Saturday night found us back at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson for the 20th edition of Shiverfest. The Friday night Fall Extravaganza car count of 102 increased by twenty, making for another full night of racing, although it was surely well below normal counts for the popular event.
Things got off to a bit of a ragged start time wise, but following on track trick or treating for the youngsters, racing got underway. The hobby stocks were added from the Friday night show, with only a disappointing turnout of seven, but they led off the 15 heat races, which clicked off in good time, aided by the " spin and you're in " rule. Box car races for the kids filled intermission, and it was now time for the six feature races.
The yellow flag waved two laps into the event, with Matt Petrzelka holding the top spot. Back under green, however, Kaden Reynolds put his #1K out front, and was never seriously challenged the rest of the way. The youngster from Cedar Rapids had strapped on the bigger tires on Friday and competed with the stock cars, with the experience paying off on Saturday. Veteran Mike Kincaid came home second following a spirited battle, followed by Brok Hopwood and Gene Nicklas.
All 26 drivers lined up for the IMCA sport mod feature. Outside pole sitter Logan Anderson paced lap one by a nose ahead of fellow front row starter Brandon Dale. The first caution came at lap five, and on the restart, Friday winner Brayton Carter, who started tenth, entered the top five. With the field strung out, the leaders were already in slower traffic by lap six. One lap later, Anderson suddenly lost the handle on his ride, taking a trip through the infield, turning the lead over to Dale. The top four of Dale, Tony Olson, Carter, and Colton Livesey began to put distance on the field when the yellow waved just after halfway. Olson edged ahead briefly as the leaders went three wide on the restart, but Dale was soon back out front. Now it was Dale, Carter, and Olson on a breakaway before a final caution with eight laps remaining. When racing resumed, Dale assumed control, taking the checkers one night after breaking an engine. Carter followed his Friday win with a runner up finish, followed by Olson, Brandon Setzer, and Tyler Soppe.
IMCA stock cars were third on the card, 23 cars for 22 laps. Abe Huls drew the pole position, quickly assuming the lead ahead of John Oliver Jr. and Friday winner Johnny Spaw. The front runners moved to the low line around the slickening track, except for Spaw, who tried the high line in turns three and four which he rode to victory the night before. As Spaw dropped back to the inside line, Oliver Jr. took a shot up top without success. Cayden Carter was able to ride the high line to move into the top five at the halfway point after starting ninth. Although heavy slower traffic remained a issue, the leaders were able to move along smoothly, with the race going caution free. Huls stood in victory lane at the end, with Oliver Jr., Spaw, Carter, and Todd Reitzler next in line.
As much as the stock cars were efficient, the IMCA sport compact 14 lapper was a marathon. A four car pile up off turn two on the opening lap took quite a while to clean up, with fluid spilled on the racing surface. When racing resumed, Jason Ash, who originally lined up fifth, charged to the lead, with Josh Barnes in tow. Friday winner Chuck Fullenkamp rebounded to second on lap three. The lap clicked off until six circuits remained, when the caution came out for Barry Taft. Barnes had driven to the infield, but used the opportunity to pull back onto the track, restarting in third. Barnes then moved to second on the Delaware restart, with the next caution period coming four laps from the checkers. Again there was a lengthy delay, as transmission fluid was spilled all the way around the 3/8 mile oval. As the green flag waved again, the yellow flag waved a final time as Barnes car finally gave up. The field was then lined up single file for the remaining laps. Fullenkamp stalked Ash all the way to the checkers, falling a half car length short of back to back wins. Jacob Houston came from deep in the pack to finish third, followed by Darin Weisinger Jr. and Brandon Ruffcorn in the Jake Dietrich #63.
The late model car count increased by three, to 13 for the Saturday show. Sam Halstead had the lucky hand this night, drawing the pole position for both his heat race and the feature. After winning his heat, " Superman " jumped to the early lead in the main event, with row two starter Andy Nezworski tagging along in second. However a first lap spin by Chuck Lewis brought out the caution. The complete restart saw sixth starting Nick Marolf charge through the middle to second behind Halstead. One lap in, Lewis again looped his #00Q, ending his run. By lap six, Friday winner Chuck Hanna and double duty Cayden Carter were locked in a battle behind Halstead and Marolf. Halstead began to stretch his lead, encountering slower traffic with eights circuits left. By now he had a straightaway lead, and cruised to
the win in his crate late model. The IMCA spec engine cars of Marolf, Hanna, Carter, and Nezworski followed. Track champion Tommy Elston led the second five over Matt Mickelson, Terry Gallaher, Brandon Queen, and first time visitor Mike Klein. Matt Strassheim was the fourth driver to wheel the Lynn Richard #15R, but had engine woes that ended his night, even experiencing a small fire as he sat just off the track. Aric Becker made contact with the backstretch guardrail in his heat race, and called it a night one lap into the main event.
The finale for the night and the season was the IMCA modified 22 lapper. All but one of the 27 entrants, inside row two starter Derrick Stewart, took the green flag. Larry Herring shot to the lead from his pole position start with Jeff Waterman in second. A lap two yellow slowed the action, and on lap four, outside row one starter Levi Smith rebounded to second running his familiar high line around the oval. Two circuits later, Jarrett Brown raced to third, with tenth starting Michael Long taking fourth. Long, the Friday winner, advanced to third one lap later, as he searched multiple grooves around the track, his car seeming to stick in whatever line he chose. Michael emerged from a three way battle with Smith and Brown to grab the runner up spot just after the halfway point, this time with a low side move. Slower traffic came into play by lap 13, and two more trips around, Long now used the top side to shoot to the lead while negotiating the lapped cars. As he began to open a lead, Herring began to fade back into the pack, with Brown and Waterman now occupying second and third. Following a pair of cautions, the final six laps stayed green. Long powered to a commanding lead over those closing laps, while the battle raged on well behind the #18L. Brown came home in second, with Waterman third. Logan Anderson came on late to grab fourth, and Bruce Hanford nipped Smith at the line for fifth. As a result, Long became the only repeat winner of the weekend, although his Saturday victory came much tougher that his flag to flag win on Friday.
As though it had been scripted, a few raindrops began to fall as we gathered up our belongings to head for home.
Thanks to Brian Neal and the Lee County Fairboard for their hospitality and an enjoyable late October racing weekend. At this time of year, we think of each race as possibly the last of the season, but unlike years past, there is still some racing to be had, weather permitting, and we are not ready to call it a season just yet. So stay tuned, and we shall see. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Lee County Speedway Roars to Action
The annual Fall Extravaganza weekend was washed out two weeks ago, so one night of racing was added Friday night ahead of the annual Shiverfest. Cool temps greeted the hearty group of fans and the 102 competitors in five divisions. Following a quick run through of 14 heat races and the briefest of intermissions, it was feature time.
First on tap was the 14 lapper for the IMCA sport compacts, with 20 cars taking the green flag. Track point champion Barry Taft raced a #2 machine in his heat race, but started the main event in the David Prim back up #01. But it was Alyssa Steele charging from outside row one to grab the lead on the second circuit. She opened a big lead as a four car battle developed behind her. Near the halfway point, Kimberly Abbott broke free from that group and began to run down the leader. As the pair of young ladies powered down the backstretch headed to the white flag, Abbott contacted the back of the Steele car, sending the leader spinning. Abbott then assumed the lead followed by Chuck Fullenkamp, while Steele amazingly righted her machine in time to hold third. Abbott took the checkers one lap later, but Steele ran her down on the backstretch and expressed her displeasure. After a period of silence ( confusion?), it was announced that Fullenkamp would be awarded the win. But Abbott was docked one spot, scored second in the running order, with Steele disqualified. A curious bit of scoring, but....
All but one of the 26 IMCA sport mods lined up for 18 laps. A Reed Wolfmeyer spin on the opening circuit resulted in a massive pile up, ending the night for among others, Tyler Soppe and Tony Olson. Brayton Carter had dominated his heat race, redrew a twelve for the feature, but now found himself even deeper in the restart field after a trip to the work area. Following a yellow on the restart for a Colton Livesey spin, Austin Heacock took the early lead. By lap two, Carter was already inside the top ten, and he charged to fifth one lap later. Two more laps and the youngster was in a three car scrum for the lead with Heacock and Tony Olson. The group entered slower traffic on lap ten, and were three wide at the line when the caution came out. When racing resumed, Carter wasted no time completing his run to the front, taking the win ahead of Heacock, Olson, Logan Anderson, and a hard charging Livesey.
Jeff Mueller was the lone IMCA stock car driver not starting the twenty lap feature, with 23 drivers taking the green. Todd Reitzler powered from outside row one to the early lead, as Jason Cook slipped around Jeremy Pundt for second. As the laps clicked off, slower traffic came into play around lap ten. With eight circuits left, fourth running Jason See found himself out of the groove heading into turn one, spinning his ride to bring out the only yellow of the race. Sixth starting Johnny Spaw was working hard on the leader, and he used the high line to take the lead as the white flag waved. A small blanket could have covered the top four on the final lap, while John Oliver Jr., who started in row ten due to a rare heat race spin, was looking to join the party. Coming through the final set of turns, it was Abe Huls who hooked up on the inside line, but Spaw held on for a narrow victory. Huls, Reitzler, Cook, and Oliver followed in tight formation. A still charged up Spaw heaped praise on the " hammer down " racing surface in his victory lane interview.
The late model field was a bit disappointing with only ten cars checked in. Veteran Brian Harris has been wheeling the Lynn Richard #15R this " postseason," and he jumped to the lead from his pole position, followed closely by his front row mate, Chuck Hanna. The front duo found some separation from the pack, and on lap seven, Hanna put his IMCA spec engine #65 out front. Hanna then pulled out to a sizable lead before the yellow waved with three lap to go for a slowing Terry Gallaher, who was piloting the Cliff Powell #6. With Harris electing the high side on the Delaware restart, Tommy Elston took the runner up spot as action resumed. At the line, it was Hanna on top, followed by Elston, Harris, Nick Marolf, and Sam Halstead. Aric Becker led the second five over Brandon Queen, Charles Vanzandt, and Matt Michaelson, back on the track after a long time away. Gallaher would be scored in tenth.
The final event was the twenty lapper for a loaded IMCA modified 21 car field. Michael Long had the pole position, and he quickly jumped out front. But a lap two caution involving Derek Stewart and Matt Bodman slowed the action. Back under green, Long began to stretch his margin, as an entertaining battle for second featured Bruce Hanford, Donovan Lodge and Mark Schulte. Long worked slower traffic flawlessly until the caution came out with four laps remaining. It proved just a momentary distraction for Michael, who cruised to the win. Hanford started seventh and completed a strong run in second, while Logan Anderson charged from fifth to third after the restart, falling to fourth behind Lodge at the checkers. Schulte completed the top five.
Today, Saturday, the track will host Shiverfest, complete with hay rack rides, box car races, and on track trick or treating for the youngsters beginning at 3:00. Racing kicks off with hot laps at 4:30 and racing at 5:00.
Hope to see you there for one more night of action. Dress warm!
First on tap was the 14 lapper for the IMCA sport compacts, with 20 cars taking the green flag. Track point champion Barry Taft raced a #2 machine in his heat race, but started the main event in the David Prim back up #01. But it was Alyssa Steele charging from outside row one to grab the lead on the second circuit. She opened a big lead as a four car battle developed behind her. Near the halfway point, Kimberly Abbott broke free from that group and began to run down the leader. As the pair of young ladies powered down the backstretch headed to the white flag, Abbott contacted the back of the Steele car, sending the leader spinning. Abbott then assumed the lead followed by Chuck Fullenkamp, while Steele amazingly righted her machine in time to hold third. Abbott took the checkers one lap later, but Steele ran her down on the backstretch and expressed her displeasure. After a period of silence ( confusion?), it was announced that Fullenkamp would be awarded the win. But Abbott was docked one spot, scored second in the running order, with Steele disqualified. A curious bit of scoring, but....
All but one of the 26 IMCA sport mods lined up for 18 laps. A Reed Wolfmeyer spin on the opening circuit resulted in a massive pile up, ending the night for among others, Tyler Soppe and Tony Olson. Brayton Carter had dominated his heat race, redrew a twelve for the feature, but now found himself even deeper in the restart field after a trip to the work area. Following a yellow on the restart for a Colton Livesey spin, Austin Heacock took the early lead. By lap two, Carter was already inside the top ten, and he charged to fifth one lap later. Two more laps and the youngster was in a three car scrum for the lead with Heacock and Tony Olson. The group entered slower traffic on lap ten, and were three wide at the line when the caution came out. When racing resumed, Carter wasted no time completing his run to the front, taking the win ahead of Heacock, Olson, Logan Anderson, and a hard charging Livesey.
Jeff Mueller was the lone IMCA stock car driver not starting the twenty lap feature, with 23 drivers taking the green. Todd Reitzler powered from outside row one to the early lead, as Jason Cook slipped around Jeremy Pundt for second. As the laps clicked off, slower traffic came into play around lap ten. With eight circuits left, fourth running Jason See found himself out of the groove heading into turn one, spinning his ride to bring out the only yellow of the race. Sixth starting Johnny Spaw was working hard on the leader, and he used the high line to take the lead as the white flag waved. A small blanket could have covered the top four on the final lap, while John Oliver Jr., who started in row ten due to a rare heat race spin, was looking to join the party. Coming through the final set of turns, it was Abe Huls who hooked up on the inside line, but Spaw held on for a narrow victory. Huls, Reitzler, Cook, and Oliver followed in tight formation. A still charged up Spaw heaped praise on the " hammer down " racing surface in his victory lane interview.
The late model field was a bit disappointing with only ten cars checked in. Veteran Brian Harris has been wheeling the Lynn Richard #15R this " postseason," and he jumped to the lead from his pole position, followed closely by his front row mate, Chuck Hanna. The front duo found some separation from the pack, and on lap seven, Hanna put his IMCA spec engine #65 out front. Hanna then pulled out to a sizable lead before the yellow waved with three lap to go for a slowing Terry Gallaher, who was piloting the Cliff Powell #6. With Harris electing the high side on the Delaware restart, Tommy Elston took the runner up spot as action resumed. At the line, it was Hanna on top, followed by Elston, Harris, Nick Marolf, and Sam Halstead. Aric Becker led the second five over Brandon Queen, Charles Vanzandt, and Matt Michaelson, back on the track after a long time away. Gallaher would be scored in tenth.
The final event was the twenty lapper for a loaded IMCA modified 21 car field. Michael Long had the pole position, and he quickly jumped out front. But a lap two caution involving Derek Stewart and Matt Bodman slowed the action. Back under green, Long began to stretch his margin, as an entertaining battle for second featured Bruce Hanford, Donovan Lodge and Mark Schulte. Long worked slower traffic flawlessly until the caution came out with four laps remaining. It proved just a momentary distraction for Michael, who cruised to the win. Hanford started seventh and completed a strong run in second, while Logan Anderson charged from fifth to third after the restart, falling to fourth behind Lodge at the checkers. Schulte completed the top five.
Today, Saturday, the track will host Shiverfest, complete with hay rack rides, box car races, and on track trick or treating for the youngsters beginning at 3:00. Racing kicks off with hot laps at 4:30 and racing at 5:00.
Hope to see you there for one more night of action. Dress warm!
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Simpson Goes Out On Top at Wheatland
Saturday afternoon, Fred, Darryl, and I were joined by IMCA stock car driver Beau Taylor as we loaded up and headed to the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri for the final night of points racing for the MLRA late models, co sanctioned with the Comp Cams late model series and the B modified Clash of Champions. Originally scheduled as a two day event, the Friday portion was washed out during hot laps setting up a one show marathon with start times moved up two hours. We arrived at the 3/8 mile " Diamond of Dirt Tracks " just as hot laps were set to kick off at 4:30. A solid total of 66 B mods battling for a $3,000 top prize kicked things off followed by 44 super late models dueling for a $5,000 check along with a $500 bonus. In addition, the MLRA championship hung in the balance, with Chad Simpson leading Will Vaught by a scant margin.
Racing began as advertised at 5:00. Somewhat to my surprise, the Friday format of two rounds of heat races for the B mods qualifying 14 cars to the feature followed by " alphabet " consolation features remained in place, making for a ton of laps on a racing surface which soon began to show the effects of steady rains on Friday followed by cool temps and little sun on Saturday.
After round one of eight B mod eight lap heats, the late models were set to contest five ten lap qualifiers, with passing points also locking in 14 feature starters. The format yielded plenty of action in both divisions. Scott Crigler and Simpson picked up heat wins from the front row, while Vaught and Mason Oberkramer scored victories from row two, and Tony Jackson Jr. started sixth and won the final heat race.
Another round of B mod heats preceded a rather lengthy unofficial intermission, then the round of consys began for the mods. Up first was an "E" main, that was scheduled to advance the top eight to the next round. Only six cars came to the track, but oddly enough, they raced for eight laps anyway.
B main number one for the late models ran next, with Matt Furman, now back in his home state of Iowa leading the three transfers to the main event.
Now it was "D" main time, 14 laps scheduled with the top eight moving to the next round.
Late model B number two came next, with Nebraska's Jake Neal victorious from row two after Iowa driver Todd Shute had his engine expire in turn three on the final lap while leading by a sizable margin.
The modified "C" ran 18 laps as a few sprinkles began to fall.
The late model feature then came to the track for 50 scheduled laps to determine the nights winner as well as the MLRA title, as Arkansas ace Jack Sullivan had the Comp Cams championship in hand. Jackson Jr. and Jesse Stovall sat on row one, while Vaught was joined by Oberkramer in row two. Simpson, meanwhile lined up outside MLRA rookie of the year Payton Looney in row four. Jackson jumped to the lap one lead, with Vaught climbing to second ahead of Stovall and Oberkramer. On lap five, Jackson caught a hole in the track off turn two, slowed and was tagged by Vaught. Vaught spun around and was hit hard by Logan Martin. Now it was Stovall out front, Simpson powered to fifth, and Jackson called it a night. Caution number two came on lap eight as Neal stopped in turn four. Crigler was now on the move, climbing to second followed by Sullivan, Simpson, and Looney. Vaught had restarted in 21st, but was up to twelfth when he rolled to a stop on lap ten, exiting the track with likely issues from his earlier crash. Looney charged to third on the restart, but it was Simpson now on the move. He took second on lap 13, but the red flag waved as Mitch McGrath, J C Wyman, and Jeremy Grady piled up off turn two. It was then announced the there would be a " helmet stop " on lap 25 for drivers to swap helmets or add tare offs. This actually came at lap 29 when the caution flew for a stopped Rickey Frankel. At this point, only nine of the 24 starters remained on the track, so following an extended delay it was announced that the drivers still running had agreed to cut the race to 40 laps as there was "weather" in the area. As the green flag waved, Stovall found a rut in turn one and was shuffled back to fourth, as first Sullivan, then Simpson grabbed the lead. At this point Martin, who had restarted in 23rd looked to have the fastest car, and he snatched the lead away on lap 32. He was building his margin, looking like he would complete his comeback when he seemed to get sucked into the concrete wall between turns three and four, ending his night behind the wrecker. With four laps remaining, Simpson assumed the lead on the single file restart, racing to the win and the championship. It was a bittersweet celebration for the veteran Iowa pilot, who was for the final time racing for car owners Bud and Denise Brinkman. The team had announced earlier in the year that the Brinkmans would be dissolving the team after a 15 year run with Simpson, whose plans for next season are uncertain. Sullivan came home second, meaning the two series champs ran one, two on the night. Raymond Merrill came back from being put a lap down early to take third, followed by Terry Phillips and Looney. Aaron Marrant and B J Robinson both edged out Stovall, who slowed on the last lap, as only eight cars were around for the checkers.
After the victory lane festivities, and with a light drizzle falling, the B mod " B " main came to the track for 22 scheduled laps, with the top ten moving to the 24 car, 40 lap finale. A caution period with three laps to go was met with a now persistent light rain, and it seemed likely the circling cars would not be able to " save " the racing surface. We then headed to the warmth of the van, heading to the highway as the clock registered 10:20 P.M. As we headed north in a steady rain, it was no surprise to learn this morning that we had seen the last of the racing. The top ten in the B main when the race was stopped were added to the back of the feature lineup, and the purse was paid based upon the starting order. So pole sitter Andy Bryant, who earned his spot with a a pair of heat race wins collected the $3,000 check, while Kris Jackson, who also captured both his heats picked up $1,500 for second. Still, the drive of the night had to go to Tyler Brown, who muscled his battered #T10 machine through the D,C, and B mains and was set to lineup in the feature!
While we certainly appreciated the fact that the late model headliner was completed, it was easy to feel badly for B mod drivers and their fans. It is not my place to Monday morning quarterback, but in hindsight, I doubt any of them would have objected to eliminating the second round of heat races, both of which had originally been set to run on Friday along with another complete late model program. Also, canceling the E main and shortening laps on the D,C, and B rounds, especially with rain on the way, might have made it possible to get at least some of the main event run.
Never the less, it was another good night of racing, despite the chilly temps and occasional precipitation. There will be no racing for me next weekend, with a family outing planned, so I look forward to Shiverfest in two weeks at the Lee County Speedway in
Donnellson. For those of you looking to add to your racing adventures, however, the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. will host two nights of action next Friday and Saturday, as will Tri City Speedway in Granite City, Il.
Racing began as advertised at 5:00. Somewhat to my surprise, the Friday format of two rounds of heat races for the B mods qualifying 14 cars to the feature followed by " alphabet " consolation features remained in place, making for a ton of laps on a racing surface which soon began to show the effects of steady rains on Friday followed by cool temps and little sun on Saturday.
After round one of eight B mod eight lap heats, the late models were set to contest five ten lap qualifiers, with passing points also locking in 14 feature starters. The format yielded plenty of action in both divisions. Scott Crigler and Simpson picked up heat wins from the front row, while Vaught and Mason Oberkramer scored victories from row two, and Tony Jackson Jr. started sixth and won the final heat race.
Another round of B mod heats preceded a rather lengthy unofficial intermission, then the round of consys began for the mods. Up first was an "E" main, that was scheduled to advance the top eight to the next round. Only six cars came to the track, but oddly enough, they raced for eight laps anyway.
B main number one for the late models ran next, with Matt Furman, now back in his home state of Iowa leading the three transfers to the main event.
Now it was "D" main time, 14 laps scheduled with the top eight moving to the next round.
Late model B number two came next, with Nebraska's Jake Neal victorious from row two after Iowa driver Todd Shute had his engine expire in turn three on the final lap while leading by a sizable margin.
The modified "C" ran 18 laps as a few sprinkles began to fall.
The late model feature then came to the track for 50 scheduled laps to determine the nights winner as well as the MLRA title, as Arkansas ace Jack Sullivan had the Comp Cams championship in hand. Jackson Jr. and Jesse Stovall sat on row one, while Vaught was joined by Oberkramer in row two. Simpson, meanwhile lined up outside MLRA rookie of the year Payton Looney in row four. Jackson jumped to the lap one lead, with Vaught climbing to second ahead of Stovall and Oberkramer. On lap five, Jackson caught a hole in the track off turn two, slowed and was tagged by Vaught. Vaught spun around and was hit hard by Logan Martin. Now it was Stovall out front, Simpson powered to fifth, and Jackson called it a night. Caution number two came on lap eight as Neal stopped in turn four. Crigler was now on the move, climbing to second followed by Sullivan, Simpson, and Looney. Vaught had restarted in 21st, but was up to twelfth when he rolled to a stop on lap ten, exiting the track with likely issues from his earlier crash. Looney charged to third on the restart, but it was Simpson now on the move. He took second on lap 13, but the red flag waved as Mitch McGrath, J C Wyman, and Jeremy Grady piled up off turn two. It was then announced the there would be a " helmet stop " on lap 25 for drivers to swap helmets or add tare offs. This actually came at lap 29 when the caution flew for a stopped Rickey Frankel. At this point, only nine of the 24 starters remained on the track, so following an extended delay it was announced that the drivers still running had agreed to cut the race to 40 laps as there was "weather" in the area. As the green flag waved, Stovall found a rut in turn one and was shuffled back to fourth, as first Sullivan, then Simpson grabbed the lead. At this point Martin, who had restarted in 23rd looked to have the fastest car, and he snatched the lead away on lap 32. He was building his margin, looking like he would complete his comeback when he seemed to get sucked into the concrete wall between turns three and four, ending his night behind the wrecker. With four laps remaining, Simpson assumed the lead on the single file restart, racing to the win and the championship. It was a bittersweet celebration for the veteran Iowa pilot, who was for the final time racing for car owners Bud and Denise Brinkman. The team had announced earlier in the year that the Brinkmans would be dissolving the team after a 15 year run with Simpson, whose plans for next season are uncertain. Sullivan came home second, meaning the two series champs ran one, two on the night. Raymond Merrill came back from being put a lap down early to take third, followed by Terry Phillips and Looney. Aaron Marrant and B J Robinson both edged out Stovall, who slowed on the last lap, as only eight cars were around for the checkers.
After the victory lane festivities, and with a light drizzle falling, the B mod " B " main came to the track for 22 scheduled laps, with the top ten moving to the 24 car, 40 lap finale. A caution period with three laps to go was met with a now persistent light rain, and it seemed likely the circling cars would not be able to " save " the racing surface. We then headed to the warmth of the van, heading to the highway as the clock registered 10:20 P.M. As we headed north in a steady rain, it was no surprise to learn this morning that we had seen the last of the racing. The top ten in the B main when the race was stopped were added to the back of the feature lineup, and the purse was paid based upon the starting order. So pole sitter Andy Bryant, who earned his spot with a a pair of heat race wins collected the $3,000 check, while Kris Jackson, who also captured both his heats picked up $1,500 for second. Still, the drive of the night had to go to Tyler Brown, who muscled his battered #T10 machine through the D,C, and B mains and was set to lineup in the feature!
While we certainly appreciated the fact that the late model headliner was completed, it was easy to feel badly for B mod drivers and their fans. It is not my place to Monday morning quarterback, but in hindsight, I doubt any of them would have objected to eliminating the second round of heat races, both of which had originally been set to run on Friday along with another complete late model program. Also, canceling the E main and shortening laps on the D,C, and B rounds, especially with rain on the way, might have made it possible to get at least some of the main event run.
Never the less, it was another good night of racing, despite the chilly temps and occasional precipitation. There will be no racing for me next weekend, with a family outing planned, so I look forward to Shiverfest in two weeks at the Lee County Speedway in
Donnellson. For those of you looking to add to your racing adventures, however, the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. will host two nights of action next Friday and Saturday, as will Tri City Speedway in Granite City, Il.
Friday, October 5, 2018
Fall Bash Scores an " A " Plus
A less than optimistic forecast early in the week gave way to sunny skies and October temps as Darryl, Fred, and I headed for night one of Ryan Duhme and Timmy Currents' Fall Bash at the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa. Fred and I had made this trip last year only to have the plug pulled due to wet conditions even as the massive pit area filled with hopeful participants. Although there was a threat of rain arriving after midnight, it was apparent that we would see plenty of racing this time. As we trudged through the pits it became obvious that the cool temperatures would not hold down the car count, but I have to admit that I was amazed when the total count at the lineup board came in just over 200! In fact, the 36 late models that matched last years total before the cancellation came in as the fourth highest total of the six divisions! Having seen on Facebook that a curfew might be in place for the Thursday night portion of the show, I now wondered how much of the show would be completed. I need not have worried, however, as the races clicked off at a dizzying pace, and the drivers took the " bring out a caution, go to the pits " rule as gospel.
By my count, it took 36 preliminary events to set the feature fields, with an adjustment made in the running order of the heat races and consolations to accommodate car counts, then one change in the feature order.
Jeff has a rundown of the action in his " Backstretch " column here at Positively Racing, which is fortunate. Even though announcer Jerry Mackey did an absolutely amazing job of giving lineups and hometowns as the rapid fire events took place, I would have spent more time writing than watching, as I do not pretend to be as familiar with many of the Iowa and especially Wisconsin drivers as my colleague.
As a late model fan, I was a bit surprised that more of the Lee County late model crate engine cars did not try their luck against the IMCA cars. In fact, the only Lee County crate entry was the Lynn Richard #15R driven on this night by Brian Harris. Lynn seemed to correctly think that if Harris could qualify for the feature that track conditions would not be as much of a handicap in the thirty lap finale. Harris did indeed make the show, starting fifth in the third heat, then advancing to second behind Andy Eckrich, as the top three in each of four heats moved on. Brian then drew an eight for the feature, and finished seventh as the 1/4 mile was black slick and smooth by feature time. In contrast, there were I believe three Darlington Raceway limited late models entered. The limiteds will be a part of the Saturday night card, and one driver told me he was just looking to " turn some laps " on Thursday.
In the end, no one had anything for Justin Kay, as he started in row two, took the lead on lap nine, one circuit after the only caution of the race, and collected the $1,500 top prize, ahead of a persistent Tyler Bruening. Justin also captured the American Iron Racing Series main, and competed in his modified as well as trying his luck in a 4 stock ride! And if that did not keep him busy enough, Matt Ryan wheeled his backup modified in addition to running third in his #07 late model.
Thursday night was my first time to see the AIRS cars in action, and for a few minutes it was like the 1970s all over again. If you are not familiar with these cars, they are mostly full bodied machines from the fifties, sixties, and seventies, with some Mustangs and Camaros thrown in. Unlike some of the vintage cars, these folks are equipped with racing engines, many apparently built by Gade Race Engines, racing tires, and a serious dose of competitive spirit. Although I think of myself as a Bowtie fan, the 1957 and 1958 Fords really took me back to younger days....
Anticipating the cool temps, we dressed accordingly, but when the late model feature took the checkers just ahead of the 11:00 hour, we made the decision to head for the warmth of the car to begin the 2 and a half hour plus trip home.
So how do you pull off a racing program with over 200 cars in what I am going to guess was about 5 and a half hours from hot laps to final checkers when events with smaller car counts often last until well past midnight? Well, I have already mentioned a couple of things, including the solo spin rule and bringing out the next race as soon as the previous one is concluded. No intermission was also a major factor, apparently announcers, scorers, and a flagman can actually survive such conditions. A perfectly prepared racing surface that needed no rework before the features was a major factor. But the one big thing that separates a show like Thursday from the many UMP type races we attend, is NO TIME TRIALS. No burning up the track before heat races. No straight up starts with the fastest cars on the front row all night long.
Thanks to Darkside for their hospitality, we are already looking forward to attending this race again in 2019.
Meanwhile, we are keeping an eye on the ever changing forecasts for Saturday as we look for more October racing!
By my count, it took 36 preliminary events to set the feature fields, with an adjustment made in the running order of the heat races and consolations to accommodate car counts, then one change in the feature order.
Jeff has a rundown of the action in his " Backstretch " column here at Positively Racing, which is fortunate. Even though announcer Jerry Mackey did an absolutely amazing job of giving lineups and hometowns as the rapid fire events took place, I would have spent more time writing than watching, as I do not pretend to be as familiar with many of the Iowa and especially Wisconsin drivers as my colleague.
As a late model fan, I was a bit surprised that more of the Lee County late model crate engine cars did not try their luck against the IMCA cars. In fact, the only Lee County crate entry was the Lynn Richard #15R driven on this night by Brian Harris. Lynn seemed to correctly think that if Harris could qualify for the feature that track conditions would not be as much of a handicap in the thirty lap finale. Harris did indeed make the show, starting fifth in the third heat, then advancing to second behind Andy Eckrich, as the top three in each of four heats moved on. Brian then drew an eight for the feature, and finished seventh as the 1/4 mile was black slick and smooth by feature time. In contrast, there were I believe three Darlington Raceway limited late models entered. The limiteds will be a part of the Saturday night card, and one driver told me he was just looking to " turn some laps " on Thursday.
In the end, no one had anything for Justin Kay, as he started in row two, took the lead on lap nine, one circuit after the only caution of the race, and collected the $1,500 top prize, ahead of a persistent Tyler Bruening. Justin also captured the American Iron Racing Series main, and competed in his modified as well as trying his luck in a 4 stock ride! And if that did not keep him busy enough, Matt Ryan wheeled his backup modified in addition to running third in his #07 late model.
Thursday night was my first time to see the AIRS cars in action, and for a few minutes it was like the 1970s all over again. If you are not familiar with these cars, they are mostly full bodied machines from the fifties, sixties, and seventies, with some Mustangs and Camaros thrown in. Unlike some of the vintage cars, these folks are equipped with racing engines, many apparently built by Gade Race Engines, racing tires, and a serious dose of competitive spirit. Although I think of myself as a Bowtie fan, the 1957 and 1958 Fords really took me back to younger days....
Anticipating the cool temps, we dressed accordingly, but when the late model feature took the checkers just ahead of the 11:00 hour, we made the decision to head for the warmth of the car to begin the 2 and a half hour plus trip home.
So how do you pull off a racing program with over 200 cars in what I am going to guess was about 5 and a half hours from hot laps to final checkers when events with smaller car counts often last until well past midnight? Well, I have already mentioned a couple of things, including the solo spin rule and bringing out the next race as soon as the previous one is concluded. No intermission was also a major factor, apparently announcers, scorers, and a flagman can actually survive such conditions. A perfectly prepared racing surface that needed no rework before the features was a major factor. But the one big thing that separates a show like Thursday from the many UMP type races we attend, is NO TIME TRIALS. No burning up the track before heat races. No straight up starts with the fastest cars on the front row all night long.
Thanks to Darkside for their hospitality, we are already looking forward to attending this race again in 2019.
Meanwhile, we are keeping an eye on the ever changing forecasts for Saturday as we look for more October racing!
Monday, October 1, 2018
Champions Crowned at Quincy Raceways
Sunday night was the final points racing event of 2018 at Quincy Raceways. With the sun shining when we arrived home from Keagan and Megans wedding weekend, I decided to fit in one night of action.
The six "regular " classes were on the card, with all but the IMCA stock car title already determined.
UMP modified qualifying led things off with champion Dave Weitholder posting quick time. Heat races were moving along nicely until the UMP Pro Crate late model ten lapper. Melvin Linder in the Woodworth backup #45DW was out front when he made hard contact with the front stretch wall, ripping the back right quarter from the car. Then in the stock car heat, point leader Jake Powers clipped the backstretch guardrail, spun around and rolled his car 1 3/4 times, landing on his roof, compromising his shot at the title.
Finally it was feature time, with all 14 IMCA sport mods taking the green for 18 laps. Pole sitter and class champion Adam Birck jumped out front ahead of a lap two caution. On the restart, row four starter Austen Becerra and row six starter Daniel Fellows took up the chase, with Becerra second on lap four and Fellows third one lap later. The three leaders hit slower traffic at the halfway mark. With Becerra pulling nearly even with Birck as lap twelve was scored, John Renier clipped the inside boundary tire on turn one while about to be lapped, and he became airborne, flipping twice before landing on his wheels. When racing resumed, Becerra followed Birck in the high line, while Fellows looked for traction down low. Soon after Becerra tried the inside move on the leader, Fellows was able to make it stick in turn two on lap 16, taking over the runner up slot. While Daniel and Austen continued to battle, Birck was able to put a bit of distance on his pursuers, picking up his fifth feature checkers of the season. Fellows rolled home second ahead of Becerra and Tanner Klingele.
Normally last on the card, the two person cruisers were up next, with only four cars checked in. The duo of Logan Cumby and Matt Wentura grabbed the win, while the #99 Boden car topped the point sheet.
The late model field was also short on their final race night, five strong. Denny Woodworth went flag to flag to win the twenty lap event by 1/2 lap, also collecting championship honors. Laine Vanzandt out ran father Charles for second, with Cliff Powell in fourth.
Weitholder led the 13 car modified field throughout their twenty lap distance. Kevin Blackburn was beginning to apply pressure to second place Josh Newman even as his power plant developed a miss when the yellow waved for first time visitor Tony Walker. During the caution period, fourth running Steve Grotz also headed to the trailer. Back under green, Blackburn raced to second, taking along Frankie Wellman in third. Blackburn stayed close to the leader, while Wellman put distance on the remainder of the pack, running by himself in third. Blackburn began to fade ahead of a lap eleven caution, and he eventually retired two laps later. Weitholder cruised to his eleventh win of 2018, topping Wellman, Newman, Dugan Thye, and late arriving Mark Enk.
Surprisingly, Powers was able to make the feature call, lining up at the back of the eight car field. Michael Larsen was six points behind in the title chase, and he grabbed the early lead, while you could have thrown a blanket over the next six cars. Dean Kratzer emerged from the pack to lead lap two, with a five car battle behind him using all three lanes around the .29 mile oval. Brandon Lambert held the runner up spot until Abe Huls moved around him on lap twelve. One lap later the caution came out as Beau Taylor stopped in turn four. Huls pulled alongside Kratzer on laps 15 and 16, but the Fort Madison, Iowa veteran was up to the challenge, picking up his second win of the year. Huls claimed second in front of Larsen, Brandon Savage, and Taylor. Powers hung around to claim the championship by two points over Larsen.
The final race of the night saw eight cars line up in the IMCA sport compact feature. Darin Weisinger Jr. lined up in row one outside point champ Barry Taft, charging to the lead even as Taft began to fade. Fourth starting Alyssa Steele powered to second, staying close to the leader as Kimberly Abbott gained ground in third. As the race stayed green throughout the twelve laps, Abbott moved up to challenge Steele, allowing Weisinger to cruise to the win. Steele came home ahead of Abbott in the battle of the ladies, with Craig Bangert in fourth.
A bit of a late start, intermission, and driver introductions for all six classes pushed the final checkered flag to just past 10:00.
There is one more racing event scheduled at the track, next Sunday night. Extra money is being offered up for the stock car, modified, sport mod, and sport compact classes based on a minimum of 15 cars in each class, with the stock car winner taking home a cool $1,000. There are also a couple non circle track events in the following weeks, with details on the track website.
At this time, I am looking at night one of the Darkside Fall Bash at the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa on Thursday night, highlighted by a $1500 to win feature for the IMCA/Lee County late models. After that....?
The six "regular " classes were on the card, with all but the IMCA stock car title already determined.
UMP modified qualifying led things off with champion Dave Weitholder posting quick time. Heat races were moving along nicely until the UMP Pro Crate late model ten lapper. Melvin Linder in the Woodworth backup #45DW was out front when he made hard contact with the front stretch wall, ripping the back right quarter from the car. Then in the stock car heat, point leader Jake Powers clipped the backstretch guardrail, spun around and rolled his car 1 3/4 times, landing on his roof, compromising his shot at the title.
Finally it was feature time, with all 14 IMCA sport mods taking the green for 18 laps. Pole sitter and class champion Adam Birck jumped out front ahead of a lap two caution. On the restart, row four starter Austen Becerra and row six starter Daniel Fellows took up the chase, with Becerra second on lap four and Fellows third one lap later. The three leaders hit slower traffic at the halfway mark. With Becerra pulling nearly even with Birck as lap twelve was scored, John Renier clipped the inside boundary tire on turn one while about to be lapped, and he became airborne, flipping twice before landing on his wheels. When racing resumed, Becerra followed Birck in the high line, while Fellows looked for traction down low. Soon after Becerra tried the inside move on the leader, Fellows was able to make it stick in turn two on lap 16, taking over the runner up slot. While Daniel and Austen continued to battle, Birck was able to put a bit of distance on his pursuers, picking up his fifth feature checkers of the season. Fellows rolled home second ahead of Becerra and Tanner Klingele.
Normally last on the card, the two person cruisers were up next, with only four cars checked in. The duo of Logan Cumby and Matt Wentura grabbed the win, while the #99 Boden car topped the point sheet.
The late model field was also short on their final race night, five strong. Denny Woodworth went flag to flag to win the twenty lap event by 1/2 lap, also collecting championship honors. Laine Vanzandt out ran father Charles for second, with Cliff Powell in fourth.
Weitholder led the 13 car modified field throughout their twenty lap distance. Kevin Blackburn was beginning to apply pressure to second place Josh Newman even as his power plant developed a miss when the yellow waved for first time visitor Tony Walker. During the caution period, fourth running Steve Grotz also headed to the trailer. Back under green, Blackburn raced to second, taking along Frankie Wellman in third. Blackburn stayed close to the leader, while Wellman put distance on the remainder of the pack, running by himself in third. Blackburn began to fade ahead of a lap eleven caution, and he eventually retired two laps later. Weitholder cruised to his eleventh win of 2018, topping Wellman, Newman, Dugan Thye, and late arriving Mark Enk.
Surprisingly, Powers was able to make the feature call, lining up at the back of the eight car field. Michael Larsen was six points behind in the title chase, and he grabbed the early lead, while you could have thrown a blanket over the next six cars. Dean Kratzer emerged from the pack to lead lap two, with a five car battle behind him using all three lanes around the .29 mile oval. Brandon Lambert held the runner up spot until Abe Huls moved around him on lap twelve. One lap later the caution came out as Beau Taylor stopped in turn four. Huls pulled alongside Kratzer on laps 15 and 16, but the Fort Madison, Iowa veteran was up to the challenge, picking up his second win of the year. Huls claimed second in front of Larsen, Brandon Savage, and Taylor. Powers hung around to claim the championship by two points over Larsen.
The final race of the night saw eight cars line up in the IMCA sport compact feature. Darin Weisinger Jr. lined up in row one outside point champ Barry Taft, charging to the lead even as Taft began to fade. Fourth starting Alyssa Steele powered to second, staying close to the leader as Kimberly Abbott gained ground in third. As the race stayed green throughout the twelve laps, Abbott moved up to challenge Steele, allowing Weisinger to cruise to the win. Steele came home ahead of Abbott in the battle of the ladies, with Craig Bangert in fourth.
A bit of a late start, intermission, and driver introductions for all six classes pushed the final checkered flag to just past 10:00.
There is one more racing event scheduled at the track, next Sunday night. Extra money is being offered up for the stock car, modified, sport mod, and sport compact classes based on a minimum of 15 cars in each class, with the stock car winner taking home a cool $1,000. There are also a couple non circle track events in the following weeks, with details on the track website.
At this time, I am looking at night one of the Darkside Fall Bash at the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa on Thursday night, highlighted by a $1500 to win feature for the IMCA/Lee County late models. After that....?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
