With threatening skies all around and several tracks cancelling, I made the decision to head to the Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City Saturday night. I had already made up my mind earlier in the week that Webster City would be my destination as tonight was the season opening event for the IMCA late models. Over the years the late model class has caught my attention, mainly in large part because I got to know a lot of the drivers.
Hot laps got underway and before I knew it the night was off and running. Heat races were done in good time, setting the night up for feature action. Four hornets took to the track, but Daniel Ayers was the man up front for the entire race as he took the checkered flag first.
Ten of the eleven IMCA hobby stocks made the call for their feature event. While the quantity of cars were lacking, they made up for it with a thrilling finish. Ryan Caquelin assumed command from the drop of the green flag with Ryan Darling tucked in behind. After starting eighth, Joel Tigges had passed half the cars ahead of him to slide into fourth by lap two. Tigges would move into third on lap six as the field ran single file on the top side most of the race. The caution flag waved with two laps remaining, and on the restart Caquelin's night came to an abrupt end as smoke bellowed from his machine.
With two to go, Ryan Darling took over the race lead with Tigges closing in. On the final set of corners Tigges drove it in deep on the bottom and drifted up, making contact with Darling's car. Darling had to get out of the throttle while Tigges kept his foot in it exiting turn four. That contact allowed Curt Graham and Roger Haupt Jr to close in fast to make it a four-car dash to the finish line. Tigges was able to inch out the win ahead of Darling, Graham, and Haupt Jr as they were four-wide at the stripe. Graham and Haupt Jr may be swapped as it was that close. Have to wait until complete results are posted for the official word.
A solid field of sixteen IMCA sportmods were up next. After a couple of starts were called back, pole-sitter Josh Sherbon was sent to the tail for jumping the starts. That put Dustin West on the pole, and he used it to take the early lead. Chad Louk made the pass on West a couple laps later to snare the lead away. Meanwhile, Bob Sutherland and Matt Lettow were on the move from the middle of the pack. Sutherland powered his Ford-powered machine into second after using the inside groove past West. West would lose two more spots as Lettow and Rocky Caudle slipped by underneath him.
A caution on lap seven bunched the field up, allowing both Sutherland and Lettow to scoot by Louk for the top two spots. Another yellow came out a lap later, and on the restart Sutherland had something break in the right rear as he spun exiting turn two. That handed the lead over to Matt Lettow, who went on to take the win. Rocky Caudle, Chad Louk, Rodney Slagle, and Beau Kaplan rounded out the top five.
Scott Bloemke took command of the stock car feature as again the top side was the place to be. Pole-sitter Adam Silvey coasted his machine to the infield on lap two, ending his night in disappointing fashion. Dave Hubbard was running fourth before entering turn one a little too hot, drifting up the track and losing two spots to sixth. A lap later, Hubbard's luck turned worse as he lost the right front tire, ending his night.
Something new this year is the double file restart. Track announcer Ryan Bergeson announced that the double file restarts would be used for the stock cars, modifieds, and late models this year. With the field doubled up behind race leader Bloemke, Reid Keller and Jason Wagoner found it beneficial as they both advanced spots on the first green flag lap when racing resumed. For much of the race, Wagoner was the only car on the bottom side as he moved to the front. Wagoner got a really good bite in turns one and two, allowing him to make the pass on both Keller and Bloemke to take the lead as they received the white flag. Wagoner held on for the win followed by Keller, Bloemke, Mark Haglund, and Jim Mitchell.
Ryan Ruter and Scott Olson sat on the front row for the twenty lap IMCA modified feature. Ruter raced out to the early lead as he used the bottom lane while Olson set his car up on the cushion of the track. Olson changed his line on lap five, deciding to follow Ruter on the bottom groove. Just after the midpoint of the race, the two front runners caught the lapped car of Scott Sturm on the front stretch. That allowed Olson the advantage he needed to enter turn one before Ruter, thus handing him the lead. Ruter stayed within striking distance, but was unable to regain the lead as Olson went on to take the win. Ruter was second, David Brown third, Chris Snyder fourth, and Scott Sturm fifth.
The IMCA late model would conclude the night with a twenty-five lap event. Pole-sitter Ben Nading jumped out front and opened up a comfortable lead on the field. Defending track champion Todd Cooney was charging through the field at a quick pace, advancing from his ninth starting spot up to third by lap seven. Cooney was utilizing the top side, a place that he has been known for the last couple of years, to get by Ryan Giles for the runner up spot two laps later.
Johnson would slide to the inside of Giles for third before giving the spot up to rookie Kevin Sather. Sather, fresh off a great fifth place finish in last week's Cornbelt Clash opener in southern Minnesota, was also making his way to the front as he closed in on the leaders. Cooney would take the lead away from Nading just prior to the halfway mark. "The Ironman" Darrel DeFrance was methodically maneuvering traffic as he followed Sather, as they both passed Nading for second and third, respectively.
After suffering a flat tire, Randy Faux attempted to exit the track on the backstretch on lap seventeen. Unfortunately Nading and Al Johnson were following closely behind and had to take evasive action, making heavy contact with each other to bring out the caution. All three cars would retire from the race. Sather elected the outside line on the double file restart, allowing DeFrance to make the pass when the green flag waved. That set up yet another Cooney/DeFrance duel at the "historic half-mile". DeFrance used the bottom groove every lap, but was unable to muster enough power to make the pass. Cooney would take the win ahead of DeFrance, Kevin Sather, Jason Hahne, and Kelly Tapper. Hahne started tenth while Tapper started fourteenth out of the field of fifteen.
Racing action concluded just before 9:00. I must say I witnessed something tonight that I'd never seen before. Matt Lettow is doing a little "Matt Lettow trivia challenge" in which a question is asked pertaining to Lettow. The person who comes up with the correction answer is given a certificate, if you will, that may be used for a free tshirt if he wins the IMCA sportmod feature. I believe a $25 gas card is also part of the prize. I happened to be walking towards announcer Ryan Bergeson at the time the question was asked and answered the question correctly. Bergeson, who will also be the flagman at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson on Friday nights this year, proceeded to conduct a little interview with me on the microphone discussing my 2009 racing season. While the "mic time" was fun, don't expect to hear me on another one anytime soon!
For more complete results and other information pertaining to the Hamilton County Speedway, check out their website at www.hamiltoncountyspeedway.com. Hopefully the car counts will increase over the next couple weeks and bring in some fans as well. One thing that I'm sure of is that the late model class will be very competitive this year.
- Racing may be a hobby, but it's DEFINITELY addictive!!
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