Thursday night, June 17th, the thirteenth annual Clash at the Creek was concluded at the 141 Speedway near Francis Creek Wisconsin. After two nights of practice and qualifying efforts, the IMCA Modifieds would be racing for a top prize of $10,000 for their fifty lap main event scheduled on Thursday. Also racing would be the IMCA Stock Cars and Sport Mods who would be running full shows again for the second straight night.
Two straight beautiful days would be followed on Thursday by one that offered plenty of questions. Thunderstorms were the prediction for Thursday and various prognosticating agencies were predicting from anywhere from 6 pm to 9 pm for the first bursts to hit the eastern Wisconsin area. Previous to that, it would be a challenging day to prepare a race track with high temperatures, plenty of sun and very strong winds out of the South, all making it a challenge to present a race track that would be one that actual racing could take place on.
I must give much credit to the management at 141 for their awareness of the situation and their willingness to make changes in order to provide the best opportunity for the racing to take place. Aware that Friday night was not an option should they get rained out on Thursday and the likelihood of gathering all the drivers back together at some point in the season to conclude the show a remote possibility also, they took the next best step in that they moved up the starting time of the racing and also rearranged the running order for the evening so as to provide the best chance that the "big show", the Modified feature could take place.
As time grew near to the new starting time, the clouds began to build in the western skies and the blue skies turned an ominous gray, signaling that weather was approaching. They started the show right at 6 pm and ran the Modified qualifiers first and then slipped in a few heats of Sport Mods so they could be ready for the Last Chance race for the Mods. Stock Car heats followed by the skies were starting to leak and sprinkles grew just a bit more intense and the action was called to a halt with two Stock Car heats yet to be run.
We caught a break when the first line of rain proved to mostly miss the track and the sprinkles let up after a short break, track prep crews were able to whip the track back into shape very quickly and the Stock Car heats immediately continued. Following this, it was right into the big race for the Modifieds with pomp and circumstance cut to a minimum in order to ensure that the feature race could be completed.
Most of the afternoon there was much talk about what kind of shape the track would be in for the Modified feature. The track had taken much rubber during the last two nights with most of the Wednesday night heat races being conducted on "rubbered up" tracks which is not always the best for racing. Most felt that the Modified feature at extra distance would be dealing with the same issue.
Now whether it was the cloud cover that cooled things in the late afternoon or the sprinkles that wet the surface just two races before the main event but for whatever reason the track did not lock down for the Modified feature like many had feared. I was also told that the track prep crew did some things differently on Thursday and whether it was their efforts or a combination of circumstances, who cares but the track was good for the big show event.
The Modified drivers that made the fifty lapper did a remarkable job as there was only one yellow flag during the fifty lap contest and that was for a slowing Peyton Taylor nine laps into the race. Other than that, it was green flag racing the rest of the way.
There were three different leaders during the race as Jeremy Thorton got the initial jump from the outside pole and took the early lead over high point car Josh Long who had also redrawn the pole position. Thornton would only lead until lap five when Long would take over the top spot. Right behind those two, it was Johnny Whitman and Mike Mullin that were putting on the pressure.
The whole course of the race changed following the lone yellow as on the gren, Mullen got into the rear bumper of Long and slowed his progress which gave Whitman the chance to go flying by on the outside and take over the lead. Mullin would then move into second and the race was on.
Those two would be the story as they would have their own private battle for the lead and while Whitman would be scored the leader of every lap after, he was under the gun constantly from Mullin. At one point they exchanged slide jobs with Mullin passing but then being repassed by Whitman as they roared around the track. Both found the high side to be best in turns three and four and both would dive low in turn one, scratch for traction and then take off down the back chute and that is where the sliders took place.
Behind them, Thornton, Long and Cody Laney kind of settled in as the rest of the top five but the lead was in challenge on nearly every lap. Mullin gave it his best shot around lap forty and closed again to the rear bumper of Whitman but "The Hitman" held him off and then started to stretch his lead through the final few laps.
Thornton had back luck on lap forty when he got sideways and nearly spun and then pulled into the infield, the victim of some sort of mechanical failure which elevated those behind him by one spot. Despite the twenty four cars on this small track, there was only one lapped car at the finish and not much traffic for the leaders to deal with as drivers seemed to pull off at the point where they were about to be lapped with the only lapped car being Justin O'Brien that Whitman successfully got past and then widened his lead.
There would be no late race charge as Whitman was in control and he would go on to take the win with Mullin several car lengths behind at the checkered. Long would be elevated to third with the Thornton failure and Laney and Terry Phillips would complete the top five. Thirteen cars would complete the race with only one a lap in arrears. It was one of the stronger performances by the eastern Wisconsin regulars with the top three spots grabbed by local drivers.
Once the victory lane ceremonies and the traditional "dip in the pond" in the infield at 141 was completed, the rest of the program was run off. Two B Features for both the Sport Mods and Stock Cars were quickly run off but by the time the Sport Mods took to the track for their main, it started to rain again and this time with more force. It didn't take long for the track to get too slick to run on and after waiting for a few minutes and seeing that the storm seemed to be intensifying, the program was called at this point with the feature cars in each class splitting the money.
In retrospect, that half hour earlier starting time plus moving along rapidly the rest of the show and changing the running order may have been the salvation that allowed the main event to be completed and folks to go home satisfied rather than disappointed. The main event was more than worth the three days invested in the program and it was especially good that it would be run on a good track for racing, rather than a follow the leader type of event that some feared.
Thanks to everyone at 141 for three good days of racing. All the track employees and the management of the track should take a bow for a job well done and the concluding night crowd was a very good one, especially so with many that left for the track being cognizant of what kind of weather conditions they might be facing but still attending.
Anyone considering a visit to 141 should check their website for special events upcoming which do include big money specials for both the Stock Cars(that do put on a spectacular show here) and the Sport Mods.
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