The Springfield Raceway in Missouri held it's 4th Annual Turkey Classic event this past Saturday under sunny skies after receiving around three inches of rain just a few days before. On top of that track officials put down forty loads of new dirt/clay to the racing surface, so the heat races saw the track a bit on the choppy side. Promoter Jerry Hoffman took time after the b-mains to grade the track from top to bottom, which provided for some excellent two and three-wide racing come feature time.
As the headline would indicate a record 189 cars were on hand for this event, with 75 of them being modifieds. Sixty-four sportmods also helped fill the pit area along with a good count of late models. Two heats of legends were also ran.
The modified feature would be run first. Jody Tillman quickly made his move to the top spot as he ran the cushion the entire race. He would distance himself from the pack as the race progressed, maintaining a lead against perennial contenders Brian Bolin and Chad Lyle. Tillman worked up nearly a straight away advantage when the checkers waved to give him perhaps his biggest modified win to date. Chad Lyle charged from eighth to finish second, Aaron Marrant was third, Dean Willie fourth, and Mitch Keeter rounded out the top five.
The late models were up next for their finale. Ken Essary jumped to the early lead and appeared to be the fastest car on the track in the beginning. That soon changed, however, when Justin Wells began slicing his way to the front. Wells' machine looked strong on both the bottom and top grooves and he powered by Essary on the top side. Essary later received pressure from Arkansas driver Jack Sullivan as the duo raced side by side for a few laps before Sullivan secured the position. Sullivan tried to keep Wells in sight, but Wells maneuvered through lap traffic flawlessly as he used the entire track to maintain a healthy lead. Wells would go on to take the impressive win ahead of Sullivan. Jesse Stovall made a great charge to finish third, Ken Essary held on for fourth, and Nebraska hot shoe John Anderson rounded out the top five.
Sportmods would then take to the track for their feature. Eric Tinderholt took command from the start and led the opening laps. About nine laps in to the race, Iowa driver Jesse Sobbing through his name into the hat of contenders. Sobbing, who had started tenth, was riding the cushion around the fast 1/4-mile oval and had joined Tinderholt and Brian Bolin at the front of the field. The trio raced each other clean the entire time as they fought for the lead, but it would be Sobbing getting the advantage and taking the lead away. From that point on Sobbing would slowly pull away and take the "Turkey trophy" back to Iowa. Brian Bolin finished second, Eric Tinderholt slipped to third, Mike Hailman was fourth, and Bobby Maggard completed the top five. Another Iowa driver, Cayden Carter, won his b-main event after suffering problems in his heat race. He finished seventh.
For more complete results, check out http://springfieldraceway.com.
My friends and I opted not to stick around for the legends race. It had already been a long day, and knew we still had a lengthy trip back home. So beings we didn't know any of the legend drivers, we hit the highway.
I would like to mention that Grant Junghans was back behind the wheel of his Shopquick modified. Junghans, the 2009 USMTS Rookie of the Year, had to take some time off this year for personal reasons. Junghans took the time to come talk to me following his feature race, which ended sooner than he had hoped as he was "pushed" off turn one and thus sidelined him for the rest of the event. Junghans informed me Saturday was the first time he had raced since July. He told me he plans on getting back into the swing of things next year, so that was good to hear.
The long trip to Springfield was definitely worth it, especially for my two friends that rode down with me. It was their first trip there, and I made a little "detour" so they could see the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland. The gate was locked, so that prevented a closer look. But they were still impressed by what they could see. What started off early (we met at Ellsworth, IA at 5:10am) turned into an all-day trip as we got back to Ellsworth around 3:45am. I got back home around 4:30, which was nearly 26 hours after I had woke up the morning before.
The Turkey Classic will likely be the final curtain on my 2010 racing season. Ed Reichert, a Hawkeye Racing News columnist, informed me of an indoor midget race in Illinois (I believe) the weekend before Christmas, but that doesn't intrigue me. Look for a later blog with a rundown of my season in the near future.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
USMTS Closes Door on Another Stellar Season
Last weekend marked the end of the 2010 season for the United States Modified Touring Series. A total of sixty-eight races (52 National Tour, 12 Southern Series) were held from mid-February through mid-November. I believe a total of 19 different winners graced Victory Lane this year, including National Rookie of the Year Johnny Scott picking up his first career USMTS win. While on the topic of wins, Ryan Gustin dominated that category this year as the youngster from Marshalltown, Iowa, racked up a season-high 17 victories. Gustin found immediate success shortly after making the decision to join Ed Gressel and his race team as he won in his second start back in March at McCool Junction, Nebraska. From that time forward it seemed that wherever the 19R car showed up, he was going to be a contender.
While Gustin dominated the win category, the most consistent driver was Jason Hughes. The Oklahoma chassis builder put together a fantastic season that culminated in achieving the ultimate prize, the USMTS National Championship. Hughes' strategy paid off as he concentrated on just two regions during the "regular season" as he focused on running well during "The Hunt". During "The Hunt", Hughes stepped up his game and hit the ball out of the ballpark. He only finished outside the top five twice during the last eighteen races on his way to becoming the National Champion. One of the biggest wins of his season was capturing the $10,000 to win finale of the Fall Jamboree held at the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota. It was Hughes' second consecutive Fall Jamboree title, becoming the first person to repeat in the event's history.
Hughes also found success outside of the USMTS tour. He picked up a cool $16,000 payday out in Las Cruces, New Mexico back in March at the Chub Daniels Memorial race. He also sat behind the wheel of a couple different late model rides throughout the season, picking up a couple top five finishes.
With Hughes only running a partial schedule, I heard some people mumbling about how Gustin couldn't win when Hughes was in the field. Upon further research, I found that to be far from the truth. Hughes and Gustin raced 39 times against each other on the USMTS circuit, and both of them picked up seven wins apiece. Hughes did hold the advantage in top five's and top ten's, however.
But Hughes and Gustin weren't the only players in the game this year. Tommy Myer finished in a solid third place in the championship standings. The veteran from Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, posted five wins throughout the 2010 campaign. He had a streak of eight top ten's during "The Hunt" to solidify his place in the standings.
Zack VanderBeek put together another steady season behind the wheel of his 33z machine. Despite winning just two races on the National Tour, VanderBeek maintained a consistency during the early part of "The Hunt" to finish fourth in the final standings. VanderBeek ended the season on a high note as he picked up two wins and a second place finish at the newly re-named Royal Purple Raceway, formerly known as Houston Raceway Park, in Baytown, Texas.
Rounding out the top five in points was Kelly Shryock. While Shryock and his followers probably considered his season sub par, I'm sure many of his colleagues would gladly switch places with the nine-time champion. Shryock picked up four wins on the season, including a "home court" victory in Algona in early August.
I've compiled a "stats" sheet for all the "regulars" on the USMTS tour during the 2010 season. Check out the link on my personal website, http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net and click on "Drivers' Stats".
I am also working on completing stats for the top five drivers in the National Points standings for IMCA, USRA, and Wissota. I am almost finished with USRA and Wissota, so look for a blog for each of those in the near future. The IMCA stats will take a little bit as it's been a bit more of a challenge finding results for some of those drivers.
I plan to attend my final race of the season tomorrow (Saturday) at the Turkey Classic event held at the Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Missouri. A couple of friends and I plan to wake up early and make the lengthy trek south. Over a hundred and fifty cars were on hand for last year's show, thanks in large part to unseasonably mild temperatures. While the mercury won't be as high on the thermometer this year, I'm hopeful the racing action will be just as hotly contested as last year. For more information on this race, check out http://springfieldraceway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
While Gustin dominated the win category, the most consistent driver was Jason Hughes. The Oklahoma chassis builder put together a fantastic season that culminated in achieving the ultimate prize, the USMTS National Championship. Hughes' strategy paid off as he concentrated on just two regions during the "regular season" as he focused on running well during "The Hunt". During "The Hunt", Hughes stepped up his game and hit the ball out of the ballpark. He only finished outside the top five twice during the last eighteen races on his way to becoming the National Champion. One of the biggest wins of his season was capturing the $10,000 to win finale of the Fall Jamboree held at the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota. It was Hughes' second consecutive Fall Jamboree title, becoming the first person to repeat in the event's history.
Hughes also found success outside of the USMTS tour. He picked up a cool $16,000 payday out in Las Cruces, New Mexico back in March at the Chub Daniels Memorial race. He also sat behind the wheel of a couple different late model rides throughout the season, picking up a couple top five finishes.
With Hughes only running a partial schedule, I heard some people mumbling about how Gustin couldn't win when Hughes was in the field. Upon further research, I found that to be far from the truth. Hughes and Gustin raced 39 times against each other on the USMTS circuit, and both of them picked up seven wins apiece. Hughes did hold the advantage in top five's and top ten's, however.
But Hughes and Gustin weren't the only players in the game this year. Tommy Myer finished in a solid third place in the championship standings. The veteran from Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, posted five wins throughout the 2010 campaign. He had a streak of eight top ten's during "The Hunt" to solidify his place in the standings.
Zack VanderBeek put together another steady season behind the wheel of his 33z machine. Despite winning just two races on the National Tour, VanderBeek maintained a consistency during the early part of "The Hunt" to finish fourth in the final standings. VanderBeek ended the season on a high note as he picked up two wins and a second place finish at the newly re-named Royal Purple Raceway, formerly known as Houston Raceway Park, in Baytown, Texas.
Rounding out the top five in points was Kelly Shryock. While Shryock and his followers probably considered his season sub par, I'm sure many of his colleagues would gladly switch places with the nine-time champion. Shryock picked up four wins on the season, including a "home court" victory in Algona in early August.
I've compiled a "stats" sheet for all the "regulars" on the USMTS tour during the 2010 season. Check out the link on my personal website, http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net and click on "Drivers' Stats".
I am also working on completing stats for the top five drivers in the National Points standings for IMCA, USRA, and Wissota. I am almost finished with USRA and Wissota, so look for a blog for each of those in the near future. The IMCA stats will take a little bit as it's been a bit more of a challenge finding results for some of those drivers.
I plan to attend my final race of the season tomorrow (Saturday) at the Turkey Classic event held at the Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Missouri. A couple of friends and I plan to wake up early and make the lengthy trek south. Over a hundred and fifty cars were on hand for last year's show, thanks in large part to unseasonably mild temperatures. While the mercury won't be as high on the thermometer this year, I'm hopeful the racing action will be just as hotly contested as last year. For more information on this race, check out http://springfieldraceway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Smith Family Continues Winning Ways
The 2010 season was another standout year for the Smith family from Lake City. The large family that sees six of it members pilot a race car found ample opportunity to grace victory lane on more then one occasion, and that's exactly what happened.
Let's start with the trio of stock car drivers. Dustin Smith was the most consistent of the group as he only finished outside the top ten once in fifty-six starts. Dustin picked up twenty-one wins, with eight apiece at Marshalltown and Harlan where he also picked up track championships. Dustin won the Positivelyracing All-Iowa points and was runner up in IMCA National Points. He also was runner up at the IMCA Supernationals, a great way to cap off a remarkable season.
To see Dustin's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/dustinsmith.htm
Donavon - Donavon also picked up two track championships this season, winning crowns at the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta along with the Boone Speedway title. He picked up eleven wins on the season while only finishing outside the top ten three times. Donavon finished right behind brother Dustin at the IMCA Supernationals.
To see Donavon's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/donavonsmith.htm
David - David Smith picked up nine feature wins this season. Ironically both David and Donavon both had forty-one starts and thirty-eight top 10's. David finished third in points in Alta (behind his brothers) and second at Algona to Chad Palmer.
To see David's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/davidsmith.htm
Doug - Doug is the lone family member racing without fenders as he pilots a limited modified. Doug had an up and down season as I believe he said he wrecked a car early in the year if memory serves me correctly. That being said, he was still able to compete thirty-one times while earning eight feature wins. He finished the season on a high note as he won three of the last five races he entered.
To see Doug's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/dougsmith.htm
Devin - Devin will perhaps have bragging rights for the winter has he picked up the most wins this season with twenty-seven. He picked up eight wins apiece at Marshalltown and Algona en route to winning those track championships. He accolades mirror those of brother Dustin as he finished second in IMCA National Points, but garnering the Positivelyracing All-Iowa Points crown.
To see Devin's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/devinsmith.htm
Daniel - Lastly, but certainly not least, Daniel competed thirty-five events this year while picking up a win at Rockwell City. He finished fourth in points in Alta and tenth in Harlan.
To see Daniel's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/danielsmith.htm
To see a comparison of all six Smith brothers, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/smiths.htm. It lists each driver's individual accomplishments this season, along with a "family total". Be sure to compare those numbers with the Gustin family to see which racing family you think had the better season.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Let's start with the trio of stock car drivers. Dustin Smith was the most consistent of the group as he only finished outside the top ten once in fifty-six starts. Dustin picked up twenty-one wins, with eight apiece at Marshalltown and Harlan where he also picked up track championships. Dustin won the Positivelyracing All-Iowa points and was runner up in IMCA National Points. He also was runner up at the IMCA Supernationals, a great way to cap off a remarkable season.
To see Dustin's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/dustinsmith.htm
Donavon - Donavon also picked up two track championships this season, winning crowns at the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta along with the Boone Speedway title. He picked up eleven wins on the season while only finishing outside the top ten three times. Donavon finished right behind brother Dustin at the IMCA Supernationals.
To see Donavon's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/donavonsmith.htm
David - David Smith picked up nine feature wins this season. Ironically both David and Donavon both had forty-one starts and thirty-eight top 10's. David finished third in points in Alta (behind his brothers) and second at Algona to Chad Palmer.
To see David's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/davidsmith.htm
Doug - Doug is the lone family member racing without fenders as he pilots a limited modified. Doug had an up and down season as I believe he said he wrecked a car early in the year if memory serves me correctly. That being said, he was still able to compete thirty-one times while earning eight feature wins. He finished the season on a high note as he won three of the last five races he entered.
To see Doug's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/dougsmith.htm
Devin - Devin will perhaps have bragging rights for the winter has he picked up the most wins this season with twenty-seven. He picked up eight wins apiece at Marshalltown and Algona en route to winning those track championships. He accolades mirror those of brother Dustin as he finished second in IMCA National Points, but garnering the Positivelyracing All-Iowa Points crown.
To see Devin's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/devinsmith.htm
Daniel - Lastly, but certainly not least, Daniel competed thirty-five events this year while picking up a win at Rockwell City. He finished fourth in points in Alta and tenth in Harlan.
To see Daniel's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/danielsmith.htm
To see a comparison of all six Smith brothers, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/smiths.htm. It lists each driver's individual accomplishments this season, along with a "family total". Be sure to compare those numbers with the Gustin family to see which racing family you think had the better season.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
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