After not having seen many of these same drivers all Spring, I caught much of the same group of racers twice within three days having followed up my Saturday night sprint to Britt Iowa (Hancock Co. Speedway) with a Tuesday night run to the Clay Co. Fairgrounds Speedway in Spencer Iowa.
On tap Tuesday was a special midweek show at the famed Clay Co. Fairgrounds Speedway with the top event being the Hobby Stock Spring Nationals sponsored by Spencer Office Products and H&H Chevrolet Buick. All other classes that normally race at Spencer were also in action for full programs so it was a great opportunity to attend racing at a location that I seldom get to and also take advantage of some improving weather that saw the sun shine all day and temperatures on the rise for a change.
The Clay Co. Fairgrounds Speedway is quite the facility for those that have not been there before. The Clay County Fair, I am told by a friend locally that was originally from Northwest Iowa, is the largest County Fair in the entire state of Iowa and that's saying something. I do know that the Clay Co. Fair, held in mid September, has some huge attendance figures and their line up of grandstand entertainment rivals that of many State Fairs.
Several years ago the old half mile at the Fair was redone and unlike many fairgrounds that are getting rid of their race tracks(see-Syracuse New York), the folks at Spencer actually improved their race track by redoing it into a three eighth mile with wide corners, stadium seats and television quality lighting. Several thousand seats sit under a big covered roof with more open air seating on the end of the main grandstand. Their motor racing special during the county fair is the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars. And bucking another trend, instead of limiting the use of the race track, the Fair has actually increased its visibility with the addition of weekly racing on Friday nights, under the direction of Joe Ringsdorf from Algona. 2016 is the second year of their weekly racing action.
The announcers and scorers at this track certainly earn their money is spades as one thing the grandstand does not have and that is easy access to the press tower. The tower hangs from the rook of the grandstand and must provide a spectacular view of the track but in order to get up there. one must climb a steep set of stairs mounted behind the top rows of the grandstand and then clamber up a catwalk to the press tower. I watched announcer Chad Meyer and a couple of the scorers get up there and it didn't look like a hike for the faint of heart. Through experience, the workers have learned that they need both hands free to make the climb and all the materials they bring with them are secured in either a backpack or a knapsack. I would, if the opportunity ever arrives, like to have a chance to watch a few races from this vantage point.
As is, I guess, the whole state of Iowa, Clay Co. Fairgrounds is a nonsmoking facility for auto racing that is so very pleasurable compared to what I have to deal with on a weekly basis. Everyone seems to respect the law and take their butts outside if the desire arrives while at home, those few facilities that do have such a rule have to fight people too lazy to get up and get off their butts to have a butt.
Unlike just three days ago at Britt where the track was heavy and fast and mashing the throttle was the technique of choice, the surface at Spencer was just the opposite. The track was hard, slick and smooth and a feather touch on the accelerator was the way to advance with plenty of drivers spinning their way to prove that such was the case.
Eighty five cars signed in to race with the featured division, the Hobby Stocks, far and away fielding the largest number of entrants. The Modifieds had a solid field on entrants while the Sport Mods and Stock Cars were just a bit light on this night. It was a draw/redraw night of qualifying so everyone was battling to get into those prized heat race finishing positions. Drivers taking the green flag were surprised to see that promoter Ringsdorf was multitasking on this night as he was also waving the flags as the race starter.
The other race classes appeared to be running for their normal race night payoff which seemed to be pretty much standard compared to most of the rest of the state's tracks. However, the Hobby Stocks were running for one of the classic "Dolly Parton" payoffs of all time. While the top seven positions had their purse enhanced, most of the extra money all went to the Hobby Stock winner. Put it this way, the winner earned $2,000 for the twenty lap race while second fell to $400 and from eighth on back it was $75 for each finishing position!
Despite the quirkiness of the payoff and the "top heavy" structure of the pay, a big field of thirty three Hobby Stocks signed in to race. As the featured attraction of the night, the Hobby Stock feature was the final event of the night and unlike some places where fans would be scurrying to the exits like Lemming heading to the sea as soon as the Modified feature was done, just about everyone stuck around to see who would take the big dough of the night.
After demolishing the Hobby Stock field at Britt on Saturday, I said that if nothing changed that Cody Nielsen would be the man to beat at Spencer. And for one of the rarest of occasions, I was actually right! He finished a solid second in his heat, redrew the fourth starting position and it took him less than two laps to drive around the front row and take over the lead. Once in front, he was never really challenged after that with his biggest worry being the multi yellows, which allowed the field to close up behind him and give that rarest of opportunities for someone to either banzai him for the lead or to perhaps, take him out while trying to get past him. As it turned out, neither happened but the five yellow flags must have seemed like triple that to him.
Other winners on the night included Jay Noteboom in the Modifieds, David Smith in the Stock Cars, Matt Morrow in the Sport Mods and Cody Thompson in the Sport Compacts.
While the show ran just a little bit later than I would have hoped for, largely due to the higher than normal number of yellows in the Hobby Stocks, the complete program still was run off in under three hours, the magic number for many race fans with most people sticking around to see the concluding event to its checkered.
Thanks once again to Joe Ringsdorf and his staff, who are probably wondering what they did wrong to have to deal with me twice in one week! Ringsdorf's next special event in the Topless Nationals for Sport Mods to be held at Britt next month with up to $4,000 on the line for the winner. Check the speedway website for more information.
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