USRA Nationals Begin; Jackson and Schott Make Strong Runs

 Thursday night, October 1st, the seventh annual Summit USRA Nationals started their three night run at the historic Hamilton County Speedway in Webster City Iowa. With three full nights of racing and three complete programs, this event was the only race program in the country offering USRA points this weekend plus drivers would be racing for some healthy bonuses, based on the number of starts they had made with the organization this year. 

Four classes of cars would be racing on Thursday night with the Modifieds, Stock Cars, B Mods and Hobby Stocks all running in complete programs with the Tuners joining the event for both Friday and Saturday night program when the biggest money would be handed out. Drivers would earn points from both the Thursday night and Friday night programs that would determine the starting order for Saturday night's finales as well as racing for money each night also. 

The biggest news I heard before the show started was somewhat stunning to me but since it came right from the mouth of USRA executive Ryne Staley, I would certainly take it to be the truth. He told me that following the racing season here at Hamilton County that the historic half mile will be shortened with the number one and two turns being pulled in. The exact new dimensions I did not get from him but I took it to be significant enough as to change the way the track is raced. Already part of the back chute wall has been removed and the area off turns one and two will likely be added pit space next year as they will be losing some of the infield pit parking with the change. I did not ask the reason for the change but it seems likely that it will be done in an effort to improve the closeness of the racing plus many drivers just don't like the big tracks anymore as they are so much harder on the racing equipment, specifically the motors. Anyway, the track will still be historic but just not a half mile after this year. This decision must have just happened as I had heard nothing of it and news of it certainly would have generated some comment, both pro and con, in this currently explosive world in which we live. 

Good fields of cars were on hand in all four classes and B Features were required for all but the Modifieds. Since there was a practice night held on Wednesday night, no hot laps were run on Thursday which allowed them to start the program right on time. And it was an early start with the first green dropped just after 6 pm. It was a cool night and the goal was to move the show along at a rapid pace and beat the worst of the cool weather. And it was indeed a rapid pace as the whole program rolled along at breakneck speed and the drivers had to be on their toes as there was no waiting from race to race but instead nonstop racing action. 

Drivers from northeast Iowa and the Sioux Falls area dominating the entries as these are both strong areas for USRA racing with several sanctioned tracks and lots of competitors. Several other drivers made long tows chasing the national point standings with a number from Missouri and Kansas and also several from Texas, Oklahoma and the New Mexico area. Nine of the top ten in national points were on hand in all classes except the Mods where only half the top ten were on hand. 

I spoke to a member of the Gallardo Racing Team who told me that it has been a tough year for them, having to chase all over to find races to run at with their super facility at Vado still shut down and they told me they weren't expecting to see any racing there now until possibly 2021. Jake Gallardo is also high in the national points so this journey to Iowa was necessary. With an open week, Rodney Sanders was also on hand along with Joe Duvall and Clyde Dunn Jr. 

Passing points, a USRA staple, were used to set the fields for the four feature races with those not making the grade through their heats forced to run one of two B Features to make their way into the main events. So twenty four car fields would be the norm for the main events. 

Hobby Stocks would be up first and current national point leader Dustin Gulbranson would add to his totals with a resounding win. Tyler Schlumbohm would be the early leader with Chris Hovden and Gulbranson moving in to challenge. Schlumbohm would lead the first half of the race with Hovden particularly challenging him as Gulbranson moved up from his sixth starting spot. 

A yellow flag bunched the field and Gulbranson made a great move back under green as he slid up in front of Schlumbohm and took over the top spot which he would then maintain the rest of the race. The battle for second would remain a good one with Schlumbohm holding off Hovden for the spot. For Gulbranson it was his twenty third feature win of 2020.

The B Mod feature provided heart break for Dan Hovden as he would lead nineteen and three quarter laps, only to be overtaken coming out of corner four on the last lap by Kris Jackson for the win. Hovden started on the pole and was the leader all the way until the final corner but he was challenged all the way by Jake Richards and Jackson. With Hovden several car lengths in front, the other two would be swapping that spot back and forth several times before the outcome was decided. 

In fact, the racers were on their last lap with Hovden in front when the yellow was triggered by a spin and the last two laps of the race would have to be tried once again. Jackson has actually slipped back to third but on the final green, he powered past Richards and then closed on Hovden. Dan/s car seemed to be sliding out farther on the track then earlier and he was losing valuable time in the turns as Jackson creeped up on him. Going through the final turn, Hovden got very high and lost some time and Jackson ducked under him, and out raced him to the line to get the stunning win and a very surprising late turn of events. Hovden would have to settle for second. 

Miles Michehl is probably not known very well outside of central Iowa but the Stock Car driver showed he had what it took as he led all twenty laps to win the fender class main event. He started on the outside of row one and powered away on the start with Kyle Falck and Mitch Hovden chasing him. However, no matter what the chasers tried, they couldn't cut into the lead that Michehl built up as he powered off the high side of the track and was very fast down the chutes. 

Only a couple yellows slowed the action and each time back under green Michehl would again pull away. The followers tried, but they had nothing for the leader who drove home for an uncontested win. 

Schott was strong on the bottom and he moved up from row two to be scored the leader on the opening lap of the Modified feature and he proceeded to control the rest of the contest. He was flying and built up a sizable lead as the Gallardos and Jacob Bleess chases him. 

Rodney Sanders would slowly press his advantage as he drove up from the seventh spot and would eventually move into third. A late yellow wiped out Schott's big lead but the two lap sprint to the finish would see him pull away once again while Sanders would move up to second at the end but was not in a position to challenge for the win. Jake Gallardo would settle for third. 

There would be no sneaking by on the rules this weekend clearly as four drivers got the big DQ Thursday but all four were in heat races so that they could still make changes and race the rest of the program. 

I believe the track was in perhaps the best shape I had seen here in quite some time as it held moisture and provided a multi lane racing situation with drivers certainly using the whole track successfully. With the early start time and a great job of ramming through the program without delays, the final checkered flag waved right at 10 pm which was appreciated by all on this chilly Fall night. There was good racing across the board and the final two nights would hold much promise that this would continue. 

Shryock Has Remarkable Drive In Spencer Fair Race Victory

 Wednesday night, September 16th found everyone back again at the Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer Iowa for night two of the Blue Ribbon Showdown II held during what should have been the annual Clay County Fair. The same five classes, under IMCA sanction would be racing for the second straight night, minus the Late Models who headlined Tuesday night's show. Drivers would be racing for the exact same purses that they ran for on Tuesday night which meant the Stock Cars would be the headline division as they were again running for two grand to win. 

It was another brisk early Fall evening but the sun was shining and another nice crowd was on hand for night two of the (UN)Fair racing. Before the show began, all the volunteers that came together and rebranded racing at Spencer for the 2020 racing season were introduced to the crowd which gave them a warm round of applause. Racing was nearly dead following the 2019 season here but a local group of racers and friends of racing came together to try and save racing at the Fairgrounds. They sought out local sponsors, reorganized the race program and came up with an innovative schedule that they sold to the area race fans who responded in kind with some of the largest crowds I had seen at this track for racing, minus the Fair crowds of course. The Monday night shows, spread out over the course of the Summer seemed to be a hit with the fans and attracted strong fields of race cars for those events. Good weather certainly helped them and 2020 was a rebirth of racing in Spencer, if not weekly at least for more than just during the Fair and optimism runs high for 2021 because quite frankly, if you could prosper during what was a crazy 2020 Summer for everyone, a regular year(which we all hope is in the cards for 2021) should be veritable piece of cake.   

Thirteen race cars that were not on hand on Tuesday night pulled through the gate on Wednesday but some also did not return so the car counts were very similar to the previous night. I thought that perhaps more different cars might be on hand but such wasn't the case. However, except for the Sport Compacts, which have been short on cars all year, the fields of cars were fine. Wednesday night would see point champions crowned in all five classes and rather than the point invert system used for all other races during the year, it would be a draw/redraw night to set the lineups. 

Folks got a scare early when crowd favorite Bubba Brown went off in hot laps in a cloud of smoke and it seemed as if his night might be over early. However, he solved the problem and was able to race all night with no apparent further issues. 

With the Stock Cars the main event with their two grand to win main, it was appropriate that the race of the week was carried out in that very class. It was a race of drama and one of unbelievable comebacks, most notably by race winner Kelly Shryock, who won in the Stock Cars for the second straight night but with this Wednesday night race being a much tougher one. 

Twenty two cars took the green flag for the thirty lap finale with Elijah Zevenbergen coming off the pole to take the early lead. He was chased early by many of the top cars from last night including Chanse Hollatz, Derek Green, and Jeff Larson. Early on Randy Brands and Justin Luinenberg was also in the hunt. 

As the battle continued, Shryock, who started eleventh and was moving forward, rolled to a halt with a flat tire. The yellow waved and he hustled to the hot pit, where he changed the tire and returned to the tail of the field. Zevenbergen would continue to lead with Jake Masters, Hollatz, Larson and Green pushing him hard.

Shryock was making fast time as he hustled back up through the field and was quickly climbing back into contention even though he had to pass a bunch of cars to do so. By the halfway point of the race, he had worked his way back up to fourth behind Zevenbergen, who had led every lap, Hollatz and Masters. 

Stryock continued his torrid pace, as he got by both Masters and Hollatz and set his guns on Zevenbergen. With a strong move down the back chute he drove under the #66z car and took over the lead. The rest of the race would stay under the green and Shryock would just add to his lead as he had more than the competition could handle, driving away to a most impressive win and sweeping the two shows in the Stock Car class. This put a nice four grand into his checking account and probably sold a few more cars for him. Zevenbergen would have to settle for second with Masters third. It was somewhat ironic that Shryock, long known as "Mr. Modified" in the state of Iowa, would dazzle here in the Stock Car class while producing two rather pedestrian efforts in that Mod this week. Shryock would also be crowned the point champion after he came up tied with Masters but his two wins this week tipped the tiebreaker his way. 

The other double winner of the week was Kaytee DeVries who dominated the small Sport Compact field  for the second straight night. With the draw/redraw in effect, she started on the front row, led by lap one and then cruised away from the field for the win. The win was her fifth of the year here and seventeenth overall. She also was obviously the point champion too. Austin Friedrich finished second with Jaedon Erickson third. 

The Hobby Stock feature saw Cody Nielsen take the early lead from the pole as he sought being a two night winner also. However, despite the good starting spot and early lead, he was tracked down by Malik Sampson who drove past him and then fought off all challenges to get the win. Sampson started beside Nielsen and tucked in behind him in the early going with Greg Sidles, Jake Manitz and Bryant Johnson forming the top five. Sampson continued to challenge Nielsen and on lap six drove past him to take over the lead following the only race yellow when Brandon Nielsen got a flat tire for the second straight night while fighting to get to the front. After that Cody Nielsen continued to challenge Sampson for the lead throughout the race but could never get by as Sampson maintained his slight margin to drive on for the win. Cory Probst made a strong run up through the field after starting tenth to finish third and that determined drive would net him the point title in the Hobby Stocks. 

Things worked out beautifully on Wednesday for Modified driver Brandon Beckendorf. Despite the fact that he started sixth in the Modified feature, he was able to drive up and pass Dylan Thornton near the halfway point of the race and then hold on for the win. When point leader Chris Abelson broke at the midpoint of the race, Beckenorf was able to gain enough points on him that he would eventually win the point title too, all very valuable items in his corner as he chases a national point championship in the Modified class. Thornton was the early leader of the race, chased by Jesse Rogotzke and Austin Wolf. Beckendorf quickly moved up to fourth and then with a strong effort was able to move into the runner up slot. One lap short of the halfway point, he was able to drive under Thornton and take over the lead with Abelson following him into second. It looked like a shootout between the two was likely but just one lap later Abelson slowed on the back chute and pulled into the infield and his chase of the point title was done. Beckendorf then led the rest of the laps and held on through a late race challenge by Ethan Dotson to take home the win. Dotson's second place finish was a story too as he was late getting on the track for his heat race, being almost a full lap behind the field and he had to settle for last in that event. That meant he would start fifteenth in the feature race and he put on quite a show as he charged through the field, ending up one position short at the finish. Shryock would hold off Ryan Ruter, who also came from the back after spinning early, for third. 

Brian Osantowski would lead all laps to win the Sport Mod main event. He started in row one, took the initial lead and then maintained that position for the whole race. His lead was fairly comfortable until the late going when Curtis VanDerWal found a fast line around the track and really started to reel in the leader. At the finish, Osantowski would hold on for the win but another lap or two could have spelled quite a different outcome as VanDerWal was gaining ground at a rapid pace at the end. Jared Boumeester would finish a solid third. 

Wednesday night's program was one of the smoothest of the year. There were few yellow flags all night, no big wrecks and the show was completed just a few minutes after 10 pm, by far the earliest finish of all the races I attended at Spencer this year. That is probably the one area that could stand some attention for 2021 and that would be getting the races started a little earlier which would then allow them to get done a little earlier too. No complaints about how they run the program; it's just that they always seem to get started just a bit late for a week night. Overall though, it has been a most successful season for the track here in Spencer and they head into 2021 with much optimism for the coming season and I appreciate their help for the races that I have attended at Clay Co. during this year. 

Olsen and Shryock Top Spencer (Un)Fair Race

 Tuesday night, September 15th, the Blue Ribbon Showdown was held at the Clay Co. Fair Speedway in Spencer Iowa. Dubbed the (UnFair) by track announcer Chad Meyer due to the fact that except for the Pandemic, this would be the first night of the annual Clay Co. Fair races, the races went on despite the fact that the midway was empty and the cattle barns vacant with only the dirt track being used this week. 

Set for racing on this night would be the five regular IMCA sanctioned divisions that have raced here all year for specials during the week plus the Tri State Late Models would also be on hand, having added that class and group to the program on Tuesday. It was an unusually warm early Fall evening and a delightful night for dirt track racing and with the smokey skies due to all the wild fires out West, the back drop was spectacular with the setting sun. Of course, probably not quite as spectacular as it would have been if we would have had a full midway of rides and the backdrop of Ferris wheels and other rides might have been even more novel. 

In honor of it being Fair week irregardless of the fact that there was no Fair, many of the food vendors were open and serving food and the midway outside the grandstand was just about as full as it might have been if the Fair was going on. In fact, many folks from town were driving out to the Fairgrounds, ordering food and then leaving, not even staying for the races but just hungering for Fair food. I can understand that too, as of all the races I have seen this year, not a single one has been associated with a Fair race, but many were racing despite the fact that various Fairs had been canceled. 

A thousand dollars was on the line for the winners in all classes except the Sport Compacts and Stock Cars. The Sport Compacts were still racing for more money than usual while the Stock Cars were racing for a whopping two grand to win as were the Late Models also. And even with all that cash on the line, spectator admission was only twelve bucks, a great deal for the loyal spectators of this track. 

Ninety seven cars signed in to race in the five regular divisions plus twenty one Late Models so well over one hundred cars were on hand. Particularly impressive was the twenty one Late Models as this was a Tuesday night show, none of these drivers are professionals and most come from a base quite a distance from Spencer. Yet they were there to wrap up their season with a non points race while the five other classes were still racing for track points with champions to be crowned following the Wednesday night show. 

Following hot laps, heat races were started at about 7:45 pm and eighteen qualifying races were spun off in rapid fashion with only a handful of yellows as the track was in fine and fast shape and the one spin rule kept the fields moving. 

After a very quick break that lasted just a few minutes to roll in the track's cushion, it was time for feature racing action and the Sport Compacts would lead the way. As has been the case here all year, the Sport Compacts always seem to have by far the smallest field of cars and such was the case again on this night. Shannon Mahlberg took the lead right from the pole and would head the first half of the race. The dominant driver here, Kaytee DeVries, then got up on the wheel and would drive past Mahlberg and then pull away to win once again here at here home track. The nonstop race saw Austin Friedrich came home third as all eight cars would complete the event. 

Sport Mods would be next and twenty five cars would start the main event. And despite the big field, there would be only two yellow flags during the contest, both during the first few laps of the race. Zech Norgaard would take the lead right from the pole but Matt Looft would waste no time getting up from the third row and on the second lap, he made the pass to take over the lead. While he would lead through the two yellows, the driver on the move was Brian Osantowski who has started way back in thirteenth. He was second by lap three and the main challenger to Looft. In the late going he made a strong run but came up short as Looft would take the win with Osantowski outfighting Norgaard for second. One of the early yellows would involve strong challenger Doug Smith and he would barrel off the track less than pleased when sent to the back of the pack. 

The Modifieds would come out next and James Slawson would lead the first four laps of the main event. An early crash in turn four would eliminate the cars of Jeremy Smith, Jayden Larson and Don Gerritsen Jr with Slawson continuing to lead following the yellow. However, Nick Meyer was on the move after starting right behind Slawson and on lap five he would take over the lead. With no more yellows and no lapped traffic, Meyer would run freely in the lead. Chris Abelson would then drive into second and try to track down the leader but on this night Meyer had the field covered and no matter what Abelson tried, he would be a second place car to the strong run by Meyer. Brandon Beckendorf would settle for third. 

Late Models would be up next and they pulled off a very entertaining twenty five lap main event that saw a couple of different leaders and some spectacular slide jobs. Gary Brown Jr would lead the opening laps with Chad Olsen moving in from the fifth starting spot to challenge Brown Jr for the lead. As the top two started to work lapped traffic, Justin Boomsma would catch them and suddenly we had a three car battle for the lead. Olsen would slide job his way to the top spot on lap eight but one lap later Brown Jr would return the favor and retake the point as these two were dive bombing through the traffic as they carried on their own battle with slide jobs in nearly every corner. Things came to a head when they were battling with each other while a lapped car was the "meat" their sandwich and the two leaders would come together and spin and Boomsma would crash into them before he could stop. Track officials had to make a decision and then called the yellow on Brown Jr who then exited the track with brake and suspension issues too. Boomsma couldn't get his flat tire changed and Olsen now found himself in the lead again with point champion Blair Nothdurft now in second. Olsen would pull away from him with Nick Beyenhof eventually taking the second spot but he had nothing for Olsen who drove on for the win. Troy Daly would make a nice charge up to finish third. 

Cody Nielsen would probably score the most dominating win of the night as he led from start to finish to win the Hobby Stock feature. He beat Josh Sidles to the lead right at the start and would have Sidles chasing him for fifteen laps  but never getting too close. Only one yellow slowed the contest when Brandon Nielsen got a flat tire while battling Cory Probst for fourth. Cody would take off on the restart of the late yellow and drive home unchallenged with Sidles and Malik Sampson trailing. 

The big dollar, Stock Car feature would go to Kelly Shryock. He would take the lead right from the beginning and while he had several competitors challenge him during the race, he would lead all lapas and always maintain a few cars lengths lead over whoever was chasing him. The best battle of the race was for second with Derek Green, Jake Masters and Jeff Larson going back and forth as they raced for that spot. Green got a scare early in the race when he seriously got up on two wheels in turn four as the Late Models had roughed up the track a bit and the Stock Cars found the corners to be somewhat challenging by the end of the night. Meanwhile, Shryock seemed to have found a smooth line around the track and while others were bouncing and bucking, he was just cruising around the oval and not getting out of shape at all. A late yellow set u a two lap sprint to the finish but it was no problem for Shryock who pulled away at the start and put distance on the pack as he drove on for the win. Masters would end up second with Larson third. 

Kudos to the Clay Co. Fair Board and race committee for still putting on the race program even though there was no Fair to support the event. Telling people that there was Fair racing going on even though there was no Fair on a Tuesday night in the middle of September might seem absurd to some but to the large number of spectators and racers on hand, to not race at all would be the travesty and giving in to the Pandemic. They will do it all again on Wednesday night minus the Late Models with the same large purses for the other classes in effect once again. 

Kay Tops Winners List In Closely Contested Feature Races at Dubuque's Finale

 Sunday night, August 30th, a last minute decision based on weather issues and other factors saw me headed South to the Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway in Dubuque Iowa for their Season Championship night which was also their finale for the 2020 racing season. I was glad to be able to attend Dubuque at least once this year, as a late afternoon thunderstorm had spoiled my other opportunity to be here for racing and Dubuque has long been near the top of my list of favorite tracks to attend. In my opinion the track is just about the right size for good racing across the board in many classes and I have seen some dandy races here over the years. 

This year Dubuque is running four classes under IMCA sanction with their own version of the Four Cylinder cars. On this final night of the season, they had also added the Mini Late Models and the AIRS cars too so it would be a full night of racing as the kids would also get their crack at entering the track with trick or treat going on during the short intermission. 

It was Season Championship night here and I've discovered that Season Championship night is interpreted just about as many different ways as there are tracks in America. At Dubuque, they simply add up the points accumulated over the course of the season and declare Season Champions at the end of the final night. No true Championship Race is held as some tracks do, but  as long as everyone is on the same page, it really doesn't matter. 

However, they did have a different way of lining up the feature races from normal though. They did their typical point invert for the heats and then set the lineup for the feature based on those heat results. However, the point leader in each class then drew a chip between one and six and that would determine how many cars from that set lineup would be inverted for the feature. I believe the lowest drawn was two and the highest five so that was their exception to how they normally set the lineup.

I always forget just how late both the racers and fans are for a Sunday night show and for the longest time after they opened the pits up, I was thinking that this was going to be a debacle, with no cars and me having driven four plus hours to see little. However, at the last second everyone arrived and we had both a nice field of cars and a good crowd in the stands although it's always hard to gauge at Dubuque because people are spread out over such a wide area. 

They made some big heat races but the set all five classes with a pair of heats, did the redraw and then moved into feature race action. The Mini Lates and AIRS cars would get to run their features first and that proved to not be the best of ideas. 

I must admit that I'm not sure whether the AIRS cars are actually racing or just putting on a demonstration event. Here in my area, we have a similar group that visits area tracks but their racing is just a demonstration and they don't get paid. Perhaps it is different with the AIRS cars but their feature was test of the tolerance and patience of all with multiple spins, yellows and a feature that seemed to last forever and one that I would have been tempted to checkered a bit before they did.  

Sadly the Hobby Stocks must have been studying the driving style of the AIRS racers as their feature race was just as bad. Seven yellow flags and it got so bad that track officials starting deducting laps from their contest as the yellows mounted. It almost got so bad that the race ran out of laps before they could even complete another go round, there were so many stoppages. Brandon White would lead the first few laps before he was passed by Dakota Simonsen who then led the rest of the way through the many slow downs to take the win. He would also be crowned track champion. Kodey Miles and David Crimmins would trail Simonsen across the line. 

At this point after two straight "stinker" races and the clock ticking, I was thinking that I made a bad mistake on this night but then order was restored, the drivers got their heads screwed on straight and the night ended up with four very good feature races. The track was abnormally dry on this night and perhaps that accounted for part of the early troubles, but the racers in the final four classes did a great job of battling and we saw some tremendous charges from back in the pack as a part of the final four events. 

The Sport Mod feature started off badly with outside pole starter Jerry Miles spinning after cars got tied up in front of him. He went to the back but wait for later in the race for Miles to appear once again.  

Troy Bauer took the lead but he was receiving heavy pressure from Scott Busch, Matt Fulton and Grant Manthe until all three got together and crashed which sent all three to the back. This gave Bauer an open track and it looked like an easy win. But not so fast. Suddenly Miles who had been working his way back up through the field, made an appearance in the top five and he was then on a charge. Making the track nearly a half mile as he raced all the way around the track right against the wall, he was making time on the leader and as the laps ran down, he had a legitimate shot at the win. On the final lap, he had the momentum down the back chute but just then a lapped car drifted right up the track and into his way. He had to lift just enough that Bauer was able to edge out the win in what was a great finish. Miles had shown that even though the track was bone dry, there was an outside groove and from then on, it was typical Dubuque racing with cars all over the wide racing surface. Gage Neal, who finished third, would be crowned the track champion. 

The Modified feature was also a great race, with a surprise finish that stunned us all. Jason Schueller was the early leader, leading the first ten laps of the twenty lapper. He had to use a little road blocking during that time as eventual track champion Matt Gansen was all over him and Schueller had to block the outside lane a few times to keep from getting passed. Tyler Madigan, Jed Freiburger and Bryce Garnhart were also in the lead group. 

A lap ten yellow bunched things up and suddenly on lap thirteen, Garnhart made a push and slid into the lead. However, one lap later Schueller retook the top spot but he was then passed by Gansen as the wild slide jobs were flying at both ends of the track in spectacular action. 

A yellow with three laps to go set up a wild conclusion and that's what we had. Gansen was the leader but with two to go, Garnhart three a big slider at him and took over the lead. Schueller moved in to challenge as Gansen faded slightly and the wild finish saw Garnhart hold off Schueller and Madigan for the thrilling win. It was a great race by the Modifieds. Gansen would be crowned track champion. 

Although small in numbers in numbers, the Four Cylinders did their part to keep the momentum flowing. Although it was strictly a two car battle, they had a fight for the lead that lasted right to the checkered flag. John Campbell led from the pole but he was soon challenged by Josh Starr who took over the lead on lap three. However, one lap later Campbell regained the top spot as the Four Cylinders pulled slide jobs on each other, or as much as a front wheel drive car can pull a slide job!

Starr stayed after Campbell however, and on lap nine he retook the lead and would hold on to it for the final three laps. The finish was in question through the final corner and Campbell tried one last time to cut across the front of Starr but couldn't quite make it. Jacob Wetter finished third and that was good enough for him to edge out Campbell as track champion. Starr races an odd combination of cars as along with his Four Cylinder, he also races a Modified which he stated he hopes to have back on the track soon. 

It was left for the Late Models to hold up their end of the deal as our momentum of excellent feature racing was on the line and they did more than that, they set the bar just as high with a great closing event to the 2020 season at the track. 

Dalton Simonsen led the first six laps of the Late Model feature with heavy pressure from Ron Klein, Eric Pollard, Logan Duffy and Joel Callahan. A spin bunched the field at that point and again on the next lap, keeping the lead group in a wad. Justin Kay started twelfth but by the second restart was up to sixth. 

Following the resumption of the race, it took Pollard only a lap to get past Simonsen and take over the lead as he chased both a win and the track title, as he had to distance himself from Duffy who was the point leader. Meanwhile, with surgical precision, Kay was on the move, going both high and low to pass drivers and soon he found himself in second and closing on Pollard. 

We then were treated to some great racing action in the dozen great flag laps to follow as Kay tried everything he could to slide under Pollard for the lead but Pollard would have just enough off the corners to fight him off lap after lap. It was great entertainment and skillful driving to be sure. 

A stalled car set up a seven lap dash to the finish with Pollard holding the Delaware point and Kay just behind him and on the low side of the track. Pollard must have figured that he needed to block the low side where Kay must race so on the green, instead of racing to the outside banking, he stayed low in turn one. However, he slid up just high enough to allow Kay to have a lane under him and Kay pulled up beside him down the back chute. They raced side by side, very hard into turn three and Kay would edge past. Down the front chute Kay would beat Pollard to the top banking and the race was over as Kay would then extend his lead on the final laps. having tricked Pollard to give up his top side advantage that was ultimately the fastest way around the track. 

Simonsen would finish third with Duffy's fifth place finish allowing him to hold off Pollard for the track title by just six points. Whether or not that late pass by Kay made the difference in the point race, only someone who knows IMCA points better than I could answer. What I do know was that it was a very good way to conclude the racing season at Dubuque. It was announced that racing would return on Sunday night's in 2021 with the same management team on board for next year so obviously the Fair Board was happy with things at the track this year. 

Earlier in the evening I got the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Ricky Kay and I learned some very interesting things about how a Fairgrounds race track operates, and also something about how some of the big time race series do things. Kay was very satisfied with how things went at Davenport in 2020 and he will return to the track next year. I believe he said that he must still share the track with another promoter for a couple more years in what has to be one of the strangest setups in racing that I am aware of. 

It was a very unconventional track to what I remember most nights on Sundays at Dubuque but at the end of the night it still provided the great side by side action and close finishes that are hard to top anywhere. Thanks to the folks at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway for their help on this night.

Chad Simpson hauls 7 K Back to Iowa From Mississippi Thunder

 Friday night, August 28th would be a very big and long night of racing at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway near Fountain City Wisconsin. It would be Season Championship night when they add up the track points earned all year and crown champions. This would involve all five classes that race at MTS during the year. However, as a bonus, the Late Model and Modified features from the Dairyland Challenge last Friday night, that were rained out, would also be held in addition to the regular show. And to sweeten the pie for the Open Late Models and try and get more of them to return, along with the make up feature, they would also be running another full show for the Open Late Models paying two grand to win. 

So we would be having six classes in action which would include two, forty lap main events left over plus another full show in all six classes that would include championship races for the regular divisions. And of course, with the rains having passed and the sun back out, all the racers want to get one more show in during the regular season so there were one hundred and thirty five racers on hand from the three state area near Fountain City. Our program would consist of twenty seven races including  eight feature races. Sounds like a long night, doesn't it? Well, indeed it was and I think every race fan on hand would say that they got their monies worth on this night, since it was just regular admission to attend after last week's disappointment when the last two features couldn't be run due to the rain. 

For Chad Simpson, the trip back from eastern Iowa was worth the effort to him as he was a double feature winner. Despite the offer of another feature race to entice the Open Late Models to return, eight of them opted not to so there were only seventeen on hand to race for five and two grand feature races.

Jake Timm, who had started on the pole, led the first ten laps of the Dairyland Challenge makeup feature before James Giossi, who has been tearing things up lately in the area winning big race after big race, perhaps destroyed his car when he went head on into the first turn wall. He needed two wreckers to assist his car to the pits and he was done for the night. 

On the restart, Timm's car started pushing badly in the corners and Simpson quickly drove under him to take over the lead. Once in front, he kept that position the rest of the race. Jimmy Mars worked his way up from a tenth starting position to put some pressure on Simpson at the end and actually closed to within a car length at the checkered as Simpson struggled to hand on with the challenging track conditions that saw a blinding fast track that developed lots of "character" as they say. Jesse Glenz would finish third. 

Of course, even with everything else going on, the Open Late Models would have to qualify for the second feature race, despite all the other divisions drawing for heat race positions. Simpson was the first one out for qualifying and not surprisingly, was the fastest qualifier. He then won a heat race that featured no passing, giving him the pole for the main event. 

This race went nonstop for thirty laps and only Jeremy Grady would not be around at the finish. This one was a walkover for Simpson who built up a big lead nd then cruised for the win. Lance Matthees ran second for much of the contest before being passed by Dustin Sorensen in the late going for the runner up honors. It turned out to be a very successful night for Simpson and his return was a wise choice. 

The Dairyland Challenge for the Modifieds was a war of attrition as the same bad fast but character building track faced the Modifieds for their make up feature. Twenty one cars started this race and only seven were still standing at the end. 

It was a good night for Dustin Sorensen too as he would win the makeup feature for the Modifieds. He set a blistering pace and would open up nearly a full straightaway on the field. Among those contenders not around at the finish included Jake Timm who spun and collected Lucas Schott, Ashley Anderson with all three out and Josh Angst who was running in the top three when he hit the wall and was done too. 

Sorensen continued to set a pace that no one could stay with and he would win by a big margin over Cory Crapser and Alex Williamson. 

The championship feature would see Schott build up a big lead over Angst until a late yellow nearly cost him. Anderson charged on the inside and nearly slipped into the lead before Schott moved back up the track and used the banking to pull away in the late laps over Angst and Anderson. Angst would be the track champion. 

Seventeen Hornets would fight it out for the track title with point leader Brandon Gleiter eliminated in a grinding early race crash that would also take care of contender Jason Johnson. Hunter Miller would move on to take over the lead, win the race and also become the track champion with Don Martens giving him a severe challenge that involved some contact  near the end of the race. 

Twenty four USRA Hobby Stocks would complete their season with Iowa's Scott Spilde taking the win. Point leader Chris Hovden and Steve Holthaus would both be early outs with mechanical issues but Hovden would have a big enough lead to guarantee him the track title. The feature race itself was a good one, despite several yellows that saw Spilde hold off Levi Sand and Cody Rollinger for the win. 

Flyin' Ryan Olson would live up to his nickname as he stormed around the high side of the track to take the lead and then hold off a strong late challenge from Jim Chisholm to take the B Mod feature win. Olson would also be the track champion in the division. Chisholm had made a determined charge up from the sixth row and was working the low groove well and moved into second. A late yellow, the only one of the race, saw a five lap battle for the win. Chisholm pushed Olson hard and very nearly slipped past him in the last corner. Fortunately for Olson, it was a twenty lapper and not a lap more. Danny Sauquitne finished a strong third. 

The USRA Late Models also had a field of twenty cars for their season finale. Track champion Lance Hofer would put on a strong drive, moving high and low on the track as needed as he charged up from the third row to take the lead and pull away for the win. 

A couple of early yellows kept things bunched up but when the last nineteen laps ran off green to checkered, Hofer was able to pull away. Olson, doing double duty, had an impressive run too as he came from eleventh to finish in the runner up slot with "quick" Kyle Johnson finishing third. 

Thus you have the very abridged addition of what happened at MTS on Friday night and into Saturday morning as it were. The first green flag waved at 6:55 pm and Friday and it was exactly one am Saturday morning when the final checkered waved. One thing everyone could agree on is that we saw all the racing that we wanted for one night, plus some. 

MTS still has one more big weekend of racing upcoming before they finally put the 2020 racing season to bed. Set for September 9-12, the 9th annual Modified Nationals will feature three full programs for the B Mods and Mods. The payoff is progressive with lots of money on the line. Paying the same purse for both classes, which is an interesting concept, the shows will pay two, four and a whopping ten grand apiece to win on Saturday night. Check the MTS face book page for more information. Thanks again to Bob Timm and his crew at MTS.  

Rain Shortens Scheffler Tribute Night

 On Thursday night, August 27th, the 3rd annual Russ Scheffler Tribute race was presented at the Plymouth Dirt Track in Plymouth Wisconsin. Late Models would be the focus on this night, as Scheffler was a very successful Late Model racer in Southern and Eastern Wisconsin primarily before his passing. However, also on the card on Thursday would be the three other divisions that weekly race at Plymouth and that would be the 360 Sprint Cars, the B Mods and the Grand National cars.

Very impressive fields of cars would be racing in all four classes with the Late Models signing in thirty cars while the 360 Sprints were just one behind, even though it was just a regular paying weekly show and of a Thursday night which made their strong presence even more impressive. Twenty five B Mods and seventeen Grand National cars would give us one hundred and one cars, a fine field indeed for a midweek show with only four classes of cars. 

It was not that long ago that the Late Model class was on life support in eastern Wisconsin with few cars and few opportunities to race with one likely the cause of the other. However, the Late Models on this side of the state have made a great rebound in the last couple of years with the emergence of the Dirt Kings traveling Late Model tour certainly helping this situation along. Consider that there are still only two tracks in eastern Wisconsin that race Late Models on a weekly basis and ironically, both race on Saturday nights! That would be Shawano and here but despite that, the class has grown impressively in recent years. For example, Thursday night there were thirty Late Models on hand and only one was not from the eastern side of the state and that would be Greg Cantrell who towed up from DeKalb IL to race. Otherwise, all the competitors are from this region. The one thing that the Dirt Kings tour does provide especially is opportunities to race as they book shows into tracks that don't race Late Models and the drivers from this area do a great job supporting that series. So Late Model racing in eastern Wisconsin certainly looks to be on the rise. 

Also, mention needs to be made about the strong 360 Sprint class here. Again, this was just a weekly show and on a Thursday yet they had twenty nine 360's in attendance and the announcer commented about how the numbers have been falling off some here at the end of the year, as often happens. If twenty nine cars is a "down" night, that fact alone is a pretty impressive statement. 

The B Mods are just IMCA Sport Mods without the sanction while the Grand Nationals are a class that features new style bodies, stock front stubs and limitations on the motors and is a class not seen many other places other than here in eastern Wisconsin. 

The Plymouth track is here at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds which is a beautiful facility right here in the city of Plymouth with the track and fairgrounds virtually surrounded by residences and the city itself. That must make for some interesting situations but there must not be too much push back, given that they are racing on a Thursday night. 

Plymouth hosts lots of big races, with the Sprints having shows from both the All Stars and World of Outlaws and the Late Models from that series have been here too as they have the seating and interest here to have those kinds of races. 

It was an incredibly humid and hot day and storms were in the forecast for late afternoon and evening. Despite that fact, the pits were filled with race cars while perhaps the spectator side paid a little more attention to the weather as the big grandstands had plenty of open seats on this night. Storms were building all around with some very impressive thunderheads and cloud formations drifting over the track, but no rain fell from them and the show started as planned. 

The track was very heavy with much packing needed and while the speeds when racing started were impressive, it was very tough to pass with the berm building to impressive heights to the point that even the 360's were struggling with it. They even needed to get the grader out and knock down the berm at one point, something that was risky given that we were racing on borrowed time. 

Finally, with all the areas around the track already having been "dumped on", the rains hit the Plymouth Dirt Track just as the last B Feature was coming to the track. It didn't take long for track officials to determine that racing was done and about a quarter after nine, our night was complete. The program was called complete and the drivers were paid off. I don't know how they determined just how the money was divided up, but the racers did go home with money for that part of the show we had seen. 

Interestingly, I found out that Lake Winnebago, the huge inland lake in Wisconsin that is famous for its Sturgeon population, is big enough that it often affects the local weather patterns, just like Lake Superior does for the towns around that lake. They were telling me that it often steers storms away from them, delays their arrival but then sometimes also funnels the race right at certain communities. Early in the evening, while we were watching the clouds boil and build, someone told me that their weather app, adjusted to the Lake Winnebago affect, told them that the rain would hold off until 9:10 pm, despite the fact that at that point it looked like it could pour at any second. Ironically and correctly, that prediction turned out to be within seconds of being accurate!

So I didn't get to see any feature race action on this night, but it wasn't a complete loss. A couple of interesting things I noted from the part of the show I saw included the fact that track officials used pylons when hot lapping , thus forcing the drivers to run a higher line early and hopefully, at least, widen out the track. 

They also have a fun thing that the crowd does, as after the announcer goes down to the track surface to introduce the night and play the anthem, he asks them if they are ready for racing and the entire crowd responds by stomping on the metal grandstand floor to let everyone know that they are ready for the races to begin! I thought that to be a neat local tradition. 

A couple of the local Grand National drivers had interesting names. A heat race winner was Chad Espen(I wonder if he likes sports?) but my favorite was veteran driver and many time track champion Richard Hed. Of course, he's not known at Richard Hed at the track. So if anyone says they really like that "old Dick Hed", no one takes that as an insult!

They plan to have a Dirt Kings tour race on Friday night as a part of their racing weekend doubleheader, but as I type this I have learned that they are already rained out for Friday. 

Roth and Aikey Control 300 Raceway Finale Features , Gain Point Titles

 Wednesday night, August 26th was the regular season finale at the 300 Raceway in Farley Iowa. Wednesday night would be the last point show of the 2020 racing season and the last competitive event before next weekend's Yankee Dirt Track Classic. All four divisions that routinely race here under IMCA sanction including the Late Models, Modifieds, Stock Cars and Sport Mods would all be in action on Wednesday. 

This was Season Championship night and even though the races were lined up under the normal point invert format, at the end of the evening the points would be added up and four champions would be crowned. 

There were however, several drivers making their first appearances of the year as they tune up for the Yankee next weekend along with several other drivers that had only made rare starts during the season and were on hand for that same reason, and that was to tune up their cars for the big money that starts next weekend as another regular racing season has just about reached its conclusion. In that regard, it will certainly long be remembered for what it was and also for what it wasn't with the good and the bad hrd to balance some times. Even now in late August, there will still likely be more blockbuster announcements of racing events cancelled at the last minute and perhaps moved to other facilities. On that, we will all just have to wait and see how things play out while trying to maintain our composure and sanity. 

I got a few minutes before the show to talk to Modified veteran Bob Dominacki who was making a rare start here and a driver that doesn't travel much like he used to for perhaps decades as he stays pretty close to the Quad Cities area tracks these days. He had a sticker on his car that I had to ask him about and he confirmed that the sticker on his race car signified that this is his fortieth year of racing, a milestone  by any stretch of the imagination. He said that he had a lot of good years but things have been much tougher for him this past decade but that he would be lost without racing to spend his time on. Perhaps a comment on where racing has gone would be best described by the engine identification on the hood of his Modified that reads, "F----N Crate". I think that says it all for some at least. 

It was another hot and steamy night in the country's heartland but once the sun got lower in the sky, it actually turned into a most comfortable evening. I got a ride from one end of the pit area by a track worker, it turns out he was in charge of watering, but since he delivered me so quickly, I didn't even catch his name. He gave me a ride as he was waiting for the water truck to fill up and he said that they would be putting about 50,000 gallons of water on the track for this night's race, starting in the evening on Monday and through the next two days. And actually, I thought the track was great on Wednesday. It started out a little top dominant but then that went away and drivers were racing all over the track which was slick and smooth and it held up nicely until the very end of the show when drivers started cutting through the infield, dragging the loose dirt up on the track which created a narrow groove and a cloud of dust in turn four but that was all on the drivers, not the track prep. 

A did a double take when I saw Cory Dripps unload a Late Model out of his trailer, not knowing that he has had a Late Model since this Spring but I was just not aware of this, although I am told that he has not raced it much. It is a Rocket chassis and although he was a DNF in the feature, he did a lot of track time on the car on this night. 

I ran into veteran starter Doug Haack who was in preparation for the driver's meeting when I ran into him. He will be the starter here for the rest of the season, having taken over that important job starting with the show two weeks ago. He also flags at Maquoketa, CJ and Quad Cities as he has gotten even busier once he retired from his "real" job. 

The program actually started just a few minutes before their advertised starting time and how many tracks can say that, especially for a midweek show? The qualifying heats went quickly and smoothly with only the Modifieds needing three heats while the others managed a pair of heats for each. 

Before long it was feature race time and the Stock Cars were up first for their fifteen lap feature race. This event saw three different leaders, quite a bit of passing and a couple of heartbreaking breakdowns right near the end of the race that cost a couple of drivers dearly. 

Jason Breimeyer was the early leader but was quickly overtaken by Leah Wroten. Meanwhile, Johnny Spaw was moving up quickly after starting eighth on the grid and by lap five he had driven under Wroten to take over the lead. Once in front, he controlled the rest of the contest but making things interesting was Timmy Current who was driving the #22 Miller High Life car. After not finishing his heat race, he started thirteenth in the main but driving like his hair was on fire, he quickly moved up into the top three. Following a yellow for Tom Schmitt who blew up while running third, Current deciding to go "checkers or wreckers" on the restart but he ended up spinning out and calling it a night. 

Spaw cruised on for the win with Wroten holding on for second and Duayne Herb lost a good finish when he too blew up on the final lap. Jarod Weepie held off rookie Andrew Chelf for the point title. 

The Modified feature saw a great two car battle for the feature race win as Dylan Thorton managed to hold off Aikey for thirteen laps before Jeff finally got by and secured another win here. Thornton had started on the pole and led those first laps while Aikey quickly moved up from eighth, showing the same strong moves he has shown in heat race action where he was spitting cars at will and forging his way forward. 

He followed Thornton for several laps, trying various moves before he got a head of steam and slid up past Thorton in turn one to take over the top spot. Once in front, he was gone and his only excitement was working through lapped traffic. Showing some strength early and then holding off Troy Cordes was Wisconsin invader Brandon Schmitt who came home third. Aikey was the runaway point champion in the Mods.  

Jason Roth continued his dominating season here in the Sport Mods with another victory that translated into a track championship also. It was tough sledding for awhile but he is relentless and would eventually find the openings he needed to pull off the win. Justin Becker led the first seven laps of the feature as both Troy Bauer and Roth would eventually catch him. Bauer made a move to take over the lead but he could only hold it for one lap before Roth would power past him and take the top spot for himself.  He would lead the rest of the way with Cam Reimers making a late charge up to third. 

The Late Model feature would have a surprise ending with a late yellow flag and the changing track both hugely a part of the surprise. Joel Callahan would hold the top spot for four laps before a charging Aikey would take over the lead. Aikey would then build up a large lead and he seemed home free without a challenge.

However, Justin Kay started to move up and as the drivers got deeper into the contest, Kay started to move up quite rapidly. Doing some innovative driving in the corners, he was able to pass  both Scott Fitzpatrick and Callahan and move into second. 

He still seemed pretty far behind Aikey until a late yellow ended Aikey's big advantage. On the restart, Aikey started to slide up the track and Kay was able to get under him and then pull away for the win, which was unexpected. 

I have long enjoyed watching Kay race in both his Modified and Late Model as he seems to be a driver that races all over the track and is not afraid to try different grooves. However, Wednesday night he took that to the extreme to the point where it gave him an unfair advantage in my mind. While everyone else was racing the slick surface, lap after lap he systematically clipped the corner tires and to his credit he did it expertly, until he had moved them back one full lane on the bottom and then he took off like a rocket. During the last yellow flag for a two car spin, they even replaced the uke tire in turn four but that didn't bother Kay, who just knocked it out of the way once they started racing again.  

It didn't help Aikey that his car started to get lose near the end too, but Kay was definitely racing through what should have been the infield and getting some pretty good bite there which in no time at all allowed him to race under and then pull away for the win. The last few laps saw the other drivers follow Kay's line through the corners and we went from a track that has drivers racing all over it to everyone following each other through the infield, throwing loose dirt up on to the track which ruined the three and  four corners as well as creating a cloud of dust where one hadn't existed before everyone decided to make the track a quarter miler.  Fitzpatrick got by Callahan for third at the finish and for the points, Eric Pollard held off Aikey by four, perhaps the one position that he lost late in the race making the difference? It was a good night of racing but that last race left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. 

They did a great job of running things off at a quick pace but I was stunned to see that the final checkered flag flew at 9:15 pm which meant that a full four class program was completed in just a few minutes over two hours. Terrific and terrific for the fans that had to head out and get home for work on Thursday. This is the kind of thing that gives people the confidence to come out and watch a midweek show. What they have planned for their weekly schedule for next year I do not know but midweek shows that can be run off so quickly and expertly are always in demand. This place continues to look better and better every time I am here and is certainly one of the finest facilities in the entire state now.