On Thursday, September 27th, the 9th annual Creek Classic opened up at the 141 Speedway near Francis Creek Wisconsin. After a season marked with lots of special events for all classes of cars including Sprint Cars, this would be the final weekend of racing for 2018.
The schedule for this weekend would feature two full shows on Friday and Saturday for the classes that regularly race at "The Creek" each week while the "preview night" on Thursday would include the "Blue" race of the "Red, White and Blue" series for the IMCA Modifieds with a grand on the line for the winner. The Dirt Kings Late Model tour would also have their final point race of the season and would crown a champion. The Stock Cars threw in a "Iron Man" race as the final event of the night that would be the same as what I would call an Australian Pursuit race. And in between, any car racing this weekend would have time for practice sessions.
However, the promise of incoming weather for well past Midnight proved to be way off in accuracy as by late afternoon the clouds turned ominous and periodic drizzle began to fall. Most of the teams that had already unloaded their race cars put them back in trailer and it looked tenuous if racing would even take place. The track itself was in solid shape and the prep crew continued to work on the track. However, a weeks worth of rain had left the parking lots and camping areas pretty soggy, and the whole facility couldn't take much more water.
However, the promoters were determined to get the show in if possible and even as it continued to mist, the plans remained in effect to do the last track prep and get the action going. This saw a wild scramble by the teams as everyone hustled to get their cars unloaded and ready for some brief hot laps. To the absolute credit of the promoters and workers, despite the rain and the delay getting the track rolled in and some brief hot laps sessions completed, the first green flag was only about thirty minutes last starting.
Forty six Modifieds turned out for opening night action with five qualifying heats to cut the field down. The Late Models then took to the track for three qualifying heats. Unfortunately, about half way through the last Late Model heat, a sudden shower hit the track once again with by far the heaviest rain of the night. Once again, everything ground to a halt and it appeared this might be the "straw that broke the camel's back."
But once again, the prep crew came to the rescue and it had barely stopped raining before they were right back at it, rolling in the track with a multitude of vehicles in all sizes and shapes. Surprisingly, the track came back into racing shape didn't take too long and in about an hour total, we were back to racing action.
They went right into Modified B features and then straight into the three main events. The Dirt Kings point title was already determined and all Nick Anvelink had to do to take his second straight Dirt Kings point title was take a green flag in the main event.
With the rain, the track had been turned into a blinding fast, "hammer down" type of track and with the Late Models first to go, it was a furious forty lap race they put on. Jim Schmidt was the early leader of the race with both Mitch McGrath and Jared Siefert making strong moved to advance through the field. McGrath started sixth and Siefert eleventh but both were on the march as they moved to the front. Frequent yellows for minor spins kept the field bunched and allowed the two mentioned the chance to move into contention.
McGrath, who has showed much strength of late with two straight wins in this series plus some strong runs with the regional touring series, was able to grab the lead near the halfway point and he led the last part of the race to take the win. Young Taylor Scheffler, who has been making some noise in "open motor" racing this season also, made a strong charge at the end of the race and came from ninth to finish second, ahead of Siefert.
Anvelink, unlike most of the others racing on this night, had plans to race other venues this weekend and he drove a more conservative race, finishing fourth and having his car look none the worse for wear while most of the rest of the field, between the tight race track and the high speeds, looked like they had all lost the battle. With eight yellow flags, the race wasn't a classic but the drivers involved certainly gave it their best shot.
The Modifieds then hit the track with twenty four cars going twenty laps with a grand to the winner. Rookie Joey Taycher led a few laps but unfortunately, for the rest of the field, Johnny "Hitman" Whitman, who runs very well here, quickly got to the front. He made the pass on Taycher and there was then no one that could come close to challenging him. What is usually a very contested race at 141, the Modified main, was a rare walkaway For Whitman. Taycher did a great job to hang on for second, with Tony Wedelstadt, "Racin' Jason Czarapata and Mike Mashl trailing. Twenty one of twenty four finished and only two yellows slowed the show.
Wrapping up the night was the Stock Car "specialty" race. Under the rules of an Australian Pursuit race, the car running last on each lap is supposed to drop out and head for the pits. However, many both on the track and making the calls didn't seem to be on the same page right from the start of the race. Drivers were dropping out that didn't need to and a couple that should have pulled off didn't.
It didn't help that everyone was driving like wild men and the yellows were raining down frequently, including a red when Logan Leary rode over a big corner tire to avoid a spinning car and then landed on his lid. The whole race was kind of a mess and it ended badly with the tower nearly awarding the win to the wrong driver, until the starter, on the spot with what was going on, quickly called the tower and had the decision corrected, with Kyle Frederick being awarded the win. The whole thing ended badly and is one of the reasons that I dislike these "specialty" events. The only reason I stuck around for this race is because I like watching the Stock Cars.
The rain delays and all the yellows in a couple of races made it a very late night at 141, something that rarely ever happens, due to the curfew they have. However, track announcer and co-owner Toby Kruse let us know that when the weather is an issue that the track gets some consideration on nights when the weather is an issue. It was nearly Midnight when I walked out of 141 and that happens almost next to never. Overall the races were not bad but not some of the very close finish events that 141 is well known for.
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