While many tracks fell to bad weather on Friday night, April 10th, the Siouxland opener was achieved as Park Jefferson International Speedway was able to start their regular season on Friday under partly cloudy skies but with a cool breeze chilling the fans and participants.
Highlights of the opening night program saw Jesse Sobbing edge out Zach Zeitner in a wild Late Model feature that was not decided until the final straightaway and a charge by Dan Mackenthun from the sixth row late to top the Stock Car feature. Zach Ankrum did his own charge from the fifth row to win the Hobby Stock feature while other winners included Brandon Beckendorf and Levi Volkert.
It was an all IMCA program on Friday night with the six staple classes that dominate IMCA racing being presented. A very fine field of one hundred and twenty six drivers from four states signed in for opening night racing on a smooth and very fast track in the early going. Actually, the track was a little on the muddy start for the opening heat races but did work in quickly and by the late feature races, started to dry out some and then opened up the bottom lane which was largely absent earlier.
Park, being a Friday night track, sees a late rush of entrants after they have gotten off work and it was especially so on this Friday for some reason as activity at the back gate was crazy for the last half hour before hot laps were scheduled. However, track workers did a fine job getting everyone signed in and lineups prepared so that racing could begin at 7:15 pm.
One of the late arrivals was Anthony Ainsley who was scheduled to work the SLMR program in Davenport, one of many tracks to fall to the wrath of the weather, but he turned around in Des Moines and became the co-announcer here in a last minute change of plans.
It was one of those nights when the heat races go oh so smooth and it looks like its going to be an early and tidy night of racing. Then the features come out and all, you know what, breaks loose and the frustration mounts among everyone.
Actually it was just the first two features that had such a terrible time staying under the green but they threw such a monkey wrench into things that the lost time was never able to be made up and it turned into an "after eleven" show which many fans bailed on early due to the unpleasant coldness that the nasty breeze blew in.
And while it was a noble idea to let all the Hobby Stocks and Sport Mods run the feature race, in hindsight a B Feature in each class might have been the better option. When you have twenty eight and twenty seven drivers respectively in each feature with skill and seasoning widely divergent, that is like asking for trouble, and that's what we got, not so much with big wrecks but with spin out after spin out.
The Hobby Stock feature rolled off first and they were one of the classes to struggle with four yellows in the first eight laps. Steven Taylor took the lead off the pole with Tony Fetterman applying pressure and Taylor not able to build up much advantage with the yellow nixing his gain.
Dalton Young and Carter Davis were also in the running early with Zach Ankrum gradually working his way forward after starting ninth on the grid. Ankrum didn't appear in the top five until the halfway point of the race when he vaulted up to third and then quickly second and then one lap later made a move for the lead, only to see the last yellow negate that move.
However, Taylor could only hold him off for one more lap before Ankrum dove under him to take the lead and then began to pull away as he was one of the few able to make the low side work. He continued to extend his lead as the final half of the race went nonstop. Taylor hung on for second with Young, Davis and Travis Landauer, from twenty fourth to round out the field.
The Sport Mods had an even tougher time keeping their race going as the yellow waved six times with management even cutting a couple of laps off their event. Mary Hahn took the lead for a single lap before she was overpowered by Caleb Woodard, a winner here last month. And once Woodard took the lead, he was able to hold it the rest of the way, despite all the yellows and slowdowns.
Each time the green would reappear, he would again pull away from the field and was not seriously challenged for the entire race. It was just a matter of him not making any mistakes with the frequent stoppages. Hahn hung in there in second despite a challenge from Kirk Beatty who later would spin and get clobbered, ending his night.
While the top two remained constant, there was considerable shuffling behind them due to the many yellows and some of the spins that took out contenders. At the end, it was Jake Newsom who moved up to third with Alec Fett and Riley Osantowski completing the top five.
The Stock Car feature saw a surprise finish as a late run by Mackenthun saw him eat up much distance and make a late race pass for the win. Early on it was Mike Vondrak holding the lead despite constant pressure from Travis Barker who was riding close behind the leader. The front cars were riding the cushion and right up against the edge of the track.
Mackenthun started to make big headway near the halfway point of the race as he gradually edged forward after starting in the sixth row and when he found the low groove, he began passing drivers in rapid fashion. While he was only up to fifth at the halfway point, shortly after that he really began to advance.
The race saw a big change when on lap fourteen, Vandrak got too high in turn two and slipped over the banking while at the same time, Mackenthun ducked under Barker and when the yellow flew, he found himself to be the new leader.
One more late yellow set up a four lap sprint but Mackenthun continued to work the low line and he pulled away for the win over Barker. Ryan Harris moved up to third while late charges by Greg Peck and Jordan Rogotzke got them into the top five.
The Late Model feature was a dandy with the issue not resolved until the leaders crossed the line and saw the checkered flag. Jordan Krug shot from the inside of row two to pass both Jesse Sobbing and Jody Krug on the opening lap to take the early lead. Sobbing then moved up and began to challenge Jordan for the lead.
They went at it hard with Sobbing taking over the lead on lap five. Jordan Krug stayed close and then began to battle with Zach Zeitner for second with the top three breaking away from the pack as they continued to jockey for position.
Zeitner was able to move into second and the last several laps of the race saw he and Sobbing battling for the win. Zach would try moves both inside and up against the cushion but each time Jesse would fight him off. The race was culminated on the final lap when Zeitner threw a huge slider on Sobbing in turn four. He briefly held the lead but his huge move then forced him to slide up the track. Sobbing made a left hand turn to cut under Zeitner, was able to avoid a collision between the two and beat Zeitner to the line by less than a car length in a brand new car making its first run.
Jordan Krug settled for third with Landan Rojewski and Cody Thompson completing the top five in what was an exciting race.
The Modified feature was a two car battle from start to finish. Brandon Beckendorf started on the pole and actually would be the leader for all twenty laps of the main event. However, ever step was challenged by Cody Laney who followed his tire tracks for most of the race.
Laney, who thrilled the crowd when he came from the back to win a heat race, quickly moved up from fifth to second and then began to chase Beckendorf. They had a tight contest with no more than a couple car lengths separating them for most of the race. However, Beckendorf made no mistakes and when he changed up to a lower line late in the race, Laney was still unable to get past him.
Beckendorf then drove on for the win and revealed in victory lane that he was running a spec engine in his car that he was experimenting with. Laney finished a close second with Shawn Harker, Izac Mallicoat and Shane DeMey completing the top five.
The Sport Compacts rounded out the night with Levi Volkert taking the win in that class. Justice Limoges grabbed the lead from the pole and led the first half of the race as Volkert battled with Gilbert Aldape for second. By the halfway point of the race, which was stopped only once and that with just a lap done, Volkert had moved into second and then, with a sweeping move in turn three, drove around Limoges to take over the top spot.
After that, Volkert pulled away for the win. A late rush saw Lennie Anders move forward for second with Limoges fading back to fifth as both Aldape and Tyler Thompson passed him late.
It was a nice track all night and the racing was for the most part good. Just a few too many yellow flags bogged things down from time to time but overall, a good night of racing. Thanks to Trent Chinn and his staff and they will next be in action on April 17th with another six class program.
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