2010 Season Recap

The 2010 race season was another fun-filled year for me. My race total was down from the previous two years obviously, but that doesn't mean it was any less exciting.

So here we go with some good hard stats. haha. I attended 91 shows this season, with the first being the March 13th USMTS opener at the Humboldt Speedway in Humboldt, Kansas. As it turns out, that would be the first of 19 USMTS events I viewed over the course of the year. My final race of the year was only a couple weeks ago when I ventured south to the Turkey Classic held at the Springfield Raceway on November 27th.

I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't make it to any new tracks for most of the year, but that changed late in the season. I called up a racing friend, Bob Litton, and asked if I could tag along to Peoria, Illinois in October to see a race. That is only the third track in Illinois in which I've seen races. The other new track came in late October, when PR's Jeff Broeg called and asked if I would like to ride with him to Butler, Missouri for a special late model and modified show. So just two new tracks for me this year.

Despite my scaled-back numbers this year, I was surprised when I saw that I had been to 27 different tracks. I spent 39 nights at weekly races at various tracks, thus a majority of my time was at special events. Most of those specials came in the second half of the season, when I made a conscious effort to attend them rather then the weekly shows. Below is a listing of the different tracks I attended this year:

1) Humboldt Speedway - Humboldt, KS (2)
2) Junction Motor Speedway - McCool Junction, NE (1)
3) Algona Raceway - Algona, IA (6)
4) I-35 Speedway - Mason City, IA (12)
5) Marshalltown Speedway - Marshalltown, IA (13)
6) 34 Raceway - Burlington, IA (1)
7) Lee County Speedway - Donnellson, IA (2)
8) Hamilton County Speedway - Webster City, IA (9)
9) Buena Vista Raceway - Alta, IA (6)
10) Independence Motor Speedway - Independence, IA (2)
11) Mineral City Speedway - Fort Dodge, IA (5)
12) Southern Iowa Speedway - Oskaloosa, IA (5)
13) Highway 3 Raceway - Allison, IA (1)
14) Deer Creek Speedway - Spring Valley, MN (3)
15) Benton County Speedway - Vinton, IA (1)
16) Scotland County Speedway - Memphis, MO (2)
17) Fairmont Raceway - Fairmont, MN (1)
18) Knoxville Raceway - Knoxville, IA (4)
19) Fayette County Speedway - West Union, IA (1)
20) Boone Speedway - Boone, IA (6)
21) Hancock County Speedway - Britt, IA (2)
22) Adams County Speedway - Corning, IA (1)
23) Clay County Speedway - Spencer, IA (1)
24) Calhoun County Speedway - Rockwell City, IA (1)
25) Peoria Speedway - Peoria, IL (1)
26) Butler Motor Speedway - Butler, MO (1)
27) Springfield Raceway - Springfield, MO (1)

With the two new tracks, I creep a little closer to the 100-track plateau. I'm currently sitting at 96, so hopefully next year I can achieve that personal milestone.

I racked up 17,371 miles traveling to races this year, considerably down from the previous two years. In the four years that I've been keeping track of my mileage, this year was the lowest average mileage per race. However, that number was still 190 round trip.

Well, that puts a wrap on my 2010 race season. I've been looking up driver stats over the past couple of months, and am getting closer by the day to completing that "project". I have finished the Gustin's, Smith's, and USMTS stats. However, I noticed I need to update the Smith and Gustin ones as I found a couple races that I missed recently. So look for those stories to appear in the coming weeks.

In case I don't write anything before now and then, I'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

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

Cars Flock to Turkey Classic in Springfield, MO

The Springfield Raceway in Missouri held it's 4th Annual Turkey Classic event this past Saturday under sunny skies after receiving around three inches of rain just a few days before. On top of that track officials put down forty loads of new dirt/clay to the racing surface, so the heat races saw the track a bit on the choppy side. Promoter Jerry Hoffman took time after the b-mains to grade the track from top to bottom, which provided for some excellent two and three-wide racing come feature time.

As the headline would indicate a record 189 cars were on hand for this event, with 75 of them being modifieds. Sixty-four sportmods also helped fill the pit area along with a good count of late models. Two heats of legends were also ran.

The modified feature would be run first. Jody Tillman quickly made his move to the top spot as he ran the cushion the entire race. He would distance himself from the pack as the race progressed, maintaining a lead against perennial contenders Brian Bolin and Chad Lyle. Tillman worked up nearly a straight away advantage when the checkers waved to give him perhaps his biggest modified win to date. Chad Lyle charged from eighth to finish second, Aaron Marrant was third, Dean Willie fourth, and Mitch Keeter rounded out the top five.

The late models were up next for their finale. Ken Essary jumped to the early lead and appeared to be the fastest car on the track in the beginning. That soon changed, however, when Justin Wells began slicing his way to the front. Wells' machine looked strong on both the bottom and top grooves and he powered by Essary on the top side. Essary later received pressure from Arkansas driver Jack Sullivan as the duo raced side by side for a few laps before Sullivan secured the position. Sullivan tried to keep Wells in sight, but Wells maneuvered through lap traffic flawlessly as he used the entire track to maintain a healthy lead. Wells would go on to take the impressive win ahead of Sullivan. Jesse Stovall made a great charge to finish third, Ken Essary held on for fourth, and Nebraska hot shoe John Anderson rounded out the top five.

Sportmods would then take to the track for their feature. Eric Tinderholt took command from the start and led the opening laps. About nine laps in to the race, Iowa driver Jesse Sobbing through his name into the hat of contenders. Sobbing, who had started tenth, was riding the cushion around the fast 1/4-mile oval and had joined Tinderholt and Brian Bolin at the front of the field. The trio raced each other clean the entire time as they fought for the lead, but it would be Sobbing getting the advantage and taking the lead away. From that point on Sobbing would slowly pull away and take the "Turkey trophy" back to Iowa. Brian Bolin finished second, Eric Tinderholt slipped to third, Mike Hailman was fourth, and Bobby Maggard completed the top five. Another Iowa driver, Cayden Carter, won his b-main event after suffering problems in his heat race. He finished seventh.

For more complete results, check out http://springfieldraceway.com.

My friends and I opted not to stick around for the legends race. It had already been a long day, and knew we still had a lengthy trip back home. So beings we didn't know any of the legend drivers, we hit the highway.

I would like to mention that Grant Junghans was back behind the wheel of his Shopquick modified. Junghans, the 2009 USMTS Rookie of the Year, had to take some time off this year for personal reasons. Junghans took the time to come talk to me following his feature race, which ended sooner than he had hoped as he was "pushed" off turn one and thus sidelined him for the rest of the event. Junghans informed me Saturday was the first time he had raced since July. He told me he plans on getting back into the swing of things next year, so that was good to hear.

The long trip to Springfield was definitely worth it, especially for my two friends that rode down with me. It was their first trip there, and I made a little "detour" so they could see the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland. The gate was locked, so that prevented a closer look. But they were still impressed by what they could see. What started off early (we met at Ellsworth, IA at 5:10am) turned into an all-day trip as we got back to Ellsworth around 3:45am. I got back home around 4:30, which was nearly 26 hours after I had woke up the morning before.

The Turkey Classic will likely be the final curtain on my 2010 racing season. Ed Reichert, a Hawkeye Racing News columnist, informed me of an indoor midget race in Illinois (I believe) the weekend before Christmas, but that doesn't intrigue me. Look for a later blog with a rundown of my season in the near future.

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

USMTS Closes Door on Another Stellar Season

Last weekend marked the end of the 2010 season for the United States Modified Touring Series. A total of sixty-eight races (52 National Tour, 12 Southern Series) were held from mid-February through mid-November. I believe a total of 19 different winners graced Victory Lane this year, including National Rookie of the Year Johnny Scott picking up his first career USMTS win. While on the topic of wins, Ryan Gustin dominated that category this year as the youngster from Marshalltown, Iowa, racked up a season-high 17 victories. Gustin found immediate success shortly after making the decision to join Ed Gressel and his race team as he won in his second start back in March at McCool Junction, Nebraska. From that time forward it seemed that wherever the 19R car showed up, he was going to be a contender.

While Gustin dominated the win category, the most consistent driver was Jason Hughes. The Oklahoma chassis builder put together a fantastic season that culminated in achieving the ultimate prize, the USMTS National Championship. Hughes' strategy paid off as he concentrated on just two regions during the "regular season" as he focused on running well during "The Hunt". During "The Hunt", Hughes stepped up his game and hit the ball out of the ballpark. He only finished outside the top five twice during the last eighteen races on his way to becoming the National Champion. One of the biggest wins of his season was capturing the $10,000 to win finale of the Fall Jamboree held at the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota. It was Hughes' second consecutive Fall Jamboree title, becoming the first person to repeat in the event's history.

Hughes also found success outside of the USMTS tour. He picked up a cool $16,000 payday out in Las Cruces, New Mexico back in March at the Chub Daniels Memorial race. He also sat behind the wheel of a couple different late model rides throughout the season, picking up a couple top five finishes.

With Hughes only running a partial schedule, I heard some people mumbling about how Gustin couldn't win when Hughes was in the field. Upon further research, I found that to be far from the truth. Hughes and Gustin raced 39 times against each other on the USMTS circuit, and both of them picked up seven wins apiece. Hughes did hold the advantage in top five's and top ten's, however.

But Hughes and Gustin weren't the only players in the game this year. Tommy Myer finished in a solid third place in the championship standings. The veteran from Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, posted five wins throughout the 2010 campaign. He had a streak of eight top ten's during "The Hunt" to solidify his place in the standings.

Zack VanderBeek put together another steady season behind the wheel of his 33z machine. Despite winning just two races on the National Tour, VanderBeek maintained a consistency during the early part of "The Hunt" to finish fourth in the final standings. VanderBeek ended the season on a high note as he picked up two wins and a second place finish at the newly re-named Royal Purple Raceway, formerly known as Houston Raceway Park, in Baytown, Texas.

Rounding out the top five in points was Kelly Shryock. While Shryock and his followers probably considered his season sub par, I'm sure many of his colleagues would gladly switch places with the nine-time champion. Shryock picked up four wins on the season, including a "home court" victory in Algona in early August.

I've compiled a "stats" sheet for all the "regulars" on the USMTS tour during the 2010 season. Check out the link on my personal website, http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net and click on "Drivers' Stats".

I am also working on completing stats for the top five drivers in the National Points standings for IMCA, USRA, and Wissota. I am almost finished with USRA and Wissota, so look for a blog for each of those in the near future. The IMCA stats will take a little bit as it's been a bit more of a challenge finding results for some of those drivers.

I plan to attend my final race of the season tomorrow (Saturday) at the Turkey Classic event held at the Springfield Raceway in Springfield, Missouri. A couple of friends and I plan to wake up early and make the lengthy trek south. Over a hundred and fifty cars were on hand for last year's show, thanks in large part to unseasonably mild temperatures. While the mercury won't be as high on the thermometer this year, I'm hopeful the racing action will be just as hotly contested as last year. For more information on this race, check out http://springfieldraceway.com.

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

Smith Family Continues Winning Ways

The 2010 season was another standout year for the Smith family from Lake City. The large family that sees six of it members pilot a race car found ample opportunity to grace victory lane on more then one occasion, and that's exactly what happened.

Let's start with the trio of stock car drivers. Dustin Smith was the most consistent of the group as he only finished outside the top ten once in fifty-six starts. Dustin picked up twenty-one wins, with eight apiece at Marshalltown and Harlan where he also picked up track championships. Dustin won the Positivelyracing All-Iowa points and was runner up in IMCA National Points. He also was runner up at the IMCA Supernationals, a great way to cap off a remarkable season.

To see Dustin's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/dustinsmith.htm

Donavon - Donavon also picked up two track championships this season, winning crowns at the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta along with the Boone Speedway title. He picked up eleven wins on the season while only finishing outside the top ten three times. Donavon finished right behind brother Dustin at the IMCA Supernationals.

To see Donavon's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/donavonsmith.htm

David - David Smith picked up nine feature wins this season. Ironically both David and Donavon both had forty-one starts and thirty-eight top 10's. David finished third in points in Alta (behind his brothers) and second at Algona to Chad Palmer.

To see David's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/davidsmith.htm

Doug - Doug is the lone family member racing without fenders as he pilots a limited modified. Doug had an up and down season as I believe he said he wrecked a car early in the year if memory serves me correctly. That being said, he was still able to compete thirty-one times while earning eight feature wins. He finished the season on a high note as he won three of the last five races he entered.

To see Doug's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/dougsmith.htm

Devin - Devin will perhaps have bragging rights for the winter has he picked up the most wins this season with twenty-seven. He picked up eight wins apiece at Marshalltown and Algona en route to winning those track championships. He accolades mirror those of brother Dustin as he finished second in IMCA National Points, but garnering the Positivelyracing All-Iowa Points crown.

To see Devin's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/devinsmith.htm

Daniel - Lastly, but certainly not least, Daniel competed thirty-five events this year while picking up a win at Rockwell City. He finished fourth in points in Alta and tenth in Harlan.

To see Daniel's unofficial 2010 stats, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/danielsmith.htm


To see a comparison of all six Smith brothers, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/smiths.htm. It lists each driver's individual accomplishments this season, along with a "family total". Be sure to compare those numbers with the Gustin family to see which racing family you think had the better season.

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

Halloween Treat

On Friday afternoon, I received a phone call from Positivelyracing head man Jeff Broeg asking if I would be interested in attending a race with him on Sunday afternoon. I was unaware of a race this late in the season, but when he informed me of the track I decided to meet him and do a little "road trippin" to Butler, Missouri and the Butler Motor Speedway. Time to celebrate Halloween "racin style".

Jeff and I had plenty of time to discuss several topics along the way during our lengthy trip south of Kansas City. We discussed many rumors floating about along with general racing news. It was a lot of fun bench racing with a man that has a plethora of racing knowledge.

The Sunday afternoon racing card saw late models, modifieds, b-modifieds, factory stocks, street stocks, 600 cc sprints, and hobby stocks (or better known as hornets here in Iowa). A healthy purse was up for grabs in the late models ($2,000 to win) and modifieds ($1,500 to win). While the modified car count was solid with 25, the late model count was unexpectedly low with only eleven or twelve.

The heat races provided some great racing action for a mid-day start time. Two distinct racing grooves were used throughout all divisions with the high side in turns three and four actually being a preferred line by many.

The first feature event would be the factory stocks. Paul Snyder would take the point and lead in the early going, but Don Danner made his move following a restart and passed Snyder on the inside for the race lead. Snyder would later lose his second position to Brian Ziegler following another caution flag, but the race belonged to Don Danner as he picked up the win. Brian Ziegler was second, Paul Snyder third, Jerry Schmidt fourth, and Devin Weymeyer rounded out the top five.

Next up was the b-mod feature. A solid field of twenty-three cars took the green flag with Bobby Maggard getting the early advantage over JC Morton. Several caution flags plagued the event, but it also presented an interesting game of chess. JC Morton and Jay Lamans were the players and the interesting plot was who would be in the second spot when the next caution flag was displayed. With the double-file restart the second-place car gets the option of starting on the inside or outside line. Every time it appeared the driver took the inside. However, every restart saw the outside guy get the advantage and take the spot away until the next yellow flag. It was definitely puzzling for Jeff and I as to why the guys didn't opt for the outside when they clearly knew that spot would get the advantage each time. But I digress back to the racing action.

One driver who benefited from the numerous cautions was Mike Striegel. After falling victim to the two-spin rule in his heat race, he was forced to start towards the tail of the field. He quickly dissected his way through the field and found himself passing Wayne Graybeal for the fourth spot. Another caution came out, and presumably after the flag had been waved, Morton and Lamans made contact with Morton coming to a stop inside of turn one. Both drivers were sent to the tail for their involvement. That put Striegel in the runner up spot, and a few laps later he worked his way under Maggard for the lead. Maggard would proceed to lose a couple more positions before I noticed he had left the track late in the race. Mike Striegel would go on to take the checkered flag ahead of Andrew Smith, Eric Tinderholdt, Andy Beauchamp, and Mark Evinger.

The nine-car field of street stocks were up next. Sundance Keeper (yes, that's his real name) started on the pole and bolted to the lead. Steve Shadden looked under Jessy Willard for the second spot about halfway through the race for the second position. Shadden would slide high exiting turn two and give the spot back to Willard. The race would go green to checkered as Sundance Keeper dominated the racing in picking up the prize. Jessy Willard would finish second, Steve Shadden was third, Don Danner fourth, and Paul Snyder rounded out the top five. And yes, you may noticed that Danner and Snyder were in both the factory stock and street stock top five. They raced the same car in both divisions, as did Brian Ziegler.

Following a caution-free race is always somewhat difficult to live up to, and this time the modifieds would be that class. Unfortunately they had a much different outcome as they had four attempts to complete just the first lap. When a lap finally got completed it was pole sitter Chad Lyle taking the top spot with Terry Schultz following him in second. Shad Badder would sneak inside of Schultz to take over the second spot prior to the caution waving once again. From that point on none of the top five positions changed as Chad Lyle picked up the win. Shad Badder finished second, Terry Schultz was third, Aaron Marant finished fourth, and Jody Tillman completed the top five.

The late models entered the track for their feature event with eight of the eleven cars on hand taking the green flag. Pole sitter Matt Johnson quickly took command out front with Larry Jones running second. With a small field of cars only one yellow was displayed, but very little passing was seen during the race as the track had locked down during the modified feature. Matt Johnson took home the win followed by Larry Jones, David Turner, Chuck Comer, and Jerry Morgan.

Following that race Jeff and I decided it was time to hit the road for our 5+ hour trip back home. Still to be run were the 600 cc sprints and the "hobby stocks" (hornets).

During the races Jeff and I were greeted by Trenton Berry. I had the pleasure of meeting Trenton at LA Raceway in LaMonte and have seen him at select tracks since then. He informed us that he was no longer with the Racinboys.com people, and had embarked on a new venture. He started a website of his own, www.racindirt.com, as he gave us his business cards. Be sure to check out his website, as that is where I got the names of the drivers Sunday as I didn't recognize very many.

Sunday's race at Butler marked race #90 for me on the season. While there is a strong possibility of it being my last, I can't rule out the chance of making it down to Springfield (Missouri) Thanksgiving Saturday for their Turkey Classic race.

On a side note, I noticed that the Marshalltown Speedway has already published their 2011 schedule on their website. Promoter Toby Kruse has also nullified all the rumors floating with the announcement that IMCA will indeed be the sanctioning as his facility in 2011. Be sure to check out that schedule. Also be sure to check out the special events calendar here on Positivelyracing.com as more tracks will be included starting in 2011 to provide a wider variety of options for a larger population of people.

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

Gustin Family Wins Big in 2010

It has been said that racing is a "family sport". Well that saying is definitely true when it comes to the Gustin family. At some point in their life every member of the Gustin family has piloted a race car. It began with Dick Gustin and Dale DeFrance, and their children caught the bug as well. I remember watching Rick Gustin wheel a stock car and modified around the half-mile tracks in Webster City and Eldora. Darrel DeFrance still wheels a late model while his sister Judy (Gustin) is a former Marshalltown Speedway track champion in the stock car division.

Fast forward a few years... Now there are four Gustin's racing along with Darrel DeFrance, and don't forget about relative Damon Murty. That's six relatives involved with racing from one family, something that perhaps only the Smith family from Lake City, Iowa can brag about to my knowledge. All six relatives enjoyed a fantastic year in 2010, and the following will be somewhat of a recap of each of their respective seasons.

Jimmy Gustin - I'll start with Jimmy beings he is the oldest of the immediate family. Jimmy accomplished something that resembles another "Jimmie" (Johnson) as he won his fourth consecutive track championship at the Marshalltown Speedway. He also was in contention for the Boone Speedway track championship, but had to settle for third instead. His biggest victory was when he crossed the finish line to become the 2010 Speedway Motors IMCA Supernationals Champion at the Boone Speedway.

Here are Jimmy's unofficial 2010 stats:
57 starts; 9 wins (not including preliminary and Supernationals wins); 29 top 5's; 43 top 10's; average finish of 6.4
For more, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/jimmy.htm


Richie Gustin - Richie had a phenomenal year in 2010. He was atop the IMCA North Central Region point standings for most of the first half of the year before bowing out at the end. Richie focused primarily on weekly racing at the Marshalltown Speedway and following the inaugural season of the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour. About mid-season his hopes were high for capturing both titles, but a chassis changed in July brought about some major challenges and both goals were left unobtained. That should not take anything away from his great season, however, as he did finish second in the Hawkeye Dirt Tour point standings and sixth at Marshalltown. He picked up three wins on the eight-race tour. His biggest win came at the famed Knoxville Raceway during the Harris Clash in July, and then backed it up with another win on the first night of the Late Model Nationals event.

Here are Richie's unofficial 2010 stats:
55 starts; 16 wins; 27 top 5's; 33 top 10's; avg finish 8.9
For more, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/richie.htm


Ryan Gustin - It's hard to imagine Ryan having a better season then he did in 2009 when he finished second in the final USMTS Hunt for the Championship standings to Kelly Shryock. But, that's exactly what happened. Ryan received a phone call from Ed Gressel and was asked if he wanted to race for him. That was the start of something magical as Ryan picked up a season-best 17 wins on the USMTS series this year. He swept both races at the nearby Oskaloosa track while winning at fifteen other different tracks. During the month of June Ryan enjoyed a five-race winning streak that was capped with an exciting last-lap pass of Jason Krohn at Fort Dodge. Despite finishing in the top ten in 80% of his races, half of those times were during the Hunt. Those finishes resulted in another runner-up to the champion, and this year it was Jason Hughes.

Here are Ryan's unofficial 2010 stats:
60 USMTS starts; 17 wins; 40 top 5's; 48 top 10's; avg finish 4.8. Also ran two IMCA races (finished 3rd in Inaugural Hawkeye Dirt Tour event at Independence) and won a sportmod race at Memphis (MO) in October
For more, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/ryan.htm


Jenae Gustin - The only female of the bunch, Jenae finished her second year in the IMCA sportmod / bmod division. While she didn't enjoy as much success as her brother's, she did pick up her first career win at the Marshalltown Speedway on August 27. She continues to learn more about the car and what changes can be made. I'm sure she'll find more success with added seat time and experience.

Here are Jenae's unofficial 2010 stats:
32 starts; 1 win; 3 top 5's; 12 top 10's; avg finish 10
For more, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/jenae.htm


Darrel DeFrance - While that ends the list of "Gustin's", there are still two more relatives to talk about. Darrel DeFrance enjoyed another solid season in the IMCA late model class. He collected five feature wins this year, all at Webster City. He once again added to his "Ironman" total by attending all 16 Deery Brothers Summer Series events. He picked up the track title at the Hamilton County Speedway while finishing second to Todd Cooney by a mere two points at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Speedway. DeFrance also finished third in National Points.

Here are Darrel's unofficial 2010 stats:
47 starts; 5 wins; 21 top 5's; 31 top 10's; avg finish 5.4
For more, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net.defrance.htm/


Damon Murty - I'm sure looking back Damon Murty will remember his 2010 season. He became the newest member of the 100 IMCA stock car wins club when he picked the checkers at the Hancock County Speedway in Britt on August 12. Murty was also crowned the champion of the IMCA Stock Car Shootout Series on the strength of three finishes of third place. Murty bounced around hitting different tracks throughout the season. While that diminished his chances of winning a track championship, it surely didn't halt his chances of winning. He picked up eight feature wins and finished tenth in IMCA Nationals Points.

Here are Damon's unofficial 2010 stats:
54 starts; 8 wins; 36 top 5's; 40 top 10's; avg finish 6.3
For more, check out http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/murty.htm


Gustin Family unofficial 2010 stats combined:
305 starts; 56 wins; 156 top 5's; 207 top 10's; avg finish 6.61


So as you can see, the Gustin family enjoyed a lot of success over the course of the 2010 season. I have been working at compiling other drivers' stats, notably the top drivers in IMCA National Points, IMCA Rookie of the Year points, and some region champions. I am also working on obtaining results from other drivers that enjoyed a great amount of success this season. So be sure to check back in the coming weeks for those updates. Until then, go to http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net/ and click on the "Drivers Stats" link to see what I've been up to.

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

Lengthy Weekend Provides Good Racing

This past weekend I was provided with a difficult choice. There were two two-day shows going on at tracks that I really enjoy attending. The weather was similar for both locations both days. What is a person to do? Well, I decided to go to one track one night and the other track the following night. That meant a whole lot of traveling and a lengthy weekend without much rest.

So Friday night I headed south to the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis (MO) for their Pepsi Memphis Fall Nationals event. Memphis has been a favorite track of mine for the last couple of years. I knew they would get a large car count, and I was right when announcer Tony Paris noted 149 cars in the pit area.

Upon arrival there were a couple vehicles on the track trying to pack the moisture in. The problem was, there was too much water placed on the track and not enough vehicles wheel-packing. That prompted the grader to make an appearance, and about ninety minutes later we finally got to hot laps. And of course one minor issue would have to lead to another, right? During one of the hobby stock heat races, a driver drove a little too deep into turn one and ended up driving over the concrete barrier and through the fencing. Needless to say that took a fair amount of time to get cleaned up.

Because of the delays, I opted not to keep my usual notes. I can tell you the winners of the upper divisions were: Michael Long (open modifieds), Rich Smith (IMCA-type modifieds), Matt Greiner (stock car), Ryan Gustin (b-modified), and Dan Wenig (hobby stock). For more complete results, check out www.heartlandmotorsports.com/Memphis/2010/10_15_2010.htm.

Friday night's races concluded at 2:38am Saturday morning. Tack on another 3+ hour trip home for me, and I pulled into my driveway at 6AM!! The racing action was fast and furious, and there weren't too many incidents that were a direct result of the spongy surface.

The delays and time getting home helped make my decision easier for heading to the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta (IA) Saturday night for their Topless at the Beaver event. The IMCA modifieds would run without their roofs on this chilly night. 119 cars were packed into the pit area with some drivers having to pit outside of turn four.

The 4-cylinder class made their way to the track first for their feature. A solid field of twenty cars were on hand and Cory Flanigan wasted no time in taking his machine to the top spot. Bill Whalen Jr made the long haul from Riverside seem worthwhile as he hounded Flanigan for a majority of the race. Whalen Jr slowed in turn two after receiving the white flag, allowing three cars to make their way by. Not sure if Whalen Jr experienced problems or just thought it was the checkered flag, but he would end up with a fifth place finish. Flanigan would lead flag to flag to pick up his 17th win of the season. Kennin Colestock finished second, Tom Summerfield third, and Randy Cass fourth.

Next up would be the mod-lites/dwarf cars. Only seven cars were on hand, but they provided decent racing. Outside front row starter Ed Zehm rocketed to the lead, but Mike Kennedy would try to close the gap as the race went on. The gap was just too big as Zehm picked up the caution-free race win ahead of Mike Kennedy, Dalton Dingman, Colby Oberembt, and Matt Goodin.

Things were now set for the hobby stock feature. Pole sitter Jeff Lyon paced the field the first lap, but Devin Smith snuck under him and took over the lead on lap two. Deeper in the field Justin Nehring was making significant progress early in the running. After starting thirteenth, he quickly manuevered his way to seventh in just three laps. The only caution of the race came on lap five. Nehring would be the beneficiary of this restart as he was on the outside of the third full row (7th). He powered his machine on the cushion and advanced to the fourth spot on the next circuit before advancing to second by the time he crossed the finish line again. Nehring pulled even with Smith down the backstretch and ran side by side with him for a couple laps. Nehring would finally clear Smith with four laps to go, but it appeared as though his car got tight in the corners as Smith kept within striking distance. When the checkered flag waved it was Justin Nehring taking the exciting win by a mere fender over Devin Smith. Matt Mahoney finished third, Craig Brotherton fourth, and Michael Murphy rounded out the top five. Jeff Lyon crossed the line in fourth, but was later disqualified in post-race tech.

Twenty-two b-modifieds were now set for their finale of the night. Outside front row starter Austin Lucas grabbed the early lead, but pole sitter Tim Rupp would keep pace with him. Rupp would take over the lead by using the bottom groove, but Lucas would regain the lead on lap five. The caution flag waved on lap six, and at that point I noticed that Doug Smith had already worked his way up to fifth after starting twelfth. A lap after the restart Smith found himself in second while Jason Mallicoat pursued in third. Mallicoat was driving the #36 car normally driven by Matt Pittman. With six laps to go Smith ducked under Lucas entering turn one and got the advantage exiting turn two to pick up the race lead. Jake Simpson and Austin Lucas would battle it out for the second spot with Simpson getting the nod with three to go before the caution waved a lap later.

Just before they went back racing, I noticed the #67 Ron Beckstrom had a right rear flat tire. Unfortunately he found out the hard way as the next lap under green he lost the handle on the backstretch and went for a wild ride that saw him knock over a couple cement barriers. Luckily he would be okay. When racing picked back up, nobody had anything for Doug Smith as he picked up the win. Jake Simpson was second, Jason Mallicoat third, Steve Reetz was fourth, and Tim Rupp completed the top five. Smith won Friday night's event as well.

The stock cars made their way to the track next. Nineteen cars were on hand with the "open" or "big" carb rules in effect. Pole sitter Ken Tietz took command from the drop of the green flag. Jason Ward quickly settled into second with Wayne Crimmins chasing in third. The stock cars were typically the most competitive all year at BVR, but last night they were single file on the bottom side of the track. Crimmins was able to sneak by Ward with three laps to go, but Ken Tietz was never seriously challenged up front as he picked up the win. Wayne Crimmins was second, Jason Ward was third, Roger Tripp finished fourth, and Brian Blessington rounded out the top five.

The finale of the night would be the Topless modified feature. Twenty-one cars were on hand with Rick Seaman not making the call. Before the field could even make it to the flagstand, the green light was quickly replaced with the yellow. Austin Wolf got turned sideways exiting turn four on the start and collected about six cars. Following the cleanup, it would be Mike Jergens taking the lead while Craig Reetz passed Jeff Conner for the second spot on lap two. The only caution of the race came on lap four. Brian Schmitt took advantage of the restart as he snuck by two cars to move into the fourth spot. Reetz and Todd Shute would put on a good show for the fans as they battled it out for the second spot. Reetz hugged the inside line while Shute worked the middle of the track. Shute pulled even with about six laps to go, but was unable to make it stick as Reetz pulled ahead by a few carlengths. Shute reeled him back in with two to go, but again pushed in turn one to give up what he had gained. Up front it would be Mike Jergens picking up his first career modified victory. Todd Shute was able to sneak by Craig Reetz at the line for second with Brian Schmitt in fourth and Shane Demey in fifth.

It was a good way to close the season at the Buena Vista Raceway. It's always a tossup when scheduling a race in October in Iowa as you never know what kind of weather you're going to get. A beautiful day turned into a cool evening, but the racing action was good throughout the night. For more complete results, check out the BVR website at www.buenavistaraceway.net and click on the results tab.

I'd like to thank Jeff Herrig and Eric Blum for their hospitality all year long. I enjoyed the six trips I made this season and hope to attend a few more times next season.

My next race will be next Saturday, October 23rd for Shiverfest. Shiverfest is typically the final racing event of the year in Iowa and is held at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson. Fellow Positivelyracing.com blogger Jeff Broeg helps promote this event for the local kidney dialysis units. It's a fun time for the kids as well, as hay rack rides before the races and trick-or-treating after hot laps are held. For more information, be sure to check out www.leecountyspeedway.com. Hope to see you there!!

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

Big Paydays For Saturday's Winners at Oskaloosa Fall Challenge

Another ideal weather day was in store for race fans in and around the Oskaloosa area for night two of the 24th Annual Musco Lighting Fall Challenge Saturday night. With temperatures in the 80's and a light breeze, fans flocked to the "Mahaska County Monster" half-mile facility to get perhaps their last taste of dirt track racing before the end of the season. The feature winner in all four divisions would pocket a cool $2,000 paycheck for their efforts. With the added money on the line, there was definitely a lot of excitement and anticipation to go along with the large field of cars.


After all the qualifying events were completed, the USRA b-modifieds quickly took to the track for their feature. Another stellar field of forty-nine cars were narrowed down to twenty-four on the starting grid with Cayden Carter rocketing to the lead from his outside front row start. Row five starters Tyler Groenendyk and Jason Schlangen quickly moved forward as they found themselves in third and fourth, respectively, at the completion of lap three. The caution waved on lap five when Scott Davis and Schlangen made the slightest of contact going into turn one that resulted in Schlangen going around. That brought about a chain reaction that eventually included eight cars stopped on the track. When the green flag came back out, however, Schlangen was back up front rather then at the back of the pack as officials apparently decided he was still moving when the caution waved. Two more quick yellows kept the field bunched, but when the green flag stayed out Cayden Carter checked out as he picked up his 19th win of the season and the $2,000 top prize. It seems Carter is always at the top of the results when there is a big money special at Oskaloosa, and last night was no different. Tyler Groenendyk came home second, Scott Van Buskirk was third, Scott Davis fourth, and Jason Schlangen rounded out the top five. Lucas Lundry drove from his 21st starting spot up to seventh while Tad Reutzel advanced eight spots to finish ninth.

Keeping the open-wheeled theme going, the USRA modifieds were next up for their twenty-five lap feature. Colt Mather, driving one of Kelly Shryock's cars, and Shryock sat on the front row with Shryock getting the advantage in the early going. Missouri's Matt Dotson followed Shryock to the second spot while Corey Dripps and Brad Pinkerton battled side by side for the fourth spot. Dotson began to reel in Shryock a few laps before they caught lapped traffic, but that all went for not as the caution flag waved on lap nine. A series of cautions plagued the next couple of laps before the red flag came out when Mark Elliott, Terry Walker, and a couple others tangled on the front stretch and blocked the track. On the ensuing restart Mather got a great jump and powered by Dotson on the inside. The caution came back out a lap later, and while under caution Shryock's car came to a stop to end his night in a disappointing fashion. That handed the lead over to Mather with Jake Neal and Matt Dotson right behind him. As the race picked back up both Zack VanderBeek would exit the track and Ron VerBeek and Matt Dotson both suffered flat tires. When the dust settled it was Colt Mather celebrating in victory lane with a $2,000 check and trophy. Jake Neal finished second, Corey Dripps was third, Bruce Hanford fourth, and Brandon Banks completed the top five.

USRA hobby stocks again boasted a big field of cars as forty-five were on hand Saturday night. Two of the best in the business paced the field to the green flag with Andy Boeckman and Chris Hovden sitting on the front row. Hovden would get the advantage while Boeckman slid back to third after Nathan Wood passed him on the outside. Boeckman continued to fade after he got too high and opened the door for several competitors behind him to slip past. A caution came out on lap five, and while driving under yellow Boeckman went to the work area to change a flat tire. Ryan Vicker and Don Nunnikhoven split Jason Kohl as they advanced to third and fourth, respectively. Up front Hovden and Wood were nose to tail by themselves until Vicker eventually caught them. A caution with four laps to go set up a shootout. Vicker was able to drive by Wood on the outside to snag the second spot while Shane Klaassen did the same to Nunnikhoven for fourth. When the checkered flags waved it was Chris Hovden holding on for the big money. Ryan Vicker settled for second, Nathan Wood was third, Shane Klaassen fourth, and Jason Kohl rebounded for fifth. Klaassen is the USRA hobby stock national points leader and likely clinched the championship.

The USRA stock cars were set to close out the evening once again as they again fielded forty cars. Elijah Zevenbergen grabbed the lead on lap one, but fifth starter Mark Elliott quickly pounced and sliced his way to second when he passed Barry Sanderman. Elliott made the pass on Zevenbergen on lap three, but that was wiped out when the red flag came out for Nathan Wood as he made heavy contact with the turn four fence. Wood would be okay. Zevenbergen would lose a couple spots following the restart as Elliott and Lynn Panos both scooted by. Another red flag was displayed when Shane Weller got high and climbed the wall in turn three before gravity took over and rolled the car over. He too would be okay. Following another restart with eleven laps remaining, Randy Killen made a great move to the inside as he passed two cars to advance to third. He would later work his way under Panos for second, but bobbled a bit and allowed Panos to get the spot back. Panos would get momentum and pull even with Elliott down the backstretch before claiming the top spot exiting turn four.

A caution with six laps to go spelled trouble for the leaders. Elliott and Killen made contact entering turn one, giving Killen a flat tire. Killen would push up the track and make contact with Todd Staley, sending him into the wall. The caution would wave again with Killen and Elliott retiring from the race. Staley would restart in second behind Panos, but it was soon evident that the contact had done some damage as he quickly backed up through the field. Panos would push high, opening the door for Darin Toot and Bryan Webb to get by. As they came to the line, Darin Toot would hang on by a slim margin for the win. Matt Greiner snuck by Bryan Webb for the second spot with Lynn Panos finishing fourth and Steve Jackson fifth.

The action was not complete with the waving of the checkered flags though. Webb would drive in deep in turn one and made contact with Toot and Panos, starting a chain reaction that involved several cars. Webb's car I believe rolled, but came to a rest on all four tires. He would walk away, but definitely provided an exciting finish to conclude the Fall Challenge and therefore the 2010 season at the Southern Iowa Speedway.

Earlier in the night, stock car driver Jeremy Swanson also went for a scary ride as he rolled his machine several times. He hit the turn one fencing and got air born while rotating violently and coming to a rest on all four's. He was responsive, but was transferred to a hospital. The announcer mentioned that the x-rays came back good, but further tests were being performed. Here's hoping that Swanson's injuries are not too severe.

Racing action concluded right at the midnight hour last night. For more complete results, check out www.usmts.com and click on the appropriate link. For race fans that want to continue traveling, next weekend there are a couple options within a couple hours of drive time. The Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri is holding their Pepsi Memphis Fall Nationals next Friday and Saturday. Check out www.scotlandcountyspeedway.com for more info on that race. Also next Friday and Saturday the Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa is scheduled to run their "Going Topless at the Beaver" event. For more information on that event, check out www.buenavistaraceway.net. I haven't totally made up my mind yet as to which direction I'll be heading, but you can be sure I'll be at one of them.

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

175 Cars Pack The Pits @ Oskaloosa Fall Challenge

The pit area was jam packed with race cars Friday night at the Southern Iowa Speedway for nigh one of the 24th Annual Musco Lighting Fall Challenge. It was mentioned by track announcer Tony Paris that Musco Lighting has been the title sponsor of this event for all twenty-four seasons, which I thought was rather cool and unusual. Shows a lot of loyalty towards the community and its racers. Action got off on a slow start as it took a little extra time to roll in the track. But things definitely heated up once the track was ironed in.

The first feature of the night would be the USRA b-modifieds. Fifty-four race teams checked in for the night with the field be shaved down to twenty-four starters. Bill Gibson grabbed the lead from his outside front row starting spot with pole sitter Mike Grantham right behind. Grantham pushed high in turn one on the second circuit, opening the flood gates for Andrew Schroeder and Brett Moffitt to slip past. The caution flag waved on lap three for a spun car, and when racing resumed northeast Iowa driver Jason Schlangen made his move on the top side to claim the fourth spot away from Brad Iverson. Another caution waved on lap six when Drew Lawson tagged the wall exiting turn four. Lap fourteen provided another yellow flag for Paul Underwood spinning in turn four, and Scott Davis took advantage as he passed two cars on the restart to advance to third. However Andrew Schroeder would regain the third spot when he ducked low of Davis a lap later. A car slowed down the frontstretch when the checkers were set to come out, so the finish was a yellow/checkers. Bill Gibson picked up the win ahead of Brett Moffitt, Andrew Schroeder, Scott Davis, and Jason Schlangen. The hard charger of the race was Tad Reutzel as he advanced to the eighth position after starting twenty-second.

USRA modifieds were next up for their twenty-five lap feature event. Pole sitter Zack VanderBeek wasted no time in asserting himself at the top of the leaderboard. Ron VerBeek powered his machine into the second position and tried to chase down VanderBeek. The leaders encountered lapped traffic quickly on lap six before the caution waved on lap nine. VerBeek would not come up to full speed right away on the restart, pushing him back to fourth as Bruce Hanford and Brad Pinkerton made their way by. VanderBeek continued to check out on the field up front as he opened it up to a straight away lead until the caution waved again with seven laps remaining. VerBeek was able to reclaim the runner up spot as both he and Kevin Blackburn got by Hanford on the restart. But up front the night belonged to Zack VanderBeek as he dominated the field for the win. Ron VerBeek finished second, Kevin Blackburn was third, Kelly Shryock was fourth, and Ryan Peckham completed the top five of the twenty-five car field.

A big field of forty-nine USRA hobby stocks were on hand for the first night of the Fall Challenge. That number was reduced to twenty-four starters as well with outside front row starter Craig Brown getting the edge early on. This race had a few hiccups getting going in the beginning as cautions waved on lap two, three, and six. When racing resumed Brown continued his advantage up front while the battle was for second. Todd Reitzler and Shane Klaassen would swap the position a time or two before Klaassen secured the spot. Danny Thrasher was a car on the move as he powered his machine to fifth after starting eighteenth. Chris Hovden stayed with Craig Brown up front, but was never quite able to make his move for the lead. When the checkers waved it was Brown by a carlength over Hovden for the win. Shane Klaassen finished third, Todd Reitzler fourth, and Danny Thrasher was fifth.

The final event of the night would be the USRA stock cars. Once again, a big field of forty-four cars were dwindled down to a starting grid of twenty-four. Outside front row starter Corey Stout paced the field with northeast Iowa driver Shay Curtin following in second. The caution waved on lap four, and on the restart Curtin made his move to maneuver past Stout for the lead. Kyle Harwood lose the third position as both Nathan Wood and Todd Inman advanced forward. Then a series of stoppages would occur over the next handful of laps.

The caution waved on lap eight, and then again on the restart as Mike Johnston hammered the outside fence in turn one to bring out the red flag. Fortunately Johnston was okay. Racing resumed long enough for Wood to pass Stout for second before the second red flag came out. Gary Bass jumped the cushion in turn four and avoided hitting the outside wall, but came down the track as he drove down the frontstretch. He would hit the right rear of Kevin Donlan, breaking the rear axle among other things. Donlan would slide sideways for several feet before it finally dug in and rolled violently. Donlan also would walk away unharmed. The third and final red flag came when Keith Williamson's car caught an oil fire under the hood entering turn one. He too would be uninjured. When racing finally got back going, Steve Jackson swung to the inside of Stout on the restart to claim the third spot. Up front it was all Shay Curtin as he pocketed the $1,000 paycheck. Nathan Wood would finish second, Steve Jackson third, Todd Inman was fourth, and Matt Greiner rounded out the top five.

While the track appeared to be a bit one-lane on the top, the stock car drivers managed to work the bottom side in throughout the race. Unfortunately their race was the final one of the night, so passing was at a premium. I'm hoping the track will be a bit more dry and slick tonight to provide a wider racing groove.

With such a large field of cars, I expected things to run a bit late. However, when the final checkered flag waved at around 1:30am I was a bit disappointed that it took that long. Hopefully things will go much smoother and quicker tonight. Don't forget, there will be NO HOT LAPS tonight and racing action will start at 6pm. The weather looks to be perfect once again, so get there early to get a good seat.

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

The "Other" World 100

Last weekend on my way to Knoxville, I realized that I had not made it to a new track yet this year. I got spoiled over the last couple of years of making it to several new tracks, but that opportunity hadn't come up yet this season. After reading Jeff Broeg's latest blog Backstretch I decided I wanted to try my hand at a new track. Jeff mentioned that Peoria Speedway in Illinois was running Wednesday night as a makeup date. So I took it upon myself to call up a good racing buddy of mine, Bob Litton, and ask if I could meet up with him. He said sure, so I met him and his wife Rita at a truck stop along I-80 and off we went. A couple hours later we pulled in to the track parking lot.

We went up to the grandstands to lay out our blankets and such, so it gave me a little time to look around. I immediately compared the track itself to East Moline as it was a tight 1/4 track with concrete walls surrounding it. The flagman and the scorers are located in the infield, something that I've only seen at a few tracks. The seating was wood bleachers, but they were very sturdy and were spread throughout the frontstretch. The lighting was a sore spot in my opinion as they only had one light on each pole. Granted there were several poles, but we noticed at least one light was burned out. Hot laps were run in a quick manner, and while waiting for time to do the opening ceremonies I noticed the pit steward in the staging area outside turn two was watering down the area with a garden hose. I can honestly say I've never seen that before, although I have seen infields watered down with a hose.

On to the racing... the first feature run was a late model feature. I'm having difficulties remembering if it was the crate late models or the open late models, but I would assume crates. I wasn't able to write down driver names and was unfamiliar with everybody, so I apologize for the following sketchy details. Eighteen cars took the green flag with pole sitter Donny Walden rocketing to the lead. The T2 car of Todd Bennett swung to the inside of #38 for the third spot a few laps in while the leaders caught the end of the field by lap four. A caution came out on lap five as I heard the announcer say there was fifteen laps remaining. Walden quickly solidified his lead and would go on to take the win. Mike Mullvain would finish second, Todd Bennett was third, #32 was fourth, and #21 rounded out the top five. Again I'd like to apologize for not catching their names.

It was then time for the "other" World 100, a 100-lap feature race for the UMP modifieds. Drivers were quickly introduced to the crowd, so I was at least able to get the drivers' last names this time around. Mark Johnson took control from his pole starting position while Ray Bollinger ducked low on the #D3 of Dillon for the second spot. The first of several cautions waved on lap three, and when racing resumed Gary Cook Jr passed Dillon for third. The top four would begin to separate from the pack until the caution flag waved again on lap ten. On that restart Cook Jr powered his way to the lead on the cushion and remained out front through a series of yellow flags. Bollinger would scoot by Mark Johnson for the runner up spot on the lap twelve restart. Bollinger and Cook Jr would battle for the top spot as they broke away from the field. The caution flag waved on lap fifty for the halfway point as drivers were allowed to make a pitstop to change tires, add fuel, and anything else they wanted. Nine caution flags were flown in the first fifty laps while only fourteen of the original twenty-two cars remained on the track.

Following the pitstop, the drivers seemed to get a better rhythm going as only one caution waved in the final fifty laps. That came on lap fifty-nine, and this time a single-file restart was in order. Bollinger took advantage as he powered his machine to the cushion and drove by Cook Jr for the lead. Cook Jr would later show some smoke and appeared to be on his way to losing a motor, but the smoke disappeared a few short laps later. Cook Jr would be challenged by Mark Johnson for that runner up spot while Bollinger pulled away to a full half-lap advantage. Johnson would take control of the number two position but would not have anything for Ray Bollinger. Bollinger went on to take the win as only five cars were on the lead lap at the end. Johnson would finish second, Cook Jr was third, Mike Chasteen Jr finished fourth, and Nathan Balensiefen completed the top five.

After watching the modifieds and knowing there were two more races left, the Litton's and I opted to hit the road early. We left the track around 8:38 and pulled back in to Iowa City around 11pm. That meant I still had another good two hour drive home yet. I got home sometime close to 2am after stopping in Grinnell and Marshalltown to look for a battery for my sister (with no luck, of course). That meant I was away from home for 15 hours as I had left at 11am to meet up with them. The things we'll do for a race!! Thanks to Jeff Broeg for mentioning this race in one of his previous blogs, or I wouldn't have known about it.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, there are several races going on this weekend. I have decided that I'll be heading to Oskaloosa for both nights of their Fall Challenge. Be sure to get out and support a track near you as the weather looks to be beautiful this weekend!!

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

End of September Recap

Ok, ok... I'll admit, I've been a little lazy as of late in writing blogs from races that I've attended. I've had a few other more important things on my plate that I concentrated my attention on, but now that I've got some free time on my hands I'll attempt to get caught up.

Last Thursday I attended the opening night of the 7th Annual Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals. This event keeps getting bigger and bigger year after year. When I arrived at the ticket gate there were several lines of people waiting to buy their general admission ticket. Considering that the gates had opened a good thirty minutes before I showed up, I'd say a good crowd would be on hand.

To go along with the unsanctioned late models this year, IMCA modifieds were on hand as a support class. The invitation-only saw thirty-eight cars in attendance Thursday night while sixty-one late models were anxious to get the weekend kicked off.

Time trials were up first for the late models with two cars not taking the green flag. If memory serves me correctly, those two were Ron Boyse and Curt Schroeder. Jimmy Owens would be the only driver under the 18-second mark, giving him fast time for the night. Each of the five heat races would invert the top ten.

Heat races, a late model C-main, and B-mains for both classes would set the stage for the IMCA modified feature. The field was narrowed to twenty-four starters with Richie Gustin and Darin Duffy sitting on the front row of the twenty-lap race. Gustin would rocket to the lead and began to stretch it out almost immediately as he built up a half-straightaway lead in the first four laps. The first and only caution of the race came out on lap seven with a strange occurance. Eric Dailey came to a stop, Jeremy Mills blew up, and Michael Long came to a stop (all in turn four) in a synchronized manner.

Once those machines were assisted to the infield, the green flag came back out and once again Gustin opened up his lead. Ryan Ruter and Todd Shute were battling it out for the third spot around the halfway point before Ruter solidified himself as the stronger car. Not only did he secure the third spot, but he worked under Duffy for the runner up spot with eight laps to go. Ruter, nor anybody else for that matter, had anything for Richie Gustin on that night as Gustin picked up the dominating win. Ryan Ruter finished second, Darin Duffy was third, Todd Shute was fourth, and Mark Schulte rounded out the top five.

As the modifieds exited the track, all eyes focused to the staging area for the late models. Josh Richards and Tim McCreadie sat on the front row of the twenty-five lap feature. McCreadie would lead the first two laps before giving way to Richards on lap three. Deeper in the field Billy Moyer was slicing his way towards the front. After starting eleventh on the starting grid, Moyer passed three cars in three laps to attain the fourth position. A yellow flag on lap seven negated the third pass as he was realigned in fifth position, but on the restart he threaded the needle between Austin Hubbard and Earl Pearson Jr to grab the third spot. Ahead of him, McCreadie found the cushion to his liking as he powered his way back by Richards for the lead on lap ten. Richards slowed in turn one and gave up three spots. He would continue to struggle in that corner, so not sure if it was handling issue or something under the hood.

With McCreadie out front and Pearson Jr hanging closely in second, Moyer made his move to the outside to make the pass for second on Pearson Jr. One lap later he dove to the inside of McCreadie to assert himself atop the leaderboard. From that point on it was all Billy Moyer as he picked up the Thursday night feature win and $7,000 payday. Tim McCreadie finished second, Scott Bloomquist was third, Earl Pearson Jr fourth, and Brady Smith rounded out the top five.

Saturday

After taking Friday night off, it was back to the famed Knoxville Raceway on Saturday for the conclusion of the Lucas Oil Late Model Nationals. After hearing that Billy Moyer picked up Friday night's victory, everybody was wondering if Moyer could sweep all three shows at Knoxville this weekend. The top twenty-four cars in points were locked in to the night's 100-lap finale with the final six competitors to be determined through a course of a C-main and B-main. NASCAR star Ryan Newman failed to qualify, but was given a provisional starting spot.

Before the 100-lapper for late models, the IMCA modifieds would put on a twenty-five lap feature of their own. Rich Smith and Michael Long paced the field to the green flag with Long leading after the first lap. Todd Shute quickly worked his way from sixth to the lead when he ducked to the inside of Long on lap two to make the pass. Darin Duffy and Long battled side by side momentarily for the runner up spot before Duffy secured it. The caution came out on lap seven to shrink Shute's big lead. Unfortunately things got worse on the restart as the red flag was displayed following Jake Durbin's rollover down the backstretch and entering turn three. I didn't catch the incident until the end, but fortunately Durbin would be okay.

When racing resumed Long would jump the cushion in turn four and lose several spots, opening the door for Thursday night winner Richie Gustin to slide into the third spot. Shute again opened up a straight away advantage with ten laps to go when smoke began to pour from the leader. A caution with four laps to go for debris proved to be the dagger in the heart of the former Supernationals champion as Shute exited the track and giving up the lead. Darin Duffy would take command of the race with Gustin and Jon Snyder lined up behind him in the double-file restart formation. After running the cushion for most of the race, Gustin attempted to make his way back up there entering turn one following the restart. Unfortunately he did not have Snyder cleared and significant contact was made, sending Snyder hard into the fence to bring out the caution again.

Another caution plagued a good race, but when the final green flag came out Gustin would be the one hopping the cushion in turn four and dropping back to sixth. Wisconsin driver Brian Mullen saw the opportunity and took advantage as he slipped into the runner up position ahead of Rich Smith and Jeremy Mills. Duffy would take the win ahead of those three drivers while Gustin rebounded for a fifth place finish.


The late models were then called to the front stretch for their introductions and such. The grand finale would see arguably the two best late model drivers of all time on the front row with Scott Bloomquist on the pole and Billy Moyer to his outside. Those two drivers have accumulated almost 1300 wins between them on their careers.

Bloomquist would get the advantage on the start to take the lead, but the caution came out on lap two for a car that had spun. Another caution immediately followed the restart when Steve Francis spun around and collected Brad Neat, Jason Rauen, and Darren Miller. All were able to continue. Two more cautions would fly within the next few laps, keeping the pace at a standstill. On the ensuing restart, however, the pace would pick up as Moyer worked to the inside of Earl Pearson Jr for the second position. Darrell Lanigan swept to the inside of Pearson Jr as well to advance to the third spot, but up front Moyer made the inside work again as he passed Bloomquist for the lead on lap twelve. Lanigan also used the inside to get by Bloomquist for the runner up spot two laps later while Jimmy Mars was trying to make his way to the front. After starting 25th on the grid, Mars had sliced his way through half the field up to the twelfth spot by lap fourteen.

The yellow flag came out on lap twenty-six when Rob Moss slowed. With the field bunched back up, Bloomquist was able to get back up to third after passing Jimmy Owens and Lanigan. Josh Richards had moved himself up to the second spot at this point while Shannon Babb and Mars continued their way to the front as they sat seventh and eighth, respectively. Babb started twenty-first. Moyer built up a comfortable lead out front until the caution waved yet again on lap thirty-six when Denny Eckrich slowed. Richards and Bloomquist exchanged the runner up spot seemingly every lap with Richards securing it around the halfway point of the race. Young sensation Austin Hubbard was on the charge as he passed Mars and Owens for the fourth spot before getting around Bloomquist for third. Jimmy Mars slowed on lap 57 to bring out yet another caution. At this point Bloomquist opted to head to the pits to make some changes. The crew took a little too long as he would go a lap down and never recover.

On the restart Babb powered his machine on the top side as he moved up two spots to third. He and Richards then engaged in a battle for the second spot as they swapped positions for awhile. The caution waved once again with thirty-three laps to go when Rick Eckert slowed, which prompted Knoxville race officials to red flag the event to allow crews to refuel the cars. That was the only thing they could do as no tire changes were allowed. Three more caution periods occurred within the next four laps, but the final twenty-nine laps went by clean to the finish. Billy Moyer enjoyed a big lead as he masterfully worked his way through lapped traffic as he picked up his third win of the weekend to complete the Knoxville sweep! Josh Richards would finish second ahead of Darrell Lanigan, Steve Francis, and Will Vaught. Shannon Babb finished sixth and Jimmy Mars made a valiant comeback to finish seventh. Moyer's efforts on the weekend was worth $54,000 with $40,000 coming Saturday night.

Sunday
Sunday proved to be a near-perfect day as the sun was shining brightly and temperatures were comfortable. I decided to venture west on Highway 20 to visit the Calhoun County Fairgrounds in Rockwell City for their afternoon show. While the featured division was the Sport Compact Nationals they also ran modifieds, bmods, hobby stocks, and stock cars Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately the car count was not what I had expected, but there was some good racing that went on.

First up would be the hobby stocks. Josh Ruschmann vaulted to the lead from his outside front row start. Devin Smith would work his way to second after starting seventh while Eric Knutson charged from eighth to third. The caution came out, and on the restart Smith lost the handle and gave up the second spot to Knutson. Another caution came during the white flag to set up a green/white/checkered. That is what Knutson had hoped for, as he fought to the inside of Ruschmann and wrestled the lead away when the white flag was displayed again. Knutson went on to take the win ahead of Ruschmann, Devin Smith, and Donnie Gustaff.

Next up would be the bmod class. Only six cars were in attendance, but outside front row starter Geoff Olson didn't mind. Piloting his brother's 1T car, Olson rocketed to the lead and never looked back as he picked up the win. Doug Smith got by Steve Reetz for second around the midpoint of the race and began to reel in Olson, but Smith bobbled a bit in turn two late and settled for the runner up spot. Reetz finished third, Phil Ricke was fourth, Corey Bosma fifth, and #22T (Teneyck?) was sixth.

The modifieds were up next for their feature event. Ten cars were on hand, but Duane Peterson failed to make the call. They had a hard time getting started as three cautions waved before the completion of the first lap. When the green flag did stay out, it was pole sitter Jimmy Cole taking the lead with Jay Goosman following close behind. Goosman then worked to the inside of Cole to snag the lead away. Later in the race Jim Thies would also scoot by Cole for the second spot, but Goosman was the class of the field on that day as he picked up the win. Thies was second, Cole third, Jason Scheiders fourth, and Geoff Olson completed the top five. Olson was again driving his brother's 1T sportmod.

Four stock cars were up next and Josh Hohensee would take the lead after starting third. Fourth-starter David Smith quickly worked into the second spot before taking the lead when Hohensee spun sideways and collected Jeff Harkrider. No yellow was thrown, and Smith enjoyed a huge lead the rest of the way to the checkered flag. Brian Snell finished second, Hohensee was third, and Harkrider completed the field.

It was now time for the twenty-lap Sport Compact Nationals. All drivers got to draw their starting positions on the frontstretch in front of the crowd. Mike Nehring and Cory Flanigan would start on the front row with Flanigan taking command in the early going. Merv Chandler worked to the inside of Flanigan to take the lead away. Nehring would use the same move to get by as well, pushing Flanigan back to third. Two cautions came out back to back, with the second one involving Flanigan with a flat tire. Late in the race Nehring and Chandler made contact with each other, opening the door for Jer Pedersen to squeeze by for the lead. Jason Ewing got under Chandler for the second spot late in the race. Pederson would take the win, Ewing was second, Chandler third, Mike Nehring fourth, and Duane Ferguson rounded out the top five.

That concludes my three-race weekend report. This week I hope to get another two or three races in once again as the weather looks awesome at this point. There are plenty of options again this weekend as well, but here are the ones I'm looking at attending:

Friday/Saturday - Fall Challenge (Oskaloosa, IA) - USRA classes, $1,000 to win all classes Friday, $2,000 to win all classes Saturday

Friday/Saturday - Octoberfest (Beatrice, NE) - IMCA (stock cars, hobby stocks, sportmods, modifieds)

Friday/Saturday - Jayhawk Modified Classic (Kansas City, KS) - $5,000 to win open modifieds

Friday/Saturday - Thunder on the Hill (Mayetta, KS) - MLRA Late Models + IMCA modifieds

Saturday - Thunder in the Heartland Challenge (Donnellson, IA) - modifieds, sportmods, hobby stocks, stock cars, 4-cylinders

Saturday/Sunday - (East Moline, IL) - $5,000 to win late models plus support classes each night

I'm sure there are others going on in the upper midwest as well. Be sure to check out the calendar on www.positivelyracing.com or you can also check out my personal website http://tapfanstours.freehosting.net and click on the calendars there.

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

Super Fan Passes Away

This blog entry is going to be completley different then any other previous entries.

For those of you that were familiar with the Southern Iowa Speedway, or any races in the midwest for that matter, you may have run across a gentleman by the name of Gary Storey. Storey, a "Super Fan" of racing, lived in Oskaloosa when I met him some ten to fifteen years ago. Quite often I would travel to race tracks and he would be the first person I see in the parking lot when I drove in.

Gary unfortunately lost his battle with cancer late last Thursday night, September 23rd. Gary had lived in a house with his brother prior to moving into a hospice care facility in Oskaloosa. Gary grew up near Albia before moving to Knoxville and eventually Oskaloosa. Gary Storey was 59.

Gary was a diehard Super Fan. He spent many years traveling up and down the highways throughout the country, searching for another race to attend while dodging the weather. Story often times would sleep in the back of his pickup truck to save money. He had quite a setup under that topper, including an air mattress and covers. It was nothing for him to drive from one state to another in a matter of a day. Case in point, I recall an example where I saw Gary down in Bolivar, Missouri towards the end of the racing season. It was a Saturday night show. Gary invited me to stick around and split a hotel room in order to attend a race the next day in Mayetta, Kansas. I declined his offer, but I found out later that he did indeed make the trip the next day.


There are several memories similar to that in which I can share. But it doesn't provide the same meaning if you didn't know the man. Many would chuckle or laugh under their breath when they heard Gary laugh from a distance. His voice carried quite well, so one could hear his laugh from a good distance. Knowing that Gary was willing to drive just about anywhere, I would wonder to myself if he was going to be at the same show I was traveling to. More often then not, he was there.

I will admit that I didn't know much about Gary outside of the racing community. I do recall him saying that he used to work at Hy-Vee. Arthritis began to slow him down several years ago, but he wouldn't let that stop him completely.


Gary - I want you to know that I'm deeply saddened by your passing. You were a true diehard race fan, one who watched anything from sprint cars to four-cylinders. I'm sure you're in a better place now, and that the suffering has stopped. You will truly be missed, but never forgotten!

To view Gary's obituary, click here.

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

Nights 1 & 2 of USMTS Fall Jamboree

The United States Modified Touring Series has had its share of rainouts over the past couple of weeks. Shows originally scheduled in early September at Oskaloosa and Allison were rescheduled to the early part of this prior week, with Allison getting rained out once again on Tuesday. Then along comes the rain in southern Minnesota, putting a "wash" on the Wednesday night practice of the Fall Jamboree held at the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota.

Not only did Wednesday night's rain force the cancellation of practice, but the resulting flood of Deer Creek that runs along the outskirts of the track property played havoc on the situation as well. The creek runs parallel to the pit area, forcing haulers and campers to evacuate to higher ground. Needless to say, Thursday night's races were also postponed.

Friday morning saw drying conditions as there was a strong breeze out of the northwest. Track crews worked hard to get the track in ideal shape as a practice session was held in the afternoon prior to the evenings races. With all the moisture, it was an unexpected surprise when dust was seen towards the end of practice.

As the opening ceremonies approached, it was noted that over 100 USMTS modifieds and nearly 40 Wissota midwest modifieds were checked in for action. Five heats and two b-mains narrowed the midwest modified field down to twenty-four starters. In USMTS action, eight heats races were run with the top twenty in passing points locking themselves in to the feature. Five b-mains would also be needed, taking the top two from each to set up a thirty-car field for their forty lap feature later on.

Brandon Davis would make a clean sweep in the Wissota midwest modified division as he picked up a heat race when and went on to capture the twenty-lap feature. The win was Davis' 41st win of the season. Greg Pfeifer Jr would finish second, Alan Mondus was third, Jerry Young fourth, and Mike Paulson rounded out the top five. Track announcer Todd Narveson also mentioned that Davis' incredible season also includes four track championships! Quite a remarkable season for a 19-year old driver.

The thirty-car, forty lap USMTS nightcap saw Darrin Walch and Jon Tesch on the front row with Walch getting the edge at the drop of the green flag. Tommy Myer, no stranger to victory lane at Deer Creek Speedway, started third and quickly worked under Tesch for the second position. He quickly focused his attention on Walch up front and seized the opportunity to duck low of him on lap three to secure the lead. Walch continue to backslide as Terry Phillips, Jon Tesch, Jeremy Payne, and Shane Hebert knocked him out of the top five. The first caution of the race came on lap nineteen that included Kelly Shryock and Mike Steensma tangling in turn one. On the ensuing restart Phillips used a slidejob in turn three to power by Myer for the race lead.

Action came to a screeching hault when the red flag came out for Corey Dripps. Dripps apparently got hung up on the fronstretch wall and made heavy contact with the opening to the pit area in turn one. Dripps would get out of the car under his own power and acknowledged the fans. Jon Tesch would work the outside groove as he made his way by Myer for the second position on the restart while points leader Jason Hughes made the pass on Ryan Gustin for the sixth spot. At the front of the field it was all Terry Phillips as he pocketed the winning payday and hardware. He was followed across the line by Jon Tesch, Tommy Myer, Jeremy Payne, and Jason Hughes. Hughes' strong run from seventeenth meant he pulled further ahead of Ryan Gustin in the point standings. The eighty-eight point margin would be extremely hard for the Marshalltown teenager to overcome with just two shows remaining.

I'd like to give a shout out to the track crew at the Deer Creek Speedway! With all the pictures that I saw of not only the track, but the grounds as well, I was extremely surprised that we were able to see races Friday night. The track was in excellent condition throughout the night and provided for three, four, and sometimes five-wide racing.


Now on to Saturday night. With Thursday's events rescheduled for Sunday, that meant that the originally scheduled "championship night" of the Fall Jamboree would still be held Saturday night. The big money would be on the line for drivers in both divisions, which both winner's share of the purse was increased by generous sponsors that stepped forward earlier in the day.

Although the sun came out for periods of time and the wind was not as strong, it seemed to be a bit colder then Friday night. Once again the same format would be used for qualifying for both classes. With the cold temperatures, I opted not to take my usual notes so I could keep my hands warm.

The Wissota midwest modified feature would be run green to checkered as they took to the track immediately following a track prep session. Brandon Davis would garner a second consecutive win on the weekend as he picked up the big money check. Dan Wheeler would come home second, Dustin Scott finished third, Jerry Young was fourth, and Wissota 100 winner Matt Leer completed the top five.

Before the USMTS feature took the green flag, a big screen tv in the infield displayed a trailer from the Dirt Knights television program that will be debuting in January on the Versus network. Following that clip, the drivers were introduced to the crowd with recorded video clips from earlier in the day. As the drivers organized for a photo, a big ball of fire went off behind the billboards. Hopefully somebody got a picture at the right time as it was a spectacular sight, not to mention a warm sensation. As the drivers buckled in and began their pace laps, fireworks on the backstretch went off.

Then it was time for business. Al Hejna, Rodney Sanders, and Bob Timm comprised the front row of the three-wide, eleven-row deep field of the best of the best. Sanders would get the advantage and lead the fourteen laps before relinquishing the lead to Ryan Gustin. Gustin, who had started twelfth, began to pull away from the field as he tried to cut in to Jason Hughe's insurmountable point lead. With Gustin looking strong and holding a straight away advantage, the caution flag came out on lap twenty-nine to bunch the field back up. Another quick caution followed, but when racing resumed Jason Hughes kept pace with Gustin and made his move on the outside of Gustin on lap thirty-two to take command of the race. While Gustin searched for a faster line behind, Hughes maintained his lead by running the cushion. When the smoke settled it would be Jason Hughes celebrating in victory lane. His efforts were rewarded with a $9,000 paycheck as sponsors stepped up and added money, but Hughes also garnered the "previous champion" bonus. Jon Tesch found the quick way around Gustin for second and third, respectively, with Shane Hebert and Zack VanderBeek rounding out the top five.

Hughes not only collected the hardware for the Fall Jamboree championship night, but his efforts all but clinched the 2010 National Championship for the Oklahoma driver. Hughes only needs to sign in and take the green flag in his heat race to become the fourth different national champion in USMTS history. To go along with these accolades, Hughes' own Hughes Chassis also won the Chassis Builders Championship.

Ryan Gustin should finish in the runner-up position in the national point standings. He holds a 59-point advantage over Tommy Myer. It would be the second consecutive season that Gustin has finished in that position as he finished behind Kelly Shryock last year.

The COMP Cams Engine Builders Championship is the only championship to be determined with Sunday's events. Mullins and Sputs are currently tied, so the engine that finishes ahead of the other will be crown victorious.

Sunday also marks the end of the 2010 National Tour for the USMTS. However, the USMTS still has 5 events on the calendar at this point in time as they have events in Texas. For more information, be sure to check out www.usmts.com.

I'd like to thank Todd and Janet Staley, along with their public relations director Jeff Nun, for their hospitality throughout the year. The entire USMTS staff were always willing to answers questions I may have had or taken the time to chat after the races.

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

Gustin Visits Oskaloosa Victory Lane Again

After Mother Nature forced officials from the United States Modified Touring Series to postpone the event at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa until Monday night (Sept 20), it appeared as though she may play a factor once again last night. However, track officials worked hard to get the track in racing condition to set up the first of five scheduled nights for the USMTS road warriors.

Plenty of rain over the course of the previous week provided for a choppy track, which was evident by the way the cars were bouncing through the corners. A few unlucky drivers ended their night on the back end of a tow truck after being in a wreck or rollover. Fortunately all drivers were okay.

Twenty-five USRA bmods were first to tame the monster half-mile oval. Outside front row starter Bill Gibson got the jump to hold down the top spot in the early running. Pole sitter Cayden Carter and row two starter Jason McDaniel engaged in a duel for the runner up position on lap three with Carter getting the advantage. Andrew Schroeder slowed down the front stretch on lap four to bring out the first caution flag, and when racing resumed Carter wasted no time in powering his machine to the top side and motoring by Gibson for the lead. With Carter securely out front, Gibson and McDaniel battled it out for the second spot late in the race. Gibson would snag the second finishing position ahead of McDaniel with Tony Johnson and AJ Johnson, but it was Cayden Carter picking up his eighteenth win of the season according to track announcer Tony Paris.

A field of eighteen USRA hobby stocks would be the next feature to take to the track. Outside front row starter Nathan Wood jumped out to the early lead in the #55 car owned by TJ Henderson. Dustin Griffiths ducked to the inside of Dale Porter for the runner up position before the top five spread themselves out in single file formation. Todd Reitzler and Kris Walker both worked their way by Porter to each advance a spot before Reitzler came to a stop in turn four with a flat tire with four laps remaining. On the restart, Dan Hovden made a great move to the inside to pass two cars to take over the runner up spot and set his sights on race leader Nathan Wood. The gap between first and second began to shrink as the laps clicked away, but Wood was able to hold off Hovden to take the win. Dan Hovden would finish a close second, Kris Walker was third, Bobby Greene fourth, and Todd Reitzler rebounded nicely for a fifth place finish.

Nineteen stock cars graced the pit area, but two drivers were unable to make the call for the Dart Iron Man Challenge feature event. Pole sitter Todd Inman would lead the first circuit, but Jason Minnehan would rocket off turn two and swing to the inside of Inman for the lead on lap two. Brad Pinkerton, piloting Nathan Wood's IMCA-rules stock car, quickly advanced into the third spot by lap three. Inman would regain the lead from Minnehan while Nathan Wood climbed to fourth. The two "Team Wood" cars would both dive to the inside of Minnehan and pick up a spot. Pinkerton would later peak to the inside of Inman for the lead prior to the red flag coming out when Shane Weller came to a stop in turn one. Chad Walter couldn't change his line fast enough and made heavy contact with Weller's machine, ripping the rear end out of Walter's car and sending him for a ride. Weller and Walter were both alright.

Following the restart Mike VanGenderen, Minnehan, and Inman raced three-wide coming out of turn four before contact was made a lap later. VanGenderen caught a rut wrong, causing his machine to push up and hit Minnehan's hotrod. Minnehan then collected Nathan Wood with Wood coming to a stop. The contact would end Minnehan's strong run while Wood tagged the tail of the field, along with VanGenderen who was penalized for questionable driving. VanGenderen and Wood both weaved their way back up through the field in fine fashion. Brad Pinkerton would take home the checkers with Nathan Wood in second, Mike VanGenderen in third, Mark Elliott fourth, and Greg Elliott fifth. The press release for the Dart Ironman Challenge series showed that Nathan Wood overtook VanGenderen for the point lead heading in to the final race of the series at the Highway 3 Raceway in Allison Tuesday night. Unfortunately Mother Nature had other ideas as that event was cancelled earlier today. So one could assume that Wood will be crowned the series champion.

It was then time for the heart-pounding cars of the USMTS to make their way to the track. Outside front row starter Colt Mather was seemingly shot out of a cannon as he took control from the drop of the green flag. Mike Spaulding was running second with sixth starter Ryan Gustin in third at the completion of the first lap. On the next lap Spaulding suddenly slowed in turn four, leaving Brad Pinkerton no place to go as the two tangled. Tim Donlinger would also get caught up in the mishap along with Ryan Schaffer suffering the worst luck as he would end up on his top after wheel-hopping a slower car ahead of him. During the extensive cleanup, officials decided to cut the distance down to twenty laps rather then the original thirty due to the dangerous track conditions.

When the green flag was displayed again, Ryan Gustin rocketed to the lead on the inside of Mather in turn two. Mather fought right back on the outside and regained the catbird seat on the next circuit. Mather opened up a ten-carlength advantage at one point before Gustin began to reel him back in as the laps clicked away. Gustin would use the slingshot move in turns three and four to once again take the top spot, but this time he would not relinquish it. Mather continued to run the cushion, but points leader Jason Hughes marched to the inside and made the pass for the second position. Rodney Sanders and Jon Tesch waged a good battle for the fourth spot before Tesch pulled off the backstretch and ended his night early. Gustin would go on to take the impressive win and shave a few points off Jason Hughes' points lead. Hughes would finish second, Colt Mather third, Rodney Sanders finished fourth, and Tommy Myer rounded out the top five.

The USMTS series was supposed to make their way to the Highway 3 Raceway Tuesday night, but inclement weather forced officials to cancel that show. So instead they will head north to the Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota Wednesday for a practice night before opening up the Fall Jamboree on Thursday. The Fall Jamboree marks the final weekend to determine this year's USMTS National Championship. For more information, check out www.usmts.com or www.deercreekspeedway.com.

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

Gustin Protects Home Turf With Hawkeye Dirt Tour Win

The first night of the 4th annual Havoc on the Highbanks took place last night at the Marshalltown Speedway. The JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour was also on hand, and will be again tonight (weather permitting), as they close in on crowning their series champion next week. A great field of cars in all classes filled the pit area, including 40 modifieds. Also on the slate were mod-lites, hobby stocks, sportmods, and stock cars.

The first class to run their feature were the mod-lites. Mike Morrill jumped out front from his inside row two starting spot, but he would receive plenty of pressure from pole sitter Tim Hennigar with Joel Huggins sitting just behind them. With Morrill out front, the rest of the top five got strung out and were racing in single file formation. Morrill would lose the handle on his machine on lap seven just prior to the red flag coming out when Colby Oberembt and Cliff Barber took a couple of hard rolls on the frontstretch. Both drivers were able to walk away seemingly uninjured. The yellow flag waved as the leaders were set to take the checkers, so that set up a green-white-checkered finish. Tim Hennigard was able to fend off Joel Huggins for the win with Mike Morrill recovering to finish third, Dusty Masolini was fourth, and Josh May rounded out the top five.

A stellar field of 48 IMCA sportmods were on hand to try their luck at the Havoc, but the starting grid would only hold half of those competitors. Jason Purvis and Cory Rose paced the field to the green flag with Purvis snatching the lead. It didn't take long for track champion Scott Davis to make his way to the front as he climbed to the top of the scoring tower by lap three after starting sixth. A lap three caution slowed the pace, but when the green flag waved again Davis rocketed out to a great lead. Cayden Carter was on the move as well as he worked forward from the ninth starting spot to third before another caution on lap nine. Carter found the top side to his liking on the restart as he powered by Danny Dvorak for the runner up spot. Following the final caution, Carter again built up some momentum and passed Davis for the lead at the two laps to go signal. Carter would go on to take the win ahead of Davis with Danny Dvorak finishing third, Eric Flander fourth, and Josh Sherbon completed the top five.

IMCA hobby stocks took to the track next for their main event. Pole sitter Rob Allison paced the field ahead of Terry Shaffar. Two early cautions kept the pace at a minimum, but when the green flag waved again Scott Pippert would advance a couple spots to the third position. Pippert would methodically work his machine to the front as he hammered the cushion to get by Shaffar and later Allison with five to go to take the lead. Scott Pippert would take home the win ahead of Rob Allison, Terry Shaffar, and Bill Bonnett.

Twenty-two IMCA stock cars made their way to the track for their finale. Mike Goldsberry took control in the early going, but Mike VanGenderen ducked under him to snag the lead away on the third circuit. After starting tenth, track champion Dustin Smith sliced his way to the third spot in just five trips around the track. On the next lap Smith would use the slingshot move to advance past Dave Atcher to take the second position. The lapped car of Keith Miner lost the handle of his machine and Smith had nowhere to go. Smith spun his car sideways, but contact was still made. Fortunately for Smith the caution came out after he had got moving again, so he would restart at the front of the pack again. Mike VanGenderen would suffer a flat right front tire on the restart and end his night prematurely. That allowed Smith to build up a comfortable lead and take his 10th win of the season at Marshalltown. A full straight away behind Smith, Damon Murty and Robert Stofer got by Dave Atcher for second and third. Atcher was fourth and Jay Schmidt completed the top five.

The JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour modifieds were set to roll off for their thirty-lap feature event to bring a close to the opening night of the Havoc on the Highbanks. The field of forty cars were narrowed to starting field of twenty-four, and it would be pole sitter Scott Simatovich jumping out to the early lead. After starting fifth, Richie Gustin wasted no time in climbing up top on the cushion to try his luck. Gustin made it work as he quickly moved into the third spot behind Simatovich and Jon Snyder. Those three drivers would put on a great battle for the fans with Simatovich down low and Snyder and Gustin up high as they pulled away from the field. Snyder would slowly gain enough momentum to take over the lead from Simatovich with Gustin squeaking by a couple laps later for second.

The leaders would encounter lapped traffic just prior to the halfway point in the race. I noticed at that point that Jeff Morris, who had started 20th, had worked his way up to eighth as he was catfishing it on the bottom. Lap seventeen proved to be the turning point of the race as Gustin performed a slidejob on Snyder in turn four to assume command of the race. Meanwhile Todd Shute was also digging hard a bit further back as he climbed into the third position around Simatovich with ten laps remaining. Shute would work under Snyder for the runner up position in the closing laps, but contact between the two drivers sent Shute spinning in turn two on the final lap. Richie Gustin would grace victory lane for the third time this season on the inaugural season of the JR Motorsports Hawkeye Dirt Tour and his 15th overall win this year. Jon Snyder would finish second, Scott Simatovich third, Josh Gilman fourth, and Jimmy Gustin completed the top five. Jeff Morris would finish sixth.

Points leader Mike Jergens had a good car early on, but broke a brake floater and back peddled to 15th. He still holds the point lead, but that margin has now shrunk as Gustin sits just one point behind. With Marshalltown cancelling the second night of the Havoc on the Highbanks, the points championship will come down to the final night next Saturday at the 34 Raceway near Burlington. For more information on that event, check out www.dirttour.com or www.34raceway.com.

My schedule for next week may get a big hectic. As of right now I'm planning to hit all 5 of the upcoming USMTS shows. This next week will determine who gets crowned the 2010 National Champion as it culminates at the Deer Creek Speedway during the Fall Jamboree. So here is my schedule for next week:

Monday - USMTS @ Southern Iowa Speedway (Oskaloosa)
Tuesday - USMTS @ Highway 3 Raceway (Allison)
Thursday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway (near Spring Valley, MN)
Friday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway
Saturday - USMTS Fall Jamboree @ Deer Creek Speedway

This is an outside chance that I may go to the special at the I-35 Speedway in Mason City on Sunday. Time and sleep (or lack there of) will determine that.

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