On Monday night, July 1st, I broke in a new month of racing with a trip to the Siouxland area of western Iowa. More specifically, I was at the Park Jefferson International Speedway for the IMCA Iron Cup which was also night three of the Midwest Madness Tour. Extra money would be on the line for all five divisions that race at Park Jeff under IMCA sanction including fifteen hundred bucks to win for the Modifieds and Stock Cars plus extra money for the other three classes on this, the sixth edition of the Iron Cup.And to my surprise, the IMCA Racesaver Sprint Cars were also added to the show, making six divisions that would try and get their program completed before the weather told us to go home.
It was a steamy day in the Siouxland area and there was a distinct threat of thunderstorms, perhaps even severe ones before the evening was over so it was incumbent that the show get started on time and move along quickly.
Good fields of car were on hand in all classes except the Sport Compacts where there was only enough cars for one heat race while the Modifieds topped the list with thirty one of them set to do battle.
After a very quick hot lap session with drivers arriving at the last moment, which I suppose should be expected with most everyone having to work on Monday before a midweek holiday, the first green flag fell. Racing actually started about two minutes before the advertised time and the heat races were rushed through as quickly as possible which is just a bit harder when one class has to take a push for all their competitors and I guess we all know which class that is, don't we.
By race time, the skies had turned very ominous looking with rain appearing to be falling is several different directions from the track but at the dirt oval, nary a drop would fall and the racing would continue. Fifteen heat races were completed with a total of only two yellow flags, despite the fact that they were all important events for drivers trying to qualify up front. The one spin rule kept everyone moving and all the qualifying, except the Modified B Feature was completed within an hour's time.
A break of only a couple minutes, just long enough for the head starter to rush to the "little race fan's room" quickly and we were back at it once again, with the Hobby Stock feature race first on the agenda. By this point, it was more like when are the storms going to it and not will they hit as the skies looked dreadful in all directions and the wind switched directions and picked up considerably in intensity which gave many in the crowd just a bit of an uneasy feeling, particularly those of us that have been caught unprotected a time or two when some very severe weather did hit. Once that happens, you always feel just a bit gun shy when the skies look bad.
The wind was howling as the Hobby Stocks took the green flag for their main event but with seven hundred bucks to the winner of the fourteen lap main, they would have driven through a snowstorm if they would have had to, just to get this race in. Cam Wilkinson took the early lead and built up a nice advantage as John Cain, Justin Luinenberg and Andy Hoffman battled for second. Luinenberg would eventually gain the second spot but he was half a straightaway behind and it seemed unlikely that he would be able to catch Wilkinson. Then the unexpected happened when a spin triggered a yellow and his big lead was gone.
That slow down would eventually cost him as after a good battle following the restart, Luinenberg would drive past Wilkinson to take over the lead. He would then pull away and be the apparent winner, even receiving his version of the Iron Cup.
However, just like NASCAR, you can't go home assuming just who the winner was. In fact, I did not find out about the dramatic happenings that did occur once the top drivers got to their tech inspection until I checked the official race results and I'm sure that most fans are still unaware also. It seems that not only was apparent winner Luinenberg disqualified, but just to make it even more memorable, second place finisher Wilkinson was also DQ'd which might have been a record.
So, after all the shenanigans were sorted out, the winner and Iron Cup receiver (assuming they pried the Cup away from Luinenberg), was Cain, with Hoffman second and Kent Husted third. Interestingly, the yellow that started in motion all of the activities was caused by a spin by Kevin Bruck and even though he went to the tail, with a lot of shuffling in the last few laps plus two being DQ'd, he made the top five in the official finish.
The Modified B Feature followed the Hobby Stocks and among those qualifying for the main was Josh Most, who went to a back up car after he had troubles with his Modified in his heat race.
The Racesaver Sprints were next on the track for their main as all twenty three were thrown into the main, so as to avoid having to run a B Feature. By this time the wind was blowing fiercely down the front chute and the storm was very close. The Sprints did a decent job of running off their event with three yellow flags. However, only one lap into the race Boyd Peterson took a wild ride off turn three and flipped about four times before coming to rest on his wheels. He checked out OK but of course, all this took some time with the storms creeping in on us.
Tyler Drueke took car of any drama as he led from start to finish after starting right on the pole with Cody Ledger charging up to second and closing the gap in the last few laps.
The Stock Cars were quickly hustled out on the track and speedily, their race was started. I was pleased to see that Dan Machenthun, who pulled all the way down from Minnesota to race and then broke on the green at the start of his heat, was able to return for the main event. Jason Ward took the early lead but only two laps into the race he over cooked turn one and went flying off the track which triggered the yellow. Before the cars could be restarted, the skies opened up with huge drops of rain, thunder and lightning and all that good stuff. Just as quickly the program was cancelled and I believe they will run make up features for those classes that didn't get to run their mains on Monday, July 22nd as a part of their Dirt Knights show.
Track officials did everything in their power to try and get the whole show in but it just wasn't going to be on this night. But at least most everyone had time to get to their cars and while it rained like a Son of a Gun, at least there wasn't any dangerous lightning or hail or wind until we could all get hunkered down.
And in keeping with the format of this website, I'm Positive Racing could have been carried out a bit smoother if the Sprints weren't a part of this night's program. I'm sure they have their fans and it is entirely appropriate to invite them to join the race program here. However, on a night when the Modifieds are the featured division and all four of the other classes are racing for more money which means more cars and more laps, and let's not forget that this was indeed a Monday night, it might have been more appropriate to have the Sprints on hand on another occasion. Just my thinking.
Thanks to Rod Olson and everyone at Park Jeff. It was fun to see this track once again I believe we would have seen some dynamite Modified and Stock Car features if the weather would have relented. But it has been one of those years.
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