Four in a Row: Chapters One and Two

 Thoroughly unconvinced of our potential success rate, Fred Peters and I set out Thursday morning on a quest to attend all stops on the four day Midwest Late model Racing Association ( MLRA ) extravaganza. Days of rain, clouds, and cold weather had convinced me to not make hotel reservations even though night number one four hours from home in Stuart, Iowa followed by a stop in Davenport, Iowa would require such.
  As we made our way, it looked as though Mother Nature might take enough of a break for us to see some racing, and when we pulled into the Stuart 1/4 mile for our first ever visit, it was already a bee hive of activity. A familiar face, new track owner Mike Van Genderen, seemed to be everywhere at once, and a half dozen traveling late model teams were unloading in the grassy area that would normally be spectator parking, as the dirt pit area had been
" opened up, " to allow it to dry.
  After staking out our seats, we made our way to town, happy that we had secured one of the few remaining hotel rooms in the town of " 1,700 good folks, and a few stinkers. "
  When we returned to the speedway, the elusive sun had made an appearance, drying the grounds out nicely. While the late model field was filling out early, the stock car, hobby stock, and sport mod teams began to pour in as we neared hot lap time for the week night show. By race time, the count was 24 late models, 18 stock cars, 22 hobby stocks, and 26 sport mods - 90 cars in total!
  MLRA typically uses the draw for heat starting spots with passing points determining the feature line up, and boy can that make for good racing all night long! Even though the three heats were won from one of the front two rows, several hot shoes searched the oval trying to move forward, eventually " building " a track for the features. Amazingly, the heat races clicked off with a total of two caution periods and one false start in all classes combined, due in no small part to a well prepared racing surface.
  Twenty cars took the green flag for sixteen laps of hobby stock feature racing. Chuck Madden set the pace early, pushed hard by Jack Phillips. Five laps in, Shannon Anderson joined the party, moving to second one lap later, then grabbing the lead just before halfway. The veteran soon entered slower traffic, which he worked skillfully. On the final lap of the non stop event, he came upon a pair of cars racing side by side for position, but he was able to hold on for the win, trailed by Madden and Phillips.
  All but two of the stock cars lined up next for twenty laps. Jeremy Gettler set the pace early, with Buck Schafroth in pursuit, making the lead pass on lap four. Todd Van Eaton joined the fray, swapping the runner up spot with Gettler ahead of a lap seven yellow. Gettler and Van Eaton appeared to make contact on the restart, and now Mike Nichols entered the top three. The second and final caution came as Van Eaton shucked a drive shaft on lap eleven, and Kyle Brown charged to third following the Delaware restart after starting in row six. With five laps to go, Shawn Ritter took over third and when Nichols bicycled in turns three and four on the final lap, Ritter grabbed runner up honors behind Schafroth. Nichols fell to third, with Brown on fourth.
  It was now late model time, with forty laps ahead to determine who would take the $3,000 top prize. Spencer Diercks, whose night ended in hot laps was the only driver failing to make the call. Heat winners Payton Looney and Tyler Bruening made up row one, while first heat winner  Will Vaught sat inside row two. Those three soon gained early separation ahead of a Dave Eckrich spin on lap three. Looney was out front for the restart, but one lap later, he slowed on the backstretch, his night over. I have seen races where the second and third place cars then line up side by side for the restart, but on Thursday second running Bruening was placed out front of the Delaware realignment. Now it was Bruening, Vaught and fourth starting Chris Simpson pulling away from the pack, even as row seven starter Bobby Pierce entered the top ten using the high line around the track. While Vaught and Simpson battled side by side, Bruening began to stretch his lead, but at lap eight, Jake Neal brought out the red flag when he stopped in turn four, having been hit in the helmet with debris from the speedway. After a short delay, Neal was able to continue - and no, the MLRA does not require window nets. The yellow waved again on lap ten when Jesse Stovall lost the handle in turn three and was collected by the #53 of Andrew Kosiski, ending the night for both. Pierce now lined up outside row three in the fifth position. As the green flag waved again, Simpson held second, but Pierce was hot on his tail in third. Pierce again used the high line to take second on lap thirteen, and two circuits later he powered to the lead. He then caught and began to effortlessly move through slower traffic near the halfway point. The final caution came with eleven laps remaining, giving Pierce a clear track ahead. Bruening was in the second spot on the restart, but with an aid from the signal sticks from father Bob, the younger Pierce moved to a low line in turns one and two, then the middle groove at the other set of turns. With five laps to go, Simpson found his way past Bruening. At the checkers, it was Pierce, Simpson, Bruening, Vaught, and Jordon Yaggy. Billy Moyer came to Stuart, started tenth and finished sixth ahead of Chad Simpson, Mitch McGrath, Richie Gustin, and Logan Martin. Neal rebounded to finish just outside the top ten.
  With the sport mod feature up next the close out the card, a pair of well chilled travelers headed for the warmth of our motel room.
  Thanks to Mike and his team for a typically well run MVG show. We both agreed that we would like to return soon to the Stuart International Speedway!
  While wandering the pits at Stuart, my phone pinged with the notification that our Friday night destination, the Davenport Speedway was forced to cancel due to the excessive amounts of rain. We were now forced with a decision, whether to continue on north and west to a first visit to the Crawford County Speedway in Denison, Iowa for the SLMR late model special, or work our way in the direction of home. Lee County Speedway in Donnellson had also thrown in the towel, so the most logical choice for us became the high banks of the Marshalltown Speedway 1/4 mile. With cancellations at Davenport, Donnellson, and Columbus Junction, the potential for an interesting mix of cars loomed at Marshalltown, plus it would be the opening night for the IMCA late models.
  So we made the ninety mile drive west from Stuart, again arriving mid afternoon to what looked to be a perfectly prepared racing surface, courtesy of promoter Toby Kruse. The car count certainly did not disappoint, with a whopping 136 cars in six classes checked in on another chilly night.
 We joined fellow Positively Racing bloggers Joyce and Dick Eisele,  who call the speedway home, as well as Jeff Broeg at the top of the grandstands, so I decided to become more of a spectator for the night. So I will just share a few of my hastily scribbled notes from a very entertaining night of racing.
  While only a dozen mod lites were on hand, they may have offered up the best feature of the night, running three and four wide at the front, slicing, dicing, rubbing and even flipping before Mike Morrill grabbed the big check on Cliff Chambers Memorial night.
  Before I could collect my thoughts, twenty four IMCA hobby stocks came to the track and ran fifteen caution free laps, with David Rieks picking up a relatively easy win, with Shannon Andersons' hot pursuit ending with a runner up finish.
  The IMCA sport mod field was pared from thirty two down to twenty four starters. Unfortunately, the event turned into a caution fest. The final of the yellows resulted in a green, white, checkers finish. Kyle Olson had stayed out front throughout, even as multiple drivers made charges to the front during the race. Brayton Carter was in position to pounce in those final two laps, and he and Olson traded slide jobs to the delight of the crowd. In the end, Olson prevailed, with Carter having to settle for second.
  The IMCA stock cars rarely disappoint, and this night would be no exception. Shawn Ritter had been the bridesmaid at Stuart and he was looking to improve on that on Friday. Again there was constant movement throughout the field, but Ritter held on for what appeared to be an emotional victory. Steve Meyer took runner up honors, while the drive of the night came from visiting John Oliver Jr., who started in row nine and finished fourth.
  A solid twenty IMCA late models signed in. As it was their first point night, the draw, redraw format was in effect. Both Todd Cooney and Justin Kay ran second in their heats, but they drew the front row for the twenty lap money race. Kay used his outside spot to jump out front with Cooney trailing. Soon it was row two starter Joel Callahan moving up to challenge for second. With Cooney and Callahan battling side by side, including doing some serious door banging, Kay opened up a commanding lead. The race was slowed only once for an early caution involving Ben Seeman, and no one was able to mount a serious challenge as Kay led the distance. Callahan won the duel for second, while Curtis Glover and ninth starting Jeremiah Hurst completed the top five. Joe Zrostlik ran sixth, while Darrell Defrance returned to action in seventh. Matt Ryan, Mike Smith in the Barton Racing #7,  and Paul Nagle rounded out the top ten.
 The IMCA modifieds would round out the card, but again we decided to head for the warmth of the car to start the three hour plus journey home.
  Round three of our racing weekend looks good, as the morning sun is shining brightly, so we will rejoin the MLRA cars and stars tonight as they invade the West Liberty Raceway for some 1/2 mile action. Mods, sport mods, stock cars, and the A.I.R.S. cars will fill out the card, with hot laps set to roll at 6:30. The weekend will wrap up on Sunday close to home as the MLRA drivers pay their first ever visit to the .29 mile oval at Quincy Raceways. IMCA sport mods and open stock cars will also be in action, with hot laps set for 5:15.