it out for fourth in the early running. Smith would get the advantage before the only caution of the race came out on lap six. A double-file restart behind the leader was used, and Brian Irvine cashed in his chips as he swung to the inside of David Smith to snare the runner up spot away before using the same line to steal the lead away from Huls on the next set of corners.
Damon Murty had found a groove a few lanes up from the bottom as he found himself up to third. Murty, along with David and Dustin Smith, would engage in a three-car battle for the third spot as Irvine began to put some distance on the pack. A short time later Dustin Smith, Murty and Abe Huls would fight it out for the second position at the halfway point. Smith and Murty would both get by Huls, pushing the Illinois driver back to the fourth spot. Smith and Murty would attempt to chase down Irvine, but it was not to be as Brian Irvine took home the $1,000 paycheck and the win. Dustin Smith would finish second, Damon Murty third, Donavon Smith fourth, and Abe Huls rounded out the top five.
The stock cars put on one heck of a show despite the field getting somewhat spread out. The track provided plenty of two and three-wide racing for the fans despite the northerly breeze blowing the dust into their faces. I, for one, will not complain about the dust considering the great action I saw on the track. Hats off to Toby Kruse and his staff on a great racing surface tonight!
I'd also like to thank Brett Root with IMCA for his hospitality. Brett took the time to answer my questions after the races among all the activity going on with motor and carburetor claims. Also a big shout out to Blake Anderson for mentioning Positivelyracing.com a couple times on the mic. Thanks Blake!!
The IMCA American Stock Car Shootout series will load up and head northwest to the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta on Tuesday night. For more information, and more results from Marshalltown, check out www.imca.com. For sportmod and hobby stock results, be sure to click on www.marshalltownspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
One For The Thumb
The road warriors of the United States Modified Touring Series made a stop at the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa on Tuesday night. Despite the gloomy forecast and increasing clouds, the show would go on as hobby stocks and the Dart Iron Man Challenge for USRA stock cars were also on hand for the night's action.
As the heats and b-mains were run off, the cloud banks began to roll in. In a weird way it appeared as thought the clouds split the speedway as dark clouds encompassed the facility. Lightning and cracks of thunder were evident as the features were clicked off.
First up for feature action would be the Dart Iron Man Challenge for the stock cars. Outside front row starter Mark Elliott blasted to the lead in front of the nineteen car starting grid, but unfortunately three cars were unable to make the call. Matt Mundt would slide to the inside of Mike VanGenderen for the third spot before Jeremy Crimmins took it away from him. Nathan Wood would use the high side to get by VanGenderen for fourth as the laps clicked away until the lone caution of the race was waved. No positions would be changed in the top five after that point as Mark Elliott captured the win ahead of Greg Elliott, Jeremy Crimmins, Nathan Wood, and Mike VanGenderen.
1. 412 Mark Elliott
2. 1 Greg Elliott
3. 15 Jeremy Crimmins
4. 52 Nathan Wood
5. 57v Mike VanGenderen
6. 22 Jeff Deal
7. 7 Jason Minnehan
8. 5 Mike Bergan
9. 31M Mark Haglund
10. R31 Ryan Leeman
11. 1K Don Killen
12. 43 Calvin Lange - these were the cars that finished.
The hobby stocks would follow with fourteen cars on the starting grid. Todd Hillman would lose control of his machine in front of the field before getting collected by Robert See, who's machine went airborn. Luckily both drivers would walk away unhurt. Devin Smith would take the helm when the green flag waved again, but he would receive heavy pressure from Brad Ratcliff on the outside. Ratcliff would take the top spot away momentarily while Justin Nehring passed Merle Bass on the inside for the third position. Smith would regain the lead from Ratcliff while later Nehring would also make his way by for the runner up spot. On the final set of corners, Nehring buried his machine into turn three on the inside of Smith. When the checkered flag waved it would be Justin Nehring picking up the exciting win by the slimmest of margins. Smith would settle for second, Stac Schroeder third, Brad Ratcliff fourth, and Merle Bass rounded out the top five.
1. 20N Justin Nehring
2. 81 Devin Smith
3. 51 Stac Schroeder
4. 1R Brad Ratcliff
5. 8 Merle Bass
6. 8B Michael Becker
7. 14B Brett Smith
8. 713 ??
9. 74 Les Langfit - these were the cars that finished.
DNF
59 Jeff Lyon
06 Kyle Schmauss
5 Tyler Pickett
14 Todd Hillman
91 Robert See
With the skies becoming a bigger threat, the USMTS feature was quickly brought to the track for their twenty-five lap main event that saw Al Hejna and local racer Brad Williams on the front row. Hejna would get the jump as he took the lead followed by Colt Mather in second. Mather would power by Hejna on the outside as he took command of the ship before Hejna would slow with a flat tire. That brought out the only caution of the race.
With Mather and Brad Williams in the top two positions, Ryan Ruter and Jason Krohn quickly worked their way by Williams. Krohn would slide under Ruter to snare the second spot away while Williams gave up the fourth spot to Ryan Gustin. Gustin continued his march forward as he slipped by Ruter for third. The top three (Mather, Krohn, and Gustin) would separate themselves from the rest of the field as they encountered lapped traffic. Krohn would work to the inside of Mather as he became the new leader while Gustin also hugged the inside line to make the pass for the runner up spot.
Krohn and Gustin were up front once again, a sight that many saw the night before in Fairmont. As the laps clicked off Gustin would inch ever so closer to the rear bumper of Krohn, and on the final corner Gustin changed his line to the cushion while Krohn stayed glued to the bottom to try to maneuver around a slower car. Gustin would carry plenty of momentum exiting turn four to pick up his fifth consecutive USMTS win, a popular one by the reaction from the Mineral City Speedway fans. Gustin used to wheel a limited modified around the half-mile facility in his "younger" days. Krohn would settle for the bridesmaid once again while Colt Mather, Ryan Ruter, and Kelly Shryock rounded out the top five. Shryock started fifteenth, no doubt picking up the hard charger award.
1. 19R Ryan Gustin
2. 7K Jason Krohn
3. 8 Colt Mather
4. 555 Ryan Ruter
5. 3 Kelly Shryock
6. 22BW Brad Williams
7. 26P Kevin Pittman
8. 31 Corey Dripps
9. 111 Bumper Jones
10. 36 Kenny Wallace
11. 9 Shane Hebert
Gustin's streak is the longest winning streak on the USMTS circuit since 2007 when Kelly Shryock won six straight. Gustin will look to tie that achievement Wednesday night as the traveling tour invades the I-35 Speedway in Mason City. Also on the card will be the Midwest 305 sprint cars. For more information on that show, check out www.usmts.com or www.i-35speedway.com.
I'd like to thank announcer Lon Oelke for the Positivelyracing plug. Lon will be behind the mic Wednesday night in Mason City as regular track announcer Jerry VanSickel has prior commitments.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
As the heats and b-mains were run off, the cloud banks began to roll in. In a weird way it appeared as thought the clouds split the speedway as dark clouds encompassed the facility. Lightning and cracks of thunder were evident as the features were clicked off.
First up for feature action would be the Dart Iron Man Challenge for the stock cars. Outside front row starter Mark Elliott blasted to the lead in front of the nineteen car starting grid, but unfortunately three cars were unable to make the call. Matt Mundt would slide to the inside of Mike VanGenderen for the third spot before Jeremy Crimmins took it away from him. Nathan Wood would use the high side to get by VanGenderen for fourth as the laps clicked away until the lone caution of the race was waved. No positions would be changed in the top five after that point as Mark Elliott captured the win ahead of Greg Elliott, Jeremy Crimmins, Nathan Wood, and Mike VanGenderen.
1. 412 Mark Elliott
2. 1 Greg Elliott
3. 15 Jeremy Crimmins
4. 52 Nathan Wood
5. 57v Mike VanGenderen
6. 22 Jeff Deal
7. 7 Jason Minnehan
8. 5 Mike Bergan
9. 31M Mark Haglund
10. R31 Ryan Leeman
11. 1K Don Killen
12. 43 Calvin Lange - these were the cars that finished.
The hobby stocks would follow with fourteen cars on the starting grid. Todd Hillman would lose control of his machine in front of the field before getting collected by Robert See, who's machine went airborn. Luckily both drivers would walk away unhurt. Devin Smith would take the helm when the green flag waved again, but he would receive heavy pressure from Brad Ratcliff on the outside. Ratcliff would take the top spot away momentarily while Justin Nehring passed Merle Bass on the inside for the third position. Smith would regain the lead from Ratcliff while later Nehring would also make his way by for the runner up spot. On the final set of corners, Nehring buried his machine into turn three on the inside of Smith. When the checkered flag waved it would be Justin Nehring picking up the exciting win by the slimmest of margins. Smith would settle for second, Stac Schroeder third, Brad Ratcliff fourth, and Merle Bass rounded out the top five.
1. 20N Justin Nehring
2. 81 Devin Smith
3. 51 Stac Schroeder
4. 1R Brad Ratcliff
5. 8 Merle Bass
6. 8B Michael Becker
7. 14B Brett Smith
8. 713 ??
9. 74 Les Langfit - these were the cars that finished.
DNF
59 Jeff Lyon
06 Kyle Schmauss
5 Tyler Pickett
14 Todd Hillman
91 Robert See
With the skies becoming a bigger threat, the USMTS feature was quickly brought to the track for their twenty-five lap main event that saw Al Hejna and local racer Brad Williams on the front row. Hejna would get the jump as he took the lead followed by Colt Mather in second. Mather would power by Hejna on the outside as he took command of the ship before Hejna would slow with a flat tire. That brought out the only caution of the race.
With Mather and Brad Williams in the top two positions, Ryan Ruter and Jason Krohn quickly worked their way by Williams. Krohn would slide under Ruter to snare the second spot away while Williams gave up the fourth spot to Ryan Gustin. Gustin continued his march forward as he slipped by Ruter for third. The top three (Mather, Krohn, and Gustin) would separate themselves from the rest of the field as they encountered lapped traffic. Krohn would work to the inside of Mather as he became the new leader while Gustin also hugged the inside line to make the pass for the runner up spot.
Krohn and Gustin were up front once again, a sight that many saw the night before in Fairmont. As the laps clicked off Gustin would inch ever so closer to the rear bumper of Krohn, and on the final corner Gustin changed his line to the cushion while Krohn stayed glued to the bottom to try to maneuver around a slower car. Gustin would carry plenty of momentum exiting turn four to pick up his fifth consecutive USMTS win, a popular one by the reaction from the Mineral City Speedway fans. Gustin used to wheel a limited modified around the half-mile facility in his "younger" days. Krohn would settle for the bridesmaid once again while Colt Mather, Ryan Ruter, and Kelly Shryock rounded out the top five. Shryock started fifteenth, no doubt picking up the hard charger award.
1. 19R Ryan Gustin
2. 7K Jason Krohn
3. 8 Colt Mather
4. 555 Ryan Ruter
5. 3 Kelly Shryock
6. 22BW Brad Williams
7. 26P Kevin Pittman
8. 31 Corey Dripps
9. 111 Bumper Jones
10. 36 Kenny Wallace
11. 9 Shane Hebert
Gustin's streak is the longest winning streak on the USMTS circuit since 2007 when Kelly Shryock won six straight. Gustin will look to tie that achievement Wednesday night as the traveling tour invades the I-35 Speedway in Mason City. Also on the card will be the Midwest 305 sprint cars. For more information on that show, check out www.usmts.com or www.i-35speedway.com.
I'd like to thank announcer Lon Oelke for the Positivelyracing plug. Lon will be behind the mic Wednesday night in Mason City as regular track announcer Jerry VanSickel has prior commitments.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Gustin 4-Peats at Fairmont
In what has become a familiar sight to those following the United States Modified Touring Series, Ryan Gustin again graced victory lane at the big half-mile known as the Fairmont Raceway Monday night in Fairmont, Minnesota. After dominating performances in the previous three races, Gustin would have to earn the quadruple.
A packed house was on hand as both the USMTS modifieds and the Midwest 305 sprint cars were set for battle. Nineteen sprinters were on hand to take the green flag with Russel Wiese grabbing the top spot. Action quickly came to a screeching halt when Bob Hilldreth got sideways entering turn one and Tommy Barber t-boned him, sending Hilldreth into a whirlwind. Fortunately both drivers were okay despite wrecked race cars. When racing resumed Bruce Anderson was on the prowl as he advanced from fifth on the restart to third utilizing the low groove. Race leader Wiese would miscalculate turn two and wind up going off the corner to bring out the caution flag on lap three, handing the reigns over to Ryan Voss.
After starting fifteenth on the grid, Casey Fredrichsen found himself in eighth position on this restart. He used the same line as Bruce Anderson did on the previous restart to leapfrog into the top five before passing Steve Yarns for fourth. Up front Anderson ducked to the inside and pulled even with Voss, but was unable to complete the pass and ducked back into line. The top four cars would put plenty of distance on the rest of the field as they were a half-lap ahead of the fifth place machine. A caution with three laps remaining bunched the field back up, but only the fifth position changed hands as Ryan Voss held off Bruce Anderson for the win. Austin Johnson finished third, Casey Fredrichsen fourth, and Mike Blomstrom rounded out the top five.
1. 3D Ryan Voss
2. 11A Bruce Anderson
3. 81 Austin Johnson
4. 20 Casey Fredrichsen
5. 70 Mike Blomstrom
6. 4E Jeff Edgington
7. 10B Randy Reinhart
8. 1A Gordy Vogelaar
9. 11s Shadrach Sporaa
10. 34 Jake Nicoson
11. 33 Travis Lain
12. 87 Matt Hasara
13. 98 Steve Yarns
14. 50 Dan Jorgenson
It was then time for the thirty-lap USMTS modified feature. Jay Noteboom and Jason Krohn sat on the front row with Krohn wasting no time in taking the helm. After picking up the three previous USMTS features, Ryan Gustin would start twelfth on this night. That, however, wouldn't slow him down much as he quickly cut the field in half on his way to sixth in just two laps. The first of two cautions in the race came out on lap ten when Corey Dripps slowed after showing some smoke.
Gustin took advantage of the restart as he powered by Derek Ramirez for fourth before ducking low on Jason Cummins for third. Behind them Jon Tesch and Jay Noteboom were duking it out for the fifth position as most of the field were putting their American Racer tires up on the cushion. Tommy Weder Jr. was running solidly in second when he got his car sideways in turn three, allowing Gustin to sneak by on the low side. The pass would not count, however, as the caution waved before the lap could be scored.
With eight laps remaining Weder Jr. opted for the inside lane on the double-file restart, giving Gustin the outside. Gustin wasted no time as he made the pass on him for second before setting his sights on race leader Jason Krohn. As Gustin inched closer, he dove to the inside of the 2007 USMTS national champion and grabbed the lead with three laps to go. Gustin would stay out front as he picked up his fourth consecutive victory and eighth overall on the season. Jason Krohn settled for second, Jon Tesch finished third, Tommy Weder Jr was fourth, and Jason Cummins was fifth.
The Fairmont Raceway was a bad-fast track Monday night. Heat race lap times saw the sprint cars averaging 102 mph while the modifieds were no slouch at around 82 mph. Props go out to promoter Joe Ringsdorf for having a great, smooth racing surface throughout the night.
The USMTS series travels south to the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa on Tuesday night. Also on the card will be the Dart Iron Man Challenge series for USRA stock cars along with the hobby stocks. The USMTS will then head back north to the I-35 Speedway in Mason City on Wednesday where they will team up with the Midwest 305 sprints again.
And for those wondering - I'm finishing typing this up at 4AM and have to be to work at 7:30. But that won't stop me from attending the Fort Dodge show. Ha!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
A packed house was on hand as both the USMTS modifieds and the Midwest 305 sprint cars were set for battle. Nineteen sprinters were on hand to take the green flag with Russel Wiese grabbing the top spot. Action quickly came to a screeching halt when Bob Hilldreth got sideways entering turn one and Tommy Barber t-boned him, sending Hilldreth into a whirlwind. Fortunately both drivers were okay despite wrecked race cars. When racing resumed Bruce Anderson was on the prowl as he advanced from fifth on the restart to third utilizing the low groove. Race leader Wiese would miscalculate turn two and wind up going off the corner to bring out the caution flag on lap three, handing the reigns over to Ryan Voss.
After starting fifteenth on the grid, Casey Fredrichsen found himself in eighth position on this restart. He used the same line as Bruce Anderson did on the previous restart to leapfrog into the top five before passing Steve Yarns for fourth. Up front Anderson ducked to the inside and pulled even with Voss, but was unable to complete the pass and ducked back into line. The top four cars would put plenty of distance on the rest of the field as they were a half-lap ahead of the fifth place machine. A caution with three laps remaining bunched the field back up, but only the fifth position changed hands as Ryan Voss held off Bruce Anderson for the win. Austin Johnson finished third, Casey Fredrichsen fourth, and Mike Blomstrom rounded out the top five.
1. 3D Ryan Voss
2. 11A Bruce Anderson
3. 81 Austin Johnson
4. 20 Casey Fredrichsen
5. 70 Mike Blomstrom
6. 4E Jeff Edgington
7. 10B Randy Reinhart
8. 1A Gordy Vogelaar
9. 11s Shadrach Sporaa
10. 34 Jake Nicoson
11. 33 Travis Lain
12. 87 Matt Hasara
13. 98 Steve Yarns
14. 50 Dan Jorgenson
It was then time for the thirty-lap USMTS modified feature. Jay Noteboom and Jason Krohn sat on the front row with Krohn wasting no time in taking the helm. After picking up the three previous USMTS features, Ryan Gustin would start twelfth on this night. That, however, wouldn't slow him down much as he quickly cut the field in half on his way to sixth in just two laps. The first of two cautions in the race came out on lap ten when Corey Dripps slowed after showing some smoke.
Gustin took advantage of the restart as he powered by Derek Ramirez for fourth before ducking low on Jason Cummins for third. Behind them Jon Tesch and Jay Noteboom were duking it out for the fifth position as most of the field were putting their American Racer tires up on the cushion. Tommy Weder Jr. was running solidly in second when he got his car sideways in turn three, allowing Gustin to sneak by on the low side. The pass would not count, however, as the caution waved before the lap could be scored.
With eight laps remaining Weder Jr. opted for the inside lane on the double-file restart, giving Gustin the outside. Gustin wasted no time as he made the pass on him for second before setting his sights on race leader Jason Krohn. As Gustin inched closer, he dove to the inside of the 2007 USMTS national champion and grabbed the lead with three laps to go. Gustin would stay out front as he picked up his fourth consecutive victory and eighth overall on the season. Jason Krohn settled for second, Jon Tesch finished third, Tommy Weder Jr was fourth, and Jason Cummins was fifth.
The Fairmont Raceway was a bad-fast track Monday night. Heat race lap times saw the sprint cars averaging 102 mph while the modifieds were no slouch at around 82 mph. Props go out to promoter Joe Ringsdorf for having a great, smooth racing surface throughout the night.
The USMTS series travels south to the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa on Tuesday night. Also on the card will be the Dart Iron Man Challenge series for USRA stock cars along with the hobby stocks. The USMTS will then head back north to the I-35 Speedway in Mason City on Wednesday where they will team up with the Midwest 305 sprints again.
And for those wondering - I'm finishing typing this up at 4AM and have to be to work at 7:30. But that won't stop me from attending the Fort Dodge show. Ha!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Gustin Continues Hot Streak in Muggy Memphis
With temperatures hovering around the 90* mark with hardly a hint of a breeze, things were a bit on the muggy side down in Memphis, Missouri Saturday night as the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) invaded the Scotland County Speedway. With this event being a "stand-alone" race, many touring regulars opted to stay up north to race rather then driving south for one event. But that didn't stop those in attendance from putting on a great show. Also on hand last night were the Dart Iron Man Challenge stock car series, hobby stocks, b-modifieds, and 4-cylinders.
There were only four 4-cylinder cars on hand last night. It would be Don DeMint taking the win from Illinois. Sorry I didn't catch the names of the other three competitors, but their cars numbers were 22E in second, 49 in third, and 4JJ in fourth place.
Up next would be the b-modifieds with twenty-one cars lined up in the starting blocks. Carter Vandenberg used the pole to grab the early lead, but Bill Gibson looked to the low side of the youngster to take command on lap two. Tyler Groenendyk was running in third before getting passed on the inside by Mike Shelton and Cayden Carter before the caution waved on lap six. On the restart Shelton snuck under Gibson for the lead while Carter followed Shelton's tire tracks to advance to the runner up position. Gibson and Carter would exchange positions for several laps as they ran side by side. Bert McDaniel, after starting thirteenth on the field, was making his way to the front as he passed Carter Vandenberg for fourth. Cayden Carter and Bill Gibson continued to seasaw for the runner up spot, but Carter would get the final say as he used the low line coming off turn four to snare the second spot at the finish. Mike Shelton picked up the win followed by Carter, Gibson, McDaniel, and Carter Vandenberg.
Next up would be the Dart Iron Man Challenge for USRA stock cars. Sixteen cars were set to do battle and pole-sitter Steve Jackson wasted no time in claiming the top spot. He would feel pressure from Shane Weller in the early going as Weller ducked inside of Jackson to take over the race lead. Following a couple of quick yellows, Weller would clip an implement tire on the inside of turn two, causing a chain reaction behind as he slowed up to bring out another caution flag. Mike VanGenderen and Jason Cook suffered flat tires with Cook retiring from the race.
When racing resumed, Jackson led the field once again but had new contenders behind him in Nathan Wood and Malcolm Teachout, who made the lengthy trip down from Granada, Minnesota. Teachout's run would come up short, however, as he suffered a right front flat a few laps later. That propelled Mark Elliott up to third before he, too, would suffer the same fate of a flat tire to end his night early. With the laps counting down, Wood would challenge Jackson for the lead as they were side by side on the final lap. Jackson would get enough traction exiting turn four to pick up the win as Wood settled for second. Michael Jaennette finished third, Mike VanGenderen fourth, and Jakoby Hooper rounded out the top five.
Nineteen hobby stocks were next to grace the track. Derek Kirkland would race to the lead from the outside front row start, but Clayton Crump was on the move as he advanced from twelfth to fourth before an early caution waved. Crump and Calvin Dhondt would split Jimmy Hayes as the duo advanced to third and fourth, respectively. As Crump continued his march towards the front, he looked under Donovan Nunnikhoven for second but was unable to complete the pass before a caution with two laps remaining. Crump would use the restart to his advantage as he hooked up on the bottom to pass Nunnikhoven for second, but it was too little too late as Derek Kirkland took home the flag to flag victory. Crump would finish second, Nunnikhoven third, Calvin Dhondt was fourth, and Matt Messamaker rounded out the top five.
It was now time for the USMTS modified feature. With twenty-seven cars on hand, three drivers failed to qualify with the field set with twenty-four. Outside front row starter Johnny Scott raced to the lead early with Ryan Peckham just behind in second. Peckham got a run on Scott as he dove to the inside to take the lead away from the New Mexico racer. Scott would later lose a few more positions as Kelly Shryock and Ryan Gustin made their way by in the next couple of laps. Shryock and Gustin would run single file on the inside groove as they both passed Pechham to take over the lead and second position, respectively.
Gustin would stalk Shryock for many laps while Al Hejna advanced to the third spot after passing Peckham. After laps of looking to the outside of Shryock, Gustin then changed lanes to the inside in turn three to make the pass for the lead. After a few quick cautions within a couple laps of each other Shryock, Hejna, and Colt Mather would race three-wide at the finish strip for the runner up spot with Mather powering his way to second. Mather would later push high in turn four to allow Hejna and Shryock to scoot back by. Mather would not give up, however, as he battled back to pass Shryock on the inside groove. By this time Gustin had built up a straight away lead. Two late cautions kept the field closer at the end, but the result was never in doubt as Ryan Gustin picked up his third consecutive USMTS win and seventh on the season. Al Hejna edged out Kelly Shryock for second while Colt Mather and Rodney Sanders completed the top five.
I must say that I was shocked when I showed up at the track yesterday afternoon. With all the water standing on the ground in the parking lot, the track was very dry and dusty as the track crew went to work. The water truck dropped plenty of water on the surface before race time. There were a few ruts in the corners, but the drivers knew where they were for the most part.
The USMTS will take Sunday off before jumping right back into action Monday night at the Fairmont Raceway in Fairmont, Minnesota. From there the traveling tour heads to the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa on Tuesday, the I-35 Speedway in Mason City, Iowa on Wednesday, the Redwood Speedway in Redwood Falls, Minnesota Thursday, and finish up the week at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin on Friday. After that the road warriors will have roughly three weeks off before getting back into action in mid-July. For more information and the complete schedule, check out www.usmts.com.
Classes in action Monday night in Fairmont will be the USMTS and 305 sprint cars. Hot laps are scheduled to get underway at 7:00pm.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
There were only four 4-cylinder cars on hand last night. It would be Don DeMint taking the win from Illinois. Sorry I didn't catch the names of the other three competitors, but their cars numbers were 22E in second, 49 in third, and 4JJ in fourth place.
Up next would be the b-modifieds with twenty-one cars lined up in the starting blocks. Carter Vandenberg used the pole to grab the early lead, but Bill Gibson looked to the low side of the youngster to take command on lap two. Tyler Groenendyk was running in third before getting passed on the inside by Mike Shelton and Cayden Carter before the caution waved on lap six. On the restart Shelton snuck under Gibson for the lead while Carter followed Shelton's tire tracks to advance to the runner up position. Gibson and Carter would exchange positions for several laps as they ran side by side. Bert McDaniel, after starting thirteenth on the field, was making his way to the front as he passed Carter Vandenberg for fourth. Cayden Carter and Bill Gibson continued to seasaw for the runner up spot, but Carter would get the final say as he used the low line coming off turn four to snare the second spot at the finish. Mike Shelton picked up the win followed by Carter, Gibson, McDaniel, and Carter Vandenberg.
Next up would be the Dart Iron Man Challenge for USRA stock cars. Sixteen cars were set to do battle and pole-sitter Steve Jackson wasted no time in claiming the top spot. He would feel pressure from Shane Weller in the early going as Weller ducked inside of Jackson to take over the race lead. Following a couple of quick yellows, Weller would clip an implement tire on the inside of turn two, causing a chain reaction behind as he slowed up to bring out another caution flag. Mike VanGenderen and Jason Cook suffered flat tires with Cook retiring from the race.
When racing resumed, Jackson led the field once again but had new contenders behind him in Nathan Wood and Malcolm Teachout, who made the lengthy trip down from Granada, Minnesota. Teachout's run would come up short, however, as he suffered a right front flat a few laps later. That propelled Mark Elliott up to third before he, too, would suffer the same fate of a flat tire to end his night early. With the laps counting down, Wood would challenge Jackson for the lead as they were side by side on the final lap. Jackson would get enough traction exiting turn four to pick up the win as Wood settled for second. Michael Jaennette finished third, Mike VanGenderen fourth, and Jakoby Hooper rounded out the top five.
Nineteen hobby stocks were next to grace the track. Derek Kirkland would race to the lead from the outside front row start, but Clayton Crump was on the move as he advanced from twelfth to fourth before an early caution waved. Crump and Calvin Dhondt would split Jimmy Hayes as the duo advanced to third and fourth, respectively. As Crump continued his march towards the front, he looked under Donovan Nunnikhoven for second but was unable to complete the pass before a caution with two laps remaining. Crump would use the restart to his advantage as he hooked up on the bottom to pass Nunnikhoven for second, but it was too little too late as Derek Kirkland took home the flag to flag victory. Crump would finish second, Nunnikhoven third, Calvin Dhondt was fourth, and Matt Messamaker rounded out the top five.
It was now time for the USMTS modified feature. With twenty-seven cars on hand, three drivers failed to qualify with the field set with twenty-four. Outside front row starter Johnny Scott raced to the lead early with Ryan Peckham just behind in second. Peckham got a run on Scott as he dove to the inside to take the lead away from the New Mexico racer. Scott would later lose a few more positions as Kelly Shryock and Ryan Gustin made their way by in the next couple of laps. Shryock and Gustin would run single file on the inside groove as they both passed Pechham to take over the lead and second position, respectively.
Gustin would stalk Shryock for many laps while Al Hejna advanced to the third spot after passing Peckham. After laps of looking to the outside of Shryock, Gustin then changed lanes to the inside in turn three to make the pass for the lead. After a few quick cautions within a couple laps of each other Shryock, Hejna, and Colt Mather would race three-wide at the finish strip for the runner up spot with Mather powering his way to second. Mather would later push high in turn four to allow Hejna and Shryock to scoot back by. Mather would not give up, however, as he battled back to pass Shryock on the inside groove. By this time Gustin had built up a straight away lead. Two late cautions kept the field closer at the end, but the result was never in doubt as Ryan Gustin picked up his third consecutive USMTS win and seventh on the season. Al Hejna edged out Kelly Shryock for second while Colt Mather and Rodney Sanders completed the top five.
I must say that I was shocked when I showed up at the track yesterday afternoon. With all the water standing on the ground in the parking lot, the track was very dry and dusty as the track crew went to work. The water truck dropped plenty of water on the surface before race time. There were a few ruts in the corners, but the drivers knew where they were for the most part.
The USMTS will take Sunday off before jumping right back into action Monday night at the Fairmont Raceway in Fairmont, Minnesota. From there the traveling tour heads to the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa on Tuesday, the I-35 Speedway in Mason City, Iowa on Wednesday, the Redwood Speedway in Redwood Falls, Minnesota Thursday, and finish up the week at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin on Friday. After that the road warriors will have roughly three weeks off before getting back into action in mid-July. For more information and the complete schedule, check out www.usmts.com.
Classes in action Monday night in Fairmont will be the USMTS and 305 sprint cars. Hot laps are scheduled to get underway at 7:00pm.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Gustin DOMINATES BVR USMTS Show
Last night (Wednesday) I made the lenghty two and a half hour trip to the northwest to check out the United States Modified Touring Series event held at the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta. A beautiful day with a nice breeze kept things in relatively comfortable temperatures all night, which turned out to be a good thing. Along with the USMTS modifieds, the other five weekly classes of competition were also on hand to run for track points. A draw/redraw format was used for all classes.
Six BVR bombers were on hand for heat race action, but two cars failed to make the call come feature time. To get more technical, another car dropped into the pits after the initial start but before a completed lap could be scored as the caution waved for a spun car in turn one. So with just three cars remaining, Jess Bieret appeared to be well on his way to picking up the win as the field got strung out. However, Bieret would be a victim of transmission issues late in the race, allowing Colby Davis to close the gap. Davis pulled up to Bieret's rear bumper as the two exited turn four, but Bieret had enough power to squeak out the win. Davis would finish second and Nick Smith third.
Ten IMCA sport compacts then hit the track with pole-sitter Cory Flanigan taking the top spot early on. Kyle Hill, who started tenth, charged his way to fourth by lap two before his quick momentum slowed a bit. A three-car battle for the runner up spot involved Caine Mahlberg, Merv Chandler, and Kyle Hill with two laps remaining. Mahlberg held on to second while Hill passed Chandler on the outside for third, but all competitors saw the rear bumper of Cory Flanigan as he picked up another feature win at Alta.
The competitive IMCA hobby stocks would be next with nineteen cars set to do battle. Shannon Anderson redrew the pole position and grabbed the lead early on, but Devin Smith was on the prowl a bit further behind. Smith, who started tenth, quickly advanced to third using the cushion before he and Merle Bass closed in on the back of Anderson. Smith kept his momentum going forward as he swung to the outside of Anderson upon exiting turn four and getting to the rear quarter panel, but the two made contact with each other and forced Smith to jump the cushion entering turn one. Smith would fall to seventh, but a caution with five laps remaining gave him new life. As the laps clicked off, Smith would get by a couple cars before settling for fourth as Anderson took home the win. Merle Bass finished second, Michael Murphy third, Devin Smith fourth, and Craig Brotherton was fifth.
After finishing under the time limit a week ago, the IMCA sportmods looked to put on a better show for the fans this week as twenty-two cars were set to roll onto the track next. Pole-sitter Tyler Olson took command of the lead early, but he would jump the cushion following a lap two restart and hand the reigns over to Tim Rupp. Olson would slide back to fifth as Dan Vanbruggen, Tim Wilcox, and Doug Smith all made their way by. A caution flag, followed by two others a short time later, would make officials incorporate the time limit once again with four laps remaining. Tim Wilcox found the bottom groove to his liking on the restart and passed Vanbruggen for second. Brett Meyer would also use the inside line to pass Vanbruggen for third before scooting by Wilcox for second. Apparently there was contact in turn two between Meyer and Rupp that resulted in Rupp spinning to the inside when the caution flag waved. Officials said the caution was for debris, thus resorting back to the previously scored lap and handing the win to the motionless Rupp. Brett Meyer was scored in second, Dan Vanbruggen third, Tim Wilcox fourth, and Zach Norgaard in fifth.
I usually don't voice my opinions on here when they are different then those the officials make. However, this will be one of those times. I believe the track uses the rule "if you are stopped for any reason when the caution flag comes out, you are involved in the caution." I realize the race was up against the time limit, but Rupp (and perhaps Meyer too, I didn't see him) was definitely stopped when the yellow lights flashed on. If Meyer was still moving, he should have been awarded the victory. If he was stationary, Vanbruggen should have won. I am in no way taking anything away from Tim Rupp and his win. I am just voicing my confusion towards the call that was made.
Ok, now back to the racing action. Sixteen IMCA stock cars were next up as pole-sitter Chris Ullrich took command from the start. Following two early cautions, the race would then run clean to the checkers. Brian Blessington and Trent Murphy exchanged the third position a couple times throughout the middle part of the race while Donavon Smith hounded Ullrich up front. Smith finally made his move when he swung to the middle of the banking in turn one to make the pass for the lead with just two laps to go. Smith was able to keep Ullrich behind him as he picked up the win while Trent Murphy was third, Brian Blessington fourth, and Randy Brands fifth.
The stage was now set for the thirty-lap nightcap for the USMTS modifieds. Local racer Brad Williams and Ryan Ruter brought the field to the green flag, but it would be outside row two starter Ryan Gustin getting the jump on the pack as he passed Ruter and third-starter Jon Tesch exiting turn two. Gustin's momentum carried him to the outside of Brad Williams down the backstretch before completing the pass upon exit of turn four for the lead. Gustin would set a blistering pace as he opened up a straight away advantage in just six laps.
As the laps clicked away, Tesch would find the cushion to his liking as he passed Zack VanderBeek for third and a few laps later got by Brad Williams for second. A lap eleven caution bunched the field back up, and track regular Williams snuck back by Tesch for the second position. Meanwhile, tenth starter Derek Ramirez was on the move as he worked underneath 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn for fourth just prior to the halfway point. Tesch again motored by Brad Williams on the outside while Ramirez used the inside line by Williams for third.
With seventeen laps scored complete, I noticed that Al Hejna was marching forward as well. Hejna had started twenty-third on the grid, but found himself in the seventh position and looking for more using the low groove. Unfortunately Hejna's night would not end in a good manner as he lost the driveshaft and broke the pullbar following a restart with nine laps to go. Restarts was not an issue for Ryan Gustin as he put at least five carlengths on the nearest competitor by the time they entered turn one following the green flag. Kelly Shryock got by Jason Krohn for fourth with five laps remaining, but the night belonged to Ryan Gustin as he picked up his fifth win of the season. Derek Ramirez snuck by teammate Jon Tesch for the runner-up spot on the final corner while Shryock and Zack VanderBeek completed the top five.
I'd like to thank promoter Jeff Herrig and his sidekick Eric Blum as well as USMTS promoters Todd and Janet Staley for their hospitality. Also on hand last night was Chad Ebel with RaceDayPrints snapping action shots. Be sure to check out his website at www.racedayprints.com.
I apologize for the blog being posted this late. I didn't get home until 3:30AM Thursday morning and obviously opted not to take the time to write my viewpoints at that time as I was to be at work at 7:30 this morning (which I was!).
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Six BVR bombers were on hand for heat race action, but two cars failed to make the call come feature time. To get more technical, another car dropped into the pits after the initial start but before a completed lap could be scored as the caution waved for a spun car in turn one. So with just three cars remaining, Jess Bieret appeared to be well on his way to picking up the win as the field got strung out. However, Bieret would be a victim of transmission issues late in the race, allowing Colby Davis to close the gap. Davis pulled up to Bieret's rear bumper as the two exited turn four, but Bieret had enough power to squeak out the win. Davis would finish second and Nick Smith third.
Ten IMCA sport compacts then hit the track with pole-sitter Cory Flanigan taking the top spot early on. Kyle Hill, who started tenth, charged his way to fourth by lap two before his quick momentum slowed a bit. A three-car battle for the runner up spot involved Caine Mahlberg, Merv Chandler, and Kyle Hill with two laps remaining. Mahlberg held on to second while Hill passed Chandler on the outside for third, but all competitors saw the rear bumper of Cory Flanigan as he picked up another feature win at Alta.
The competitive IMCA hobby stocks would be next with nineteen cars set to do battle. Shannon Anderson redrew the pole position and grabbed the lead early on, but Devin Smith was on the prowl a bit further behind. Smith, who started tenth, quickly advanced to third using the cushion before he and Merle Bass closed in on the back of Anderson. Smith kept his momentum going forward as he swung to the outside of Anderson upon exiting turn four and getting to the rear quarter panel, but the two made contact with each other and forced Smith to jump the cushion entering turn one. Smith would fall to seventh, but a caution with five laps remaining gave him new life. As the laps clicked off, Smith would get by a couple cars before settling for fourth as Anderson took home the win. Merle Bass finished second, Michael Murphy third, Devin Smith fourth, and Craig Brotherton was fifth.
After finishing under the time limit a week ago, the IMCA sportmods looked to put on a better show for the fans this week as twenty-two cars were set to roll onto the track next. Pole-sitter Tyler Olson took command of the lead early, but he would jump the cushion following a lap two restart and hand the reigns over to Tim Rupp. Olson would slide back to fifth as Dan Vanbruggen, Tim Wilcox, and Doug Smith all made their way by. A caution flag, followed by two others a short time later, would make officials incorporate the time limit once again with four laps remaining. Tim Wilcox found the bottom groove to his liking on the restart and passed Vanbruggen for second. Brett Meyer would also use the inside line to pass Vanbruggen for third before scooting by Wilcox for second. Apparently there was contact in turn two between Meyer and Rupp that resulted in Rupp spinning to the inside when the caution flag waved. Officials said the caution was for debris, thus resorting back to the previously scored lap and handing the win to the motionless Rupp. Brett Meyer was scored in second, Dan Vanbruggen third, Tim Wilcox fourth, and Zach Norgaard in fifth.
I usually don't voice my opinions on here when they are different then those the officials make. However, this will be one of those times. I believe the track uses the rule "if you are stopped for any reason when the caution flag comes out, you are involved in the caution." I realize the race was up against the time limit, but Rupp (and perhaps Meyer too, I didn't see him) was definitely stopped when the yellow lights flashed on. If Meyer was still moving, he should have been awarded the victory. If he was stationary, Vanbruggen should have won. I am in no way taking anything away from Tim Rupp and his win. I am just voicing my confusion towards the call that was made.
Ok, now back to the racing action. Sixteen IMCA stock cars were next up as pole-sitter Chris Ullrich took command from the start. Following two early cautions, the race would then run clean to the checkers. Brian Blessington and Trent Murphy exchanged the third position a couple times throughout the middle part of the race while Donavon Smith hounded Ullrich up front. Smith finally made his move when he swung to the middle of the banking in turn one to make the pass for the lead with just two laps to go. Smith was able to keep Ullrich behind him as he picked up the win while Trent Murphy was third, Brian Blessington fourth, and Randy Brands fifth.
The stage was now set for the thirty-lap nightcap for the USMTS modifieds. Local racer Brad Williams and Ryan Ruter brought the field to the green flag, but it would be outside row two starter Ryan Gustin getting the jump on the pack as he passed Ruter and third-starter Jon Tesch exiting turn two. Gustin's momentum carried him to the outside of Brad Williams down the backstretch before completing the pass upon exit of turn four for the lead. Gustin would set a blistering pace as he opened up a straight away advantage in just six laps.
As the laps clicked away, Tesch would find the cushion to his liking as he passed Zack VanderBeek for third and a few laps later got by Brad Williams for second. A lap eleven caution bunched the field back up, and track regular Williams snuck back by Tesch for the second position. Meanwhile, tenth starter Derek Ramirez was on the move as he worked underneath 2007 USMTS National Champion Jason Krohn for fourth just prior to the halfway point. Tesch again motored by Brad Williams on the outside while Ramirez used the inside line by Williams for third.
With seventeen laps scored complete, I noticed that Al Hejna was marching forward as well. Hejna had started twenty-third on the grid, but found himself in the seventh position and looking for more using the low groove. Unfortunately Hejna's night would not end in a good manner as he lost the driveshaft and broke the pullbar following a restart with nine laps to go. Restarts was not an issue for Ryan Gustin as he put at least five carlengths on the nearest competitor by the time they entered turn one following the green flag. Kelly Shryock got by Jason Krohn for fourth with five laps remaining, but the night belonged to Ryan Gustin as he picked up his fifth win of the season. Derek Ramirez snuck by teammate Jon Tesch for the runner-up spot on the final corner while Shryock and Zack VanderBeek completed the top five.
I'd like to thank promoter Jeff Herrig and his sidekick Eric Blum as well as USMTS promoters Todd and Janet Staley for their hospitality. Also on hand last night was Chad Ebel with RaceDayPrints snapping action shots. Be sure to check out his website at www.racedayprints.com.
I apologize for the blog being posted this late. I didn't get home until 3:30AM Thursday morning and obviously opted not to take the time to write my viewpoints at that time as I was to be at work at 7:30 this morning (which I was!).
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Smiths Gather Two Wins in Algona
Despite an unfavorable forecast and gloomy skies all around on Saturday, I decided to make the journey to Algona with some friends for the night. I drove into some spotty sprinkles just south of my friends' house as the skies were darkening, but the track officials at Algona had done their work and the track was in good shape in spite of the big puddle inside the frontstretch.
Feature action would get kicked off with the junior hornets. Joe Devries would pick up that win while Tyler Manning held off Tim Doocy to claim the "pro" hornet victory. The tandem of Troy Krug and Kyle Sidles powered their machine to victory lane in the cruiser feature.
We were then set for the seventeen-car IMCA hobby stock feature. Heath Tulp took command on lap one ahead of Drew Barglof and Chad Krug while Nick Meyer worked under Dustin Smith for fourth a few laps in. Following a caution and double-file restart, Devin Smith (no relation that I know of) powered his machine to the outside of Meyer to take over fourth. Ahead of him Barglof lost the handle and lost several spots before the caution came out. On the restart, both Nick Meyer and Chad Krug got by the Tulp machine as they took the crossed flags signaling the halfway point. Tulp would regroup as he and Devin Smith both got by Krug to move into second and third, respectively. Meyer and Tulp would exchange the lead for a couple laps before Devin Smith hugged the inside line and made the pass for the lead coming to the white flag. Smith went on to take the win ahead of Heath Tulp, Nick Meyer, Chad Krug, and Kyle Ricke.
Fifteen IMCA sportmods had their share of troubles to say the least. Several early cautions quickly dwindled the field down significantly. Justin Zimmerman led early, but he suffered a flat tire under one of the cautions to end his night. That handed the reigns over to Troy Rink. Greg Sidles would challenge Rink's lead, but made contact with the leader and wound up spinning himself and collecting three other cars. Matt Hoeft looked to the inside of Rink to take the lead away, but just behind them Doug Smith was on the prowl as he advanced to second past Rink. It wouldn't be long before Smith motored by Hoeft on the outside for the lead. Entering turn one Smith would lose the handle, but Hoeft was right there and would wind up straightening him out. Unfortunately for Hoeft, he would have to take evasive action to miss an implement tire and drove through a big puddle of water as he tried to get back on track. Doug Smith would go on to take the win ahead of Jake Simpson, Troy Rink, Nate Hughes, Denny Penning, and Matt Hoeft as they were the only cars left running when the checkers waved.
A stellar field of twenty IMCA stock cars were on hand last night. John Campbell raced to the lead with Calvin Lange right on his rear bumper. Kevin Opheim worked to the inside of Andrew Inman to snare the third position away while Lange used the same line to pass Campbell for the lead. Bruce Wickman then entered the equation as he used the low line to pass Opheim for third and later Campbell for second.
The top four at the halfway point would be Lange, Wickman, Opheim, and Chad Palmer. Palmer would get the inside line working to his advantage as he passed Opheim and Wickman to advance to the runner up spot. Those three cars would race wheel-to-wheel for a couple laps before Wickman regained the second position. Just when it appeared the race would go caution-free, the yellow flag appeared just after the white flag had been thrown. The double-file restart would prove to be exciting as Lange, Wickman, and Palmer were three-wide at the starter's stand as they received the white flag. Unfortunately Calvin Lange would spin in turn two and collected two other cars. While the yellow light would be displayed prior to the checkered flag waving, the race would end with Bruce Wickman picking up the win. David Smith got credit for second, Kevin Opheim third, Chad Palmer fourth, and Travis Shipman fifth.
The IMCA modifieds saw thirteen cars take the green flag for their feature in which pole-sitter Chris Rakness set the early pace. Ricky Stephan worked his way under Austin Wolf for second while Ryan Watnem and Jeremy Mills took advantage of Eric Dailey pushing up the track for fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Jeff Feaster powered his machine in the middle of the banking to pass Wolf for third just prior to the halfway point. Mills would follow Feaster to fourth while Feaster continued forward by passing Stephan for second and eventually Rakness for the lead exiting turn two. Rob Hughes would then find the top side to his liking as he motored by Stephan for third. Hughes' luck would come to and end when his machine spun between turns one and two to bring out the caution with two laps remaining. Ricky Stephan used the restart to get by Mills for second, but up front it was all Jeff Feaster as he pocketed the win. Stephan was second, Jeremy Mills third, Austin Wolf fourth, and Chris Rakness fifth.
The evening concluded with mechanics races and the final checkers waved around 9:45pm. While the track proved to be tricky for some, I personally thought it was in good shape considering all the rain in the area the last couple of days. For more complete results, check out www.algonaraceway.com. I'd like to thank promoter Joe Ringsdorf for his continued hospitality and also thank announcer Jerry Vansickel for the Positivelyracing.com plug.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Feature action would get kicked off with the junior hornets. Joe Devries would pick up that win while Tyler Manning held off Tim Doocy to claim the "pro" hornet victory. The tandem of Troy Krug and Kyle Sidles powered their machine to victory lane in the cruiser feature.
We were then set for the seventeen-car IMCA hobby stock feature. Heath Tulp took command on lap one ahead of Drew Barglof and Chad Krug while Nick Meyer worked under Dustin Smith for fourth a few laps in. Following a caution and double-file restart, Devin Smith (no relation that I know of) powered his machine to the outside of Meyer to take over fourth. Ahead of him Barglof lost the handle and lost several spots before the caution came out. On the restart, both Nick Meyer and Chad Krug got by the Tulp machine as they took the crossed flags signaling the halfway point. Tulp would regroup as he and Devin Smith both got by Krug to move into second and third, respectively. Meyer and Tulp would exchange the lead for a couple laps before Devin Smith hugged the inside line and made the pass for the lead coming to the white flag. Smith went on to take the win ahead of Heath Tulp, Nick Meyer, Chad Krug, and Kyle Ricke.
Fifteen IMCA sportmods had their share of troubles to say the least. Several early cautions quickly dwindled the field down significantly. Justin Zimmerman led early, but he suffered a flat tire under one of the cautions to end his night. That handed the reigns over to Troy Rink. Greg Sidles would challenge Rink's lead, but made contact with the leader and wound up spinning himself and collecting three other cars. Matt Hoeft looked to the inside of Rink to take the lead away, but just behind them Doug Smith was on the prowl as he advanced to second past Rink. It wouldn't be long before Smith motored by Hoeft on the outside for the lead. Entering turn one Smith would lose the handle, but Hoeft was right there and would wind up straightening him out. Unfortunately for Hoeft, he would have to take evasive action to miss an implement tire and drove through a big puddle of water as he tried to get back on track. Doug Smith would go on to take the win ahead of Jake Simpson, Troy Rink, Nate Hughes, Denny Penning, and Matt Hoeft as they were the only cars left running when the checkers waved.
A stellar field of twenty IMCA stock cars were on hand last night. John Campbell raced to the lead with Calvin Lange right on his rear bumper. Kevin Opheim worked to the inside of Andrew Inman to snare the third position away while Lange used the same line to pass Campbell for the lead. Bruce Wickman then entered the equation as he used the low line to pass Opheim for third and later Campbell for second.
The top four at the halfway point would be Lange, Wickman, Opheim, and Chad Palmer. Palmer would get the inside line working to his advantage as he passed Opheim and Wickman to advance to the runner up spot. Those three cars would race wheel-to-wheel for a couple laps before Wickman regained the second position. Just when it appeared the race would go caution-free, the yellow flag appeared just after the white flag had been thrown. The double-file restart would prove to be exciting as Lange, Wickman, and Palmer were three-wide at the starter's stand as they received the white flag. Unfortunately Calvin Lange would spin in turn two and collected two other cars. While the yellow light would be displayed prior to the checkered flag waving, the race would end with Bruce Wickman picking up the win. David Smith got credit for second, Kevin Opheim third, Chad Palmer fourth, and Travis Shipman fifth.
The IMCA modifieds saw thirteen cars take the green flag for their feature in which pole-sitter Chris Rakness set the early pace. Ricky Stephan worked his way under Austin Wolf for second while Ryan Watnem and Jeremy Mills took advantage of Eric Dailey pushing up the track for fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Jeff Feaster powered his machine in the middle of the banking to pass Wolf for third just prior to the halfway point. Mills would follow Feaster to fourth while Feaster continued forward by passing Stephan for second and eventually Rakness for the lead exiting turn two. Rob Hughes would then find the top side to his liking as he motored by Stephan for third. Hughes' luck would come to and end when his machine spun between turns one and two to bring out the caution with two laps remaining. Ricky Stephan used the restart to get by Mills for second, but up front it was all Jeff Feaster as he pocketed the win. Stephan was second, Jeremy Mills third, Austin Wolf fourth, and Chris Rakness fifth.
The evening concluded with mechanics races and the final checkers waved around 9:45pm. While the track proved to be tricky for some, I personally thought it was in good shape considering all the rain in the area the last couple of days. For more complete results, check out www.algonaraceway.com. I'd like to thank promoter Joe Ringsdorf for his continued hospitality and also thank announcer Jerry Vansickel for the Positivelyracing.com plug.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Marshalltown Speedway Beats Mother Nature
Rain Friday morning followed by a brief shower before action got started last night didn't hamper things from happening last night at the Marshalltown Speedway. The track crew and drivers cooperated in ironing the track back into racing condition and the show went through smoothly from that point on.
The dwarf cars were first to hit the track for their feature event. With seventeen cars set to do battle, it was Colby Oberembt getting the early advantage while Joel Huggins and Eric Hendrickson duked it out for third. Meanwhile, points leader Mike Morrill was on the move as he passed Huggins for fourth using the outside line. Morrill would then change lanes and use the inside groove to make his way by Hendrickson and Jeff Stensland to slide into the second spot by lap six. Tim Hennigar would put his name into the hat as well as he moved into third after passing Hendrickson. Oberembt had one final set of turns to make to capture the win, but a lapped car in turn four forced him to decide which direction to get around him. Oberembt chose the outside, and the lapped car pushed up the track. Mike Morrill was close enough to slip under both cars and steal the win away. Oberembt finished with a disappointing second, Tim Hennigar third, Eric Hendrickson fourth, and Josh May completed the top five.
Out next would be the IMCA sportmods. After a b-main shaved the field down to twenty-four cars, it would be Gaitlin Leytham grabbing the lead when the green flag waved. Just behind him Zach Rawlins was making the cushion work for his machine as he drove by Lauren Vis for second before a caution slowed the action down on lap three. Rawlins would take advantage of the restart as he powered by Leytham on the outside a lap later to claim the top spot. Cayden Carter ducked to the inside of Lauren Vis to advance to third before yet another yellow was displayed. When racing resumed, Carter would slip inside Leytham for the runner up spot before setting his sights on the leader Rawlins. Carter closed in on him with each passing lap, and on the last lap made his move on the inside to take the exciting win away from Rawlins. Rawlins settled for second, Leytham third, Doug Smith fourth, and Eric Flander fifth.
The competitive IMCA stock cars were up next with nineteen cars ready to go. Tracy Gienger used the outside front row starting spot to get the early lead, but deeper in the field Dustin Smith was already charging to the front. Smith found himself in fifth at the completion of the first lap before passing Steve Meyer on the inside for fourth two laps later. Damon Murty was another guy on the move as he used the inside lane to take the fourth spot away from Smith. Smith would regroup and slide to the inside of Rick Brown to take the second position away on lap seven. With Gienger comfortably out front, Trent Murphy came from nowhere to snag the runner up spot with Damon Murty right behind. Up front it would be Tracy Gienger leading flag to flag as he picked up the win. Dustin Smith would get by Trent Murphy for second with Murty just behind in fourth. Rick Brown edged out Sean Johnson for fifth.
With twenty-one IMCA modifieds making their way to the track, the crowd was anxious to see how it was going to go down. Outside front row starter Todd Shute paced the field early on while Josh Gilman sat in second. Rookie Daniel Hilsabeck was looking solid as he got under Todd Conrad to take over the fourth place. On lap eight, Josh Gilman would spin his machine in turn two. Hilsabeck had no place to go and made solid contact with Gilman, ending both of their nights. Todd Conrad took advantage on the restart as he got under Brett Ladehoff for second. A bit further back Richie Gustin was advancing through the field as he powered his machine on the cushion to fifth when another caution waved.
When the green flag came back out, Luke Wanninger got inside of Conrad for second while Gustin powered by Conrad on the outside for third. Mike O'Lear was also making some noise as he followed Gustin to fourth. Wanninger's car would slow in turn three, allowing Gustin to take over the second spot when the caution waved for the final time. With Gustin right behind Shute, the crowd was anticipating a shootout. That never panned out as Shute was able to keep some distance between him and Gustin as he went home with the win. Gustin settled for second while Randy Havlik finished third after starting twelfth. Mike O'Lear and Denny Rosenberg rounded out the top five.
The final event of the night belonged to the IMCA hobby stocks. Gary Pfantz lead the opening lap of the twenty-three car starting field before Dustin Filloon and Eric Stanton made it a three-wide battle for the lead. Stanton would grab the top spot on lap three while Calvin Dhondt was on the charge to second by lap four. Eric Larson was on a mission as he climbed to third with five laps to go before giving way to Michael Murphy with two laps remaining. On the final set of corners, Calvin Dhondt drove his machine deep on the inside of Stanton. Dhondt would force Stanton up the track, allowing Dhondt to squeak out his first career victory. Stanton would settle for second, Michael Murphy third, Eric Larson fourth, and Devin Smith completed the top five.
So as you can see, it was a fantastic night of close finishes and last lap passes. While the track was a bit on the rough side, the drivers still put on a show for the fans. For complete results from last night, check out www.marshalltownspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
The dwarf cars were first to hit the track for their feature event. With seventeen cars set to do battle, it was Colby Oberembt getting the early advantage while Joel Huggins and Eric Hendrickson duked it out for third. Meanwhile, points leader Mike Morrill was on the move as he passed Huggins for fourth using the outside line. Morrill would then change lanes and use the inside groove to make his way by Hendrickson and Jeff Stensland to slide into the second spot by lap six. Tim Hennigar would put his name into the hat as well as he moved into third after passing Hendrickson. Oberembt had one final set of turns to make to capture the win, but a lapped car in turn four forced him to decide which direction to get around him. Oberembt chose the outside, and the lapped car pushed up the track. Mike Morrill was close enough to slip under both cars and steal the win away. Oberembt finished with a disappointing second, Tim Hennigar third, Eric Hendrickson fourth, and Josh May completed the top five.
Out next would be the IMCA sportmods. After a b-main shaved the field down to twenty-four cars, it would be Gaitlin Leytham grabbing the lead when the green flag waved. Just behind him Zach Rawlins was making the cushion work for his machine as he drove by Lauren Vis for second before a caution slowed the action down on lap three. Rawlins would take advantage of the restart as he powered by Leytham on the outside a lap later to claim the top spot. Cayden Carter ducked to the inside of Lauren Vis to advance to third before yet another yellow was displayed. When racing resumed, Carter would slip inside Leytham for the runner up spot before setting his sights on the leader Rawlins. Carter closed in on him with each passing lap, and on the last lap made his move on the inside to take the exciting win away from Rawlins. Rawlins settled for second, Leytham third, Doug Smith fourth, and Eric Flander fifth.
The competitive IMCA stock cars were up next with nineteen cars ready to go. Tracy Gienger used the outside front row starting spot to get the early lead, but deeper in the field Dustin Smith was already charging to the front. Smith found himself in fifth at the completion of the first lap before passing Steve Meyer on the inside for fourth two laps later. Damon Murty was another guy on the move as he used the inside lane to take the fourth spot away from Smith. Smith would regroup and slide to the inside of Rick Brown to take the second position away on lap seven. With Gienger comfortably out front, Trent Murphy came from nowhere to snag the runner up spot with Damon Murty right behind. Up front it would be Tracy Gienger leading flag to flag as he picked up the win. Dustin Smith would get by Trent Murphy for second with Murty just behind in fourth. Rick Brown edged out Sean Johnson for fifth.
With twenty-one IMCA modifieds making their way to the track, the crowd was anxious to see how it was going to go down. Outside front row starter Todd Shute paced the field early on while Josh Gilman sat in second. Rookie Daniel Hilsabeck was looking solid as he got under Todd Conrad to take over the fourth place. On lap eight, Josh Gilman would spin his machine in turn two. Hilsabeck had no place to go and made solid contact with Gilman, ending both of their nights. Todd Conrad took advantage on the restart as he got under Brett Ladehoff for second. A bit further back Richie Gustin was advancing through the field as he powered his machine on the cushion to fifth when another caution waved.
When the green flag came back out, Luke Wanninger got inside of Conrad for second while Gustin powered by Conrad on the outside for third. Mike O'Lear was also making some noise as he followed Gustin to fourth. Wanninger's car would slow in turn three, allowing Gustin to take over the second spot when the caution waved for the final time. With Gustin right behind Shute, the crowd was anticipating a shootout. That never panned out as Shute was able to keep some distance between him and Gustin as he went home with the win. Gustin settled for second while Randy Havlik finished third after starting twelfth. Mike O'Lear and Denny Rosenberg rounded out the top five.
The final event of the night belonged to the IMCA hobby stocks. Gary Pfantz lead the opening lap of the twenty-three car starting field before Dustin Filloon and Eric Stanton made it a three-wide battle for the lead. Stanton would grab the top spot on lap three while Calvin Dhondt was on the charge to second by lap four. Eric Larson was on a mission as he climbed to third with five laps to go before giving way to Michael Murphy with two laps remaining. On the final set of corners, Calvin Dhondt drove his machine deep on the inside of Stanton. Dhondt would force Stanton up the track, allowing Dhondt to squeak out his first career victory. Stanton would settle for second, Michael Murphy third, Eric Larson fourth, and Devin Smith completed the top five.
So as you can see, it was a fantastic night of close finishes and last lap passes. While the track was a bit on the rough side, the drivers still put on a show for the fans. For complete results from last night, check out www.marshalltownspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Schmitt Captures First BVR Modified Win
After taking a glance at the forecast Tuesday night for what was in store Wednesday, I decided last minute (10 minutes before walking out the door Wednesday morning to work) that I would head west to the Buena Vista Raceway Wednesday night. A fabulous day was in store for race fans near and far as a breeze kept things just right in the grandstand.
Following heat race action and three separate bus rides around the track for the kids in attendance, it was time to get down to business. The BVR bombers were first to hit the track with seven cars set to do battle. Colby Davis used the outside front row starting spot to snare the race lead as the battle for second heated up. Jess Bieret ducked under Nick Smith for the runner up spot on lap three before closing the gap to Davis. Bieret would make contact with the rear fender of Davis' machine with two laps to go, but that contact allowed Davis to extend his lead to several car lengths as he picked up the win. Bieret would finish second, Nick Smith third, Josh Mahler fourth, and Shawn Halder rounded out the top five.
The stage was now set for the IMCA sport compact feature. Once again seven cars made the call, including two long-distance travelers in Merv Chandler and Bill Whalen Jr from the southeastern part of the state. It would be Kyle Hill getting the top spot early on, but Cory Flanigan would steal the lead away on lap three. Whalen Jr would use the inside lane to get by Hill for second, but it would be Cory Flanigan again gracing victory lane. Bill Whalen Jr was second, Kyle Hill third, Merv Chandler fourth, and Mark Lindgren completed the top five.
From there the tables turned to the twenty-car starting field of IMCA hobby stocks. Devin Smith would rocket to the lead from the outside front row as the rest of the pack attempted to stay within reach. Shannon Anderson made his move on the inside of Justin Nehring to climb to fourth in just two laps before advancing to second a few laps later. Anderson would close the gap and drive it deep into turn three on the final set of corners, but it wouldn't be enough as Devin Smith held on to take the win. Anderson settled for second, Adam Hicks was third, Craig Brotherton fourth, and Kyle Robinson fifth.
After the first three features ran without a caution, unfortunately the IMCA sportmods would make up for it. Tim Rupp grabbed the race lead from outside row three, but cautions waved every two laps in the early going of the race. Brett Meyer made his way to second by lap three, but the caution flags killed his momentum as he was attempting to take the lead when a couple yellow curtains waved. Unfortunately the time limit would expire on the race, but that shouldn't take away from the job Tim Rupp did to garner the win. He had to hold off Brett Meyer several times as both cars finished ahead of Doug Bartels, Zach Norgaard, and Matt Sangwin.
Josh Suhr led the field of twelve IMCA stock cars on the first lap, but he would be hounded by a host of contenders waiting for him to make a mistake. Donavon Smith used the inside line to advance to the bridesmaid position just three laps in after starting eighth. Brian Blessington found Smith's line and followed him through to fourth, but Smith would snare the lead away from Suhr on lap four. Meanwhile, brother Dustin Smith was making his march forward on the top side as he powered his way to third. A lap later he made his way by Blessington for the runner-up spot and in the same lap, passed Donavon for the lead. The caution waved with five laps to go, setting up a double-file restart. Blessington would then use the outside line to power by Donavon Smith for second, but he would not be able to catch the leader as Dustin Smith took the win. Blessington settled for second, Donavon Smith third, David Smith fourth, and Chris Ullrich rounded out the top five.
The IMCA modifieds saw twelve cars compete Wednesday night. Inside row three starter Mike Jergens, a rookie in the division, was shot out of a cannon as he grabbed the reigns exiting turn two. Craig Reetz made his way by Dale Ransom for second, but that didn't last long as Brian Schmitt utilized the cushion to take the position away. Just behind that battle, Mike Albertson was on the charge. Albertson, who started twelfth, passed Jim Thies and Dale Ransom to slide up to the fourth spot by lap seven.
A twist was thrown into the mix when the caution waved when Jergens spun out in front of the field in turn one. That handed the race lead over to Brian Schmitt. With a double-file restart behind him, Brad Williams took advantage and split cars to make his way back up to third after restarting at the tail on the first caution. Albertson would later hug the tires and get back by Williams for third as Schmitt increased his lead to ten carlengths. With four to go, Albertson snuck under Craig Reetz for the runner up spot while behind him, Jergens was slicing through the field back up to fifth. Jergens got by Williams with two laps to go, but the night belonged to Brian Schmitt as he picked up his first Buena Vista Raceway win in the IMCA modified division. Mike Albertson was second, Mike Jergens third, Craig Reetz fourth, and Brad Williams rounded out the top five.
I was sitting with family and friends of Brian Schmitt last night. They were pretty nervous as the laps were winding down, but it was all worth it to see the smiles and tears on their faces as he crossed the line under the checkered flag.
While the car count was a bit on the low side, the racing was good throughout the night. I don't recall any of the leaders holding a large lead for very long, keeping things competitive in all classes. After visiting with a few drivers afterwards, I headed for home around 10:45 or so and pulled into my driveway around 1:40AM. I opted not to write the blog when I got home as I had to be up and to work by 7:30. And for those wondering why this blog is written so late tonight, the electricity was off for roughly four hours this afternoon when I got home. So with that, I apologize for this being late.
The weather doesn't sound good for racing this weekend, but Friday should be manageable to get one in. So if you don't have any plans, take a trip to your local track and support the people who support racing.
For more information and complete results from last night, check out www.buenavistaraceway.net. I'm looking forward to next week's racing action as the USMTS invades "The Beaver".
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Following heat race action and three separate bus rides around the track for the kids in attendance, it was time to get down to business. The BVR bombers were first to hit the track with seven cars set to do battle. Colby Davis used the outside front row starting spot to snare the race lead as the battle for second heated up. Jess Bieret ducked under Nick Smith for the runner up spot on lap three before closing the gap to Davis. Bieret would make contact with the rear fender of Davis' machine with two laps to go, but that contact allowed Davis to extend his lead to several car lengths as he picked up the win. Bieret would finish second, Nick Smith third, Josh Mahler fourth, and Shawn Halder rounded out the top five.
The stage was now set for the IMCA sport compact feature. Once again seven cars made the call, including two long-distance travelers in Merv Chandler and Bill Whalen Jr from the southeastern part of the state. It would be Kyle Hill getting the top spot early on, but Cory Flanigan would steal the lead away on lap three. Whalen Jr would use the inside lane to get by Hill for second, but it would be Cory Flanigan again gracing victory lane. Bill Whalen Jr was second, Kyle Hill third, Merv Chandler fourth, and Mark Lindgren completed the top five.
From there the tables turned to the twenty-car starting field of IMCA hobby stocks. Devin Smith would rocket to the lead from the outside front row as the rest of the pack attempted to stay within reach. Shannon Anderson made his move on the inside of Justin Nehring to climb to fourth in just two laps before advancing to second a few laps later. Anderson would close the gap and drive it deep into turn three on the final set of corners, but it wouldn't be enough as Devin Smith held on to take the win. Anderson settled for second, Adam Hicks was third, Craig Brotherton fourth, and Kyle Robinson fifth.
After the first three features ran without a caution, unfortunately the IMCA sportmods would make up for it. Tim Rupp grabbed the race lead from outside row three, but cautions waved every two laps in the early going of the race. Brett Meyer made his way to second by lap three, but the caution flags killed his momentum as he was attempting to take the lead when a couple yellow curtains waved. Unfortunately the time limit would expire on the race, but that shouldn't take away from the job Tim Rupp did to garner the win. He had to hold off Brett Meyer several times as both cars finished ahead of Doug Bartels, Zach Norgaard, and Matt Sangwin.
Josh Suhr led the field of twelve IMCA stock cars on the first lap, but he would be hounded by a host of contenders waiting for him to make a mistake. Donavon Smith used the inside line to advance to the bridesmaid position just three laps in after starting eighth. Brian Blessington found Smith's line and followed him through to fourth, but Smith would snare the lead away from Suhr on lap four. Meanwhile, brother Dustin Smith was making his march forward on the top side as he powered his way to third. A lap later he made his way by Blessington for the runner-up spot and in the same lap, passed Donavon for the lead. The caution waved with five laps to go, setting up a double-file restart. Blessington would then use the outside line to power by Donavon Smith for second, but he would not be able to catch the leader as Dustin Smith took the win. Blessington settled for second, Donavon Smith third, David Smith fourth, and Chris Ullrich rounded out the top five.
The IMCA modifieds saw twelve cars compete Wednesday night. Inside row three starter Mike Jergens, a rookie in the division, was shot out of a cannon as he grabbed the reigns exiting turn two. Craig Reetz made his way by Dale Ransom for second, but that didn't last long as Brian Schmitt utilized the cushion to take the position away. Just behind that battle, Mike Albertson was on the charge. Albertson, who started twelfth, passed Jim Thies and Dale Ransom to slide up to the fourth spot by lap seven.
A twist was thrown into the mix when the caution waved when Jergens spun out in front of the field in turn one. That handed the race lead over to Brian Schmitt. With a double-file restart behind him, Brad Williams took advantage and split cars to make his way back up to third after restarting at the tail on the first caution. Albertson would later hug the tires and get back by Williams for third as Schmitt increased his lead to ten carlengths. With four to go, Albertson snuck under Craig Reetz for the runner up spot while behind him, Jergens was slicing through the field back up to fifth. Jergens got by Williams with two laps to go, but the night belonged to Brian Schmitt as he picked up his first Buena Vista Raceway win in the IMCA modified division. Mike Albertson was second, Mike Jergens third, Craig Reetz fourth, and Brad Williams rounded out the top five.
I was sitting with family and friends of Brian Schmitt last night. They were pretty nervous as the laps were winding down, but it was all worth it to see the smiles and tears on their faces as he crossed the line under the checkered flag.
While the car count was a bit on the low side, the racing was good throughout the night. I don't recall any of the leaders holding a large lead for very long, keeping things competitive in all classes. After visiting with a few drivers afterwards, I headed for home around 10:45 or so and pulled into my driveway around 1:40AM. I opted not to write the blog when I got home as I had to be up and to work by 7:30. And for those wondering why this blog is written so late tonight, the electricity was off for roughly four hours this afternoon when I got home. So with that, I apologize for this being late.
The weather doesn't sound good for racing this weekend, but Friday should be manageable to get one in. So if you don't have any plans, take a trip to your local track and support the people who support racing.
For more information and complete results from last night, check out www.buenavistaraceway.net. I'm looking forward to next week's racing action as the USMTS invades "The Beaver".
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Two Features for IMCA Sportmods at Vinton
On a night that saw 106 race teams packed the pit area Sunday night in Vinton, two IMCA sportmod features would be run as a result of thirty-three cars in that division. It was the first time I've seen two features in that class.
The IMCA sport compacts kicked feature action off with fifteen cars on hand. Bill Whalen Jr raced to the early lead, but he would soon have company in the name of Dallas Chandler. Nathan Chandler, the point leader, moved his way up to third after sneaking inside of Brett Vanous. However, Nathan Chandler's luck would run out as he suffered a right rear flat tire as he faded further back. Dallas Chandler momentarily stole the lead away from Whalen Jr with two laps to go, but Chandler would regain it as the white flag was displayed and went on to take the checkered flag. Chandler was second, Vanous third, and Brad Chandler rounded out the top four.
1. 00w Bill Whalen Jr
2. 3 Dallas Chandler
3. 35 Brett Vanous
4. 2nd Brad Chandler
5. 77 ??
6. 02 Merv Chandler
7. 36DD Gary Peiffer
8. K12 Cody Swanson
9. 22T Travis Losenicky
10. 8M Jacob McVay
A field of eighteen IMCA hobby stocks would then make their way to the track. Jacob Keiser would rocket to the lead at the drop of the green flag, but eyes were focused on Vince Buchholz towards the middle of the pack. After starting eighth, he quickly dissecting the field and found himself in fourth after just two laps. Following a restart, Buchholz drove by Doug Laughridge for the runner up spot before another caution waved. With Keiser maintaining the low line, Buchholz went to the cushion and made the pass for the lead on the next lap. Brad Forbes raced his way to third and then late in the race snuck under Keiser for second when the checkered flag waved, but he ran out of time to catch Vince Buchholz. Keiser managed a third place finish followed by Wes Stanek and Scott Pippert.
1. 55 Vince Buchholz
2. 09 Brad Forbes
3. 07 Jacob Keiser
4. 16 Wes Stanek
5. 47 Scott Pippert
6. 67 Justin Stander
7. 17K Kyle Parizek
8. 76S Adam Streeter
9. 77 Rod Grother
10. 33x Max Leonard
11. 4JR Russell Damme Jr
Up next would be the first of two feature events for the IMCA sportmods. Randy Sines jumped out front early on, but track points leader Austin Kaplan was on the move early as he settled into fifth in just two laps. A caution flag set up a restart in which Kaplan split Curt Hilmer and David Schulze to climb to third as Joel Rust took over the runner up spot. Rust would use the low line to get by Sines for the race lead while Kaplan would later use the same line to get by Sines for second. Kaplan would keep utilizing the inside groove to make his way by Rust for the lead prior to the halfway point in the race. Kaplan would go on to take the checkered flag ahead of Joel Rust, Randy Sines, Kurt Hogan, and Curt Hilmer.
16 cars
1. 1 Austin Kaplan
2. 26J Joel Rust
3. 28 Randy Sines
4. MR09 Kurt Hogan
5. 22H Curt Hilmer
6. 18 Chris Luloff
7. 19G Gaitlin Leytham
Mike McDonald set the pace early in the second IMCA sportmod feature, but that would be short-lived as Kent Kozitsky powered his machine around the outside to take over the race lead. A bit further back Drew Fish was making strides towards the front as he ventured his way to fourth just three laps into the race. Fish continued his march towards the front when he passed Shane Ebaugh and McDonald to snare the runnerup position. A caution with three laps remaining reset the field. Fish continued to stalk Kozitsky, but was unable to make his move as Kent Kozitsky picked up his first career win. Fish settled for second, Danny Dvorak finished third, Jim Buhlman fourth, and Mike McDonald rounded out the top five.
16 cars
1. 0K Kent Kozitsky
2. 3D Drew Fish
3. 3R Danny Dvorak
4. 00 Jim Bulhman
5. 95 Mike McDonald
6. K3 Kyle Olson
7. 7 Tim Swope
8. 00c John VanWechel
9. 3B Brian Anderson
On track next would be the fourteen car field of IMCA stock cars. Jeff Mueller would get the jump on the field from the pole. After getting sideways on the backstretch and losing a couple positions, Norman Chesmore started to make his way back towards the front. He passed Damon Murty for the fourth spot with with two laps remaining he powered up his machine on the outside to advance to second. Justin Temeyer would make his way Chesmore on the final corner to steal the runner up position, but Jeff Mueller cruised to the win ahead of both of them. Phil Holtz and Murty rounded out the top five.
1. 77M Jeff Mueller
2. 56T Justin Temeyer
3. 15 Norman Chesmore
4. 7H Phil Holtz
5. 99D Damon Murty
6. 3T Scooter Dulin
7. 6x Bob Ahrendsen
8. 10 John Schaefer
9. 77 Andy Bryant
10. 76 Mike Galli
11. 83E Thomass Thomson
The finale of the night would be the twenty-four car IMCA modified feature. Buster Pate grabbed the reigns on the first lap, but John Thimmesch hugged the tires on the inside to sneak past for the lead on lap two. Dennis Betzer and Patrick Flanigan then engaged in a battle for the third position, and they would soon be joined by Max Corporan before the caution flag waved. When the green flag was displayed again, Flanigan powered to the outside and took the lead exiting turn two. Thimmesch wasn't about to give up so easily as he fought back and regained the lead the following lap on the inside. The two front runners would race side-by-side for several laps with Flanigan again getting out front before a caution came out with five to go. That caution hurt Thimmesch as he was never able to get enough momentum built back up to challenge Flanigan as he went on to take the win. Thimmesch was second, Max Corporan third, Dennis Betzer fourth, and Mark Schulte rounded out the top five.
24 cars
1. F7 Patrick Flanigan
2. 85 John Thimmesch
3. 3c Max Corporan
4. 57B Dennis Betzer
5. 27M Mark Schulte
6. 111 Buster Pate
7. 18 Jerry Luloff
8. T23 Tony Olson
9. 33D Scott Hogan
It was a good night of racing despite a rough surface. People around me mentioned it ranked right there with the roughest it's been all year. It did provide for some good racing in the last two races though, so I won't complain too much. For more complete results, check out www.speednetdirect.com and select Benton County Speedway.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
The IMCA sport compacts kicked feature action off with fifteen cars on hand. Bill Whalen Jr raced to the early lead, but he would soon have company in the name of Dallas Chandler. Nathan Chandler, the point leader, moved his way up to third after sneaking inside of Brett Vanous. However, Nathan Chandler's luck would run out as he suffered a right rear flat tire as he faded further back. Dallas Chandler momentarily stole the lead away from Whalen Jr with two laps to go, but Chandler would regain it as the white flag was displayed and went on to take the checkered flag. Chandler was second, Vanous third, and Brad Chandler rounded out the top four.
1. 00w Bill Whalen Jr
2. 3 Dallas Chandler
3. 35 Brett Vanous
4. 2nd Brad Chandler
5. 77 ??
6. 02 Merv Chandler
7. 36DD Gary Peiffer
8. K12 Cody Swanson
9. 22T Travis Losenicky
10. 8M Jacob McVay
A field of eighteen IMCA hobby stocks would then make their way to the track. Jacob Keiser would rocket to the lead at the drop of the green flag, but eyes were focused on Vince Buchholz towards the middle of the pack. After starting eighth, he quickly dissecting the field and found himself in fourth after just two laps. Following a restart, Buchholz drove by Doug Laughridge for the runner up spot before another caution waved. With Keiser maintaining the low line, Buchholz went to the cushion and made the pass for the lead on the next lap. Brad Forbes raced his way to third and then late in the race snuck under Keiser for second when the checkered flag waved, but he ran out of time to catch Vince Buchholz. Keiser managed a third place finish followed by Wes Stanek and Scott Pippert.
1. 55 Vince Buchholz
2. 09 Brad Forbes
3. 07 Jacob Keiser
4. 16 Wes Stanek
5. 47 Scott Pippert
6. 67 Justin Stander
7. 17K Kyle Parizek
8. 76S Adam Streeter
9. 77 Rod Grother
10. 33x Max Leonard
11. 4JR Russell Damme Jr
Up next would be the first of two feature events for the IMCA sportmods. Randy Sines jumped out front early on, but track points leader Austin Kaplan was on the move early as he settled into fifth in just two laps. A caution flag set up a restart in which Kaplan split Curt Hilmer and David Schulze to climb to third as Joel Rust took over the runner up spot. Rust would use the low line to get by Sines for the race lead while Kaplan would later use the same line to get by Sines for second. Kaplan would keep utilizing the inside groove to make his way by Rust for the lead prior to the halfway point in the race. Kaplan would go on to take the checkered flag ahead of Joel Rust, Randy Sines, Kurt Hogan, and Curt Hilmer.
16 cars
1. 1 Austin Kaplan
2. 26J Joel Rust
3. 28 Randy Sines
4. MR09 Kurt Hogan
5. 22H Curt Hilmer
6. 18 Chris Luloff
7. 19G Gaitlin Leytham
Mike McDonald set the pace early in the second IMCA sportmod feature, but that would be short-lived as Kent Kozitsky powered his machine around the outside to take over the race lead. A bit further back Drew Fish was making strides towards the front as he ventured his way to fourth just three laps into the race. Fish continued his march towards the front when he passed Shane Ebaugh and McDonald to snare the runnerup position. A caution with three laps remaining reset the field. Fish continued to stalk Kozitsky, but was unable to make his move as Kent Kozitsky picked up his first career win. Fish settled for second, Danny Dvorak finished third, Jim Buhlman fourth, and Mike McDonald rounded out the top five.
16 cars
1. 0K Kent Kozitsky
2. 3D Drew Fish
3. 3R Danny Dvorak
4. 00 Jim Bulhman
5. 95 Mike McDonald
6. K3 Kyle Olson
7. 7 Tim Swope
8. 00c John VanWechel
9. 3B Brian Anderson
On track next would be the fourteen car field of IMCA stock cars. Jeff Mueller would get the jump on the field from the pole. After getting sideways on the backstretch and losing a couple positions, Norman Chesmore started to make his way back towards the front. He passed Damon Murty for the fourth spot with with two laps remaining he powered up his machine on the outside to advance to second. Justin Temeyer would make his way Chesmore on the final corner to steal the runner up position, but Jeff Mueller cruised to the win ahead of both of them. Phil Holtz and Murty rounded out the top five.
1. 77M Jeff Mueller
2. 56T Justin Temeyer
3. 15 Norman Chesmore
4. 7H Phil Holtz
5. 99D Damon Murty
6. 3T Scooter Dulin
7. 6x Bob Ahrendsen
8. 10 John Schaefer
9. 77 Andy Bryant
10. 76 Mike Galli
11. 83E Thomass Thomson
The finale of the night would be the twenty-four car IMCA modified feature. Buster Pate grabbed the reigns on the first lap, but John Thimmesch hugged the tires on the inside to sneak past for the lead on lap two. Dennis Betzer and Patrick Flanigan then engaged in a battle for the third position, and they would soon be joined by Max Corporan before the caution flag waved. When the green flag was displayed again, Flanigan powered to the outside and took the lead exiting turn two. Thimmesch wasn't about to give up so easily as he fought back and regained the lead the following lap on the inside. The two front runners would race side-by-side for several laps with Flanigan again getting out front before a caution came out with five to go. That caution hurt Thimmesch as he was never able to get enough momentum built back up to challenge Flanigan as he went on to take the win. Thimmesch was second, Max Corporan third, Dennis Betzer fourth, and Mark Schulte rounded out the top five.
24 cars
1. F7 Patrick Flanigan
2. 85 John Thimmesch
3. 3c Max Corporan
4. 57B Dennis Betzer
5. 27M Mark Schulte
6. 111 Buster Pate
7. 18 Jerry Luloff
8. T23 Tony Olson
9. 33D Scott Hogan
It was a good night of racing despite a rough surface. People around me mentioned it ranked right there with the roughest it's been all year. It did provide for some good racing in the last two races though, so I won't complain too much. For more complete results, check out www.speednetdirect.com and select Benton County Speedway.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
DeFrance Celebrates Birthday in Victory Lane
With clouds looming and the forecast sounding unfavorable for a couple hours in the middle of the afternoon, I opted to head west to the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City last night. Upon arrival the skies opened up a bit and rain showers fell for about fifteen minutes. That didn't hamper the track one bit, however, as the night's racing action would still go on.
Only five hornets were on hand for the night, but that number was dwindled to three after the first lap. After taking the lead, Angie Webb's machine broke something in the right front, dug into the surface, and sent her airborne. She was alert and talking with the medical staff, but safety officials were cautious and opted to cut the top off to get her out safely. During that time Alex Tubbs opted to head to the trailer and would eventually leave the track during the delay. When racing resumed Adam Strunk went from third to first in a lap and continued on to take the win ahead of Nick Crimmins and Daniel Ayers.
It was then time for the fifteen-car field of IMCA hobby stocks. Joe Rieks used the pole to grab the lead when the green flag dropped while Robert See charged from inside row five to second in one lap. A caution would come out, giving See the opportunity to sneak under Rieks for the lead. Rieks would fall back to fifth as he got a little high. A couple more cautions would slow the action, and Roger Haupt Jr took advantage on the final restart. Lining up third on the restart, Haupt Jr shot to the outside and charged to the front to snag the lead around Ryan Caquelin and Robert See. Curt Graham used the outside line to get by Caquelin for third, but Caquelin would get the last laugh of the race as he ducked low on the final circuit to reclaim third. The night belonged to Roger Haupt Jr as he picked up the win on the night one of his sponsors, Hagie Manufacturing, was the title sponsor. Robert See would finish second, Ryan Caquelin third, Curt Graham fourth, and Craig Graham fifth.
1. 24R Roger Haupt Jr
2. 91 Robert See
3. 4 Ryan Caquelin
4. 14G Curt Graham
5. 13G Craig Graham
6. 51 Nate Bonin
7. 58 Matt Ring
8. 4x Gary Pfantz
9. 71 Cory Gansen
10. 38 Ryan Darling
11. 38J Jeff Weber
12. 74L Les Langfit
13. 28 Brandon Chaplin
14. 503 Rick Osterman
15. 5 Joe Rieks
Twenty IMCA sportmods were on hand with only one car not making the call for the feature. Beau Kaplan would take command early on with Chad Louk and Matt Lettow right behind. Following a lap five caution, Lettow used the inside line to get by Louk for the runner up spot. A few laps later Rocky Caudle used the same line to get by Bob Sutherland for fourth. A caution with five to go kept the field close, but that didn't stop Beau Kaplan as he picked up the flag to flag win. Matt Lettow was second, Rocky Caudle third, Matt Northrop fourth, and Bob Sutherland rounded out the top five.
Eleven stock cars took the green flag with Greg Elliott using the pole to get the lead. Mark Elliott started ninth, but maneuvered through the field on the first couple of laps to take the fifth spot away from Dave Hubbard. Elliott would continue his journey to the front as he worked in the inside line by Scott Bloemke for third with five laps to go. He then would use the slingshot move and race to the inside of his brother Greg down the backstretch. When the cars exited turn four, it would be Mark taking the top spot. The Elliott's battled side-by-side for the last couple of laps, exchanging the lead every lap. When the checkered flag waved it was Mark Elliott picking up the win ahead of Greg Elliott, Mark Haglund, Jason Wagoner, and Scott Bloemke.
1. 4 Mark Elliott
2. 1 Greg Elliott
3. 31M Mark Haglund
4. 20 Jason Wagoner
5. 80 Scott Bloemke
6. 5 Dave Hubbard
7. 97 Adam Silvey
8. R31 Ryan Leeman
9. 94 Steve Meyer
10. 26 Tony Wagoner
11. M5 Jim Mitchell
Only six IMCA modifieds were on hand last night. Scott Williams raced to the early lead while Scott Olson put his tires up on the cushion to pass David Brown for second on the fifth circuit. Olson, who was involved in a wreck in Mason City last Monday, was driving Scott Forbes' car on this night. Before the halfway point Olson began to reel in Williams' big lead. Olson would work under Williams and take the lead away with half the race remaining as the top two checked out on the rest of the field. Olson would then distance himself from Williams as he picked up the win. Dave Kuykendall would finish third, Tyler Prochaska fourth, and David Brown fifth. Derek Oberle was there but did not start.
The IMCA late models provided the final feature of the night. Ryan Giles used the pole to take command early on. Todd Cooney would split Nick Pederson and Kelly Tapper to advance to third while Ryan Griffith powered by Giles for the race lead on lap four. Cooney would then power by Giles for second the following lap with DeFrance following on the inside to third. DeFrance then hugged the tires as he passed Cooney for second on lap seven. One lap later DeFrance made his move on Griffith for the lead before pulling away from the field. Cooney and Griffith would race wheel-to-wheel for the runner up spot before a caution simmered down the action. The two would continue to race side-by-side, swapping positions a couple times while Kelly Tapper used the cushion to slip by Giles for fourth. A late caution with three laps remaining bunched the field up again, but the ultimate outcome was not changed as Darrel DeFrance celebrated his 50th birthday in victory lane. Todd Cooney finished second, Ryan Griffith third, Jason Hahne fourth, and Kelly Tapper fifth.
1. 99D Darrel DeFrance
2. 30 Todd Cooney
3. X Ryan Griffith
4. 76 Jason Hahne
5. 85 Kelly Tapper
6. 8 Al Johnson
7. 29 Nick Pedersen
8. 9 Ryan Giles
9. 32 Curtis Glover
10. 3 Kevin Sather
11. 21 Ben Nading
12. 57 Scott Badker
13. 60 Dean Wagner
14. 45 Mike Pedersen
15. 11 Randy Faux
The track was in good condition considering the rain that had fallen prior to the races. Hats off to promoter Al Urhammer and his staff. For complete results and updated point standings, be sure to check out www.hamiltoncountyspeedway.com.
Only five hornets were on hand for the night, but that number was dwindled to three after the first lap. After taking the lead, Angie Webb's machine broke something in the right front, dug into the surface, and sent her airborne. She was alert and talking with the medical staff, but safety officials were cautious and opted to cut the top off to get her out safely. During that time Alex Tubbs opted to head to the trailer and would eventually leave the track during the delay. When racing resumed Adam Strunk went from third to first in a lap and continued on to take the win ahead of Nick Crimmins and Daniel Ayers.
It was then time for the fifteen-car field of IMCA hobby stocks. Joe Rieks used the pole to grab the lead when the green flag dropped while Robert See charged from inside row five to second in one lap. A caution would come out, giving See the opportunity to sneak under Rieks for the lead. Rieks would fall back to fifth as he got a little high. A couple more cautions would slow the action, and Roger Haupt Jr took advantage on the final restart. Lining up third on the restart, Haupt Jr shot to the outside and charged to the front to snag the lead around Ryan Caquelin and Robert See. Curt Graham used the outside line to get by Caquelin for third, but Caquelin would get the last laugh of the race as he ducked low on the final circuit to reclaim third. The night belonged to Roger Haupt Jr as he picked up the win on the night one of his sponsors, Hagie Manufacturing, was the title sponsor. Robert See would finish second, Ryan Caquelin third, Curt Graham fourth, and Craig Graham fifth.
1. 24R Roger Haupt Jr
2. 91 Robert See
3. 4 Ryan Caquelin
4. 14G Curt Graham
5. 13G Craig Graham
6. 51 Nate Bonin
7. 58 Matt Ring
8. 4x Gary Pfantz
9. 71 Cory Gansen
10. 38 Ryan Darling
11. 38J Jeff Weber
12. 74L Les Langfit
13. 28 Brandon Chaplin
14. 503 Rick Osterman
15. 5 Joe Rieks
Twenty IMCA sportmods were on hand with only one car not making the call for the feature. Beau Kaplan would take command early on with Chad Louk and Matt Lettow right behind. Following a lap five caution, Lettow used the inside line to get by Louk for the runner up spot. A few laps later Rocky Caudle used the same line to get by Bob Sutherland for fourth. A caution with five to go kept the field close, but that didn't stop Beau Kaplan as he picked up the flag to flag win. Matt Lettow was second, Rocky Caudle third, Matt Northrop fourth, and Bob Sutherland rounded out the top five.
Eleven stock cars took the green flag with Greg Elliott using the pole to get the lead. Mark Elliott started ninth, but maneuvered through the field on the first couple of laps to take the fifth spot away from Dave Hubbard. Elliott would continue his journey to the front as he worked in the inside line by Scott Bloemke for third with five laps to go. He then would use the slingshot move and race to the inside of his brother Greg down the backstretch. When the cars exited turn four, it would be Mark taking the top spot. The Elliott's battled side-by-side for the last couple of laps, exchanging the lead every lap. When the checkered flag waved it was Mark Elliott picking up the win ahead of Greg Elliott, Mark Haglund, Jason Wagoner, and Scott Bloemke.
1. 4 Mark Elliott
2. 1 Greg Elliott
3. 31M Mark Haglund
4. 20 Jason Wagoner
5. 80 Scott Bloemke
6. 5 Dave Hubbard
7. 97 Adam Silvey
8. R31 Ryan Leeman
9. 94 Steve Meyer
10. 26 Tony Wagoner
11. M5 Jim Mitchell
Only six IMCA modifieds were on hand last night. Scott Williams raced to the early lead while Scott Olson put his tires up on the cushion to pass David Brown for second on the fifth circuit. Olson, who was involved in a wreck in Mason City last Monday, was driving Scott Forbes' car on this night. Before the halfway point Olson began to reel in Williams' big lead. Olson would work under Williams and take the lead away with half the race remaining as the top two checked out on the rest of the field. Olson would then distance himself from Williams as he picked up the win. Dave Kuykendall would finish third, Tyler Prochaska fourth, and David Brown fifth. Derek Oberle was there but did not start.
The IMCA late models provided the final feature of the night. Ryan Giles used the pole to take command early on. Todd Cooney would split Nick Pederson and Kelly Tapper to advance to third while Ryan Griffith powered by Giles for the race lead on lap four. Cooney would then power by Giles for second the following lap with DeFrance following on the inside to third. DeFrance then hugged the tires as he passed Cooney for second on lap seven. One lap later DeFrance made his move on Griffith for the lead before pulling away from the field. Cooney and Griffith would race wheel-to-wheel for the runner up spot before a caution simmered down the action. The two would continue to race side-by-side, swapping positions a couple times while Kelly Tapper used the cushion to slip by Giles for fourth. A late caution with three laps remaining bunched the field up again, but the ultimate outcome was not changed as Darrel DeFrance celebrated his 50th birthday in victory lane. Todd Cooney finished second, Ryan Griffith third, Jason Hahne fourth, and Kelly Tapper fifth.
1. 99D Darrel DeFrance
2. 30 Todd Cooney
3. X Ryan Griffith
4. 76 Jason Hahne
5. 85 Kelly Tapper
6. 8 Al Johnson
7. 29 Nick Pedersen
8. 9 Ryan Giles
9. 32 Curtis Glover
10. 3 Kevin Sather
11. 21 Ben Nading
12. 57 Scott Badker
13. 60 Dean Wagner
14. 45 Mike Pedersen
15. 11 Randy Faux
The track was in good condition considering the rain that had fallen prior to the races. Hats off to promoter Al Urhammer and his staff. For complete results and updated point standings, be sure to check out www.hamiltoncountyspeedway.com.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Doughy and Teachout Headline Mineral City Speedway Winners
I decided last night that this weekend would be a little different for me. I was going to break away from my "routine" a bit. That being said, I took a break from my usual Friday night stop in Marshalltown to head west to Fort Dodge. It would be my second trip to the Mineral City Speedway this year.
The hornets would be the first feature to hit the track. Duane Ferguson would sail to the lead early on before being black flagged for leaking fuel. That handed the reigns over to Nick Hogan momentarily before Lyle Oberhelman and Mike McFarland powered by on the outside. McFarland would motor on to take the win ahead of Nick Hogan, Mick Evans, Jarid Kuchenreuther, and Adam Strunk.
Six econo stocks then made their way to the track with Jess Bieret jumping to the early lead. Bieret would push high exiting turn four, allowing Zachary Angstrom and Austin Reicks to slip past. With Angstrom leading and Reicks just behind, they caught a lapped car that broke their momentum. That allowed Bieret to reclaim the lead while Colby Davis followed to second. Bieret would take home the win ahead of Davis, Angstrom, and Reicks.
Merle Bass would take the lead early on in the hobby stock feature that saw fourteen cars on hand. Justin Nehring, who had to restart at the tail following an incident with Austin Wolfgram on the first lap, quickly made his way back through the field and found himself in fourth place after a couple laps. As Nehring got by Paul Toms for third, the race up front was getting closer as Todd Hillman began to reel in Bass. Unable to make a move on Bass, Hillman would then receive pressure from Nehring with two laps to go. In the end it would be Merle Bass picking up his first career win! Hillman would finish second, Nehring third, TJ Mortenson fourth, and Cody Nielsen completed the top five.
Brian Miller raced to the early lead in the limited modified feature. While he stretched his lead up front, Bill Hoover and Brett Meyer were working their way through the field as they climbed to fourth and fifth, respectively, by the second circuit. Matt Pittman used the outside line to zoom past Miller for the lead while Hoover and Meyer advanced another position. A caution came out just after the midpoint of the race, allowing Meyer to get a great restart to get by Hoover for third. Late in the race Meyer would duck under Miller for second, but the night belonged to Matt Pittman as he picked up the win. Meyer settled for second, Miller third, Hoover fourth, and Jim Lampe rounded out the top five after starting at the tail (13th).
Only nine stock cars made the call for the feature as Jason Minnehan blew up in his heat race. Dave Hubbard secured the top spot early on, but it didn't take long for Malcolm Teachout to snare the lead away using the inside groove on lap two. After starting at the rear, Wayne Crimmins was slicing and dicing his way forward as he climbed to fourth in just four laps. With Teachout remaining out front, Greg Elliott slipped under Hubbard for second and later lost third to Crimmins. Moments after Crimmins made his pass, he spun in turn one and brought out the caution. The top two positions remained unchanged, but Jeff Deal bobbled in turn four to allow Dave Hubbard to sneak by for third. Teachout would pick up the win followed by Elliott, Hubbard, Deal, and Wayne Crimmins raced back to fifth.
Eleven modifieds would then take to the track for the final event of the night. Outside front row starter Dave Doughty shot to the lead while tenth-place starter Mark Elliott charged to fifth at the completion of the first lap. Elliott then made his way by Jeff Conner for fourth, but gave up the spot to Brad Williams. The lone caution came out when Mark Elliott appeared to jump the cushion in turn two and his car came to a stop. That bunched up the field and allowed Jay Noteboom to sneak under Brad Williams for third. That didn't last long, however, as Williams worked under Noteboom on the next set of corners and pushed up the track to secure the third position. Noteboom had to get out of the throttle to avoid the contact, making his lose several spots back to eighth. Late in the race Ryan Watnem and Joe Paullin made contact with each other, allowing Noteboom to squeeze by to pick up the fourth position. But up front it was all Dave Doughty as he pocketed the win. Rod Scheuermann ran a solid second place the whole race, Brad Williams was third, Noteboom fourth, and Ryan Watnem rounded out the top five.
Races were concluded by 9:30 last night. Few cautions and a bit lower car count then I expected helped keep the show moving. While the track seemed to have some rough spots, I have to give the track crew props for their hard work. They continuously tried to pack in the track between races as the night progressed. For complete results, check out www.fdspeed.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
The hornets would be the first feature to hit the track. Duane Ferguson would sail to the lead early on before being black flagged for leaking fuel. That handed the reigns over to Nick Hogan momentarily before Lyle Oberhelman and Mike McFarland powered by on the outside. McFarland would motor on to take the win ahead of Nick Hogan, Mick Evans, Jarid Kuchenreuther, and Adam Strunk.
Six econo stocks then made their way to the track with Jess Bieret jumping to the early lead. Bieret would push high exiting turn four, allowing Zachary Angstrom and Austin Reicks to slip past. With Angstrom leading and Reicks just behind, they caught a lapped car that broke their momentum. That allowed Bieret to reclaim the lead while Colby Davis followed to second. Bieret would take home the win ahead of Davis, Angstrom, and Reicks.
Merle Bass would take the lead early on in the hobby stock feature that saw fourteen cars on hand. Justin Nehring, who had to restart at the tail following an incident with Austin Wolfgram on the first lap, quickly made his way back through the field and found himself in fourth place after a couple laps. As Nehring got by Paul Toms for third, the race up front was getting closer as Todd Hillman began to reel in Bass. Unable to make a move on Bass, Hillman would then receive pressure from Nehring with two laps to go. In the end it would be Merle Bass picking up his first career win! Hillman would finish second, Nehring third, TJ Mortenson fourth, and Cody Nielsen completed the top five.
Brian Miller raced to the early lead in the limited modified feature. While he stretched his lead up front, Bill Hoover and Brett Meyer were working their way through the field as they climbed to fourth and fifth, respectively, by the second circuit. Matt Pittman used the outside line to zoom past Miller for the lead while Hoover and Meyer advanced another position. A caution came out just after the midpoint of the race, allowing Meyer to get a great restart to get by Hoover for third. Late in the race Meyer would duck under Miller for second, but the night belonged to Matt Pittman as he picked up the win. Meyer settled for second, Miller third, Hoover fourth, and Jim Lampe rounded out the top five after starting at the tail (13th).
Only nine stock cars made the call for the feature as Jason Minnehan blew up in his heat race. Dave Hubbard secured the top spot early on, but it didn't take long for Malcolm Teachout to snare the lead away using the inside groove on lap two. After starting at the rear, Wayne Crimmins was slicing and dicing his way forward as he climbed to fourth in just four laps. With Teachout remaining out front, Greg Elliott slipped under Hubbard for second and later lost third to Crimmins. Moments after Crimmins made his pass, he spun in turn one and brought out the caution. The top two positions remained unchanged, but Jeff Deal bobbled in turn four to allow Dave Hubbard to sneak by for third. Teachout would pick up the win followed by Elliott, Hubbard, Deal, and Wayne Crimmins raced back to fifth.
Eleven modifieds would then take to the track for the final event of the night. Outside front row starter Dave Doughty shot to the lead while tenth-place starter Mark Elliott charged to fifth at the completion of the first lap. Elliott then made his way by Jeff Conner for fourth, but gave up the spot to Brad Williams. The lone caution came out when Mark Elliott appeared to jump the cushion in turn two and his car came to a stop. That bunched up the field and allowed Jay Noteboom to sneak under Brad Williams for third. That didn't last long, however, as Williams worked under Noteboom on the next set of corners and pushed up the track to secure the third position. Noteboom had to get out of the throttle to avoid the contact, making his lose several spots back to eighth. Late in the race Ryan Watnem and Joe Paullin made contact with each other, allowing Noteboom to squeeze by to pick up the fourth position. But up front it was all Dave Doughty as he pocketed the win. Rod Scheuermann ran a solid second place the whole race, Brad Williams was third, Noteboom fourth, and Ryan Watnem rounded out the top five.
Races were concluded by 9:30 last night. Few cautions and a bit lower car count then I expected helped keep the show moving. While the track seemed to have some rough spots, I have to give the track crew props for their hard work. They continuously tried to pack in the track between races as the night progressed. For complete results, check out www.fdspeed.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
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