Lots of bad weather throughout the Midwest this week and into the weekend made for a scramble to find a race to attend. Rainouts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week made me less than a cheerful soul but I was determined if at all possible to fill my dance card for this weekend, even if it meant doing a little driving.
Friday night found me pleasantly satisfied as I attended an entertaining night of racing in Nebraska, even if the management didn't recognize Positively Racing, thus allowing me to take a night off from the detailed reporting.
However, Saturday night, April 20th was all systems go as with a pleasant welcome from the management, I would be at week number two of the racing season at the Independence Motor Speedway in Independence. They would be featuring their regular six division program plus the Outlaw Mini Mods would be racing too so seven big classes would be on the card. All week they had been advertising the fact that due to the expected cold weather for the evening, the show would be moved up with the first warmup session scheduled for 5 pm with racing to follow. This they accomplished and it would be appreciated later for the early start, something that more tracks should think about doing when the weather is not so pleasant. It's also interesting how the whole culture of short track racing has changed in recent years as I can remember a time not so long ago when it would be impossible to do things like change the starting time, perhaps even change the day of the race at the last minute but things are certainly different than they used to be. Old guys like me sometimes struggle with this change. You really have to be paying attention to what is happening or you'll get left in the dust.
One hundred ten cars signed in to race plus the Mini Mods so it was a full pit area. Only the Sport Mods stumbled with just nine cars racing in this class after they had only a dozen last week. I'm not sure what is going on there as usually this is a class that has overwhelming numbers of entrants. In any event, there were plenty of cars in the other classes to make up for any shortcomings in this division.
I was told that things were a bit choppy with the track last week which is not unexpected for a season opener early in April. However, plenty of work was done on the track this week and it provided a very positive racing surface for this Saturday night's show. The track started off just a bit heavy but smooth and as it dried out, it got black and slick from top to bottom and allowed much side by side racing and plenty of thrilling slide jobs. This whole process was repeated after the heat races as apparently if the track is allowed to race start to finish without some attention, it might rubber up but that was not the case Saturday as it was good for all classes and winning drivers(as they usually do), praised the track and the improvements of this week.
Racing started at 5:24 pm and the heats moved through swiftly. Only one B Feature was needed and that was for the Stock Cars, a race that only eliminated ONE car and could have easily been eliminated following the Jeff Broeg rules of order.
Twenty four cars would start the Hobby Stock feature, a race that got off to a shaky start but then smoothed out as the event rolled on. Pole sitter Garrett Ball would spin on the opening lap, giving Bradly Graham the early lead as the yellow waved. Three more times the yellow would wave in the first half of the race, all with Graham still holding the lead.
The second half of the event was quite the opposite as it would go off without a single slow down. Graham would continue to hold the lead with Shaun Kuennen chasing him. Kuennen would stay within a couple of car lengths as the leaders pounded the high side but wouldn't be able to provide a stronger challenge. Tyler Ball would run third for much of the event until he went flying off the end of the track, something that we saw all night by multiple drivers as they tried to run the cushion but often, just missed their marks by inches and went flying off the ends.
Graham would not falter as he maid no mistakes and led Kuennen home for his third win of the season already with David McCalla quietly moving up from thirteenth to round out the top three.
The Late Model feature would see thirteen cars take the green flag in what was one of the better races of the night. I have been unclear just what the PRO Late Models are since they started racing at some tracks in Iowa in the last year of so. So I asked Ricky Kay who was along with Dylan Thornton on this night and he told me that the rules were designed to let the IMCA type Late Models race with the SLMR type Late Models. The IMCA cars can run either their crate motor or the old style IMCA spec type engines while the SLMR type cars must use restrictor "pucks" in their carburetors, all in an effort the even out the class and allow more drivers to race. Next week the PRO series points start and there were a few drivers on hand tonight to try things out, drivers that could not race under IMCA rules.
Brandon Davis would take the early lead in this race with Sean Johnson all over him in an attempt to get past. Logan Duffy, Thornton and Jeff Aikey were close behind as a pack of five battled early. Seconds after Johnson would pass for the lead on lap ten, Davis would loose control and slide into one of the ute tires, damaging his front end and ending his night.
Johnson was not the leader but Thornton would get by Duffy for second and close. Lap after lap, he would try to get past Johnson as they raced hard for the lead but Johnson would fight him off. Finally, with just a few laps remaining, Thornton would get under Johnson down the front chute and slide past into the lead, after which he was able to pull away.
Thornton would then get the win as he would open up some distance late. Aikey would make a late charge and get by Johnson for second. It would be the first Late Model win for Thornton, a young veteran of both the Modified and Stock Car classes.
Twenty three Stock Cars would take the green flag in a race that was stopped just once by the yellow, and that with just two laps to go. Cole Mather would use the outside pole to take the early lead and the rest of the pack would be chasing him throughout the race. Mather was solid on the cushion and John Oliver Jr would work into second and try to flag down the leader. He would stay within a few car lengths of the top spot, but not get any closer.
Lapped traffic would get dicey and this would be Oliver Jr's best chance but Mather, after a few tense moments, was able to fight his way through the five slower cars running in a pack and hold on to his lead. With just two laps to go, a spinning car would set up a quick blast to the finish but Mather would pull away for the win over Oliver Jr. Kaden Reynolds would finish third while Damon Murty would make a charge from eleventh to fourth.
An entertaining Modified feature would see three different leaders in the first ten laps of that race with Jason Morehouse taking the initial lead before Kolton Osborn passed him two laps later. Brennan Chipp was on the move after starting fifth and he would challenge Osborn for the lead.
Kolton was running right up against the cushion just as high as possible but when he got just inches too light, Chipp drove under him to take over the lead just at the halfway point and just as a slowing car slowed the race for the first and only time.
Troy Cordes would get past Osborn for second and put the heat on Chipp, nearly getting by on the low side a time or two but each time, Chipp would reach back and find just enough speed to hold off the veteran. Those two would cross the line in that order with Jeremy Mills and Dallon Murty, from the fourth and fifth row, next in line. The Modifieds have a special event coming up in early May and there were some visitors in this class also, checking things out so to speak.
One of the best races of the night was, God forbid, the nonstop Sport Compact main event. There were three different leaders of this race in the first three laps and a side by side battle for the win that wasn't settled until the final few laps.
Jaice Tuttle would lead the opening lap before being passed by Christian Grady for the lead. However, one lap later it was Ryan Bryant who would get past Grady for the top spot. Then things really got good as Grady would fight his way back beside Bryant and they would circle the third mile side by side for the majority of the contest. Several times it looked like Grady would slip back but each time he would fight his way back beside the leader.
Then, with just a few laps left, Grady picked up the pace and slowly, he would be able to inch away from Bryant until he had him cleared and could move up the track. Bryant would be right behind at the finish but it was Grady who took the win. Tuttle hung in there also to finish a close third on Bryant's rear bumper.
Only eight cars would take the green flag for the Sport Mod feature which Tony Olson would lead in from start to finish. He was secure up front but drivers trying to catch him were flying in all directions as both Cole Suckow and Tyler Soppe went flying off the track as they chased the leader. Rayce Mullen would run second most of the race as the top two behaved themselves while things were crazy behind them.
Suckow would throw a "haymaker" on Brandon Tharp near the end that saw Tharp go flying off turn two and draw a penalty for Suckow. At the finish, Olson and Mullen would finish first and second with Soppe fighting his way back up to third.
The early start was a very good thing as the final checkered waved just at 9 pm, thus allowing the fans to avoid the extreme cold that would settle in later. The crowd was not a big one but that was to be expected with perhaps the pay per view making up the difference for those folks that elected to stay home.
Plenty of familiar faces working the action as Bucky Doren is back in the local area and served as the play by play announcer. The Legend, Jim Roper, even on this cold night, was in attendance and served as color man. Co promoter Dana Benning did the victory lane interviews while Mike Van Genderen served as Race Director while also busy with track prep. Thanks to all of them on this night. There were not many places racing on this night and I was happy to be at one that was.
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