It was a very special Monday night of racing on August 19th at the Park Jefferson International Speedway in North Jefferson South Dakota. With midweek special events soon to be history with school starting or already having started for some, this night would be the wrap up event for the Farley's Modified Summer Challenge Series as well as the Don Green Stock Car Spectacular. Fifteen hundred dollars was on the line for the Modified feature winner and a grand for the Stock Cars. The Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts would also be racing with all three having extra money on the line for the winners.
It was about as perfect a night for racing as one could ever imagine as far as the temperature was concerned. The only draw back, as such, was that the breeze was just a bit out of the Northeast, giving us a sample of the track as a bit of dust was flying. It wasn't near enough to be uncomfortable and a small price to pay if that was what they needed to do in preparing a race track where drivers could run all over it and race side by side, which was exactly what we saw.
Representing the Farley's Mod Tour and functioning as Race Directors for the Mods was the tandem of Mike VanGenderen and Trent Chinn. VanGenderen is in the midst of a month long break before his services will be needed again at Bloomfield and Independence along with another trip to Batesville Arkansas.
Chinn still has a few races left on his plate also with Season Championships this coming Wednesday at Alta and then the great Clay County Fair in Spencer. But on Monday there were kind of on a busman's holiday, having to worry about just one class and none of the track prep. This was the first chance I had to talk to Trent since the 500 year flood in Spencer and he reported that about half his house was damaged on the lower level by floodwaters and that many of the businesses South of the river in Spencer still haven't reopened and that some may never reopen as the face of the town has been changed forever by the flood. He said it's pretty tough to look at right now with some of the long term damage still not having been addressed as yet.
Over eighty cars signed in to race on Monday with multiple heats for all classes with the Stock Cars and Modifieds having the largest number, which makes sense since they were also racing for the most money.
The first part of the program was almost flawless as they dropped the first green flag right at the advertised time with the twelve heat races being stopped just three times by the yellow flag, making it a quick first half of the racing. The Modifieds were using passing points on Monday while the other four IMCA classes were using the draw/redraw plan.
Things didn't go quite as smoothly in the five main events with a couple of them having their share of issues but the two biggest events on the card did go very smoothly. And most importantly, all mains with the possible exception of the Sport Compact finale came right down to the wire.
The Modifieds certainly didn't let anyone down as they put on a fine feature race to close out the night. Twenty cars started the main event and all but one finished the race and most importantly, they ran green to checkers at a thirty lap distance without a single yellow flag.
It seemed the for most of the features, the top side seemed to be the preferred line for the start and it was again in the Mods as Cody Laney grabbed an early lead using that top side. However, Joel Rust, who started inside Laney, then picked up some speed on the low side and drove into the lead just one lap later. Rust would then hold the top spot for the next twenty laps, at one point opening up quite a comfortable lead that was gradually eaten into.
Cody Thompson, Kyle Brown Bob Moore fought for the next spots but the driver really on the move was Tim Ward. He had started eighth on the grid and while most of the drivers were rim riding, Ward chose to work the low side and it eventually paid dividends for him. By the halfway point of the race, Ward was up to second as Rust was now forced to move all over the track to pass the slower cars. A great battle for third saw Thompson and Brown joined by Chris Abelsen who had really picked up the pace.
Ward continued to gain chunks of territory as he continued to work the bottom and on lap twenty two, he was able to drive under Rust and take over the lead. Rust did fight back and keep it close but in the last few laps, Ward started to pull away. At this point, Rust was more worried about protecting second as Abelson had finally gotten past Thompson for third and was reeling in the leaders at a remarkable pace. He caught Rust on the final lap but Joel managed to hold him off but it was a good thing that the race was not any longer as Abelson was clearly the fastest driver on the track at the end.
As for Ward, he used most of the track to find success and he drove home for the win, having lapped eight cars with only eleven on the lead lap at the finish.
The Green Stock Car Tribute race was also a nail biter with Austin Brands holding off some severe challenges to take the win. The Stock did a good job of racing too, with only two yellow flags to slow their race and both of them coming in the first four laps.
Greg Peck took the early lead which he would hold for the first three laps. Brands made great strides early, coming from seventh on the grid to drive past Peck and take the lead on lap three. Brian Seibold and Sid Mosher were battling with Peck for second following that lap four yellow while Brands started pulling away from the pack.
The "One Thousand Pound Gorilla in the Room" and the driver that everyone keeps an eye on, Mike Nichols was also on the move. Nichols started way back in tenth but by the halfway point of the race, he moved up to second and as the laps started to wind down, Nichols kept shortening up the gap on Brands. Austin changed up his line a few times to protect the low groove on turns three and four and that might have saved him as this cut an open path for Nichols.
Nichols would keep the pressure up but Brands would not falter and he drove across the line as the winner over Nichols and Jackson Mulder.
The Sport Mods had a difficult time keeping their machines pointed in the proper direction and the yellow got quite a work out, waving five times during their sixteen lap main. Jonah Chinn had started on the pole and maintained the lead through all the yellows. By the halfway point of the race though, he was under the gun as Willy Kirk was putting much heat on him for the top spot and then Justin Klynsma also working his way forward after starting in the fifth row.
In fact, the lap fourteen yellow saved Chinn's hide as Klynsma had made the pass for the lead but was not able to hold that spot for a full lap before the yellow waved again and Chinn was restored to the lead.
There were only two laps left in the race but Chinn had both Klynsma and Kirk to worry about. He chose to work the top side which blocked Klynsma but it also left the inside line open and as they raced to the white flag, Kirk was able to drive into the lead and then extend it on the final lap to claim the win. Chinn was able to hold off Klynsma for second.
Paul Dagel started on the pole for the Hobby Stock feature and despite tons of pressure on him by a variety of drivers, he managed to hold the lead for the first four laps and through the first four yellows as a variety of issues slowed this race. Cory Probst started tenth on the grid but using lots of speed combined with the bunching field due to the yellows, he was able to drive past Dagel on lap five and take over the top spot.
After that, all eyes were on Kaylb Brunssen as he made a monumental charge through the field after he started twelfth in he feature. By the halfway point of the race, he was up to fourth and he just kept right on charging with the later yellows helping his cause. By the time the final yellow waved on lap ten, he was up to second and knocking on the rear bumper of Probst and one lap later he was able to make the pass to take over the lead.
Probst didn't give up however, and he pulled back beside the leader as they raced off turn two. The two touched at least twice down the back chute and on the second incident, Probst lost control and went sliding off the third turn. He chose to keep racing however, and the yellow flag was not displayed. Brunssen continued on to drive home the winner and the late scrambling allowed Dagel to regain second at the line ahead of Tyler Smith while a no doubt deflated Probst finished ninth.
One of the larger fields of Sport Compacts that I have seen of late, fourteen, took the green flag for their main event and after one faltered attempt, the race then would go nonstop for twelve laps.
Mike Vogt started on the pole and it would be Mike Vogt that would lead all laps and take the win. He was never seriously challenged during the race and hold hold a narrow but consistent lead over Tyler Thompson to take the win. Johnny Thomas came home third followed by Anthony Clark who had to come from the back after he missed his heat race.
An interesting comment was made by track owner Wayne Becker when asked by a fan while Wayne happened to have the microphone in his hand. When asked, he replied that racing would likely take place on Friday nights in 2025 which is a change since they have been racing the majority of their events on Thursday nights this year.
Thanks to everyone at Park Jeff and special thanks for their help and understanding to the best ladies in the business at their job, Amy and Raegan.
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