This blog entry is going to be completley different then any other previous entries.
For those of you that were familiar with the Southern Iowa Speedway, or any races in the midwest for that matter, you may have run across a gentleman by the name of Gary Storey. Storey, a "Super Fan" of racing, lived in Oskaloosa when I met him some ten to fifteen years ago. Quite often I would travel to race tracks and he would be the first person I see in the parking lot when I drove in.
Gary unfortunately lost his battle with cancer late last Thursday night, September 23rd. Gary had lived in a house with his brother prior to moving into a hospice care facility in Oskaloosa. Gary grew up near Albia before moving to Knoxville and eventually Oskaloosa. Gary Storey was 59.
Gary was a diehard Super Fan. He spent many years traveling up and down the highways throughout the country, searching for another race to attend while dodging the weather. Story often times would sleep in the back of his pickup truck to save money. He had quite a setup under that topper, including an air mattress and covers. It was nothing for him to drive from one state to another in a matter of a day. Case in point, I recall an example where I saw Gary down in Bolivar, Missouri towards the end of the racing season. It was a Saturday night show. Gary invited me to stick around and split a hotel room in order to attend a race the next day in Mayetta, Kansas. I declined his offer, but I found out later that he did indeed make the trip the next day.
There are several memories similar to that in which I can share. But it doesn't provide the same meaning if you didn't know the man. Many would chuckle or laugh under their breath when they heard Gary laugh from a distance. His voice carried quite well, so one could hear his laugh from a good distance. Knowing that Gary was willing to drive just about anywhere, I would wonder to myself if he was going to be at the same show I was traveling to. More often then not, he was there.
I will admit that I didn't know much about Gary outside of the racing community. I do recall him saying that he used to work at Hy-Vee. Arthritis began to slow him down several years ago, but he wouldn't let that stop him completely.
Gary - I want you to know that I'm deeply saddened by your passing. You were a true diehard race fan, one who watched anything from sprint cars to four-cylinders. I'm sure you're in a better place now, and that the suffering has stopped. You will truly be missed, but never forgotten!
To view Gary's obituary, click here.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Nights 1 & 2 of USMTS Fall Jamboree
The United States Modified Touring Series has had its share of rainouts over the past couple of weeks. Shows originally scheduled in early September at Oskaloosa and Allison were rescheduled to the early part of this prior week, with Allison getting rained out once again on Tuesday. Then along comes the rain in southern Minnesota, putting a "wash" on the Wednesday night practice of the Fall Jamboree held at the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota.
Not only did Wednesday night's rain force the cancellation of practice, but the resulting flood of Deer Creek that runs along the outskirts of the track property played havoc on the situation as well. The creek runs parallel to the pit area, forcing haulers and campers to evacuate to higher ground. Needless to say, Thursday night's races were also postponed.
Friday morning saw drying conditions as there was a strong breeze out of the northwest. Track crews worked hard to get the track in ideal shape as a practice session was held in the afternoon prior to the evenings races. With all the moisture, it was an unexpected surprise when dust was seen towards the end of practice.
As the opening ceremonies approached, it was noted that over 100 USMTS modifieds and nearly 40 Wissota midwest modifieds were checked in for action. Five heats and two b-mains narrowed the midwest modified field down to twenty-four starters. In USMTS action, eight heats races were run with the top twenty in passing points locking themselves in to the feature. Five b-mains would also be needed, taking the top two from each to set up a thirty-car field for their forty lap feature later on.
Brandon Davis would make a clean sweep in the Wissota midwest modified division as he picked up a heat race when and went on to capture the twenty-lap feature. The win was Davis' 41st win of the season. Greg Pfeifer Jr would finish second, Alan Mondus was third, Jerry Young fourth, and Mike Paulson rounded out the top five. Track announcer Todd Narveson also mentioned that Davis' incredible season also includes four track championships! Quite a remarkable season for a 19-year old driver.
The thirty-car, forty lap USMTS nightcap saw Darrin Walch and Jon Tesch on the front row with Walch getting the edge at the drop of the green flag. Tommy Myer, no stranger to victory lane at Deer Creek Speedway, started third and quickly worked under Tesch for the second position. He quickly focused his attention on Walch up front and seized the opportunity to duck low of him on lap three to secure the lead. Walch continue to backslide as Terry Phillips, Jon Tesch, Jeremy Payne, and Shane Hebert knocked him out of the top five. The first caution of the race came on lap nineteen that included Kelly Shryock and Mike Steensma tangling in turn one. On the ensuing restart Phillips used a slidejob in turn three to power by Myer for the race lead.
Action came to a screeching hault when the red flag came out for Corey Dripps. Dripps apparently got hung up on the fronstretch wall and made heavy contact with the opening to the pit area in turn one. Dripps would get out of the car under his own power and acknowledged the fans. Jon Tesch would work the outside groove as he made his way by Myer for the second position on the restart while points leader Jason Hughes made the pass on Ryan Gustin for the sixth spot. At the front of the field it was all Terry Phillips as he pocketed the winning payday and hardware. He was followed across the line by Jon Tesch, Tommy Myer, Jeremy Payne, and Jason Hughes. Hughes' strong run from seventeenth meant he pulled further ahead of Ryan Gustin in the point standings. The eighty-eight point margin would be extremely hard for the Marshalltown teenager to overcome with just two shows remaining.
I'd like to give a shout out to the track crew at the Deer Creek Speedway! With all the pictures that I saw of not only the track, but the grounds as well, I was extremely surprised that we were able to see races Friday night. The track was in excellent condition throughout the night and provided for three, four, and sometimes five-wide racing.
Now on to Saturday night. With Thursday's events rescheduled for Sunday, that meant that the originally scheduled "championship night" of the Fall Jamboree would still be held Saturday night. The big money would be on the line for drivers in both divisions, which both winner's share of the purse was increased by generous sponsors that stepped forward earlier in the day.
Although the sun came out for periods of time and the wind was not as strong, it seemed to be a bit colder then Friday night. Once again the same format would be used for qualifying for both classes. With the cold temperatures, I opted not to take my usual notes so I could keep my hands warm.
The Wissota midwest modified feature would be run green to checkered as they took to the track immediately following a track prep session. Brandon Davis would garner a second consecutive win on the weekend as he picked up the big money check. Dan Wheeler would come home second, Dustin Scott finished third, Jerry Young was fourth, and Wissota 100 winner Matt Leer completed the top five.
Before the USMTS feature took the green flag, a big screen tv in the infield displayed a trailer from the Dirt Knights television program that will be debuting in January on the Versus network. Following that clip, the drivers were introduced to the crowd with recorded video clips from earlier in the day. As the drivers organized for a photo, a big ball of fire went off behind the billboards. Hopefully somebody got a picture at the right time as it was a spectacular sight, not to mention a warm sensation. As the drivers buckled in and began their pace laps, fireworks on the backstretch went off.
Then it was time for business. Al Hejna, Rodney Sanders, and Bob Timm comprised the front row of the three-wide, eleven-row deep field of the best of the best. Sanders would get the advantage and lead the fourteen laps before relinquishing the lead to Ryan Gustin. Gustin, who had started twelfth, began to pull away from the field as he tried to cut in to Jason Hughe's insurmountable point lead. With Gustin looking strong and holding a straight away advantage, the caution flag came out on lap twenty-nine to bunch the field back up. Another quick caution followed, but when racing resumed Jason Hughes kept pace with Gustin and made his move on the outside of Gustin on lap thirty-two to take command of the race. While Gustin searched for a faster line behind, Hughes maintained his lead by running the cushion. When the smoke settled it would be Jason Hughes celebrating in victory lane. His efforts were rewarded with a $9,000 paycheck as sponsors stepped up and added money, but Hughes also garnered the "previous champion" bonus. Jon Tesch found the quick way around Gustin for second and third, respectively, with Shane Hebert and Zack VanderBeek rounding out the top five.
Hughes not only collected the hardware for the Fall Jamboree championship night, but his efforts all but clinched the 2010 National Championship for the Oklahoma driver. Hughes only needs to sign in and take the green flag in his heat race to become the fourth different national champion in USMTS history. To go along with these accolades, Hughes' own Hughes Chassis also won the Chassis Builders Championship.
Ryan Gustin should finish in the runner-up position in the national point standings. He holds a 59-point advantage over Tommy Myer. It would be the second consecutive season that Gustin has finished in that position as he finished behind Kelly Shryock last year.
The COMP Cams Engine Builders Championship is the only championship to be determined with Sunday's events. Mullins and Sputs are currently tied, so the engine that finishes ahead of the other will be crown victorious.
Sunday also marks the end of the 2010 National Tour for the USMTS. However, the USMTS still has 5 events on the calendar at this point in time as they have events in Texas. For more information, be sure to check out www.usmts.com.
I'd like to thank Todd and Janet Staley, along with their public relations director Jeff Nun, for their hospitality throughout the year. The entire USMTS staff were always willing to answers questions I may have had or taken the time to chat after the races.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Not only did Wednesday night's rain force the cancellation of practice, but the resulting flood of Deer Creek that runs along the outskirts of the track property played havoc on the situation as well. The creek runs parallel to the pit area, forcing haulers and campers to evacuate to higher ground. Needless to say, Thursday night's races were also postponed.
Friday morning saw drying conditions as there was a strong breeze out of the northwest. Track crews worked hard to get the track in ideal shape as a practice session was held in the afternoon prior to the evenings races. With all the moisture, it was an unexpected surprise when dust was seen towards the end of practice.
As the opening ceremonies approached, it was noted that over 100 USMTS modifieds and nearly 40 Wissota midwest modifieds were checked in for action. Five heats and two b-mains narrowed the midwest modified field down to twenty-four starters. In USMTS action, eight heats races were run with the top twenty in passing points locking themselves in to the feature. Five b-mains would also be needed, taking the top two from each to set up a thirty-car field for their forty lap feature later on.
Brandon Davis would make a clean sweep in the Wissota midwest modified division as he picked up a heat race when and went on to capture the twenty-lap feature. The win was Davis' 41st win of the season. Greg Pfeifer Jr would finish second, Alan Mondus was third, Jerry Young fourth, and Mike Paulson rounded out the top five. Track announcer Todd Narveson also mentioned that Davis' incredible season also includes four track championships! Quite a remarkable season for a 19-year old driver.
The thirty-car, forty lap USMTS nightcap saw Darrin Walch and Jon Tesch on the front row with Walch getting the edge at the drop of the green flag. Tommy Myer, no stranger to victory lane at Deer Creek Speedway, started third and quickly worked under Tesch for the second position. He quickly focused his attention on Walch up front and seized the opportunity to duck low of him on lap three to secure the lead. Walch continue to backslide as Terry Phillips, Jon Tesch, Jeremy Payne, and Shane Hebert knocked him out of the top five. The first caution of the race came on lap nineteen that included Kelly Shryock and Mike Steensma tangling in turn one. On the ensuing restart Phillips used a slidejob in turn three to power by Myer for the race lead.
Action came to a screeching hault when the red flag came out for Corey Dripps. Dripps apparently got hung up on the fronstretch wall and made heavy contact with the opening to the pit area in turn one. Dripps would get out of the car under his own power and acknowledged the fans. Jon Tesch would work the outside groove as he made his way by Myer for the second position on the restart while points leader Jason Hughes made the pass on Ryan Gustin for the sixth spot. At the front of the field it was all Terry Phillips as he pocketed the winning payday and hardware. He was followed across the line by Jon Tesch, Tommy Myer, Jeremy Payne, and Jason Hughes. Hughes' strong run from seventeenth meant he pulled further ahead of Ryan Gustin in the point standings. The eighty-eight point margin would be extremely hard for the Marshalltown teenager to overcome with just two shows remaining.
I'd like to give a shout out to the track crew at the Deer Creek Speedway! With all the pictures that I saw of not only the track, but the grounds as well, I was extremely surprised that we were able to see races Friday night. The track was in excellent condition throughout the night and provided for three, four, and sometimes five-wide racing.
Now on to Saturday night. With Thursday's events rescheduled for Sunday, that meant that the originally scheduled "championship night" of the Fall Jamboree would still be held Saturday night. The big money would be on the line for drivers in both divisions, which both winner's share of the purse was increased by generous sponsors that stepped forward earlier in the day.
Although the sun came out for periods of time and the wind was not as strong, it seemed to be a bit colder then Friday night. Once again the same format would be used for qualifying for both classes. With the cold temperatures, I opted not to take my usual notes so I could keep my hands warm.
The Wissota midwest modified feature would be run green to checkered as they took to the track immediately following a track prep session. Brandon Davis would garner a second consecutive win on the weekend as he picked up the big money check. Dan Wheeler would come home second, Dustin Scott finished third, Jerry Young was fourth, and Wissota 100 winner Matt Leer completed the top five.
Before the USMTS feature took the green flag, a big screen tv in the infield displayed a trailer from the Dirt Knights television program that will be debuting in January on the Versus network. Following that clip, the drivers were introduced to the crowd with recorded video clips from earlier in the day. As the drivers organized for a photo, a big ball of fire went off behind the billboards. Hopefully somebody got a picture at the right time as it was a spectacular sight, not to mention a warm sensation. As the drivers buckled in and began their pace laps, fireworks on the backstretch went off.
Then it was time for business. Al Hejna, Rodney Sanders, and Bob Timm comprised the front row of the three-wide, eleven-row deep field of the best of the best. Sanders would get the advantage and lead the fourteen laps before relinquishing the lead to Ryan Gustin. Gustin, who had started twelfth, began to pull away from the field as he tried to cut in to Jason Hughe's insurmountable point lead. With Gustin looking strong and holding a straight away advantage, the caution flag came out on lap twenty-nine to bunch the field back up. Another quick caution followed, but when racing resumed Jason Hughes kept pace with Gustin and made his move on the outside of Gustin on lap thirty-two to take command of the race. While Gustin searched for a faster line behind, Hughes maintained his lead by running the cushion. When the smoke settled it would be Jason Hughes celebrating in victory lane. His efforts were rewarded with a $9,000 paycheck as sponsors stepped up and added money, but Hughes also garnered the "previous champion" bonus. Jon Tesch found the quick way around Gustin for second and third, respectively, with Shane Hebert and Zack VanderBeek rounding out the top five.
Hughes not only collected the hardware for the Fall Jamboree championship night, but his efforts all but clinched the 2010 National Championship for the Oklahoma driver. Hughes only needs to sign in and take the green flag in his heat race to become the fourth different national champion in USMTS history. To go along with these accolades, Hughes' own Hughes Chassis also won the Chassis Builders Championship.
Ryan Gustin should finish in the runner-up position in the national point standings. He holds a 59-point advantage over Tommy Myer. It would be the second consecutive season that Gustin has finished in that position as he finished behind Kelly Shryock last year.
The COMP Cams Engine Builders Championship is the only championship to be determined with Sunday's events. Mullins and Sputs are currently tied, so the engine that finishes ahead of the other will be crown victorious.
Sunday also marks the end of the 2010 National Tour for the USMTS. However, the USMTS still has 5 events on the calendar at this point in time as they have events in Texas. For more information, be sure to check out www.usmts.com.
I'd like to thank Todd and Janet Staley, along with their public relations director Jeff Nun, for their hospitality throughout the year. The entire USMTS staff were always willing to answers questions I may have had or taken the time to chat after the races.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Gustin Visits Oskaloosa Victory Lane Again
After Mother Nature forced officials from the United States Modified Touring Series to postpone the event at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa until Monday night (Sept 20), it appeared as though she may play a factor once again last night. However, track officials worked hard to get the track in racing condition to set up the first of five scheduled nights for the USMTS road warriors.
Plenty of rain over the course of the previous week provided for a choppy track, which was evident by the way the cars were bouncing through the corners. A few unlucky drivers ended their night on the back end of a tow truck after being in a wreck or rollover. Fortunately all drivers were okay.
Twenty-five USRA bmods were first to tame the monster half-mile oval. Outside front row starter Bill Gibson got the jump to hold down the top spot in the early running. Pole sitter Cayden Carter and row two starter Jason McDaniel engaged in a duel for the runner up position on lap three with Carter getting the advantage. Andrew Schroeder slowed down the front stretch on lap four to bring out the first caution flag, and when racing resumed Carter wasted no time in powering his machine to the top side and motoring by Gibson for the lead. With Carter securely out front, Gibson and McDaniel battled it out for the second spot late in the race. Gibson would snag the second finishing position ahead of McDaniel with Tony Johnson and AJ Johnson, but it was Cayden Carter picking up his eighteenth win of the season according to track announcer Tony Paris.
A field of eighteen USRA hobby stocks would be the next feature to take to the track. Outside front row starter Nathan Wood jumped out to the early lead in the #55 car owned by TJ Henderson. Dustin Griffiths ducked to the inside of Dale Porter for the runner up position before the top five spread themselves out in single file formation. Todd Reitzler and Kris Walker both worked their way by Porter to each advance a spot before Reitzler came to a stop in turn four with a flat tire with four laps remaining. On the restart, Dan Hovden made a great move to the inside to pass two cars to take over the runner up spot and set his sights on race leader Nathan Wood. The gap between first and second began to shrink as the laps clicked away, but Wood was able to hold off Hovden to take the win. Dan Hovden would finish a close second, Kris Walker was third, Bobby Greene fourth, and Todd Reitzler rebounded nicely for a fifth place finish.
Nineteen stock cars graced the pit area, but two drivers were unable to make the call for the Dart Iron Man Challenge feature event. Pole sitter Todd Inman would lead the first circuit, but Jason Minnehan would rocket off turn two and swing to the inside of Inman for the lead on lap two. Brad Pinkerton, piloting Nathan Wood's IMCA-rules stock car, quickly advanced into the third spot by lap three. Inman would regain the lead from Minnehan while Nathan Wood climbed to fourth. The two "Team Wood" cars would both dive to the inside of Minnehan and pick up a spot. Pinkerton would later peak to the inside of Inman for the lead prior to the red flag coming out when Shane Weller came to a stop in turn one. Chad Walter couldn't change his line fast enough and made heavy contact with Weller's machine, ripping the rear end out of Walter's car and sending him for a ride. Weller and Walter were both alright.
Following the restart Mike VanGenderen, Minnehan, and Inman raced three-wide coming out of turn four before contact was made a lap later. VanGenderen caught a rut wrong, causing his machine to push up and hit Minnehan's hotrod. Minnehan then collected Nathan Wood with Wood coming to a stop. The contact would end Minnehan's strong run while Wood tagged the tail of the field, along with VanGenderen who was penalized for questionable driving. VanGenderen and Wood both weaved their way back up through the field in fine fashion. Brad Pinkerton would take home the checkers with Nathan Wood in second, Mike VanGenderen in third, Mark Elliott fourth, and Greg Elliott fifth. The press release for the Dart Ironman Challenge series showed that Nathan Wood overtook VanGenderen for the point lead heading in to the final race of the series at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison Tuesday night. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other ideas as that event was cancelled earlier today. So one could assume that Wood will be crowned the series champion.
It was then time for the heart-pounding cars of the USMTS to make their way to the track. Outside front row starter Colt Mather was seemingly shot out of a cannon as he took control from the drop of the green flag. Mike Spaulding was running second with sixth starter Ryan Gustin in third at the completion of the first lap. On the next lap Spaulding suddenly slowed in turn four, leaving Brad Pinkerton no place to go as the two tangled. Tim Donlinger would also get caught up in the mishap along with Ryan Schaffer suffering the worst luck as he would end up on his top after wheel-hopping a slower car ahead of him. During the extensive cleanup, officials decided to cut the distance down to twenty laps rather then the original thirty due to the dangerous track conditions.
When the green flag was displayed again, Ryan Gustin rocketed to the lead on the inside of Mather in turn two. Mather fought right back on the outside and regained the catbird seat on the next circuit. Mather opened up a ten-carlength advantage at one point before Gustin began to reel him back in as the laps clicked away. Gustin would use the slingshot move in turns three and four to once again take the top spot, but this time he would not relinquish it. Mather continued to run the cushion, but points leader Jason Hughes marched to the inside and made the pass for the second position. Rodney Sanders and Jon Tesch waged a good battle for the fourth spot before Tesch pulled off the backstretch and ended his night early. Gustin would go on to take the impressive win and shave a few points off Jason Hughes' points lead. Hughes would finish second, Colt Mather third, Rodney Sanders finished fourth, and Tommy Myer rounded out the top five.
The USMTS series was supposed to make their way to the Highway 3 Raceway Tuesday night, but inclement weather forced officials to cancel that show. So instead they will head north to the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota Wednesday for a practice night before opening up the Fall Jamboree on Thursday. The Fall Jamboree marks the final weekend to determine this year's USMTS National Championship. For more information, check out www.usmts.com or www.deercreekspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Plenty of rain over the course of the previous week provided for a choppy track, which was evident by the way the cars were bouncing through the corners. A few unlucky drivers ended their night on the back end of a tow truck after being in a wreck or rollover. Fortunately all drivers were okay.
Twenty-five USRA bmods were first to tame the monster half-mile oval. Outside front row starter Bill Gibson got the jump to hold down the top spot in the early running. Pole sitter Cayden Carter and row two starter Jason McDaniel engaged in a duel for the runner up position on lap three with Carter getting the advantage. Andrew Schroeder slowed down the front stretch on lap four to bring out the first caution flag, and when racing resumed Carter wasted no time in powering his machine to the top side and motoring by Gibson for the lead. With Carter securely out front, Gibson and McDaniel battled it out for the second spot late in the race. Gibson would snag the second finishing position ahead of McDaniel with Tony Johnson and AJ Johnson, but it was Cayden Carter picking up his eighteenth win of the season according to track announcer Tony Paris.
A field of eighteen USRA hobby stocks would be the next feature to take to the track. Outside front row starter Nathan Wood jumped out to the early lead in the #55 car owned by TJ Henderson. Dustin Griffiths ducked to the inside of Dale Porter for the runner up position before the top five spread themselves out in single file formation. Todd Reitzler and Kris Walker both worked their way by Porter to each advance a spot before Reitzler came to a stop in turn four with a flat tire with four laps remaining. On the restart, Dan Hovden made a great move to the inside to pass two cars to take over the runner up spot and set his sights on race leader Nathan Wood. The gap between first and second began to shrink as the laps clicked away, but Wood was able to hold off Hovden to take the win. Dan Hovden would finish a close second, Kris Walker was third, Bobby Greene fourth, and Todd Reitzler rebounded nicely for a fifth place finish.
Nineteen stock cars graced the pit area, but two drivers were unable to make the call for the Dart Iron Man Challenge feature event. Pole sitter Todd Inman would lead the first circuit, but Jason Minnehan would rocket off turn two and swing to the inside of Inman for the lead on lap two. Brad Pinkerton, piloting Nathan Wood's IMCA-rules stock car, quickly advanced into the third spot by lap three. Inman would regain the lead from Minnehan while Nathan Wood climbed to fourth. The two "Team Wood" cars would both dive to the inside of Minnehan and pick up a spot. Pinkerton would later peak to the inside of Inman for the lead prior to the red flag coming out when Shane Weller came to a stop in turn one. Chad Walter couldn't change his line fast enough and made heavy contact with Weller's machine, ripping the rear end out of Walter's car and sending him for a ride. Weller and Walter were both alright.
Following the restart Mike VanGenderen, Minnehan, and Inman raced three-wide coming out of turn four before contact was made a lap later. VanGenderen caught a rut wrong, causing his machine to push up and hit Minnehan's hotrod. Minnehan then collected Nathan Wood with Wood coming to a stop. The contact would end Minnehan's strong run while Wood tagged the tail of the field, along with VanGenderen who was penalized for questionable driving. VanGenderen and Wood both weaved their way back up through the field in fine fashion. Brad Pinkerton would take home the checkers with Nathan Wood in second, Mike VanGenderen in third, Mark Elliott fourth, and Greg Elliott fifth. The press release for the Dart Ironman Challenge series showed that Nathan Wood overtook VanGenderen for the point lead heading in to the final race of the series at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison Tuesday night. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other ideas as that event was cancelled earlier today. So one could assume that Wood will be crowned the series champion.
It was then time for the heart-pounding cars of the USMTS to make their way to the track. Outside front row starter Colt Mather was seemingly shot out of a cannon as he took control from the drop of the green flag. Mike Spaulding was running second with sixth starter Ryan Gustin in third at the completion of the first lap. On the next lap Spaulding suddenly slowed in turn four, leaving Brad Pinkerton no place to go as the two tangled. Tim Donlinger would also get caught up in the mishap along with Ryan Schaffer suffering the worst luck as he would end up on his top after wheel-hopping a slower car ahead of him. During the extensive cleanup, officials decided to cut the distance down to twenty laps rather then the original thirty due to the dangerous track conditions.
When the green flag was displayed again, Ryan Gustin rocketed to the lead on the inside of Mather in turn two. Mather fought right back on the outside and regained the catbird seat on the next circuit. Mather opened up a ten-carlength advantage at one point before Gustin began to reel him back in as the laps clicked away. Gustin would use the slingshot move in turns three and four to once again take the top spot, but this time he would not relinquish it. Mather continued to run the cushion, but points leader Jason Hughes marched to the inside and made the pass for the second position. Rodney Sanders and Jon Tesch waged a good battle for the fourth spot before Tesch pulled off the backstretch and ended his night early. Gustin would go on to take the impressive win and shave a few points off Jason Hughes' points lead. Hughes would finish second, Colt Mather third, Rodney Sanders finished fourth, and Tommy Myer rounded out the top five.
The USMTS series was supposed to make their way to the Highway 3 Raceway Tuesday night, but inclement weather forced officials to cancel that show. So instead they will head north to the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota Wednesday for a practice night before opening up the Fall Jamboree on Thursday. The Fall Jamboree marks the final weekend to determine this year's USMTS National Championship. For more information, check out www.usmts.com or www.deercreekspeedway.com.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Gustin Protects Home Turf With Hawkeye Dirt Tour Win
The first night of the 4th annual Havoc on the Highbanks took place last night at the Marshalltown Speedway. The JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour was also on hand, and will be again tonight (weather permitting), as they close in on crowning their series champion next week. A great field of cars in all classes filled the pit area, including 40 modifieds. Also on the slate were mod-lites, hobby stocks, sportmods, and stock cars.
The first class to run their feature were the mod-lites. Mike Morrill jumped out front from his inside row two starting spot, but he would receive plenty of pressure from pole sitter Tim Hennigar with Joel Huggins sitting just behind them. With Morrill out front, the rest of the top five got strung out and were racing in single file formation. Morrill would lose the handle on his machine on lap seven just prior to the red flag coming out when Colby Oberembt and Cliff Barber took a couple of hard rolls on the frontstretch. Both drivers were able to walk away seemingly uninjured. The yellow flag waved as the leaders were set to take the checkers, so that set up a green-white-checkered finish. Tim Hennigard was able to fend off Joel Huggins for the win with Mike Morrill recovering to finish third, Dusty Masolini was fourth, and Josh May rounded out the top five.
A stellar field of 48 IMCA sportmods were on hand to try their luck at the Havoc, but the starting grid would only hold half of those competitors. Jason Purvis and Cory Rose paced the field to the green flag with Purvis snatching the lead. It didn't take long for track champion Scott Davis to make his way to the front as he climbed to the top of the scoring tower by lap three after starting sixth. A lap three caution slowed the pace, but when the green flag waved again Davis rocketed out to a great lead. Cayden Carter was on the move as well as he worked forward from the ninth starting spot to third before another caution on lap nine. Carter found the top side to his liking on the restart as he powered by Danny Dvorak for the runner up spot. Following the final caution, Carter again built up some momentum and passed Davis for the lead at the two laps to go signal. Carter would go on to take the win ahead of Davis with Danny Dvorak finishing third, Eric Flander fourth, and Josh Sherbon completed the top five.
IMCA hobby stocks took to the track next for their main event. Pole sitter Rob Allison paced the field ahead of Terry Shaffar. Two early cautions kept the pace at a minimum, but when the green flag waved again Scott Pippert would advance a couple spots to the third position. Pippert would methodically work his machine to the front as he hammered the cushion to get by Shaffar and later Allison with five to go to take the lead. Scott Pippert would take home the win ahead of Rob Allison, Terry Shaffar, and Bill Bonnett.
Twenty-two IMCA stock cars made their way to the track for their finale. Mike Goldsberry took control in the early going, but Mike VanGenderen ducked under him to snag the lead away on the third circuit. After starting tenth, track champion Dustin Smith sliced his way to the third spot in just five trips around the track. On the next lap Smith would use the slingshot move to advance past Dave Atcher to take the second position. The lapped car of Keith Miner lost the handle of his machine and Smith had nowhere to go. Smith spun his car sideways, but contact was still made. Fortunately for Smith the caution came out after he had got moving again, so he would restart at the front of the pack again. Mike VanGenderen would suffer a flat right front tire on the restart and end his night prematurely. That allowed Smith to build up a comfortable lead and take his 10th win of the season at Marshalltown. A full straight away behind Smith, Damon Murty and Robert Stofer got by Dave Atcher for second and third. Atcher was fourth and Jay Schmidt completed the top five.
The JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour modifieds were set to roll off for their thirty-lap feature event to bring a close to the opening night of the Havoc on the Highbanks. The field of forty cars were narrowed to starting field of twenty-four, and it would be pole sitter Scott Simatovich jumping out to the early lead. After starting fifth, Richie Gustin wasted no time in climbing up top on the cushion to try his luck. Gustin made it work as he quickly moved into the third spot behind Simatovich and Jon Snyder. Those three drivers would put on a great battle for the fans with Simatovich down low and Snyder and Gustin up high as they pulled away from the field. Snyder would slowly gain enough momentum to take over the lead from Simatovich with Gustin squeaking by a couple laps later for second.
The leaders would encounter lapped traffic just prior to the halfway point in the race. I noticed at that point that Jeff Morris, who had started 20th, had worked his way up to eighth as he was catfishing it on the bottom. Lap seventeen proved to be the turning point of the race as Gustin performed a slidejob on Snyder in turn four to assume command of the race. Meanwhile Todd Shute was also digging hard a bit further back as he climbed into the third position around Simatovich with ten laps remaining. Shute would work under Snyder for the runner up position in the closing laps, but contact between the two drivers sent Shute spinning in turn two on the final lap. Richie Gustin would grace victory lane for the third time this season on the inaugural season of the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour and his 15th overall win this year. Jon Snyder would finish second, Scott Simatovich third, Josh Gilman fourth, and Jimmy Gustin completed the top five. Jeff Morris would finish sixth.
Points leader Mike Jergens had a good car early on, but broke a brake floater and back peddled to 15th. He still holds the point lead, but that margin has now shrunk as Gustin sits just one point behind. With Marshalltown cancelling the second night of the Havoc on the Highbanks, the points championship will come down to the final night next Saturday at the 34 Raceway near Burlington. For more information on that event, check out www.dirttour.com or www.34raceway.com.
My schedule for next week may get a big hectic. As of right now I'm planning to hit all 5 of the upcoming USMTS shows. This next week will determine who gets crowned the 2010 National Champion as it culminates at the Deer Creek Speedway during the Fall Jamboree. So here is my schedule for next week:
Monday - USMTS @ Southern Iowa Speedway (Oskaloosa)
Tuesday - USMTS @ Highway 3 Raceway (Allison)
Thursday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway (near Spring Valley, MN)
Friday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway
Saturday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway
This is an outside chance that I may go to the special at the I-35 Speedway in Mason City on Sunday. Time and sleep (or lack there of) will determine that.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
The first class to run their feature were the mod-lites. Mike Morrill jumped out front from his inside row two starting spot, but he would receive plenty of pressure from pole sitter Tim Hennigar with Joel Huggins sitting just behind them. With Morrill out front, the rest of the top five got strung out and were racing in single file formation. Morrill would lose the handle on his machine on lap seven just prior to the red flag coming out when Colby Oberembt and Cliff Barber took a couple of hard rolls on the frontstretch. Both drivers were able to walk away seemingly uninjured. The yellow flag waved as the leaders were set to take the checkers, so that set up a green-white-checkered finish. Tim Hennigard was able to fend off Joel Huggins for the win with Mike Morrill recovering to finish third, Dusty Masolini was fourth, and Josh May rounded out the top five.
A stellar field of 48 IMCA sportmods were on hand to try their luck at the Havoc, but the starting grid would only hold half of those competitors. Jason Purvis and Cory Rose paced the field to the green flag with Purvis snatching the lead. It didn't take long for track champion Scott Davis to make his way to the front as he climbed to the top of the scoring tower by lap three after starting sixth. A lap three caution slowed the pace, but when the green flag waved again Davis rocketed out to a great lead. Cayden Carter was on the move as well as he worked forward from the ninth starting spot to third before another caution on lap nine. Carter found the top side to his liking on the restart as he powered by Danny Dvorak for the runner up spot. Following the final caution, Carter again built up some momentum and passed Davis for the lead at the two laps to go signal. Carter would go on to take the win ahead of Davis with Danny Dvorak finishing third, Eric Flander fourth, and Josh Sherbon completed the top five.
IMCA hobby stocks took to the track next for their main event. Pole sitter Rob Allison paced the field ahead of Terry Shaffar. Two early cautions kept the pace at a minimum, but when the green flag waved again Scott Pippert would advance a couple spots to the third position. Pippert would methodically work his machine to the front as he hammered the cushion to get by Shaffar and later Allison with five to go to take the lead. Scott Pippert would take home the win ahead of Rob Allison, Terry Shaffar, and Bill Bonnett.
Twenty-two IMCA stock cars made their way to the track for their finale. Mike Goldsberry took control in the early going, but Mike VanGenderen ducked under him to snag the lead away on the third circuit. After starting tenth, track champion Dustin Smith sliced his way to the third spot in just five trips around the track. On the next lap Smith would use the slingshot move to advance past Dave Atcher to take the second position. The lapped car of Keith Miner lost the handle of his machine and Smith had nowhere to go. Smith spun his car sideways, but contact was still made. Fortunately for Smith the caution came out after he had got moving again, so he would restart at the front of the pack again. Mike VanGenderen would suffer a flat right front tire on the restart and end his night prematurely. That allowed Smith to build up a comfortable lead and take his 10th win of the season at Marshalltown. A full straight away behind Smith, Damon Murty and Robert Stofer got by Dave Atcher for second and third. Atcher was fourth and Jay Schmidt completed the top five.
The JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour modifieds were set to roll off for their thirty-lap feature event to bring a close to the opening night of the Havoc on the Highbanks. The field of forty cars were narrowed to starting field of twenty-four, and it would be pole sitter Scott Simatovich jumping out to the early lead. After starting fifth, Richie Gustin wasted no time in climbing up top on the cushion to try his luck. Gustin made it work as he quickly moved into the third spot behind Simatovich and Jon Snyder. Those three drivers would put on a great battle for the fans with Simatovich down low and Snyder and Gustin up high as they pulled away from the field. Snyder would slowly gain enough momentum to take over the lead from Simatovich with Gustin squeaking by a couple laps later for second.
The leaders would encounter lapped traffic just prior to the halfway point in the race. I noticed at that point that Jeff Morris, who had started 20th, had worked his way up to eighth as he was catfishing it on the bottom. Lap seventeen proved to be the turning point of the race as Gustin performed a slidejob on Snyder in turn four to assume command of the race. Meanwhile Todd Shute was also digging hard a bit further back as he climbed into the third position around Simatovich with ten laps remaining. Shute would work under Snyder for the runner up position in the closing laps, but contact between the two drivers sent Shute spinning in turn two on the final lap. Richie Gustin would grace victory lane for the third time this season on the inaugural season of the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour and his 15th overall win this year. Jon Snyder would finish second, Scott Simatovich third, Josh Gilman fourth, and Jimmy Gustin completed the top five. Jeff Morris would finish sixth.
Points leader Mike Jergens had a good car early on, but broke a brake floater and back peddled to 15th. He still holds the point lead, but that margin has now shrunk as Gustin sits just one point behind. With Marshalltown cancelling the second night of the Havoc on the Highbanks, the points championship will come down to the final night next Saturday at the 34 Raceway near Burlington. For more information on that event, check out www.dirttour.com or www.34raceway.com.
My schedule for next week may get a big hectic. As of right now I'm planning to hit all 5 of the upcoming USMTS shows. This next week will determine who gets crowned the 2010 National Champion as it culminates at the Deer Creek Speedway during the Fall Jamboree. So here is my schedule for next week:
Monday - USMTS @ Southern Iowa Speedway (Oskaloosa)
Tuesday - USMTS @ Highway 3 Raceway (Allison)
Thursday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway (near Spring Valley, MN)
Friday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway
Saturday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway
This is an outside chance that I may go to the special at the I-35 Speedway in Mason City on Sunday. Time and sleep (or lack there of) will determine that.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Ableson Notches Clay County Fair Win
Back on Thursday night (Sept 16), I made my only trip of the season up to the Clay County fairgrounds in Spencer to take in their finale of a three-race series. The Clay County Fair, dubbed as "the world's largest fair", was also going on that weekend. Upon arrival I saw some friends from central Iowa that I hadn't expected to see, but had fun catching up with them and chatting about racing. IMCA hobby stocks, sportmods, stock cars, and modifieds were on the lineup and promoter Joe Ringsdorf ran an efficient show once again.
The IMCA hobby stocks were first to take the track for their feature event. Twenty-two cars took the green flag with Darin Johnson snatching the lead after starting on the pole. Devin Smith, who started outside row seven, had found the quick way around the clay oval and advanced to the fourth position at the halfway point of the race. He would power by Ernie Dailey on the next circuit before the caution waved with four laps remaining. Smith dove to the inside on the restart and grabbed the lead away from Johnson exiting turn two as he picked up the win. Darin Johnson finished second, Jerry Gronewald was third, Chad Krug fourth, and Brandon Nielsen rounded out the top five.
Up next would be the twenty-car starting field of IMCA sportmods. Matt Looft and Tyler Heetland started on the front row with Heetland getting the advantage at the start. During the first caution Dylan Book and Zach Norgaard made contact with each driver suffering flat tires. When racing resumed Jake Simpson used the high side to make the pass on Matt Looft for the runner up spot. Simpson was closing in on Heetland's lead when the final caution of the race came out. From that point on Tyler Heetland was able to hold off Jake Simpson for the win with Matt Looft finishing third, Jesse Sobbing fourth, and Tony Pogeler finishing fifth.
A good field of twenty-two IMCA stock cars then made their way to the track for their feature. David Wickman and Chad Palmer paced the field to the green flag with Palmer getting the edge off the cushion to take the lead. Randy Brands made up a lot of ground in the early going as he advanced from tenth up to fifth in just two laps. Jake Masters used the outside line to get by Bruce Wickman for third, with Brands following to fourth. Following a lap four restart, Masters again utilized the cushion to get by David Wickman to snare the second spot away. Brands snuck under Wickman to take the third spot while Masters continued to run the high side and overtook Palmer for the lead. Brands would again take to the inside and also make the pass on Palmer. Palmer would battle back on the outside as the two raced fender to fender for a couple laps before the caution waved again with David Wickman lost a motor. Jake Masters take the win from there with Randy Brands following him across the line in second. Chad Palmer, Roger Verdoorn, and Bruce Wickman rounded out the top five.
The finale of the night was the sixteen-car field of IMCA modifieds. Jeremy Mills and Chris Abelson sat on the front row with Abelson getting the advantage on the start. He quickly built up a sizable lead before Mills closed back in a handful of laps later. Jay Noteboom went to work on Ryan Watnem for the third position with Noteboom securing the spot. As the leaders caught lapped traffic, Abelson was able to open up his lead once again until the only caution of the race came out with two laps to go. Chris Abelson was able to hold off Jeremy Mills at the line to take the win. Jay Noteboom would finish third, Ryan Watnem was fourth, and Ricky Stephan rounded out the top five.
The show was moved along at a quick pace as promoter Joe Ringsdorf typically does not have an intermission at his shows. The only pauses in the action were for feature win photos and overall champion photos.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
The IMCA hobby stocks were first to take the track for their feature event. Twenty-two cars took the green flag with Darin Johnson snatching the lead after starting on the pole. Devin Smith, who started outside row seven, had found the quick way around the clay oval and advanced to the fourth position at the halfway point of the race. He would power by Ernie Dailey on the next circuit before the caution waved with four laps remaining. Smith dove to the inside on the restart and grabbed the lead away from Johnson exiting turn two as he picked up the win. Darin Johnson finished second, Jerry Gronewald was third, Chad Krug fourth, and Brandon Nielsen rounded out the top five.
Up next would be the twenty-car starting field of IMCA sportmods. Matt Looft and Tyler Heetland started on the front row with Heetland getting the advantage at the start. During the first caution Dylan Book and Zach Norgaard made contact with each driver suffering flat tires. When racing resumed Jake Simpson used the high side to make the pass on Matt Looft for the runner up spot. Simpson was closing in on Heetland's lead when the final caution of the race came out. From that point on Tyler Heetland was able to hold off Jake Simpson for the win with Matt Looft finishing third, Jesse Sobbing fourth, and Tony Pogeler finishing fifth.
A good field of twenty-two IMCA stock cars then made their way to the track for their feature. David Wickman and Chad Palmer paced the field to the green flag with Palmer getting the edge off the cushion to take the lead. Randy Brands made up a lot of ground in the early going as he advanced from tenth up to fifth in just two laps. Jake Masters used the outside line to get by Bruce Wickman for third, with Brands following to fourth. Following a lap four restart, Masters again utilized the cushion to get by David Wickman to snare the second spot away. Brands snuck under Wickman to take the third spot while Masters continued to run the high side and overtook Palmer for the lead. Brands would again take to the inside and also make the pass on Palmer. Palmer would battle back on the outside as the two raced fender to fender for a couple laps before the caution waved again with David Wickman lost a motor. Jake Masters take the win from there with Randy Brands following him across the line in second. Chad Palmer, Roger Verdoorn, and Bruce Wickman rounded out the top five.
The finale of the night was the sixteen-car field of IMCA modifieds. Jeremy Mills and Chris Abelson sat on the front row with Abelson getting the advantage on the start. He quickly built up a sizable lead before Mills closed back in a handful of laps later. Jay Noteboom went to work on Ryan Watnem for the third position with Noteboom securing the spot. As the leaders caught lapped traffic, Abelson was able to open up his lead once again until the only caution of the race came out with two laps to go. Chris Abelson was able to hold off Jeremy Mills at the line to take the win. Jay Noteboom would finish third, Ryan Watnem was fourth, and Ricky Stephan rounded out the top five.
The show was moved along at a quick pace as promoter Joe Ringsdorf typically does not have an intermission at his shows. The only pauses in the action were for feature win photos and overall champion photos.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Four New Supernationals Champions Crowned
Saturday marked the sixth and final day of the Speedway Motors IMCA Supernationals. Once again the week went by faster then a speeding bullet, but I'm sure everybody got their money's worth as the racing was top-notch all week long with a few minor exceptions. Once again I have to give props to the track crew from the Boone Speedway as they not only had the racing surface in tip-top shape, but they had to work extra hard on Monday and Friday as rain set in and slowed down the racing action.
Along with the four Supernationals features, four Race of Champions races were also run on Saturday. The first of those events would be the hobby stock race. Pole sitter Brandon Pruitt grabbed the top spot with long time racer Randy Embrey on his tail. The ten-car field got spread out by the halfway point of the ten lap race. Brandon Pruitt would take the win ahead of Andy Boeckman, Randy Embrey, Shannon Anderson, John Watson, Stac Schroeder, Chad Gentz, Dustin Larson, Brandon Taylor, and Michael Murphy.
The sportmod Race of Champions would be run immediately following the hobby stock race. National points leader Tyler Frye paced the field from the pole with Clint Luellen following closely at the conclusion of the first lap. Sixth-place starter Nate Chodur worked his way up to third by lap two before sneaking under Luellen for second on lap four before the caution waved. At this point, race leader Frye was sent back two spots after he was docked for jumping the original start. That put Chodur out front and Luellen ahead of Frye on the score sheet, but the double-file restart would keep all three bunched together. Frye wasted no time in disposing of Luellen for second and set his sights back on the top spot. With three laps to go Frye motored by Chodur on the top side to regain the lead and go on to take the win. Nate Chodur settled for second, Tad Reutzel was third, Eric Flander fourth, Clint Luellen fifth, Scott Davis sixth, Danny Dvorak seventh, Greg Sidles eighth, Shay Woods ninth, and Dylan Book rounded out the field.
After the last chance qualifiers for modifieds were run, it was now time for the modified Race of Champions. Jake Durbin and Clint Hatlestad sat on the front row with Hatlestad getting the jump to claim the lead. Hatlestad would extend his lead to nearly a straight away as he dominated the race and took home the win. Jake Durbin was second, Jordan Grabouski third, Jimmy Gustin fourth, Keith White fifth, Scott Olson sixth, Jim Cole seventh, Jonathon Thimmesch eighth, Scott Hogan ninth, Kevin Sustaire tenth, Chris Dawson eleventh, and Kevin Stoa twelfth.
The stock car Race of Champions would follow next as Ryan Rose and Brian Irvine set the pace for the ten-lap event. Irvine rocketed to the lead and was never seriously challenged as he picked up the win. Mike Nichols ducked under Rose for the second position on lap five and held on for the second place finish. Chad Palmer finished third, Jeremy Christians fourth, Jeff Mueller fifth, Ryan Rose sixth, Randy Brands seventh, Jason Ward eighth, Jason Schoenberger ninth, and Jeffrey Larson tenth.
The rest of the evening was now set for the four feature events. First up would be the hobby stocks as thirty cars would start in the now-traditional three-wide formation. Dustin Larson, Shannon Anderson, and Chad Krug sat on the front row for the thirty-lap race. Larson would get the advantage on the start and lead the pack with Robby Marsh and Anderson behind him. Inside row four starter Andy Wilkinson quickly moved up into the fourth position on lap five when he ducked under John Watson. The top eight strung out in single file until Wilkinson got under Anderson and overtook him for the third spot.
The caution flag waved on lap twelve, and when the green flag came back out Wilkinson powered by Marsh to snare the second position. Wilkinson continued to run the low groove as he tracked down Larson, and on lap sixteen he would make the pass for the lead. Shannon Anderson's bid for back-to-back Supernationals crowns ended when his car slowed atop turn three. He would coast his machine to the infield as the green flag remained out. John Watson challenged Robby Marsh for the third position the last couple of laps, but Marsh would prevail at the line. Andy Wilkinson, in his first season competing in IMCA, would take home the impressive win ahead of Dustin Larson, Robby Marsh, John Watson, and Michael Murphy. Josh Irvine would finish sixth after starting 22nd with Scott Lograsso finishing behind him in seventh after starting 26th.
Following Wilkinson's post-race celebration and photos, it was now time for the sport mod feature to hit the track. Once again thirty cars would line up three-wide and ten rows deep for a thirty-lap race. Defending national champion Jesse Sobbing was flanked by Scott Davis and Danny Dvorak on the front row. A caution flag would wave before the completion of the first lap, and during that caution Davis would exit the track to change a flat right front tire. He would tag the tail on the restart, but it would be rookie Eric Flander leading the first green flag lap. Brett Meyer and Jesse Sobbing would put the heat on Flander as they raced side by side behind him, waiting for an opportunity to sneak by. Those three drivers, along with RJ Merchant, put distance between them and the next group of competitors. Sobbing would run the cushion and get enough momentum to power by Flander for the lead on lap eight. Merchant would dive to the inside of Meyer to snag the third spot on lap twelve before another caution waved a lap later when defending Supernationals champion Mike Pruitt slowed.
Yet another caution would fly just past the halfway point of the race, and by that time Scott Davis had worked his way back near the top ten after his flat tire on the first lap. Unfortunately for Davis he would only advance one more spot by the time the checkered flag waved. Back up front, Brett Meyer utilized the inside line to take the lead away from Sobbing with twelve laps to go before pulling away. The final caution waved with seven laps remaining, and Sobbing would suffer the same luck as Davis had earlier as he exited to the work area with a flat tire. That moved Flander and Brandon Leeman to the first full row behind Meyer on the restart. Leeman would drop back during the closing laps allowing Randy Roberts, Nate Chodur, and Brett Moffitt to advance their way forward. When the checkered flag waved it would be Brett Meyer taking the win ahead of Eric Flander, Randy Roberts, Nate Chodur, and Brett Moffitt. Tyler Frye finished sixth while 28th starter Benji Legg finished seventh.
After another track prep and modified hot lap session, the stock cars made their way to the track for their thirty-car feature for thirty laps. Dustin Smith, Chad Palmer, and Steve Meyer were on the front row. Surprisingly it would be Palmer from the middle racing to the lead when the green flag dropped. Mike Nichols, who started in the middle of row three, worked his way into fourth by lap two. Smith would start to close the gap to race leader Palmer while Nichols worked to the inside of Meyer for third. The yellow flag was displayed as Damon Murty came to an abrupt stop exiting turn four. The field had to scatter to avoid hitting Murty as he stopped in the middle of the wide racing surface. On the restart Palmer would push up in turn two, allowing Dustin Smith to assume the top spot. Palmer would fall back to fourth, and Nichols who was running third would fall back even further as his car slowed before he got it back moving. Palmer appeared to gather things back up as he moved back up into the third spot around Josh Daniels, but both drivers went backwards as Palmer pushed up the track again and contact was made.
Smith would suffer the same fate as Palmer had earlier when his machine pushed up the race track, opening the door for Wisconsin's Jeremy Christians to steal the lead away. Another caution came out on lap sixteen, bunching the field back up. When racing resumed Smith would not get a good restart, which opened the door for Michael Bruns and Jamie Colwell to sneak by under him. Palmer would later motor by Smith on the outside for the fourth spot, pushing Smith back to fifth. Colwell looked to be on the charge as he passed Bruns on the inside for the runner up spot, but Colwell's luck would take a turn for the worse as he spun in turn two to bring out the caution. Another caution came out with six laps remaining, but that did not stop Jeremy Christians from taking home his first Supernationals crown as he picked up the win. Dustin Smith rebounded to take second, Donovan Smith was third, Marcus Fagen finished fourth, and Michael Bruns rounded out the top five after starting twentieth. Trent Murphy finished sixth after starting 29th on the grid while outside front row starter Steve Meyer followed in seventh.
The end of the stock car race marked the time that most of the people had waited all week to see: the modified feature. Thirty-three drivers bested a field of over 270 that made their way to the Boone Speedway for the week. After introducing the drivers as they walked across the stage, each row would then be paraded around the track in the back of Karl Chevrolet pickups to wave to the fans. Kevin Stoa, Jimmy Gustin, and Clint Hatlestad won their respective features throughout the week to earn the front row.
When the green flag dropped on the forty-lap feature, it was Kevin Stoa racing to the lead with Brandon Blochlinger following in his tire tracks. By lap three perhaps the surprise of the race saw G.W. Egbert quickly advance from his middle of row six starting spot up into the top five. Stoa's lead would be cut short as he slowed down the backstretch and exited the track in turn three, handing the lead over to Blochlinger on lap nine. Another surprise of the race would be Luke Wanninger. Wanninger, a rookie this season in the modified division, had started outside row five and had pounded the cushion to make his way up to third at this point. He made short work of Hatlestad as he climbed into the runner up spot as he set his sights on Blochlinger up front. The two front runners separated from the pack as they would put on a show for the fans with Wanninger trying to pull even on the inside of Blochlinger.
Meanwhile middle front row starter Jimmy Gustin, who faded to around eighth in the opening laps, was quietly working his way back towards the front as he found himself fourth after passing Egbert on the low side. Gustin continued to climb back up the ladder as he passed Hatlestad for third. The only caution of the race came with a mere eight laps to go, giving both fans and the drivers time to relax after all that exciting action thus far. It was Egbert that brought out the caution when he spun in turn four after running sixth.
Jimmy Gustin took advantage of the restart as he passed Wanninger for second. Wanninger would push up the track and fall back to around seventh, opening the door for Johnny Saathoff to make his way up to third. As Gustin looked to reel in Blochlinger up front, the race leader would push up the track in turn three and go over the banking and exit the track. No yellow was thrown as he safely made his way out of harms way, but that gave the lead to Gustin with Saathoff a ways back in second. From there Gustin would cruise home to his first Supernationals victory as he celebrated in victory lane. Johnny Saathoff would finish second, Todd Shute was third after starting eighteenth, Scott Olson fourth, and Nick Deal had a great run to finish fifth after starting 23rd.
The modified feature brought the close of the IMCA Supernationals. There was a lot of good, close racing this year in my opinion. That is what the fans pay to see, and once again I have to give a huge pop to the track prep crew for their long hours of working on the track. I'm sure it's a thankless job despite the announcer's doing their part to thank them. I'm sure they'll rest easy the next couple of days after their long week of work.
I also want to thank a couple of other people. First, I'd like to thank Brett Root and the staff at IMCA for their hospitality. It always makes me feel a little bit special when I show up to an event and a person of their stature knows who I am and call me by name as I sign in. I also want to again thank Jim Zimmerline for offering his extra laptop to me throughout the week. I hadn't planned on having a computer to type my blogs during the week and was just going to type them when I got home. But he found me Wednesday and offered his laptop to me, and for that I am grateful. Jim was taking pictures from both the infield and the catwalk throughout the week, so be sure to take a look at www.zippsphotos.com when you get a chance.
It's time to rest up from a long week of racing. Next weekend provided a plethora of races to choose from, and at this point I am undecided of my plans. In case you may not know of all the choices, here are the ones I am considering:
Marshalltown Speedway - Havoc on the Highbanks, including the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for modifieds
34 Raceway (Burlington)- Pepsi USA Nationals for IMCA Deery Brothers late models season finale
Fairmont (MN) Raceway - Shryock Memorial
Shelby County Speedway (Harlan) - Tiny Lund Memorial
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Along with the four Supernationals features, four Race of Champions races were also run on Saturday. The first of those events would be the hobby stock race. Pole sitter Brandon Pruitt grabbed the top spot with long time racer Randy Embrey on his tail. The ten-car field got spread out by the halfway point of the ten lap race. Brandon Pruitt would take the win ahead of Andy Boeckman, Randy Embrey, Shannon Anderson, John Watson, Stac Schroeder, Chad Gentz, Dustin Larson, Brandon Taylor, and Michael Murphy.
The sportmod Race of Champions would be run immediately following the hobby stock race. National points leader Tyler Frye paced the field from the pole with Clint Luellen following closely at the conclusion of the first lap. Sixth-place starter Nate Chodur worked his way up to third by lap two before sneaking under Luellen for second on lap four before the caution waved. At this point, race leader Frye was sent back two spots after he was docked for jumping the original start. That put Chodur out front and Luellen ahead of Frye on the score sheet, but the double-file restart would keep all three bunched together. Frye wasted no time in disposing of Luellen for second and set his sights back on the top spot. With three laps to go Frye motored by Chodur on the top side to regain the lead and go on to take the win. Nate Chodur settled for second, Tad Reutzel was third, Eric Flander fourth, Clint Luellen fifth, Scott Davis sixth, Danny Dvorak seventh, Greg Sidles eighth, Shay Woods ninth, and Dylan Book rounded out the field.
After the last chance qualifiers for modifieds were run, it was now time for the modified Race of Champions. Jake Durbin and Clint Hatlestad sat on the front row with Hatlestad getting the jump to claim the lead. Hatlestad would extend his lead to nearly a straight away as he dominated the race and took home the win. Jake Durbin was second, Jordan Grabouski third, Jimmy Gustin fourth, Keith White fifth, Scott Olson sixth, Jim Cole seventh, Jonathon Thimmesch eighth, Scott Hogan ninth, Kevin Sustaire tenth, Chris Dawson eleventh, and Kevin Stoa twelfth.
The stock car Race of Champions would follow next as Ryan Rose and Brian Irvine set the pace for the ten-lap event. Irvine rocketed to the lead and was never seriously challenged as he picked up the win. Mike Nichols ducked under Rose for the second position on lap five and held on for the second place finish. Chad Palmer finished third, Jeremy Christians fourth, Jeff Mueller fifth, Ryan Rose sixth, Randy Brands seventh, Jason Ward eighth, Jason Schoenberger ninth, and Jeffrey Larson tenth.
The rest of the evening was now set for the four feature events. First up would be the hobby stocks as thirty cars would start in the now-traditional three-wide formation. Dustin Larson, Shannon Anderson, and Chad Krug sat on the front row for the thirty-lap race. Larson would get the advantage on the start and lead the pack with Robby Marsh and Anderson behind him. Inside row four starter Andy Wilkinson quickly moved up into the fourth position on lap five when he ducked under John Watson. The top eight strung out in single file until Wilkinson got under Anderson and overtook him for the third spot.
The caution flag waved on lap twelve, and when the green flag came back out Wilkinson powered by Marsh to snare the second position. Wilkinson continued to run the low groove as he tracked down Larson, and on lap sixteen he would make the pass for the lead. Shannon Anderson's bid for back-to-back Supernationals crowns ended when his car slowed atop turn three. He would coast his machine to the infield as the green flag remained out. John Watson challenged Robby Marsh for the third position the last couple of laps, but Marsh would prevail at the line. Andy Wilkinson, in his first season competing in IMCA, would take home the impressive win ahead of Dustin Larson, Robby Marsh, John Watson, and Michael Murphy. Josh Irvine would finish sixth after starting 22nd with Scott Lograsso finishing behind him in seventh after starting 26th.
Following Wilkinson's post-race celebration and photos, it was now time for the sport mod feature to hit the track. Once again thirty cars would line up three-wide and ten rows deep for a thirty-lap race. Defending national champion Jesse Sobbing was flanked by Scott Davis and Danny Dvorak on the front row. A caution flag would wave before the completion of the first lap, and during that caution Davis would exit the track to change a flat right front tire. He would tag the tail on the restart, but it would be rookie Eric Flander leading the first green flag lap. Brett Meyer and Jesse Sobbing would put the heat on Flander as they raced side by side behind him, waiting for an opportunity to sneak by. Those three drivers, along with RJ Merchant, put distance between them and the next group of competitors. Sobbing would run the cushion and get enough momentum to power by Flander for the lead on lap eight. Merchant would dive to the inside of Meyer to snag the third spot on lap twelve before another caution waved a lap later when defending Supernationals champion Mike Pruitt slowed.
Yet another caution would fly just past the halfway point of the race, and by that time Scott Davis had worked his way back near the top ten after his flat tire on the first lap. Unfortunately for Davis he would only advance one more spot by the time the checkered flag waved. Back up front, Brett Meyer utilized the inside line to take the lead away from Sobbing with twelve laps to go before pulling away. The final caution waved with seven laps remaining, and Sobbing would suffer the same luck as Davis had earlier as he exited to the work area with a flat tire. That moved Flander and Brandon Leeman to the first full row behind Meyer on the restart. Leeman would drop back during the closing laps allowing Randy Roberts, Nate Chodur, and Brett Moffitt to advance their way forward. When the checkered flag waved it would be Brett Meyer taking the win ahead of Eric Flander, Randy Roberts, Nate Chodur, and Brett Moffitt. Tyler Frye finished sixth while 28th starter Benji Legg finished seventh.
After another track prep and modified hot lap session, the stock cars made their way to the track for their thirty-car feature for thirty laps. Dustin Smith, Chad Palmer, and Steve Meyer were on the front row. Surprisingly it would be Palmer from the middle racing to the lead when the green flag dropped. Mike Nichols, who started in the middle of row three, worked his way into fourth by lap two. Smith would start to close the gap to race leader Palmer while Nichols worked to the inside of Meyer for third. The yellow flag was displayed as Damon Murty came to an abrupt stop exiting turn four. The field had to scatter to avoid hitting Murty as he stopped in the middle of the wide racing surface. On the restart Palmer would push up in turn two, allowing Dustin Smith to assume the top spot. Palmer would fall back to fourth, and Nichols who was running third would fall back even further as his car slowed before he got it back moving. Palmer appeared to gather things back up as he moved back up into the third spot around Josh Daniels, but both drivers went backwards as Palmer pushed up the track again and contact was made.
Smith would suffer the same fate as Palmer had earlier when his machine pushed up the race track, opening the door for Wisconsin's Jeremy Christians to steal the lead away. Another caution came out on lap sixteen, bunching the field back up. When racing resumed Smith would not get a good restart, which opened the door for Michael Bruns and Jamie Colwell to sneak by under him. Palmer would later motor by Smith on the outside for the fourth spot, pushing Smith back to fifth. Colwell looked to be on the charge as he passed Bruns on the inside for the runner up spot, but Colwell's luck would take a turn for the worse as he spun in turn two to bring out the caution. Another caution came out with six laps remaining, but that did not stop Jeremy Christians from taking home his first Supernationals crown as he picked up the win. Dustin Smith rebounded to take second, Donovan Smith was third, Marcus Fagen finished fourth, and Michael Bruns rounded out the top five after starting twentieth. Trent Murphy finished sixth after starting 29th on the grid while outside front row starter Steve Meyer followed in seventh.
The end of the stock car race marked the time that most of the people had waited all week to see: the modified feature. Thirty-three drivers bested a field of over 270 that made their way to the Boone Speedway for the week. After introducing the drivers as they walked across the stage, each row would then be paraded around the track in the back of Karl Chevrolet pickups to wave to the fans. Kevin Stoa, Jimmy Gustin, and Clint Hatlestad won their respective features throughout the week to earn the front row.
When the green flag dropped on the forty-lap feature, it was Kevin Stoa racing to the lead with Brandon Blochlinger following in his tire tracks. By lap three perhaps the surprise of the race saw G.W. Egbert quickly advance from his middle of row six starting spot up into the top five. Stoa's lead would be cut short as he slowed down the backstretch and exited the track in turn three, handing the lead over to Blochlinger on lap nine. Another surprise of the race would be Luke Wanninger. Wanninger, a rookie this season in the modified division, had started outside row five and had pounded the cushion to make his way up to third at this point. He made short work of Hatlestad as he climbed into the runner up spot as he set his sights on Blochlinger up front. The two front runners separated from the pack as they would put on a show for the fans with Wanninger trying to pull even on the inside of Blochlinger.
Meanwhile middle front row starter Jimmy Gustin, who faded to around eighth in the opening laps, was quietly working his way back towards the front as he found himself fourth after passing Egbert on the low side. Gustin continued to climb back up the ladder as he passed Hatlestad for third. The only caution of the race came with a mere eight laps to go, giving both fans and the drivers time to relax after all that exciting action thus far. It was Egbert that brought out the caution when he spun in turn four after running sixth.
Jimmy Gustin took advantage of the restart as he passed Wanninger for second. Wanninger would push up the track and fall back to around seventh, opening the door for Johnny Saathoff to make his way up to third. As Gustin looked to reel in Blochlinger up front, the race leader would push up the track in turn three and go over the banking and exit the track. No yellow was thrown as he safely made his way out of harms way, but that gave the lead to Gustin with Saathoff a ways back in second. From there Gustin would cruise home to his first Supernationals victory as he celebrated in victory lane. Johnny Saathoff would finish second, Todd Shute was third after starting eighteenth, Scott Olson fourth, and Nick Deal had a great run to finish fifth after starting 23rd.
The modified feature brought the close of the IMCA Supernationals. There was a lot of good, close racing this year in my opinion. That is what the fans pay to see, and once again I have to give a huge pop to the track prep crew for their long hours of working on the track. I'm sure it's a thankless job despite the announcer's doing their part to thank them. I'm sure they'll rest easy the next couple of days after their long week of work.
I also want to thank a couple of other people. First, I'd like to thank Brett Root and the staff at IMCA for their hospitality. It always makes me feel a little bit special when I show up to an event and a person of their stature knows who I am and call me by name as I sign in. I also want to again thank Jim Zimmerline for offering his extra laptop to me throughout the week. I hadn't planned on having a computer to type my blogs during the week and was just going to type them when I got home. But he found me Wednesday and offered his laptop to me, and for that I am grateful. Jim was taking pictures from both the infield and the catwalk throughout the week, so be sure to take a look at www.zippsphotos.com when you get a chance.
It's time to rest up from a long week of racing. Next weekend provided a plethora of races to choose from, and at this point I am undecided of my plans. In case you may not know of all the choices, here are the ones I am considering:
Marshalltown Speedway - Havoc on the Highbanks, including the Hawkeye Dirt Tour for modifieds
34 Raceway (Burlington)- Pepsi USA Nationals for IMCA Deery Brothers late models season finale
Fairmont (MN) Raceway - Shryock Memorial
Shelby County Speedway (Harlan) - Tiny Lund Memorial
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Meyer Takes Stock Car Last Chance, Hatlestad Tops Outside Modified Row
The IMCA Supernationals are now down to their final night of the six-day extravaganza as Friday night as come to a conclusion. Despite Mother Nature's attempt to wash out the night, the track prep crew deserves a huge amount of credit for getting the track back into racing condition not just once, but twice. Persistent showers in the afternoon along with more rain later in the evening delayed the action for at least two hours. The crew brought out the jet dryer when the rain subsided and got dried out the surface to allow the rest of the tractors to do their magic.
Friday night marked the final chance for the IMCA stock cars to make the big dance come Saturday. Eight last chance races were run with the top three cars advancing to a qualifying feature. Steve Meyer and Paul Shepherd sat on the front row, and when the green flag fell it was Meyer securing his spot at the front of the field. The caution flag soon followed, however, as a group of cars got tangled up in turn two on lap two. While officials worked to clean up the situation and get the cars realigned, the second rain delay would come into play.
As the rain came down, officials decided to move the stock cars back to the staging area. Drivers were able to take their safety equipment out of their cars and add more tearoffs due to the weather. There were not, however, allowed to work on their car during the delay. Once the track was deemed raceable, the cars returned to the track to finish their event.
On the restart Josh Daniels worked his way by Shepherd for the second spot while Kevin Opheim got by Ryan Rose on the inside to move into third. On lap four Damon Murty would also get by Rose to take over the fourth position. Up front Opheim would pull to the inside of Meyer as the two raced side-by-side for several laps as they swapped the lead. With two laps remaining Murty ducked inside of Opheim and snagged the second spot before the caution flag waved. While under caution Opheim's right front tire began to lose air, but officials did not make his leave the track. When the green flag waved, Opheim was unable to maintain the pace as he pulled off the track. That was all Steve Meyer needed as he came away with the win and the outside of the front row for Saturday night's main event. Damon Murty would finish second, Josh Daniels third, Jeff Turner fourth, Paul Shepherd fifth, Stefan Sybesma sixth, Ryan Rose seventh, Merlyn Hegland eighth, Justin Jacobsen ninth, and Nathan Burke rounded out the qualifying drivers.
As the stock cars exited the track following their main event, the IMCA modifieds soon entered the track for their twenty-five car qualifying feature. Chad Estes and Chris Derenne paced the field to the green flag with Derenne jumping out front for the lead. The caution waved on lap four, bunching the field back up. Cale Sponsler took advantage as he powered by Chad Estes for fifth. A lap later Luke Wanninger also made his way by Estes. On lap ten Clint Hatlestad worked his way under Derenne for the lead and quickly pulled away from his competitors. With ten laps remaining Reese Coffee utilized the inside groove to make his way by Derenne for the runner up spot. Derenne would continue to back-pedal as Sponsler and Wanninger both leapfrogged him. A late caution set up a three-lap dash to the finish. Kellen Chadwick was extremely happy to see that caution as he restarted in seventh. However, when the checkered flags waved he would finish in the third position. It would be Clint Hatlestad picking up the win and securing his spot on the outside of the front row come Saturday night. Reese Coffee finished second, Chadwick third, Cale Sponsler fourth, Luke Wanninger fifth, Todd Shute sixth, Chris Derenne seventh, and Rich Smith rounded out the field of qualifiers. For Smith it is the first time in over twenty years that he has qualified for the big dance. Smith also qualified for the very first Supernationals event.
The final race of the night would be the FastShafts All-Star Invitational race. Twelve drivers voted on by the fans drew tshirt bags for starting positions. But unlike in the past, officials let the fans vote as to whether to start the field in two-wide or three-wide formation. The crowd chose three-wide. Pole sitter David Murray wasted no time in snaring the lead while Brad Pounds followed closely in second. Murray opened up his lead with every passing lap as he went on to take the dominating victory. Brad Pounds was second, Dave Hardesty third, Keith White was fourth, and Mike Smith rounded out the top five.
One difference from years past is the mandatory raceceivers for the modified drivers. One-way communication is directed from a race director to the drivers. When I heard that these were being utilized this year, I was happy thinking that realigning cars wouldn't take as long as it has in the past. However, the first three nights I have noticed that it has not made any difference. I'm not sure if the communication is being used, but track officials are spending just as much time directing cars to their appropriate positions as in previous years. I realize this is the first year for the raceceivers, but hopefully the powers-that-be get used to them and can better utilize them for next year.
Saturday's pre-race ceremonies get underway at 2pm with the first green flag scheduled to drop around 3pm. For more complete results, be sure to check out www.imca.com. And speaking of IMCA, I'd like to thank their entire staff for extending their hospitality towards me and my fellow Positivelyracing comrads.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Chad Palmer and Jimmy Gustin Pick Up Thursday Wins
It's hard to believe it, but Friday is already upon us here at the Speedway Motors IMCA Supernationals. As the saying goes on Monday, Friday and Saturday will arrive and we'll all wonder where the week went. That is the case for me, but one thing that contributed to the week going fast was the fact that I opted not to attend Tuesday night. That being said, Thursday night's action provided plenty of exciting action and close finishes.
Once again ten more stock cars and eight more modifieds would get qualified for Saturday's main event. With a threatening forecast on Friday, Race of Champions qualifying events were also run Thursday night.
Jamie Colwell and Jeremy Christians sat on the front row for the stock car qualifying feature. Christians would get the edge at the stripe to complete the first lap, but Colwell was there on his inside rear fender. A quick caution on lap two brought things to a slower pace, but the action picked up immediately following the green flag coming back out. Chad Palmer, Colwell, and Christians raced three-wide at the flagstand for the lead on the next completed lap, but it was Christians maintaining the top spot. Mike Nichols found the top side to his liking as he moved up to the fourth spot after starting eighth. Up front Palmer challenged Christians on the inside for the lead, and on lap twelve Palmer took over the lead just ahead of the caution flag coming out again.
Mike Nichols took advantage of the lap fourteen restart as he slid under Jamie Colwell for the third spot late in the race. Up front there was no denying Chad Palmer as he picked up the win. Other qualifying drivers included Jeremy Christians, Mike Nichols, Jamie Colwell, Mike VanGenderen, Marcus Fagen, Michael Bruns, Brandon Czarapata, and Trent Murphy.
Later in the night thirty IMCA modifieds took to the track for their attempt to make the big show come Saturday night. Scott Olson and Cory Wray paced the field to the green flag with Olson racing out front for the lead. Eric Dailey was quickly on the move as he advanced to the second position on lap two after starting fifth. The man on the move, however, was Jimmy Gustin. Gustin, who started ninth, was setting his car sideways at the flagstand and powering his machine next to the tires on the inside as he made his way to fourth in the first three laps. While Gustin tried to chase down the front runners, G.W. Egbert ran down Scott Olson and made the pass for the lead just before the caution flag waved.
Egbert would not get a good restart as he faded back to third. Olson regained the lead with Gustin advancing to second. Johnny Saathoff challenged Gustin on the inside as Gustin changed his line to the top shelf. At the halfway point Olson, Gustin, and Saathoff had separated from the pack. Olson would bobble exiting turn two which allowed Gustin to assume command up front. Saathoff would also squeeze by Olson on the inside to snare the runner up position away, but Olson would not give up as he regained the spot a few short laps later. Jimmy Gustin would go on to take the impressive win ahead of Scott Olson and Johnny Saathoff. Other qualifiers include Will Brack, Eric Dailey, G.W. Egbert, Jordan Grabouski, and Nick Deal. Justin Sackett appeared to have a qualifying spot secured as he was comfortably running seventh with three laps to go, but he would pull to the infield and end his hopes of making the Saturday show.
Thursday night provided a lot of great racing and exciting finishes. In my opinion, it was the best night of the week as far as side-by-side racing goes. It was definitely a much cleaner night as not as many cars got torn up.
I think changing the sportmods and stock cars around on different days has helped the program out. The racing action came to a close around the 12:30 timeframe, much earlier then expected. Wednesday night was right around there was well, so right now Monday is the only "late" night of the week. Kudos to IMCA for the schedule change!
Normally I wouldn't include this, but after three nights of sitting in the stands I feel I can express my opinion. Blake Anderson and Ryan Clark have done an outstanding job of announcing this year's Supernationals events. That is, WHEN they are on the microphone. Don't get me wrong, the platoon of announcers is a good idea so they don't lose their voices. However, the other two announcers who have been on the microphone could use a few lessons from Blake and Ryan in pronunciation and research. Blake and Ryan can be seen throughout the course of the night walking through the pit area talking to drivers and getting a little background info. When time permits, it's fun hearing little tidbits about the drivers. The other two announcers (Johnny Tharp and Scott Norem) fill that time with personal jokes and whatnot. I realize that we'll never get back the tradition of Toby Kruse and Denny Grabenbauer spending the entire night behind the microphone and entertaining the crowd. But perhaps they can allow the "most established" announcers to work the majority of the event.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Smith and Stoa Take Qualifying Features Wins Wednesday at Boone
For those who follow my blog, this may come as a surprise. I didn't think I would be writing a blog about the IMCA Supernationals until I returned back home either late Saturday night or sometime Sunday. However, Jim Zimmerline from Zipp's Photos offered to loan me his spare laptop for the week. I'd like to thank him for the kind gesture and encourage you readers to check out www.zippsphotos.com for Supernationals photos.
The order of events have changed this year at Boone as the IMCA sportmods and hobby stocks ran their complete programs on Monday and Tuesday, meaning the stock cars joined the modifieds on the program on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday night one qualifying feature would be run for both classes with the top ten in the stock car event and top eight in the modified main qualifying for Saturday night's big dance.
The luck of the draw saw Corey Strothman and Dustin Smith on the front row for the twenty-lap stock car feature. Smith wasted no time in getting out front, but he was hounded by Abe Huls and Jeremy Christians. Christians would work to the inside of Huls on lap two to take over the runner up spot as Huls would lose another spot to Justin Temeyer a lap later. The caution flag waved on lap four, bunching the field back up in double file formation behind Smith. Huls would fight back and scoot under Temeyer, and Nathan Burke followed Huls to fourth. Burke would later swing to the inside of Huls to pick up the third position.
Another caution flag flew on lap thirteen, and by that time Donovan Smith and Larry Portis had worked their way from deep in the starting field into the top ten. Smith would restart seventh, but he was able to sneak by Jesse Colwell and Nathan Burke when those two competitors got tangled together. Two more cautions came out in consecutive restarts, setting up a five lap shootout to the finish. Jeff Larson took advantage of that final restart as he got under Donovan Smith for the third spot, but both drivers were able to get by Jeremy Christians when he slid up the banking. The race belonged to Dustin Smith though as he powered his way to victory lane. The rest of the top ten qualifiers were Jeff Larson, Donovan Smith, Dan Mackenthun, Ken Tietz, Justin Temeyer, Lynn Panos, Jeff Mueller, Jesse Colwell, and Ned Kalis.
Shifting gears to the IMCA modifieds saw thirty heat races throughout the night with the winner only advancing to the thirty-car qualifying feature. Texan Chad Estes and Boone Speedway track regular Dennis Pittman started on the front row. Things got off to a slow start as it took three tries to get the show on the road. Pittman would grab the point from the start, but Kevin Stoa was quickly on the move. After starting eighth, Stoa dove to the inside and advanced his way to third in just the first two laps. He would get by Estes a lap later and pick up the challenge on Pittman. A few short laps later Stoa hugged the tires on the inside to race by Pittman and take over the lead just before the caution flag waved. Pittman would lose several positions on the restart as David Murray took over the runner up spot. Murray's luck would run out, however, as he spun to a stop on lap eleven.
After another quick yellow, Jay Noteboom picked up the runner up spot as he powered by Mike Molle. On that restart, however, people were watching Brandon Blochlinger. Blochlinger restarted seventh and charged to third off the cushion in a mere three laps. Stoa, Noteboom, and Blochlinger had separated themselves from the pack until the caution flew again with five laps remaining. Utilizing the high side, Blochlinger overpowered Noteboom and took over the second position. However he was unable to dethrone the race leader as Kevin Stoa took the win. Brandon Blochlinger finished second after starting 24th, Jay Noteboom was third, Craig Reetz started 26th and finished fourth, Mike Molle was fifth, Chris Alcorn sixth, Paul Stone seventh, and Jake Durbin rounded out the final qualifying spot.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Guss Jr Continues Deery Dominance
What started off being a picture-perfect day on Labor Day (Monday) turned into a cool and windy evening at the Boone Speedway as the Speedway Motors IMCA Supernationals got kicked off in grand fashion. The IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series for late models ran their full program along with qualifying for IMCA hobby stocks and IMCA sportmods. A lengthy rain delay just before the late model b-mains brought racing action to a halt, but only temporarily as the show would continue on after track prep crews went to work.
Due to the wind I decided not to take my usual notes, so I'm going from memory and what little bit I put into my phone. Front row starter Terry Neal grabbed the top spot in the early going as the yellow flag seemed to be as popular as the green flag. Caution flags were thrown on lap three, four, and five keeping things slowed down. Neal would lead the first eighteen laps of the fifty-lap main event, but Boone McLaughlin would make the pass on Neal on the next circuit. However, McLaughlin's luck would take a turn for the worse as he spun his machine in turn four and collect Josh Most, who was running third at the time.
That handed the race lead over to Ray Guss Jr. Jeff Aikey, who started somewhere around 17th, had gone to the work area to change a tire at one point in the race, but had sliced his way back through the field to take the second position on lap twenty-eight. Several caution flags were displayed throughout the race, not allowing drivers to get into a rhythm and allow competitors to mount a serious threat to Guss Jr's lead. Guss Jr pulled away from Aikey and Andy Eckrich, who started twenty-third, on each restart and would go on to take the win. Aikey settled for second, Andy Eckrich was third, Tyler Bruenning was fourth, and Ryan Giles rounded out the top five. Terry Neal had a great run going early on, but he made significant contact with Boone McLaughlin as the yellow flag was displayed and suffered extensive damage.
The late model feature ended sometime around 9:30. With twenty sportmod heats, two hobby stock features, a sportmod feature, and who knows how many b-main events, I opted to hit the road after the traffic cleared out a bit as I have to work Tuesday. I will NOT be in Boone on Tuesday, but have the rest of the week off work. Unfortunately I don't own a laptop, so I won't be able to write a blog until Sunday more then likely.
I'd like to thank Brett Root and IMCA for their hospitality. It is greatly appreciated!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Due to the wind I decided not to take my usual notes, so I'm going from memory and what little bit I put into my phone. Front row starter Terry Neal grabbed the top spot in the early going as the yellow flag seemed to be as popular as the green flag. Caution flags were thrown on lap three, four, and five keeping things slowed down. Neal would lead the first eighteen laps of the fifty-lap main event, but Boone McLaughlin would make the pass on Neal on the next circuit. However, McLaughlin's luck would take a turn for the worse as he spun his machine in turn four and collect Josh Most, who was running third at the time.
That handed the race lead over to Ray Guss Jr. Jeff Aikey, who started somewhere around 17th, had gone to the work area to change a tire at one point in the race, but had sliced his way back through the field to take the second position on lap twenty-eight. Several caution flags were displayed throughout the race, not allowing drivers to get into a rhythm and allow competitors to mount a serious threat to Guss Jr's lead. Guss Jr pulled away from Aikey and Andy Eckrich, who started twenty-third, on each restart and would go on to take the win. Aikey settled for second, Andy Eckrich was third, Tyler Bruenning was fourth, and Ryan Giles rounded out the top five. Terry Neal had a great run going early on, but he made significant contact with Boone McLaughlin as the yellow flag was displayed and suffered extensive damage.
The late model feature ended sometime around 9:30. With twenty sportmod heats, two hobby stock features, a sportmod feature, and who knows how many b-main events, I opted to hit the road after the traffic cleared out a bit as I have to work Tuesday. I will NOT be in Boone on Tuesday, but have the rest of the week off work. Unfortunately I don't own a laptop, so I won't be able to write a blog until Sunday more then likely.
I'd like to thank Brett Root and IMCA for their hospitality. It is greatly appreciated!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Marshalltown Crowns Season Champions
Friday night marked the end of the regular season at the Marshalltown Speedway. As track announcer Blake Anderson mentioned, it seemed like only yesterday that the season opener took place. The summer came and went by way too fast for us diehard race fans, but now the fall specials are ready to take center stage. But before we get to those, promoter Toby Kruse and his staff needed to crown track champions for the 2010 season.
With it being Larry Wollam Season Championship night, only features were run. Five laps were added to each feature event. First to hit the track for driver introductions and the race would be the mod-lites/dwarf cars. Points leader Tim Hennigar took advantage of starting on the pole and grabbed the early lead. Josh May battled Mike Morrill for the runner up position beginning on lap three. That allowed Hennigar to open up his lead further before Morrill secured the second spot. Morrill would lose the handle of his machine in turn two on lap six, giving up the position to May. The race would go green to checkered as Tim Hennigar picked up the win and also notch the season championship under his belt. Josh May finished second, Mike Morrill was third, Dusty Masolini fourth, and Joel Huggins rounded out the top five.
The IMCA hobby stocks graced the track next for their event. Michael Murphy shot to the lead at the start as the top side was the preferred line. Pole sitter Devin Smith stayed on Murphy's rear bumper until a lapped car slowed Murphy down a bit. Smith swung to the inside and made the pass for the lead on lap five. Murphy would nearly spin out in turn four a couple laps later as he lost a lot of ground without losing a position. Murphy tried to reel Devin Smith back in, but Smith was too tough on this night as he picked up yet another win. Michael Murphy finished second, Eric Larson was third, Calvin Dhondt was fourth, and Josh Saunders rounded out the top five. Smith would grab the track championship as well.
A full field of IMCA sportmods hit the track next. Outside front row starter Eric Flander nipped pole sitter and points leader Scott Davis at the line to lead lap one. Two laps later Davis utilized the inside to make the pass for the lead. Flander lost control of his machine as he faded back to eighth, allowing Cayden Carter to pull up to Davis' rear bumper. Carter momentarily took the lead away from Davis on lap five, but the caution flag waved and negated the pass. When racing resumed Carter again powered his machine to the outside of Davis and made the pass stick this time as he grabbed the lead. From that point on Carter would seemingly put more distance between him and the rest of the field as he picked up the impressive victory. Scott Davis would take home second, Jake Strayer was third, Geoff Olson finished fourth, and Gaitlin Leytham rounded out the top five. Davis claimed the track championship.
Nineteen IMCA stock cars appeared over the turn four hill for their final race of the regular season. During driver introductions former track announcer Denny Grabenbauer made a return appearance to help celebrate the retirement of Rick Brown. Grabenbauer was the announcer during Brown's first race, and he wanted to make sure he announced his final race.
Trent Murphy took the lead from his outside front row starting spot, but the man people were watching was Damon Murty. After starting fourteenth, Murty quickly advanced to the fifth spot in just two laps. He then worked under Jeff Wollam for fourth before the caution waved on lap four. Three laps later third-place runner Steve Meyer slowed down the backstretch and exited the track. Murphy, Dustin Smith, and Murty broke away from the pack and Murty made his way by Smith for the runner up spot. Murty made the pass on Murphy for the lead, but pushed the envelope a bit too far as he jumped the cushion in turn one and went over the banking to bring out the caution. Murty would restart in fourteenth and again make a charge towards the front. He made his way back inside the top five before spinning in turn one to end his night. Back up front Dustin Smith tried everything he could to get by Trent Murphy, but it was not to be on this night as Murphy picked up the win. Dustin Smith settled for second, Jeff Wollam was third, Jay Schmidt fourth after starting seventeenth, and Andy Bryant completed the top five. Dustin Smith would be crowned track champion.
The final event of the night would be the IMCA modified feature. Again the outside front row would be the place to be as Jon Snyder rocketed to the lead. Two cautions slowed the pace in the early going, but Richie Gustin was on the prowl as he found a groove that worked. Gustin started sixth, but made a move on brother Jimmy and Luke Wanninger that propelled him to the runner up position. A lap later Wanninger spun and brought out the caution. With Gustin lined up right behind Snyder on a single-file restart, I thought Gustin would make the inside work for him again and make the pass. That was not the case, however, as Snyder continued to make the cushion work to his advantage. Adam Larson was another driver make some noise as he began marching to the front. He passed Mike O'Lear and Jimmy Gustin to advance to the third spot before losing the engine with just two laps remaining. Jon Snyder would take the win ahead of Richie Gustin, Jimmy Gustin, Brett Ladehoff, and Rod Clement. It was Snyder's third win in two weeks at Marshalltown as he picked up the feature and gambler event last week. Jimmy Gustin took home his fourth consecutive track championship at Marshalltown.
As mentioned, Friday night marked the end of Rick Brown's racing career. For twenty-two years Brown raced at Marshalltown on Friday nights. Denny Grabenbauer mentioned that Brown, a Ford racer, started out driving a Chevy the first couple of seasons before making the switch to Ford. From that point on Brown racked up over 100 IMCA stock car feature wins. Perhaps just as impressive as the win total is the amount of respect other drivers have/had for him. I've known Rick for awhile now, and he's always taken the time to talk to me after the races. The Marshalltown Speedway, and racing in general, has lost a genuine good guy. Although he won't be racing, he still plans to be at the track as a fan. Happy retirement Rick!!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
With it being Larry Wollam Season Championship night, only features were run. Five laps were added to each feature event. First to hit the track for driver introductions and the race would be the mod-lites/dwarf cars. Points leader Tim Hennigar took advantage of starting on the pole and grabbed the early lead. Josh May battled Mike Morrill for the runner up position beginning on lap three. That allowed Hennigar to open up his lead further before Morrill secured the second spot. Morrill would lose the handle of his machine in turn two on lap six, giving up the position to May. The race would go green to checkered as Tim Hennigar picked up the win and also notch the season championship under his belt. Josh May finished second, Mike Morrill was third, Dusty Masolini fourth, and Joel Huggins rounded out the top five.
The IMCA hobby stocks graced the track next for their event. Michael Murphy shot to the lead at the start as the top side was the preferred line. Pole sitter Devin Smith stayed on Murphy's rear bumper until a lapped car slowed Murphy down a bit. Smith swung to the inside and made the pass for the lead on lap five. Murphy would nearly spin out in turn four a couple laps later as he lost a lot of ground without losing a position. Murphy tried to reel Devin Smith back in, but Smith was too tough on this night as he picked up yet another win. Michael Murphy finished second, Eric Larson was third, Calvin Dhondt was fourth, and Josh Saunders rounded out the top five. Smith would grab the track championship as well.
A full field of IMCA sportmods hit the track next. Outside front row starter Eric Flander nipped pole sitter and points leader Scott Davis at the line to lead lap one. Two laps later Davis utilized the inside to make the pass for the lead. Flander lost control of his machine as he faded back to eighth, allowing Cayden Carter to pull up to Davis' rear bumper. Carter momentarily took the lead away from Davis on lap five, but the caution flag waved and negated the pass. When racing resumed Carter again powered his machine to the outside of Davis and made the pass stick this time as he grabbed the lead. From that point on Carter would seemingly put more distance between him and the rest of the field as he picked up the impressive victory. Scott Davis would take home second, Jake Strayer was third, Geoff Olson finished fourth, and Gaitlin Leytham rounded out the top five. Davis claimed the track championship.
Nineteen IMCA stock cars appeared over the turn four hill for their final race of the regular season. During driver introductions former track announcer Denny Grabenbauer made a return appearance to help celebrate the retirement of Rick Brown. Grabenbauer was the announcer during Brown's first race, and he wanted to make sure he announced his final race.
Trent Murphy took the lead from his outside front row starting spot, but the man people were watching was Damon Murty. After starting fourteenth, Murty quickly advanced to the fifth spot in just two laps. He then worked under Jeff Wollam for fourth before the caution waved on lap four. Three laps later third-place runner Steve Meyer slowed down the backstretch and exited the track. Murphy, Dustin Smith, and Murty broke away from the pack and Murty made his way by Smith for the runner up spot. Murty made the pass on Murphy for the lead, but pushed the envelope a bit too far as he jumped the cushion in turn one and went over the banking to bring out the caution. Murty would restart in fourteenth and again make a charge towards the front. He made his way back inside the top five before spinning in turn one to end his night. Back up front Dustin Smith tried everything he could to get by Trent Murphy, but it was not to be on this night as Murphy picked up the win. Dustin Smith settled for second, Jeff Wollam was third, Jay Schmidt fourth after starting seventeenth, and Andy Bryant completed the top five. Dustin Smith would be crowned track champion.
The final event of the night would be the IMCA modified feature. Again the outside front row would be the place to be as Jon Snyder rocketed to the lead. Two cautions slowed the pace in the early going, but Richie Gustin was on the prowl as he found a groove that worked. Gustin started sixth, but made a move on brother Jimmy and Luke Wanninger that propelled him to the runner up position. A lap later Wanninger spun and brought out the caution. With Gustin lined up right behind Snyder on a single-file restart, I thought Gustin would make the inside work for him again and make the pass. That was not the case, however, as Snyder continued to make the cushion work to his advantage. Adam Larson was another driver make some noise as he began marching to the front. He passed Mike O'Lear and Jimmy Gustin to advance to the third spot before losing the engine with just two laps remaining. Jon Snyder would take the win ahead of Richie Gustin, Jimmy Gustin, Brett Ladehoff, and Rod Clement. It was Snyder's third win in two weeks at Marshalltown as he picked up the feature and gambler event last week. Jimmy Gustin took home his fourth consecutive track championship at Marshalltown.
As mentioned, Friday night marked the end of Rick Brown's racing career. For twenty-two years Brown raced at Marshalltown on Friday nights. Denny Grabenbauer mentioned that Brown, a Ford racer, started out driving a Chevy the first couple of seasons before making the switch to Ford. From that point on Brown racked up over 100 IMCA stock car feature wins. Perhaps just as impressive as the win total is the amount of respect other drivers have/had for him. I've known Rick for awhile now, and he's always taken the time to talk to me after the races. The Marshalltown Speedway, and racing in general, has lost a genuine good guy. Although he won't be racing, he still plans to be at the track as a fan. Happy retirement Rick!!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tesch Awarded Shortened USMTS Victory at Marshalltown
The forecast didn't sound good for Tuesday, August 31. Rain throughout much of the morning had fans, drivers, and officials eagerly waiting to see what the afternoon would have in store for the Marshalltown Speedway as it was hosting its second annual USMTS visit. Four support classes were also on the card, and the show would get started on time.
As lightning got closer and the winds began to pick up, the feature action started with the mighty mod-lites/dwarf cars. Bobby Harris would grab the lead at the drop of the green flag, but Mike Morrill soon made his presence be known as he passed Harris for the lead on the next lap utilizing the low line. Unfortunately for Harris that was the start of a bad lap as he spun in turn three on the following lap to bring out the caution. At that point season points leader Tim Hennigar was positioned in fourth, but he quickly disposed of Joel Huggins on the next green flag lap to advance to third before powering by Ivan Guerra for second. With just a couple laps remaining Hennigar made his move on the inside of Morrill to wrestle the lead away exiting turn two. From that point on it was all Tim Hennigar as he captured the first checkered flag of the evening. Mike Morrill was second, Joel Huggins was third, Ivan Guerra finished fourth, and Mike Kennedy rounded out the top five.
The B-modifieds quickly rolled onto the track next for their feature event. Cousins Carter Vandenberg and Cayden Carter paced the field of sixteen cars to the green flag with Carter getting the advantage off the high side. A caution on lap one quickly brought things to a slower pace, and on the restart Matt Lettow powered by Vandenberg for the runner up position. The caution quickly waved once again on lap two, but neither Lettow or Vandenberg could keep pace with the great restart that Carter got. Carter quickly put six carlengths on his competitors and appeared to slowly widen the margin with every passing lap. Cayden Carter would take home the win by a straight away advantage over Danny Dvorak, who got by Matt Lettow in the closing laps. Carter Vandenberg finished fourth and Tyler Droste rounded out the top five.
With threatening weather quickly approaching, officials bumped up the USMTS modified feature to the track. Darin Duffy and Jon Tesch, last year's winner, sat on the front row with Duffy setting the pace in the early going. Normally an IMCA driver, Duffy and JD Auringer were present to help promote Karsyn's Krusaders, an organization attempting to "Kick Cancer's Butt, One Lap at a Time". Duffy enjoyed the lead until Tesch began to pressure him on lap eight. As Tesch looked to the outside, the caution flag slowed things down a lap later. Jason Hughes was looking to extend his points lead as he worked his way by Rodney Sanders for the third spot on lap thirteen. Meanwhile Tommy Myer was on the charge as the Minnesota driver got by Mark Elliott for fifth after starting twelfth. Duffy's time at the front would end prematurely on lap seventeen when his machine slowed to a stop in turn four, handing the reigns over to Tesch.
When racing resumed Tesch would now have to fend off challenges from Hughes and Sanders as both competitors were chomping at the bit for the lead. Mike Spaulding drove in a little too hot in turn one and made contact with Dereck Ramirez. Spaulding's right side then dug into the ground and began to roll a couple times before landing on all four wheels. Spaulding was not injured, but while cleanup was in progress the rain came. Officials tried to pack the track back in, but the persistent rain was too much as officials had to pull the plug on the show. With half the race scored complete, Jon Tesch was awarded the victory as he repeats last year's win. Jason Hughes, Rodney Sanders, Tommy Myer, and Mark Elliott rounded out the top five.
Local standout Ryan Gustin had a tough night. After starting sixth in his heat, he was only able to advance one position. That meant he had to run a b-main. He passed Nate Caruth on the white flag lap to win that, giving him the thirteenth starting spot in the feature. Gustin searched every lane imaginable in the early parts of the forty-lap feature, but was unable to charge through the pack as he has in other races. He finished eighth, but gave up more points to point leader Jason Hughes. Hughes now holds a 46-point advantage going into Thursday night's event at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison after Wednesday night's show in Oskaloosa got rained out. For all the latest news and point standings, check out www.usmts.com.
I'd like to thank Todd Staley and his staff for their hospitality Tuesday night. I was a little disappointed to have five classes on the card for a mid-week special, and considering the outcome with the rain, I think the rest of the packed crowd was as well. Perhaps the powers-that-be will take that into account for a potential next time.
Tuesday night's show also was my 70th race of the season. It's a far cry from my count at this point last year, but considering a lot of things are different I'd say it's pretty good. Right now my tentative schedule includes Allison Thursday, Marshalltown Friday night, and maybe Deer Creek Saturday. Then next week begins "America's Racing Vacation", the IMCA Supernationals. I plan to attend Monday's show, but skip Tuesday. Then I'll be at the Boone Speedway the rest of the week.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
As lightning got closer and the winds began to pick up, the feature action started with the mighty mod-lites/dwarf cars. Bobby Harris would grab the lead at the drop of the green flag, but Mike Morrill soon made his presence be known as he passed Harris for the lead on the next lap utilizing the low line. Unfortunately for Harris that was the start of a bad lap as he spun in turn three on the following lap to bring out the caution. At that point season points leader Tim Hennigar was positioned in fourth, but he quickly disposed of Joel Huggins on the next green flag lap to advance to third before powering by Ivan Guerra for second. With just a couple laps remaining Hennigar made his move on the inside of Morrill to wrestle the lead away exiting turn two. From that point on it was all Tim Hennigar as he captured the first checkered flag of the evening. Mike Morrill was second, Joel Huggins was third, Ivan Guerra finished fourth, and Mike Kennedy rounded out the top five.
The B-modifieds quickly rolled onto the track next for their feature event. Cousins Carter Vandenberg and Cayden Carter paced the field of sixteen cars to the green flag with Carter getting the advantage off the high side. A caution on lap one quickly brought things to a slower pace, and on the restart Matt Lettow powered by Vandenberg for the runner up position. The caution quickly waved once again on lap two, but neither Lettow or Vandenberg could keep pace with the great restart that Carter got. Carter quickly put six carlengths on his competitors and appeared to slowly widen the margin with every passing lap. Cayden Carter would take home the win by a straight away advantage over Danny Dvorak, who got by Matt Lettow in the closing laps. Carter Vandenberg finished fourth and Tyler Droste rounded out the top five.
With threatening weather quickly approaching, officials bumped up the USMTS modified feature to the track. Darin Duffy and Jon Tesch, last year's winner, sat on the front row with Duffy setting the pace in the early going. Normally an IMCA driver, Duffy and JD Auringer were present to help promote Karsyn's Krusaders, an organization attempting to "Kick Cancer's Butt, One Lap at a Time". Duffy enjoyed the lead until Tesch began to pressure him on lap eight. As Tesch looked to the outside, the caution flag slowed things down a lap later. Jason Hughes was looking to extend his points lead as he worked his way by Rodney Sanders for the third spot on lap thirteen. Meanwhile Tommy Myer was on the charge as the Minnesota driver got by Mark Elliott for fifth after starting twelfth. Duffy's time at the front would end prematurely on lap seventeen when his machine slowed to a stop in turn four, handing the reigns over to Tesch.
When racing resumed Tesch would now have to fend off challenges from Hughes and Sanders as both competitors were chomping at the bit for the lead. Mike Spaulding drove in a little too hot in turn one and made contact with Dereck Ramirez. Spaulding's right side then dug into the ground and began to roll a couple times before landing on all four wheels. Spaulding was not injured, but while cleanup was in progress the rain came. Officials tried to pack the track back in, but the persistent rain was too much as officials had to pull the plug on the show. With half the race scored complete, Jon Tesch was awarded the victory as he repeats last year's win. Jason Hughes, Rodney Sanders, Tommy Myer, and Mark Elliott rounded out the top five.
Local standout Ryan Gustin had a tough night. After starting sixth in his heat, he was only able to advance one position. That meant he had to run a b-main. He passed Nate Caruth on the white flag lap to win that, giving him the thirteenth starting spot in the feature. Gustin searched every lane imaginable in the early parts of the forty-lap feature, but was unable to charge through the pack as he has in other races. He finished eighth, but gave up more points to point leader Jason Hughes. Hughes now holds a 46-point advantage going into Thursday night's event at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison after Wednesday night's show in Oskaloosa got rained out. For all the latest news and point standings, check out www.usmts.com.
I'd like to thank Todd Staley and his staff for their hospitality Tuesday night. I was a little disappointed to have five classes on the card for a mid-week special, and considering the outcome with the rain, I think the rest of the packed crowd was as well. Perhaps the powers-that-be will take that into account for a potential next time.
Tuesday night's show also was my 70th race of the season. It's a far cry from my count at this point last year, but considering a lot of things are different I'd say it's pretty good. Right now my tentative schedule includes Allison Thursday, Marshalltown Friday night, and maybe Deer Creek Saturday. Then next week begins "America's Racing Vacation", the IMCA Supernationals. I plan to attend Monday's show, but skip Tuesday. Then I'll be at the Boone Speedway the rest of the week.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
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