The Motor Inn of Webster City was the title sponsor of the Summer Spectacular being put on at the Hamilton County Speedway on Tuesday, July 6. Twenty-four of the best IMCA late models in the area were on hand to compete for the lofty payout that also included lap money. Also in action Tuesday night were the IMCA sportmods and IMCA hobby stocks.
After the heat races were concluded track crews went to work over in turns three and four as that area of the track was extremely rough. Rain on Sunday and into Monday likely had a lot to do with that as Saturday night's racing surface was smoother then on this night.
When work was completed, the IMCA hobby stocks rolled onto the track for their fifteen lap feature. Eleven cars made the call with Kyle Schmauss grabbing the early lead from the outside front row. Matt Ring would hold down the runner up spot until Robert See found the high side to his liking and make the pass on lap three, despite smoke coming from under the hood. See would make his move on Schmauss on lap five as he ducked to the inside to pull even down the front stretch. Schmauss' night would come to an early end, however, when the driveshaft let loose on lap six. Brad Ratcliff took advantage of the caution as he motored by Matt Ring on the outside for second as he tried to chase down See. Ratcliff drove to the inside of See in turn three, but pushed up the track and made significant contact with the leader exiting turn four. Both cars would end up in the pits after severe damage, handing the lead over to Matt Ring. From that point on Ring had clear sailing on his way to the win. Brandon Chaplin would have a strong second place finish followed by Daniel Krieger, Adam Hagen, and Craig Graham.
The twenty-lap IMCA sportmod feature then hit the track as twenty competitors were ready to try their luck at the half-mile oval. Pole-sitter Rocky Caudle wasted no time in assuming the lead, but the action was heating up behind him as there was two and three-wide racing in the middle of the pack. Several cautions would keep the pace at a standstill, but Caudle would lose the lead when he spun on the inside of turn three on lap eight. Matt Lettow, Cayden Carter, Bob Sutherland, and Jesse Sobbing were all in line to attempt to dethrone Davis at the front of the field, but they were too busy racing each other for positions as Davis remained out front with a comfortable advantage. Behind him positions changed almost every lap until the checkered flag waved as Davis took home the win. Jesse Sobbing made the pull from western Iowa seem worth it as he picked up a second place finish, Matt Lettow was third, Bob Sutherland fourth, and Cayden Carter rounded out the top five.
It was then time for the headliner, a fifty-lap IMCA late model feature that would include a ten-minute stop at the halfway point to allow drivers to make changes to their cars, with the exception of new tires and adding fuel. Jeff Aikey was lucky on the redraw as he would start from the pole, wasting no time in jumping to the lead. This race would also have a hard time finding that racing rhythm as caution flags waved five times within the first fifteen laps. Despite the lack of momentum, Aikey maintained a good advantage up front as positions were up for grabs behind him. Charlie McKenna was on a mission as he found himself quickly up to third behind Aikey and Todd Cooney. Cooney would suffer a flat tire on lap seven, sending him to the tail of the field.
Terry Neal was another mover in the early stages of the race as he advanced to the fourth spot after starting twelfth. When the mandatory stop took place the top five consisted of Aikey, Greg Kastli, Terry Neal, Charlie McKenna, and Bryan Klein. Klein's great run would come to an end when he apparently tried to cut turn one too sharp as he got up on two wheels and went for a short rollover. Klein would get out of the car under his own power.
As attrition kept piling up, Aikey would continue to set the pace up front. As the laps clicked away he left no doubt he was the class of the field on this night as he went on to pick up the $2,500 paycheck, but with lap money he was awarded an extra $300 to make his trip from Cedar Falls worth $3,000. Terry Neal finished second, Greg Kastli third, Kelly Tapper fourth, and Charlie McKenna rounded out the top five.
Unfortunately only ten of the twenty-four cars took the checkered flag as the rough terrain took it's toll on the equipment last night. Hopefully Al Urhammer and his staff can get a good handle on the track later this week and get things ironed back in for another night of racing Saturday night. A little cooperation from the skies above would be a tremendous help as well.
For complete results and a look at the upcoming schedule, check out www.hamiltoncountyspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
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