After attending the USMTS King of America Modified Nationals in Humboldt (KS) on Friday and Saturday, my friend Brett and I took a little detour on our way back home. Sunday we ventured to the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction (NE) for the Barb Nunnenkamp Memorial race. I've tried to attend the early Spring USMTS shows that JMS tries to put on, but sometimes weather doesn't allow for it. That was the case this season, although the events were rescheduled to early June. I was unable to make it and was disappointed, so as I looked at my scheduled I decided I was going to make it out there yet this year.
Once we arrived we picked out our seats, but we didn't stay there long. I found a buddy of mine, Ed Reichert from Wisconsin, sitting a few rows back and opted to go sit with him. We had seen Ed down at Humboldt, but was unable to chat with him. It was good catching up with him and seeing what other races he had left on his calendar. Ed writes a column for several media outlets, one of which is Hawkeye Racing News.
As the racing action got going, it was surprising that not a lot of Iowa guys had made the trip as in years past. Heat races and b-mains (if necessary) would be run to narrow the starting fields down, and after a short break it was time for feature action.
Hobby stocks would be up first. Kyle Bond would set the early pace as he got the jump, but the caution flag would negate the lap being scored. Three cars got tangled up in turn three, including Jason Wilkinson who finished third in IMCA national points this season. When action resumed Lonnie Greuter held down the top spot with Bond giving chase. After transferring out of a B-main, Jeremy Auten was slowly marching forward as he advanced to seventh in just two laps. Anthony Martin used the middle groove to power by Mallet Meyer and Keith Dragoo to move into the third position. Following a debris caution, race leader Greuter would suffer a flat tire and exit the speedway. That handed the reigns over to Kyle Bond, and from that point on he remained out front as he picked up the feature win. He was followed across the line by Brandon Johnsen, Jeremy Auten, R J Macku, and Anthony Martin. Jason Wilkinson rebounded from the early caution to finish sixth.
Up next would be the stock cars. Pole sitter Kyle Dumpert grabbed the early race lead with outside front row mate Jeff Whiting following closely behind. Herb Slough would use the bottom groove to slip under Whiting for second before Andy Wilkinson passed both cars to take over the runner up spot. Five caution flags would plague the race, but Cory Dumpert was able to dissect the field. After starting twelfth, Cory Dumpert found his way to fourth and eventually third after passing Whiting. He was on the rear bumper of Wilkinson as they both chased Kyle Dumpert, but were unable to make a move as Kyle Dumpert took the flag to flag victory. Andy Wilkinson finished second, Cory Dumpert was third, Jeff Whiting fourth, and Justin Bertschinger rounded out the top five.
B-mods would be next up for their feature event. I was looking forward to seeing Tyler Frye and Jesse Sobbing race against each other as they challenged for the IMCA northern sportmod national championship this season. Unfortunately track conditions didn't allow for a whole lot of racing. Pole sitter Max Harder, who had a solid season of his own, took control at the point with Jeremy Leiting just behind. Harder would open up a straight away advantage at the halfway point as he picked up the dominating win. Tony Rost would finish second, Jeremy Leiting was third, Tyler Frye finished fourth, and South Dakota driver Kyle Nordquist rounded out the top five. Sobbing finished sixth after starting twelfth. His win on Saturday was his amazing 54th victory!
The four-cylinder class would come out next. I didn't keep notes on this race as I needed to use the facilities. Michael Boehle would take the win ahead of Kevin Zeitner, who the announcer said is the next up and coming member of the family. Shannon Pospisil finished third, Cameron Meyer fourth, and Scott Spellmeyer rounded out the top five. Forty-one cars had checked in for action on Sunday in this division!
Modifieds would be up next and outside front row starter Tyler Iverson got the quick jump on the field to snare the top spot. While the track appeared to be locked down, Kyle Berck was able to find some racing room as he advanced from tenth to fifth with seven laps remaining. He wasn't done, however, as he passed Shane Hiatt for fourth. That was the brunt of the passing that I saw, though, as Iverson picked up the impressive win. Scott Smith finished second, Jared Hoefelman was third, Kyle Berck fourth, and Dylan Smith fifth.
The finale of the evening was the late model feature. Outside front row starter Les Siebert took the point early on with Josh Krug settling in behind him in second. Following an early restart, Marc Peters dove to the inside of Tad Pospisil for the fourth position. Pospisil would lose another spot as Matt Buller snuck by as well. Jacob Brown used the inside groove to pass Krug for second with eight laps remaining. A late caution bunched the field back up, but it wouldn't make a difference as Les Siebert stayed out front and picked up the win. Jacob Brown was second, Matt Buller third, Josh Krug was fourth, and Marc Peters rounded out the top five.
That concluded the racing action at the Junction Motor Speedway for the 2011 race season, and also put an end to my three-race weekend. I'd like to thank announcer Wayne Dake for the shoutout. I simply went and asked him where the "junior flagman" was that normally sits above the walkway to the grandstands, and he proceeded to inform me that the young man now does some announcing duties for the track. He also writes the highlights for the website as well as runs a video camera for promoter Delmar Friesen. I enjoyed a nice conversation with the young man and wish him the best of luck in the future.
Despite the lengthy trip home and late hour climbing into bed, I'm pretty sure my friend had just as much fun as I did. In fact, he may have had more as he had never been to either track. He's already hoping he can make it to both next year!
While sitting in the grandstands about midway through the evening, I received a text message on my phone. It was a friend of mine, a stock car driver. To make a long story short, he invited me to ride with him out to Las Vegas for the Duel in the Desert race. He said he was driving someone else's toter home out while hauling two cars and said I could join him. Needless to say I was excited as I have heard many great things about that facility and event. I'm currently trying to nail things down in order to make it happen.
Racing action in the upper Midwest may have come to a close, but there are still a few events just south of here left on the calendar. This upcoming weekend, the ASCS sprint cars will be in Little Rock, Arkansas for a three-day affair (Thur-Sat). If that's too far for ya to drive, Springfield (MO) has a special on Saturday that includes a late model challenge race between the ULMA and Show-Me series along with modifieds, b-modifieds, and a few other classes. I had planned on going to Springfield, but my plans will likely change with the invitation mentioned above.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
King of America Modified Nationals at Humboldt (KS)
My weekend travels took me south to the Humboldt Speedway in Kansas. A friend of mine, Brett McCollough, and I woke up early Friday and made the nearly six hour trip to southern Kansas for the final two nights of the inaugural King of America Modified Nationals. The United States Modified Touring Series was putting this event on and attracted some of the best drivers in the country. While the car count fell short of what I was expecting, the racing action made up for it!
After reading that Ryan Gustin and Johnny Scott had won from the 12th starting positions on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, I had high hopes for this event to possibly be one of the best of the year. Friday night saw fifty drivers race heat races, b-mains, and the feature along with a complete show for the b-mods. Twenty-nine b-mods were hand for the third of four nights for them.
As the qualifying events were completed, the b-mods came to the track for their feature. Nine cars had been eliminated for the starting field of twenty. Pole sitter Jeremy Chambers grabbed the early lead, but he quickly received pressure from fellow front row starter Nick Newton. As the two raced side by side, Newton would take the advantage on lap three prior to an early caution. Long time modified veteran Gary Clark used the restart to motor by Chambers for second while recently-crowned IMCA Northern Sportmod National Champion Bryan LaRiviere worked his way through the field to fourth after starting tenth. Up front Clark would work under Newton and regain the lead as the white flag was displayed. Newton would not be intimidated as he powered his machine around the top side of turns three and four and squeak out the win at the line. Gary Clark had to settle for second, Jeremy Chambers was third, Bryan LaRiviere fourth, and Mike Striegle completed the top five. Iowa driver Cayden Carter started fourteenth and finished sixth.
After the field was narrowed down to twenty-four starters, Mark Dotson and Brian Bolin brought them to the green flag of the thirty-five lap qualifier. Dotson would set the early pace with Bolin, Johnny Fennewald, and Tommy Weder giving chase. Nine-time USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock was making fast work on his way to the front as he climbed into fourth following a pass on Weder. Shryock, who started seventh, would continue climbing the leaderboard as he passed Fennewald for third on lap seven. However, the caution flag would come out at that time and Fennewald would line up third on the restart.
Shryock would again use the low side to slide by Fennewald for third while Bolin used the same line to pass Dotson up front for the lead. Steve Whiteaker Jr climbed the banking and made the pass on Fennewald for fourth as Shryock clicked off another in passing Dotson for second. Whiteaker Jr followed Shryock into the third position as the top four cars wound up by themselves with five laps to go while encountering lapped traffic. As the white flag came out Shryock went to the top side and passed Bolin for the lead, but a caution prior to the checkers meant a two-lap shootout. Shryock was able to hold on for the win while Steve Whiteaker Jr pulled out a second place finish. Brian Bolin, Mark Dotson, and Johnny Fennewald rounded out the top five.
Shyrock's late race pass for the win meant that all three qualifying nights provided a late pass for the win. As the evening concluded I couldn't help but get excited to see what the big 75-lap finale had in store on Saturday evening.
Fan count for the first three days seemed to be far less then expected, but it was evident upon arrival on Saturday that the fans wanted to see the finale. As we pulled into the track we parked further back then any of the previous handful of times I've been at the Humboldt Speedway. By the time racing action kicked off the grandstand was close to capacity with many people standing as well.
The USMTS staff along with the track officials did a great job of intertwining the b-mods and the USMTS "alphabet soup" throughout the night, keeping the show going as smoothly as could be expected. The alphabet soup consisted of an "E", "D", "C", and a "B" as drivers looked to secure a starting position in the thirty-car starting field. Meanwhile thirty-three b-mods had checked in for action as well and had to narrow their field to twenty.
After a lengthy farming session, the b-mods would be up first for their finale. Nick Newton, who had picked up wins on Thursday and Friday night, sat on the pole alongside long-time veteran modified hotshoe Scott Drake. While I expected Newton to bolt to the front, I was surprised that it was Drake blasting to the lead with Levi McGowen giving chase. An early caution realigned the field and Newton used it to his advantage as he swung to the inside of McGowen for the second position. Another caution flag came out and following the restart Newton began to fade, giving up two spots to McGowen and Tim VanGotten. Jeremy Chambers later passed Newton to climb into the fourth spot while VanGotten slowed and exited the track to end his night. Two more cautions would fly, but none of them distracted Scott Drake as he picked up the wire to wire win. Levi McGowen finished second, Jeremy Chambers was third, Nick Newton fourth, and Jimmy Davis completed the top five.
Perennial contenders Bryan LaRiviere and Cayden Carter both failed to finish. I made a statement to people sitting around me that it's rare to see two drivers in the same race with 30+ feature wins to their credit on the year as both drivers had incredible seasons!
The stage was now set for the big 75-lap USMTS feature. Pre-race ceremonies included drivers walking from the ends of the grandstand towards the center and using a spotlight in the dark. Once all drivers had been introduced, an "event photo" was taken in front of the "King's thrown" as fireworks went off in the background. As drivers strapped in and began to roll off, the ever-popular "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood hit the PA and fans rose to their feet. A parade lap and then the four-wide salute to the fans followed as the fans waved to their favorite driver(s).
Mark Dotson and Kelly Shryock brought the field to the green flag with Dotson setting the early pace. Brian Bolin and Steve Whiteaker Jr battled side by side for the fourth spot for a few laps, but the caution flag on lap nine halted that action temporarily. Two more quick yellows came out, but after the lap nine restart the green flag would come out and the green light stayed on for 47 laps as the drivers put on a great show for the fans!
Jon Tesch found the top side to his liking as he passed Shryock for second. Terry Phillips used the low line to make his move on Bolin for fifth as Tesch took the lead away from Dotson on lap thirteen. Dotson and Shryock raced wheel to wheel for the runner up spot as Tesch began to pull away. Shryock would eventually get the better of Dotson and snare the second spot while Phillips found the quick way around Whiteaker for fourth. He didn't keep that position for long, however, as Johnny Scott made the pass. Scott was driving Jason Hughes' backup car this past weekend.
Tesch would find himself making significant contact with the turn four wall and slowed his momentum, allowing Shryock to close in as they encountered lapped traffic. Dotson and Scott chased down the front two cars as well to make it a four-way battle for the top spot. With Tesch continuing to run the top side, Shryock ducked inside and took over the lead around lap thirty-six. Tesch would regain the lead a few short laps later while Dotson and Scott ran door to door for third. Dotson would get the position and pull alongside Shryock for second as the two made contact on the front straightaway, lifting Shryock's back tires off the dirt. Both cars were unharmed and continued on.
Scott and Phillips took advantage of the mishap and got by Dotson for third and fourth place, respectively. Tesch, Shryock, Scott, and Phillips again would work lapped traffic while being closely bunched together. Shryock would again take over the top spot while Scott later worked his way by Tesch for second. Phillips would also get by Tesch as the caution flag waved on lap fifty-eight as Dotson and Ryan Gustin spun in turn three. A single file restart was used, but no passes would be seen at the front of the pack during the remainder of the race as Kelly Shryock was crowned "King of America" and pocketed the lute that went with it. Johnny Scott finished second, Terry Phillips was third, Jon Tesch fourth, and Steve Whiteaker rounded out the top five.
With as much action that was seen in the first fifty-some odd laps, I was disappointed that the track didn't allow for it late in the race. However, I came away satisfied seeing the pack work through lapped traffic with little to no contact made on the tight quarter-mile speedplant.
USMTS officials announced Saturday night that the event would be held in late March in 2012. I'm sure those in attendance have already marked it on their calendars, and this race fan will be doing so as well.
I'd like to thank the USMTS staff, namely Todd and Janet Staley along with Jeff Nun, for their continued hospitality throughout the 2011 racing season. These three people were always willing to take the time to talk with me and ask my opinions on what I had witnessed each night. Hopefully next year I can schedule a few more shows into my plans.
For a rundown from each of the four nights at Humboldt this past weekend, check out the USMTS website. For those of you who may be able to travel, the USMTS series has three more shows left on their schedule. They will head to the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas on November 17-19. Formerly known as Houston Raceway Park, the state-of-the-art facility just east of Houston provides a great view for fans as I rate it in my top five of best facilities I've ever attended. If you get the chance, I'd highly recommend checking it out!!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
After reading that Ryan Gustin and Johnny Scott had won from the 12th starting positions on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, I had high hopes for this event to possibly be one of the best of the year. Friday night saw fifty drivers race heat races, b-mains, and the feature along with a complete show for the b-mods. Twenty-nine b-mods were hand for the third of four nights for them.
As the qualifying events were completed, the b-mods came to the track for their feature. Nine cars had been eliminated for the starting field of twenty. Pole sitter Jeremy Chambers grabbed the early lead, but he quickly received pressure from fellow front row starter Nick Newton. As the two raced side by side, Newton would take the advantage on lap three prior to an early caution. Long time modified veteran Gary Clark used the restart to motor by Chambers for second while recently-crowned IMCA Northern Sportmod National Champion Bryan LaRiviere worked his way through the field to fourth after starting tenth. Up front Clark would work under Newton and regain the lead as the white flag was displayed. Newton would not be intimidated as he powered his machine around the top side of turns three and four and squeak out the win at the line. Gary Clark had to settle for second, Jeremy Chambers was third, Bryan LaRiviere fourth, and Mike Striegle completed the top five. Iowa driver Cayden Carter started fourteenth and finished sixth.
After the field was narrowed down to twenty-four starters, Mark Dotson and Brian Bolin brought them to the green flag of the thirty-five lap qualifier. Dotson would set the early pace with Bolin, Johnny Fennewald, and Tommy Weder giving chase. Nine-time USMTS national champion Kelly Shryock was making fast work on his way to the front as he climbed into fourth following a pass on Weder. Shryock, who started seventh, would continue climbing the leaderboard as he passed Fennewald for third on lap seven. However, the caution flag would come out at that time and Fennewald would line up third on the restart.
Shryock would again use the low side to slide by Fennewald for third while Bolin used the same line to pass Dotson up front for the lead. Steve Whiteaker Jr climbed the banking and made the pass on Fennewald for fourth as Shryock clicked off another in passing Dotson for second. Whiteaker Jr followed Shryock into the third position as the top four cars wound up by themselves with five laps to go while encountering lapped traffic. As the white flag came out Shryock went to the top side and passed Bolin for the lead, but a caution prior to the checkers meant a two-lap shootout. Shryock was able to hold on for the win while Steve Whiteaker Jr pulled out a second place finish. Brian Bolin, Mark Dotson, and Johnny Fennewald rounded out the top five.
Shyrock's late race pass for the win meant that all three qualifying nights provided a late pass for the win. As the evening concluded I couldn't help but get excited to see what the big 75-lap finale had in store on Saturday evening.
Fan count for the first three days seemed to be far less then expected, but it was evident upon arrival on Saturday that the fans wanted to see the finale. As we pulled into the track we parked further back then any of the previous handful of times I've been at the Humboldt Speedway. By the time racing action kicked off the grandstand was close to capacity with many people standing as well.
The USMTS staff along with the track officials did a great job of intertwining the b-mods and the USMTS "alphabet soup" throughout the night, keeping the show going as smoothly as could be expected. The alphabet soup consisted of an "E", "D", "C", and a "B" as drivers looked to secure a starting position in the thirty-car starting field. Meanwhile thirty-three b-mods had checked in for action as well and had to narrow their field to twenty.
After a lengthy farming session, the b-mods would be up first for their finale. Nick Newton, who had picked up wins on Thursday and Friday night, sat on the pole alongside long-time veteran modified hotshoe Scott Drake. While I expected Newton to bolt to the front, I was surprised that it was Drake blasting to the lead with Levi McGowen giving chase. An early caution realigned the field and Newton used it to his advantage as he swung to the inside of McGowen for the second position. Another caution flag came out and following the restart Newton began to fade, giving up two spots to McGowen and Tim VanGotten. Jeremy Chambers later passed Newton to climb into the fourth spot while VanGotten slowed and exited the track to end his night. Two more cautions would fly, but none of them distracted Scott Drake as he picked up the wire to wire win. Levi McGowen finished second, Jeremy Chambers was third, Nick Newton fourth, and Jimmy Davis completed the top five.
Perennial contenders Bryan LaRiviere and Cayden Carter both failed to finish. I made a statement to people sitting around me that it's rare to see two drivers in the same race with 30+ feature wins to their credit on the year as both drivers had incredible seasons!
The stage was now set for the big 75-lap USMTS feature. Pre-race ceremonies included drivers walking from the ends of the grandstand towards the center and using a spotlight in the dark. Once all drivers had been introduced, an "event photo" was taken in front of the "King's thrown" as fireworks went off in the background. As drivers strapped in and began to roll off, the ever-popular "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood hit the PA and fans rose to their feet. A parade lap and then the four-wide salute to the fans followed as the fans waved to their favorite driver(s).
Mark Dotson and Kelly Shryock brought the field to the green flag with Dotson setting the early pace. Brian Bolin and Steve Whiteaker Jr battled side by side for the fourth spot for a few laps, but the caution flag on lap nine halted that action temporarily. Two more quick yellows came out, but after the lap nine restart the green flag would come out and the green light stayed on for 47 laps as the drivers put on a great show for the fans!
Jon Tesch found the top side to his liking as he passed Shryock for second. Terry Phillips used the low line to make his move on Bolin for fifth as Tesch took the lead away from Dotson on lap thirteen. Dotson and Shryock raced wheel to wheel for the runner up spot as Tesch began to pull away. Shryock would eventually get the better of Dotson and snare the second spot while Phillips found the quick way around Whiteaker for fourth. He didn't keep that position for long, however, as Johnny Scott made the pass. Scott was driving Jason Hughes' backup car this past weekend.
Tesch would find himself making significant contact with the turn four wall and slowed his momentum, allowing Shryock to close in as they encountered lapped traffic. Dotson and Scott chased down the front two cars as well to make it a four-way battle for the top spot. With Tesch continuing to run the top side, Shryock ducked inside and took over the lead around lap thirty-six. Tesch would regain the lead a few short laps later while Dotson and Scott ran door to door for third. Dotson would get the position and pull alongside Shryock for second as the two made contact on the front straightaway, lifting Shryock's back tires off the dirt. Both cars were unharmed and continued on.
Scott and Phillips took advantage of the mishap and got by Dotson for third and fourth place, respectively. Tesch, Shryock, Scott, and Phillips again would work lapped traffic while being closely bunched together. Shryock would again take over the top spot while Scott later worked his way by Tesch for second. Phillips would also get by Tesch as the caution flag waved on lap fifty-eight as Dotson and Ryan Gustin spun in turn three. A single file restart was used, but no passes would be seen at the front of the pack during the remainder of the race as Kelly Shryock was crowned "King of America" and pocketed the lute that went with it. Johnny Scott finished second, Terry Phillips was third, Jon Tesch fourth, and Steve Whiteaker rounded out the top five.
With as much action that was seen in the first fifty-some odd laps, I was disappointed that the track didn't allow for it late in the race. However, I came away satisfied seeing the pack work through lapped traffic with little to no contact made on the tight quarter-mile speedplant.
USMTS officials announced Saturday night that the event would be held in late March in 2012. I'm sure those in attendance have already marked it on their calendars, and this race fan will be doing so as well.
I'd like to thank the USMTS staff, namely Todd and Janet Staley along with Jeff Nun, for their continued hospitality throughout the 2011 racing season. These three people were always willing to take the time to talk with me and ask my opinions on what I had witnessed each night. Hopefully next year I can schedule a few more shows into my plans.
For a rundown from each of the four nights at Humboldt this past weekend, check out the USMTS website. For those of you who may be able to travel, the USMTS series has three more shows left on their schedule. They will head to the Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas on November 17-19. Formerly known as Houston Raceway Park, the state-of-the-art facility just east of Houston provides a great view for fans as I rate it in my top five of best facilities I've ever attended. If you get the chance, I'd highly recommend checking it out!!
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Carter and Bonnett Repeat Osky Checkers
Another great fall day was in store for a great crowd at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa on Saturday. The temperature felt at least ten degrees warmer as the wind wasn't blowing nearly as strong as it was on Friday night. With a great crowd on hand Friday night, I believe there were more people in the stands on Saturday.
While the format was two complete shows, the top eight in Friday night's features were locked into Saturday night's a-mains. That is unless a driver opted to take a chance on pocketing some big money out of an envelope. Ron VerBeek, Steve Jackson, and Jared Timmerman took their chances and forfeited their starting spot. Last chance heat races and last chance qualifiers would be run to fill out the remainder of each starting field.
The first feature to make their way to the track would be the USRA hobby stocks. After pinning down the pole position due to his win Friday night, Bill Bonnett jumped out to the early lead ahead of a trio of Northeast Iowa drivers in Adam Cline, Steve Larson, and Danny Sacquitne. Local racer Donoven Nunnikhoven would enter the mix as he climbed the banking to make the pass on Sacquitne for fourth on the second lap. He continued to run the top side of the speedway and made the pass on Larson for third while Bonnett paced the field utilizing the bottom side. Nunnikhoven steadily made up ground on second place driver Adam Cline before taking over the position. Nunnikhoven would inch closer to Bonnett and eventually took over the top spot on lap fifteen of the twenty-five lap race. Clayton Crump was also making steady progress through the field as he marched into the second spot after passing Bonnett as well. With seven laps to go the top four cars (Nunnikhoven, Crump, Bonnett, and Cline) were out front by themselves. Crump and Bonnett raced side by side for several laps for the runner up spot, but Bonnett found some traction on the low side and pulled even with Nunnikhoven for the lead with two laps remaining. Bonnett would get the lead as the white flag was displayed and go on to take the win by a good five-car length advantage. Donoven Nunnikhoven finished second, Adam Cline was third, Steve Larson fourth, and Chris Hovden completed the top five in the green-to-checkers main event! Clayton Crump crossed the line in third, but was later disqualified in post-race technical inspection.
After that thrilling finish, the USRA modifieds would try to follow it up as Colt Mather and Zack VanderBeek brought the field to the green flag. VanderBeek would get the edge from the start as the top side appeared to be the preferred line in the early going. Mather settled in to second with Bob Timm and track champion Steven Blattler giving chase. VanderBeek would set a fast pace as he encountered lapped traffic by the sixth circuit. The red flag would come out on lap fifteen as apparently somebody in the infield had been injured and needed to be transferred to a medical facility. On the restart Timm would get a little too high in turn two and lose a couple spots. The caution flag would wave a bit later as Mather tagged the guardrail to end his great run. That put Ron VerBeek and Blattler on VanderBeek's rear bumper on the restart. The outside line got the advantage when racing resumed as Blattler got by VerBeek and Kurt Kile made the pass on Bob Timm for fourth. Nobody had anything for VanderBeek though as he motored home to the win by a straight away. Steven Blattler finished second, Ron VerBeek was third, Kurt Kile finished fourth, and Bob Timm secured the fifth spot.
Cayden Carter and Bryon Weyer paced the field of USRA b-mods to the green flag. The green flag didn't stay out long, however, as Carter VanDenBerg appeared to make contact with a big implement tire on the inside of turn two and sent him into a wild rollover. Thankfully he was able to walk away under his own power. Cayden Carter would grab the advantage on the complete restart while Weyer, Jake Timm, and Jason Mallicoat gave chase. Mallicoat would slip past Timm for third while Curtis VanDerWal and Jared Timmerman raced side by side for the fifth position. VanDerWal continued using the inside line and made the pass on Timm for fourth, but Timm would later regain that position a lap later. Carter and Weyer pulled out to a commanding lead by lap six, but the caution flag came out on lap ten to bunch the field back up.
VanDerWal, Timm, and Timmerman would race three-wide momentarily before Timmerman took the fourth position ahead of Timm and VanDerWal. Weyer again would keep pace with Carter as the two broke away from the field. The yellow flag would come out twice more within the final five laps of the race, setting up a sprint to the checkers. Cayden Carter would fend off Bryon Weyer to pick up his 31st win of the season. Jason Mallicoat finished third, Jake Timm fourth, and Jared Timmerman completed the top five.
After the show the USRA stock cars put on Friday night, I was happy to hear they would be the final event of the night. Shane Weller and Nathan Wood paced the field to the green flag with Wood getting the early advantage. Following an early caution, Bryan Webb used the top side to get by Matt Jones for the fourth position, but Jones was able to regain the position a bit later. Steve Jackson, the driver who gave up his outside front row starting spot for a money envelope, started eighth but made the pass on Webb for fifth as the top five drivers used the top line of the track. Behind them, however, was a different story as they were racing two and sometimes three-wide. Shane Weller used the inside line to get by Shay Curtin for second with nine laps remaining. A caution would come out and on the restart Curtin and Jackson made contact with each other, resulting in a flat tire for Curtin to end his strong run. That propelled Jackson to the third spot while Matt Greiner advanced to fourth. Wood, Weller, and Jackson were nose to tail the final circuits, but nobody was able to make a late move as Nathan Wood picked up the win. Shane Weller finished second, Steve Jackson was third, Matt Greiner fourth, and Mike VanGenderen rounded out the top five. Wood told me after the races that he had won a feature event every year that Todd and Janet Staley have promoted at Osky, but he had to wait til the final event of the season to do so this year.
For a full field rundown of Night 2 at Oskaloosa, check out the USRA website.
It was a good night of racing to cap off the Staley era at the Southern Iowa Speedway. The show did get a bit of a late start and the track wasn't quite as good Saturday as Friday was, in my opinion. But the drivers reduced the number of caution flags and kept the show moving all night long.
I wish the Mahaska County fairboard good luck in their search for a promoter for the future. I hope they find somebody that fits their goals and are able to continue racing for years to come.
As for Todd and Janet Staley, they have a few more races to oversee yet this year. The King of America Modified Nationals is their next event that will be held at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kansas. This unique format is the same one used at the Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota back in late July. Things kick off Wednesday and runs through Saturday. I'll be making the trip down for Friday and Saturday to see who gets crowned the winner and pockets the big $15,000 check. For more information on this event, check out the USMTS website.
While the format was two complete shows, the top eight in Friday night's features were locked into Saturday night's a-mains. That is unless a driver opted to take a chance on pocketing some big money out of an envelope. Ron VerBeek, Steve Jackson, and Jared Timmerman took their chances and forfeited their starting spot. Last chance heat races and last chance qualifiers would be run to fill out the remainder of each starting field.
The first feature to make their way to the track would be the USRA hobby stocks. After pinning down the pole position due to his win Friday night, Bill Bonnett jumped out to the early lead ahead of a trio of Northeast Iowa drivers in Adam Cline, Steve Larson, and Danny Sacquitne. Local racer Donoven Nunnikhoven would enter the mix as he climbed the banking to make the pass on Sacquitne for fourth on the second lap. He continued to run the top side of the speedway and made the pass on Larson for third while Bonnett paced the field utilizing the bottom side. Nunnikhoven steadily made up ground on second place driver Adam Cline before taking over the position. Nunnikhoven would inch closer to Bonnett and eventually took over the top spot on lap fifteen of the twenty-five lap race. Clayton Crump was also making steady progress through the field as he marched into the second spot after passing Bonnett as well. With seven laps to go the top four cars (Nunnikhoven, Crump, Bonnett, and Cline) were out front by themselves. Crump and Bonnett raced side by side for several laps for the runner up spot, but Bonnett found some traction on the low side and pulled even with Nunnikhoven for the lead with two laps remaining. Bonnett would get the lead as the white flag was displayed and go on to take the win by a good five-car length advantage. Donoven Nunnikhoven finished second, Adam Cline was third, Steve Larson fourth, and Chris Hovden completed the top five in the green-to-checkers main event! Clayton Crump crossed the line in third, but was later disqualified in post-race technical inspection.
After that thrilling finish, the USRA modifieds would try to follow it up as Colt Mather and Zack VanderBeek brought the field to the green flag. VanderBeek would get the edge from the start as the top side appeared to be the preferred line in the early going. Mather settled in to second with Bob Timm and track champion Steven Blattler giving chase. VanderBeek would set a fast pace as he encountered lapped traffic by the sixth circuit. The red flag would come out on lap fifteen as apparently somebody in the infield had been injured and needed to be transferred to a medical facility. On the restart Timm would get a little too high in turn two and lose a couple spots. The caution flag would wave a bit later as Mather tagged the guardrail to end his great run. That put Ron VerBeek and Blattler on VanderBeek's rear bumper on the restart. The outside line got the advantage when racing resumed as Blattler got by VerBeek and Kurt Kile made the pass on Bob Timm for fourth. Nobody had anything for VanderBeek though as he motored home to the win by a straight away. Steven Blattler finished second, Ron VerBeek was third, Kurt Kile finished fourth, and Bob Timm secured the fifth spot.
Cayden Carter and Bryon Weyer paced the field of USRA b-mods to the green flag. The green flag didn't stay out long, however, as Carter VanDenBerg appeared to make contact with a big implement tire on the inside of turn two and sent him into a wild rollover. Thankfully he was able to walk away under his own power. Cayden Carter would grab the advantage on the complete restart while Weyer, Jake Timm, and Jason Mallicoat gave chase. Mallicoat would slip past Timm for third while Curtis VanDerWal and Jared Timmerman raced side by side for the fifth position. VanDerWal continued using the inside line and made the pass on Timm for fourth, but Timm would later regain that position a lap later. Carter and Weyer pulled out to a commanding lead by lap six, but the caution flag came out on lap ten to bunch the field back up.
VanDerWal, Timm, and Timmerman would race three-wide momentarily before Timmerman took the fourth position ahead of Timm and VanDerWal. Weyer again would keep pace with Carter as the two broke away from the field. The yellow flag would come out twice more within the final five laps of the race, setting up a sprint to the checkers. Cayden Carter would fend off Bryon Weyer to pick up his 31st win of the season. Jason Mallicoat finished third, Jake Timm fourth, and Jared Timmerman completed the top five.
After the show the USRA stock cars put on Friday night, I was happy to hear they would be the final event of the night. Shane Weller and Nathan Wood paced the field to the green flag with Wood getting the early advantage. Following an early caution, Bryan Webb used the top side to get by Matt Jones for the fourth position, but Jones was able to regain the position a bit later. Steve Jackson, the driver who gave up his outside front row starting spot for a money envelope, started eighth but made the pass on Webb for fifth as the top five drivers used the top line of the track. Behind them, however, was a different story as they were racing two and sometimes three-wide. Shane Weller used the inside line to get by Shay Curtin for second with nine laps remaining. A caution would come out and on the restart Curtin and Jackson made contact with each other, resulting in a flat tire for Curtin to end his strong run. That propelled Jackson to the third spot while Matt Greiner advanced to fourth. Wood, Weller, and Jackson were nose to tail the final circuits, but nobody was able to make a late move as Nathan Wood picked up the win. Shane Weller finished second, Steve Jackson was third, Matt Greiner fourth, and Mike VanGenderen rounded out the top five. Wood told me after the races that he had won a feature event every year that Todd and Janet Staley have promoted at Osky, but he had to wait til the final event of the season to do so this year.
For a full field rundown of Night 2 at Oskaloosa, check out the USRA website.
It was a good night of racing to cap off the Staley era at the Southern Iowa Speedway. The show did get a bit of a late start and the track wasn't quite as good Saturday as Friday was, in my opinion. But the drivers reduced the number of caution flags and kept the show moving all night long.
I wish the Mahaska County fairboard good luck in their search for a promoter for the future. I hope they find somebody that fits their goals and are able to continue racing for years to come.
As for Todd and Janet Staley, they have a few more races to oversee yet this year. The King of America Modified Nationals is their next event that will be held at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kansas. This unique format is the same one used at the Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota back in late July. Things kick off Wednesday and runs through Saturday. I'll be making the trip down for Friday and Saturday to see who gets crowned the winner and pockets the big $15,000 check. For more information on this event, check out the USMTS website.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Big Field of Cars Pack Osky for Fall Challenge
The first night of the 25th Annual Musco Lighting Fall Challenge is in the books. The curtain closer at the Southern Iowa Speedway saw more then 160 race teams pack the infield as the last weekend of racing in the state of Iowa draws a closure to the season.
A different format was used on Friday night as the feature events in all four USRA-sanctioned classes only started eighteen cars. Drivers were given the option to keep their finishing position if they finished in the top eight, or they could elect to draw an envelope that had money inside. From my understanding three drivers opted for the money rather then their starting position, so we shall see on Saturday how that shakes out.
The first feature of the night was the USRA b-mods. Right around fifty cars had checked into the pits with only the top two from the heats transferring on to the feature. Then another four cars from each of two b-mains advanced setting up the eighteen-car feature. Pole-sitter Cayden Carter wasted no time in taking a commanding lead. An early caution on the second circuit slowed the action, but from there the race was clean. Tracy Johnson made the pull from South Dakota and was on the move in the early part of the race as he advanced to fourth after passing Eric Flander. But Johnson would fade as the race went on while Cayden Carter opened up a half-lap lead on the pack. Carter would take the easy win ahead of Jared Timmerman, Bryon Weyer, Carter VanDenBerg, and Jason Mallicoat.
Next up would be the USRA stock cars. Forty cars were on hand but again the starting field would only be eighteen. Outside front row starter Steve Jackson grabbed the early lead with Shane Weller and Lance Deal following behind. Deal looked to the inside of Weller to make the pass for second while Matt Jones used the same low side to pass Mike VanGenderen for fourth. Jones continued his march towards the front as he passed Weller and Deal to find himself in the runner up position. A caution would come out and bunch the field back up. Nathan Wood used the inside lane to make his way up to fourth. Jones would use the bottom side to make the pass on Jackson for the lead, but Jackson was able to take it back a few laps later. Jackson would bobble exiting turn two to allow both Jones and Weller to scoot by below. Weller was able to pass Jones in turn four to take over the race lead with three laps to go as he picked up the win. Jackson rebounded for second, Nathan Wood was third, Matt Jones fourth, and Shay Curtin rounded out the top five. It is my understanding that Steve Jackson was one of the drivers electing to take the money instead of his position, so therefore he will have to re-qualify on Saturday in order to make the feature.
Fifty USRA hobby stocks filled the pit area for the last weekend of racing in Iowa. Eighteen drivers made the call for their feature with Dan Hovden getting the early advantage. A lap two caution saw Adam Cline spin to a stop in turn three. Following the restart Austin Wolfgram used the top side to pass Donoven Nunnikhoven for second. Behind them the field raced two and three-wide. Another caution came out when Dustin Griffiths and John Watson tangled and made heavy contact with the inside guard rail in front of the flagstand. For Griffiths it was even more bad luck as he spun in his heat race and wound up rolling one time on the front stretch. Bill Bonnett, driving the #7B car normally driven by Eric Stanton, got a great restart and advanced four spots to climb to second. Meanwhile Adam Cline was on a tear behind him. Cline was involved in the first yellow flag and restarted eighth on the second restart, but he quickly jumped into the third position. Up front Bonnett made the bottom side work in his favor as he took over the race lead from Wolfgram prior to another yellow flag being displayed. As the field took the white flag Wolfgram suffered what was believed to be a right front flat tire and ended his good run. The field came around for the checkered flag with Bill Bonnett taking the win. He was followed by Adam Cline, Danny Sacquitne, Donoven Nunnikhoven, and Steve Larson.
The final event of the night belonged to the USRA modifieds. Twenty-six cars were narrowed down to eighteen once again, and pole sitter Steven Blattler shot out to the early lead. Colt Mather was on the move early as he used the outside groove to power by Minnesota hotshoe Bob Timm and local driver Ron VerBeek for third and second, respectively. Mather then set his sights on Blattler for the lead, but quickly put him in his rear view mirror as well. Mark Elliott ducked inside of VerBeek to take the fourth position away while Zack VanderBeek followed Elliott to fifth. VanderBeek used the same line to get by Elliott for fourth when the caution flag was thrown with just four laps remaining. Lining up fourth on the restart, VanderBeek managed to sneak under Timm for third before also making the pass on Blattler for second. By that time the white flag was being displayed to the field and Colt Mather had opened up a ten car length advantage to take home the win. VanderBeek finished second, Blattler third, Bob Timm fourth, and Mark Elliott rounded out the top five.
A great crowd was on hand to witness some great racing action, especially in the stock car and hobby stock divisions. Those two features were well worth the price of admission in my opinion! Only the top eight cars in each class are locked in to Saturday night's feature, so qualifying should be exciting come Saturday. Action starts an hour earlier with things getting underway at 6pm. It was not known if hot laps would be held or if they would just go into the heat races right away, so be sure you are there before six o'clock to get a good seat!
For a full rundown of cars in attendance, I noticed results were posted on the USMTS website. I'll be heading back to Oskaloosa to take in some more "Monster" half-mile action!
A different format was used on Friday night as the feature events in all four USRA-sanctioned classes only started eighteen cars. Drivers were given the option to keep their finishing position if they finished in the top eight, or they could elect to draw an envelope that had money inside. From my understanding three drivers opted for the money rather then their starting position, so we shall see on Saturday how that shakes out.
The first feature of the night was the USRA b-mods. Right around fifty cars had checked into the pits with only the top two from the heats transferring on to the feature. Then another four cars from each of two b-mains advanced setting up the eighteen-car feature. Pole-sitter Cayden Carter wasted no time in taking a commanding lead. An early caution on the second circuit slowed the action, but from there the race was clean. Tracy Johnson made the pull from South Dakota and was on the move in the early part of the race as he advanced to fourth after passing Eric Flander. But Johnson would fade as the race went on while Cayden Carter opened up a half-lap lead on the pack. Carter would take the easy win ahead of Jared Timmerman, Bryon Weyer, Carter VanDenBerg, and Jason Mallicoat.
Next up would be the USRA stock cars. Forty cars were on hand but again the starting field would only be eighteen. Outside front row starter Steve Jackson grabbed the early lead with Shane Weller and Lance Deal following behind. Deal looked to the inside of Weller to make the pass for second while Matt Jones used the same low side to pass Mike VanGenderen for fourth. Jones continued his march towards the front as he passed Weller and Deal to find himself in the runner up position. A caution would come out and bunch the field back up. Nathan Wood used the inside lane to make his way up to fourth. Jones would use the bottom side to make the pass on Jackson for the lead, but Jackson was able to take it back a few laps later. Jackson would bobble exiting turn two to allow both Jones and Weller to scoot by below. Weller was able to pass Jones in turn four to take over the race lead with three laps to go as he picked up the win. Jackson rebounded for second, Nathan Wood was third, Matt Jones fourth, and Shay Curtin rounded out the top five. It is my understanding that Steve Jackson was one of the drivers electing to take the money instead of his position, so therefore he will have to re-qualify on Saturday in order to make the feature.
Fifty USRA hobby stocks filled the pit area for the last weekend of racing in Iowa. Eighteen drivers made the call for their feature with Dan Hovden getting the early advantage. A lap two caution saw Adam Cline spin to a stop in turn three. Following the restart Austin Wolfgram used the top side to pass Donoven Nunnikhoven for second. Behind them the field raced two and three-wide. Another caution came out when Dustin Griffiths and John Watson tangled and made heavy contact with the inside guard rail in front of the flagstand. For Griffiths it was even more bad luck as he spun in his heat race and wound up rolling one time on the front stretch. Bill Bonnett, driving the #7B car normally driven by Eric Stanton, got a great restart and advanced four spots to climb to second. Meanwhile Adam Cline was on a tear behind him. Cline was involved in the first yellow flag and restarted eighth on the second restart, but he quickly jumped into the third position. Up front Bonnett made the bottom side work in his favor as he took over the race lead from Wolfgram prior to another yellow flag being displayed. As the field took the white flag Wolfgram suffered what was believed to be a right front flat tire and ended his good run. The field came around for the checkered flag with Bill Bonnett taking the win. He was followed by Adam Cline, Danny Sacquitne, Donoven Nunnikhoven, and Steve Larson.
The final event of the night belonged to the USRA modifieds. Twenty-six cars were narrowed down to eighteen once again, and pole sitter Steven Blattler shot out to the early lead. Colt Mather was on the move early as he used the outside groove to power by Minnesota hotshoe Bob Timm and local driver Ron VerBeek for third and second, respectively. Mather then set his sights on Blattler for the lead, but quickly put him in his rear view mirror as well. Mark Elliott ducked inside of VerBeek to take the fourth position away while Zack VanderBeek followed Elliott to fifth. VanderBeek used the same line to get by Elliott for fourth when the caution flag was thrown with just four laps remaining. Lining up fourth on the restart, VanderBeek managed to sneak under Timm for third before also making the pass on Blattler for second. By that time the white flag was being displayed to the field and Colt Mather had opened up a ten car length advantage to take home the win. VanderBeek finished second, Blattler third, Bob Timm fourth, and Mark Elliott rounded out the top five.
A great crowd was on hand to witness some great racing action, especially in the stock car and hobby stock divisions. Those two features were well worth the price of admission in my opinion! Only the top eight cars in each class are locked in to Saturday night's feature, so qualifying should be exciting come Saturday. Action starts an hour earlier with things getting underway at 6pm. It was not known if hot laps would be held or if they would just go into the heat races right away, so be sure you are there before six o'clock to get a good seat!
For a full rundown of cars in attendance, I noticed results were posted on the USMTS website. I'll be heading back to Oskaloosa to take in some more "Monster" half-mile action!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Griffith Takes Top Prize at Hamilton County Speedway Fall Challenge
A beautiful Saturday afternoon was the backdrop for the final event of the 2011 season at the Hamilton County Speedway as they held their annual Fall Challenge. 182 race teams packed the infield and outside of turns one and two. Perhaps the staff at HCS was unprepared for the amount of teams that showed up as a lot of time was spent directing traffic once a session of hot laps had concluded. Cars wanting to enter the track from outside turn one, cars wanting to leave the track to go back to their trailer outside turn one, and cars turning to the infield made it quite congested on the back stretch.
Once the heat races had concluded, I was a bit surprised the staff didn't take time to water the top side as drivers made it obvious they were going to run down along the bottom of the track. But the B-mains were run directly after the heats and then the water truck came out around the very top of the speedway.
The first feature of the night would be the hornets. Fourteen cars were scheduled to start the race, but a few of them were unable to make the call. Dustin Haggard took control early on before the caution flag waved on lap two. Following the restart Daniel Ayers was able to sneak inside of Haggard for the lead while Haggard would lose the second position a short time later to track champion Adam Strunk. Strunk would chase down Ayers and pull even with him at the line when the white flag was displayed. Both drivers drove into turn one and contact was made, forcing Ayers to push up the track. Strunk would cruise to the victory from there as Ayers settled for second. Dustin Haggard finished third, Megan Lappegard was fourth, and Paul Atchison finished fifth.
The IMCA late models made their way to the track for the second feature of the night. Scott Badker and Ryan Griffith paced the field to the green with Griffith getting the early nod out front. Badker would hold down the second position ahead of Todd Cooney for much of the race, but Griffith was walking away from the entire field as he began to put slower cars a lap down. Cooney would get by Badker with about five laps to go, but Griffith would take home the dominating victory on this night. Cooney finished second, Badker third, Jason Hahne was fourth, and Dean Wagner III rounded out the top five. It was nice to see Vic Lovejoy, Jeff French, Corey Zeitner, Lavern Carey, Paul Glendenning, and Kelly Pestka make their first trip to the speedway this year.
Up next would be the IMCA hobby stock feature. Thirty-two cars were dwindled down to twenty-four starters, with IMCA Supernationals champion Cody Nielsen leading the field to the green flag. Second row starter Andy Boeckman had problems in turn one and went for a spin, but was able to get his machine refired as to not bring out the caution flag. That allowed his fellow row two starting mate Devin Smith to slip into second and later made the pass on Nielsen for the lead on lap five using the middle lane. Josh Niemand, who apparently bought Nick Meyer's car, was running fifth before he passed Des Moines driver George Hood for fourth. The race would go green to checkers and Devin Smith picked up yet another win on his incredible 2011 campaign. Cody Nielsen was second, John Watson was third, Josh Niemand finished fourth, and George Hood rounded out the top five.
Thirty-nine stock cars checked in for action on Saturday with the starting field narrowed down to twenty-four. Dan Trimble and Ryan Leeman paced the field to the green flag, but the field was three and four-wide in the corners on the first lap. Trimble would emerge with the lead, but a caution flag would follow. Steve Meyer and Leeman lined up behind Trimble when the green flag came back out, but Mike VanGenderen found some momentum on the top side in turns one and two and made the pass on both of them. Once he got by down the back stretch VanGenderen changed lanes as the bottom lane was the preferred groove in turns three and four. VanGenderen would make the pass on Trimble using the same line at the halfway point while Meyer faded back several spots. Leeman's night would change for the worse as he stopped in turn three to bring out the caution on lap eight. With VanGenderen out front, Steve Jackson used the low line to take away the top spot. A series of caution flags plagued the finish of the race with several positions changing hands, but the outcome was still the same as Steve Jackson took the win. Lance Deal finished second after starting seventeenth, Mike VanGenderen was third, Kevin Opheim was fourth after starting nineteenth, and Ken Tietz was fifth after starting twentieth. This was the best feature of the night hands down in my opinion!
A stellar 49 IMCA sportmods made their way to the speedway, but again only twenty-four were able to start the feature. Track champion Joel Rust and perennial contender Cayden Carter redrew the front row, and it would be Carter grabbing the early lead. Bryon Weyer found his way to second with Alex Zwanziger in third as Rust faded to fourth in the early going. Ryan Ruter, piloting the #53 car normally driven by Travis Woodbeck, found the top side to his liking in turns one and two and made the pass on Rust for fourth. With Carter and Weyer distancing themselves out front, Ruter got by Zwanziger and began to reel in the top two. Ruter looked to the outside of Zwanziger for second, but his car spun to a stop to bring out the only caution of the race with five laps remaining. From that point on Carter pulled away and picked up the apparent victory. However, he was later disqualified in post-race inspection and the win was awarded to Bryon Weyer. Alex Zwanziger finished second Joel Rust third, Jason Mallicoat was fourth, and Greg Sidles completed the top five.
The final event of the night would be the IMCA modifieds. A nice field of thirty-two cars checked in for action. Chris Abelson got the early nod on pole sitter Levi Nielson to jump out front, but a quick caution on the second circuit slowed the action. Bill Crimmins used the restart to his advantage as he worked under both Nielson and JD Auringer to move into the third position behind Keith Schmitz. Mark Elliott and Jay Noteboom began working the next lane up off the bottom and moving forward. Elliott made passes on both Auringer and Crimmins to slide into the third position while Abelson motored away from the field. Elliott got by Schmitz while Noteboom soon followed as well. Elliott reeled in Abelson and was in his rear bumper with five laps remaining before taking the lead away with a pass on the inside. A caution came out a lap later, allowing both Abelson and Noteboom a chance to cool their tires and make a run at Elliott. It was not to be as Mark Elliott took home the final checkered flag of the night. Noteboom would finish second, Abelson slipped to third, Keith Schmitz finished fourth, and JD Auringer rounded out the top five.
While a lot of negative vibes are being expressed on the Internet, and I'll admit I came away disappointed, I will point out that I was impressed with the car count. A lot of drivers showed up for what could be the final time in 2011 to enjoy a picture-perfect October day. Unfortunately for the Hamilton County Speedway, the negatives far outweighed the positives on Saturday. I won't go into detail on them as they have been documented on the Internet message boards, but hopefully the HCS staff learned a few things and will improve upon them for next year.
I would like to mention that I attended every weekly event along with the Fall Challenge. I thought the season was a success and for the most part the racing was good. Saturday's race may have left a sour taste in many driver's mouths, but hopefully they'll give HCS another opportunity at some point next season.
I'd like to thank the Hamilton County fair board for giving me great hospitality throughout the season! It was very much appreciated.
For official results, check out the Hamilton County Speedway website or click on Speednetdirect as well.
The final racing weekend in Iowa, as far as I know, will be this upcoming weekend. The annual Fall Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa will be running Friday and Saturday, and then on Saturday alone the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson holds its annual Shiverfest race. Ironically, both events will be the final event for the respective promoters, Todd and Janet Staley at Oskaloosa, and Terry and Jenni Hoenig at Donnellson. So I urge you to get out and support these events next weekend!
Once the heat races had concluded, I was a bit surprised the staff didn't take time to water the top side as drivers made it obvious they were going to run down along the bottom of the track. But the B-mains were run directly after the heats and then the water truck came out around the very top of the speedway.
The first feature of the night would be the hornets. Fourteen cars were scheduled to start the race, but a few of them were unable to make the call. Dustin Haggard took control early on before the caution flag waved on lap two. Following the restart Daniel Ayers was able to sneak inside of Haggard for the lead while Haggard would lose the second position a short time later to track champion Adam Strunk. Strunk would chase down Ayers and pull even with him at the line when the white flag was displayed. Both drivers drove into turn one and contact was made, forcing Ayers to push up the track. Strunk would cruise to the victory from there as Ayers settled for second. Dustin Haggard finished third, Megan Lappegard was fourth, and Paul Atchison finished fifth.
The IMCA late models made their way to the track for the second feature of the night. Scott Badker and Ryan Griffith paced the field to the green with Griffith getting the early nod out front. Badker would hold down the second position ahead of Todd Cooney for much of the race, but Griffith was walking away from the entire field as he began to put slower cars a lap down. Cooney would get by Badker with about five laps to go, but Griffith would take home the dominating victory on this night. Cooney finished second, Badker third, Jason Hahne was fourth, and Dean Wagner III rounded out the top five. It was nice to see Vic Lovejoy, Jeff French, Corey Zeitner, Lavern Carey, Paul Glendenning, and Kelly Pestka make their first trip to the speedway this year.
Up next would be the IMCA hobby stock feature. Thirty-two cars were dwindled down to twenty-four starters, with IMCA Supernationals champion Cody Nielsen leading the field to the green flag. Second row starter Andy Boeckman had problems in turn one and went for a spin, but was able to get his machine refired as to not bring out the caution flag. That allowed his fellow row two starting mate Devin Smith to slip into second and later made the pass on Nielsen for the lead on lap five using the middle lane. Josh Niemand, who apparently bought Nick Meyer's car, was running fifth before he passed Des Moines driver George Hood for fourth. The race would go green to checkers and Devin Smith picked up yet another win on his incredible 2011 campaign. Cody Nielsen was second, John Watson was third, Josh Niemand finished fourth, and George Hood rounded out the top five.
Thirty-nine stock cars checked in for action on Saturday with the starting field narrowed down to twenty-four. Dan Trimble and Ryan Leeman paced the field to the green flag, but the field was three and four-wide in the corners on the first lap. Trimble would emerge with the lead, but a caution flag would follow. Steve Meyer and Leeman lined up behind Trimble when the green flag came back out, but Mike VanGenderen found some momentum on the top side in turns one and two and made the pass on both of them. Once he got by down the back stretch VanGenderen changed lanes as the bottom lane was the preferred groove in turns three and four. VanGenderen would make the pass on Trimble using the same line at the halfway point while Meyer faded back several spots. Leeman's night would change for the worse as he stopped in turn three to bring out the caution on lap eight. With VanGenderen out front, Steve Jackson used the low line to take away the top spot. A series of caution flags plagued the finish of the race with several positions changing hands, but the outcome was still the same as Steve Jackson took the win. Lance Deal finished second after starting seventeenth, Mike VanGenderen was third, Kevin Opheim was fourth after starting nineteenth, and Ken Tietz was fifth after starting twentieth. This was the best feature of the night hands down in my opinion!
A stellar 49 IMCA sportmods made their way to the speedway, but again only twenty-four were able to start the feature. Track champion Joel Rust and perennial contender Cayden Carter redrew the front row, and it would be Carter grabbing the early lead. Bryon Weyer found his way to second with Alex Zwanziger in third as Rust faded to fourth in the early going. Ryan Ruter, piloting the #53 car normally driven by Travis Woodbeck, found the top side to his liking in turns one and two and made the pass on Rust for fourth. With Carter and Weyer distancing themselves out front, Ruter got by Zwanziger and began to reel in the top two. Ruter looked to the outside of Zwanziger for second, but his car spun to a stop to bring out the only caution of the race with five laps remaining. From that point on Carter pulled away and picked up the apparent victory. However, he was later disqualified in post-race inspection and the win was awarded to Bryon Weyer. Alex Zwanziger finished second Joel Rust third, Jason Mallicoat was fourth, and Greg Sidles completed the top five.
The final event of the night would be the IMCA modifieds. A nice field of thirty-two cars checked in for action. Chris Abelson got the early nod on pole sitter Levi Nielson to jump out front, but a quick caution on the second circuit slowed the action. Bill Crimmins used the restart to his advantage as he worked under both Nielson and JD Auringer to move into the third position behind Keith Schmitz. Mark Elliott and Jay Noteboom began working the next lane up off the bottom and moving forward. Elliott made passes on both Auringer and Crimmins to slide into the third position while Abelson motored away from the field. Elliott got by Schmitz while Noteboom soon followed as well. Elliott reeled in Abelson and was in his rear bumper with five laps remaining before taking the lead away with a pass on the inside. A caution came out a lap later, allowing both Abelson and Noteboom a chance to cool their tires and make a run at Elliott. It was not to be as Mark Elliott took home the final checkered flag of the night. Noteboom would finish second, Abelson slipped to third, Keith Schmitz finished fourth, and JD Auringer rounded out the top five.
While a lot of negative vibes are being expressed on the Internet, and I'll admit I came away disappointed, I will point out that I was impressed with the car count. A lot of drivers showed up for what could be the final time in 2011 to enjoy a picture-perfect October day. Unfortunately for the Hamilton County Speedway, the negatives far outweighed the positives on Saturday. I won't go into detail on them as they have been documented on the Internet message boards, but hopefully the HCS staff learned a few things and will improve upon them for next year.
I would like to mention that I attended every weekly event along with the Fall Challenge. I thought the season was a success and for the most part the racing was good. Saturday's race may have left a sour taste in many driver's mouths, but hopefully they'll give HCS another opportunity at some point next season.
I'd like to thank the Hamilton County fair board for giving me great hospitality throughout the season! It was very much appreciated.
For official results, check out the Hamilton County Speedway website or click on Speednetdirect as well.
The final racing weekend in Iowa, as far as I know, will be this upcoming weekend. The annual Fall Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa will be running Friday and Saturday, and then on Saturday alone the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson holds its annual Shiverfest race. Ironically, both events will be the final event for the respective promoters, Todd and Janet Staley at Oskaloosa, and Terry and Jenni Hoenig at Donnellson. So I urge you to get out and support these events next weekend!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Elston and Stewart Top Tipton
Sunday morning I made the trek towards the southeast to take in the Dlouhy Memorial. After taking in three nights at Knoxville, this trip would be my fourth consecutive night of racing. This is the first time I can say I've done that all season long! Late models, modifieds, stock cars, b-modifieds, hobby stocks, and four-cylinders were on the slate for the mid-afternoon show. It was announced that more then 130 race teams were packed into the pits.
Six hobby stocks showed up to race. Randy Butterbrodt would hold down the lead early, but Joe Grant would take over the lead around lap four. Butterbrodt would regain the lead using the low groove, but when they encountered lapped traffic Matt Short was able to find the fast way around to take the lead. He would hold on to take the win ahead of Jeremy Cambell, Butterboldt, Nate Yoerger, and Joe Grant. Bruce Yoerge rounded out the field.
Track champion Roy Pestka led the twenty-two car field of b-modifieds to the green flag. He would continue to set the pace throughout the race as he picked up the feature win. Brant Hubler finished second, Jarrett Franzen was third, Dakota Hayden fourth, and Kevin Schroeder rounded out the top five.
Twenty-six four-cylinder cars showed up on Sunday to race. The field was narrowed down for the feature to 24 starters. The lead swapped several times in the early going as Chuck Fullerkamp, Ricky Kay, and Jacob Ellithorpe exchanged times at the front of the pack. When the checkered flag waved it was Ellithorpe taking the win. Shane Evans finished second, Fullerkamp third, Gene Potter fourth, and Bryce Bailey rounded out the top five after starting last as he transferred out of the B-main.
Terry Rittmer paced the field of stock cars early on, but Tim Current was on the move from the drop of the green flag. Following a second caution flag Current maneuvered his machine to the inside of Rittmer's to take the lead away. Deeper in the field Matt Greiner was making his way forward and he moved into fourth around lap six. Greiner picked up a couple more positions and was on Current's rear bumper following a late restart. Current was able to drive away for the victory. Greiner finished second, Mike Schmidtz was third, Joe Bonney fourth, and Jeremy Marquette completed the top five.
After winning the fast dash, Tommy Elston sat on the pole for the late model feature. With Jake Meier in a borrowed car flanking him to the outside, the two paced the field to the green flag. However it was third starter Ray Guss Jr. that bolted to the lead. Guss Jr appeared to be the class of the field until a caution flag came out. Lapped cars ahead of Guss Jr spun in turn four, and Guss Jr had to spin to avoid serious contact with them. While he did not stop, officials decided he was part of the caution (perhaps he bumped somebody, I don't know). Thus he was sent to the tail of the field, but he opted to go to the pits before the restart. That handed the reigns over to Tommy Elston, and from there on Elston motored to the victory. Matt Ryan finished second, Jake Meier was third, Kevin Kile fourth, and Gary Webb finished fifth after starting seventeenth.
Thirty-eight modifieds were narrowed to a starting field of twenty-six for the $2,000 to win top prize. Pole sitter Brian Webb held the top spot on lap one, but Brandon Durbin snagged it away on lap two. Steve Stewart had his car working great and took over the lead from Durbin about six laps in to the thirty-five lap event. With the bottom side the only lane that was working, Stewart was able to open up a straight away advantage by the halfway point. Several cautions plagued the remainder of the race, including one for a pileup that included eleven cars. As the laps clicked off the white flag was displayed to the leaders. A caution flag would soon follow, and the crowd thought the race was over as in previous times if the leader took the white the race was over.
However, it was announced that the white flag was inadvertently thrown on lap 28, with seven laps remaining. Thus the field was realigned and went back racing. Two more yellow flags would fly, but that didn't distract Steve Stewart as he picked up the big prize for his efforts. Ryan Dolan finished second, Mark Schulte third, Kevin Kile fourth, and John Bull rounded out the top five.
I was extremely happy with the car count on Sunday. With a day race I can understand the track becoming a one-laner, but drivers were still able to make their way to the front. The only thing I wished they would have done differently was use single file restarts instead of double file. That way the guys on the outside didn't lose four spots on most restarts, as was the case on several occasions.
I'd like to thank Kathy Dlouhy for the great hospitality and the invite. Although the program did run a bit long in my opinion, I enjoyed myself.
Six hobby stocks showed up to race. Randy Butterbrodt would hold down the lead early, but Joe Grant would take over the lead around lap four. Butterbrodt would regain the lead using the low groove, but when they encountered lapped traffic Matt Short was able to find the fast way around to take the lead. He would hold on to take the win ahead of Jeremy Cambell, Butterboldt, Nate Yoerger, and Joe Grant. Bruce Yoerge rounded out the field.
Track champion Roy Pestka led the twenty-two car field of b-modifieds to the green flag. He would continue to set the pace throughout the race as he picked up the feature win. Brant Hubler finished second, Jarrett Franzen was third, Dakota Hayden fourth, and Kevin Schroeder rounded out the top five.
Twenty-six four-cylinder cars showed up on Sunday to race. The field was narrowed down for the feature to 24 starters. The lead swapped several times in the early going as Chuck Fullerkamp, Ricky Kay, and Jacob Ellithorpe exchanged times at the front of the pack. When the checkered flag waved it was Ellithorpe taking the win. Shane Evans finished second, Fullerkamp third, Gene Potter fourth, and Bryce Bailey rounded out the top five after starting last as he transferred out of the B-main.
Terry Rittmer paced the field of stock cars early on, but Tim Current was on the move from the drop of the green flag. Following a second caution flag Current maneuvered his machine to the inside of Rittmer's to take the lead away. Deeper in the field Matt Greiner was making his way forward and he moved into fourth around lap six. Greiner picked up a couple more positions and was on Current's rear bumper following a late restart. Current was able to drive away for the victory. Greiner finished second, Mike Schmidtz was third, Joe Bonney fourth, and Jeremy Marquette completed the top five.
After winning the fast dash, Tommy Elston sat on the pole for the late model feature. With Jake Meier in a borrowed car flanking him to the outside, the two paced the field to the green flag. However it was third starter Ray Guss Jr. that bolted to the lead. Guss Jr appeared to be the class of the field until a caution flag came out. Lapped cars ahead of Guss Jr spun in turn four, and Guss Jr had to spin to avoid serious contact with them. While he did not stop, officials decided he was part of the caution (perhaps he bumped somebody, I don't know). Thus he was sent to the tail of the field, but he opted to go to the pits before the restart. That handed the reigns over to Tommy Elston, and from there on Elston motored to the victory. Matt Ryan finished second, Jake Meier was third, Kevin Kile fourth, and Gary Webb finished fifth after starting seventeenth.
Thirty-eight modifieds were narrowed to a starting field of twenty-six for the $2,000 to win top prize. Pole sitter Brian Webb held the top spot on lap one, but Brandon Durbin snagged it away on lap two. Steve Stewart had his car working great and took over the lead from Durbin about six laps in to the thirty-five lap event. With the bottom side the only lane that was working, Stewart was able to open up a straight away advantage by the halfway point. Several cautions plagued the remainder of the race, including one for a pileup that included eleven cars. As the laps clicked off the white flag was displayed to the leaders. A caution flag would soon follow, and the crowd thought the race was over as in previous times if the leader took the white the race was over.
However, it was announced that the white flag was inadvertently thrown on lap 28, with seven laps remaining. Thus the field was realigned and went back racing. Two more yellow flags would fly, but that didn't distract Steve Stewart as he picked up the big prize for his efforts. Ryan Dolan finished second, Mark Schulte third, Kevin Kile fourth, and John Bull rounded out the top five.
I was extremely happy with the car count on Sunday. With a day race I can understand the track becoming a one-laner, but drivers were still able to make their way to the front. The only thing I wished they would have done differently was use single file restarts instead of double file. That way the guys on the outside didn't lose four spots on most restarts, as was the case on several occasions.
I'd like to thank Kathy Dlouhy for the great hospitality and the invite. Although the program did run a bit long in my opinion, I enjoyed myself.
O'Neal Captures Knoxville Title
First off, I'm going to apologize for this blog entry being a little late. Once again I opted not to write this when I returned home Saturday night, and then another race on Sunday meant no time for a recap. So here it goes.
The Knoxville Late Model Nationals held its finale on Saturday evening in front of perhaps the largest crowd for a late model show. I'm sure the weather helped sway many people as it was beautiful during the day. IMCA modifieds were also on hand Saturday night to provide a "fill-in" while the late models were making changes from one race to another.
Modified heat races started off the night as Jon Snyder, Josh Gilman, Michael Long, and Luke Wanninger took those wins. A passing points system was used in the heat races and I believe the top sixteen were locked into the A-main from the heats. Following the C-main for the late models (in which Kevin Sather, Matt Furman, Tim Lance, and Jay Johnson advanced to the back of the B-main), the modifieds would run two B-mains and take the top four from each to the feature.
The late model B-main took the top six drivers to the 100-lap finale for the evening. The IMCA modified feature would take place first with Luke Wanninger and Jerry King setting the pace for the twenty-five lap affair. Wanninger got the early advantage while Michael Long and JD Auringer swapped the runner up position a few times. Long would have his night end early as he brought out the caution flag on lap four. Following the restart both Richie Gustin and Eric Dailey improved their positions by one spot as the top side became the preferred line. With ten laps to go Wanninger extended his lead to a straight away advantage, but soon after that Jon Snyder began to reel in the leader. Snyder was able to drive deeper into the corners then Wanninger, and that was the case when they entered turn three and Snyder made contact with the left rear of Wanninger's machine. Wanninger's car got lose, but by the time he got a handle on it Snyder had already made the pass under him for the lead. The caution would come out with three laps remaining, and while under caution Wanninger expressed his displeasure towards Snyder. That was as close as he would get during the remainder of the race though as Snyder left the pack to pick up the win. Wanninger would suffer a flat tire late in the race. Eric Dailey would finish second, JD Auringer was third, Richie Gustin fourth, and Jacob Murray rounded out the top five after starting fifteenth.
Following out-of-car introductions, it was now time for the big finale. Brian Birkhofer and Austin Hubbard sat on the front row with Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points contenders Scott Bloomquist starting third and Jimmy Owens starting fifth. Hubbard would grab the early lead with Birky settling in second. Bloomquist made an early pass on Darrell Lanigan for third as Hubbard opened up a big lead by lap five. The front runners were all using the inside groove while drivers deeper in the pack were using the entire track. Lapped traffic came into play on lap eight and a few laps later Don O'Neal began making strides towards the front. He would passed Lanigan for fourth before passing Bloomquist for third and Birkhofer for second all within six laps.
The first caution flag waved on lap twenty-four when Chris Simpson slowed to a stop. O'Neal had taken the lead prior to the yellow and would restart out front. Jimmy Owens used the restart to get by teammate Bloomquist for fourth before both Hubbard and Owens got by Birkhofer using the top side of the speedway. Following those passes, it was then noticed that Jimmy Mars was on the move. Mars passed his teammate Birkhofer to take over the fourth position after starting 22nd. Mars continued moving forward as he passed Owens for third. A string of six yellow flags within fifteen laps kept the pace down, but there was several moves being made when the green flag was out. Brady Smith was charging up through the field to eighth after starting 26th and actually got to sixth after a pass on Billy Moyer. Bloomquist brought out the caution on lap forty-five, and soon after that Owens began his quest for the lead. Owens hugged the inside line to capture third before sneaking by Hubbard and O'Neal for the lead with about forty laps to go.
Within ten laps Owens opened up a straight away advantage while Hubbard and O'Neal battled it out for second. With just twelve laps remaining Jimmy Mars' excellent run came to an end when he came a stop in turn one. At that point only eight drivers were on the lead lap. Two more cautions would plague the finish of the race, including one that negated a pass for O'Neal to wrestle the lead away from Owens with seven laps remaining. With Owens back up front, he appeared to be the favorite to finish up front. That was until he bobbled exiting turn two to allow O'Neal, Steve Francis, and Birkhofer to motor by. O'Neal was able to hold on for the win in his first ever weekend to Knoxville! Steve Francis finished second, Brian Birkhofer was third, Tyler Reddick was fourth, Jimmy Owens fifth, and Billy Moyer sixth.
Despite the abundance of caution flags, I still feel as though the racing was okay. The track was tricky exiting turn four as it seemed a lot of drivers were having to feather the throttle. I was pleased with the racing and cannot wait until next year's show.
The Knoxville Late Model Nationals held its finale on Saturday evening in front of perhaps the largest crowd for a late model show. I'm sure the weather helped sway many people as it was beautiful during the day. IMCA modifieds were also on hand Saturday night to provide a "fill-in" while the late models were making changes from one race to another.
Modified heat races started off the night as Jon Snyder, Josh Gilman, Michael Long, and Luke Wanninger took those wins. A passing points system was used in the heat races and I believe the top sixteen were locked into the A-main from the heats. Following the C-main for the late models (in which Kevin Sather, Matt Furman, Tim Lance, and Jay Johnson advanced to the back of the B-main), the modifieds would run two B-mains and take the top four from each to the feature.
The late model B-main took the top six drivers to the 100-lap finale for the evening. The IMCA modified feature would take place first with Luke Wanninger and Jerry King setting the pace for the twenty-five lap affair. Wanninger got the early advantage while Michael Long and JD Auringer swapped the runner up position a few times. Long would have his night end early as he brought out the caution flag on lap four. Following the restart both Richie Gustin and Eric Dailey improved their positions by one spot as the top side became the preferred line. With ten laps to go Wanninger extended his lead to a straight away advantage, but soon after that Jon Snyder began to reel in the leader. Snyder was able to drive deeper into the corners then Wanninger, and that was the case when they entered turn three and Snyder made contact with the left rear of Wanninger's machine. Wanninger's car got lose, but by the time he got a handle on it Snyder had already made the pass under him for the lead. The caution would come out with three laps remaining, and while under caution Wanninger expressed his displeasure towards Snyder. That was as close as he would get during the remainder of the race though as Snyder left the pack to pick up the win. Wanninger would suffer a flat tire late in the race. Eric Dailey would finish second, JD Auringer was third, Richie Gustin fourth, and Jacob Murray rounded out the top five after starting fifteenth.
Following out-of-car introductions, it was now time for the big finale. Brian Birkhofer and Austin Hubbard sat on the front row with Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points contenders Scott Bloomquist starting third and Jimmy Owens starting fifth. Hubbard would grab the early lead with Birky settling in second. Bloomquist made an early pass on Darrell Lanigan for third as Hubbard opened up a big lead by lap five. The front runners were all using the inside groove while drivers deeper in the pack were using the entire track. Lapped traffic came into play on lap eight and a few laps later Don O'Neal began making strides towards the front. He would passed Lanigan for fourth before passing Bloomquist for third and Birkhofer for second all within six laps.
The first caution flag waved on lap twenty-four when Chris Simpson slowed to a stop. O'Neal had taken the lead prior to the yellow and would restart out front. Jimmy Owens used the restart to get by teammate Bloomquist for fourth before both Hubbard and Owens got by Birkhofer using the top side of the speedway. Following those passes, it was then noticed that Jimmy Mars was on the move. Mars passed his teammate Birkhofer to take over the fourth position after starting 22nd. Mars continued moving forward as he passed Owens for third. A string of six yellow flags within fifteen laps kept the pace down, but there was several moves being made when the green flag was out. Brady Smith was charging up through the field to eighth after starting 26th and actually got to sixth after a pass on Billy Moyer. Bloomquist brought out the caution on lap forty-five, and soon after that Owens began his quest for the lead. Owens hugged the inside line to capture third before sneaking by Hubbard and O'Neal for the lead with about forty laps to go.
Within ten laps Owens opened up a straight away advantage while Hubbard and O'Neal battled it out for second. With just twelve laps remaining Jimmy Mars' excellent run came to an end when he came a stop in turn one. At that point only eight drivers were on the lead lap. Two more cautions would plague the finish of the race, including one that negated a pass for O'Neal to wrestle the lead away from Owens with seven laps remaining. With Owens back up front, he appeared to be the favorite to finish up front. That was until he bobbled exiting turn two to allow O'Neal, Steve Francis, and Birkhofer to motor by. O'Neal was able to hold on for the win in his first ever weekend to Knoxville! Steve Francis finished second, Brian Birkhofer was third, Tyler Reddick was fourth, Jimmy Owens fifth, and Billy Moyer sixth.
Despite the abundance of caution flags, I still feel as though the racing was okay. The track was tricky exiting turn four as it seemed a lot of drivers were having to feather the throttle. I was pleased with the racing and cannot wait until next year's show.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Birkhofer Victorious on Second Night of Knoxville LMN
Friday night marked the second night of the Knoxville Late Model Nationals, but it started off much the same way Thursday night did. Scott Bloomquist drew the lucky #1 for time trials, and his time would stand above all others as he once again set quick time for the night.
Once again five heat races would be in store for the night, but they didn't provide quite as much excitement as the previous night. When the first heat was announced, many people could only shake their head. Dan Schlieper, Tim McCreadie, Steve Casebolt, Brady Smith, Scott James, Jason Rauen, Jimmy Mars, Tyler Reddick, Jimmy Owens, Scott Bloomquist, and three other drivers comprised of that first heat. A lot of tracks would love that for their feature, let alone a heat race. And the biggest surprise of the night, perhaps, was Jason Rauen pulling off the upset win. That began the streak of three consecutive heat race victories by drivers from the state of Iowa as the Simpson brothers (Chris and Chad, respectively) followed right behind with wins. Illinois driver Frank Hackenast Jr broke up the sweep as he took top honors in heat four, but another Iowan Brian Birkhofer made it four for five for the Hawkeye state.
Jimmy Owens, Thursday night's feature win, fared poorly in that first heat race mentioned above and was scheduled to run the C-main. However he apparently didn't want to race or had issues as he failed to make the call. Following the B-main event, the feature would slowly begin to assemble on the front stretch with Iowa representing the front row in Rob Moss and Jason Rauen.
Rauen would get the early advantage while Brian Birkhofer slipped into second. Darrell Lanigan used the high side to motor by Moss for third prior to the only caution of the race coming out on lap three when Jared Landers hit the wall in turn two. Shortly after the green flag waved on the restart, Birkhofer dove to the inside of Rauen to grab the top spot away. On lap seven I looked through the field and saw that Don O'Neal was making great progress after starting tail of the field as he had worked his way up to eleventh already. His momentum fizzled as the race went on, only able to advance two more positions to finish ninth.
Meanwhile Lanigan ducked to the bottom of the track in turn four to get the second position away from Rauen, but as Lanigan skated up the track upon exit of the corner that allowed Will Vaught to sneak past both machines to snare the runner up spot. Vaught and Lanigan would race each other for that second position for most of the remainder of the twenty-five lapper, but neither one could muster up the horsepower to chase down Brian Birkhofer as he picked up night two top honors. Lanigan finished second, Vaught third, Scott Bloomquist was fourth, and Jason Rauen completed the top five. Billy Moyer finished with a solid sixth place finish after transferring out of the B-main.
Saturday's action will be nothing less then spectacular. C and B-mains will be run with six cars advancing out of the B to join the top twenty-four cars in points to fill up the thirty-car starting field for the 100-lap finale. A full program of IMCA modifieds will also join the card on Saturday night as I believe somewhere around forty were invited to this prestigious event. Be sure to get out to the Knoxville Raceway if you're in the area!
Once again five heat races would be in store for the night, but they didn't provide quite as much excitement as the previous night. When the first heat was announced, many people could only shake their head. Dan Schlieper, Tim McCreadie, Steve Casebolt, Brady Smith, Scott James, Jason Rauen, Jimmy Mars, Tyler Reddick, Jimmy Owens, Scott Bloomquist, and three other drivers comprised of that first heat. A lot of tracks would love that for their feature, let alone a heat race. And the biggest surprise of the night, perhaps, was Jason Rauen pulling off the upset win. That began the streak of three consecutive heat race victories by drivers from the state of Iowa as the Simpson brothers (Chris and Chad, respectively) followed right behind with wins. Illinois driver Frank Hackenast Jr broke up the sweep as he took top honors in heat four, but another Iowan Brian Birkhofer made it four for five for the Hawkeye state.
Jimmy Owens, Thursday night's feature win, fared poorly in that first heat race mentioned above and was scheduled to run the C-main. However he apparently didn't want to race or had issues as he failed to make the call. Following the B-main event, the feature would slowly begin to assemble on the front stretch with Iowa representing the front row in Rob Moss and Jason Rauen.
Rauen would get the early advantage while Brian Birkhofer slipped into second. Darrell Lanigan used the high side to motor by Moss for third prior to the only caution of the race coming out on lap three when Jared Landers hit the wall in turn two. Shortly after the green flag waved on the restart, Birkhofer dove to the inside of Rauen to grab the top spot away. On lap seven I looked through the field and saw that Don O'Neal was making great progress after starting tail of the field as he had worked his way up to eleventh already. His momentum fizzled as the race went on, only able to advance two more positions to finish ninth.
Meanwhile Lanigan ducked to the bottom of the track in turn four to get the second position away from Rauen, but as Lanigan skated up the track upon exit of the corner that allowed Will Vaught to sneak past both machines to snare the runner up spot. Vaught and Lanigan would race each other for that second position for most of the remainder of the twenty-five lapper, but neither one could muster up the horsepower to chase down Brian Birkhofer as he picked up night two top honors. Lanigan finished second, Vaught third, Scott Bloomquist was fourth, and Jason Rauen completed the top five. Billy Moyer finished with a solid sixth place finish after transferring out of the B-main.
Saturday's action will be nothing less then spectacular. C and B-mains will be run with six cars advancing out of the B to join the top twenty-four cars in points to fill up the thirty-car starting field for the 100-lap finale. A full program of IMCA modifieds will also join the card on Saturday night as I believe somewhere around forty were invited to this prestigious event. Be sure to get out to the Knoxville Raceway if you're in the area!
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