Weeknight Racing in Iowa - Part Deux

  My original plans for this week did not involve any racing adventures, but I could not pass up the invitation to tag along first to Marshalltown on Tuesday, then to the Stuart International Speedway on Wednesday. It would be my second ever visit to  Stuart, both this season. New owner/promoter Mike VanGenderen has presented an awesome program both times, however there is one big problem that MVG cannot fix. The 1/4 mile speed plant is a long way from Canton, Missouri! But with the checkered flag waving on the headline late model feature about 9:45, the four hour trip home did not seem so long!
  We arrived just ahead of hot lap time to a pit area hosting a solid field of ninety three cars in five divisions, highlighted by the Nebraska based SLMR late model series, the brainchild of former late model standout, Joe Kosiski. The series has a rules package that is also friendly to the IMCA late models, and has consistently turned out solid car counts, including twenty eight at Stuart.
  The format for the evening involved my favorite qualifying procedure for the late models, passing points, with the top fourteen locked into the twenty five lap main event. Four heat races determined those fourteen. Ben Schaller topped the first eight lapper over Curt Schroeder, Andrew Kosiski, and Tad Pospisil. Corey Zeitner gabbed heat two ahead of Charlie McKenna and Kyle Berck. Heat three went to Curtis Glover followed by Bill Leighton Jr., and Nick Roberts in a McKenna team car. Jason Obrien earned the feature pole, besting series points leader Nick Deal, Josh Leonard, and Todd Cooney in the final heat. A pair of B mains strategically placed after the IMCA stock car feature saw Jason Hahne and Brad Perdue make the feature lineup in the first ten lapper, and IMCA regulars Darrell Defrance and Justin Kay qualify from the second " B." Brian Kosiski and Paul Conrad claimed the final two spots as series provisionals.
  The stock cars had already provided us with a thrilling feature event. Early leader Brandon Pruitt had somehow held off intense pressure from Buck Schafroth and Shawn Ritter, with those three nearly side by side as the white flag waved. Schafroth and Pruitt came to the checkers side by side, with the win going to the #92 of Schafroth by inches. Ritter settled for third, with Josh Daniels advancing to fourth from row eight. Eighteen stock cars signed in for the nights' action.
  The IMCA sport mods were nineteen strong, and after some troubles early, they hit their stride. Garrett Nelson was fast working high on the banked track, while Kody Havens matched his laps running a  low line that found him flirting with the infield boundary tires as he exited turn four. Nelson was not to be denied, and he was able to open a bit of a lead following a final caution four laps from the end. Havens took runner up honors, while Hunter Longnecker and Dusty Masolini found their way around third Running Tyler Inman following the caution.
  Fifteen IMCA modifieds took the feature green, but a first lap melee disabled the cars of Arizona driver Austin Kuehl and the youngster from Nevada, Kollin Hibdon. Cory Sauerman and Kyle Brown were able to return and tag the tail after a trip to the hot pit. Back under green, it was Matt Meinecke out front with his hands full of Josh Gilman. Meinecke had no intention of giving up the lead, taking the twenty lap victory. Gilman was second, with Brown coming from the rear of the field all the way to third. One of the best names in racing, Clay Money, was fourth, and Sauerman fought back to grab a top five finish.
  Next up was the twenty five lap late model $2,000 to win headliner. Obrien jumped out front from the pole, taking along third starting Leighton Jr. Obrien soon began to stretch his lead over Leighton, who did the same over third running Corey Zeitner and the rest of the pack. With no caution periods, the leader caught the back of the field just after the half way mark, which allowed Leighton to close to his rear bumper. Leighton was able to find a fast line one groove higher than Obrien, but he appeared to be blocked by a slower car. The leader was patient, then made the move of the race, splitting two cars, creating some breathing room for himself. Although Leighton was able to clear the lapped cars one circuit later, he could not mount a serious challenge in the closing laps. Obrien scored the flag to flag victory, with Leighton in second. Zeitner hung around in third, holding off McKenna and Schaller. Andrew Kosiski came home sixth, while Deal faded three spots in the late stages to claim seventh. Berck, Roberts, and fifteenth starting Hahne completed the top ten.
  As the thirteen IMCA hobby stocks came to the track, we decided to call it a night and begin the long drive home. It was no surprise to see that Shannon Anderson, who was to start ninth, picked up the win.
  Thanks go out to MVG and his staff for giving us an efficiently run show on a well prepared surface. Also thanks to my P.R. colleagues, Jeff Broeg for doing the hard work, and Barry Johnson for the late evening sustenance.
  At this point, I am not sure when I will make it back to the track, especially with Quincy Raceways idle this Sunday. But the marathon known as the UMP Summernationals begins next week, so there will be lots to talk and write about in the days ahead! Stay tuned!