Anvelink Tops Dirt Kings Finale at 141

Thursday night was the opening night of the three night run of the annual Fall wrap up event at at the 141 Speedway in Francis Creek Wisconsin, the "Creek Classic." This  show has an interesting format. On Friday and Saturday nights, a full program is held for all the divisions that race at 141 weekly which would include the IMCA Modifieds, Stock Cars, Sport Mods and Sport Compacts as well as the local Street Stocks and Grand National divisions.

To kick off the event, on Thursday night a full show of Late Models, running under the Dirt Kings Tour Series banner is held along with a thousand dollar to win Modified show which is a part of the "Red, White and Blue" Series of three specials for the Modifieds with points kept for the three events and a series champion crowned. Along with these two classes, open practice is also held for any other car that wants to show up.

This is the second straight year that the Late Models have been invited to be a part of this event but since it is the final event of the season for the first year Dirt Kings Tour, their first champion will be crowned on Thursday.

With just the two classes racing and practice interspersed between racing events, normally their wouldn't be a time crunch for this event but with the events that played out before the final checkered waved, the curfew did indeed become a "player" in the night's activities.
One of the entrants for the evening in the Late Models was former national driving star Dan Schlieper who was driving a former numbered A-1 car that despite his best efforts, he came up one position short of making the main event.

The format for this event is just a bit strange. Activities begin at 6 pm with an hour of open practice for who ever chooses to buy a pit pass and try out their car. At 7 pm they play the National Anthem and then run off the heats for the Mods and Late Models. Another open practice session then proceeds the B features in each class. Here is the weird part. Many of the cars that have just raced in the heats make some quick changes and then come right back out for the practice session. I don't know that I've ever seen any other race where the heat race cars have a second practice session before they race either a B or get ready for the main.

A second practice after the B features was also scheduled but scrapped when the weather got threatening so they could rush right into the mains.

Twenty seven Late Models signed in to race which I thought was a very good number for a Thursday night. The new Dirt Kings Tour has had very fine turnouts of drivers throughout their first season of operation and their initial must be considered a big success. Not only have they provided opportunities for Late Model drivers to race, some at new tracks to them, they have established rules and payoffs that have improved the Late Model situation in eastern Wisconsin. More new drivers seem to be coming out all the time and this will likely continue during the off season as more drivers switch to running Late Models or more drivers move up to the class, mostly because they now have some organization and more dates available to them.

Forty three Modifieds signed in to race in the "Blue" race for the IMCA cars. Included in this number were about a half dozen Sport Mods who took off their spoilers and joined the Mods on this night. Why they would do so, I'm not sure as they weren't competitive and finished well back but perhaps they were just looking for more seat time as there was no entry fee above and beyond the pit pass cost. Chase Rudolf came all the way from Iowa to race his Sport Mod, which he entered with the Mods on Thursday but I would assume that he will race as a Sport Mod the rest of the weekend.

Three heats and a B feature using passing points set the stage for the Late Model main. However, just as the Late Model feature was set to roll on the track, the showers that had been skirting the area, struck. The cars quickly exited the track and it then rained for about fifteen minutes or so, some times quite hard. Many of the spectators headed home or to their campers at this point but track management was determined to try and get the show in.

Eventually the showers diminished and the packing vehicles hit the track. They worked as hard as they could to try and whip the track back into shape and at some point, the Late Models returned to the track and assisted. As it grew close to the 10:30 pm hour, it became increasingly important that the race quickly start, as after that time no racing is allowed to start, even though the 141 Speedway sits in a bucolic area wrapped by dairy farms.

With seven minutes to spare, the Late Models took the green for their thirty lap feature race. Defending champion of this event, Mitch McGrath, had problems early and scratched out of his heat but he was slated to take a provisional. However, both he and the Schefffler duo of Rick and Taylor loaded up and left when it started to rain and they weren't around to run the main which then started with just eighteen cars.

The track was quite slippery and the mud was flying as they took the green flag. Passing was at a bit of a premium given the conditions but Nick Anvelink and Brett Swedberg battled it out for the win with Ron Berna close behind. Anvelink led all the way but Swedberg was a consistent challenger, including the one time when the two leaders collided rather heavily and quite frankly, Anvelink was lucky to escape with his car in one piece.

Late in the race, Anvelink began to realize that going slower actually made him faster as he determined that no one was going to pass him on the outside so he took it easy in the corners and then began to pull away. Anvelink was guaranteed the point title just by signing in on Thursday but it was icing on the cake for him to win the finale of the series. No announcements were made about 2018 but I would assume that with the success that the first year series had that they would be back bigger and stronger for next year. Interestingly, while Anvelink won the points title, he is one of the few drivers running the series using a spec motor as he is running a WISSOTA legal motor while most of the drivers in this area have now switched over to the open motors which used to run under a handicap but now race the spec engines "straight up."

The Modifieds used the draw/redraw format for their part of the program with five heats, and three B features setting the field for the twenty five lap finale. The Modifieds raced before the Late Models and their track was considerably different, having raced their finale before the rains hit.

Track champion Johnny "hitman" Whitman showed how he earned that title as while most of the field went to the low side of the track, Whitman stormed to the cushion and it only took him five laps to race from sixth into the lead. Once in front, he chose to continue that line while Benji LaCrosse raced into second and was running the low groove tight to the infield tires.

Gradually, lap after lap, LaCrosse slowly began to whittle into the lead. with the race split into two equal parts by yellow flags, the top side started to go away as the race continued and LaCrosse began to reel in the leader. With only a couple of laps to go, LaCrosse made the winning pass in turn four and then pulled away to take the win over Whitman. Jay Matthias, Jason Czarapata and Mark Joski completed the top five.

The Packers were playing the Bears just up the road a half hour or so and so there was a festive atmosphere as the game was played on the pa during the rain delay and the lightning delay at Lambeau Field was the first tip off that 141 could be dealing with some weather issues. Unfortunately, they weren't quite able to get that last race in before the weather threw a "monkey wrench" into everything but they did prevail and for those tough fans that stuck things out, they got to see an entertaining Late Model feature.

Somewhat surprisingly to me, co-promoter Toby Kruse was doing the announcing on this night. Not that Toby isn't an excellent announcer but with his Race Director duties, I'm surprised that he took on the extra duties. As usual, thanks to Toby and the other folks at 141 for a good night of racing. Things seen to be rolling strong at this track which has transformed from an asphalt track on the verge of closing to perhaps the most popular dirt track on the eastern side of the state.

On a totally unrelated note, I'm been doing some research on the history of local racing here in western Wisconsin and it jogged my memory to some things that have changed in the sport. Let me list a few for you and see if they are things that you remember to.

Does anyone remember when white pants were required to get into the pits? It was not that long ago but tell me, do you see anyone anymore that wears whites in the pits?

Remember when women weren't allowed in the pits at all. It seems ludicrous now but it wasn't that long ago that women that worked in the pit concessions or took money in the pits had to have an escort into the pits because they weren't allowed to be in the pits otherwise.

I can remember a time when crates were something that your new, shop built motor, was delivered in, not something that you raced.

Does anyone remember a time when not only were there no dogs in the grandstand area but also in the pits? Now days they're everywhere.

Lastly, does anyone remember when the purse was paid off in cash on race night? Now, checks are pretty standard and more and more tracks don't pay off until the following week.

Very quietly, there is a mounting scandal going on involving the Modified class and some basic safety rules. The standard measurement for the main roll cage bars is .095 inches. However, it is now being discovered that many of the roll cages do not meet that basic safety requirement.

At the recent Jamboree held at the Deer Creek Speedway, a source tells me that at least forty of the cars checked didn't meet the basic safety requirements. That's approximately twenty five per cent of the field! Cars were also checked at the recent WISSOTA 100 and some were found there that also didn't meet the minimum requirement.

Just this week, WISSOTA issued a technical bulletin stating that every driver's responsibility will be to make sure that their car is legal and that any car that doesn't pass inspection will be immediately disqualified. Not surprisingly, in this day and age, the sanctioning body is now being criticized for their basic safety stand, as these days its the messenger that is always criticized, not the message.

Apparently, for some reason, it is the sanctioning bodies fault that they are pointing out these basic safety hazards, not the builders who are putting drivers at risk, and many times unknowingly. My sources tell me that there are at least three different builders that have had cars that didn't meet the requirements and not just one chassis company. We haven't heard from a number of the sanctioning bodies on what, if anything, they are doing to check these cars, but it clearly is a problem that exists everywhere.

I don't know about you, but it seems that something should be done before a car folds up due to poor construction materials and someone gets hurt badly or worse. Everyone is in business to try and find a competitive advantage but when it starts to affect driver safety, I think it has gone too far. It would behoove every driver to contact their builder to make sure their car is safe and if not, the builder should make it so. The sanctioning bodies also need to take their heads out of the sand and take a united stand on this. 

Dillard Takes Opening Night Win at Deer Creek; Hughes Nails Down the USMTS Championship

Thursday night, September 21st was the opening night of the three night Featherlite Fall Jamboree at the Deer Creek Speedway just north of Spring Valley Minnesota. On tap was a full show of USMTS Modifieds along with a full show of USRA B Mods. For the Modifieds, it was also the final race of "The Hunt" Series and the 2017 National Champion would be crowned at the conclusion of the evening.

Jason Hughes was in the "cat bird's" seat in terms of the National Championship title, holding a comfortable lead over Stormy Scott. However, it was not assured as of yet as a series of circumstances could play out that could rob him of the title. So, it was incumbent upon himself that race hard and not leave the issue to chance.

Five thousand dollars was on the line for the Modifieds on Thursday as well as $1,250 dollars to the B Mod winner. This race has always draw large fields of cars and did so once again on this night. Ninety seven Modifieds signed in to race with a few more stragglers likely the next two nights as each show is independent  from the others with a new draw and qualifying taking place each night. Generally speaking, the best of the USMTS crew show up to race this event and a lot of regional drivers from other groups join in on this show as they like to test themselves against the USMTS cars and let's face it, at this time of the year there aren't too many choices if one wants to race plus the money is very good.

Deer Creek has a lot of B Mods of their own and added with the drivers from northeast Iowa that race under USRA rules, that makes for quite a field right there. Also, there are always a number of drivers from the Kansas City area where USRA is in control that also tow up for this event. All told, sixty five B Mods signed in to race so that gave us quite a field of only open wheel cars.

The weather couldn't have been nicer however with the temperatures more July like than anything and a strong South wind blowing, we probably saw more track prep time than normal at Deer Creek.

Passing points were in effect Thursday for both divisions with the heat race action intense as one might expect. The B Mods had to get it done quickly with only eight lap heats while the Mods had virtual mini features based on laps and car count for each.

The B Mods ran off seven heats and four B Features to set their thirty car field for their main event while the Mods also had seven heats and five B Features that set their thirty car field. A couple of provisionals were added and then Keith Foss scratched out of the main so they started thirty one cars in the Mod main.

And what a polar opposite each main would be. The Modifieds ran forty laps nonstop and saw a lead change just before the half way mark of their contest while the B Mods had an awful time with a wreck and yellow flag plagued event that never could string together more than a few laps in a row before the yellow waved once again.

Perhaps his time away from racing full time in the Modifieds has developed a chink in his armor, but in the past, if you would have put Rodney Sanders on the pole for a feature, you might as well start heading toward the parking lot because the decision has already been rendered. Not so much anymore as while Rodney led the first fourteen laps of the main, soon after the start his lead started to shrink and it wasn't long before he was in a defensive mode.

Ryan Gustin was pounding the cushion as he is wont to do and was moving up, while Cade Dillard was also challenging. Gustin appeared to be ready to take over the lead but when they got into lapped traffic, it was Dillard that found the opening and took over the lead. Dillard was doing a masterful job working through the traffic and Gustin lost considerable track position before he finally freed himself.

It also seemed that Dillard turned it up a notch as he started to lengthen his lead and at the end, Gustin had nothing for him. Lucas Schott also was able to get past Sanders for third and Brady Gerdes, a WISSOTA racer who only enters these races when they are in his area or when he goes to Arizona in January, rounded out the top five in an excellent showing.

As far as the National Championship, it was hardly mentioned at all because there was really no drama. Scott started eighth and finished up sixth and Hughes moved forward, all the time looking for the world like he was just keeping Scott in his sights. Hughes started fourteenth, finished eighth and didn't make a move during the feature that would put himself in any kind of jeopardy. It was a smart move to guarantee the title and now he can cut loose and see if he can win some of the big money upcoming in the next two nights.

Young Jim Chisholm led from start to finish to win the twenty lap B Mod feature. He had plenty of pressure from J.T. Wasmund, Ben Moudry, Jerry Young and Dakota Foster but he remained in front the whole race. There were so many yellows that broke up the flow, no one could mount a consistent effort to track down the leaders as they battled among themselves while Chisholm happily rode away from them . Nearly a third of the field was on the sidelines before the checkered waved including a first lap flip by Miah Christensen and a big pile up on a restart that eliminated several contenders including Andy Bryant.

I was very impressed that they were able to start the show right on time. The tech line was moving incredibly slow and there was still such a line at 6 pm that they postponed the start of the driver's meeting. The line was still there just before race time but they dropped the first green flag right at 7 pm and no one missed their race. They then rammed the show through as fast as possible, knowing that they had a large number of events to run off.

There were several breaks for track prep that did run quite long but as far as administering the actual race program, they were very efficient. Of note particularly was how fast they were able to realign cars under the yellow and get the show back under green. I believe Justin Queensland is the man that should get the credit for this.

For those veteran fans out there who remember both Tim Donlinger and Jay Ihrke from the "salad days" of Modified racing, it was interesting to note that both were back in the saddle on Thursday and both looked like they hadn't missed a beat as both made the main and showed no evidence of rust. Donlinger was driving a second car for Dereck Ramirez while Ihrke was wheeling one of Steve Wetzstein's cars.

The wind played havoc with the track on this night and while I didn't notice that it affected the racing at all, it was one of the dirtiest nights in the grandstands that I have ever had to endure at Deer Creek and certainly one of the worst of the Summer, despite all the watering and tilling of the track. And despite all the prompt racing with so many races to run off, as has been the case with many of the Fall specials, it turned into a long night with the final checkered waving well after Midnight. For those that were camping on the grounds, it wasn't bad but for a goof like yours truly, who still had a three and a half hour ride home to pull off, once again I would be pulling down my driveway just about the time the roosters were making an "all call."