Bleess Doubles Up at MTS

 It was a miserable day on Friday, May 16th. Many tracks cancelled early due to the storms from Thursday night and the reoccurring rain on Friday. Several tried to hold out but were met with rain later in afternoon, ending their chances of racing. 

One track that was able to avoid the majority of the rain and then soldier on when things did get uncomfortable to complete their show was the Mississippi Thunder Speedway near Fountain City Wisconsin. Between rainouts and special events that had halted their normal routine, Friday night would be the first race night for the local divisions and with another break next week followed by a huge Modified event that would again side line the local classes, they were very determined to get their local racers at least one show before Memorial Day. 

So, despite a few light showers that rolled through the area in the late afternoon, it was all systems go for the regular, weekly five division program which was highlighted by four USRA sanctioned classes plus the new Econo Mod class, running in their second year at the track. 

It was also a free admission night for all fans, thanks to nightly sponsor A.J. Kanz and Associates Insurance. All spectators were admitted free but as usual, pit passes were charged for those in that area. A good sized crowd was on hand, given the fact that it was just generally a miserable night. Very cloudy skies, lots of wind, fortunately from the back side of the grandstands and then later, mist to light rain that made things even more unpleasant. But through it all, the track officals moved on and were able to complete the entire program. 

The Cochrane-Fountain City high school basketball team was also honored on this night as they won the WIAA state division five championship in Madison back in March and they were hosted by track management. 

The track was smooth and in lightning fast shape for the racing action, with the weather if nothing else helping with track prep. In fact, we saw very little in the way of track prep on Friday at a track that frequently has to do quite a bit of that. They did, however, have to roll in the track for about fifteen minutes before the start of the Stock Car feature when the mist got heavier and we were very close to losing the track, but fortunately the harder rain backed off, they repacked the track quickly and the show finished off , if even under more uncomfortable conditions. 

Ninety one race cars signed in to race in the five divisions offered with the open wheel classes having the most cars. Many drivers were very late arriving on this night, likely holding out in their garages until the last possible second as it was that kind of weather night. In fact, they had set up the B Mods with just two heats but had to change that actually in staging as their were so many that showed up late, the heats would have been ridiculously large. 

Hot laps were completed and credit to the staff, the first green flag flew right at the advertised time, despite all the things working against them. Heats were clicked off at a rapid pace, with few yellow flags or other delays. A brief ceremony was held for the basketball team and then it was on to feature racing. The most significant moment of the heats was when Joe Chisholm made a move to take the lead in a Modified heat and then he blew his engine, just that quickly. He was done for the night, left early and one of the strong contenders was thus eliminated. 

The Hobby Stock feature was up first and quite frankly, produced the best feature racing action. Kolby Goepel took the initial lead with plenty of pressure from Josh Ludeking. They went side by side for the lead and then were soon joined by Steve Larson and Oliver Monson in quite a pack, all racing very close together. In fact, for several laps, it was Goepel, Larson and Ludeking going three wide for the top spot. 

These three actually seemed to be slowing each other down as others started to catch them and just before the halfway point, there were literally seven drivers all running in tight formation for the lead. On lap ten, Ludeking slipped low and took over the top spot but was not able to pull away and suddenly Dustin Doughty, who started eleventh, came charging to the front and the battle went back to a four car fight. 

As Ludeking tried to fight off the others, Larson made a strong move with just three laps to go and took over the lead. At the end, he was able to fight off Ludeking and Goepel to hold on for the win while Doughty had to settle for fourth. It was an exciting, closely fought and clean race. 

The B Mods got off to a wild start but then settled down and put on a smooth feature race. On lap two, Dennis Dunbar cut the ute tire in turn four too close, vaulted over it and barrel rolled, landing on the front of another competitor who likely wondered where Dunbar dropped in from. No one was hurt and the race would continue, with actually the last eighteen laps then going green to checkers. 

Nate Butterfield led the opening lap but then was passed by Lilli Reps but she couldn't hold off Taylor Skauge who roared into the lead on lap three. After that, it was the pack chasing Skauge and being unsuccessful as he drove away from the field for the win. 

Jett Sorensen gave chase but never could get close enough for a challenge and Reps ran a good race as she finished a strong third. 

The Stock Car feature was delayed about fifteen minutes when it started to rain but Bob Timm was not about to be defeated by the weather on this night. They rolled the track back in, the rain let up to a very light mist and the Stock Cars went racing. Jacob Bleess was happy they did as he grabbed the lead on the opening and frankly just destroyed the field, winning by a full straightaway in a race that went green to checkers. 

The race for second was a dandy however, as Chris Hovden and defending track champion Braydon Gjere fought for second. They raced side by side for most of the contest until Gjere edged ahead in the late going. 

The Modifieds rolled for their twenty five lap main and what a night it proved to be for Bleess and not only did he win the Stock Cars, he doubled up by taking the Modified feature as well. Shaun Walski led lap one but a slider by Bleess saw him take over the top spot one lap later and then he drove on for the win, leading the rest of the contest. Jim Chisholm, defending USMTS champion, moved into the second spot and set off after Bleess. 

However, after gaining a few car lengths on Bleess, Jacob seemed to settle in and no matter how hard Chisholm drove, he wasn't able to cut into the lead. A late yellow set up a six lap dash and while Bleess again pulled away, surprisingly, Chisholm got a poor restart and Parker Hale got past him for second.  Chisholm wasn't able to regain the spot and would have to settle for third. Meanwhile, Bleess cashed two big checks for the night with dominating runs in both classes. 

The Eco Mods wrapped up the night with Troy Hale, Parker's father, leading from start to finish to take the win in this class. The inexperienced drivers in this class showed up with by far the most yellows of the night and two drivers excused to the pits for multiple one car spins. Brent Schwark made a nice run up from the third row to finish second while race long runner up josh Wiemer slipped back to third at the end. 

All racing was completed by 10:30 pm and it would have been somewhat earlier if not for the Eco Mods who had more than their share of problems getting their main completed. As the mist got heavier, most fans were in their cars on the way home by the time the last checkers flew. 

Thanks go out to Bob Timm and track promoter Tyrone Lingenfelder for their help. Many tracks would have thrown in the towel early and called it a night but they held on, completed the show and sent a message to their fans and drivers that if it is as all possible, they will race.  

Murty and Richards Big Winners at Stuart

 The ninth annual Dynamic Drivelines Dirt Duel was held on Wednesday night, May 14th at the Stuart International Speedway in Stuart Iowa. Five classes of IMCA racing were in action on Wednesday with extra money on the line for all classes and particularly so for the fender classes as the Stock Cars were racing for two grand to win while the Hobby Stock winner would take home a thousand dollars. 

It was a beautiful Wednesday night for dirt track racing, warm actually for this time of year and with a nice breeze blowing from the South while is always a bonus here as the track faces to the North. It probably wasn't the best night for MVG and crew relative to track prep but they did their usual fine job and provided a smooth track with multiple grooves that allowed for passing and that is all one can ask for. 

It was a night of variety as some of the heavy hitters one would expect to visit victory lane did just that but also at least one driver won his first ever feature race so variety was the name of the game. There were dominant wins but also a couple of classes where late race or last lap passes made the difference. 

The regular crew was mostly on hand to run the show on Wednesday with the always entertaining Tony Paris calling the action and Jamie Songer on the flag stand this week. Rev. Wombat was on hand for the blessing. A fine field of one hundred and eight IMCA drivers were on hand for the action and a B Feature was necessary for the Hobby Stocks while full fields of drivers would start the other main events also. 

The evening started with a little excitement in the pits as Seth Butler was unloading his Hobby Stock. The rig started to slide back down the grass on the big side hill where Butler was parked while he was inside the trailer backing the race car out and when he pulled the car out, he was surprised to find that instead of some space between the trailer and the race car, the trailer had slid right up under the car! It was strange to see and next week, Seth will have some chalks for the pick up for sure!

As usual, the program started right on time and the drivers tore through the heats, completing all qualifying in just forty six minutes with only a single yellow to slow the action! Gosh, I wish this was the case at more tracks. 

Let's cover the classes first that were racing for the most money. Putting Dallon Murty on the pole might have a negative effect on how the rest of the field would feel about their chances of winning, and in this case, they would have been correct. However, Dallon was driving dad's car on this night and he actually didn't get the jump at the start. That honor went to Buck Schafroth who led the first six laps of the feature. And then it wasn't Murty who passed him but Dillon Solum who was showing much speed plus the willingness to throw some bold slide jobs which was got him the lead. 

However, Murty was relentless and after trying for several laps, he finally made the winning pass and then drove away for the win, holding on despite a surprising number of yellow flags as the feature racing wasn't quite as smooth as during the qualifying. Schafroth would come on to finish second while Mike Albertsen rounded out the top five. 

Dillon Richards has been able to put together an amazing season to date and he added to his winning with another Hobby Stock feature win, worth a thousand dollars. But against a big field of twenty four drivers and after starting eleventh, he definitely earned his prize money on Wednesday. 

Cody Williams came all the way from Kansas to lead the opening lap but one lap later it was Andrew Burg who passed him for the lead. The many yellows in this race no doubt helped Richards as he gradually moved toward the front of the field and utilized the "choose cone" wisely. The cone, by the way, was used tonight for the first time ever at Stuart and it adds a new wrinkle to restarts. Unfortunately, however, some drivers had a hard time figuring out how to use it and at least three times it was hit, causing delays. I think the rule should be, hit the cone and you automatically go to the back of the pack and that would stop some of the nonsense going on. 

Richards cracked the top five by the halfway point of the race and continued to march forward. A lap twenty yellow allowed him to move into second and as the last few laps ran off, Richards made his move, passing Burg with just two laps to go and then pulling away. 

Burg had to settle for second with Kolby Sabin third. Blake Luinenburg came from tenth for fourth ahead of Williams and it was reported that Richards' win was his twentieth of the year already. 

Izac Mallicoat was not messing around on Wednesday in the Modified class. He grabbed the lead from the outside pole and led all twenty laps in a dominating fashion to take the feature win. He was never headed and maintained a good sized lead as he rode the cushion from start to finish. A good battle for second saw Todd Shute outduel Cody Laney for the spot with Kyle Brown and Drew Janssen completing the top five. 

Another driver having a marvelous season so far, Brayton Carter, did it again in the Sport Mod, but like Richards, it was a struggle after he redrew the ninth spot for the main. Taylor Kuehl grabbed the lead right from the start with Jenae Gustin chasing as some lady slide jobs broke out early with them going back and forth for the top spot. Kuehl maintained the point, however, with Cam Reimers moving into second. 

Carter, meanwhile, was making time using the low groove as he slipped under driver after driver and by the halfway point of the race, had passed Reimer for second. He actually got past Kuehl on laps seventeen but a yellow saved Taylor and she maintained the point. 

It got down to the final restart with just two laps to go and Taylor left the inside line open after a slow paced start and Carter drove cleanly under her, took over the lead and then pulled away for the win. Kuehl had to settle for second with Matt Avila coming from eleventh to finish third. 

The Sport Compact feature was not decided until the final lap and it was rookie driver Blake Fineran that took his first ever feature win. Michael Gardner had started on the pole and led the first fourteen laps of the race but as the laps ran down, Fineran and Corbin Funke gradually caught him. '

As the white flag waved, Gardner was suddenly surrounded by both and they blew past him on both sides with Fineran holding off Funke for the late developing win as Gardner was shuffled all the way back to third. Fineran was so surprised by the outcome, he hardly had words to say in his post race interview with MVG. 

It was a typical night of close racing and plenty of slide jobs that Stuart always delivers. There were a few more yellow flags than on some nights, perhaps as a result of the extra money on the line and racing didn't get done until just before 10:30 pm which is a bit late for them, but the entertainment value was high as usual. 

Thanks to MVG and especially Tony for the nice words. Stuart next races Memorial Day weekend with the "Whole Hog." Check their website and face book for all the details. 

O'Neal Wins FLO Fight at Marshalltown; Gustin and Gaylord Also Victors

 In an event highly anticipated by many, the FLORacing Night in American Series traveled to the Marshalltown Speedway in Marshalltown Iowa on Tuesday night, May 13th for the fourth race for their mini series in 2025. Along with the Super Late Models, IMCA Stock Cars and Modifieds would present a three division program for the special event prepared for FLO TV. Series officials like Ben Shelton and Dustin Jarrrett were almost giddy that being just mid May, they are now in their fourth race of the series while last year it took until August to reach that same point, based on all the bad weather they fought last year. 

Marshalltown Speedway, which they now bill themselves as "America's Bucket List Track", which by the way seems just a bit presumptuous, but so be it, was ready to put on a show and welcome all their visitors both at the track and watching at home. Promoter Jerry VanSickel had thought of all the extra little things that are noticed, including fireworks at the extra prefect time, a resounding rendition of the National Anthem by his partner Jackie Schmillen and even a horse mounted rider to take the anthem around the track, complete with sparklers on top of the flag.  

An interesting side note as one thing that Marshalltown does not as yet have and that is a decent place for the announcers to work from as right now they have an open air, even minus roof, tower above the main grandstand where Jarrett alluded to that they couldn't even hear each other track when FLO last visited here two years ago. So the announcers, Jarrett, Shelton and local announcer Rodney Tomlinson, did the announcing from the control trailer located behind the grandstand where I'm assuming, they narrated the races based on what they were watching on their tv. That was certainly a first for me, looking up into the announcing booth and seeing no one home!

But the one thing everyone on hand came to see and the viewers at home were hoping and expecting to see what good side by side racing and passing in the Late Model division and on in that regard, Marshalltown did not disappoint. 

Thirty one Late Models signed in to race which meant that there would be four heat races and a pair of B Features to set the running order for the fifty lap main. The first car out, Brandon Overton, set fast time at 14,180 seconds and Jason Feger topped the second group. All four heats and the pair of B Features were won right off the pole and the spectator next to me expressed to me that lack of passing taking place. 

However, with this kind of format, that is the norm, no matter who is sanctioning the events. I told them to wait until the feature race to draw judgement because the longer race would allow the track to change and change again, and then is when passing would likely take place. And sure enough, the fifty lapper would provide all that any Late Model fan could hope for and perhaps more. 

The main event would see the lead exchanged six times between three different drivers while only having three yellow flags, the last two of which were significant however. Overton took the initial lead which only held up for one lap before Hudson O'Neal got past him. The next twenty plus laps would see O'Neal lead but a charging Bobby Pierce and Overton were close behind and putting pressure on. 

The leaders caught traffic and it was classic to watch them work through the slower cars while still trying to block those right behind and pressuring. Pierce was persistent and just before the halfway point he got past O'Neal to take over the top spot with O'Neal, Overton and Justin Duty having a great run next line line. 

It was now O'Neal's chance to pressure and two laps past halfway he got past Pierce to retake the lead but Bobby would have none of that and five laps later he again squeezed by to retake  the lead. Pierce had built up perhaps his biggest cushion of the race after that but a slowing car with only nine laps left packed up the field again and then all Hell broke loose. 

Overton restarted on the outside which didn't seem to be the spot to be but he got a fantastic start, riding the backing past both O'Neal and Pierce to grab the lead into turn three. However, the yellow waved once again and the field was repacked. 

This time it was Pierce that threw the aggressive slider on Overton which kind of tied up both in turn one and O'Neal took advantage to drive by both and regain the lead. Hudson would use the break he was given and pull away from both Overton and Pierce over the last few laps and not allow them to get close enough to try any last lap shenanigans. Duty had slipped back a couple spots but also used the last restart to his advantage as he drove back up to fourth, a fine finish for him with Jonathan Davenport also making a late rush to complete the top five. Only four of the twenty six starters failed to finish the race as for the first time this year, two series provisional and two emergency starters were added to the field. I'm not sure what necessitates an emergency but perhaps it is "I didn't make the feature and if I don't start the main, my car owner is going to fire me"! 

Compared to the Late Model main, the Stock Car and Modified feature races were relatively calm and it takes much to top the Stock Cars in excitement level. For whatever reason, after the Late Models were done and they were racing all over the track, both the Stock Cars and Mods found that the best way for them to get around the track was to hug the bottom line and for that reason, the excitement level was down just a bit. Also, it proved to be tougher passing that way. 

The Stock car main saw Dusty Vis get the jump on the field and lead the first four laps. He was immediately pressured by "Jammin'" Jimmy Gustin who tried to dig under Vis in each corner. Eventually he got inside Vis in turn one and took over the lead and with the last eighteen laps running off clean without yellow, he gradually pulled away from Jay Schmidt who had claimed second. The best driving of the race was done by Cole Czarneski who was the only one that rolled out to the second lane. 

Just as he did the last time I was here this year, Cole would roll hard into the corners in the second lane, let the car ride high up the track and then straighten out and go. He made it work as he came from seventh to finish third and if the race would have been longer, he might have gotten even higher. Jake McBurnie also gained a bunch of spots to finish fourth ahead of Vis. 

The same scenario played out in the Modified feature with most of the drivers again running the same line. Riley Simmons started on the pole and took the early lead with most drivers hugging that low line. Tripp Gaylord started right behind Simmons and immediately put the pressure on, trying to get under Simmons in the turns. And it took him only two laps to get that accomplished and once in front, he checked out on the field. 

After a first lap multi car wreck that took out Kelly Shryock, the rest of the race ran off nonstop and Gaylord was long gone. The field was also even enough that he didn't even have to deal with any lapped traffic as several cars running near the back pulled off to save their equipment. 

Zack VanderBeek made a late charge, getting past Dakota Sproul who had run in second for most of the race with Sproul having to settle for third ahead of Logan Anderson and Ryan Maitland. 

The Late Models were done before 10 pm and all racing was done before 10:30 pm. The place was packed with fans and unless schedules don't work out in 2026, I can't imagine that Marshalltown would not be on the FLO schedule once again. 

Thanks to JVAN and Toby Kruse for their help and welcome and also the crew from FLO including DJ and Ben. 

 

Davenport and Falloway Dominate at Spoon River FLO

 Round two of the 2025 FLORacing Night in America Series moved about a hour and a half Southwest of LaSalle on Wednesday night, May 7th to the Spoon River Speedway near Banner Illinois. The sensational weather of the week continued as the excitement level was high to see all the stars of Late Model racing roll into the pits for a hard night of racing on Spoon River's high banks. Joining the FLO Late Models once again on Wednesday were the UMP Modifieds, also running a special as their week of racing continued too. 

All the elements were in play to provide another sterling night of racing on Wednesday as a fast and wide race track, a large crowd of eager fans and a spectacularly strong field of drivers in both classes would make for another great night of racing. 

The Late Model field numbered forty eight drivers and with the addition of Hudson O'Neal to the entry list on Wednesday, the top ten point drivers in both the World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil Series were in the pits and I'm guessing that doesn't happen too often over the course of the racing year. And when it does, boy does that make the racing even wilder and the drivers trying even harder to do well. 

With the numbers on hand Wednesday, that would be the highest number of entries allowed under the four heat race format which meant that we would see four heats of twelve drivers with only four making the main event.  Likewise, about sixteen drivers would be in each B Feature and again, only four would make the main. Half the entries would be left in the pits come feature time and just like on Tuesday, some big name drivers didn't make the cut for the main event like Tyler Erb, Ethan Dotson, both Gundakers  and Tim McCreadie. 

An interesting addition to the field and a driver that will run select events this Summer was Michigan driver Jeep VanWormer out in a new Longhorn chassis. Jeep typically runs all the races at Eldora but it has been quite some time since I last saw him racing. 

Shannon Babb thrilled the Illinois crowd by turning the quickest time of the night at 13.139 seconds while another Illinois driver, Dennis Erb Jr. was fastest of group B. These types of tracks are what the Illinois drivers grew up at and they always shine on these fast bullrings. 

The heat races provided some spectacular racing action with everyone driving very hard and taking no prisoners, there were several upset drivers after the preliminary action was completed. This was not a night for timid racing however, and small holes sometimes had to be widened out to make passing moves. 

With no provisional starters yet in play for the feature event, just the twenty four fastest and most resourceful would start the fifty lap main event. The Illinois drivers seemed to be in a good position to do well on Wednesday but as it turned out, it would be Georgia driver Jonathan Davenport that would dominate the show. 

Davenport started on the outside of row one, broke to an early lead and then was never headed as he drove on for the victory. O'Neal moved into second and gradually seemed to be closing up on Davenport as the race ran a long stretch of thirty two laps before the first and only slow down of the event when Drake Troutman stopped with a flat tire. Just before the yellow waved, O'Neal had made his strongest effort at getting past Davenport, nearly ducking under him in turn one before Davenport dropped low to block him. 

However, after the restart, Davenport seemed to move back up the track where he was running his quickest laps and he then again pulled away from O'Neal who really had nothing more to offer. Davenport edged away again and then drove unchallenged to the win. O'Neal finished second, kind of running by himself. 

Bobby Pierce had an eventful night, first not qualifying to his standards and then spinning on the opening lap of his heat race. However, come feature time and he gradually moved up after starting seventh. While he did not challenge for the win, he did get to third late after a door banging incident with Erb. Brian Shirley was spectacular all night as he was married to the cushion, come Hell or high water and he made some ground at times and lost at others but in the end, he snuck past Erb for fourth right on the closing lap. The track stayed excellent all night and the Late Model drivers were able to work all over the track and move around and despite all the tight action, only five drivers didn't see the checkers. 

All twenty five Modified drivers on hand started their thirty lap main event and much like the Late Model feature, one driver dominated with Cole Falloway starting on the pole and wiring the field. Earlier he had outqualified his group in time trials but Troutman was the quickest overall at 14.391. 

Troutman started third in the feature race and quickly moved into second. A lone yellow with seven laps completed bunched the field but the rest of the race ran off nonstop and while Troutman tried to stay with Falloway, there would be no catching him on this night. 

Troutman did get a bit closer in the late laps as Falloway had some trouble with lapped traffic but he maintained his cool and waited for the correct time to go and then put a couple of slower cars between himself and Troutman at the end. Blake Brown finished a strong third with David Stremme getting past Lucas Lee right at the end for fourth. And only two cars failed to cross the checkers as despite the very hard racing, both features were run off very smoothly. 

In an effort to shorten up the show just a bit from Tuesday night, the Modifieds would hot lap/qualify and this sped things up with the first green flag flying at 7:16 pm and the final checkered just over two hours later. I'm telling you, these two division, quickly run shows during the midweek are absolutely the way to go and the fans respond in big numbers, knowing that they will be able to get on the road early. And that knowledge can't be overstated. 

Very special thanks go out to Spoon River promoter Tim Neidig. These was a mess up in my request for this race, likely my fault but he was nice enough to take time out of his hectic schedule to track me down and get things put in order. It was something that not everyone would do on race night and I appreciate his help. By the way, it has been a number of years since I was last at "The Spoon", but it certainly looked good tonight with everything in order and looking sharp. The extra four portable lights certainly were helpful for both the fans and I would assume, the drivers also. 

Pierce Tops Rebirth of LaSalle; FLO opener for 2025

 Tuesday night, May 6th was a day and date that many folks, particularly those from Illinois and surrounding areas, had been long waiting for. For on Tuesday, the LaSalle Speedway and Event Center would reopen for the first time in four years and their first race would be a dandy, the 2025 opener for the FLORacing Night in America Series. 

Now it its fifth year, FLORacing and the midweek series of made for tv specials have certainly revolutionized racing promotion and particularly so for the Late Model division. And as big an event as it is when they announce their annual schedule, it was made even bigger this year when it was tied in with the return of racing to the Illinois valley and the LaSalle Speedway. Owned by the Izzo family who have long been a part of Late Model racing in Illinois, it took the combined efforts of Tony Izzo and new partner Justin McCoy to return the speedway to its glory years when Late Model racing at LaSalle was king and every driver and fan wanted to be a part of the shows being presented. 

And as much as it good that the speedway was reopened, it was a "new look" speedway with many needed changes and upgrades that were necessary after the track sat vacant for years and after many years of use before that. Some of the improvements were easily noticeable, including the new track entrance off turn two and the closing of the old entrance off turn four. Much work was done with the seating including moving of sections of grandstands and many boards replaced in the main grandstand along with improved aisle work. Food trucks were spread out around the grounds and the area behind the main grandstand was a great vendors row for the race teams' apparel and others. 

Even though it was the same speedway, it had a new look and feel to it and even the track employees seemed rejuvenated as they carried out their duties. For everyone, it was good to be back. This track has always been one of the best ones in the state for providing good, close and action packed racing and as soon as the first cars hit the track for hot laps, it was clear that nothing had changed in this regard. The cars were storming around the track, using different lines and spraying Illinois dirt and it was if nothing had ever changed. The surface here and the shape and size of the track plus the track prep that is done just make this an excellent track for Late Model racing in particular. 

And when the FLORacing Series hits town, they bring the best of everything. They have the most qualified people in the business working for them and a list of the folks on hand working tonight that included Ben Shelton, Dustin Jarrett, Mike Norris and Tyson Graves calling the action, along with Kelly Carlton, Jonathan Clayton and Matt Curl behind the scenes and you would be hard pressed to find a better group of people to put on a great show. 

And this FLO Series always attracts the best drivers around for their excellent paying events plus the attractive point fund for such a short series of events. Forty nine drivers signed in to race in the Late Model division and you would be hard pressed to come up with a stronger field, even if you could hand pick who showed up. Very, very few of the best drivers in the country weren't on hand on Tuesday and the jam packed stands, full of racing fans from near and far, were more than excited to see the first cars hit the track. There was a "vibe" on Tuesday that doesn't often happen any more. 

Along with the Late Models, the UMP Modified division would also be in action and a strong field of thirty two of them signed in that included drivers from all parts of the country as it was amazing that so many travelers from far away were on hand for a Tuesday night show in May. 

Both classes would qualify on Tuesday night in what really is the most important part of the program for the drivers, even though many of the fans snooze during this part of the program. For no matter how fast you might be, if you don't qualify well and start up toward the front in a heat race, you might as well load the car after qualifying. The large Late Model group was divided into halves with Ricky Thornton Jr being quickest overall and Tyler Erb topping the second group. The Modifieds qualified by groups of which their were four for their heats with David Stremme being the quickest overall. 

I don't know how the racing could possibly be more intense than it was for the six Late Model heats, Taking only three drivers out of each heat and then only three out of a pair of B Features, everyone was up on the wheel to make the show and this track is one that allows that kind of action as the drivers were running from right on the inside tires to some pounding the walls all the way around the track. And with no provisional starters available until the fourth race of the series, either you raced your way into the show or you parked early. And check out a partial list of drivers that failed to make the main. Jason Feger, Chris Simpson, Billy Moyer, Ryan Unzicker, Shannon Babb, Clay Stuckey and both Gundakers were just a few that watched the feature from the pits. 

Ryan Gustin led the opening lap of the fifty lap main for the Late Models. But he could only hold off the high side charges of Drake Troutman for three laps before Troutman drove past him. And right behind these two, Mike Marlar, Brandon Sheppard, Brian Shirley, Bobby Pierce and Ricky Thornton Jr were all fighting for position. Quite a group, yes?

Troutman continued to lead but he was constantly challenged for that top spot as there were two significant lines, right on the inside tires and up against the wall and drivers were varying their lines, depending on which end of the track they were working. But as strong as the field was, it soon became clear that Pierce was the fastest as he gradually and smoothly worked his way to the front, gaining positions steadily. By the halfway point of the race, he was up to second with Thornton Jr, Gustin and Sheppard next in line. 

Continuing his charge, he was able to drive around Troutman on the outside on lap twenty eight to take over the lead. Soon after, the first yellow waved for a flat tire for Cody Overton. It was a timely yellow as just at that time, a couple of the drivers had knocked the marker tires in turns three and four into the infield  and then started running lower on the track and soon, half the field was racing through the infield and raising a cloud of dust. The yellow allowed the track crew to move the tires back out and get the drivers back on the track. 

Pierce continued as the leader with Thornton Jr moving into second as Troutman started to fade. One more yellow on lap forty two when Kyle Bronson hammered the wall and left material all over the track slowed the action. Thornton Jr attempted to stay with Pierce on the restart but that was futile on this night as Pierce once again pulled  away for the win with Thornton Jr settling for second. 

Nick Hoffman made a nice charge to drive up to thirt ahead of Sheppard and Jonathan Davenport who also came up strong at the end. Gustin lost a good spot when he had to change a flat tire on the lap forty two yellow. Only five cars in the starting field failed to finish and all were on the lead lap. 

It was odd that while the Late Models were able to race all over the track, the Modifieds had to settle for hugging the inside rail when they concluded the night with their twenty five lap feature. The move that won the race was determined on the first lap when Michael Ledford was able to drive harder into the first turn, roll through the corner and then edge ahead of Chase Holland to take the lead. 

And once in front, Ledford just gradually pulled away as he clearly had the perfect set up for the track conditions. Holland tried to stay with the leader and he experimented with the middle lane and then up against the wall but neither would work for him and he eventually faded back to fifth at the finish. 

This race ran off nonstop so as Ledford pulled away, a good battle developed late in the contest for the second through fifth positions. A strong late burst saw Kyle Hammer move up to second with Dillon Nusbaum a close third. Stremme and Holland completed the top five in the nonstop race that saw only two drivers not finish the contest and all on the lead lap. 

It was a dust free night in the stands and an action packed night of viewing for the fans and I can't imagine that anyone could have gone home disappointed. Even the flow out of the parking lot, long a challenge here, seemed to be smooth and quick. Overall, just a top notch night of racing and a great premier presentation by McCoy, Izzo and FLO. Congratulations and thanks to all those folks for a job well done. 

Perhaps the only adjustments needed are on the time line for the show. While the actual program took just two and a half hours to complete all racing, the first race didn't get started until 8 pm, just a little late. Likely much of this was caused by the fact that both classes qualified which is not normally the case for FLO races and that might have to be revisited at some point. 

The FLORacing Night in America series moves on to the Spoon River Speedway on Wednesday night while fans should check the LaSalle Speedway and Event Center website to see when their next racing and other events are scheduled as they plan on making this a multi purpose facility and not just a dirt track. 

Brauner Bumps His Way To Dirt Crown Victory at Spencer, Grabo Also Earns Two Grand

 The very aggressive 2025 schedule at the Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer Iowa continued on Monday night, May 5th with the second show in as many nights. The top attraction on Monday was an appearance by the Dirt Crown Stock Car Series with the Stock Cars running for five grand to win on Monday. An elevated payoff found the Modifieds racing for two grand to win while the Sport Mods and Hobby Stocks were racing with the winner earning a thousand dollars and the Sport Compacts were racing for five hundred bucks to the winner. 

Clay Co. has been battling with the weather so far this year with two events on the specials only schedule having been rained out so far but they hit a winner this week with excellent Spring fair weather conditions for both their Sunday and Monday night shows. I was told they had some excellent racing on Sunday night and with even more money on the line on Monday, most of the racers returned along with some different drivers that were competing at other events on Sunday. 

All told, in the five IMCA classes that were racing, one hundred and twenty three drivers signed in to race, making for multiple heats in all classes with B Features needed for the Stock Cars. Not surprisingly, with the most money on the line and Dirt Crown points available, the Stock Car class fielded the biggest contingent of drivers with forty two of them on hand to race. 

Most of the officials that have worked Clay Co. in past years were on hand including Trent Chinn Promotions in charge and Jerry VanSickel calling the action from the grandstands. New comers visiting the track for the first time always express their surprise at the vastness of this supposedly County Fair facility and are shocked by the size of both the grounds itself and the grandstand specifically. 

It was a draw/redraw show on Monday with the Mods and Stock Cars doing their redraw in front of the crowd after all the qualifying was completed and as you might expect, the heat race action was intense, particularly so in the Stock Cars where barely over half the field would be allowed to start the twenty four car, thirty lap main event. Some very good teams like Dustin Reeh, Maquire DeJong, Gage Neal and Damon Marty were left on the sidelines when the Stock Car feature rolled out. 

The Stock Car headliner got off to a bit of a shaky start with a first turn grinding collision that eliminated four drivers and then a spin on the second attempt that slowed the action once again. However, from that point on, it was green flag racing with thirty laps clicked off without the need of a single more yellow. 

Nebraska driver Austin Brauner held the pole with Wisconsin driver Cole Czarneski along side of him and they proceeded to put on quite an early show. Brauner took the initial lead but Czarneski moved up beside him and edged past into the top spot. Brauner came back to grab the lead once again but Czarneski once again edged back in front. They continued to run nearly side by side with Shelby Williams less than a half car length behind in third and Kelly Shryock in four. Most of the drivers were running the inside line but Czarneski was up a lane on the track and repeatedly drove harder into the corners and was able to fight off Brauner. 

Just before the halfway point, Williams bobbled and Shryock shot up to third and closed quickly on the lead duo. With lots of green flag laps in a row, the track seemingly started to take rubber in the low groove and some of the drivers started to fight a pushing condition in their cars. Shryock is the low groove master here as well as at many other tracks and he quickly moved up and then past Brauner to take second and then closed on leader Czarneski. 

Cole was also fighting in the corners and not able to find the best line as he continued to slide off the bottom and Shryock quickly caught him and on lap twenty four, ducked to the inside and took over the lead which he immediately enlarged. Czarneski then tried to use the top side and that didn't work as he faded back more with Brauner passing him for second. 

The last few laps saw Shryock even start to struggle as he slid off the bottom a bit and Brauner had new life as he looked for a pass for the lead. It came down to the final lap with Shryock just a bit higher down the back chute then he would have liked. Brauner bored into turn three and taking a clue from all the NASCAR punks and other asphalt drivers and their driving tactics, gave Shryock's car a sharp shot in the left rear, sending Kelly sliding up the track and then Brauner drove under him and to the flag as the winner. His driving tactics drew a decidedly mixed reaction from the many Shryock fans in attendance and then he tried to apologize away his driving tactics in a victory lane interview with J VAN. Shryock was clearly not happy but he didn't have time to voice much displeasure as he had to jump into his Modified for their feature which was the next event. However, I would say that Mr. Brauner better be checking his rear view mirror that next time the two meet on the track, and for a decidedly good reason. Behind Shryock, it was Williams in third with Dallon Murty and a fading Czarneski completing the top five. 

The Modified feature saw Jordan Grabouski lead from green to checkers to take home the big money in that class. He started on the outside pole and grabbed the early lead from Jake McBurnie as Tim Ward moved into third and then second. 

Grabouski had built up a nice early advantage which Ward slowly cut into as this race also had a long stretch of green flag racing. Nick Meyer went over the edge of the track which brought out the only yellow of the race and bunched the field. There weren't many laps remaining in the contest but Ward was all over Grabouski on the restart. With just two laps to go, he had his chance when Grabo jumped the cushion in turn one but Tim couldn't quite it the job done and his momentum was killed which didn't allow him the chance to perhaps throw a last corner slider. 

Grabouski would motor on for the win with Ward settling for second. Brandon Beckendorf, Czarneski and McBurnie completed the top five. 

The Hobby Stocks generally run a pretty clean race here but they were a bit off on Monday with several crashes and spins slowing their main event. Though it all though, the driver to beat was Cory Probst.  Brandon Nielsen did take the initial lead as he got the jump on Probst but when Brandon started sliding up the track, Probst quickly drove under him and took over the top spot. After that, it was a matter of trying to catch Probst and despite several yellows that continued to bunch the field, no one could get pat him. 

There was much jockeying of position behind Probst and a considerable amount  of pushing and shoving as the positions were changing rapidly. Late in the race, Blake Luinenburg, who had started eleventh, drove past Nielsen for second and put as much pressure on Probst and anyone but he too came up short as Probst drove on for the win. Nielsen nipped Justin Frederick for third with Nick Schilling also in the top five. 

There was a slew of really fast Sport Mods starting right up front in their main event with Colby Fett taking the early lead. He struggled to hold off Alec Fett however, who was able to pass him and take over the lead. Meanwhile, Brayton Carter, who started fifth, started to pick up the pace and he found a line that was paying him dividends, particularly when he started to diamond the track off turn one and got a great run down the back chute. 

By the halfway point of the race, he was up to second  and closing on Alec Fett. It was not an easy pass to make however, as Fett fought hard and Carter had to attempt several times for the winning move as he experimented looking for the best line and would eventually settle for the high side all the way around the track that gave him enough boost to shoot into the lead. After that, he could set his own pace and line and pulled away in the last five laps for the win. 

A close battle for second found Colby coming back and passing Alec for the spot. Matt Looft and Matt Avila completed the top five. 

A good field of Sport Compacts was on hand but Mike Vogt led from start to finish to take the win. He started on the outside pole and got the jump on Gilbert Aldape to grab the early lead and then spent the entire race fighting off challenges from Devin Jones. Jones was digging on every corner, trying to sneak under the leader and make the pass but Vogt continued to hold his off as the lead pack of racers was quite large. 

Jones made one last attempt off the final corner and got to the inside of Vogt but came up a half car length short as Vogt drove on for the win. Caine Mahlberg, Levi Volkert and Camden Nehring finished very close behind the lead duo. 

A lot of racing was crammed into just over three hours of racing with the final checkered waving right around 10:30 pm. A very nice sized Monday night crowd was on hand, particularly given that they had just raced also twenty four hours earlier. If I beg enough, I keep hoping that the Fair will invest in some kind of a scoreboard. It sure would be nice to know just how many laps are being run and just where we are in each race without having to rely on J VAN and it seemed like a notable omission from a facility that offers just about everything else for the fan. 

Erb(Tyler) and Chisholm(Joe) Top MTS Outlaw Show

 It has been a wet week in Wisconsin, along with much of the Midwest with event after event falling to the weather this week. Even on Friday night, many of the area races were still canceled due to wet grounds and submerged race tracks. 

However, after losing their Thursday night show, the first of three scheduled for the World of Outlaws Late Models  this week at Mississippi Thunder Speedway near Fountain City Wisconsin, track and series officials were able to get night two completed on Friday night, May 2nd and Tyler Erb fought off all challenges to lead all fifty laps and take home the top prize. 

The original schedule had the Outlaws racing in full shows on both Thursday night and Friday night, show events with just twenty five lap features and paying ten grand to the winners with the best point night of the two lining up the heats for Saturday night's big seventy five grand to win main event. 

However, with Thursday night lost, the program was restructured into two nights of independent racing, each carrying a fifty lap main and paying twenty five and thirty grand to win respectively. 

The weather was still miserable on Friday, with the temperature in the mid 40's, cloudy with a damp North wind blowing and spectators were dressed just as if they were watching a snowmobile race in January. Still, while not a block buster crowd, a very good one was in attendance for the race, evidence that the Outlaws still pack a punch with the Late Model crowd. 

Forty four drivers signed in to race with the Outlaws, a number I thought very good considering that there is not much open Late Model racing in this area. Fortified by some regional talent and a few drivers like Collin Winebarger, Rob Sanders and Hayden Ross that never would be expected to be on hand, the pits were full for the Late Model side of things. 

The field was split into two groups with Nick Hoffman and Ryan Gustin topping the charts in those two groups. Hoffman, with a lap of 13.042, set a new track record. The track was full of moisture and would stay blinding fast all night but the track crew had put in their time and despite being super soaked with moisture, the track remained smooth all night. Four heats would take the top four out of each and then three out of the pair of B Features. With B Features starting over a dozen cars in each, some pretty stout drivers were left on the sidelines watching after the four provisional starters were added and on this night it was Billy Moyer and Michael Leach that had to load up early. 

Twenty six drivers started the fifty lap main with Tyler Erb, who had redrawn the pole, taking the early lead. The first start was called back when contender Cade Dillard hammered the turn three wall and had to make a pit stop to reassemble the body on his car. 

Erb continued to lead after another quick yellow when Drake Troutman got a flat tire but then they were able to do some racing. Gustin moved into second but he battled with Brian Shirley, Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce. Pierce was on the move, working past two of these drivers and then ending up second following a third yellow when Shirley went up in smoke. 

Pierce and Hoffman were all over Erb on the green but Tyler continued to fend them off. Dustin Sorensen thrilled the local fans on hand by working into the top five and it looked like he might have more to offer but he got into the turn one wall, flattened a tire and triggered another yellow. 

That was it, however, for the yellow flags and the last thirty three laps of the race went green. Pierce got a poor restart and Hoffman moved into second and for a few laps it looked like it was a matter of time before Nick made the pass for the lead. However, Erb would have something to say about this as he stemmed the tide and then started to gradually pull away from both Hoffman and Pierce.

Erb was sharp in the lapped traffic, of which there was considerable with so many green flag laps strung together and each time they hit a cluster of cars, Erb seemed to gain ground. Hoffman started to slip back and Pierce simply couldn't keep up on this night, having to fight off Time McCreadie for the third spot. 

Erb continued his charge, putting several lapped cars between himself and Hoffman and driving on to what seemingly was a relatively easy win. Hoffman, Pierce and McCreadie would follow. Ashton Winger rounded out the top five in what was a challenging night for him. Having to go to a back up car for his heat, he had to run a B Feature and came from eighteenth to complete the top five. Only four drivers failed to complete the distance and there were eight a lap down at the finish. 

The back up racing for the Outlaws was the first ever event for the Northern Lights Modified Series. One of three series that have been formed to run as companion series to the USMTS, the Northern Lights Series will run a calendar of events in the upper Midwest this year with their own point fund and championship. This is their first year of operation and is over seen by the duo of Trenton Berry and Erick Chesterman, who also run the Heartland and ARMS Series too. 

Being a stronghold area for USRA Racing, a solid field of drivers was expected for the first event and when thirty five drivers signed in to race, it was not unexpected. Their format does not offer much more imagination than the Outlaws however, as they qualify and run their heats straight up off time trial results. I thought I was at a weekly UMP show in Illinois on Friday, there were so many drivers that took time trial laps. 

They split their field in half also with Brandon Davis and Jacob Bleess being the quickest of their groups and Bleess overall fastest at 14.860. Four heat races would take five drivers and then four out of the B Feature to set a twenty four car field for their thirty lap main, paying two grand tonight and three on Saturday to win. 

The biggest development of the night, certainly for the Mods, was as a result of the heats, defending USMTS champion Jim Chisholm and Dylan Goettl were both disqualified and had to start in the back of the B Feature with neither than making the show. While this seemed like big news, regular track announcers Dan Bailey and Guy Hammernik  completed "fanned" on this news, nothing was ever reported to the fans and Bailey especially seemed perplexed why Chisholm was in the back of the B. 

The four heat winners redrew for their starting positions in the main while everyone else started straight up and twenty four drivers took the green. For twenty eight and a half laps, Keith Foss controlled this race and seemingly looked to be unstoppable. He got the jump on Davis to take the early lead and maintained the top spot even after an early yellow for a slowing Gary Christian slowed the pace. 

Foss built up his lead as Davis couldn't stay with him but Brandon was being pressured by Bleess and A.J Hoff for position. A spin one lap short of halfway packed the field and Joe Chisholm showed in the top four for the first time in the race. However, he was picking up speed and after the race went back to green, Chisholm was able to get past both Bleess and Davis and move into secondl 

The track changed at this point with the fast lane seemingly right on the bottom and Chisholm was wired to that low groove. Foss was drifting a bit higher in the corners and Chisholm started to reel him in quickly. With just a few laps to go, Chisholm was on the rear bumper and looking for a hole to get past. As they came past the flag stand with two laps to go, Chisholm got a nose inside the leader. I thought Foss was way too nice and I believe he could have chopped down into turn one and maintained the lead. Instead, he gave Chisholm way too much running room and Joe drove past him in turn one for the lead. He then pulled away as Foss had nothing to offer on the last lap. 

Chisholm expanded his lead over the final lap, with Foss, Bleess, Davis and Hoff completing the top five. Only three drivers failed to go the distance. 

Probably the most noteworthy thing of the night was certainly the new track record set. And that record would be the fact that the water truck was not seen on the track once all night and except for a little cushion packing  when needed, no track maintenance was done! Normally Bob Timm and his crew have to put miles and miles on the track every night, misting and packing but because of the wet weather, none was needed on Friday. And that helped make it a short evening of racing. The Outlaws and other track officials did a very good job of moving the show along with event after event following each other on to the track in short order. It was certainly nice to get the whole program completed well before 10 pm, even as mist again fell during the Modified feature. 

Congratulations and thanks to all the Outlaws group as well as MTS ownership and workers for a job well down.