I suppose that a "swell night" of racing is not often used in the headline for a blog report of a night of racing. However, when I thought of a clever headline for this night's report, the first thing that popped into my brain was that it was a "swell night" of racing and a great way to start the season at Stuart.
What made it "swell?" Just about everything I guess. If cooperating weather, a great field of drivers in all classes, a spectacularly fast race track that still provided side by side racing, many interesting races that also provided more than it's share of surprises and for those so inclined, a few spectacular wrecks and a very quick program are your definition of a "swell night", that Stuart delivered in spades.
Wednesday night, April 8th marked the debut for 2026 for IMCA racing, and indeed, for racing in general on the dirt tracks of Iowa. It was long overdue with a number of races within the last week all washed or frozen out and there was clearly much anticipation for the first wheels to turn and unlike other years, there was not even a chance for a practice session at Stuart so everyone was going into the night just not sure of what they had.
And Wednesday almost didn't happen either but the rains proved to be light and the showers scheduled for evening turned into just a few sprinkles that the track could handle. However, I was not very far down the road heading home before I hit wet pavement that could have caused a short night if it had steered just a bit more South.
There was plenty of anticipation in the pits on Wednesday with many folks just ready to get the new season started. For Stuart, it would be their sixty fifth year of racing at the little bowl located on the North side of Stuart.
One highlight of opening night is the opportunity to just stroll through the pits, check out the new machines, see what everyone has come up with over the course of the long Winter and talk with a few familiar people and meet new ones. I had the chance to speak briefly with Anthony Davis, who I recognized from his recent article on the IMCA page writing by Ben Deatherage. I also had the chance to speak with track announcer Tony Paris, a familiar voice at this track and others in Iowa. And of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Iowa without running into "Crazy Martin", the mayor of Ogden.
Many of the racers arrive at the last minute at Stuart, simply because some people have to work on Wednesdays. Yet, with the long line running down the road into the pits, some great work by track officials got them all signed in and lineups posted so there would be no delays, something that frequently happens on opening nights.
One hundred and twenty drivers signed in to race on opening night plus the Mini Mods and for the first time ever, the Crown Vics are now a part of the racing program at Stuart. They are pushing their limit running seven classes on a week night and while it was done smoothly on this night, not every night will proceed smoothly and I worry about the shows starting to try to cram ten pounds in a five pound bag.
The track may have been as good as I have ever seen it here. Certainly it was the fastest I can ever remember in my trips here. The cars were blinding fast in all classes and while the speeds were blistering, they were still able to race side by side. I felt that the entry speeds into the corners were almost scary and I predicted to myself that we would see some wild flips during the night, something that unfortunately did come true.
I was pleased to see that they were using the "choose cone" for the feature action. A number of sanctioning bodies have given the OK for tracks to use this as a restart option but not many have, famously the USMTS that has dropped the option. I still like the drama and strategy the "choose cone" provides and we later saw that strategy used on several occasions.
One of the things that helps move the show along here is the one spin rule and the gumption to hold off throwing the yellow until the last second. Wednesday night they ran off fifteen heat races and the yellow had to be waved only twice. That is even more impressive given that it was opening night, many drivers were racing new cars and most hadn't had any practice sessions. Congratulations to both management and the drivers for doing their best to make the show move right along.
B Features were needed for both the Hobby Stocks and Sport Mods with both classes having both large and strong fields of entrants. With only the briefest of pauses to pack the cushion for a few minutes, after these two races were over it was time for the seven feature races.
The Crown Vics had six entrants for their first ever appearance at the track. Tate Haffner led the opening lap before being passed by Marty Pelzer who then went on to lead the rest of the twelve laps to take the win. This was by far the most sedate of the features with the action ramping up quickly after they were done.
The Sport Mods had one of the fastest and deepest fields of quality drivers that I can remember at this track and they raced like that and while it will be officially listed as Mike Smith leading from start to finish, that would hardly describe how the race actually progressed.
Smith did pull out to a big lead immediately, extending it to nearly a full straightaway and finding himself catching the back of the field quickly. Then things got interesting as Jake Sachau, who started sixth, got into second and then, as Smith got slowed in traffic, quickly caught him for the lead.
By the halfway point, he was to the rear bumper of Smith who was fighting to get past some of the two wide traffic and having a tough time of it. With Cam Reimers, Dylan VanWyk and Devyn Peterson closing, they quickly got very exciting. Sachau went for the lead, trying to get around Smith while both were fighting through the slower cars. This created a big collision off turn two that saw the slower cars spinning and Jeremiah Reed going for a flip down the back chute.
With six laps left, Smith was able to fight off VanWyk who had turned into the primary challenger and they raced right down to the finish before it was decided. Colton Livezey got up to third with a late pass on Sachau.
The action and surprise level didn't fade when the Stock Cars hit the track. With Mike Albertsen and Damon Murty on the front row, there couldn't have been much better quality up front. Murty got the jump on the green and just as things seemed to be settling in, a shocking turn of events completely changed the course of the race.
Murty was running blistering laps, reported to be under fifteen seconds and much under the track record, but when he flew into turn four, his car kind of "stuck" against the tacky track, the car reared up and he barrel rolled about two or three times. What a shocking development!
Damon was OK but the car, not so much. Albertsen inherited the lead with Rowdy VanGenderen then taking second and showing plenty of speed. These two put on a show with Rowdy trying lap after lap to get a nose under Albertsen who refused to be moved out of his line. Several times VanGenderen had to pull up for fear of getting into the side of Albertsen's car.
A lap thirteen yellow slowed the field and after racing resumed, Albertsen was able to edge out in front by a slightly more comfortable margin. In fact, Rowdy had to go on the defensive at the end to protect second from the charge of Buck Schafroth. Albertsen never missed a mark once as he drove on to victory. Cudos also to VanGenderen who drove a clean race when it would have been very easy to just let his car move up the track and displace the leader but he chose to race "Wahoo" cleanly, even though I'm sure there was much desire to win opening night at his dad's track.
Things didn't any less intense when the Hobby Stocks hit the track for their main event. This was one race where track conditions paid a part in the race's outcome. Not that there was anything wrong with the track. It was just that it still remained blistering fast and with the skinny tires and no bead locks on the Hobby Stocks, when they stuck their cars into the corners, there were a few that had rubber roll off the rim, ending their races. This tripped up a few of the top runners and in particular, race leader Braden Gifford.
Briar Kriegel and Gifford had battled in the opening laps with them trading the lead back and forth. The action was interrupted by a horrendous flip by Seth Butler when he barrel rolled multiple times in turn one with most of the body being hurled off the car. It was indeed a scary looking wreck and certainly what will probably be one of the most violent crashes of the entire year. Fortunately, Butler was OK.
Gifford continued to hold the lead while being challenged by Kriegel and Justin Ahrenholtz. Later, Ahrenholtz and another contender, Phil Castellano, would both be felled by flat tires coming off the rims.
On lap eleven, while Gifford looked to be in good shape for a win, suddenly he was befallen with the same problem with his right rear rolling off the rim and handing over the lead to Joey Young. Young, who had started fifth, worked his way to the front smoothly and he was there to take advantage of the break offered.
In the late going, he was challenged by both Tom Killen and Eric Stanton but held off both for the win. It was an emotional moment for Young, marking his first ever victory on dirt in a Stock Car, having been a veteran racer in the figure eight division.
Johnny Thomas and Michael Gardner traded the lead back and forth in the Sport Compact feature with each leading on two separate occasions. Thomas finally claimed the lead for good on lap five and with Gardner breaking down shortly thereafter, Thomas then led the rest of the race for the win.
His margin was not a big one however, as both Tyler Fiebelkorn and Gilbert Aldape were close behind as they battled with each other for the second spot.
The Modified feature was a nonstop twenty lap contest and Jeremy Mills used the outside pole to take the early lead. He opened up a good sized lead over the pack with Todd Shute and Trevor Fitz battling for second.
Berry had started eighth and early on got crossed up in turn one and was a considerable distance behind the front runners. However, when he got going he was more than fast, quickly catching the pack and dispatching driver after driver in his march to the front.
He drove up to second and then started to close on Mills, who suddenly didn't look as dominating as he had early in the race. In one power move, Berry drove right around Mills just at the halfway point to take the lead and then he was gone.
With no yellows to give the field a chance to catch up, he extended his lead to nearly a full straightaway and drove on for the win. Mills and Shute followed. Berry is one of the few Modified drivers in IMCA using the Lethal chassis and he praised builder David Stremme in victory lane.
There was great racing from start to finish and everything you would expect and hope for in an opening night. And here's the best part. Despite twenty three races plus the Mini Mods and three red flags for flips, the entire show was completed in two hours and fifty nine minutes with the final checkered waving at 10:18 pm. That is impressive and a testament to a good working staff, opening night or not.
And while I pulled into my driveway at 4:37 am, I did so with the knowledge that I had seen a program that was worth my time. Thanks to MVG, Tony and everyone else on the staff at Stuart for putting on a dandy opener.
