Sunday, July 31, 2011

Season Champions Crowned at Hamilton County Speedway

Despite a shortened season and two rain outs, the Hamilton County Speedway enjoyed a successful season in 2011. With increased payouts came more race teams, which in turn brought more fans in the stands every Saturday night. With the final regular season night the car counts dropped to a season-low, but that should not take away from the numbers the track achieved throughout the course of the season.

Going in to last night's finale, there were still a couple point titles up for grabs. One that wasn't, however, was the hornet division. Adam Strunk held a commanding lead over Daniel Ayers as Ayers missed last week, thus earning the track championship upon taking the green flag. Strunk would start on the pole and lead in the early going, but a caution flag came out on lap two. When racing resumed newcomer Duane Ferguson dove to the inside of Daniel Ayers to claim the third spot after starting seventh. With two laps remaining Lyle Oberhelman swung to the outside of Strunk in turn one and made the pass for the lead. Oberhelman would hold on to pick up the win ahead of Adam Strunk. Daniel Ayers made a last lap pass back on Duane Ferguson for third and fourth, respectively, while Keaton Graffunder completed the top five. Nathan Miller and Dennis Graffunder completed the starting field while Chris Friesth was unable to make the call.

The IMCA hobby stock crown was up for grabs as Brad Ratcliff held a slim four point advantage over Kevin Fee. Fee would get the better start and take command while Cory Roe made his way to second ahead of Ratcliff. Bobby Dilley worked his way around Ty Griffith for fourth just four laps in as he closed in on the top three. Ratcliff took his machine to the top side and made his way by Roe for second on lap eight, but Fee had already checked out. A late caution set up a green/white/checkered restart to make things a little more interesting. Randy Embrey took full advantage as he advanced a couple positions on the inside down the back stretch to fourth. When the checkered flag waved it was Kevin Fee reaching it first for his third win of the season. Brad Ratcliff finished second and secured the points championship. Randy Embrey finished third, Bobby Dilley was fourth, and David Rieks finished fifth. Corey Roe crossed the line in third, but apparently was disqualified in post-race tech.

Next up would be the stock car division. Mark Elliott has dominate this class all year and didn't even have to show up to earn his track championship, but he did and started from the pole position in the eleven car field. Elliott rocketed to the lead with defending track champion Mark Haglund behind him. An early caution on lap three slowed the pace as Jason Wagoner jumped the cushion entering turn one and tattooed the outside wall, ending his night. Following the restart Steve Jackson ducked inside of Jim Mitchell for fourth while Mark Haglund pulled even with Elliott for the lead. Haglund held the top spot for a moment, but pushed high exiting turn four allowing Elliott to regain the lead. On lap six Reid Keller squeezed inside of Haglund for second, but he was unable to track down the leader as Mark Elliott picked up his tenth win of the season and the track championship. Reid Keller finished second, Steve Jackson was third, Adam Silvey fourth, and Scott Bloemke rounded out the top ten.

IMCA sportmods made their way to the track next with sixteen cars taking the green flag. Point leader Joel Rust enjoyed a twelve-point lead over Brandon Leeman, meaning a lot of things had to happen for the title to change hands. Rust would hold down the lead with Rocky Caudle following in second when the yellow came out for the first time on lap two. Four more cautions would plague the event as the track rubbered down on the low side and became a one-lane track. Joel Rust would go on to pick up the win and the track championship as the tender age of seventeen. Rocky Caudle finished second, Brandon Leeman was third, Jeremy Embrey fourth, and Kyle Brown rebounded from an early spin to finish fifth.

Another close points race was in the IMCA modified class. Richie Gustin held a four-point lead over Mark Elliott as the two started on the front row. Gustin was able to beat Elliott to turn one and secure the preferred low groove as Elliott settled in behind. Jon Snyder and Adam Larson raced side by side for the third spot as Larson tried to work in another lane of racing. Elliott would challenge Gustin around the midpoint of the race and got alongside the leader in turn two. Track conditions in turns three and four didn't allow Elliott to capitalize, however, and Gustin began to steadily pull away in the closing laps to pick up his third win of the season and his first track championship. Mark Elliott settled for second, Jon Snyder was third, Adam Larson fourth, and David Brown rounded out the top five.

Once again the IMCA late models closed the curtain on the evening, and by taking the green flag Todd Cooney would be crowned the track champion. Cooney went out with a bang as he led flag to flag in picking up his fourth win of the season. Jeff Aikey finished second, Darrel DeFrance was third, Al Johnson fourth, and Chad Cooney edged out Jason Hahne in the final couple laps to get fifth.

As mentioned in the opening paragraphs, the Hamilton County fair board's main focus on the year was to attract more cars. I'd say overall they achieved that goal as the average car count for the year, including the Thursday night fair race, was 101.93. Obviously the most noticeable increase was seen in the IMCA modified division as the nightly average was just under twenty. Hopefully the Hamilton County fair board can continue their efforts into the off season and attract even more cars for next year.

Just because the regular season is over already doesn't mean the schedule is complete. The United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) will invade the historic half-mile on August 20 as part of The Hunt for their national championship. A fall special in October also remains on the schedule as well, so if you haven't had a chance to check out the action at the Hamilton County Speedway you still have a few more chances in 2011. Be sure to check out the website for schedule information and to also see the final point standings.

I'd like to thank the Hamilton County fair board and Larry Flaws for their continued hospitality throughout the course of the year. It was refreshing to receive a handshake and thank you from Larry last night after the races. I'd like to thank him and his crew for their huge efforts this season to make it successful.

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

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Beuseling Wins, Sobbing Adds Feather to Cap

Tuesday, July 26th marked the second installment of the 2011 Harris Clash. The evening would showcase the IMCA Deery Brothers late model series along with the Karl Chevrolet IMCA sportmods. Fifty-eight sportmods and thirty-eight late models filled the pit area in hopes of adding their name to the list of winners at the famed Knoxville Raceway.

In rare fashion, late model heats were run before the sportmod qualifiers. I would assume part of that might be due to the number of travelers, but that's just a guess on my part. In any case, I thought the heat races and b-mains provided plenty of racing action for those who dared to sit in the heat as drivers used the low, middle, and high grooves.

When all the qualifying events had been run, the late model feature rolled to the front stretch to line up for the thirty-five lap main event. Nate Beuseling and Todd Cooney redrew the front row with Beuseling taking the early lead. These two cars quickly broke away from the rest of the pack and the top ten positions were strung out single file using the low groove. At one point all but three cars were on the bottom, and unfortunately it stayed that way pretty much the entire duration of the distance. Beuseling would catch the backmarkers on lap fifteen, allowing Cooney to close in on the race leader. Beuseling attempted to go high in turn one to get around a lapped car, but opted instead to slingshot to the bottom upon exit of turn two to maintain the lead. That may have been his best move of the night as he was able to put some distance between he and Cooney once the first lapped car was passed. Further back in the pack Ray Guss Jr was the first to shy away from the bottom side as he used the next lane up to scoot by Darrel DeFrance for seventh at the halfway point. Guss Jr's pass prompted a couple more guys to venture up a lane and also make their way by "The Ironman" DeFrance, but that would be the extent of the passing in this green-to-checkered event as Nate Beuseling picked up his first career Deery Brothers late model series victory. Todd Cooney finished second, Mike Garland was third, Jay Johnson fourth, and Matt Strassheim rounded out the top five.

With the late models exiting the track, the IMCA sportmods made their way to the front stretch to line up for their twenty-lap finale. Beau Kaplan and Jesse Sobbing comprised the front row, and upon seeing this I turned to a friend of mine and offered a friendly wager on Sobbing. We didn't go through with it, perhaps a good choice on my friend's part. When the green flag waved Kaplan held a slim advantage in turn one, but Sobbing worked his way around the outside of turn two and rocketed down the back stretch to nearly an eight car length advantage immediately. Jim Gillenwater would hold down the second position at the completion of the first lap with Austin Kaplan and Beau Kaplan riding in third and fourth, respectively. Austin would work the outside of Beau to complete the pass for third while Sobbing demolished the field to open up a huge lead. Austin Kaplan went to the inside of Gillenwater to take over the second position, but by that time Sobbing was barely visible to his nearest competitor. Carter VanDenBerg, who redrew the twelfth starting spot, was on the charge as he passed his cousin Cayden Carter for fifth on lap nine before motoring by Beau Kaplan for fourth a few laps later. A trio of racers were battling it out for sixth in the closing laps as Tyler Droste, Doug Smith, and Cayden Carter worked their way around the big half-mile oval. Even lapped traffic couldn't slow down Jesse Sobbing as he picked up yet another win on the 2011 campaign and etched his name into the track's history books. Austin Kaplan finished second, Jim Gillenwater was third, Carter VanDenBerg fourth, and Beau Kaplan completed the top five.

I'd like to give a big thank you to Bob Harris for organizing this fine event every year and for the hospitality he has given me. It is definitely appreciated and I enjoy my time at Knoxville each and every trip I make. While the late models didn't provide much excitement, I thought the sportmod feature provided more passing then anticipated given the circumstances.

For a complete run down of the night's results, be sure to check out one of the following websites: IMCA, Knoxville Raceway, Harris Clash. As I am the last of the Positivelyracing.com bloggers to submit my viewpoints, be sure to check out Jeff Broeg's "Backstretch" entry along with Dick and Joyce Eisele's "4D Fan Report" for their perspectives.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

First Time Winners Grace Victory Lane at Webster City

The annual "Saturday night at the fair" proved to be one a couple drivers won't soon forget. A rather hot and sticky afternoon with no breeze continued into the evening hours, but that didn't stop the race teams from putting on a great show for the fans.

During intermission the Hamilton County fair board handed out prizes and awards to people before handing the microphone over to Todd Foster of the Hamilton County Speedway Racing Association. Foster announced the five new members into the HCSRA Hall of Fame.

Upon conclusion of those ceremonies, the hornets would take to the track for their feature event. Nine cars were on hand, but two of them were unable to take the green flag. Adam Strunk would get a great start and take command, but Chris Friesth would keep pace. Lyle Oberhelman worked his way to third and swapped the second position with Friesth a couple times. Strunk would go on to take the checkered flag for the seventh time on the year. Oberhelman finished second, Friesth third, Rich Ayers fourth, and Nathan Miller completed the top five. I do believe with Dan Ayers not showing up Saturday night, that Adam Strunk is the 2011 track champion.

Next up would be the IMCA hobby stocks. Ty Griffith grabbed the lead when the green flag dropped while Roger Haupt Jr settled in to second. Bobby Dilley soon took his machine to the cushion and motored by Haupt Jr for second. A newcomer to the track, Myles Michehl, proved to be a strong contender as he worked his way around David Rieks for fourth after starting eleventh. A caution flag waved on lap four, and on the restart a trio of drivers would make their way past Haupt Jr in the next few laps. Dilley moved up to second, Michehl third, and points leader Brad Ratcliff to fourth. Dilley tried to challenge Griffith as the rookie leader stayed glued to the bottom side, but Dilley was unable to use the cushion to build up enough momentum as Ty Griffith picked up his first ever feature win. Bobby Dilley finished second, Myles Michehl was third, Brad Ratcliff fourth, and Kevin Fee rounded out the top five. Ratcliff will take a slim four point advantage over Kevin Fee going in to next week's season championship night.

Eleven stock cars were on hand Saturday night and fans were greeted to a new winner. Mark Haglund would leap to the front of the field after starting inside row three. Scott Bloemke and Jason Wagoner followed behind while Reid Keller ducked low of Adam Silvey to take over the fourth position. Keller would slow as a corner of his hood popped up, but he would benefit from the caution coming out for Mark Elliott. Elliott slowed and came to a rest in turn three, and when he limped his machine around to the work area the right front suspension was noticeably defective. That damage would end his night along with his streak of five consecutive wins at the track. Scott Bloemke found the high side to his liking as he battled ahead of Haglund at the line at the halfway point in the race. Haglund continued to catfish on the bottom while Bloemke and Wagoner used the cushion. Haglund would regain the lead while Ryan Leeman followed in his tire tracks to second. Mark Haglund would go on to pick up his first career win in the stock car class. Scott Bloemke finished second, Ryan Leeman third, Jason Wagoner fourth, and Malcolm Teachout finished fifth.

A full field of twenty-four IMCA sportmods were up next and pole-sitter Paul Price took command early. Nick Roberts settled into second while a quick yellow on lap three slowed the pace. Roberts maneuvered his machine to the top side and made the pass on Price following the restart as Bob Sutherland got by Brandon Toftee for third prior to another caution. Jeremy Embrey used the restart to his advantage as he got by Duane VanDeest for fifth before later scooting under Sutherland for fourth. Toftee would push up and opened the door for Embrey to slide into the third spot. Roberts was riding the high line the whole way around the half-mile oval, but he pushed too high in turn three and smacked the outside wall to end his night a couple laps early. With two laps remaining, Price again was out front with Embrey tucked in behind. Sutherland would sneak under Toftee for third at the white flag while Embrey was mounting a challenge on the top side for the lead. As the leaders exited turn two it appeared Price was on his way to victory, but Embrey powered his machine off the cushion and pulled even at the line. Paul Price was able to hold off Jeremy Embrey to notch his first career win. Embrey settled for second, Sutherland was third, Duane VanDeest finished fourth, and Brandon Toftee rounded out the top five. Joel Rust will take an 11-point lead over Brandon Leeman into next Saturday's season finale.

Pole-sitter David Brown grabbed the lead in the IMCA modified feature while Adam Larson raced his way to second. With Brown running the low groove, Larson quickly took to the high side and made the pass for the lead. The caution flag came out, however, and Brown went back to the front. Seeing the run Larson got, Brown changed his line and rode the cushion when the green came back out. JD Auringer, Scott Olson, and Mark Elliott each made their way around Bill Crimmins in consecutive laps to advance up positions before Elliott pulled a slide job on Olson for fourth. The caution came out when Jon Snyder tapped the rear end of Luke Wanninger and sent him into a spin. Following the restart Auringer ducked to the inside of Larson to secure the second position while Richie Gustin powered his machine up on the cushion to drive by Olson for fifth. Another caution came out on lap fourteen, and the restart saw the leaders take a somewhat lower line on the top as the cushion was pushed way up near the wall. With a lane in between the wall and the leaders, Mark Elliott opted to use that space and make the pass on Larson for third. A lap later he tried the same line on Auringer but upon exit of turn four the two made contact and Auringer went around to bring out the caution. Elliott continued using his line after the restart and made the pass on Brown for the lead before pulling away late to pick up his second win of the season. David Brown came home second, Adam Larson was third, Richie Gustin fourth, and Luke Wanninger rebounded nicely for a fifth place finish. Gustin leads Elliott by four points entering next week's finale.

IMCA late models were once again the closing feature of the night. Pole-sitter Clint Wendel would lead the opening lap, but Scott Badker found the inside line and made the pass for the lead. An early yellow slowed the pace, and Ben Nading and Al Johnson took advantage of the restart as they powered by Wendel on the top side. Johnson then ducked to the inside of Nading to take over the second position while the battle for fifth went three-wide momentarily among Darrel DeFrance, Jeff Aikey, and Jason Hahne. Three caution periods kept the field close throughout the remainder of the race, with the first one being really helpful for Todd Cooney. Restarting seventh, he rocketed his machine to the outside line and worked his way up to third after passing Ryan Griffith. Following the second yellow he again worked his magic on the top and passed Johnson for second before taking over the lead with five laps remaining. Cooney would continue on to pick up his third win of the season. Darrel DeFrance made a late charge to finish second, Al Johnson was third, Scott Badker finished fourth, and Jeff Aikey rounded out the top five. Cooney holds a 19-point advantage over Darrel DeFrance going into the final night of the season and appears to be all but a lock for the championship.

After Thursday night's heavy track thanks in large part to rain earlier in the day, Saturday night's track was completely the opposite as it provided a dryslick and wide surface. Unfortunately I noticed a few inconsistencies with some of the calls made throughout the night. One driver spun out another and got sent to the tail while another did the same and got by with it. Drivers showed their displeasure to officials and the officials stuck up for the other driver. The season is winding down obviously and the temperatures are rising along with some tempers. But the end of the season sometimes dictates whether or not drivers will make the journey back the following season. Following last night I have to wonder how many guys may make the trip to Webster City in 2012. Hopefully I'm wrong as the track has made huge strides to make things better this year.

As always you can check out the Hamilton County Speedway website for a complete rundown of results and updated point standings. My next race will be Tuesday night as the second installment of the Harris Clash visits the Knoxville Raceway. The IMCA Deery Brothers late models along with the Karl Chevrolet IMCA sportmods will invade the famed half-mile in hopes of etching their names into the record books.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

"Outsiders" Enjoy Victory Lane for Thursday Night Thunder

Thursday rolled around and following a quick visit to the dentist, I was off to the Thursday Night Thunder fair races in Webster City. Upon arrival it didn't even appear as I was standing atop a race track as 3 Terragators were pacing the oval along with a grader and a couple skid loaders. Rain earlier in the day through a curve ball at track officials and they were frantically doing their best to get the track whipped back into racing condition. They got things ironed in and racing would start late as could be expected.

With the rain and all the track work, one would expect the track to be filled with ruts and bumps. That was not the case, however, as it appeared to stay smooth all night. A big cushion did develop in turns one and two, but otherwise racers were able to use multiple lines of racing around the half-mile oval.

The first feature of the night would be the hornets. Following the caution for a bad start, the race went green to checkered with Adam Strunk taking the early lead. Jarid Kuchenreuther would keep pace with the leader and pull even with him with two laps remaining. Kuchenreuther edged forward to steal the lead away and go on to pick up the fair win. Adam Strunk settled for second, Chris Friesth was third, Daniel Ayers fourth, and Keaton Graffunder rounded out the top five.

Next up would be the IMCA hobby stock feature. The field was full of heavy hitters as the top prize of $1,000 must have attracted them. Two attempts at a start failed, but the third time was the charm as pole-sitter Ty Griffith took command with outside front row starter David Rieks settling in behind. Randy Embrey, who started third, ducked to the inside of Rieks and made the pass for second. A caution for a bumper on the track slowed the pace, but when the green flag was displayed again Andy Boeckman was on the charge. Boeckman passed Brad Ratcliff for fourth upon the exit of turn two and would later use the same line to get by Randy Embrey for second exiting turn four. Meanwhile, the hottest hobby stock driver this year in Iowa was on the charge as Devin Smith quickly made his way to fourth after starting ninth. Boeckamn would use the cushion to make his way by Griffith for the lead on lap four while Smith looked low and passed Embrey for third before swinging to the outside to get by Griffith for second. A caution with five laps to go set up a great battle between Boeckman and Smith, one that fans of the Buena Vista Racewy in Alta get to see nearly every Wednesday night. The two drivers put on a heck of a show for the fans as Smith looked low and drew even with Boeckman. Smith emerged with the lead and changed lanes to the top of the track, which prompted Boeckman to shoot back to the inside. At the line it was Smith emerging victorious in his first visit of the year. Andy Boeckman finished second, Ty Griffith was third, Randy Embrey fourth, and Kevin Fee rounded out the top five.

IMCA sportmods provided some more great racing for the fans as thirty-three cars checked in for action. Pole-sitter and former track champion Beau Kaplan paced the field with youngster Tyler Droste following in his tire tracks. The caution waved on lap three when Cayden Carter jumped the cushion in turn four and had apparent rearend complications end his night. Another lap later the yellow came out again when Jeremy Embrey spun in turn two. Restarting in ninth, Scott Davis found that nobody else was using the top side and quickly went to work up there. Davis passed former IMCA Supernationals champion Mike Pruitt for fifth prior to another yellow flag. Davis again went to work on the cushion and got by Austin Lucas and Kyle Brown for third. On lap ten the lead changed hands as Droste worked under Kaplan for the lead. Those two along with Davis went three-wide momentarily in the corner, but it was Davis emerging with the lead. He would quickly open up his lead and take home the win rather easily in his first visit this year. Tyler Droste finished second, Beau Kaplan settled for third, Kyle Brown was fourth, and Mike Pruitt rounded out the top five.

The stock car feature saw another non-regular take control early on as Wayne Crimmins took the early lead from his outside front row start. Following an early caution, Jason Wagoner passed Ryan Leeman on the outside to take over the second position. Wagoner then went to work on Crimmins and made the pass on the inside on lap six to take the top spot. Crimmins would regain the lead and Leeman would battle back to challenge Wagoner for second. Wagoner's night ended abruptly as smoke appeared as he coasted down the front stretch. Leeman would challenge Crimmins as the two raced side by side for several of the closing laps. Crimmins was able to keep him momentum up on the cushion and allowed him to take home the narrow win. Ryan Leeman finished second, Greg Elliott finished third in the car normally driven by brother Mark, Adam Silvey fourth, and Tory Reicks completed the top five.

Pole sitter Todd Shute took command early in the IMCA modified feature. Wisconsin hotshoe Jared Siefert made the trip down and gave the fans quite the excitement as he drove the cushion in his heat race, and more of that was to come in the feature. Siefert started ninth on the grid, but stormed towards the front as he passed Luke Wanninger and Tyler Prochaska on the top side to move into third. He would jump the cushion a bit later, allowing Wanninger to get back by. Richie Gustin also found the top side to his liking during the middle parts of the race as he motored by Prochaska for fifth. A caution on lap twelve bunched the field up, and that allowed Siefert and Gustin to sneak by David Brown to advance to second and third, respectively. Mark Elliott, who showed up late due to racing in Britt, started at the pack but was on the charge as well. He got by Brown on the inside and later got by Gustin for third. Elliott would jump the cushion and allow Gustin back around. Gustin used the top side to get by Siefert for second as he closed in on Shute, but he would run out of laps as Todd Shute picked up the win. Richie Gustin was second, Mark Elliott third, Jared Siefert fourth, and Tyler Prochaska fifth.

The final event of the night would be the IMCA late models. After two failed attempts to make a lap, Ben Nading would lead the opening laps with Charlie McKenna in toe. Jeff Aikey quickly worked to the inside of McKenna to wrestle the second spot away. Aikey then went to the top side of the speedway and closed in on Nading. The two raced side by side for awhile before Nading gave way to Aikey on lap six. Jason Hahne was charging through the field and moved around Darrel DeFrance for fourth before darting to the inside of McKenna for third. Todd Cooney also had a great run as he passed McKenna on lap fourteen to settle into fourth. A caution with seven laps to go allowed the field to catch up to Aikey. Hahne took advantage of starting on the outside as he passed Nading for second. Aikey would open up a lead once again and sail to the checkered flag for the win. Hahne bobbled on the final lap to allow Nading to get second. Hahne was third, Todd Cooney fourth, and Charlie McKenna completed the top five.

It was a late night as the races got over around 12:30. Part of it was due to the late start, but there was a bigger intermission held on this night. Hopefully things will be better Saturday night as the Hamilton County Fair will still be going on when racing resumes again.

Check out the Hamilton County Speedway website for more results.

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

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

VanderBeek Snags Win on Home Turf

After a few days of suffering through the heat and humid conditions, a breeze was welcomed by fans at the Southern Iowa Speedway on Wednesday night as it hosted the USMTS during the Southern Iowa Fair. Also on the slate were the USRA Iron Man Challenge for stock cars and b-mods along with hobby stocks.

First up for feature action would be the USRA Iron Man Challenge race for b-mods. Pole sitter Ben Kates from Kansas would take command when the green flag dropped, but his time there was short as Andrew Schroeder made the pass using the inside line. Cayden Carter quickly slipped into the second position after starting seventh, but on lap three he muscled his machine to the top spot utilizing the heavy cushion. Kates would receive pressure from Carter VanDenBerg before giving up the third position. Kates would later get his car sideways in turn three and collect Bryon Weyer in the process. The caution flag would wave, and on the restart Schroeder would get an unusually slow start and lose a couple positions. Two more cautions would slow the action, but it didn't phase Cayden Carter as he picked up yet another feature win on the season. Track announcer Tony Paris mentioned it may have been his 20th win of the season. Carter VanDenBerg finished second, Andrew Schroeder was third, John VanDenBerg fourth, and Curtis VanDerWal completed the top five. Twenty-two bmods were on hand tonight.

Next up would be the USRA hobby stocks. While only ten cars were in action tonight, they made it five-wide in turn two after the green flag dropped. Dustin Griffiths would emerge with the lead after starting sixth. Griffiths would never relinquish the lead as he picked up his fourth win in a row at the Southern Iowa Speedway. Don Nunnikhoven was second, Todd Reitzler third, Steve Allen fourth, and Kris Walker was fifth.

The Iron Man Challenge for USRA stock cars were up next as twenty cars were checked in for the night. Ryan Leeman blew up in his heat race, but the rest were ready to go when the green flag dropped. Again four-wide was the signature in turn two with Jason Minnehan getting the nod early on up front. The caution flag quickly came out though as Nathan Wood made significant contact with an implement tire in turn four and the tire rolled onto the racing surface. Wood would duck into the pits and remove most of the sheet metal in the front end of his machine. On the restart Mike VanGenderen made a nifty move to the inside to sweep under Shane Weller for second, but Jeff Joldersma had momentum from the top side to overtake VanGenderen for the spot. Another quick yellow flew and Justin Temeyer took advantage of starting on the inside of the second row as he ducked low of Minnehan and captured the lead. VanGenderen again hugged the inside groove to get by Joldersma along with Minnehan to move into the runner up position.

I noticed Temeyer's right front tire appeared to be wet or have something on it, and a few short laps later he pulled up and exited to the pits from apparent overheating issues. That handed the lead over to VanGenderen. A caution with six laps remaining bunched the field once again and this time Kevin Donlan took advantage as he worked his way under Joldersma for third. Up front though it was Mike VanGenderen picking up the win ahead of Jason Minnehan, Kevin Donlan, Jeff Joldersma, and Nathan Wood rebounded to finish fifth.

The finale of the evening would be the USMTS thirty-lap feature. Pole sitter Ryan Gustin rocketed to the lead and quickly opened up a comfortable margin as Corey Dripps settled in behind. Jason Krohn worked under Dripps and took over the second position while Zack VanderBeek passed Kelly Shryock on the inside for fourth on lap four. Dripps would regain the second spot after finding some momentum on the cushion to get back by Krohn, and a few laps later VanderBeek also found a quick way past Krohn for third. VanderBeek made the pass on the inside of Dripps on lap eleven and began to shrink Gustin's margin with each lap. As VanderBeek closed in with some help from lapped traffic, the caution flag erased what was going to be an interesting few laps and allowed the drivers to catch their breath with eleven laps to go.

Gustin must have looked at the leader board entering turn one under yellow as he dove to the inside groove on the restart and thwarted VanderBeek's momentum, but little did he know that it opened up the door for Dripps on the top shelf. Dripps used the high line to get by VanderBeek for second before taking the lead away from Gustin with nine laps to go. Gustin would continue to run the low line after using the high side the entire first half of the race and pull even with Dripps down the back stretch with four to go. Gustin would change his entry line into turn one and allowed VanderBeek to squeeze under him to take over second with two laps remaining. VanderBeek continued to claw his way closer to Dripps and he would make the pass in turn two after taking the white flag. Dripps would power his machine to the top side in turn three, but it wasn't enough as Zack VanderBeek took home the trophy at his home track. Corey Dripps would finish second, Ryan Gustin was third, Colt Mather fourth, and Kelly Shryock completed the top five.

While the car counts were less then stellar, those in attendance provided great racing action in all divisions. I was impressed that the track stayed in great shape throughout the night and did not get dusty despite the hot temperatures.

I'd like to thank Todd and Janet Staley along with Public Relations director Jeff Nun for their hospitality tonight. Nun is a guy who is readily available to answer many of my questions that I have brought up in the past along with providing great detail in his press releases. Jeff has also allowed me to get my name out into a few different media outlets as he uses my blog for the USRA stock cars from Fort Dodge when I attend, and for that I am greatly appreciative!

The USMTS series heads south to the Davis County Fairgrounds in Bloomfield Thursday night as part of the Davis County Fair. If you're in the area be sure to check it out as the USRA Iron Man Challenge series for stock cars and bmods will also be in action. For more results from Wednesday night's action in Oskaloosa, be sure to check out the USMTS and USRA websites.

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

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Repeat Winners Enjoy Victory Lane Again

A hot and sticky Saturday afternoon was in store for race fans across the state and much of the Midwest region, but that didn't stop the action at the Hamilton County Speedway. Fans still showed up to support the speedway and 95 race teams were ready for action. Track officials spent most of the day dumping water on the track, and unfortunately had to ask help from the drivers to roll it in as the program got started later then advertised.

Once a little track prep and a host of activities on the stage during intermission ended, the hornets made their way to the track for their feature action. Four of the five cars on hand took the green flag and Adam Strunk quickly shot to the lead. The field quickly spread out and Adam Strunk became a six-time winner on the season. He was followed across the line by Daniel Ayers, Lyle Oberhelman, and Chris Friesth.

Next up would be the IMCA hobby stocks, and the slogan "wild things" would definitely fit on this night. Nate Bonin raced to the lead from his outside front row start before a caution flag on lap two slowed the action. On the restart Bobby Dilley shot to the outside of Bonin and took over the race lead. Behind them Randy Embrey was making a charge forward, as the veteran driver quickly advanced to third after passing David Rieks on the top side. Embrey continued to motor around the top and made his way past Bonin for second prior to a lap four stoppage. The restart saw first-time visitor Dustin Griffiths from Ottumwa make a great move to the outside and advance four spots to jump into the third position, but the caution would come out prior to the completion of the lap and he would fall back in seventh. Embrey, meanwhile, used this restart to make the pass on Dilley using the low line this time, but once again the yellow came out a lap later.

Brad Ratcliff was working his way to the front as well. After starting tenth, he used the high line to swing past Allen Dixon for third and later ducked inside of Bobby Dilley when he pushed high in turn two, taking over the second position. Yet another caution flag waved, and Embrey would push entering turn one to open the door for Dilley and Ratcliff to motor on by under him. Embrey rebounded and would pass Ratcliff back on the outside and Dustin Griffiths passed Dixon for fourth. Embrey would find himself atop the leader board once again after passing Dilley and would hang on for the win after suffering through seven caution periods. Brad Ratcliff finished second and is now the lone points leader, Craig Graham was third, Nate Bonin fourth, and Kevin Fee rounded out the top five. Twenty cars made the call for the feature, but only seven of them were running at the end.

Next up would be the stock cars. A slim field of eight were on hand and pole sitter Dennis Plain narrowly edged Mark Elliott at the line to lead lap one. Down the back stretch Elliott pulled even and then ahead of Plain on the inside to take over the lead. Curt Hook challenged Plain and would make the pass for second while Mark Haglund also found his way by Plain a lap later. Two cautions would give Hook opportunity to make a move for the lead, but he was unable to make anything stick as Mark Elliott drove to his ninth win of the season in the stock car class. Curt Hook finished second, Mark Haglund was third, Reid Keller fourth, and Ryan Leeman rounded out the top five.

A solid field of twenty-six IMCA sportmods were checked in and ready for battle with Randy Krampe holding the lead from his inside front row start. The man on the move was Bryon Weyer as he started tenth and quickly sliced and diced his way up to fourth after passing Jared Timmerman on the outside. He would also work past Dane Larson for third before a caution flag slowed the action. The restart was just what Bob Sutherland was looking for as he powered by Krampe for the lead using the cushion. Weyer would follow to second but again the caution would come out. Lined up fourth on the restart, two-time winner Cayden Carter pounced on the restart and passed Krampe and Weyer to move into the second slot. Carter would pull even with Sutherland on the inside before overtaking the veteran racer for the lead. Two more yellows would keep the competition close, but after taking the white flag Sutherland would push high and relinquish the second spot. That allowed Cayden Carter some breathing room as he went on to pick up his third win of the season. Bryon Weyer finished second, Dane Larson was third, Joel Rust finished fourth, and Bob Sutherland completed the top five.

Seventeen IMCA modifieds were now set for their finale of the evening. Things got off to a slow start, however, as two attempts to get a lap in failed. Chris Webb spun and collected Jon Snyder on the initial try while Jeremy Brogaard spun on the second attempt. While under caution Adam Larson visited the work area to change a flat tire. When the green finally came out on the third try, it was Levi Nielsen who jumped out to the lead. Daniel Hilsabeck settled into the second spot while Scott Olson gave up the third position to Scott Williams. Jeremy Mills was the first car using the inside line and made it work, passing both Olson and Williams to advance to the third position. Nielsen was enjoying a comfortable lead when his machine slowed down the front stretch and brought out the caution, giving the reigns to Hilsabeck. Mills made short work of Hilsabeck's time out front as he ducked to the inside and took over the lead. With six laps remaining Jon Snyder had worked his way back up to fourth after passing Williams. Another late caution for Scott Olson coming to a stop allowed Snyder to restart behind Mills and Hilsabeck. Snyder shot to the inside and made the pass for second and closed the gap to Mills, but he ran out of time as Jeremy Mills scored his third win of the season. Jon Snyder finished second, Daniel Hilsabeck was third, Mark Elliott fourth, and Todd Shute rounded out the top five.

The night's finale would be the IMCA late model feature as eighteen cars strong took the green flag. Scott Badker would hold the lead in the opening laps with Jason Hahne in second. On lap three Hahne made his move on the outside and made the pass for the lead. Al Johnson would use the same line to get by Badker while Ben Nading later used the inside line past Badker. Jeff Aikey and Todd Cooney slowly made their way into the top five, but it was Jason Hahne taking his second win of the season. Al Johnson finished second, Jeff Aikey third, Todd Cooney fourth, and Ben Nading fifth.

Other then the late start, I'd say it was a good night of racing. There were two grooves of racing throughout the night and plenty of action on the track. The season is quickly winding down at the Hamilton County Speedway as only two more point races are on the slate. The Hamilton County fair gets started this Tuesday and the speedway will host it's 6th annual Thursday Night Thunder program. All six classes will be in action with higher purses, including $2,000 to win for IMCA late models and $1,500 to win for IMCA sportmods. For more information on this race, along with full results and updated point standings, check out the Hamilton County Speedway website. I'd also like to thank track announcer Ryan Bergeson for the many plugs he provided for Positivelyracing.com throughout the night and this season.

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

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Fan Appreciation Night at Fort Dodge

Friday night the Mineral City Speedway in Fort Dodge held a Fan Appreciation night. Tickets were just $5 for adults and many prizes were given away either off the ticket numbers or the lucky number programs. Things got off to a late start as a brief rain shower went through the area prior to
the start of the show, so track crew along with the drivers spent some time packing the surface in.

Feature action got kicked off with the hornet division with Nick Crimmins taking the lead early. His time up front was brief as smoke appeared from under his machine and he exited to the pits, handing the lead over to Mike McFarland. Mick Evans would take over the second spot prior to the only caution of the race. Jarid Kuchenreuther would duck to the inside of Nate Evans for the third position. Kuchenreuther wasn't quite done as he dove to the inside and door slammed Devin Collins to advance to second while Collins fell a few spots to fifth. Mike McFarland would pick up the win ahead of Nick Hogan, Mick Evans, Nate Evans, and Jarid Kuchenreuther.

Econo stocks were up next and Brad Hanse made a great move to split front row starters Jason Lowe and Brad Babb to pick up the race lead. Colby Davis moved into the third spot before challenging Lowe and making the pass for second. Davis closed in on Hanse with one to go, but Hanse was able to hold him off and pick up the win. Colby Davis was second, Jason Lowe third, Todd Frederickson was fourth, and Brad Babb fifth.

Fourteen hobby stocks hit the track next and outside front row starter Nick Weiss took command in the early going. Adam Suhrbier followed in second, but quickly swung to the outside and made the pass for the lead on lap three. Last week's feature winner Jeff Lyon was moving forward as he got by Jack Marsh for fourth before also passing Josh Niemand and Weiss for second. Suhrbier enjoyed a nice margin as he picked up the win. Lyon finished second, Weiss third, Niemand fourth, and Myles Michehl completed the top five.

Doug Bartles would jump out front in the limited modified feature after starting outside the front row. Andy Tiernan quickly found his way to fourth after passing Jerid Ratske on lap two and then getting by Steve Reetz for third using the same line. The first of two cautions came out and the field formed in double file formation, something I don't recall the track doing in the past. In either case, Brett Meyer was able to dive to the inside and pass Andy Tiernan and Jamie Ganoe to move into the second position. Another caution came out later, but Meyer was unable to mount any kind of serious challenge as Doug Bartles took home the win. Brett Meyer finished second, Andy Tiernan was third, Jim Lampe fourth, and Matt Pittman rounded out the top five.

Seven USRA stock cars were on hand Friday night, but Randy Biederman was unable to make the call for the feature. Pole sitter Matt Mundt would lead the opening lap, but Wayne Crimmins quickly took to the outside and made the pass on Mundt for the lead on lap two. Any early caution came out for Matt Fox as he slowed and stopped outside of turn three, but when racing resumed Jason Minnehan took his machine to the top side and passed Mundt for second. Minnehan closed in on Crimmins and hounded him the rest of the way, even making contact on a few occasions. Crimmins would not fold to the pressure, however, as he took home top honors. Minnehan would settle for second, Adam Silvey was third, and Matt Fox rounded out the cars left on the track. Dennis Plain was fifth and Mundt sixth.

Eight modifieds were ready to go for their finale of the evening as Scott Sturm took command from his outside front row start. Brian Schmitt slowed in turn three and made it to the infield, ending his night early. Second place runner Brad Williams would also suffer the same fate, so Sturm would have Jeff Stephens on his rear bumper following the only caution flag of the race. Rod Scheuermann used the restart to get by Stephens and then later Sturm to take command up front, but the real story was happening behind him. Stephens would pull up slow in turn three and exit the track, and later Bill Crimmins and Rodney Slagle suffered the same bad luck as they too exited while running in third place. At the finish it would be Rod Scheuermann taking the win, Scott Sturm second, and Kyle Segebart in third. Slagle and Crimmins were credited with fourth and fifth, respectively.

Despite the rain and humid conditions, the night seemed to go pretty good with the exception of track work between the heats and features. The track crew worked on a big rut in turns one and two for quite awhile, but then it appeared the cars stayed below that line in the features.

For a full field rundown of results, along with updated point standings and upcoming schedule, check out the Mineral City Speedway website.

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

Myer Scores First USMTS Win of Season at Lansing

Thursday I had planned on making the trip to the Hancock County Speedway in Britt for their weekly action along with a hobby stock special, but things changed with a front dumped some rain on the facility and forced track officials to cancel the show. I had made plans to go with a buddy of mine, and he quickly remembered that the USMTS were racing in Lansing, Minnesota that night. After doing some quick research on the internet he let me know that they were still racing, so after work I dashed home to change clothes, picked him up, and we were off to the Chateau Raceway!

This would be my first USMTS race since June 12 when they made a stop at Worthington, Minnesota. For those that know me, I enjoy watching these guys race and typically make every attempt to see them that I can. But Thursday night was only my fifth USMTS race I've been to thus far. A far cry from what I'm used to, but that's okay. Also in action Thursday night were the Iron Man Challenge series for the USRA bmods and the track's pure stock class.

Sixteen USRA bmods were on hand for the first time ever at the Chateau Raceway as they normally host Wissota midwest mods weekly. Kylie Kath wasted no time in putting a stranglehold on the pack as he jumped to the lead early on. Brandon Hare, last year's USRA national champion in the bmod division, was on the charge early and moved up to fourth after a nifty move to the inside of Nate Chodur. Jacob Bleess and Jake Timm were running second and third, but Kath opened up a straight away lead at the halfway point. Hare was able to work the outside of Timm to move into the third spot. Two laps later the caution flag waved, and Hare took advantage of the double-file restart as he rode the cushion and climbed into second by passing Bleess. The caution came out again two laps later when Timm spun to a stop. When the checkered flag waved it was Kylie Kath taking home the win. Brandon Hare followed in second, Jacob Bleess was third, Matt Lettow fourth, and Josh Bonnstetter rounded out the top five.

Thirty-four USMTS cars were on hand Thursday night, but that number had to be dwindled down to twenty-four along with a provisional starter. After winning the previous two races, Zack VanderBeek's luck continued as he redrew the pole position. Local favorite Tommy Myer would sit outside of him, and it was Myer who got the better start and led the field early. Rodney Sanders made an early move to the inside to pass Keith Foss for fourth, but that was the only position change within the first eleven laps or so. Myer would open up a big margin as he caught lapped traffic quickly by lap fifteen, but a yellow three laps later would eliminate the lapped cars in front of him. The double file restart didn't appear to help or hinder any drivers in the top ten as they all maintained their positions even though the track appeared to lock down on the bottom. Myer opened up his lead by a straight away with ten laps remaining while Corey Dripps ducked inside of VanderBeek for second with six laps to go. While Myer weaved through lapped traffic, Dripps made up ground quickly and closed in on Myer in the closing laps. Dripps was on Myer's rear bumper when they took the white flag and looked to the inside of the leader entering turn three. Dripps hit the gas in turn four, but had to check up a little to prevent getting in to Myer's door panel. Myer was able to fend off Dripps' challenge and pick up his first win of the 2011 season. Corey Dripps came home second, Zack VanderBeek was third, Rodney Sanders fourth, and Keith Foss rounded out the top five.

The night got off to an unusual start as some bigger name drivers struggled in their respective heat races. Heat one saw Jason Hughes start ninth and not crack the top five. Heat two saw the same thing for Ryan Gustin while heat four saw the same for Jon Tesch. Heat three Kelly Shryock started third and finished fourth, so all four of these drivers had to qualify through the b-mains.

It was nice getting back up to the Chateau Raceway as it's been a few years since I had been there. I was pleased that only two support classes were on hand for a mid-week special. Wish more promoters would do the same.

The USMTS got rained out last night at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin. They head to the famous Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisconsin tonight to finish up some business left behind in June after a rain out. From there they have a few days off before attempting to get Mason City's race in on Tuesday, July 19. Mason City has had to reschedule their date two or three times, so here's hoping the weather holds off this time.

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

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Late Pass Gives Luloff Memorable Memorial Win

Another scorching hot and humid day in central Iowa was in store Sunday, but that didn't prevent me from attending a race that I try to attend each year. It was time for the annual Hogan Memorial, an event that has taken place yearly since 1995. While the event was initially named the Dick Hogan Memorial, it was later changed when Janet passed away and honored both of them from that point on. Of course, their son Scott continues on the family name as he pilots the #33D IMCA modified and circles this important date on the calendar each season.

After qualifying events were finished, something I honestly can't recall seeing happened. The IMCA hobby stock were set for the first feature of the night, but when the green flag dropped the outside line got very little traction and the start was called back. Track officials then allowed the cars a few hot laps, but it was deemed the cars would exit the track and the IMCA sport compacts would now run their feature instead.

So the focus would turn towards the pits as the IMCA sport compacts ventured to the track. Brett Vanous would take control at the drop of the green flag while Nathan and Brad Chandler were working their way through traffic towards the front. Two cautions would come out in the early going with the second one involving Nathan Chandler getting into the back of a lapped car entering turn one. Chandler would slow down the back stretch and come to a stop to end his night early. Two more caution periods would plague the race, but the final lap saw Vanous dive to the inside of Brad Chandler to edge out the win at the line. Merv Chandler was third and Jacob McVay was fourth, but unfortunately with the excitement up front that was all I was able to get written down.

The IMCA hobby stocks returned to the track, now ready for their finale of the evening. Pole sitter Greg Sweerin would lead in the early going before a couple early yellow flags were displayed. His night would end prematurely, however, as he appeared to break a hose and exited the track. That handed the race lead over to Doug Laughridge with Justin Stander just behind in second. Points leader Scott Pippert found the high side to his liking as he moved into the fourth position after starting eleventh on the starting grid. Pippert would get by Kyle Parizek for third before passing both Stander and Laughridge for the lead just after the crossed flags were given signaling the race was half-over. Scott Pippert would maintain the lead as he picked up the win with Justin Stander finishing second, Brad Forbes was third, Doug Laughridge fourth, and Matt Brown completed the top five.

Pole sitter Aric Becker paced the field early on, but Curt Hillmer was on the prowl as he moved into the second position after passing David McCalla on the inside. An early caution slowed the pace down, and while under yellow Hillmer came to a stop upon the entrance to turn three. He was allowed to restart in third, which kinda baffled me and a few others sitting around me as I thought you had to go to the tail if you needed the assistance of a push truck. Nonetheless, McCalla used the restart to make the cushion work in his favor as he motored by Becker for the lead. Hillmer would use the low line to get by for second before making the pass on McCalla for the lead. After a couple more cautions, Racer Hulin found himself restarting on the rear bumper of Hillmer. Hillmer would protect the inside line, but that left the door open for Hulin to take flight on the top side and make the pass for the lead. Another caution flag would come out on lap eight in which the drivers were told they had surpassed the time limit, so either the next yellow flag or the checkered flag would finish the race. As it would be the race would end under green condition and Racer Hulin would pick up the win. Danny Dvorak would drive the low line to take second, Aric Becker rallied back to finish third, Kent Kozitsky was fourth, and Curt Hillmer rounded out the top five.

Fifteen IMCA stock cars would make their way to the track and John Schaefel used his outside front row start to seize command up front. Fourth row starters Justin Teymeyer and Damon Murty started running the cushion and running down cars ahead of them as they advanced into the third and fourth positions, respectively, after passing Mike Galli. The front four cars would run in rows of two for a short time before they attempted to go four-wide into turn three. Schaefel came out on the bad end of that as he got pushed over the banking and came to a stop. Scooter Dulin would inherit the lead, but it wasn't long before Teymeyer powered his way by for the top spot. As the laps were winding down Murty found himself in the fourth spot yet, but he used the high side to move back into the second position when the white flag was displayed. Teymeyer would pick up the win ahead of Murty, Dulin, Bob Ahrendson was fourth, and Andy Bryant rounded out the top five.

Anticipation began to build as the IMCA modifieds made their way to the track. Twenty cars made it through qualifying with two past champions and two track provisionals made up the twenty-four car starting field as driver introductions took place along with Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" was played during the parade laps. The drivers were ready for a forty-lap race that would be stopped at the halfway point for a five-minute pit stop.

Through the luck of the redraw format, Dan Chapman and Scott Hogan sat on the front row with Hogan rocketing to the lead, but the lap didn't count as the yellow flew for a tractor tire being hit and sitting on the racing surface. When the green was displayed again Hogan again got a great start and jumped out front with Chapman and JD Auringer following. Hogan had an intense moment a few laps into the race as he quickly caught lapped traffic and ran into the back of one entering turn one, sending his car into a sideways slide. He would gather it back up and his momentum on the top side enabled him to maintain the lead. Auringer would slip by Chapman for second as Hogan and Auringer distanced themselves from the pack. The midway point caution would fly at the same time that Richie Gustin found himself sitting crossed up outside of turn one.

Following the five minute break, the top five remained relatively unchanged until Auringer tried a slide job on Hogan entering turn one. Auringer's car would get sideways and spin, collecting Chapman as he drilled the left side of Auringer's car. Both competitors would see their great runs come to an early end. With eleven laps remaining, that put Jerry Luloff on Hogan's rear bumper on the restart. Luloff tried darting to the inside on each of the next few restarts and sliding up in front of Hogan, but Hogan's momentum off the top side carried him past Luloff and keep him out front. The final caution of the night came with just four laps remaining, and this time Luloff perhaps drove a bit harder entering the corner. Hogan opted to turn left and try to dart to the inside rather then stay on the outside, but that move would cost him the lead as Luloff took over the top spot. Hogan tried a few different moves in the final laps, but it wasn't enough as Jerry Luloff took home the win. Scott Hogan finished second, but pocketed more money then the winner after you add up all the lap money and contingency dollars. Brandon Banks came home third, Jeff Waterman was fourth, and Mike Burbridge completed the top five.

It was great sitting with fellow Positivelyracing buddies Dick and Joyce Eisele among other friends. Always fun to compare which drivers I know with those that Joyce does at the track. The racing action was action-packed all night including one extra curricular activity in the modified feature that involved a driver expressing his anger towards another on the front straight away by jumping on the nose of his car. With Brett Root from IMCA on hand and witnessing the incident, one can only imagine some kind of disciplinary action will be forthcoming.

I'd like to thank the Hogan family for putting on this great event again this year. I'm sure Dick and Janet were watching from above with smiles on their faces as it was a great night of racing.

My next race, weather permitting, will be Tuesday night at the I-35 Speedway as the road warriors of the USMTS tour gets back into the swing of things. It will be the first of five scheduled nights as a couple of the events, including this one, are makeup dates from earlier rain outs. If that doesn't interest you, perhaps a visit to the Independence Motor Speedway might as the World of Outlaws late models invade the Buchanan County fairgrounds for the first time ever. The IMCA modifieds will also be racing for $1,000 top prize.

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

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Embrey's Take Wins at Webster City

July typically yields lots of heat and humidity, and Saturday would be no different. I made my way west once again to the Hamilton County Speedway for night #10. Fortunately a breeze picked up a little during the night to keep things somewhat bearable as the racing action heated up on the track.

After heat races and a b-main for the IMCA sportmods were concluded along with a little packing of the track during intermission, it was time to get into feature action starting with the hornets. Chris Friesth used his pole starting position to jump out front, but the yellow quickly came out when Adam Strunk and Keaton Graffunder spun to a stop in turn one. Two more caution flags would come out before another lap could be completed, but when racing resumed Friesth would have to fend off the challenges of Lyle Oberhelman as he picked up the win. Oberhelman finished second, Adam Strunk rebounded to finish third, Daniel Ayers was fourth, and Keaton Graffunder rounded out the top five.

Next onto the track would be the IMCA hobby stocks as sixteen cars took the green flag. Outside front row starter David Rieks took command early on as Allen Dixon and Randy Embrey gave chase. Fifth row starters Kevin Fee and Brad Ratcliff were on the charge further back in the field as they advanced into the fourth and fifth positions on lap two. Embrey would make the pass on Dixon for second while Fee and Ratcliff later got by Dixon as well using the low line. Embrey would overtake Rieks at the front of the field as he motored by on the top side prior to a caution flag coming out. Following the restart Rieks would push high in turn four and open the door for Ratcliff to race by under him to take over the second position. Ratcliff tried to chase down Embrey, but it was not to be as Randy Embrey picked up his second feature win of the season at the speedway. Brad Ratliff finished second, Bobby Dilley was third, Kevin Fee fourth, and Corey Roe rounded out the top five.

Eleven stock cars would take the green flag next with outside front row starter Jim Mitchell leading the opening lap before Scott Bloemke used the inside line to scoot by. After starting ninth on the grid, Mark Elliott quickly worked his way into third on the third circuit while Jason Wagoner looked to hunt down Bloemke from second. Wagoner found the top side to his liking as he made the pass on Bloemke for the lead. Elliott would soon follow to second before the only caution of the race came out. Soon after the restart Elliott would again go to the top side and make the pass on Wagoner for the lead. Reid Keller would use the high groove to get by Bloemke for third, but he would advance another position late in the race when Wagoner's machine went up in smoke with just one lap remaining. Mark Elliott would cruise to the victory while Curt Hook got by Reid Keller for second. Scott Bloemke and Adam Silvey rounded out the top five.

Twenty-eight IMCA sportmods were narrowed down to a starting field of twenty-four for their feature event of the night. Outside front row starter Dane Larson took the lead when the green flag dropped, but Matt Lettow was on the move early as he got around pole sitter Paul Price for second. Lettow ducked to the inside of Larson to take over the lead while Jeremy Embrey later used the high line to get by Larson for second prior to a caution flag coming out. Joel Rust would take advantage of the restart as he moved to the bottom of the raceway to sneak by Cayden Carter and Bob Sutherland to advance to the fourth position. Another caution came out late in the race, allowing Rust to use the restart to his advantage again by ducking to the inside of Dane Larson for third with two laps remaining. Rust dove to the inside of Lettow and Embrey on the final lap and appeared to be on his way to victory, but Lettow hooked Rust's rear bumper and slowed both of their momentum enough to allow Jeremy Embrey to sneak by on the outside to take the thrilling win. Rust finished second, Lettow third, Larson was fourth, and Cayden Carter rounded out the top five.

Up next would be the IMCA modified finale as seventeen cars took the green flag. Again the outside front row would be the place to start as Greg Elliott took command early. Adam Larson was on the prowl early as he moved into fifth on lap two and quickly advanced to third after passing pole sitter Jeremy Brogaard. Larson would continue moving forward as he passed Scott Williams on the inside for second while Mark Elliott got by Brogaard for fourth. Following Elliott into fifth, Jon Snyder made a move to get by both Mark Elliott and Williams to advance to third. Larson would close in on Greg Elliott for the lead, but the two touched ever so slightly in turn four that sent Larson into a spin to bring out the caution flag. That put Snyder on Greg Elliott's rear bumper on the restart, and Snyder would try a few moves to get by but was unsuccessful. Greg Elliott would go on to pick up the win ahead of Jon Snyder, Scott Williams, Mark Elliott, and Richie Gustin.

The final event of the night would be the sixteen-car field of IMCA late models. Kelly Tapper took command early in this one while Jason Hahne and Todd Cooney quickly worked their way around Nick Pederson for second and third, respectively. Cooney would work past Hahne for second before making the pass on Tapper on the inside line for the lead. Hahne used the same line as Cooney to get by Tapper for second as Tapper began to fade. Ryan Griffith and Al Johnson would also get by to advance to third and fourth, respectively. Griffith would run down Hahne and take over the runner up position, but up front it was Todd Cooney taking the checkered flag first. Griffith settled for second, Hahne third, Jeff Aikey was fourth and Al Johnson rounded out the top five.

It was a good night of racing all around at the Hamilton County Speedway. The track didn't appear to rut up and provided a couple different racing lanes. For a full-field rundown, a look at upcoming events, and updated point standings be sure to check out the Hamilton County Speedway website.

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

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Smith Steals Stock Car Checkers at the Line!

A gorgeous Wednesday afternoon prompted me to make a return visit to the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta. While the car count was down a bit, the crowd was still pretty good and the racing was action packed throughout the night.

First to hit the track for feature action would be the BVR bombers. Jake Bieret took control at the drop of the green flag after starting on the pole. Keith Demey would keep pace, but was unable to seriously challenge Bieret as Jake Bieret pocketed the win. Demey would finish second, Colby Davis finished third, Nicholas Smith fourth, and Mike Draper rounded out the top five of the nine-car field.

Next up would be the IMCA sport compacts. At the drop of the green flag the field managed to race four-wide down the front straight away to set up a tense moment entering turn one. Merv Chandler emerged with the lead on lap one after starting seventh with Megan Lappegard following closely behind. Nate Coopman was on the move a bit further back as the first-time visitor to the speedway made his way to third after starting tenth. Coopman would motor to the outside of Lappegard to complete that pass before using the same line to get by Chandler for the lead at the halfway point. Coopman would pull away in the closing laps and pick up the win ahead of Chandler, Lappegard, Cory Flanigan, and Caine Mahlberg.

The most popular division by the numbers were the IMCA hobby stocks as twenty-two drivers checked in for competition. Craig Brotherton would take command on lap one, but the caution quickly came out a lap later to bunch the field up again. Devin Smith would take advantage of the restart as he split a couple of cars entering turn three to move into the third position. He worked to the inside of Kyle Robinson to climb into second while Michael Murphy and Shannon Anderson were advancing into the top five. Brotherton would bobble a bit in turn four and cut down a right rear tire, handing the race lead over to Devin Smith. Murphy used the low line to get by Robinson for second as Robinson began to slow. A lap later Anderson would slow and come to a stop outside of turn two to bring out the caution. The restart did not phase Smith as he continued on to pick up the win. Michael Murphy came home second, Brandon Nielson was third, Bill Woehler fourth, and Matt Mahoney completed the top five. Cody Nielson crossed the line in third, but was scored as the last finishing car after he made contact with Andy Boeckman that sent Boeckman into a spin on the final corner.

Sixteen IMCA sportmods were next to hit the track as Keagan Scott led the opening laps in this one. Brett Meyer quickly worked his way up to third while Jesse Sobbing used the high side to climb to fourth. Up front Tim Rupp challenged Scott on the inside and took over the lead as Scott pushed up the track, losing several spots. Meyer would close in on Rupp at the midpoint of the race and hound the leader, but Rupp continued to hit his marks lap after lap. Meyer finally closed the gap to within a car length on the final lap, but his car pushed up in turn two and opened the door for Jesse Sobbing to race by for second. Sobbing was too far back and ran out of time as Tim Rupp scored the win. Sobbing finished second, Meyer was third, Zach Norgaard finished fourth, and Doug Smith rounded out the top five.

While only having ten cars show up, the IMCA stock cars proved once again they are the "Class Too Tough To Tame" on Wednesday night. Pole sitter Adam Klocke would lead the opening lap, but Brian Blessington quickly found the bottom groove to his liking and took control on lap two. David Smith found the right line as he worked his way into the fourth spot after starting eighth. Smith, who picked up his 100th career IMCA stock car victory Saturday night in Algona, would continue making his way towards the front as he passed Klocke for third. Stefan Sybesma would challenge Blessington on the inside and pull even exiting turn two, but Blessington's momentum allowed him to maintain the lead until the caution waved on lap six. Blessington opted for the inside of the front row on the restart, but it was Sybesma using the top side that emerged with the lead upon the exit of turn two. Point leader Donovan Smith threw his hat into the mix as he worked the outside of brother David for third and passing Blessington for second. Sybesma slowed down the front stretch momentarily and Donovan Smith was there to take the lead with three laps to go. Blessington would bring out the caution as he slid off turn two and on the restart Sybesma regained the lead using the inside line this time. Entering turn three Sybesma looked primed to take the checkered flag but Donovan Smith got a great run on the cushion and out powered him down the front stretch to pick up a thrilling win!! Sybesma had to settle for second, Chris Ullrich finished third, David Smith fourth, and Brian Blessington rebounded for fifth.

Pole sitter Brad Williams took control early in the IMCA modified feature, but his time out front was short-lived as Justin Sackett would take the lead away on lap three. Jason Briese would coast to a stop in turn three to bring out the caution on lap five. Soon after the restart Josh Most dove to the inside of Brian Schmitt entering turn one. The two made heavy contact with Most's car driving up over the nose of Schmitt's. Schmitt would come to a stop to bring out another caution, and both machines went to the work area to survey the damage. Dustin Smith was working his way to the front of the field as he passed Jim Thies for the second position around the midpoint of the race. The final yellow of the race came with nine laps remaining, giving Smith a chance to challenge Sackett on the restart. Sackett proved to be too fast on the bottom, however, as he outran Smith to the checkers. Josh Most rebounded to finish third, Brad Williams was fourth, and Jim Thies rounded out the top five.

A King of the Hill race for both the stock car and modifieds followed the modified feature, but I opted to leave at that point for the lengthy trip back home. Despite the low car counts I thought all the features were extremely competitive. The season is winding down quickly as I believe August 10 is season championship night, so if you're in the area and haven't checked it out yet be sure to do so. For a full-field rundown of results and a look at the schedule and updated point standings, log on to the Buena Vista Raceway website.

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

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Long Dominates, Dailey Emerges Victorious in Harris Clash

Tuesday night rolled around and it was time to once again make the trek south to the Knoxville Raceway were seventy-some IMCA modifieds were set to do battle on the famed half-mile track. A picture perfect night was in store for the fans that showed up and the track appeared to be good from top to bottom, although a few ruts did find their way to the surface.

After winning the third heat in grand style, Michael Long seemed to be poised for victory as he lined up third on the grid out of the thirty starters. It didn't take him long to find his marks as he rocketed to the lead on the very first lap. Josh Foster lined up right behind Long and positioned himself into the runner up spot just three laps into the race, but he had plenty of ground to make up as Long distanced himself. A handful of laps later saw Foster coast to a stop in turn two to bring out the second caution of the race on lap ten.

When racing resumed Nebraska driver Jordan Grabouski ducked to the inside on the double file restarts and got by J.J. Wise and Ken Schrader to move into the third position. Wise would regroup and pass Mark Elliott on the inside groove to move back into the fifth spot while Eric Dailey was on the move deeper in the field. Dailey, who started seventeenth, found himself running in the eighth spot when the mandatory halfway yellow came out. Once the field was aligned in proper running order, they lined up in restart formation on the front stretch and were given a five minute "pitstop" to make changes if wanted. Several guys changed tires, most added fuel, and who knows what else went on trackside.

Two laps in to the second "half" of the race fifth-place runner J.J. Wise would lose an engine and bring out the yellow flag again. Once the green flag was displayed again Ken Schrader and Mark Elliott went at it for the runner up position with Schrader getting the edge at this point in the race. Yet another caution came with eight laps remaining, and on the restart Eric Dailey charged to the inside of Schrader to pull into the second spot. The pass would be negated by another yellow flag. Dailey would still get by Mark Elliott for third before passing Schrader on the inside a couple laps later for second. As the laps dwindled Michael Long would cruise to the apparent win, but things soon changed as he weighed three separate times and was disqualified for being too light. That handed the win over to Eric Dailey. Jordan Grabouski would finish second, Ken Schrader third, Mike VanGenderen was fourth, and Todd Shute rounded out the top five after starting eighteenth.

Six heat races and three last chance qualifiers (b-mains) were used to narrow the starting field down. The eight cautions hindered the pace of the evening as the show ran a little late. Overall I'd say the action was pretty good despite the ruts in the corners as guys would hit them wrong and mud would fly high in the air, or cars would maybe bounce off the ground momentarily.

I'd like to thank Bob Harris for the great hospitality he provided for me and my fellow PositivelyRacing counterparts. Hopefully I can make the return trip back at the end of the month as the IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series for late models along with the IMCA sportmods take center stage in the second installment of the Harris Clash on Tuesday, July 26.

For a complete rundown of results, check out the Knoxville Raceway, IMCA, or Harris Clash websites.

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

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Five New Winners at Webster City

The Hamilton County Speedway hosted its second Fan Appreciation night of the year on Saturday night. The weather was picture perfect as temperatures were a bit cooler from Thursday and Friday. Fans were treated to $5 tickets along with a plethora of giveaway items for the kids during intermission. The stands were completely packed, something I usually only see for a fair race at the famed half-mile.

After the lengthy intermission for the big assortment of giveaway items, the hornets would pull out from the staging area for their feature event. Seven of the eight cars on hand would make the call as points leader Adam Strunk's machine had heavy smoke come out of the right front in the heat race that ended his night. Lyle Oberhelman got turned sideways down the back stretch on the opening lap to bring out the caution, and while the cars were lining up Dan Ayers darted to the work area for some extra help. When the green flag came back out it would be Chris Friesth in charge up front, but Oberhelman worked his way back through the field and used the inside line to pass Friesth for the lead. Oberhelman's lead didn't last long as Nick Hogan used the same bottom groove to slip by Oberhelman on his way to victory lane. Oberhelman finished second, Keaton Graffunder was third, Jason Clark fourth, and Dan Ayers rounded out the top five.

Next up would be the IMCA hobby stock feature. On the opening lap Blake Miller would spin in turn one and get collected by Ty Griffith, ending both of their nights. Under yellow Brad Ratcliff went to the work area and had to restart from the tail of the field. When green flag racing resumed it was Bobby Dilley out front setting the pace, but a formidable challenge was brewing as visiting TJ Mortenson was already up to third after starting twelfth. Mortenson, a former resident of Kamrar who now makes his home in Devils Lake, North Dakota, set his right rear up on the cushion following another yellow flag to pass David Rieks for second. A few laps later the battle was for third as Nate Bonin, Randy Embrey, and Rieks went three-wide. Embrey would get the nod for third finally with five laps remaining while Mortenson caught Dilley and made the winning pass with four laps remaining. Mortenson would go on to pick up the win ahead of Bobby Dilley, Randy Embrey, Brad Ratcliff, and Kevin Fee.

The order of classes changed a bit last night as the stock cars followed the hobby stocks. Pole sitter Jason Minnehan darted to the lead. Mark Haglund would work under Ryan Leeman to take the third position away as Mark Elliott paced himself towards the front of the field from the ninth starting position. Elliott used both the top and the bottom to work his way to the front one lap at a time. After passing Curt Hook, Ryan Leeman, and Mark Haglund to climb into the third position, he battled with Jim Mitchell for the runner up position. Using the high side Elliott made his way by and started chasing down Minnehan for the lead. As the laps counted off Elliott would make the high side work once again and he overtook the lead with three laps to go en route to his seventh win of the season. Mark Haglund worked his way by Jim Mitchell and Jason Minnehan for second, Jason Minnehan held on for third with Jim Mitchell and Ryan Leeman rounding out the top five.

A field of twenty-six IMCA sportmods were scheduled to start their feature and pole sitter Mitch Frakes led the opening few laps. Bob Sutherland found the top side to his liking as he motored into the second position before passing Frakes for the lead. Matt Northrop, making just his third visit to the speedway, would challenge Sutherland for the lead and take the spot using the inside line. As Northrop and Sutherland swapped the lead four cars would duking it out for the third spot. Frakes was being hounded by Cayden Carter, Carter Vandenberg, and Jared Timmerman. Carter would get the advantage and secure the third spot as Northrop opened up a good lead up front. A caution with five laps remaining allowed Vandenberg to swing to the outside of his cousin Carter to climb to third as the lead changed hands again with Sutherland pacing the field. Joel Rust was working the inside line as he passed Cayden Carter for fourth as Sutherland pushed up the track exiting turn four to allow Northrop to regain the lead prior to another caution. Vandenberg made a daring move to split Northrop and Sutherland entering turn three that allowed him to get by Sutherland for second, but that was as far as he could push it as Matt Northrop became the eighth different winner in nine weeks in the IMCA sportmod division. Carter Vandenberg finished second, Joel Rust was third, Bob Sutherland fourth, and Cayden Carter was fifth. According to the internet sites and various tidbits, this snapped Cayden Carter's six-race winning streak.

Up next would be the IMCA late model finale with pole sitter Scott Badker racing to the lead. Jason Hahne would look under Richie Gustin for the second position before using the same line to get by Badker for the lead. Al Johnson and Ryan Griffith both made passes on Badker as he became the meat in the sandwich and fading to fourth. Johnson would secure the second spot, but Griffith challenged to the inside and took the spot away. Gustin, DeFrance, and Cooney would all make their way by Badker while Cooney used the top side to pass DeFrance for fourth. Hahne would open up a comfortable lead before the caution came out with three laps remaining for Al Johnson. Johnson chased his car up the hill exiting turn four before slapping the outside wall a few times down the front straight away, ending his solid third-place run thus far. Despite the restart Hahne was again able to drive away from his competitors as he became the seventh different winner in nine nights of racing. Ryan Griffith followed in second, Todd Cooney was third, Darrel DeFrance finished fourth, and Jeff Aikey rounded out the top five.

The finale of the evening would be the IMCA modifieds. A bit light on numbers, the sixteen-car field offered plenty of excitement throughout as pole sitter Luke Wanninger held down the captain's chair early on. Adam Larson was a rocket out of the gates, however, as he passed four cars to move into the fourth spot on the first lap. He got by David Brown and ducked to the inside of Scott Williams to climb into the second position as he tried to chase down Wanninger. Following a lap four caution, Richie Gustin had worked his way towards the front as he passed Jacob Murray for fifth. Gustin started at the rear after suffering problems in his heat and pulling in. Murray, however, didn't like getting passed as he set sail on the cushion and grabbed the spot back along with passing David Brown for fourth. Up front Larson would draw even with Wanninger entering turn three, but Wanninger would get the traction he needed to maintain the lead at the stripe. After battling for several laps Larson would finally make his line stick as he took over the lead. Scott Williams ducked to the inside of Wanninger and made the pass for second. Adam Larson would go on to pick up his first win of the season at the speedway, the sixth different winner of the year.

A huge fireworks display just outside of turns three and four followed the racing action, and the fans in attendance went home with a big smile on their face after what they had witnessed. The racing was extremely competitive throughout the night including the fans getting on their feet for the final lap of the IMCA sportmod feature. Hats off to the Hamilton County fairboard for their efforts in getting the track ready to race and for the Fan Appreciation night. Hopefully a high percentage of those there last night will return at some point in the final weeks of the season.

And speaking of which, there are only FOUR regular season Saturday night shows left on the schedule. That also means the Hamilton County Fair is right around the corner, which means the 6th annual Thursday Night Thunder special is coming up July 21. For more info on the upcoming schedule, full rundown of results, and updated point standings be sure to log on to the Hamilton County Speedway website!

As of right now my next scheduled race will be the Harris Clash for IMCA modifieds at the famed Knoxville Raceway on Tuesday night.

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