Mahder Tops Dirk Kings at MTS

 The Dirt Kings Late Model tour would make their last western Wisconsin visit of 2021 with a Friday night trip to Bob Timm's Mississippi Thunder Speedway near Fountain City Wisconsin for the  Rumble by the River 40, with an enhanced purse including $5,000 to the winner on Hurco night at the speedway. Along with the Late Models, USRA sanctioned Modifieds, Hobby Stocks and B Mods would all be racing on another Wisconsin "cooker" of a night. Everyone, including track officials, were keeping an eye peeled toward the western horizon on this night, as predicted storms for late in the evening would keep everyone moving at top speed and monitoring the situation on phone radar. 

The Dirt Kings Late Model tour is the only all Wisconsin based traveling Late Model series in the Badger state and while the majority of their races are held on the eastern side of the state, occasionally they do get to the western side of the state and this would be one of those fairly rare visits to the left coast of Wisconsin. 

The Dirt Kings are a loyal group to their series, recognizing the this tour is one of the very few things going that keeps Late Model racing operational in eastern Wisconsin since only two tracks run Late Models in eastern Wisconsin on a weekly basis and of course, both race on Saturday nights! If not for the Dirt Kings, which visit a lot of eastern Wisconsin tracks that would otherwise not have a single Late Model show, their offerings would be far and few between. This is one of the biggest reasons why they get such strong support, even though many of their races are not for what you would call top dollars with this being one of their bigger races of the year. On this night, nine of the top ten in points and fifteen of the top twenty would be in attendance, even though for many the trip would be four or more hours to this western Wisconsin track. Helping to supplement the races on this side of the state are the WISSOTA regulars from the area and a few drivers that run open motors. Of course, Red Cedar in Menomonie was running on this night only an hour away so that helped to split the WISSOTA cars but there was still a solid field of twenty five Late Models in attendance with it not being totally surprising that Rodney Sanders was also on hand with both his Late Model and Modified. 

My only problem with this series, which mixes open motors, spec motors and crate motors, is that only on the half mile tracks do they require a restrictor on the open motors so on a very fast , high banked third mile like MTS, the spec engine cars, which they need to make things fly especially on this side of the state, go into battle giving up one hundred or more horsepower to the open motor cars with their also being a surprisingly high number of eastern Wisconsin cars that also are running a spec engine too, partly a throwback to the days when eastern Wisconsin tracks were also WISSOTA sanctioned and partly due to the cost factor. However, due to the high quality of the spec engine cars in this area and a group of top notch drivers, they still manage to be very competitive, thank you, and later on this night, we would see that take place when a spec engine car would win the five grand top prize. One thing that the Dirt Kings do that gives everyone a better chance is not run time trials but instead draw for starting positions and then use passing points to line up the main events. This is so much better in my mind, allows the track to start their show right on time and also doesn't wear out the fast groove with all those pointless laps on the same part of the track in this heat that kills the surface and makes the heat races most often very boring. Instead we saw four heats where Gunner Frank, Troy Springborn and Jimmy Mars, among others, made some real progress passing cars and thus improving their starting position for the main event. 

With their major improvements this Spring including the addition of several thousand high rise bleachers behind the old slabs where most people sat in lawn chairs, MTS has really upped their game and certainly would be in the conversation as one of top tracks in the Midwest for sure. And they continue to improve things with more plans for 2022 that include tiered parking for spectators, a new campground adjacent to the track and enlarging the pit area. They have also really upped their marketing and even the hot laps had a sponsor on this night!

Twenty four of the twenty five Late Models would start the forty lap main event which would turn out to be a very entertaining race. While the statistics will show that Chad Mahder led all forty laps, it was not near as easy as that sounds and would not factor in the great battles for positions that we saw, the wild negotiating through lapped traffic and the nasty slide jobs that eliminated a couple cars and certainly have opened the door for some follow up, repayments planned for the future. 

Mahder would take the lead from the outside pole and running right up against the wall, set a blistering pace. Dustin Sorensen would move into second and strong early runs were also shown by Gunner Frank, Taylor Schleffler and James Giossi. Lapped traffic would become a factor early and the leaders were challenged to get through the traffic smoothly but quickly. Sorensen was pushing Mahder hard for the lead and made a couple of attempts to get past but was repelled. 

Suddenly the character of the race changed when Sorensen slowed when his motor went up in a cloud of smoke and triggered the yellow on lap twenty eight, which would be the only yellow of the whole race. 

The restart was frantic with everyone of the opinion that they must get to the top of the track quickly with Scheffler throwing a wicked slider on Frank which saw them tangle and Scheffler get a flat tire and be done. With their being a huge clot of drivers racing together during this scramble , a couple found great openings to advance. Mars went from sixth to second on the restart and Nick Anvelink went from seventh to third. 

Meanwhile, the war continued among a few of the drivers. Jake Timm was throwing nasty sliders like there was no tomorrow as first he tangled with Frank which would eventually cause Frank to slow and pull off after he had put on perhaps the finest drive I had ever seen him accomplish and then Timm would throw another slider at A.J. Diemel, ugly to the point that Diemel would try to retaliate and mess up the front end on his own car. And all this was going on while the green stayed out, which made it even wilder. 

Meanwhile, up front Mahder continued to lead but Mars was sizing him up. He tried to get under Chad several times but Mahder used the high side to keep his momentum up. On the final lap, the two leaders came upon a lapped car that was meandering down the back chute and Mahder had to do a wild slide low in turn three, but he was able to keep his momentum up and Mars' run off the high side came up short with Chad driving on for the win while Anvelink settled for third. 

Mahder, who was drivingt he tribute car to his late father Duane, which they debuted last week at the Mahder 55 at Red Cedar Speedway, plans to run that look on the car the rest of the year according to Chad's brother Shawn who I spoke to before the races. Chad, who jumps back and forth between open and spec engines, was running his spec engine on this night as he prepares for the many specials which come after Labor Day in our region. Mars, who also jumps back and forth between motor types along with Anvelink, was uncertain to me on this night which kind they had. 

The Late Model feature was run second on this night, both likely to help the track and also just in case the weather soured. But before and after, three more feature races were held by the weekly classes. 

A full field of twenty cars would start the Hobby Stock feature with Gavin Bartel coming off the outside pole to take the early lead. He would be chased by Scott Spilde with fellow Iowa drivers Steve Larson and point leader Austin Hoeft also on the move. 

Larson would continue his charge as he got by Spilde for second and then, following a lap eight yellow, drive under Bartel to take the lead. In the last few laps he would pull away and would win comfortably over the field. In the last corner of the race, Bartel got used up by Spilde who would go on to finish second while Bartel would manage to salvage third. 

The B Mods would be dominated by another Iowa driver as a strong contingent of USRA drivers from Northeast Iowa quite often do well at MTS. In this case, it was the hard charging Jim Chisholm winning another main event. Chisholm, who was racing with a $200 bounty on his head, would start ninth in the main event that would see four different leaders before the checkered flag would wave.

Nate Butterfield would lead lap one, only to be passed two laps later by Taylor Skouge. Skouge would hold the top spot for five more laps before Shawn Walski would drive past him and take over the top spot. 

The first yellow would wave on lap twelve and by that time, Chisholm was up to second as he showed great speed up on the cushion. On the green, Walski failed to cover the top side of the track and Chisholm blew right past him to take over the lead and once in front, he was gone. He built up a nice lead in the remaining laps and would cruise home for the win. So, while no one would collect the bounty, in a fair manner since he had won, collections from businesses and individuals saw his winnings raised by $300. It was his sixth straight win at MTS and the twenty fourth of his season to date. 

The character of the Modified feature was changed early when Lucas Schott blew a motor while leading his heat race and he was on his way home before the Modified feature took the green. Cory Crapser would be the early leader from the pole with Josh Angst, Rodney Sanders and Timm chasing him. Crapser would lead the first seven laps before he started to push in the corners and before he knew what had hit him, he was back to fourth. Soon he would stop with a flat tire with nine laps complete which would be the only yellow of the race. 

Angst would continue as the leader as he hammered the cushion with Sanders trying to get under him by running down a lane on the track. Initially it didn't work and Angst opened up some space but gradually as the race continued, Sanders would start to close the gap. In the last five laps he would get close and the last lap was very close. Sanders would drive hard up beside Angst on the last turn and get inside him but unlike some of the driving seen earlier in the evening, Sanders, being the professional that he is, would leave Angst one lane on the top of the track and that was just enough for Josh to maintain his momentum and come home the winner by a car length. Dustin Sorensen would make a nice run up to third ahead of Timm. 

Even with the extra distance Late Model race, all action was done before 10:30 pm to beat the rain in what I thought was one of the better programs I had seen at MTS. Personally, it makes such a difference to me with their new grandstands as for me, sitting in the lawn chairs right beside the track was far too close and much too dirty for me and things are far more pleasurable at this track now in my opinion. They also have far more seating now and I suspect, while things have been pretty quick so far in terms of what the plans are for 2022, with their two day World of Outlaws Late Model show a success, I would look for more big things for next year. 

Thanks to Bob Timm and all the folks at MTS for a good night of racing. 

Carter, Shute Impress While Avila Shocks as Stuart Concludes Racing Season

 It is hard to comprehend but we are already talking about race tracks wrapping up their 2021 campaigns and that was the situation on Wednesday night, August 11th as the Stuart International Speedway held its last race of the 2021 racing season. Track champions would be crowned in all classes plus point champions were also introduced to the crowd on what would be a busy night as some awards left over from the 2020 season were also handed out since the track couldn't have a banquet off season plus three more folks were inducted into the Stuart Speedway Hall of Fame. 

Added to the Hall were Jeff Anderson, Michael Walrod and Steve Jackson. It was interesting to hear them talk about their careers and brought back memories to me of a volatile period of racing that was largely the result of the infamous claim rule used by multiple sanctioning bodies back then and all the trouble and grief the claim caused. They sort of looked back on it tonight through a different color of lenses but back then it was a very stormy issue as both Jackson and Anderson stated that they had lost over a hundred engines a piece due to being claimed and all the drama caused by them being claimed and then they returning the favor to some people that perhaps used to be their friends! I can't imagine such a thing in this day and age when everyone is so on edge to begin with. Claims these days would probably be settled by having a duel, winner takes all, loser joins the crowd on Boot Hill!

Seventy five cars signed in to race on Wednesday night plus the Mini Mods and Mod Lites which were both racing also. Mini Mods had multiple heats and a feature while the Mod Lite group was rather small on this night. 

At the driver's meeting before the program began, Mike VanGenderen addressed several issues but the most important words he had for the drivers was to announce that despite rumors to the contrary, Stuart would be running a weekly program again in 2022 and not just special events which is apparently the rumor that has been floated recently. 

It was another steamy night in central Iowa with the race time "feels like" temperature at 97 degrees with an especially nice dose of humidity. This would make the race track quite different than it has been for most nights. Instead of getting slippery from top to bottom like it often does, it was very tacky and produced some very high speeds. Even several packing sessions failed to knock down the berm so for those drivers that like bite and plenty of speed, it was their night as right to the end, the cushion held. I would say they were racing just as much side by side as normal, just at higher speeds with some banging hard off the cushion. It was a nice change of pace in that it still didn't affect the quality of the racing. 

Action started early on as Solomon Bennett caught the dirt berm during hot laps and barrel rolled his Hobby Stock down the back chute. Despite this, and even though he had a badly bashed up car, he would make the call for his heat. It did probably affect the quality of his racing though as he would finish deep in his heat and pull off during the feature race for the Hobbies. 

As usual, the program screamed through at high speed with all the heat races being knocked off in forty minutes after which the ceremonies took some time. Crowned as track champions were Colby Sabin, Brayton Carter, Eric Stanton, Buck Schafroth and Josh Gilman. Of the five, only two would go on to victory lane later in the evening. 

The Stock Car feature race would produce a stunning upset, at least in my mind. Scott Bailey would lead the first few laps in his bright green machine. He was challenged by young Rowdee VanGenderen until a motor issue sent Rowdee to the infield. 

Coming up strong on the inside was the #69 car, seen by me before with Johnathan Logue behind the wheel but driven on this night by Matt Avila. He drove under Bailey and took over the lead and was flying in the low groove as he put distance on the field with many of them engaged in some pretty heavy duels. Brock Badger would break into second and try to hunt down Avila, but Matt continued to lead past the halfway point and deep into the contest. 

Just when it looked like he would be home free, a late spin set up a two lap sprint to the finish and I thought he might be in trouble. However, he took off with the calm of a veteran and using that fast low groove, pulled away from both Badger and Brandon Pruitt to score and impressive win. 

Here's where things got very interesting. I have to admit that I had never heard of Matt Avila before and I had to contact Tony Paris and MVG in the tower to try and find out the story on this winner. From what I could gather quickly, Matt is a crewman for the three car team of Todd Van Eaton and Buck Schafroth for which Logue also drives for. Apparently, while Logue drives the car at Boone, Avila has been driving the car on Wednesday nights recently at Stuart and despite just a handful of appearances, he drove it like a veteran on this night as he recorded his first ever feature win! Looks like they might have to expand that team to a four car operation. 

A couple drivers scored wins with remarkable efforts on Wednesday night too. Todd Shute had a miserable heat race and would start tenth in the Modified feature. However, in the feature race he was ungodly fast, coming from the fifth row to challenge for the lead very quickly. By the halfway point of the race, he made a pass on Randy Foote and then drove off into the Iowa sunset as there was no one that could even begin to stay with him. It was impressive to say the least. A great battle for second saw Gilman fight off Tom Berry Jr for that spot with Paul Nagle close behind. 

The other outstanding performance took place in the Sport Mod feature where Brayton Carter drove the wheels off his car as he came from tenth to win the main event, much like the charge Shute had put on. However, it took Carter longer to get to the front as he was mired in heavy traffic for a number of laps and even at the halfway point of the race, was still back in fourth. 

However, he kept digging and digging, working the low groove while most hammered the cushion and eventually it began to pay dividends when some holes opened up for him. 

He was still third with five laps to go but worked inside Colton Nelson and Josh Sink, who had led most of the race and with only two laps to go, made the winning pass in what was an outstanding drive to the front. Hunter Longnecker would come from fourth in the last five laps to grab second away from Sink. 

One lap into the Hobby Stock feature, Stanton would get turned on the front chute and spun in front of the several cars, all of which managed to avoid him. When Stanton was given his spot back and another driver sent to the back, this highlighted the profound change that has taken place in Iowa racing in the last couple of years. 

Back in the day, if you were stopped when the yellow waved, you went to the back no matter if you were turned by someone else. Now, however, Race Directors and those in charge of the program try to determine who caused the yellow and punish them which is something that has been being done for ever in my home area. Both methods have their good and bad points but as usual, it depends on the skill of the Race Director to make the right calls in these situations. 

Colby Christensen would lead the first half of the Hobby Stock main off the front row before being tracked down by Luke Stanton who moved up after starting eighth. Just past the halfway point, Stanton would bore low in turn four and make the pass on Christensen, perhaps not a very esthetic maneuver but effective nevertheless. He would then pull away as the race remained under the green and drive home for the win. Late in the contest, Rusty Bates would get past Christensen for second. 

Even though there was a small field of Sport Compacts(is there any track that gets more than ten or so?), their main event came right down to the wire. Mark Smith led the opening laps before being overtaken by Mitchell Bunch. He was in turn challenged by Curtis Masterson and Sabin and the last few laps saw those two go side by side for the win. Sabin pulled off a tough outside pass with just two laps to go and would drive on for the win over the same driver that he edged out for the track title. Bunch would settle for third. Things must have gotten a bit rough in this class lately as several of the drivers were in different rides than when I saw them earlier this year. 

While I didn't make it to Stuart as many times as I did last year, every trip was a good one with close short track racing at its best being featured. It is also most enjoyable to watch good racing being carried out in a quick and efficient manner and they specialize in that here. So thanks to MVG and all his staff and employees here at Stuart. MVG is carrying on a break neck schedule, commuting to Texas weekly to do track prep down there that will last right past the Super Nationals. Special thanks to Logan of the Stuart staff for tracking down my camera which some moron(that would be me), nearly lost. I look forward to seeing what promotions MVG has up his sleeve for 2022. 

One last thing, drivers, are you checking your trailer lights before you pull out of the pits? Last night on my way back to Des Moines I passed two race trailers with no working lights and that is the second time that has happened this year leaving Stuart.    

Hobscheidt Wins Iron Cup at Park Jefferson

 The Iron Cup at the Park Jefferson Speedway was completed on Tuesday night, August 10th and Jacob Hobscheidt went home with five thousand dollars for his thirty five lap feature win in the IMCA Modified division. His win would be a tough one but he would also lead all the laps in the main event. A full show was again contested in four other IMCA divisions and the highlight of that group was the win by Minnesota's Justin Luinenberg which saw him win back to back Iron Cup mains and total two thousand dollars that he took back across the border with him. 

Car counts were very similar to Monday night's show with about ten new drivers entered in the second night of racing while some could not return due to various reasons, thus leaving the car count in each class just about what it had been for the opener.

The Modifieds would compete in a pair of heat races that would set their running order behind the already qualified cars while the Sport Compacts, Sport Mods, Stock Cars and Hobby Stocks would all run qualifying heats that would set their lineups for their main events. 

While the Modified feature did not see a single pass for a change of leadership, it was still an interesting race that did see a lot of infighting for other positions. Hobscheidt would start on the inside pole after garnering the most points in Monday night racing and he would immediately set out to a nice lead as he out fought Bobby Moore in the early going and then started to pull away from him. Anthony Roth was third in the early going with Cody Thompson next in line. Most of the drivers were running the low line on the slick track but Chris Abelson moved to the top side immediately and when he started to have some success and started to gain from his eleventh starting spot, Brian Osantowski jumped up there too and they both started to advance. 

With the green remaining out, Hobscheidt would build up a big lead with nearly a full straightaway over the field. The driver that looked fast and was starting to move up was Thompson as he moved into third and looked to be the fastest on the track. However, just before the halfway point, he clipped a ute tire in turn two, broke his front end and after fighting the car for a lap or so, gave up and headed for the infield. 

Hobscheidt was in heavy traffic at this point and he did a masterful job working his way above and below the slower cars, lapping seven of them just before the only yellow of the race occurred when sheet metal littered corner one, slowing the race with twenty four laps complete.

And just as often happens, a yellow and its restart would shuffle the field. While Hobscheidt would break back into the lead, Shane Demey, who started tenth and gradually worked his way forward, would surge ahead of Moore on the green and take over second and the race was on. 

With an open track, it would be a showdown for the win and Hobscheidt no longer had the best handling car as the track had changed and he was struggling through the corners. Demey pushed the issue and got close to him on several occasions, getting a nose inside twice in turn one but each time Hobscheidt would somehow fight him off. In the last few laps Hobscheidt would alter his line through the turns and that seemed to help him as he was able to pull away by a few car lengths. Demey had no last lap heroics to try and would settle for second as Hobscheidt would come home the winner by several car lengths. The battle for third would end up to be a great one following the yellow with a three car cluster for the spot and as they flashed across the line together, it would be Jay Noteboom edging out Abelsen and Osantowski for third. 

The Stock Cars would participate in a nonstop green to checkered feature as a part of the overall program that went much smoother on night two. Mike Albertsen inherited the outside pole when Devin Schelm opted for the tail and he would lead the opening lap. But just like on Monday, he was soon tailed by Luinenberg who seems to have found the hot setup for this track. It took him only one lap to size up Albertsen and then he blasted under Mike to take over the lead. 

And once in front and with no yellows to bunch the field, he was gone as he pulled away by nearly a full straightaway for what at least looked like an easy run to the checkered. For Justin, it was a repeat of Monday night and another thousand dollars into the racing check book. 

The race for second was a dandy however as Albertsen fought to hold off Chanse Hollatz who dogged him for most of the track. Hollatz made repeated efforts to get by for second but lap after lap, Albertsen would hold him off. Finally, with just a few laps to go, Chanse would get by down the back chute and once in front, pull away to take second. However, he was way too far behind the leader to made a push in the remaining laps and would settle for second over Albertsen, Jason Schneiders and Travis Barker.

The Sport Mod feature also went nonstop and produced by far the closest finish of the night. Wayne Becker took the initial lead and would move away from the field, running by himself in the lead. All eyes were focused, however, deep in the pack where the action was. Keegan Nordquist, who failed to run his heat race after hot lap difficulties, started eleventh on the grid but he didn't stay there long. 

Using the low line of the track, he was picking off competitors at the rate of a car a lap as he charged to the front. While Becker continued to motor along as the leader, Nordquist continued his surge. He got past Josh Blom for second with five laps to go but it seemed the distance to make up was too much. 

Not so, as Nordquist quickly proved as the distance between himself and Becker was shortened dramatically and he caught the leader with two laps to go. Becker tried to protect the low line but he gave Nordquist just enough room to poke a nose under him but somehow, Becker fought him off. 

They came out of the last corner side by side but Becker got just enough of a run off the middle lane to hold on and edge out Nordquist by half a car length for a thrilling win. 

The Hobby Stocks, for the second straight night, spent as much time beating on each other and spinning out as they did racing and for their feature race was marked by several yellow flags, However, also for the second straight night, the battle for the lead was a good one right down to the wire. 

Tony Fetterman would lead the first two laps before he was overtaken by Kaylb Brunssen for the lead. Storming up from the third row, Dylan Fitzpatrick would move into second and the battle would be on. Lap after lap, though interrupted three times by yellow, Fitzpartick would try to find a way past Brunssen, looking both high and low. He would get beside the leader several times, but just could not make his maneuver stick. 

A late yellow would set up five laps of green flag racing and on the final restart, Fitzpatrick would not get a good start and that opening suited Brunssen who would then go on uncontested for the win with Fitzpatrick settling for second and David Miller third. 

The Sport Compacts had another small field on Tuesday and national point leader Caine Mahlberg would lead this race from start to finish. Having switched cars from Monday night, he would again race a car with just a taped on number , but it was fast, as he would pull away for a relatively easy win. Second place finisher Kaytee DeVries was more concerned with holding off challenger Trent Reed for second than challenging for the win. It would be nice if the national point leader had a race car that was just a bit more appealing but perhaps he is so busy racing that he doesn't have time to put some decent graphics on it or perhaps is swapping so many cars back and forth that there isn't the time. 

For all the laps on the track over two straight nights under blistering heat and bright sunshine, I thought the track held up well and provided smooth racing for the drivers. Even to the end, the Modified drivers were finding lines to run that didn't involve just hugging the bottom lane. 

I spoke briefly with track owner Adam Adamson before the show and asked him if he was disappointed in the rather small car count, especially in the Modifieds. He did say that the Siouxland area is lucky in that they have a considerable number of cars so that they can put on a solid show even if no travelers arrive but also that, fair or not, the Siouxland area has gained a reputation of having drivers that race very hard, which he did not totally disagree with and that sometimes, because of that, it is hard to get drivers from the East to come over for their events. Nevertheless, I thought the racing was good and the track a very good one. 

An interesting thing I discovered about this area occurred as I was searching out lunch today. I made what turned out to be a ten minutes drive to a restaurant but it turns out, during that ten minute drive, I actually passed through three states! I started out in South Dakota, passed through Iowa and sat down for lunch in Nebraska! I wonder how many other parts of our country is it possible to do that?

Thanks to Adam Adamson and all the folks at Park Jefferson for a couple entertaining nights of racing.  

Luinenberg Handles Stock Cars for Iron Cup Opener

 On an incredibly hot and sultry August night in the Siouxland, Justin Luinenberg would top the Stock Cars on the opening night of the eighth annual Iron Cup at the Park Jefferson International Speedway near Jefferson South Dakota and across the street from Raceway Park South Dakota. 

The Iron Cup, sponsored by J&J Fitting LLC, would feature two full programs for the IMCA Stock Cars, Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts while the IMCA Modifieds would run double heat races on Monday, August 9th in advance of the their $5,000 to win, $400 to start main event on Tuesday night. 

A solid field of cars was on hand for all five classes with eighty three cars signing in to race on Monday. Of somewhat surprise, the Modified field is not yet full as I would assume that at least twenty four cars will start the feature on Tuesday night, yet only twenty one signed in to race on Monday. That means that at least three feature spots in a five thousand to win, four hundred to start main are yet to be filled. I was told that cars could still show up on Tuesday but would have to start at the back of the two last chance heats so it will be interesting to see if any additional drivers do pull in. 

One surprise to me was the entry of Jay Noteboom driving a #27 car. I had not seen Noteboom's name in any results yet this year and believe that perhaps this might be his first racing of the 2021 season. The rest of the field would be mostly Siouxland drivers with the exception of Jimmy Reeves. In the other classes, it would also be mostly local and area competitors with a few drivers from southwestern Minnesota also joining the field. 

One thing I like about Park Jefferson is that the race track is consistent and always seems to race pretty much the same way. Drivers like it when they know what kind of surface they will be racing on and would prefer a predictable track and that seems to be the way Park Jeff has been in both times I have been here this year. It usually takes a few races for it to dry off but then it slicks up and really becomes an "icy" track with handling in the corners and not raw horsepower the most important thing. And depending on how the race cars are handling, there was both high and low grooves to pass on and without the outside wall, the track is very forgiving. However, the down side to that is some yellow flags for drivers that push too hard and go over the edge. One great thing they did on this night was to use the one spin rule which really made a difference in the heat races and the number of yellow flags we saw.

Unfortunately, the one spin rule couldn't be used in the feature races and  we saw a couple of the mains that really dragged out with multiple yellows and one that even got cut short by the time limit established for each class. Apparently they have had to implement this due to problems in the past. While the heats wen off very smooth, the features had some problems to them.

The Stock Cars had a grand on the line to the winner and an invite for the B & B All Star Invite at Boone on the line and twenty drivers would take the green for this main event. Kipp DeGroot would take the lead in a car that looks like one that Johnny Cash smuggled out of the auto assembly line one piece at the time as no two body panels match in color but what it lacks in esthetics it made up for in speed as he would lead the opening five laps with several in hot pursuit. 

Unfortunately, his great run would come to an end when he looped it in front of the whole field in turn four and only great driving would keep the rest of the pack from smashing into him. Mike Albertsen would inherit the lead on the restart with Luinenberg up to second after starting way back in eleventh and Travis Barker third. Luinenberg would make a dandy move and pass Albertsen for the lead but Mike would come right back to battle along with Barker in a good three car race. 

Two yellows would slow the action before the last five laps would go green to checkered. Albertsen was trying very hard to slide under Luinenberg in the corners and there were several near misses. Finally, Albertsen would slide high and Barker would take over second. He made several attempts in the last few laps to get past but would choose to race Luinenberg clean when the opportunity to dislodge him from the top spot was available and he would race home second as Luinenberg would take the win with Albertsen settling for third. More feisty driving would take place in this event with a couple of drivers running each other off the third turn at high speed and one eventually getting the black flag for his hijinks. 

The Sport Mod feature would see Keith Sanders use the high side to take the early lead over Jeff Brunssen and Dudley Schroeder Jr. Justin Klynsma was on the move after starting fifth and he would drive under the competition as he moved up the the third spot. He would continue to advance and after a lap four yellow for a spinner, he would drive under Sanders and take over the lead.

Three more yellows would keep the field bunched but on each one, Klynsma would pull away from the pack. Keegan Nordquist was able to stay close and would attempt to drive under Justin but was not able to pull off that maneuver and would have to settle for second as Klynsma drove across the line for the win. Brunssen would come back up to take third. 

The Hobby Stock feature was marked by a fierce battle for the lead, a whole series of yellows for spins and collisions and eventually, a fork stuck in the event two laps early due to the repeated yellow flags. 

The story of the race was the battle between Dylan Fitzpatrick and Cory Probst. Fitzpatrick would use the outside line(you wanted to be on the outside for the green for sure) to take the early lead over Blake Luinenberg and Probst. Cory wasted no time getting up to second and then put the heat on Fitzpatrick for the lead. Following a wild collision between Jay DeVries and Joel Magee that eliminated both, Probst was able to edge his way past Fitzpatrick and take over the lead. 

That wasn't the end of it however, as every time there was a yellow, the Delaware restart would allow Fitzpatrick a clean run at the leader and several times they raced down the back chute, side by side and banging doors all the way. But each time, by the narrowest of margins, Probst would be his rival to the corner and hold on to the lead. 

Following a sixth yellow on lap ten, management would pull the pin and go green, white and checkered and again it was Probst who would hold off Fitzpatrick and Luinenberg for a stirring win. 

A small field of Sport Compacts would see Kaytee DeVries lead from start to finish for the win. She would have a stiff challenge from Trent Reed and Caine Mahlberg but would cover the groove well and not give either a chance to get past her. 

Each Modified ran two heats and as of post time, I have not seen a point rundown from the heats but with double wins, Bobby Moore and Jacob Hobscheidt would have to be at the top of the list. I believe that a couple of Last Chance heats will set the complete running order for the main event. 

The other classes will be back for another complete program and the Hobby Stock and Stock Cars should again provide entertaining shows and with it being a full complete show once again, it will be interesting to see just who else might show up. Race time is 7:30 pm Tuesday. 

On a side note, you can certainly tell that Sturgis is fully underway as the route across southern Minnesota on I-90 was littered with broken trailers, motor cycles and pieces of bikes as folks' dreams of getting away for a peaceful time in South Dakota were shattered. 

 

O'Neal Handles Stock Cars For Five Grand Win at Clay County

 The Clay County Fair Speedway wrapped up their regular season on Monday night, August 2nd with the running of the Philip "Fatty" Oviatt Memorial race. It was a Stock Car special with the winner on this night earning five thousand dollars while the other four classes would run for their standard purse which is a thousand dollars to win all the other classes except for the Sport Compacts who race for $200 top money.

Temperatures at race time had dropped nearly twenty degrees from last Wednesday night's show and it was a very comfortable night to wrap up the regular season at this track. Despite the fact that the track had just run a very big event only five days previous, one hundred and twenty five cars signed in to race and another large crowd was in the spacious grandstands here at Spencer to watch the action. 

Qualifying would be using the draw/redraw format as always but the big field of cars would require that a B Feature be run for the Modifieds and two B Features for the Stock Cars to set their fields for the main event. Everyone on hand in the other three classes would take the green for those main events

The track proved a bit more challenging to prepare on this night for some reason and we actually saw a water truck on the track a couple of times on Monday as the surface was being a bit more difficult and was "cleaning off" slower than normal but finally it came together and we gradually had that wide and slick surface that seems to make for the best racing here. On this night the eventual fast line was on the bottom in turns one and two and as high as possible up against the concrete in three and four. This redirecting of the fast line made things interesting as the evening progressed with lane changes without signal lights being used often which made for some interesting encounters.

With five grand on the line and forty three Stock Cars on hand, their main was obviously the chief focus of the night and was also saved for the last event of the program. However, unlike virtually every Stock Car feature run at any track in the country, this one was not hotly contested and there was not a single lead change once the green flag was waved. 

The reason for this was that Jake O'Neal was so strong and when he redrew the outside pole, that was bad news for the competition and also the fans wanting to see some door to door racing. That's not to say that there wasn't still some good battles going on and O'Neal had a couple of drivers that pushed him at various times, but not once would he relinquish the lead. 

Winning his second feature here at Spencer within the last week, O'Neal is driving a cobbled together looking car with various alternating black and white body panels that make the car look more like a recycled cop car and all it needs is a red light on the roof and it could be a Hoboken cop car! But while it might look a little "rugged" it is also a very fast car. 

O'Neal fought off early challenges from Randy Brands and then a big push from Tom Berry Jr who tried to use the high side to drive around O'Neal but couldn't quite pull it off. late in the race, Kelly Shryock would come all the way from thirteenth to second with a smooth and steady charge and would put the biggest push to O'Neal following a yellow with eight laps to go. 

The track appeared to be taking rubber late in the race and O'Neal almost got out of the rubber as Shryock got a door under him in turn four but Jake would fight him off and that is as close as anyone would get to making a pass. Shryock and Berry would follow O'Neal home for second and third while Dallon Murty would charge from from sixteenth to fourth.  Earlier Murty would take what I would guess might be his first laps in Modified racing as he drove a car provided by Harris Auto Racing but a bad draw for his heat and a smoking motor in the B Feature would keep him out of the main. 

The Modified field on this night was just about as big racing for a grand as it was last Wednesday with two and a half times the cash on the line. Tonight's race would see three different leaders in the main before Brandon Beckendorf would nail down the win. Dalton Magers would be the early leader until Jesse Sobbing drove around him to take the top spot. 

Sobbing would soon feel the pressure from Beckendorf and it was interesting to watch Sobbing, who was running the high side, try to fight off Beckendorf. Sobbing would climb the banking in turns three and four and then have to knife down across the track down the front chute to get to the low side first in turn one and three times he cut it so close the his car brushed up against the right front wheel of Beckendorf who was running low on the track but each time, amazingly, both would race on like nothing was happening. 

Finally, Beckendorf was able to edge by to take the lead and he would then pull away by several car lengths in a race that had only one yellow. Shryock would make a late push that would see him get the runner up spot for the second time this night while Cody Thompson would come from seventeenth to fourth. 

For Sobbing, it was a late race decision that even saw him race his Modified on this night. He had originally planned on just racing his Stock Car and hadn't even entered his Modified but when his Stock Car had problems in hot laps and was parked, he was a late race addition to the Modified field, starting tail back in a heat but charging to the third spot in his heat which guaranteed him a good starting spot in the main. 

Malik Sampson would lead from start to finish to win the Hobby Stock feature race. Early on their was excitement as pole starter Drew Barglof would get turned and create a mess but when things settled, it was Sampson leading with stiff pressure from Zach Hemmingsen. Eventually it would be Cory Probst, making another of his charges to the front that would see him come from twelfth to move into second and push for the lead but Sampson had the field covered and Probst would have to settle for second with Hemmingsen third. 

Sport Mods also battled it out with three different leaders as John Foreman would hold the point for the first few laps until overtaken by Jake Sachau for the lead. However, Foreman wouldn't go away and fought back into the top spot which was traded back and forth a couple times between the two 

However, as they fought, Colby Fett moved up strongly and neither could hold off the charging driver, who raced past Sachau to take over the lead. He would go on for the win with Sachau and Matt Looft, up from ninth, to finish third.

A small field of Sport Compacts would see R.J. Esqueda lead from start to finish to win that main over Cade Lehr and Kaytee DeVries. 

The regular season is now complete here at Clay County Fairgrounds Speedway and what a year it has been. I have been to all four races that they have held this year and every single one of them was very successful with large car counts and most importantly, great crowds. I was wondered how this quick turnaround from the last race would work but again the grandstand had lots of spectators and the pits was full. 

This formula that they have use this year wit only a limited number of races, good pay for all classes and events run on off nights so as not to clash with other tracks seems to have worked spectacularly well and while I'm sure they will again follow that pattern next year, It would perhaps behoove other tracks to consider some kind of similar formula which has certainly turned things around here from a track that was struggling to find their foothold in the busy western Iowa racing scene. Again, thanks to Trent Chinn for his help this year and to all the folks who work at the track that have become familiar faces to me. 

A couple of things I would like to put on the wish list that  would include a scoreboard which this track desperately needs as I can't believe they haven't had one long ago and some work to the p.a. system so we can hear Chad Meyer if we are seated under the roof. And somehow something has to change so that the races will start a bit more promptly and closer to the advertised starting time which would help get them done a bit earlier, with the late finishes on several nights probably the most glaring thing that could be addressed. 

There are still, two Fair races left on the calendar that will feature Sprint Cars, Late Models and the regular five IMCA classes too. Check the Fair website for more information on them. 

Shryock Dominates Modified Field at Clay County Salute to Veterans Night

 One hundred and one degrees. That was the "feels like" temperature as the first green flag dropped on the Salute to Veterans Night on Wednesday night, July 28th at the Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer Iowa. Fortunately, the only thing higher than the temperature was the car count which was up over the one hundred and twenty mark for the five class program that would feature a salute to all veterans on hand. This was the first night of the three night salute with big races also scheduled for Thursday night in Algona and the wrap up event on Saturday night in Boone. 

What a great night it was for the veterans and their widows as free food and drinks were provided for them, the had many prizes and gifts bestowed their way and veterans were paired up with drivers for the feature races with those winning veterans getting more rewards. There was even a "fly over" just at National Anthem time and nine drivers, veterans themselves, had their cars specially wrapped for the occasion in appropriate themes and on display in front of the grandstand before the show. It was quite an undertaking and all those involved with the organization and soliciting of prizes, cash etc. should all take a bow for their efforts. 

And the fans supported this event in a big way, as there was a very large crowd on hand despite the very uncomfortable conditions of the evening. But that seems to be the norm here at Clay County this year as the fans seem to have supported the racing here in a big time way and the drivers have responded by turning out in full force and providing some excellent racing action. 

The money still was rolling in at race time through donations from businesses so I'm truly not sure what all the races paid to win plus the other finishing positions. I did hear Chad Meyer say that the Modified feature would pay $4500 to win(at last count) with the other winners getting very healthy payoffs also, I'm just not sure exactly how much. 

As usual, the pit area was crammed to overflow with the large car count but with the nice blacktop parking lot adjacent to the track and the grassy lot with shade trees no less, many of the teams head for those two areas even before the smaller main pit area is full. And who could blame them on this steamy night. Fortunately there was a breeze moving the air around because otherwise it might not have been tolerable except for the toughest of the tough. As it was, I was sweating from places that I didn't even know could sweat but I digress. 

They moved back the starting time by a half hour in deference to the temperatures but I really don't think thirty minutes did much to help that issue. Unfortunately, the one area that could use a little work at Clay County is their promptness at starting the program. Once they get going, they do a great job of moving things along but they never seem to get started on time. And a large part of that is they continue to hot lap all classes every race night and quite frankly, by August I just don't think that is either necessary or beneficial to the race track, particularly when triple digit temperatures are ongoing. So it was a quarter after eight before the first green flag flew on Wednesday which made it a late show. They did have many special ceremonies and presentations as a part of this night that were both appropriate and necessary but they all take time and one way to shorten things up a bit would have been to eliminate hot laps. But that I suppose, is a minor complaint in comparison to all the good things that they have happening these days. They did make some bigger heat races to cut down on the number of qualifying events to help shorten up the show too. 

I can't forget to mention how great the track prep was on this night also. With the weather conditions, a pass could easily and understandably be given if the racing surface didn't turn out too good. But to the contrary, the track was smooth, fast and wide with drivers racing all over it. A big track like this sometimes allows the action to get spread out  some but three of the five feature races came down to last corner battles and that is outstanding.  So the track prep crew should get a standing ovation for their work too. 

The Stock Car, Hobby Stock and Sport Mod feature races all were decided on the last corner amidst some excellent racing action. The Stock Car feature saw Modified standout Jake O'Neal fighting off the challenge of Devin Smith right up to the finish. The leaders hit lapped traffic in the last couple of laps and the decision where to go on the track was critical. O'Neal dropped to the low side of the track after running high most of the race and he almost got pinned on the last lap but was able to accelerate off corner four and nip Smith for a thrilling win. 

The Sport Mod feature saw Jake Sachau lead for all but the last lap. He was being challenged by Matt Looft and Colby Fett with Looft particularly right on his tail. A late yellow set a two lap sprint to the finish. Fett tried to go high and pass both but got too high and clobbered the wall, triggering the yellow again. 

The second attempt to finish off the race would work but on the last corner, Sachau just didn't get a good run off the bottom and Looft drove past him for a very thrilling  win. 

The Hobby Stock feature was also a two car battle that came right down to the final corner. Mike Smith had led all the way in the feature while he was challenged by Jason Kohl, Brandon Nielsen and Cory Probst. Probst, who seems to make a habit here of starting in the back of mains and then making fantastic charges to the front, did the same again on Wednesday as he worked his way to second and then put heavy heat on Smith.

On the last couple of laps he got his nose under Smith and they were running side by side. On the fateful last lap, as they dove into turn three, Smith suddenly lost control, made a hard left and slammed into Probst, sending him flying into the infield. Smith then recovered, straightened out the car and drove home for the win over Drew Barglof. A frustrated Probst was left to sit in a cloud of dust and then idle across the line for last place. 

Kelly Shryock took no prisoners as he drove to a dominating win in the Modified feature race to wrap up the evening. He started on the outside pole and drove away from the competition in a race that would go green to checkered with no yellow flags. Tom Berry Jr would make a nice run up to second after starting eighth but would not be a challenge to Shryock who was one of those with a veterans' themed car so I suppose it was only appropriate that he take the win. 

Jaedon Davis would hold off everyone but the tech inspector in the Sport Compact feature. He would lead all the way for the apparent win but was tripped up by some unannounced malfeasance and the win would then go to Cade Lehr who would unfortunately miss out on the winner's interview with Meyer. 

It was a late evening with the final checkered flag not waving until 11:30 pm. However, with all that was going on this night, it was understandable that it would run late and the racing certainly would be memorable enough to more than overcome the groggy feeling on Thursday morning. After all, not everyone is as foolish as me and would try to drive home over five hours after the show was completed. 

Every year there seems to be a track that has a real positive "buzz" about it with lots of good things happening, good racing and big car counts and it seems that all their promotions have great outcomes and really capture the fans' interests. I believe that track this year is the Clay County Fairgrounds Speedway and their schedule of limited events, run on off nights so that more drivers can attend, has really been working great this year. 

However, this time they don't have much time to sit back and reflect, as their next big race comes up this coming Monday night as the first night of IMCA Speed Week. They will run the Philip "Fatty" Oviatt Memorial race at Spencer on Monday night with all five classes again in action and highlighted by a $5,000 to win Stock Car feature. It should be a good one. 

O'Neal Edges Overton as MARS Invades

 Tuesday night, July 27th, the action was at the Davenport Speedway located at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds on Locust Street on the West side of Davenport Iowa. While the Fair employees were very busy as they get things ready for the opening of the annual Fair upcoming soon, the race cars were also rolling on to the grounds for a special Tuesday night of racing. 

Tony Izzo Jr was bringing his MARS Late Model series to the track for the first time and along with these Late Models, IMCA sanctioned Modifieds and Late Models would also be racing full programs too.  

A fifty lapper would be on the line for the MARS drivers with ten thousand dollars going to the winner and a healthy purse for the others too as Hoker Trucking would be the sponsor on this night, add extra money to the purse and also help as they made sure all the Hoker sponsored race cars, which are considerable, would be on hand to race too. 

This was one of those events where you just don't know exactly who will be on hand to race. Yes the purse was healthy but there also has been much racing of late and some big races upcoming such as the Prairie Dirt Classic this coming weekend so it would be hard to judge just who might be on hand. 

However, when the pits opened and among the first cars to roll through the gates included Hudson O'Neal, Brandon Overton, Ricky Weiss, Bobby Pierse, Jimmy Owens and the Bloomquist car among others, you knew that some tough racing was set to take place.  While the numbers may not have been anything to set the world on fire, there would be no doubts about the quality of the cars and drivers we would be seeing. Twenty two MARS cars would eventually sign in with nice fields of both Modifieds and IMCA Late Models also. Justin Kay would be the only driver to attempt to race in both divisions of Late Models on this night while Spencer Diercks would race both MARS and Modifieds. 

MARS might be the "red" planet but on this night it was also the hot one, with both a hot field of drivers on hand to run their race and a hot, hot night in the heartland once again. The race time "feels like" temperature was ninety two degrees under a blazing sun and if there is anyone that deserves the award of the night, perhaps even more so than the drivers, it would be the track prep crew. Now I don't know just who all was involved on this night with that chore, other than track promoter Ricky Kay, any and all who had a part in the track prep should take a big bow. It was an excellent track on this night with racing all over the track, no dust or bumps and just a fine job of preparation, perhaps even more impressive given the tough conditions to deal with. If you give the drivers a good track to race on and with the outstanding quality of the competitors on hand, you know they'll put on a show. And they sure did. 

Qualifying amounted to eight quick heats and with no B Features needed, the show moved along quickly and to  the credit of management, realizing that this was a week night and recognizing just who the majority of the spectators had come to see, the MARS Late Model, for fifty laps, would be the first feature on the card. Again, congrats to the promoters for making a wise call on this. 

And the Late Models would not disappoint. Stormy Scott, who set fast time and then won the first heat, would start on the pole. The format didn't show much imagination but the drivers would overcome that on this night and put on a passing clinic. Scott would lead just over the first half of the race but he had drivers all over him for the lead. Jason Feger, Overton, Pierce, Brian Shirley and O'Neal were all right in the hunt and taking turns as they swapped positions on the track. What was most impressive was the different lines they were using on the track and racing on every inch of the quarter mile, which is as it should be done if everything is correct. 

A yellow slowed the action and this is when O'Neal did his magic on this night as he was fifth on the restart but within two laps had charged up and took over the lead as his burst to the front was spectacular. And once in front, he had to fight off several more challenges, primarily from Overton. 

Overton worked him very hard but with about ten laps to go, O'Neal pulled away slightly and then it was Pierce and Shirley who's battle for third was a dandy too. However, with only two laps to go, the yellow flew when Feger slowed on the track. I'm glad that no change took place on the last two laps because this was a yellow that could and should not have happened as Feger was getting out of the way and there really didn't need to be a caution flown.

However, there was and it made for great drama for the two lap sprint with O'Neal pounding the cushion and Overton working the inside. O'Neal was barely holding off Brandon and on the last corner decided to drop low and protect the bottom. This nearly back fired on him as he slid up to the middle of the track where he wasn't so good and Overton made one last push off the bottom and came up just .026 seconds short of winning as O'Neal hung on with the crowd on their feet. Pierce would hold off Shirley and Garrett Alberson quietly moved into the top five. It was a dandy race with much action and only three minor yellow flag slowdowns. 

As it was early, most in the crowd stuck around to watch the Modifieds and IMCA Late Models with many in the crowd being weekly observers of those two classes. The Modified feature saw three different leaders before Matt Werner locked down the top spot on lap fourteen and would go on to lead the last six laps for the win. 

Young Charlie Mohr would start on the outside pole and lead the first nine laps. However, feeling the heat from Spencer Diercks, Mohr would go too hot into turn three and spin in front of the entire field. Fortunately there was no contact with other cars but he went to the back and Diercks inherited the lead. 

Werner had moved up from twelfth to third by this time and following the restart, it took him only two laps to snatch away the lead. Running the cushion, Diercks would fight back and lead another lap before Werner, racing off the bottom . would "catfish" his way back under Dierck to take the lead and then after that, he would gradually pull away for an impressive victory with Diercks and Jason Pershy next in line. The Mods did a great job with  only that one yellow and all starters were still on the track at the finish. 

The IMCA Late Models would wrap up the evening with a good feature race also. Earlier I noted that Don Pataska was sporting a car with the "Desert Storm" colors that were made famous by Gary Webb during his run to the NASCAR weekly racing series title in I think the year 2000. Webb told me later that Pataska chose those colors to honor Webb for his fiftieth year of racing which Webb said was a very nice tribute. 

Pataska would later be battling for the lead on the opening lap of the feature which saw Kay take the early lead. The IMCA Late Models would see three different leaders during their event too, with Kay only holding the top spot for four laps before Brian Harris went flying by him on the top side of the track to take the point. 

He looked strong up there but even stronger was Matt Ryan who had started fifth and when he found the low groove to his liking, he advanced quickly to the front and on lap nine passed Harris for the lead. This race would go nonstop and while Harris pushed the cushion as hard as he could, he would have to settle for third as Kay made a recovery and fought his way back up to second. However, no one had anything for Ryan as he drove away for the win. 

All racing was completed by about 9:45 pm in what was just an excellent week night program. Management didn't fall into the trap of trying to run too many classes and they ran off a quick program. They supplied a great track to race on and the drivers did the rest. There was a big crowd on hand as there always seems to be at Davenport and I have noted that their weekly shows seem to draw big fields of cars in a year when many tracks are truly struggling in that regard. They are clearly doing many things right here and much of the turnaround has to lie with the management team of Ricky and Brenda Kay who have seemed to inject new enthusiasm for racing into the Quad Cities. Thanks to them on this night and watch their schedule page as they still have some big races upcoming on their schedule.