Sunday, June 26, 2011

Weyer Collects First, Elliott and Aikey Win Again

An unseasonably cool Saturday in late June had me a bit unsure as to if racing would happen at the Hamilton County Speedway. Rain showers throughout much of the morning at home also led me to doubt, but apparently no rain had fallen at the half-mile speed plant in Webster City. So with that I was off to my Saturday night home away from home for some great racing action.

101 race teams checked in to the pits that included 22 IMCA modifieds, 23 IMCA sportmods, 18 IMCA late models, 19 IMCA hobby stocks, 14 stock cars, and 5 hornets. As hot laps got underway the dust quickly started to fly as negative thoughts began to fill my mind. While the drivers meeting was underway trucks took to the top side to pack in the loose crumbs and the dust would be minimal come heat race time. The track seemed to go one lane on the bottom side, prompting track officials to get the water truck out and splurge the top side. After ironing it back in, feature action would get started.

First up would be the hornet division. Lyle Oberhelman got a great jump and appeared to have the lead as the field went into turn one, but Adam Strunk quickly caught him down the back stretch and made the pass. Strunk would slow as smoke started to bellow from his machine, giving the lead over to Dan Ayers. Strunk would fall back to the fourth spot, but he quickly regained momentum and found himself back up to second. Dan Ayers would go on to pick up the win and break Adam Strunk's five-race winning streak. Strunk finished second, Keaton Graffunder was third, Lyle Oberhelman fourth, and Mark McCoy rounded out the field.

Next up would be the IMCA hobby stock main event. The caution flag would fly before the completion of lap one, but when racing resumed it was pole sitter David Rieks leading the pack of seventeen cars. Cory Roe would slide into second while points leader Kevin Fee was on the march. Fee, who started tenth, worked his way to fourth with Brad Ratcliff following in fifth on just the second circuit. Third place runner Al Dixon got too high exiting turn four, opening the door for Fee and Ratcliff to drive on by and advance a position. Another caution came out that bunched the field back up, and Randy Embrey would take advantage this time as he used the top side to get by Adam Hagen and Dixon to climb into fifth. Rieks would enjoy an eight car length advantage up front while the battle for second heated up among Roe, Fee, Ratcliff, and Embrey. Positions seemed to swap in each corner as they raced side by side in rows of two. David Rieks would go on to pick up his second win of the season. Cory Roe held on for second with Kevin Fee finishing third, Brad Ratcliff fourth, and Randy Embrey in fifth.

Jim Mitchell would take the lead from his inside second row starting spot in the stock car feature, but his time would be cut short as his car popped and slowed down the back stretch on lap three to bring out the caution. Mark Haglund would inherit the lead with Scott Bloemke just behind. On the restart Bloemke got shuffled back as Jason Wagoner and Jason Minnehan both set sail on the cushion and powered by him. Haglund was the only car using the inside line, and as a result Wagoner would make the pass for the lead. Minnehan and points leader Mark Elliott also made their way by Haglund and began to reel in Wagoner. Elliott ducked to the inside of Minnehan and made it stick as he climbed to second at the white flag. Elliott would close in on the rear bumper of Wagoner going into turn three before turning down the banking in turn four to pull to the inside. It would be a drag race to the line with Elliott edging out Wagoner for the win. Reid Keller finished third, Mark Haglund was fourth, and Scott Bloemke rounded out the top five. Minnehan made contact with the wall on the final lap and did not finish.

Bob Sutherland used his outside front row starting spot to rocket out to a commanding lead in the IMCA sportmod feature. After three laps he quickly built up nearly a straight away advantage over Travis Woodbeck, but it would get erased a lap later as the caution flag waved. Following a couple more quick yellows, Bryon Weyer and Jeremy Embrey made passes on both sides of Dane Larson to move into third and fourth, respectively. Weyer would continue his march to the front after passing Woodbeck using the cushion on lap eight. Weyer would look to the low side of Sutherland exiting turn four for the lead, but the caution flag negated the pass. After possibly showing his hand a bit early, Weyer would use the same maneuver on the restart and the pass would stick as Weyer took command late in the race. Jeremy Embrey used the low groove to also get by Sutherland before the final caution came with three laps remaining. Sutherland and fourth-place running Woodbeck both pushed high in turn two on the restart, opening the door for Brandon Leeman to skate under and take the third position. Back up front Bryon Weyer would maintain a comfortable lead and become the seventh different winner in eight weeks of racing. Jeremy Embrey finished second, Brandon Leeman was third, Travis Woodbeck fourth, and Bob Sutherland held on for fifth.

The time was now set for the twenty-one car field of IMCA modifieds to hit the track. Daniel Hilsabeck took command from his outside front row start, but following a restart he would lose it to Scott Williams who was fast on the low side. After restarting in tenth, Jay Noteboom quickly found the top side to his liking and motored by JJ Wise for third. He used the same line to power by Hilsabeck and brought Adam Larson with him to fourth. It wasn't long after before Noteboom took the lead with Larson behind him in second and Williams shuffled back to third still running the low side. Larson would try a couple slide jobs to get the lead away from Noteboom, but the crafty veteran countered every move to maintain the lead. Larson would pull up slow on the front stretch after his right rear tire gave way and brought out the caution. Larson would go to the trailer to end his night. From that point on most of the drivers took to the top side and not much passing would go on as Jay Noteboom picked up the win ahead of JJ Wise, Scott Williams finished third, Daniel Hilsabeck fourth, and Mark Elliott rounded out the top five.

The IMCA late model feature would be the finale of the evening as the field of eighteen were ready to rumble. Curt Schroeder set the early pace after starting on the pole. Row two starters Ben Nading and Ryan Griffith raced side by side for a couple laps as they tried settling the second position. The caution would come out when Kyle Wahlert spun out in turn one after he had a great run going in fifth. When racing resumed Griffith would work the top side and get by Nading for second as Jeff Aikey seemingly came out of nowhere to take over third. Griffith would look to the inside of Schroeder and take over the lead, but his time out front was short-lived. Entering turn three with Griffith on the inside and Schroeder on the outside, Aikey would drive deep into the corner and split the two as he took command of the race. With Aikey pulling away from the field, Todd Cooney and Darrel DeFrance both made their way by Schroeder to move into third and fourth, respectively. A restart with ten laps to go bunched the field up, allowing both Cooney and DeFrance to advance another position as they both worked under Ryan Griffith. Jeff Aikey would take home his third win of the season as he finished ahead of Todd Cooney, Darrel DeFrance, Ryan Griffith, and Curt Schroeder.

It was another exciting night at the historic Hamilton County Speedway. A thrilling finish in the stock car feature followed up by Jay Noteboom's run on the top side and Jeff Aikey's maneuver for the lead in the late model finale surely made fans cheer and perhaps left them speechless at the same time. For a full field rundown of every division, as well as upcoming schedule and updated point standings, be sure to log on to the Hamilton County Speedway website. REMEMBER - next Saturday night is the second Fan Appreciation Night in which adult tickets are just $5!!

The next week or so has the potential to be a very busy time for me, but I think I'm going to pick and choose which specials I go to. For a list of the specials in the coming weeks, be sure to check out the Positivelyracing calendar of events.

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Schmitt Collects First "W" of Season

A beautiful Friday afternoon in central Iowa led me to believe the night was going to be filled with some great racing action. I headed west on Highway 20 and made my fourth stop at the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The unique setting has had their peaks and valleys as far as car counts go, but the racing was top notch last night as the track was in great shape with the exception of a big rut in turn one.

Outside front row starter Dakota Flogstad would grab the early lead in the hornet feature that saw thirteen cars take the green flag. Lyle Oberhelman would slowly reel in the leader and would overtake the lead using the outside line at the midpoint of the race. Flogstad would keep pace and keep the pressure on, but Lyle Oberhelman took the checkered flag first. Flogstad settled for second, Nick Hogan was third, Mike McFarland fourth, and Jarid Kuchenreuther rounded out the top five.

Econo stocks were up next with nine cars making the call. Jake Bieret wasted no time in taking command in this one from his second starting spot. Brad Hanse would pull to within a couple car lengths and maintain it the remainder of the race. Bieret would take the win ahead of Hanse, Colby Davis, Todd Fredericksen, and Brad Babb.

Fourteen hobby stocks took the green flag, but it was quickly replaced with the yellow as Kevin Berger got sideways coming out of turn four to the green flag. Berger would wind up going nose-first into the concrete wall on the front stretch and making significant contact and ending his night early. Back under way, Joel Tigges secured the top spot with Paul Toms and Austin Wolfgram behind him. A lap or two later the red flag would come out as Dave Schmauss rolled violently down the front stretch in front of where I was sitting. I didn't see what started it, but he soared into the air before eventually landing on all four wheels. Schmauss got out under his own power and appeared to be okay. While under the red flag Austin Wolfgram was seen leaving the track on the back end of a wrecker after apparently losing a right rear tire.

When the green flag came back out Toms rocketed around Tigges on the outside in turns one and two to take over the lead. Ryan Caquelin and Cody Nielsen were making their ways to the front as the settled in to third and fourth, respectively. These two drivers had rubbed on each other in the heat race and it boiled over into the feature as they beat on each other throughout the closing laps. Up front though it would be Paul Toms taking the win ahead of Joel Tigges, Cody Nielsen, Ryan Caquelin, and Jeff Lyon. Lyon had started fourteenth.

The biggest class of the night belonged to the b-mods as nineteen had checked in for the night. Bruce Egeland unfortunately had a brief night after suffering left rear damage in hot laps. Jim Lampe would hold the lead after the first lap with Andy Tiernan and Brett Meyer quickly working their ways to second and third, respectively. Tiernan would use the inside groove to make the pass on Lampe for the lead before opening up a comfortable cushion between he and Lampe. A timely caution came out as David Calmer spun his machine in turn three just ahead of the leaders. Meyer would use the double-file restart to power by Lampe on the outside to take over second. Jake Simpson also used the cushion to climb into the top five. Suddenly Tiernan slowed on the back stretch and pulled to the infield ahead of the pack, handing the reigns over to Brett Meyer. Meyer would keep his car out front the remainder of the race as he picked up another feature win. Jim Lampe followed in second, Jake Simpson was third, Eric Elliott finished fourth after starting eleventh, and Matt Pittman rounded out the top five.

The USRA stock cars were next to the track with eleven cars on hand. Outside front row starter Matt Mundt set the early pace, but the caution came out early as Jason Minnehan spun in turn four. He showed his displeasure to Wayne Crimmins before tagging the tail, and on the restart Jeremy Crimmins would overtake Mundt at the front of the field. Jeff Deal was on the charge as he passed Malcolm Teachout on the inside line for third before getting by Mundt for second. Wayne Crimmins settled into third while Minnehan was working his way back up through the field to fifth at the midpoint of the race. Mundt would get a little too high, allowing Minnehan to slip by for fourth. Back up front Deal tried a slingshot move exiting turn two and came up across the nose of Jeremy Crimmins for the lead, but as the two made contact it allowed Wayne Crimmins to sneak by and take the top spot. A caution came out again, and Minnehan was the beneficiary this time as he powered by Deal on the top side for second. Matt Mundt would lose his top five spot when he spun out to bring out the final caution. Deal would use the top side to get back by Minnehan for second, but it would be Wayne Crimmins finding himself in victory lane at the end of the race. Jeff Deal finished second, Jason Minnehan was third, Matt Fox fourth, and Jeremy Crimmins completed the top five.

1. 35 Wayne Crimmins
2. 22 Jeff Deal
3. 7 Jason Minnehan
4. M2 Matt Fox
5. 15 Jeremy Crimmins
6. 24B Randy Biederman
7. 25M Matt Mundt
8. M5 Jim Mitchell
9. 27M Mike Munson
10. 20T Malcolm Teachout
11. 57 Dennis Plain

The modifieds were ready to close out the evening as eight cars took to the track. Pole sitter and last week's feature winner Bill Crimmins shot to the lead. Rod Scheuermann quickly moved into the second position on lap two. After fading from second to sixth on the first lap, Brian Schmitt quickly rebounded and passed Mike Albertsen for fourth. Schmitt found the low line to be to his liking as he passed Dave Doughty for third. Scheuermann would sneak under Crimmins for the lead, and a few laps later Crimmins hit the rut in turn one to allow Schmitt to race by for second. With Scheuermann out front by nearly a straight away, the rest of the field would string out as well. Just then something flew off of Scheuermann's car in turn one and he exited the track on the back stretch, handing the lead over to Schmitt with five laps to go. Brian Schmitt would go on to pick up his first win of the season ahead of Bill Crimmins, Mike Albertsen, Dave Doughty, and Scott Sturm.

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, I thought the track was in great shape with the exception of the rut in turn one on the top side. Cars were able to use two grooves of racing throughout the night and it made for some exciting racing action. For a full rundow of results and updated point standings, be sure to log on to the Mineral City Speedway website.

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Mills, Ackerman Take Home Extra $$$

Sunday night proved to be a great night not only in regards to the weather, but also the excitement of racing action at the I-35 Speedway in Mason City. The track was in tip-top shape and provided different grooves of racing throughout the evening. When all was said and done, two drivers walked away with a little bit of extra cash in their pockets.

Chanse Hollatz would pick up the feature win in the junior hornet division as he bested a field of ten. Jordan Prehn would dominate the hornet main event over nine other competitors.

Outside front row starter Andrew Borchardt would get credit for leading the first lap of the IMCA hobby stock feature, but Stac Schroeder was just to his inside door panel ready to wrestle the lead away. Schroeder would take the lead away in turn two prior to a caution that saw Scott Dobel tangle with Jay Servantez. Heath Tulp used the cushion to zoom past Borchardt for the runner up position while Chad Gentz followed to third. Gentz then changed his line to the inside to make the pass on Tulp before setting his crosshares on Schroeder up front. Two laps later Gentz made his move to the inside and overtook Schroeder atop the leaderboard and would go on to pick up the win. Stac Schroeder would finish second, Heath Tulp was third, Andrew Borchardt finished fourth, and Cody Knecht rounded out the top five.

Despite four drivers not making the call, the IMCA sportmod feature proved to be very exciting with fifteen cars on track. Travis Greenwood would get a good start and sail to the lead from the second row. An early caution slowed the pace, but on the two-wide restart behind the leader it would be Dan Tenold getting a great jump as he flew by four cars to advance from fifth to the lead within the first lap following the restart. George Nordman and Adam Ackerman moved into second and third place, respectively, after both got around Greenfield. Ackerman ducked low on Nordman to take second away and closed in on Tenold with a couple laps to go. Ackerman swung his machine to the outside on the final lap and gained momentum off turn two to pull to the outside of Tenold entering turn three. Ackerman found some grip on the cushion and made the exciting last corner pass to pick up the thrilling win. Dan Tenold would finish second, George Nordman was third, Mike Jaeger fourth, and Nate Chodur completed the top five. Yohnco, a presenting sponsor for the night, would add money to the winner's share of the purse and Ackerman walked away with a cool $700 payday.

Pole sitter Jared Dirks wasted no time in taking command out front in the IMCA stock car finale. With Mick Meyers running second, Kevin Opheim and Travis Shipman raced side by side for the third position before Shipman secured the spot. Derek Green was on the charge a bit further back, and after starting tenth he would make the inside line work to his advantage as he passed both Opheim and Shipman to climb to third. Green wasn't done yet as he would use the same line to get by Meyers for second before overtaking Dirks for the lead. Shipman would also get Meyers and Dirks to take the runner up position before closing in on the back bumper of Green late in the race. Shipman would let Green know he was there with a few love taps, but Green maintained his composure and hit his marks en route to picking up the win in the caution-free race. Travis Shipman finished second, Mick Meyers was third, Jared Dirks fourth, and Kevin Opheim rounded out the top five.

Kevin Stoa used his outside front row starting position to blast into the lead of the IMCA modified feature. Jeremy Mills and Alex Yohn both found their way around Keith Schmitz before engaging in a heated battle for the third position. JJ Wise found himself starting at the back of the feature after not finishing his heat race, but that only motivated the young driver as he methodically worked his way through the field. By about lap eight Wise found himself up to the eighth position prior to the caution flag at the halfway point. On the restart however he would make contact with Alex Hanson and cut down a right front tire to bring out another caution flag. Levi Nielsen would get around Jeremy Mills on the outside for the second spot while Yohn again challenged Mills for third. Yohn would get the spot and advance another one as he ducked under Nielsen for second. The final yellow flag would come out, and as the field realigned for the restart Nielsen would slow in turn one and exit towards the infield. Parker Brumm took advantage on the restart as he shot to the outside and passed four cars to climb into the fourth spot. Mills closed the gap on Stoa and snuck under him to grab the lead. In the closing laps Stoa would mount a comeback and as the two exited turn four for the checkers the crowd jumped out of their seats to see Mills hold on for the half car length victory. Stoa would settle for second, Alex Yohn was third, Rob Rose finished fourth, and Keith Schmitz completed the top five. Yohnco would also add $500 to the winner's purse in this race, so Mills pocketed $1,000 for his efforts.

It was a fantastic night of racing in Mason City as seemingly every race was hotly contested. The track stayed in great shape throughout the night and provided drivers a couple different grooves in which to race. The I-35 Speedway will sit idle Monday before the annual visit of the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) invades the big half-mile on Tuesday. Hot laps are set for 7pm, so if you're in the area be sure to swing by the North Iowa Fairgrounds and the I-35 Speedway, weather permitting of course. For a full rundown of results and updated point standings, click on the I-35 Speedway website.

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Griffith and Lettow Score First Wins of Season @ Webster City

Another Saturday brought about the road trip to the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City. Threat of rain was on the radar earlier in the afternoon, but things stayed dry all night to give the drivers a smooth racing surface. The track would take rubber as the night went on, providing drivers a couple different racing grooves.

First up would be the seven-car field of hornets. Lyle Oberhelman and Adam Strunk drove to the inside and outside of the front row starters at the drop of the green flag with Strunk leading lap one. Oberhelman would look to the outside of Strunk and momentarily take the lead exiting turn two, but Strunk would battle back on the next set of turns and regain the lead. Adam Strunk would go on to pick up his fifth win in a row at Webster City. Lyle Oberhelman finished second, Mike McFarland was third, Daniel Ayers fourth, and Jason Clark rounded out the top five.

Twenty cars would take the green flag in the IMCA hobby stock feature, but the caution flag waved just as fast as the green flag had. When racing resumed it was Roger Haupt Jr leading the first lap after some of the field had raced four-wide. Brad Ratcliff was on the move as he advanced into the second position while points leader Kevin Fee worked his way to fourth on lap three. However a caution flag came out and Fee was put back in the seventh position. When the green flag dropped again Fee and David Rieks would hook bumpers and come to a stop in turn three to bring out another yellow. Ratcliff used the restart to his advantage as he used a slingshot move in turn one to overtake Haupt Jr at the front of the field. Blake Miller, Craig Graham, and Cody Nielsen raced three-wide for the third position before Miller took the spot. Miller would use the inside line to pass Haupt Jr for second, but it would be Brad Ratcliff picking up the win. Blake Miller finished second, Roger Haupt Jr was third, Craig Graham was fourth, and Cody Nielsen finished fifth in his first visit of the year.

Next up would be the stock car main event. Pole sitter Dave Atcher would grab the lead, but Mark Elliott was quickly on the prowl. Elliott started eighth, but quickly sliced his way to the third spot utilizing the inside line on lap two. Mark Haglund ducked to the inside of Atcher to snare the lead away while Elliott followed him into second. A few short laps later Elliott swung to the outside of Haglund and took command out front. Jason Wagoner found the high side to his liking as well as he passed Reid Keller for third and later passed Haglund for the runner up position with six laps remaining. Wagoner quickly closed in on Elliott, but the caution came out on the final lap. On the restart Wagoner drove in a little hot in turn one and jumped the cushion, allowing Haglund to sneak by under him for second. Wagoner would regain his composure and get back by Haglund, but time ran out as Mark Elliott picked up another win in the stock car ranks. Jason Wagoner finished second, Mark Haglund was third, Curt Hook finished fourth, and Reid Keller rounded out the top five.

The field of IMCA sportmods were dwindled down to a starting field of twenty-four with outside front row starter Jeremy Embrey getting the nod out front early. Embrey would receive heavy pressure from Jared Timmerman before relinquishing the lead, but Embrey would battle back and retake the top spot. Timmerman regained control up front as Matt Lettow got by Embrey for second. In the closing laps the leaders had to deal with lapped traffic, and exiting turn four Lettow chose the correct lane in making the pass on Timmerman for the lead. Lettow would go on to take the win ahead of Jared Timmerman, Jeremy Embrey, Cayden Carter, and Kyle Brown.

Pole sitter Luke Wanninger grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag on the IMCA modified feature. After starting seventh, JJ Wise quickly sliced his way using the bottom line to the third position. Mark Elliott was on the charge on the top side and made his way around Wise to settle in third. Wise's night would end prematurely as his machine began to pour out heavy smoke. On the restart Wanninger slid too high and allowed Elliott to motor by for the lead. Jeremy Mills worked his way around Jacob Murray for third after starting thirteenth while Adam Larson was trying to rally from being involved in an early caution. Larson would wind up fifth when the checkered flag dropped, but it would be Mark Elliott taking his car to victory lane for the second time that night. Jeremy Mills finished second, Richie Gustin was third, Luke Wanninger held on for fourth with Larson in fifth.

Curt Schroeder took control in the IMCA late model finale, but the caution flag waved on lap two to slow the pace. Darrel DeFrance dashed to the inside and made a pass on Kyle Wahlert on lap four to take over the third position. Ryan Griffith would challenge Schroeder for the lead before overtaking him on lap six. DeFrance would also get by Schroeder a few laps later, but was unable to close the big gap as Ryan Griffith nabbed his first win of the season. Darrel DeFrance finished second, Kyle Wahlert was third, Curt Schroeder was fourth, and Jeff Aikey completed the top five.

After last week's rough terrain on account of rainy weather, Saturday night was a complete turnaround as it was a dry and smooth track. It would take rubber and provide for some great side by side action, giving the fans lots of excitement. For a complete rundown from Saturday night and updated point standings, check out the Hamilton County Speedway website.

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Friday, June 17, 2011

USMTS Action from Worthington and Fort Dodge

Now that its been at least five or six days since I visited Worthington and Fort Dodge for USMTS action, I'm just now getting the chance to sit down and type a blog. I'll admit, I don't have much motivation to write anything at this point now that it's five days old. I apologize for the lengthy delay, as my mother had surgery on Monday and didn't get out of the hospital until Thursday night. So my priorities were with her Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Last Sunday I met a friend in Clear Lake and headed north and west to the Nobles County Speedway in Worthington, Minnesota. It was my first ever trip to the racey quarter mile track. As I do with every track I go to, I was looking for people I know in the grandstand when I saw a couple I recognized. I apologize for not remembering their names, but they are from the Kansas City area and travel to a lot of races, especially USMTS. Turns out they are following the USMTS on their 17-race, 19-day brutal schedule of events. I also saw a good friend of mine, Wade Sembach, and his buddy (sorry, can't remember first name but Waples is the last name). Caught up on racing gossip and such with them as well.

Heat races were run and most of the racing was done on the low groove, although many guys did advance from the tail of the field in all divisions. Once heat races were completed, the track crew went to work and grated the track from the bottom to the top, and then skimmed it back down while adding water to the surface. It did wonders for the track as it would provide side-by-side action throughout the feature events.

Bumper Jones would use his outside front row starting spot to grab the lead at the start, but fourth-place starter Ryan Gustin wasted little time in getting to the front. After passing pole-sitter Al Hejna for second, Gustin hammered his machine to the outside of Jones and took over the lead. Al Hejna worked under Jones to secure the second position as he kept pace with Gustin up front. Rodney Sanders and Jason Grimes raced wheel to wheel for the fifth spot before Sanders began moving his way forward ever so slightly. With Gustin and Hejna out front by themselves, Sanders reeled in Jones for third and set the fishing line to reel in Hejna for second. With eight laps remaining the only caution of the race would come out to set up and interesting battle between Gustin, Hejna, and Sanders. Sanders made the inside line work again to his liking as he got by Hejna, and within two more laps he ducked to the inside of Gustin and got by for the lead. Gustin would try to battle back, but wound up losing ground as Rodney Sanders took home the win. Gustin would settle for second, Jason Krohn finished third, Al Hejna slid to fourth, and Bumper Jones rounded out the top five.

Other winners on the night included Nick Johansen (USRA Iron Man B-mods), Mitch Hovden (USRA Iron Man stock cars), and Jeremy VanEde (USRA hobby stocks).

Action would resume on Monday with the annual visit to the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge. The USMTS car count was considerably down with only twenty-one cars on hand. That could be due to the forecast, or it could be a result of the regional format USMTS has in place. In either case, lack of quantity didn't reflect the caliber of racing the fans saw on Monday night.

Cayden Carter would dominate the USRA Iron Man challenge for b-mods. He finished ahead of Matt Pittman, Jared Timmerman, Steve Reetz, and Matt Lettow.

Kevin Berger would pick up the win in the USRA hobby stock feature. He was followed across the line by Austin Wolfgram, Chad Krug, Justin Nehring, and Brad Ratcliff.

Chris Ullrich picked up the win in the USRA Iron Man challenge for stock cars. Jake Masters, Kyle Falck, Mark Elliott, and Nathan Wood rounded out the top five.

With threat of rain, USMTS officials opted out of their traditional four-wide and American flags salute and instead got the show moving quickly. Mike Steensma grabbed the early lead, but an early caution involving Corey Dripps and Ron VerBeek slowed the action. Steensma would open the door for Ryan Gustin a few laps later when he slid high in turn four, allowing Gustin to motor past and take over the lead. Gustin would open up a lead of nearly a straight away, but lurking behind would be nine-time series champion Kelly Shryock. Shryock methodically drove the bottom groove while everybody else was using the cushion. Shryock knocked off a position at a time and chased down Gustin in the closing laps. Shryock would take the lead as they came to the white flag and celebrated his 46th birthday in victory lane. Gustin would have to settle for second after leading the majority of the race for the second consecutive night. Mike Steensma, Colt Mather, and Chris Brown completed the top five. Brown was driving Shryock's backup car.

All in all the races were good at both facilities. While I wasn't able to get much sleep at the beginning of the week, I have since caught up a little bit and look forward to another couple nights of racing in the next few days. My plans are to take in Webster City's weekly show Saturday night before catching more USMTS action at Mason City Tuesday and in Alta on Wednesday. Hope to see you at one of these races, or perhaps later on down the road!

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

David Rieks Cashes in Jerry Dixon Memorial Moolah

Saturday I found myself looking forward to the weekly trek to the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City. Car counts are solidly 100+ and the track conditions are getting better every week. After seeing how good the track was in Fort Dodge on Friday night, I had a little extra motivation to see what Webster City would showcase.

Upon arrival, however, I found out that track officials had their work cut out for them. Apparently the moisture was not drying very fast and officials had to rip up the surface early Saturday afternoon. Many people were on the track with tractors and personal vehicles working on both ends of the speedway. Hot laps would get underway about twenty minutes late, but I didn't mind it as the track is more important to me then time.

Heat race action kicked off and laps on the speedway began to take its toll. Ruts started showing up in both corners. Several cars got some "major air" while somehow keeping control of their cars through the soft surface. Intermission came and the appearance of the box scraper and grater were inevitable. Work was done on both corners, and feature action would begin.

First to the speeway would be the nine-car hornet feature. Mike McFarland jumped out to the early lead, but Adam Strunk quickly threw his name into the hat and passed McFarland on the outside to overtake the lead on lap two. McFarland and Strunk raced side by side swapping the lead on occasion, allowing Daniel Ayers to close in from his third position. Ayers and McFarland both ran out of time as Adam Strunk won his fourth consecutive feature at Webster City. Mike McFarland was second, Daniel Ayers third, Angie Webb fourth, and Keaton Graffunder completed the top five.

It was then time for the Jerry Dixon Memorial event for IMCA hobby stocks. Jerry Dixon was very instrumental with the hobby stock class as he not only raced in this division, but he also had his own chassis business in which many competitors bought and raced. Jerry unfortunately lost his life to cancer. He was later inducted into the Hamilton County Speedway Racing Association's Hall of Fame, and last night would be the inaugural running of the Jerry Dixon Memorial. Several businesses and invidiuals throughout the night decided to donate money to the winner's purse, more then doubling it as the winner would pocket $650.

Roger Caquelin and David Rieks sat on the front row of the twenty-car field as three competitors were unable to make the call. Caquelin would lead the first lap, but Rieks swept under him to snare the lead away on lap two. The two seasawed positions back and forth the opening laps until a caution on lap four slowed the pace. Two laps after the restart, points leader Kevin Fee had advanced six positions to climb into the top five. Another caution would come out with three laps remaining, setting up an exciting conclusion. Fee would work the inside of Caquelin to take over the second spot, but he would suffer a right rear flat tire upon exit of turn four to end his great run from the tail. Eric Knutson, making his first visit of the year, would pick up the chase on Reiks as the laps wound down. Knutson was closing the gap and tried working the inside off turn four to checkers, but he would run out of time as David Reiks picked up his first win and collected a cool $650 payday. Eric Knutson would finish second, Roger Caquelin third, Brad Ratcliff finished fourth after starting twentieth, and Matt Webb rounded out the top five.

Focus would now turn to the IMCA sportmods as twenty-four cars took to the track. Pole sitter Matt Lettow got the early lead, but youngster Cayden Carter was there to challenge him. Carter ducked to the inside on lap two to take over the lead, but Lettow would battle back and reassume his spot at the front of the field on the next circuit. The two front runners would swap the lead as each competitor gave the other plenty of room despite changing lanes throughout the race. Points leader Joel Rust took advantage of a lap eight restart as he passed Kyle Brown and later Brandon Leeman to take the fourth position. Carter would hold the lead with two laps to go, but Lettow saw the white flag first. As the two entered turn three on the final lap, Carter dashed to the inside and let the car slide up to the middle groove. Lettow tried to power around on the cushion, but didn't have enough momentum as Cayden Carter picked up his second win of the season. Matt Lettow settled for a close second, Shawn Albers finished in third, Bryon Weyer was fourth, and Joel Rust was fifth.

Eleven stock cars were next up and Adam Silvey used his number one starting spot to grab the early lead. Curt Hook made a daring move entering turn one to sneak under both Ryan Leeman and Jim Mitchell to snag the runner up position on the third lap. First time visitor this season, Nathan Wood found himself up to fourth after passing Reid Keller. Up front Hook would make the pass on Silvey for the lead around the halfway point. Wood would get by Leeman for third with four laps to go before taking the second position past Silvey. Wood would quickly close the gap to Hook, but simply ran out of time as he caught the rear bumper of Hook when the checkered flag waved. Curt Hook picked up the win ahead of Nathan Wood, Mark Elliott was third, Adam Silvey fourth, and Ryan Leeman finished fifth.

Twenty-five IMCA modifieds were on hand Saturday night, and perhaps a little excitement was in the air as 4-time IMCA national champion David Murray from Oberlin, Kansas had ventured into town to try his luck. He and teammate Jay Noteboom looked good in their respective heat races. Feature pole sitter Kyle Krampe would hold his position as he took the lead early. Todd Shute got to the inside of Mike Jergens to claim the second spot before sneaking by Krampe on the bottom for the lead. His time at the front would be short, however, as JD Auringer powered his machine to the top side and overtook the lead. His pass would be nullified by a caution flag.

Shortly after the green flag came back out, Auringer again put his machine on the cushion and sailed to the front with Shute following to second. Mark Elliott would join the top two drivers and made the pass on Shute for second. Shute and Elliott swapped positions a few times, and behind them Richie Gustin had made his way around Mike Jergens and Krampe to sit fourth. Auringer, Shute, and Elliott were ahead of the pack by a straight away when David Murray got by Krampe to climb inside the top five with just four laps remaining. Murray would be penalized two spots for jumping the restart as the caution flag came out for that reason. When the green flag was displayed again, the only position to change hands was Mark Elliott passing Richie Gustin for third. JD Auringer picked up his second win of the season as he finished ahead of Todd Shute, Mark Elliott, Richie Gustin, and Levi Nielsen. Murray would suffer a flat tire to end his night.

The finale of the night would once again be the IMCA late models. Ryan Griffith led the seventeen-car field to the green flag, but the caution would quickly come out on lap two when Paul Watters hit the wall in turn three. Upon the restart cars tangled on the inside row of the double file restart. Victims of the crash were Al Johnson, Darrel DeFrance, and Kyle Wahlert. When racing resumed Todd Cooney was on a mission as he grabbed the lead away from Griffith utilizing the inside groove. Last week's feature winner Jeff Aikey made his way by Griffith to climb into second and began to reel in Cooney. Aikey used the low side to overtake Cooney at the front of the field on lap nine and immediately began to stretch it out. The field got spread out the rest of the way, and Jeff Aikey would take the win in commanding fashion. Todd Cooney would finish second, Ryan Giles was third, Kelly Tapper finished fourth in his first appearance of the season, and Jason Hahne completed the top five.

While track conditions were definitely a challenge, I thought the feature races were entertaining and competitive. There were two grooves of racing despite the rough surface as evident by the sportmod race between Lettow and Carter. I'm sure the Hamilton County fairboard will get ripped to shreads because of the track conditions, but I'll give them high praise for putting the effort to attempt to race. I am highly confident that the track will get better.

For a full rundown of results, updated point standings, and upcoming race schedule be sure to log on to the Hamilton County Speedway website. I'd like to thank the fairboard for their hospitality and also announcer Ryan Bergeson for the Positivelyracing plug.

Plans for tonight (Sunday) are to head northwest to take in the USMTS show in Worthington, Minnesota. I also look forward to a trip to Fort Dodge Monday to take in that USMTS show. So if you see me walking around, stop and say hi.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Williams Finds Victory Lane in Fort Dodge

After most of the state received significant amounts of rain on Thursday, I went to work Friday thinking that nobody was going to be racing later that night. I got home and did a small errand before receiving a text message from a good friend from Des Moines, asking me if Fort Dodge was still racing. I told him I would check with someone connected to the track, and sure enough they were still racing. I quickly got my butt in gear and headed west on Highway 20.

Still driving in misty conditions until I reached I-35, I was skeptical as to if racing would actually happen. As I reached Webster City the highway started looking dryer, but the mist returned once I arrived at the race track. Much to my surprise, however, the track looked in great shape.

Heat races were clicked off at a good rate and it was quickly time for feature action. Dakota Flagstad would take the early command, but he would later be black flagged for leaking fuel. That handed the lead over to Mike McFarland, and he would sail away with the victory. Nate Evans would finish second, Jarid Kuchenreuther third, Mick Evans was fourth, and Mike Evans rounded out the top five.

Econo stocks were next up with eight cars taking the green flag. Austin Reicks was shot out of a cannon as he stormed to the front of the field after starting eighth.. Jason Lowe got too high exiting turn four, went off the banking and crashed into the tires on the front stretch before ending up on his top. He would get out unhurt. Reicks would pick up where he left off and took the checkered flag ahead of Todd Fredericksen, Dan Dahl, Brad Hanse, and Brad Babb.

Pole sitter Adam Suhrbier led the early laps in the hobby stock feature, but he was dethroned by Myles Michehl at the front of the pack. Suhrbier would get high in turn four, and Justin Nehring was there to take advantage as he hammered the gas into the lead. Austin Wolfgram was trying to maneuver through the field after starting ninth, but he got together with Suhrbier and lost a position. Justin Nehring would go on to pick up the feature win ahead of Myles Michehl, Jeff Lyon, Austin Wolfgram, and Zachary Angstrom.

1. 20N Justin Nehring
2. 21 Myles Michehl
3. 59 Jeff Lyon
4. 24 Austin Wolfgram
5. 01z Zachary Angstrom
6. 4 Ryan Caquelin
7. 27P Kevin Berger
8. 90 Matt Wise
9. 49 Jack Marsh
10. 30 Dave Schmauss
11. 10s Adam Suhrbier - DNF
12. 24T Paul Toms - DNS

It was then time for the limited modifieds to hit the track with fifteen cars ready for action. Outside front row starter Clay Evans continued his momentum from last week's feature win to lead in the early going in this one. Steve Reetz would replace Evans as the leader a few laps later while Jim Lampe also snuck under Evans for third. Lampe was closing in on the front two cars of Reetz and Matt Pittman, but contact between Lampe and Pittman sent both into a spin. Pittman fired his machine up but Lampe fell victim to the caution flag. Late in the race Andy Tiernan dove to the inside to take the third spot away from Evans, but the race belonged to Steve Reetz as he took the win. Matt Pittman finished second, Andy Tiernan third, Clay Evans fourth, and Rocky Caudle finished fifth in what I believe was a new car.

1. 80 Steve Reetz
2. 36 Matt Pittman
3. 321 Andy Tiernan
4. 54E Clay Evans
5. 99 Rocky Caudle
6. 40rd Bob Sutherland
7. F5 Travis Storm
8. 40 George Gilliland
9. 3 Trevor Chaplin
10. 2 Jeriel Ratzke
11. 14K Donovon Kerrebeck
12. 57 Doug Bartels - DNF
13. 22 Jim Lampe - DNF
14. 23JR Nick Roberts - DNF
15. 37 Dustin Haggard - DNF

USRA stock cars were next up with eleven cars taking the green flag. Jeff Deal raced out to the early lead with Dennis Plain and Jim Mitchell hanging tough behind him. Plain would lose the handle momentarily and slip back to eighth prior to a caution flag waving. Upon receiving the green flag on the restart Wayne Crimmins would suffer a right rear flat tire and exit to the pits. Deal continued to lead the way with Matt Mundt and Matt Fox following. Mitchell worked under Fox to take the third spot away while Jason Minnehan followed to fourth. Minnehan then ducked to the inside in turn three and passed Mitchell and Mundt for the second position. It wasn't enough though as Jeff Deal would be the victor followed by Minnehan, Mundt, Mitchell, and Fox rounding out the top five.

1. 22 Jeff Deal
2. 7 Jason Minnehan
3. 25M Matt Mundt
4. M5 Jim Mitchell
5. M2 Matt Fox
6. 57 Dennis Plain
7. 20 Malcolm Teachout
8. 93 Michael Jaennette - DNF
9. 24B Randy Biederman - DNF
10. 35 Wayne Crimmins - DNF
11. 15 Jeremy Crimmins - DNF

The finale of the evening was the nine-car field of modifieds. Scott Sturm would hold down the fort in the early going, but he slipped high and opened the door for Brad Williams to take control at the front of the field. Rod Scheuermann methodically worked his way towards the front using the bottom side of the speedway as he passed Dave Doughty and Scott Sturm to climb into second. As the field was spread out, Scheuermann began to reel in Williams in the closing laps. He would run out of time, however, as Brad Williams picked up the feature win. Scheuermann settled for second, Scott Sturm was third, Mike VanGenderen finished fourth, and Dave Doughty was fifth.

1. 22BW Brad Williams
2. 14R Rod Scheuermann
3. 23 Scott Sturm
4. 15x Mike VanGenderen
5. 68 Dave Doughty
6. z3 Mike Albertsen
7. 61 Brian Schmitt
8. 20 Kyle Segbart
9. 47 Rodney Slagle - DNS

Racing action concluded at around 9:45. I thought the track held up very well considering the moisture that was in it. Only a rough patch in turn two was visible from my eyes.

Check out the Mineral City Speedway website for upcoming races, results, and point standings. Be sure to check out the USMTS show coming up Monday night, June 13th!

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Double the Fun at BVR

Wednesday night's slate of action at the Buena Vista Raceway was twice the fun for race fans as they would be treated to two sets of feature races in every class. All heat races were run a week ago before the rain set in and forced the postponement of the features to this week.

First up on the busy night would be the BVR bombers. Mike Draper would lead flag to flag in capturing the first feature of the night. He was followed across the line by Keith Demey, Austin Reicks, Jake Bieret, and Lucas Vote.

It was then time for the IMCA sport compact feature. Cory Flanigan rocketed to the lead from his fifth starting position on the first lap. Randy Cass was slowly reeling in the leader, but ran out of time as Flanigan pocketed another win. Cass finished second, Merv Chandler was third, Dallas Chandler fourth, and Jeff Roemen rounded out the top five.

Next to the track was the full field of IMCA hobby stocks. Pole sitter Justin Nehring set the early pace, but a caution quickly slowed the action. Following the restart, Andy Boeckman made a big charge and advanced from sixth to the third spot while they were three-wide behind him for fifth. Matt Mahoney made the bottom side work to his liking as he passed Nehring for the lead. Boeckman would follow to second while Devin Smith worked his way into the fourth position at the halfway point. Smith ducked under Nehring to climb to third and began to track down Mahoney and Boeckman at the front of the field. Boeckman would get loose in the corner, allowing Smith to advance into the second position. A caution at the white flag proved to be a deciding factor as Smith used the inside row on the restart to take the lead away. Another caution came out following another white flag, and on this final restart Michael Murphy took advantage as he passed two cars to move into the second spot when the checkered flag waved. Smith would take the win followed by Murphy, Boeckman, Mahoney, and Craig Brotherton. Boeckman was later disqualified in post-race tech.

Following that exciting feature was the IMCA sportmods with sixteen cars taking the green flag. Again the pole sitter would get the advantage on the start with Keagan Scott taking early command. Doug Smith was on the move in the middle of the pack as he worked his way into fourth on lap two after starting ninth. Smith would click off a few more spots and find himself in second before working under Scott for the lead. Jesse Sobbing methodically was working his way to the front as well as he found himself in second just five laps into the race after starting tenth. Two cautions would give Sobbing ample opportunity to knock on the door, but Doug Smith would not be denied as he picked up the win. Sobbing finished second, Tony Pogeler was third, Chris Grothe finished fourth, and Brett Meyer rounded out the top five.

With brothers Devin and Doug already finding victory lane, the pressure was on IMCA stock car competitors Dave and Donavon to keep the streak going. Things got off to a rocky start as pole sitter Jay Brannan pushed up the track on the start in turn four, bounced off Stefan Sybesma, spun and got collected by Brian Blessington. Sybesma would be done for the night, Blessington would make repairs and return, and Brannan continued on from the back of the pack before retiring later. David Smith would lead the field once the green flag waved, but he would receive pressure from brother Donavon as the laps wound down. Donavon was unable to work in a second groove, however, and it was David Smith taking the win. Donavon Smith was second, Kenny Hansen third, Chris Ullrich fourth, and Brian Blessington completed the top five.

Sixteen IMCA modifieds were then set for their first feature of the night. Pole sitter Jim Thies took command from the start with outside front row starter Mike Jergens right behind him. Following an early caution, the double file restart proved to be an exciting one as Mike Jergens and another car tangled on the front stretch. Jergens kept it straight, but upon exiting turn two the car got sideways and contact from another machine led to a gentle rollover of Jergens. He would be okay. After starting sixteenth, Josh Most would take the lead shortly after the restart with Matt Bonine on his heels. Justin Sackett took the second spot away from Bonine, but Bonine would spin in turn four along with Dustin Smith and Brad Williams. No caution was thrown as the drivers got their machines going. With a clear track, Josh Most would go on to take the win ahead of Justin Sackett, Andy Gage, Chris Abelson, and Jim Thies.

Track officials took some time to do some track prep before the heat races would be run. Austin Reicks would dominate the BVR bomber feature as he picked up the win ahead of Josh Mahler, Lucas Vote, Colby Davis, and Jake Bieret.

Cory Flanigan again set the early pace in the IMCA sport compact feature, but Merv Chandler would take the lead away using the bottom side to his liking. Megan Lappegard snuck under Flanigan for the second position before Flanigan made major contact with an implement tire in turn three. From there Chandler would hold off Lappegard for the win, with Dallas Chandler and Bill Whalen Jr rounding out the top five.

Another big field of IMCA hobby stocks took to the track for their second feature of the night. Justin Nehring led early, but Kyle Robinson found some bite on the top side to snare the lead away. Following a lap four caution, Devin Smith charged from fifth up to the second position. Smith passed Robinson on the low side to take over the race lead, and despite a couple more cautions was able to fend him off the rest of the way to pick up his second win on the night. Kyle Robinson was second, Cody Nielsen finished third, Matt Mahoney was fourth, and Michael Murphy rounded out the top five.

Pole sitter Tim Wilcox would lead the first lap of the IMCA sportmod regular feature, but eighth place starter Jesse Sobbing quickly used the top line to climb to second on the first lap. Doug Smith worked his way into the third position on lap three while Sobbing took over the lead using the inside groove. Smith would use the same line to get by Wilcox, but he was nearly half a straight away behind Sobbing prior to a caution waving at the halfway point. Sobbing was clicking on all cylinders, however, and would not relinquish the lead as he picked up the feature win. Doug Smith finished second, Tim Wilcox was third, Doug Bartels fourth, and Matt Pittman rounded out the top five.

With two cars unable to make the call for the second IMCA stock car feature, ten cars took the green flag and it was anybody's guess as to who led the first lap as Roger Tripp, Travis Schueller, and Donavon Smith raced three-wide at the line. Smith would get the advantage off turn two to secure the lead while Chris Ullrich followed him to settle into second. Kenny Hansen and David Smith both used the bottom groove to slip past Schueller for third and fourth, respectively. From that point on the field would run single file and Donavon Smith would prevail for the win. Ullrich finished second, Hansen third, David Smith fourth, and Travis Schueller rounded out the top five.

The final event of the night would be the second feature for IMCA modifieds. Pole sitter Brad Williams grabbed the lead, but Mike Jergens used a lap two restart to wrestle the lead away as Jay Noteboom advanced to second. Another caution involving six cars slowed the pace, but when the green flag was displayed Noteboom wasted little time in assuming the lead. The end of the race was plagued by a few yellow flags and one red flag that involved Dustin Smith rolling hard in turn three in which he landed outside the race track and out near Highway 7 that runs parallel to the back stretch. He was said to be okay, but was transported out of precautionary measures. Mike Jergens would fend off Jay Noteboom to pick up the win. Mike Albertsen finished third, Craig Reetz was fourth, and Jason Briese completed the top five.

It was a late night as the final checkers waved sometime around midnight. Temperatures were a bit on the chilly side as the night progressed as fans grabbed sweatshirts and jackets.

For a complete rundown of results and updated point standings, be sure to check out the Buena Vista Raceway website. Thanks to promoter Jeff Herring and his sidekick Eric Blum for their hospitality, and I can't wait for the annual visit by the USMTS series on June 22nd!

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Mills Repeats at Hamilton County Speedway

Another beautiful evening was in store for race fans Saturday night at the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City. For the fifth time in as many nights of racing, the car count topped the triple digit mark with 105. The heat races were run pretty smoothly with the exception of one of the IMCA sportmod heats as Chase Ellingson and Kyle Brown tangled on the back stretch. Ellingson was checked over by the EMS crew, but seemed to be ok. Brown was not hurt.

Seven hornets started off the night's feature action with Adam Strunk making a bold move to the bottom for the lead after starting fourth. The action was three-wide momentarliy behind him with Daniel Ayers, Keaton Graffunder, and Jason Clark battling it out. Strunk would go on to pick up his third consecutive feature win at Webster City. Daniel Ayers would finish second, Jason Clark was third, Chris Louk fourth, and Keaton Graffunder rounded out the top five.

Following the hornet feature would be the IMCA hobby stock feature event. Eighteen cars took the green flag with Ray Stock Jr holding down the top spot in the early going. Randy Embrey, who was making his first appearance at the track this year, started in the twelfth spot but quickly sliced his way through to the fifth position by lap three. Embrey continued his march towards the front as he worked to the inside of both Bobby Dilley and Matt Ring to climb into the third spot. Following a caution, Embrey worked to the outside of second place runner David Rieks to take over that position. Soon after Rieks would lose the handle of his machine while Ray Stock Jr slowed down the back stretch. The yellow flag would come out for Rieks, and Embrey would inherit the race lead. Randy Embrey would go on to take the win ahead of Bobby Dilley, Brad Ratcliff, Kevin Fee, and Cory Roe.

Twenty-seven IMCA sportmods checked into the pit area Saturday night with a couple of them not making the call for the feature. Using the pole to his advantage, Austin Lucas shot to the lead with Cayden Carter following just behind. Jeremy Embrey moved into the fourth spot as he got around Jared Timmerman, but it was a long distance ahead to the top three as Lucas, Carter, and Matt Lettow separated themselves from the field. Lucas would push up the track just enough to allow Carter to sneak under and take over the lead with five laps remaining. Following a caution, Embrey drove in deep in turn three and made significant contact with Matt Lettow. Lettow would exit to his trailer, but as he was doing that Carter was slowing on the track. The caution flag waved with two laps remaining as Carter pulled his machine to the trailer. On the restart Embrey would suffer a flat right front tire as a result of his contact with Lettow earlier. He pulled out of harms way as Austin Lucas took the win. Carter VanDenBerg would cross the line in second, but would be docked two spots for jumping the final restart. That bumped Joel Rust to the second spot, Rocky Caudle to third, and VanDenBerg scored in fourth with Jared Timmerman rounding out the top five.

The focus then turned to the stock cars as they pulled on to the track. Mark Elliott has won all four features thus far, but he would have his work cut out for him on this night as he started in the ninth position out of eleven cars. Defending track champion Mark Haglund would hold down the early lead. First time visitor on the year Curt Hook made his presence known early as he used the cushion to advance six positions on the first lap, going from tenth to fourth. Reid Keller and Adam Silvey raced side by side for the runner up spot while Jason Wagoner challenged Hook for the fourth spot until the caution waved on lap six. Keller would make the pass on Haglund for the lead soon after a restart and would fend off a charging Mark Elliott for the win. Elliott settled for second, Haglund was third, Curt Hook fourth, and Dennis Plain completed the top five.

Another good field of IMCA modifieds were on hand Saturday night as all but one of the twenty-three cars took the green flag. Pole sitter Greg Elliott took command from the start with Jeremy Mills on his heels. Mark Elliott and Adam Larson would both make passes on Jacob Murray to advance to the third and fourth positions, respectively, prior to the caution flag waving on lap eleven. Mills and Elliott would swap positions a few times with Mills getting the edge. Mills would use the top side to get by Greg Elliott for the lead with just two laps to go and would go on to take the win. Greg Elliott settled for second, Mark Elliott was third, and Scott Olson edged Adam Larson at the line for fourth and fifth, respectively.

The finale of the night would be the IMCA late models with sixteen cars ready for action. Chad Cooney would lead the first lap, but Ryan Giles would split him and Ben Nading on an early restart to snare the lead away. Darrel DeFrance would follow Giles to the second position and work under Giles as the two raced wheel to wheel. A few yellow flags later, Nading would get a good restart and work under Giles for the lead. Nading and Giles would engage in a great battle for the top position for several laps as the two never touched each other. Meanwhile Jeff Aikey had worked his way around DeFrance for third and was slowly reeling in the top two drivers. With six laps to go Aikey passed Nading for second prior to another caution flag. Following the restart Aikey looked to the inside of Giles in turn three and drove a little deeper and pushed up, making contact with Giles. Aikey would take the lead as a result and go on to take the win. Ben Nading got back by Ryan Giles for second and third, respectively, with Darrel DeFrance and Al Johnson rounding out the top five.

I'd like to thank track announcer Ryan Bergeson for the Positively racing plug once again. I'd also like to thank the Hamilton County fairboard for their hospitality. Be sure to check out the Hamilton County Speedway website for upcoming events, results, and updated points.

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!

Fort Dodge Action June 3rd

Friday night was picture perfect for racing at the Mineral City Speedway, with the exception of the bugs. The muggy and hot weather brought the bugs out, but that didn't prevent the crowd from seeing a lot of action on the track.

First onto the track for their feature was the seventeen-car field of hornets. Cautions plagued this event as four attempts to start the race were needed before the first lap could get completed. Officials finally opted to use a single file start rather then the traditional two-wide start. Nate Evans would grab the lead on the first lap and continue to hold that spot until the checkers waved. He was followed across the line by Mick Evans, Daniel Ayers, Keaton Graffunder, and Jason Clark.

Ten econo stocks then made their way to the track with Todd Fredericksen holding down the top spot in the early going. Austin Reicks was on the move early as he passed Jason Lowe and then later Fredericksen for the lead. Fredericksen would lose the handle of his machine, handing the second position over to Brad Hanse. Hanse was nearly a straight away behind though when Reicks took the checkered flag and the win. Hanse followed in second, a 7DD car was third, Colby Davis fourth, and #72 was fifth. Sorry I didn't catch the names, and at this time Speednet isn't updated yet.

Hobby stocks took to the track with fifteen cars making the call. Austin Wolfgram wasted no time in getting his machine to the front at the drop of the green flag from his fourth starting position. An early caution set up a restart in which Kevin Berger made a pass on Jeff Lyon for the third spot. Berger would then challenge Justin Nehring for second when the two made contact exiting turn two that resulted in both of them spinning down the back stretch and bringing out the caution. Up front Austin Wolfgram had it on cruise control as he picked up the win ahead of Ryan Caquelin, Jeff Lyon, Jack Marsh, and Matt Wise.

Clay Evans used his pole starting spot to take the early command in the limited modified feature that saw fifteen cars take the green flag. A bit further back Doug Bartles made the pass on Trevor Chaplin to take over the third position. With Evans stretching out his lead, Andy Tiernan would make the move around Bartles on the outside to take the third position away. Tiernan kept his momentum up on the cushion as he passed Steve Reetz for second with two laps remaining, but he was unable to track down the leader as Clay Evans picked up the win. Tiernan was second, Steve Reetz finished third, Doug Bartles was fourth, and Trevor Chaplin picked up a fifth place finish.

The USRA stock car feature followed with nine cars taking the green flag. Jeff Deal rocketed to the lead. Malcolm Teachout drove to the outside of Dennis Plain for the runner up spot at the halfway point. Late in the race contact among the front of the pack shuffled the running order as Deal slowed on the front stretch and Teachout and Plain tried to regain control of their machines. Plain would hold the lead until the exit of turn four on the final lap when Wayne Crimmins ducked low and squeaked out the win. Dennis Plain had to settle for a close second place finish, Malcolm Teachout hung on for third, Matt Fox was fourth, and Chris Ullrich rounded out the top five.

The final event of the night saw ten modifieds take center stage. Rod Scheuermann would seize control from the start. Brian Schmitt would move into the runner up spot, but he would later give it up as Dave Doughty passed him on the inside to snare it away. Doughty would slowly close the gap to Scheuermann, and would have a great opportunity to capitalize on the yellow as the field was set to take the white flag. Unfortunately for Doughty he wasn't able to take advantage, and in fact went backwards as several cars made their way by in the closing laps. Rod Scheuermann picked up the win ahead of Jeff Nielson, Dustin Smith, Brian Schmitt, and defending track champion Brad Williams. Doughty wound up sixth.

For a complete rundown, check out the Mineral City Speedway website as I'm sure the results will be posted in the near future.

- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!