Colby Fett A First Time Winner at Spencer, Tops Stock Cars in First Attempt at the Class

 Monday, April 15th. A day of dread for some people based on what that day means in terms of their governmental responsibilities being upheld. But for some others this year, It instead means a day of fun and enjoyment. And where would you rather be, thrashing on some tax forms to beat the deadline or getting ready for a night of dirt track racing at the Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer Iowa?

That's what I thought. Among the many things that you can give credit to the folks at the Clay County Fair Speedway for is their schedule which is among the most interesting and varied of any track in the Midwest. They are racing at widely different nights of the week, featuring different classes of cars and presenting a bold and innovative schedule, and especially so this year. Ever since Trent Chinn took over as the promoter at Spencer, they have been doing things their way and not following the normal path such as their famous Monday night races that have set them apart from the competition and their business plan certainly has had some influence from Mike VanGenderen, the master of the bold when it comes to scheduling and who Chinn learned track prep and promotion from. 

And so it was that was that on the third Monday of the month of April, the Clay County Fair Speedway opened up their 2024 racing season with a five division program of IMCA racing. I can't believe that I have ever been to a Monday night show so early in the year and in fact, other than these few tracks in Iowa that make Mondays work, never on a Monday, a Monday, a Monday. And it sure didn't hurt that the air temperature was at or above eighty degrees on this windy Monday. The event, titled a "Frostbuster", was a bit of a misnomer but who cares as long as we were at the track. 

The track prep crew was probably the only ones not digging the weather as the gale force winds on top of a dry Spring made prepping the track a big challenge. They did get some dust but the wind was kind enough to blow it away from the stands and they ended up with a nice, smooth race track that everyone seemed satisfied with. Crazy Martin was in mid season form as he roamed the pits and lifted "Hero" cars from many of the drivers and all was right with the world. 

Eighty cars in those five classes signed in to race on Monday, about as low of car count as I can ever remember for a race at Spencer. Likely there are a number of teams that just aren't ready yet and there were plenty of folks out in the fields on this Monday and certainly at least some of them had to be either drivers or fans that were forced to take advantage of the good weather to get their crop work done. No B Features would be needed on this night but the Modified car count was shockingly low with only nine of them signing in to race for a grand to the feature winner. Hmmm. 

Certainly the story of the night was the one that developed in the Stock Cars where their feature was undoubtedly the event of the night. Sporting the highest car count at twenty six, their main event would be a dandy, and would fall just short of classic status simply to the rash of yellows at the end that broke it up a bit. But I'm sure that rookie Stock Car driver Colby Fett didn't complain about their being too many late yellows and he was able to hang on a beat some tough competitors to earn his first ever Stock Car feature win in the first night of him driving in the class. Wow!

As we all know, Fett is one of the top notch Sport Mod drivers around but there is a difference between open wheels and cars with fenders and this wasn't just some weekly show win against a small field of cars. This was for a grand and against some very fine competitors. 

Here's how it happened. In this race, the first thirteen laps went off green with no stoppages. Jeffrey Larson would take the lead from the outside pole and stretch it by a few lengths as McCain Jennnings led a group that was battling for second. Jake Masters was on the move after starting sixth and when he finally got past Jennings for second, he began to reel in the leader. 

By the halfway point, Masters was on the move as he closed on Larson while Fett was up to fourth with Kelly Shryock right behind him. Masters was catching Larson at a rapid pace and the crowd was on their feet. Masters and Larson exchanged slide jobs a couple times with Larson retaining the lead. Then Masters went flying by Larson down the back chute to take over the lead but he couldn't get slowed in time to avoid plunking the wall hard and his flat tire both triggered the yellow and gave Larson back the lead. 

The pack style restart would see Fett, who had been gradually moving up, drive past Larson to take over the lead on lap fourteen with Larson and Tim Rupp right behind him. This is when things went sideways as with this big group of competitive drivers, they started bunching up and four straight times the yellow was triggered as some were over driving the track. The last yellow, which set up a two lap sprint, occurred when Larson got crowded off the back chute and when flying off the track. He returned to the racing surface and then parking on the track, forcing a yellow. If I was the Race Director at this point, I'm afraid I would have taken harsher action against him for ruining the show, but they eventually encouraged him to exit the track, after a bit of a debate. 

 All these delays must have been difficult for Fett, but he handled the last two laps masterfully, keeping his line and being smooth as he held off a late charge from Rupp and Shryock to take the win. Derek Green came from twenty fifth to four with Austin Brands trailing. This will certainly be a memorable win for Fett and he earned it in the best possible way against some very good drivers who threw everything they had at him. 

The other feature race that was a very close one was the Sport Mod feature where Justin Klynsma held off Matthew Looft for the win, something that hardly anyone has been able to do for the past several years in this area. Connor VandeWeerd would lead the first three laps before Klynsma, who started outside of him in row one, would get a good run and then take over the lead.

Klynsma would put some distance on the field as Looft worked to get past VandeWeerd for second, something that didn't happen until the second half of the race. A yellow for a spinning car changed the dynamic of this race with everyone being bunched up for the restart. Looft was able to move into second on the green and when Klynsma blew turn four and got way high, suddenly we had a battle for the lead. 

Looft would get a nose inside of Klynsma at least twice but both times, Justin would fight him off and in the final couple of laps, again start to pull away as his speed was superior to that of Looft. Charlie Stevens would race up to third at the end as there was a happy Klynsma family in victory lane. 

Tim Ward would lead from start to finish to top the small Modified field. He would pull away from Kelly Shryock and would maintain nearly a full straightaway lead as this race would go green to checkers for twenty laps. Brandon Beckendorf would complete the top three. 

Mike Smith has been a fast Hobby Stock driver so far this season and he would chalk up another win on Monday. This feature race would also go green to checkers and it took Smith only one lap to pass Justin Frederick for the lead. and once in front he would pull away and never be challenged. Frederick had a nice run to finish second with Cory Probst coming from eighth to third. 

Apparently I took a small nap during the Sport Compact feature and missed some really important action. What I saw was Levi Volkert take the lead and hold first for the opening lap before he was passed by Tyler Thompson who would then drive on for the win. This race would also go nonstop and it all seemed relatively straight forward as to what was going on. 

However, when Thompson drove past victory lane and instead headed for the scales, even announcer J VAN, who was coming to interview him, seemed surprised. And to put one over on Jerry takes some doing. Apparently, somewhere during the course of the event, and since there were no yellows it must have occurred on the start, Thompson was called for a jump start and was thus docked two positions. Since there were no yellows during the race, that penalty couldn't be enforced until after the checkered flag so Thompson actually finished third. Oliver Monson was elevated to the win with Volkert being awarded second officially. And there you go. 

All racing was completed a little after 10 pm on what was a good opener for the track. They next have another Monday night race upcoming, that being late in the month of April. Thanks to Trent Chinn and everyone at the track for a good way to open the racing season in northwestern Iowa. 

Overton Tops A Wild Late Model Opener at East Moline

 The weather was fantastic on Sunday, April 14th and it was not a day that could be allowed to slip by without attending a dirt track race somewhere. However, it is still early in the game, so to speak, and not a lot of race tracks are yet open so to find some racing action on this Sunday might require a bit of a drive. 

However, that is my way of doing things when necessary so an early Sunday morning start after a late night at another track is just a way of life for me, for as they say, once you're dead you can always catch up on your sleep then!

So, six hours later, I pulled into the parking lot at the Rock Island County Fairgrounds for the 2024 season opener at the East Moline Speedway. This is one of the very first tracks I used to go to when I first started invading the Hawkeye and Illini States for additional racing action and I have many memories of attending races here very early in the year under the Bob Toland regime. The place still looks very much like it did back then from the outside but upon closer inspection, you can see that much has been done to the race track in the last couple of years to make it racier and wider for the drivers. 

2024 will mark the first full year of new promotor Chuck Hanna's tenure at East Moline as construction delays kept them from opening until a considerable part of the season last year had already been completed but they are ready to go right away this year. 

A seven class program will be presented on this Sunday which seems like quite a few classes to run and yet get the show done early which is most important on a Sunday night. However, a couple of the classes had only enough cars present to run a single heat and feature so that would help speed things a bit. IMCA classes would dominate with Hobby Stocks, Sport Mods, Mods and Late Models all running under their banner and they would be supplemented by Outlaw Street Stocks and Sport Compacts that weren't sanctioned. Oops, the Mod Lites I think were also sanctioned so correct my previous statement. Eighty three race teams would sign in for the opener including ten Mod Lites. 

Racing action would kick off about twenty minutes after the advertised starting time but that does happen on occasion on opening nights and is not an uncommon thing. However, after that, the heats races would click off very quickly and we were in good shape once intermission time was reached. 

The new racing surface has a much browner appearance than the one that used to be here and it seems like it will be a good one, once it lays down just a bit more. It seems like it will be dust free and a good one for racing on, but right now it is still a little loose and tends to roll up in the corners. So this required a complete blading of the entire track before the feature races could be started and while I didn't time it, it was indeed a long break but one that I'm sure the drivers were requesting. 

Sport Mods, the largest class in numbers on this night, would be first up for their feature race and after a very smooth heat race session, the yellow flag would get a much bigger workout in the mains as several were plagued by multiple yellow flags. The Sport Mods had a crazy start to their event with spins by the leader three straight times in turn four before a lap could be completed. Keith Wiersma, Matt Speidel and Brad Salsberry all were leaders going into turn four on the opening round of this main and all four would spin right out of the lead, triggering yellow flags for each adventure. 

Finally, C.J. Durbin would take the lead on the fourth try and maintain it for a full lap to be scored the leader. However, he pushed up the track on lap two, Logan Veloz went by him and the race was essentially over at that point. Veloz would pull away, by nearly a full straightaway and go on for the win over Jarett Franzen and Ryan Reed. 

The Street Stocks would be next and they had only a handful of cars. This truly "Outlaw" class has the local Outlaw Street Stocks, hard to find anywhere else but in the Quad Cities area, racing with Stock Cars and I guess, anything else with fenders that shows up to race. Rob Nylin would be the early leader but would soon be joined by Rob Henry in a battle for the lead. They would go side by side for the top spot until Nylin plunked the wall hard enough to slow his charge and cause him to fade back into the pack, leaving Henry to drive on for the win with Jess Owen second and Ben Hamburg third. 

Hobby Stocks would be next up with only six of them on hand to race. Still they provided plenty of action and got the crowd stirred up as well. Randy Lamar, who invokes as much crowd reaction as any driver on the grounds, would take the early lead with Daniel Wauters chasing him. A pair of spins would slow the action and as the second one flew, Lamar was also slowed as he had rolled a tire off the rim. The skinny tires on the Hobby Stocks often fall victim to these kinds of track conditions with Wauters having the same issue in his heat race. 

Wauters would inherit the lead but when Lamar came flying out of the pits with a new tire, the crowd was anxious to see what he would do in the four remaining laps. However, turn one would bite Lamar as he would hook a rut, spin and nearly flip before getting nailed by another car, thus ending his night. Wauters would go on for the win with Don Cole second and Jordan Patz third. 

The Sport Compact feature would be a breeze for Cyle  Hawkins after his main competition, Rick Zifko, left with a flat tire early. Hawkins would win by a full chute over Jason Rhoads and Drew Wise. 

A strong performance by Matt Werner would see him win by a full straightaway in the Modified main event. Jed Freiberger would take the initial lead after Jim Sandusky slid up the track and opened the door for Jed. However, no one could maintain the pace set by Werner, who moved up from the third row and would blow past Freiberger on lap four to take the lead. 

Once in front he found a smooth and fast line up high that no one could match and he would pull away in a race that would see the last seventeen laps ran under the green, a rarity on this night. Matt would build a full straightaway over the field as only six cars would finish on the lead lap. Freiberger would be well behind but would still finish a solid second while Bone Larson came back up to third after an early spin. Larson was in one of the Current cars tonight that has been rebranded to Bone's #B1 so that looks like his ride for 2024. 

The Late Model feature would be by far the wildest event of the night with plenty for the fans and teams to "discuss" after the checkered flag waved. Fifteen cars would take the green for twenty five laps and with Matt Ryan on the pole for the draw/redraw night, it might have been assumed that he would just pull away and take the win. 

However, there were plenty of fireworks that kept that from happening. Ryan would take the early lead but Mitch Morris moved into the second spot and was keeping Ryan close as he tried to get past. The leaders quickly got into lapped traffic and that made things even more exciting. Ryan made a poor choice behind one slower car and that gave Morris the chance to get beside him down the back chute. Neither driver lifted going into turn three and both went flying up the track with Ryan on the outside and he was escorted right up into the concrete wall where be knocked his deck loose and gave himself a flat tire. He and Morris divebombed each other under yellow before Ryan went tearing to the pits. He returned on foot seconds later to salute Morris as the cars circled the track under yellow. 

Morris would inherit the lead with Evan Miller second and Andy Nezworski now up to third. Slowly working his way to the front was Cody Overton. Overton, apparently in this area while working the WoO Late Model series plus other upcoming events, was driving the car of promoter Hanna on this night and as a veteran of crate Late Model racing, was fitting right in with the action. Soon he would find himself right in the middle of the biggest "pot boiler" of the night. 

Morris would continue to hold the lead and would appear to be home free until a late yellow changed things. This gave Overton the chance to be right up behind the leader and when the green flew, Cody threw a ridiculous slider at Morris in turn one but one that Mitch was able to cross over to the roar of the crowd. Overton then backed up to try it again and on the last lap, he again sprang at Morris in turn one. This slider was a more controlled one and Morris didn't react quite quickly enough and had to tap the brakes. That allowed Overton to get beside him and as they raced down the back chute on the final lap, they banged together with Morris sliding down into the infield. He tried to barrel through the infield and get back to attempt his own slider but he lost control and ended up sliding in a cloud of dust to a near halt as Overton crossed the line while the crowd went wild. Nezworski would avoid all the craziness and drive home second with Jesse Bodin third while Morris crept across the line to finish eighth. 

I'm not sure that I liked all that happened on the final lap but some would also say it was Karma for what happened to Ryan at Morris' hand earlier in the event. For sure Overton did a good job at stirring up the crowd and likely sold some tickets for next week's show and the MARS Series event the following week. Either way, the fans passing out the gates were buzzing and for promoter Hanna, that is good news indeed. The final checkered waved at around 9:30 pm as East Moline upheld that old tradition as a bit of a wild and crazy Sunday night track. Thanks to Hanna and his crew for a good time and good to see Kevin Feller again at one of the three or four tracks he still scores at.   

 

Carter and Braaksma Continue Hot Streak at Boone Frostbuster Finale

 With a dismal weather forecast for Sunday and battling wet conditions, the Benton County Speedway Bullring in Vinton had already cancelled the finale for the annual IMCA Frostbuster series in central Iowa. Thus, the Saturday night show at the historic Boone Speedway would be the third and final leg of the, what turned out to be a three night series this year. And the cradle of IMCA racing did not disappoint as one hundred and eighty seven drivers signed in to race for the early start show on Saturday and that was in just four classes of competition. 

Racing action would see a couple of drivers continue their early season hot streaks as both Brayton Carter and Ethan Braaksma would again find victory lane, dominating the open wheel classes. Other winners in hard fought events would include "Hot" Rod Williams in the Stock Cars and with a last lap pass, Mike Smith in the Hobby Stocks. 

For the third straight night it was a tremendous field of drivers in all four classes and just like the previous two nights, the program would be run of in a spectacularly efficient manner, starting right at the advertised time and barreling through the program quickly and that was a good thing as it , while not as cold as the previous two nights, was extraordinarily windy which made it very uncomfortable with the only blessing being that the wind at least kind of came from the back into the main grandstands. 

The weather folks had predicted t-storms by between 9 pm and 10 pm and sure enough, the last two feature races were run off with lightning bolts flashing in the western skies. 

With such a large field of drivers on hand, the number of qualifying events just to make the mains was staggering with there actually being thirty preliminary events completed in order to  establish the starting fields for the four main events. For a place such as Boone that routinely draws huge fields of cars for their weekly shows and the fans are used to seeing this kind of precision, it perhaps is not such a big deal. However, for me, coming from an area where the car counts are not quite so spectacular and the track operators perhaps guilty of moving just a bit slower, it is so satisfying to watch such precision track operation. And most of the tracks in my area just don't have the equipment to freshen the tracks at the lightning speed they do here. Amazing to me on Saturday was the fact that twenty two heat races were a part of the program but in those twenty two events, the yellow flag was forced to be used only five times! That is remarkable. Especially considering how hard everyone just drive just to qualify for a main event. 

Track prep came after the heats and then again after the eight B Features but with them able to do so in such a quick fashion, the breaks are not long and justly needed by some. 

The Sport Mod feature would be first up and with a favorable redraw, Brayton Carter would start on the outside pole and would eventually lead from start to finish. However, the win was not quite as easy as that may sound as he received a stiff challenge from Taylor Kuehl who he was not able to shake throughout the race. 

As Carter took the lead with Kuehl following him closely, an excellent battle for third would find Alec Fett, Cole Suckow and Dustin Lynch racing hard for position. Carter was eventually able to put a few lengths on Kuehl as the race continued to run under the green. However, with just four laps to go, debris was spotted and the yellow waved which of course bunched the field. 

Carter would again take the lead but Kuehl and Fett would battle for position with Taylor winning out again. Carter was starting to slip a bit in turn four and Kuehl was making things interesting as she poked a nose to the low side of the track. Just as the leaders took the white flag, a big tangle occurred that triggering the yellow once more and set a two lap sprint to the line. 

Carter would maintain his line against the challenge of Kuehl and while she was able to challenge low off turn four, Carter would drive home for the win by a car length with Suckow moving up to third. Geoff Olson would make a late rush for fourth ahead of Fett. 

Rod Richards would start from the pole for the Stock Car feature and twenty five laps later, he would arrive in victory lane. But again, it was much tougher than it might sound as he had drivers nipping on his rear bumper throughout the race and at the end, had to fight off a severe challenge from Devin Smith to hold on for the win. 

The Stock Cars migrated to the low groove for their race as they fought hammer and tongs to drive inside each other off the corners. Richards was frequently up on three wheels as he set for the chutes with cars looking to get under him. Mike Goldsberry was particularly insistent as he moved up from seventh to race into the second spot by the half point of the race. The exception was Smith, who started thirteenth and decided to try the higher line which he made work as he charged to the front. By the halfway point of the race, he was up to third and still moving forward. 

He got past Goldsberry for second and then set his sights on leader Richards. Lap after lap he would race off the cushion in turn two but just not be able to clear Richards and then fall back in line behind him on the other end of the track. 

This race would go nonstop for twenty laps before debris was again spotted and the yellow would wave. One lap later another yellow slowed the action and then it was a four lap sprint. The final thrust to the finish would see Smith forsake the cushion and instead try to slip under Richards coming off the corners. The field would get scrambled with Troy Jerovetz, running in the top five. would slow in the midst of heavy traffic with cars going in all directions but the green remaining out. 

Smith would nearly get inside Richards in turn two on the final lap but Devin couldn't quite get the run he needed while Rod remained rock solid in the low groove and he would cross the finish line with Smith tailing him closely. The wild scramble in the last laps would see Buck Schafroth, Josh Daniels and Ty Hill complete the top five. 

The Modified feature would be an interesting contest that would see drivers working various lines on the track to find success. Jerry Flippo would start on the pole and lead the first nine laps with Todd Shute and Braaksma chasing him closely. Braaksma would fine the high side to his liking as he closed on the leader but then Shute decided he better get up top too and that temporarily slowed Braaksma's charge. 

So many debris yellows today and another on lap seven would bunch the field. The restart would see a huge wad of cars on the front chute with Jed Freiburger pushed over on to his roof. No injuries resulted but several cars were eliminated from the race.

 Shute would opt for the top side of the track and Braaksma would make the move of the race down the front chute when he would clear Shute for second and then drive to the top where he would pass Flippo on lap ten for the lead. Once in front, Braaksma was gone as he opened up some distance over the pack and withstood one more debris yellow before he was able to drive on for the win. 

Dylan Thornton would make a strong drive from twelfth to take over the second spot from Shute as Thornton was probably the only other driver to work the cushion with as much success as Ethan. Trevor Fitz would finish fourth and Izac Mallicoat would round out the top five. 

The biggest field of drivers were in the Hobby Stocks and they would produce the closest finish of the night. Twenty four of them would go for twenty laps and this race would be stopped only once for the yellow flag.  Logan Andrews would start on the pole and lead the opening lap before he was overtaken one lap later by Eric Knutson who would then lead the vast majority of the race. 

Knutson would have John Watson all over him as again, the Hobby Stocks would primarily race the low groove and be digging on each other in the corners. The main exception was Mike Smith who took to the cushion as he moved up from the fourth row. He would be up to third by the halfway point of the race with Bradly Graham and Seth Janssen close behind. 

A spin on lap fourteen would be the only slowdown of the event and Smith, setting on the outside, would drive past Watson for second once racing continued. Smith would power high through turns one and two and try to gain momentum and then drop low behind Knutson on the West end of the track. And slowly but surely, it started t work as he gained inches and then feet on the leader. 

When the white flag flew, he was side by side with Knutson and then was able to overpower him down the back chute and clear him for the lead. Knutson made a move low in turn three but Smith had him blocked and Mike would then drive on for the close and exciting win. Knutson would have to settle for second with Watson, Janssen and Sean Butler following. 

With the lightning flashing to the West, the final checkered waved just at 9 pm on what was a good racing program. For the third straight night there was top notch racing as some very interesting short track and racing at its finest. 

Want to see lots of race cars? Then you need to attend the Frostbusters events. In just three nights of racing for the events this year, two hundred and seventy three different teams competed over the three nights. That, my friends, is a lot of race cars. I want to thank the management and workers at all three tracks who put in long hours under less than ideal conditions  to provide good racing surfaces and well run programs. It was a very good weekend of racing for yours truly and I enjoyed it . 

Murty's Go One, Two at Marshalltown Frostbuster Extravaganza

 The H & H Tiling, Dozing and Excavating Frostbuster special was quite the way to open the 2024 racing season at the Marshalltown Speedway. Despite the fact that it was another cold and windy early April day, the Frostbuster drew a large crowd of tough race fans but what they saw would kept them warm throughout a long evening and into Saturday morning of racing. 

A gigantic field of two hundred and twelve race cars signed in to race on Friday including a division high fifty six Hobby Stocks along with nearly at or above forty in the other four classes. They would see a total of thirty six races including one hundred and twenty two laps of feature racing alone. And at the end, it would be the Murty family that would have the largest bragging rights, having gone one, two in the Stock Car feature race. Other winners would include Brayton Carter, Tom Berry Jr, Bradly Graham and Mitchell Bunch. 

When the race cars started rolling into the pits, they just didn't stop coming and virtually every inch of the Marshalltown Speedway pit area plus the South overall parking lot was packed with race cars from near and far. Just directing traffic into and out of the pit entrance was a job in itself as some of the racers were parked so far away from the track that they probably couldn't even hear the race noise with the winds sweeping the sound away from them. Nevertheless, everybody, including the drivers and crews plus all the hard working track officials did a great job of keeping the show moving and except for one delay when the ambulance was needed, there was hardly a break all night. Victory lane interviews and pictures were even delayed until the show was completed in the name of saving time on this cold night. 

With B Features needed for all five classes, just making the mains was a task in of itself and many good drivers were left to spectate come feature time. The draw for the heats was critical and trying to race from the back of a heat into a qualifying position was a tall order. The running order Friday saw the big iron, wide tire cars start the program right off, perhaps a plan to keep the fresh dirt from rolling up. If that was the plan, it worked to a "T" as the track stayed smooth and wide all night. It got slick early but drivers were all over the surface, producing much spectacular racing. I swear, I can't think of any track anywhere that produces so much three and four wide racing yet keeps the wrecks to a minimum. Of course, the one spin rule continues to be a blessing for the fans, as it certainly helps keep the show moving and one strategy I wish I could convince my area tracks to try. 

Racing would start about twenty minutes behind the posted schedule but that was primarily just because it took quite a length of time to hot lap all cars and for a special like this where many drivers were making their first starts of the year and quite a few their first trip ever to Marshalltown, it was almost a requirement. I continue to believe that hot laps are over rated but on this night they were almost a necessity. 

Thirty one races later after the first green flag dropped, it was time to roll out the first feature race and we started right out with the Stock Cars. And the entire field put on a dazzling performance, going green to checkers for thirty two laps without a single yellow flag! The twenty four car field would take the green with Jimmy Gustin, in a Stock Car this year, moving into the early lead. However, it would not be many laps before he was challenged for that top spot by Damon Murty who had started in the second row. My report will not be too detailed tonight because, in one shortcoming, the scoreboard went dark before the program was half over and could not be fired back to life, so we were "winging it" when it came to counting laps. 

Murty would stalk Gustin for a few laps before he would drive by on the back chute to take over the lead. And with no yellows to slow his march and bunch the field up, he would drive off to a full straightaway lead over the pack. However, that is not to say that there still weren't some great battles and drivers that made big advances through the field. Dallon Murty start tenth but he was on the move early and fought his way up to second by the two third mark of the feature but then he stalled as he could gain no more ground on his father. 

Also putting on a great show was Iowa legend Kelly Shryock who started seventeenth and really picked up the pace as the event wore on. He was using the low groove as he mostly does these days, but near the end he was picking off a car a lap as he got to third in the late going and was pressing Gustin as the checkered flew. Garrett Corn would complete the top five. 

It looks like it might be another banner year for Brayton Carter who has started off his racing season with several strong results including a weekend sweep in southern Iowa last weekend. On Friday he would start seventh in the Sport Mod main but would top several other strong running teams to get the win. Brayden Ahlers and Drake Bohlmeyer would battle in the early going of this race with Kyle and Tony Olson along with Carter moving toward the front. Carter would find a line around the track that allowed him to drive very deep into the corners and he would simply steal spots but beating other drivers back to the chutes. 

Carter would use another turn three dive to take over the lead and once in front, he would pull away from a stout field. Tony Olson would move into second and try to chase down the leader but their margin would remain static until a late yellow would set up a five lap dash to the finish. This would be no problem for Carter who would again pull away but it proved problematic for Olson, who let Ahlers get back past him for second. They would have a tough battle for runner up honors but Ahlers would hold on for the spot. Tyler Nerud would come from fourteenth to finish fourth, ahead of Bohlmeyer. 

Tom Berry Jr would be the only driver to win a main event while starting the race from the front row as he would start on the outside pole for the Modified main and lead all thirty laps for the win. Jake McBurnie and Jerry Flippo would chase early. Two contenders would have trouble with both Dylan Thornton and Todd Shute going to the tail but fighting their way back into contention before the race was over. 

Berry Jr was comfortably out front but eyes were on Ethan Braaksma, who started eighth and worked his way into the runner up slot. He would then push for the lead to keep his hot streak going but Berry Jr was up to the task. There was even a late yellow when Trevor, who was having a good run, was dumped on the front chute, setting up a six lap dash. Braaksma gave it his all and did get close but then Berry Jr gradually pulled away again as he was clearly the class of the field on this night. Braaksma would have to settle for second with McBurnie third. Thornton came all the way back up to fourth from the rear and Tripp Gaylord would complete the top five. 

It has been a great weekend for Bradly Graham as after winning at Stuart on Thursday night, he came right back to top a huge field of Hobby Stocks and win for the second night in a row. He would start eighth in the pack but move through the field quickly up to second. He might have had trouble with Calvin Dhondt who was the leader by a goodly margin except for the fact that Dhondt bobbled and then spun by himself in turn two seven laps into the race, handing the lead over to Graham. 

From there, Bradly would lead the rest of the way, pulling out to a nice sized advantage until another of those late race yellows would fly with just two laps to go. It was a mad scramble after that, with Graham safely in front but going to the finish line, drivers were all over each other trying to gain positions and at least a couple went airborne over other cars in their haste to get to the front. Dillon Richards would top the scramble to claim second with Sean Butler coming from twelfth to get third. 

Twenty two cars would take the green for the Sport Compact feature to complete a long evening of racing. Things would get wild on the first lap as cars came together and Curtin Masterson would battle roll over the property down the back chute. He was OK and the race would restart from the beginning. Jake Paysen, Anthony Clark, Oliver Monson and Mitchell Bunch would have an excellent four car battle for the lead, swapping spots and running tight in formation. Monson would take over the lead but the others were still close behind. 

Bunch was able to get to the low side of the track and slide up in front of Monson to take over the lead as after the opening lap wreck, this race would also go nonstop. They were tight for the whole race but Bunch would hold off Monson and Clark to take the win. 

By the time the final checkered flag would wave only the tough ones were left in the grandstand and it was just about 12:30 am in the morning with the temperatures having dropped into the forties. . It was a long night of racing for sure and we were very near that point when the car count was too much of a good thing but having too many cars is a nice problem for any promoter to have. 

I have to make special mention of the race track on this night. It took a severe pounding from hundreds of race cars and who knows how many laps but it held up spectacularly. It remained smooth and fast, was wide and dust free. And with all that being said, once the first green flag dropped, they never touched the track after that point! That to me is bordering on amazing. Oh if I could only see that more often. 

Thanks as always to JVan and his crew for a memorable night at the races, my first of what will likely be multiple trips to the Central Iowa Fairgrounds this year.

Braaksma Continues On Hot Streak; Tops Frostbuster Opener at Stuart

 We have turned the calendar to the month of April, even though in recent days it has felt nothing like April except for the wind. However, one of the traditional series and likely always the first one of the year in the Midwest is the annual Frostbuster series for IMCA divisions, typically held on five straight nights at Central Iowa race tracks. And like recent years, the series has been a victim of the weather. This year both the opener at Independence and the finale at Vinton have fallen victim to the elements but all are hopeful that we can get at least three races of the series completed. 

So, with that being said, the opener was backed up one day to Thursday and we all assembled at Mike Van Genderen's Stuart International Speedway in Stuart for the lid lifter of the series. 

IMCA drivers in five divisions would be in action with everything from the Sport Compacts to the Modifieds in racing action and despite the shortened series, there were drivers on hand from a number of states with even the "support classes" seeing some drivers tow many hundreds of miles to race this weekend. 

At the end of the night, five drivers would find themselves in victory lane, highlighted by yet another win in this early season for Ethan Braaksma, who has been tearing things up this year where ever he has been racing and with his win on this night, he would be up to seven feature wins already this year. Other winners would include Kaden Murray, Tyler Inman, Austin Bouzek and Bradly Graham. 

I had no idea just how many racers would show up for this event, given the fact that it is still very early in the Midwestern racing season and many drivers simply don't have their cars ready yet. So when the pits were slow to fill, I was not too surprised but they we had a late rush as the local drivers, who had to likely put in an eight hour work day before flying over here, pushed the car count up over one hundred. In fact, there were exactly one hundred and two drivers that signed in to race with another fourteen of the Outlaw Mini Mods that race here most weeks also on hand. The Stock Cars would see the biggest field with twenty seven of them on hand and they would require the only B Feature of the night. 

MVG had the track in fine early season shape and despite the fact that it would show just a bit of character in the corners as the evening progressed, it was a fine track for opening night and as usual here, drivers were racing all over the track with the back straight dirt bank seeming to have quite a bit of magnetic force on this night as several tried to ride it without much success. There was a stiff North breeze blowing directly into the grand stands but even with that, there was little dust as is the usual case here. 

As is the norm here, and I must say expected here, we would see a quick Thursday night racing program with the first heat hitting the track  at 7:17 pm and virtually nonstop racing after that. One very quick break of just a few minutes to touch up the corners ensued and after that, it was right into the main events and by this time, mercifully, the wind had finally started to lay down, just as predicted by meteorologist and announcer Tony Paris. 

The Sport Compacts were up first for their feature event and they pleased the crowd no end  by going nonstop for fourteen laps to crown our first Frostbuster champion of the night. Kaden Murray would start on the outside pole and he would lead from start to finish to take the win. He would build up nearly a full straightaway lead at one point over Blain Peterson but the show was put on by Jake Paysen. 

He would start tenth on the grid, be up to third by the halfway point and then take over the runner up slot and try to track down leader Murray. This would be the only part of his charge that would fail as Murray had too big a lead and while Paysen would narrow it up some, it would still be an easy win for Murray, who we were informed is the flagman at Beatrice Speedway in Nebraska as well as being a pretty good Sport Compact driver. Paysen would settle for second with Bryan Vannausdle third. 

The Sport Mod feature would not come off quite as smoothly with four yellows to slow its run over twenty laps but again, we would see one driver lead all laps. Tyler Inman, again behind the wheel of the Vandenburg #7v, would start on the pole and after an early battle with Hunter Longnecker, would establish himself as the early leader with Alec Fett, Cam Reimers and Taylor Kuehl chasing. Two more yellows in the first half of the race would keep the field bunched and the battle for second and on back was very good, with drivers swapping positions readily. 

Fett would move into second and try to track down Inman, but Tyler remained had to catch. Almost without note from the crowd, Brayton Carter was charging up through the field by this point after starting twelfth on the redraw. He was passing cars both high and low but had a very long way to go. 

With just six laps to go, the final yellow waved for debris on the track and Carter had worked his way into the top five. But he would do much more in those final six laps. Inman was gone, but those behind him would see the #01 car slip past them with his final pass being on Reimers for second with just over a lap to go. But he would be too far removed to challenge the leader and Inman would drive home for the win. 

The Stock Cars would go twenty laps and it would be Missouri's Austin Bouzek that would lead from start to finish and while that sounds kind of boring, it actually was a good race. Bouzek would separate himself from the pack early but Austin Meiners was the one driver that could stay with him while they gapped the rest of the field. 

But there was a great battle for third with at least a half dozen cars battling and often running three wide on the track.  But just as Meiners looked like he might be a challenger, he suddenly slowed on the back chute and was done. The restart was a bad one though, with a multi car tangle following the dropping of the green in turn one and several contenders were knocked out of the contest. 

This would put Buck Schafroth into second and he tried to pressure Bouzek for the lead, working the inside line. Meanwhile, Bryan Snell was having a whale of a run as he pounded the cushion to stay with the leaders. Schafroth would try his best to get under Bouzek for the lead but Austin would maintain his line and score a narrow win with Snell driving an excellent race to finish third. 

The sixteen lap Hobby Stock feature would see Bradly Graham lead the entire contest but he was pushed the entire distance by John Watson who would get close on several occasions. This race was restarted twice before a lap could be completed and then they ran green to checkers. Graham and Watson started on the front row and they would settle the contest themselves. 

The only driver that would move up substantially was Kansas driver Cody Williams. He would start ninth and drive up to third by the halfway point of the race but with no yellows to assist him, he was simply too far back to catch up to the flying pair of leaders. 

Watson tried hard but he just couldn't catch the leader and Graham would drive on for the win while "Meatloaf" would settle for third. 

The Modified drivers would have a tough time of it in their main with many more yellows than any of the other classes. In fact, the yellow flew eight times during their twenty lapper, most often for minor one car spins. Through it all, Braaksma would hold court, leading all laps. 

Lap six was an especially tough one with the yellow waving four times before another lap could be completed. And interestingly, two of the drivers that would be right in the hunt at the end both had to go tail back on this lap after separate spins. Both Dylan Thornton and Todd Shute were running well until they had to make a trip to the tail but both were able, no doubt in part aided by all the yellows, to work their way back up toward the front. 

While Braaksma maintained his patience and made no mistakes with all the slow downs, he was able to drive on to victory lane as Thornton managed to get all the way back up to second with Dallon Murty finishing third. 

As I look back on my notes, I see that all five feature winners started on the front row of their respective races and led all laps of their mains. And while that sounds like it might be the product of a boring night of racing, actually it seemed like anything but to me. And while there wasn't always a big battle for first, there seemed to be always plenty of battles for position and much close and side by side racing and pack style racing doesn't get much more exciting than that produced at Stuart. 

The final checkered flag waved just at 10 pm, perfect for a weekend night event, especially with the cool conditions. However, if you dressed for the weather, it really wasn't too bad. And a surprisingly good crowd was on hand, giving the weekend night and the weather as it appears mid Iowa race fans are ready for some racing action. Stuart's next event is on April 17th when they present a Stock Car special as a part of their program. 

  

Thornton Jr. Earns Twenty G's at Nippy 50

 Saturday night, March 30th, the Nippy 50 was held at the Maquoketa Speedway in Maquoketa Iowa. In a spirited fifty lap main event for the Late Models, it would be Ricky Thornton Jr that would step forward to stop the march of Bobby Pierce and take home the check for twenty thousand dollars in this high paying event presented by Hoker Promotions and Darkside Promotions at the Jackson County Fairgrounds. 

The IMCA Modifieds and Sport Mods would also race on Saturday night with Dylan Thornton and Jarett Franzen topping those main events. Both of these races were also extra money paying events with Thorton taking home twenty five hundred dollars for his thirty lap run and Franzen earning sixteen hundred dollars for his Sport Mod win. 

The second night of this two race weekend would produce another good night of racing with the track being in excellent shape to provide side by side racing. Overnight storms on Friday were said to have delivered around a half inch of moisture to the area and required the track prep crew to put in more hours and time than perhaps would have been otherwise necessary and I know that they were working the track constantly from the time I got there with many hours prior to that in addition. The track responded differently than it did the night before with the groove an ever changing thing but that is good, not bad, for a dirt track and that just adds to the show the drivers can put on. 

One thing that I noted from the Friday night show but somehow failed to mention was the unusual restart procedure used by the Late Models this weekend. For all restarts in all races this weekend run by the Late Models, the restarts were all side by side with the front two cars lining up beside each other with the leader selecting either the inside or outside. This is obviously different than the normal "Delaware" restarts we have grown used to seeing and it took until after the races on Saturday to get some clarity on why this was being done. 

According to Dustin Jarrett of Flo Racing and one of the track announcers this weekend, they were told prior to the event that restarts would be done in this manner by the track promoters for the event as they were apparently trying to duplicate what is done for racing events at Eldora where this method is also used. There was no other explanation given and I didn't really see where it made any difference in the action proceedings of the race. Interesting though was the fact that this was done just for the Late Models with the Modifieds and Sport Mods using the procedures that we are more accustomed to seeing employed. 

Twenty five of the twenty six Late Models that raced on Friday night returned for the Saturday night show. Daniel Adam switched motors as a precaution after his engine fire on Friday night and Joel Callahan failed to return on Saturday. Because there were only twenty five cars, track management opted to start all cars in the main event and thus paid out another two grand so everyone that was on hand would get to run the main. 

It still remains quite the puzzle that with a twenty thousand dollar to win and two grand just to start race that only twenty five cars would be on hand to race when it was easy to identify at least a dozen more car within a couple hours drive of this track that weren't here for whatever reason. The promoters especially put together a large paying show that wasn't too top heavy just to appeal to these racers and then they largely turned their back on the show. They truly had every right to be upset with the turnout and say they wouldn't stick their neck out again but luckily for the fans that would get to enjoy this show and the racers on hand, they announced that this race would return again in 2025, to be held on March 28-29 with hopefully better support from the racers. I would wager that for at least half the field racing tonight, the two thousand dollar just to start money might be more than they might earn for any other race for the rest of the season! So for those that chose to stay home, they were the ones missing out. 

Pierce was again quick timer, using the big cushion early in the time trial session to turn a lap three tenth of a second quicker than anyone else and early on it appeared that he would dominate once again but on this night he didn't race quite as well as he qualified and there were others that would be able to beat him.

After beating Pierce in the first heat race, Thornton Jr would start on the pole and he would get the early with Pierce and Ryan Gustin battling for the second spot. The race was a clean one with only two yellow flags, the first of which flew with just four laps completed. Thornton Jr. would pull away slightly with Gustin and Pierce still fighting for second. Pierce would take that spot and then pull in on Thornton Jr and the best racing of this event would see these two throw big sliders at each other as they swapped the lead back and forth several times, even though Thornton Jr would continue to lead as they crossed the finish line. 

The second stoppage would come just at the halfway point when Ryan Unzicker got a flat tire and stalled. Thornton Jr would then begin to show his dominance as he would put some distance on the field with Gustin coming back to pass Pierce for second and then trying to track down the leader. Thornton Jr was running an interesting line as he was moving around on the track, trying to find the most speed while apparently not totally comfortable with his groove. And although Gustin pushed hard, he was never able to narrow up the distance significantly, even as Thornton Jr. fought through traffic as the last twenty five laps of the race would spin off nonstop. 

At the finish, Thornton Jr would have a pair of lapped cars between himself and second place Gustin. Interesting that Thornton Jr would report that he switched cars for the Saturday show in a search for more speed after Friday night's somewhat lackluster performance. Speaking of lackluster early performances, Brandon Sheppard timed in terrible on Saturday and spent the rest of the night trying to dig out of the hole he had created for himself but he was much better in the feature working the low groove and on the last corner, snuck under Pierce to finish third and keep Bobby off the podium. 

A very nice field of thirty IMCA Modifieds would sign in for the Saturday night show and their main was a good one. Friday night winner Spencer Diercks would draw the pole and early on it seemed likely that he might sweep the weekend as he took the initial lead with Brandon Schmitt and Jeremiah Hurst chasing him. Dylan Thornton started eighth and he was one of the few to use the top side of the track and he immediately made it work, pulling into the fourth spot by the time the first yellow waved with eight laps complete. 

Schmitt suffered bad luck as his car stalled under that yellow and the second place running car was done which allowed everyone to move up. Following the restart, Thornton was again able to get back up on the cushion and he would blow past Diercks on lap eleven to take over the lead. By the halfway point, Thornton had built up a few car lengths on Diercks and Scott Lemke who was having a great run in third. 

The second and final yellow on lap eighteen would be dramatic. Thornton, seemingly comfortably in front, would completely blow the first corner on the green, flying high and nearly going over the banking. Suddenly the race was a three wide battle for the lead with Diercks and Cody Laney, who had moved up from the eleventh starting spot, a player. As Thornton fought to get his spot back, Laney would take over the lead and for the next three laps, these two would battle side by side for the top spot. 

Thornton was really strong on the cushion though, and gradually he would ease his way back past Laney using the banking and would move back in front  on lap twenty one. Laney would continue to press but Thornton would not shoot himself in the foot again, keeping his car on the cushion but not over it and he would drive on for the win over Laney and Lemke. 

Sport Mods were a late addition to the program this week, and I wasn't even aware they were racing until I found out on Friday night. However, sixteen drivers knew what I didn't and they signed in on Saturday with sponsors boosting the purse and making it sixteen hundred bucks to win, a very nice top prize. Before the race there was drama as outside row one starter Justin Becker had problems and pulled off the track before the green even waved. This was significant as it moved hometown driver Jarett Franzen to the outside pole , a position that he used to take the early lead and then go on for the win. 

Track officials made their one mistake of the weekend in this race, the first after significant track work following the preliminaries. They sent the field off under the green when the track wasn't ready and the resulting slippery conditions triggered a multi car pileup before a lap could be completed. 

With some more laps under yellow, things were better for the second attempt and Franzen would blast into the lead with Logan Veloz chasing. Franzen was quick though, and Veloz wasn't able to cut into his margin. 

The event got stuck with thirteen laps completed when a minor spin slowed things but then it got worse on the next attempted restart. There was a great battle for third going on but on the restart, Austin Stamm got sideways and collected Bob Silaggi and Colton See. See got a push from the pack behind him and actually shoved him over into a slow rollover, if there is such a thing. All three cars were eliminated which changed things up considerably. 

The wreck clean up also took much time and with the race curfew hitting, there would be a green, white and checkered finish. Again Franzen was not to be challenged and he pulled away for an easy win while Veloz and Shane Paris had a spirited fight for second. Paris almost found himself off the back chute on the final lap and he was lucky to salvage the third spot behind Veloz and they did a bit of bumping and grinding after the checkered as clearly not all were pleased. 

It was another smooth production from Darkside with the whole program being completed in three hours and the final checkered waving at just about 9:30 pm. A much larger crowd was on hand on Saturday which had to have pleased them and I believe both the racers and fans were happy with what they saw. 

Thanks to Darkside and Hoker Promotions for their help with this race which has the makings to be in the future one of the looked forward to events in the state of Iowa. Darkside has little time to relax and they are promoting a two night show this coming weekend at the Cedar County Speedway in Tipton, another favorite track for short track fans in Iowa. 

Pierce and Diercks Top Friday Night Maquoketa Opener

 Rio Grande Waste Services Inc, along with Hoker Promotions and Darkside Promotions and with Ricky Kay Promotions doing much of the track work, all came together in concert to promote the Nippy 50 for Super Late Models at the Maquoketa Speedway right in town in Maquoketa Iowa. Friday night would be the preliminary event to the Nippy 50 but it was certainly more than just a "chump change" event as the Friday night event for the Late Models would pay ten grand to win with a thousand bucks just to start. The biggest money would come on Saturday night when the top prize, along with the start money, would be doubled. 

And after some fine weather of late, if the Saturday night show should be called the Nippy 50, than the Friday night show should be called the "More than Nippy 40" as it was a cold night in eastern Iowa. Particularly the wind made it miserable with it howling at high speed right out of the East, in preparation for the storms that would later threaten the proceedings. 

This program was designed for efficiency with just two classes in action as the Late Models would be joined by the IMCA Modifieds in a full program also but with just the two classes racing, it should have been a quick show and indeed, that is just what happened. That was a good thing too, as the racing action would be able to be completed even as the skies flickered and the clouds grumbled around us. 

An all start team was on hand to call the action with Ben Shelton and Dustin Jarrett calling the races along with Iowa's own "Big Boy" reporting from the infield while also doing the Modified call. Unfortunately, opening night gremlins struck the sound system which cut out just as the National Anthem was about to be played and that part of the program had to be eliminated. Big Boy would call the opening races while they got the sound back working for the other duo, situated on the roof. 

The Maquoketa Speedway certainly has undergone quite a revival in recent years, thanks to the Jackson County Fair Board as it certainly looks nothing like the facility I remember from my first visit here quite a few years ago. In fact, the last time I was here, they were literally assembling the new grandstand in turn one even as the racing took place that night. Now they have plenty of seating to host big races like this and with the pits moved to the back chute, good lighting and sound(when it works) along with a nice stage for music and such, it certainly meets all the criteria needed to hold big events, such as this weekend's show. 

While I did not get to speak to either of the Darkside gentlemen, I did speak with both Shelton and Jarrett who did much of the legwork in lining up the Super Late Model drivers for this event and they were both extremely disappointed in the car count as only twenty six drivers signed in to race for the twenty grand that will be on the line Saturday. Of course, with this being two separate events, it would still be possible for someone to roll in and race Saturday without penalty but the likelihood of that happening is small. They were as disappointed as anyone and some of the adjectives they used to describe some of the Late Model drivers can't be repeated here. However, we were all in agreement that while the number of drivers on hand wasn't up to par, there were still plenty of top not drivers on hand that would put on a good show. But still, in this day and age, we want not only quality but quantity as well. 

Much of the talk through the afternoon was about the weather and folks were continuously checking their phones for updates and radar. The chance of storms would increase dramatically as the evening would wear on and track officials were keen to this and promised a fast show. Darkside normally puts on some of the quickest shows that I have been to so I was not worried that they would do their best. 

The program was altered to get the Late Models on the track first and both the driver's meeting and hot laps were moved up. Qualifying went quickly and the first heat hit the track at 6:57 pm. It was just one group for qualifying with Brian Shirley, who qualified right in the middle of the field, turning the best lap at 13.382 seconds. With only twenty six cars, the program was altered to just three heats and a B Feature and ultimately, there were only two drivers that didn't make the main. 

The Late Model feature would be first with drivers starting straight up off the heats. Shirley would start on the pole and get the early lead over Cody Overton with the first yellow waving after just four laps when Brian Harris looped in turn two. Bobby Pierce would be up to third with Ryan Gustin and Tyler Erb next in line. Shirley would continue to lead as the green returned with Overton under the gun from Pierce for second with Gustin close behind. 

A second yellow would slow the field as Erb broke and was out of the show, moving Ricky Thornton Jr into the top five. Another short burst of racing would see the field complete another four laps before Todd Cooney went for a spin with Pierce and Gustin now putting Overton behind them. 

The final twenty seven laps would go nonstop, as the lightning flickered with the storm just skirting by on the North side of the Fairgrounds. Pierce was all over Shirley for the lead as Bobby turned up the heat and on lap sixteen , Pierce would drive around the outside of Shirley in turn four to take over the top spot. 

Pierce would then steadily pull away with lapped traffic not a problem for him as he would lengthen his advantage to most of a straightaway. As the laps ground off, Shirley would start to slow a bit with Gustin and a charging Brandon Sheppard closing on him. Then Garrett Alberson would pick up the pace and get into the mix too with both Sheppard and Thornton Jr starting to slide back. Pierce would have no issues nor challenges as he would drive on for the win easily. Gustin would make a late race pass for second with Shirley holding on for third with Alberson challenging while Sheppard would round out the top five. Ten cars would finish on the lead lap with nine not around at the finish of the twenty four car field where you had to race your way into the show with no provisional starters granted. 

The IMCA Modified field would number twenty eight for this event with several "Cheese heads" joining the field along with several Illinois drivers and Mitchell Hunt who came all the way from Michigan to race with the Iowa drivers. The Modified format would be the same as the Late Models with three heats with the biggest difference being the Modifieds would draw for their starting positions and redraw for the feature, thus making the result much harder to predict. 

We would see an excellent Modified feature with the final result not determined until the final lap with the race itself would have only a single yellow flag to slow the action. Jacob Snyder would start on the pole but it would be Spencer Diercks, jumping out of his Late Model and into the Modified, that would be the early leader. The two Darkside cars of Bone Larson and Jacob Hobscheidt would be in chase of the leader. 

The lone yellow would fly with eight laps complete when Jayden Schmidt would fly off turn four and the field would be bunched with Jeremy Mills cracking the top five at this point. Diercks would be working the high side of the track and he would continue to lead with the two #12t cars really battling each other for second. Hobscheidt would eventually get the better of Larson, taking second and then gradually moving in on Diercks. 

Hobscheidt would make the low lane work and he would pull up beside Diercks, edging past on lap seventeen to be scored the leader. However, Diercks would not give up and would continue to pound the cushion, running side by side with Hobscheidt in a pleasing battle for the lead. On lap twenty two, Diercks would get a great run off turn four and would edge back in front but Hobscheidt would continue to run right with him. 

Hobscheidt would run the low side while Diercks would peddle up top and it would come right down to the finish. They were still side by side on the final lap but Hobscheidt was held up as two slower cars at the back of the pack were both running in the lower groove and he lad to lift. Diercks would find room up on the banking and would drive through the cluster, gaining time and coming home the winner. Hobscheidt would settle for second with Larson third. Consistent runs would net Mills and Snyder top five finishes. Only three cars would fail to finish the race. 

As the lightning continued to flicker, the final checkered flag waved at 8:53 pm. In response to the threatening weather and cold night, all the track officials did a fantastic job of running off a very quick program with the cooperation of the drivers. The whole show, from first green to final checkers, was completed in one hour and fifty six minutes! With very quick shows having been run the last two weekends, I'm going to get spoiled and the next time I run into one of the normal style, drag 'em out events that are too common, it will really seem like a stinker. The crowd was a very late arriving one, which I suppose is expected on a threatening looking Friday night, but hopefully there will be many more in the stands on Saturday for the finale.