Sunday, May 31, 2020

Saturday Night Racing - With Fans!

  For racing fanatics like myself, the first two months of the 2020 season can be described in one word: disappointing. On  Saturday, my wife and I made the three hour drive to grandson Keagan and wife Megans' house for a visit and hopefully Keagans' first race of the season. Despite a bright sunny day, clouds began to form in the afternoon, with a few sprinkles falling. But on this day the stars finally aligned, and Keagan and I headed out for the nearly one hour drive to the Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg, Missouri. This would be a new track for both of us.
   In addition to four of the regular classes at the track, the featured attraction on this night was the official opening race for the SLMR west series. The second year series had gathered at the Stuart, Iowa Speedway to race without fans last Sunday, but rain wiped out the program.
   It was good to finally join hungry race fans in the grandstand, as my home state has been a leader in allowing fan participation, while still recommending social distancing and other guidelines.
   Warrensburg is as far south as the Super Late Model Racing group will venture in 2020, and with a scheduled companion event at Lakeside, Kansas Speedway the night before having canceled, we were unsure how many drivers would make the trip to the track that does not have a weekly late model class. As it turned out, a solid field of twenty six drivers signed in as part of the 102 cars in the large pit area.
   Central Missouri Speedway is advertised as a 3/8 mile facility, but it seems to me that may be a liberal measurement, perhaps something closer to a 1/3 mile in my estimation. Also, the racing surface is a bit on the narrow side for the wide bodied late models. With all that being said, it is a well manicured and updated facility, with a full straightaway of aluminum bleachers and adequate lighting. The PA system is also functional, however the speakers are mounted on light poles in the infield, rendering it mostly useless with cars on the track, and there is no scoreboard. For one thin dollar, however, the track sells a weekly program with driver rosters, a worthwhile investment for those wishing to keep track of driver names and hometowns.
    Hot laps began just before the advertised 7:00 start time, and the first heat race was on the track a few ticks ahead of 7:30. CMS did a  good job of transitioning from one race to the next. The intermission however, was a long one, as after a few minutes it was decided to attempt to smooth out a couple of waves in the corners, no doubt the result of persistent heavy rains in the area.
   The late models had contested four heat races, with wins going to Jake Neal, Jason Obrien, Bill Leighton, and Tad Pospisil, with passing points used to set the first eight rows of the feature grid. Pospisil was looking at the back bumper of Corey Zeitner until Charlie McKenna jumped over the bank on the final lap of heat four, and Pospisil grabbed the lead on the restart. Following the break, a B main, which was actually a position dash, was captured by Zach Zeitner. Only JC Wyman, who fell out of his heat race while leading failed to transfer to the thirty lap main event.
   Three heat races and a B main whittled the twenty seven car field down to twenty three for the feature for the B mods. The twenty lap race was plagued by three early cautions before settling in for the second half of the event. Patrick Royalty appears to be a dominant car in this class, as he led each lap to make it two wins in a row at the speedway. Steve Clancy pushed Royalty in the final laps of the race, as the duo gained separation on the field, even while negotiating lapped traffic. Jacob Ebert came home third ahead of Earl Roark. Fifth place went to a driver with a racers name, Sturgis Streeter.
   Up next it was mod lites, with all twenty cars making the call. Dillon Raffurty and Ed Griggs sat on row one, crossing the stripe in a dead heat as lap one was scored. Contact then saw Griggs relegated to the back of the pack on a restart. Numerous caution periods saw the field finally reset in single file order, with the decision made to cut the race from twenty to fifteen laps. Raffurty held on for the win in what was apparently a family affair. David Rafferty outlasted Michael Raffurty for second, while Garrett Stonum broke up the reunion in fourth ahead of Justin Raffurty in fifth. For his part, Griggs passed a dozen cars under green to come all the way back to seventh at the checkers.
   The stage was now set for thirty laps of late model action. Leighton and Pospisil lined up in row one, with Tad pacing the first circuit. The yellow waved on lap three as Corey Zeitner jumped the cushion in turn two, ending his run. Third starting Aaron Marrant cleared Leighton for second just ahead of a lap four caution. One lap later, long distance traveler Darrell Defrance came to a stop on the front straight, his night over. Following another stoppage on lap seven, the pack ran caution free until lap twenty eight. Meanwhile, Leighton and Marrant began to pull away from the field, encountering slower traffic just past the halfway mark. Leighton appeared to gain a big advantage when he split the cars of Chris Spieker and Brett Hopp, but Marrant soon closed the gap, charging to the lead on lap twenty. With five circuits left, Marrant looked to be on his way to a win, but a multi car pile up with a pair of laps to go reset the field in single file formation. But Marrant, the driver from just up the road in Richmond, held on for the first ever SLMR win by a Missouri racer. Leighton took runner up honors, besting Pospisil, tenth starting Kyle Berck, and Neal. Row nine starter Cory Dumpert wheeled the # 6 car to lead the second five in front of row eleven starter McKenna, Brad Perdue, sisteenth starting Jacob Hobscheidt, and row twelve starter Josh Leonard.
   The clock was nearing 10:30 as we headed for the gate with a pair of features still to run. Reports show heat winners Brett Wood and Jay Prevete topping the street stocks, while surprise entrant Rodney Sanders out dueled Tim Karrick in the A mod finale.
   It was a fun night of racing at a new track, especially as we are able to interact with some enthusiastic fans!
   Plans for the week ahead are up in the air, but perhaps I will see you at a track ( in Iowa or Missouri!) this weekend.

Friday, May 29, 2020

Points Racing Resumes in Donnellson

  Friday night I was able to get back to the track with my first visit of the season to the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. With the governor allowing fan participation starting June 1, this was hopefully the last " back gate " show for the storied fairgrounds facility. It was also the opening points night for the five IMCA classes in action.
  A large field of more than ninety cars signed in, led by twenty seven IMCA sport mods, with a B main needed to set their feature field.
  The IMCA sport compacts were first in the feature lineup, with four of the twenty two cars missing from the starting grid. Track regular Brandon Reu charged from his third row starting spot to lead the opening lap ahead of a multi car pile up on the second circuit. During the clean up, the red light came on with the ambulance needed in the pit area. Back under green, only a lap eleven caution slowed the pace set by the # 27, as Reu led flag to flag for the win. Chuck Fullenkamp won a back and forth battle with Adam Christy to come home second, as Jared Heule and Kimberly Abbott completed the top five.
   Austin Howes and Chris Zogg sat on row one for the IMCA modified main event. Those two raced side by side as lap one was scored, with Zogg nosing ahead on lap two. When the first of three cautions waved at lap four, row five starter Michael Long had cracked the top five, and he powered to third on the restart behind Zogg and Travis Denning. With the 9z of Zogg trailing smoke in the turns, Denning took over the lead on lap six. One lap later, veteran Mark Burgtorf put the Bill Baker  # 03B in the runner up spot. Running a near dead heat on lap eight, Burgtorf grabbed the lead ahead of a lap ten caution. At this point, Long had been shuffled back to sixth. Following a final yellow at lap fourteen, Michael charged to the second spot, and a duel developed between him and Burgtorf. With the white flag displayed, Mark bobbled slightly in turn two, and that was the break Long needed to grab the lead and the win. Burgtorf ran second in front of Denning, Ethan Braaksma, and Blaine Webster.
    The IMCA stock cars were up next, and a lap one scrum eliminated Beau Taylor and Kevin Koontz. Row two starter Jeremy Pundt took over as racing resumed. With Abe Huls working his way from a row five start, contact with another car left the #30c with a flat tire on lap five. He was able to return to the track, but retired one lap later. Meanwhile row four starter John Oliver Jr. took over the second slot as the green flag waved. Oliver was dedicated to the high line around the 3/8 mile as Pundt and Jason Cook worked the inside groove. Lap ten saw the three hot shoes racing three wide down the back stretch. With Pundt dropping back slightly, Oliver and Cook battled side by side lap after lap, with each driver leading by a nose or in a too close to call duel on laps twelve through sixteen. When the checkers waved, it was Cook by a car length for the win. Jason Hall came home third ahead of Pundt and Jake Powers.
    The IMCA late model twenty lapper was up next. Defending track champion Tommy Elston drew the number two starting spot, and he edged ahead of pole sitter Ron Boyse the first pass by the flag stand. Fifth starting Denny Woodworth jumped all the way to second on lap two, but by then, Elston had opened a sizable advantage. With the race going twenty laps caution free, the only worry for the leader was lapped traffic. But the Keokuk, Iowa veteran navigated that obstacle with no issues, cruising to his first win of 2020. Woodworth walked home in second, leading Nick Marolf, Jay Johnson, and second year late model pilot Dalton Simonson, who was doing double duty also wheeling a modified on the night. Illinois visitor Blaze Burwell ran sixth in front of Boyse, Burwell team car Devin McLean, Ray Raker, and Darin Weisinger Jr.
   IMCA sport mods closed out the nineteen race card. Jim Gillenwater sat on the pole, leading the twenty four starters through four caution periods in the first half of the race. The track continued to widen throughout the night, and by now there were three and perhaps four lanes available. Sixth row starter Tyler Soppe, a central Iowa top runner was working a line almost against the outside guardrail as he found moisture in the crumbs, even as Gillenwater and runner up Adam Birck claimed the inside groove. Also on the move was Austen Becerra, who dropped out of his heat race, coming back to win the B main. Becerra was in the top three before being shuffled back to sixth on a restart. A similar fate followed Gillenwater, and it was the high flying Soppe thrilling the onlookers as he grabbed the top spot. After a sixth and final caution, Becerra came charging back, but Soppe was not to be denied, as he held on for the win. Becerras' eventful night ended in second, followed by Birck, Gillenwater, and Blaine Webster.
   The final checkers waved a bit after 10:30, capping a full night of action on the lightning fast surface.
    With the current plan to have fans in the stands, next Friday night will see sprint cars invade the speedway. Thanks to Brian and Marcie Gaylord for their hospitality on this first of what I hope will be several trips to LCS in 2020.
    One of my goals for this season was to add at least two new to me tracks, and I hope to have a report from the first of those detailing Saturday night action. Where will it be? Check in later this weekend and find out! Until then...

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Back in the Saddle

 My 2020 season finally got started in a big way Friday night at the Davenport Speedway. Jumping in the car with Jeff Broeg, we were lucky to get signed in at the fairgrounds track just ahead of a deluge of racers eager to put some laps on 160 bright and shiny racing machines. Forty six sport mods led the way, with thirty nine  modifieds, thirty two four cylinders, twenty two late models and twenty one street stocks widely spaced throughout the massive pit area, with the four plus hour show staged in front of an eerily empty and equally massive grandstand, conforming to Iowa state Covid-19 standards.
  With the long lines at the pit gate on this opening night, it seemed starting on time would be a pipe dream, but there we were, hot lapping at 6:15 with heat races on the track shortly after 7:00. After a rocky start in street stock heat number one, the twenty one qualifying races clicked off in good time, and kudos to the race organizers for giving us heat race lineups with as many as eleven cars to help move the show along!
   With the briefest of a break, seventeen street stocks lined up for fifteen laps of action to start the feature parade. Again it was a rocky start, with a pair of cautions before one lap was scored. When the green flag waved for good, a dozen cars remained on the track, with pole sitter Jesse Owen setting the pace. It was Frank Waters and Jeff Struck battling behind the leader with Struck finally grabbing the top spot. On lap ten, Justin VanDrunen moved to the runner up spot, but with the race staying green, he could advance no further, as Struck picked up the win. Owen held on for third ahead of Waters and Cord Williams.
   Twenty four IMCA modifieds were up next with twenty laps the distance around the 1/4 mile. Justin Kay and Chris Zogg brought the field to green, but several cars stacked up in turn four to bring out the caution. The complete restart found row two starter Jeff Larson near the tail after a quick trip to the pits for repairs. With nineteen cars surviving, Zogg charged to the lead. Timmy Current slipped past Kay for second as Zogg opened up his lead. By the halfway point of the race, Zogg was in slower traffic, and Kay retook second and began to close on the #9z. With the pair in a nearly dead heat, the yellow waved at lap fifteen, with Zogg still scored the leader. Following a false start, Kay powered to the front at lap seventeen even as fourth running Austin Howes and seventh place Spencer Diercks headed to the pits. The checkers flew for Kay, followed closely by Zogg, Current, Tyler Madigan, and B main two winner Brad Durbin.
  The IMCA sport mod field had been whittled down to two dozen for their fifteen lap finale. Jason Roth and Chance Huston sat up front, and Roth took the top spot with row two starter Shane Paris in tow. Fifth starting Gage Neal roared to second on lap two. Austen Becerra joined the party in third just ahead of a lap nine yellow. The field stacked up on the restart, and the red flag waved as Bryan Moreland rolled his hot rod between turns three and four. Back to green, Neal came out on top of the three car battle with Roth and Becerra. Becerra challenged for the spot on lap eleven, but one lap later Neal was out front for good. The second generation driver took the win in front of Becerra and Roth. Tony Olson made a last lap charge to capture fourth, with Huston completing the top five.
   All but one of the twenty two IMCA late models took the green flag for twenty five laps of racing. Veteran Jim Sandusky was signed in as the driver of the Claeys Racing #35c, but he failed to make the call for his heat or the feature. Dirt track Hall of Famer Gary Webb gave up his outside pole start, tagging the tail, running one scored lap and heading to the trailer. The red flag came out on the initial lap, but whatever occurred was out of my view on the stage, however Lyle Klein was done for the night with a wrecker tow to the pits. Although the track crew headed by promoter Ricky Kay had done an incredible job to make a raceable track, the heavy overnight rains eventually left their mark, as the track developed a few ruts in an otherwise lightning fast surface. With pole sitter Nick Marolf jumping to the lead, Don Pataska and Lake Knutti got together on lap two to bring the caution out again. Back under green, it was Brian Harris in the Lynn Richard #15R and double duty Justin Kay applying pressure to the leader. Kay took over second on lap five, but he and Harris were running side by side as lap seven was scored. The caution was out again for a Knutti spin on lap ten. Kay challenged for the top spot on the restart as Harris was shuffled back through the field. Soon Marolf was extending his lead. Meanwhile Chuck Hanna was working his way forward, and he caught the front duo on the fourteenth circuit. Five laps later, Kay briefly slipped over the front stretch berm separating the 1/2 mile surface, and Hanna took advantage to grab the second position. As the checkers waved, it was Marolf with the hard fought win, besting Hanna, Kay, thirteenth starting Andy Nezworski and defending track champion Matt Ryan. B J Jackson led the second five in front of Harris, Matt Strassheim in the Barton Racing #7B, late model rookie Jacob Waterman, and Dave Wada.
   The evening finale was the sport compact twelve lapper. Bravely, the track was planning to start all thirty two entrants, but seven scratches left us with a twenty five car field. Nick Johnson took off from row one to lead the opening lap ahead of a yellow flag. Back racing, his front row mate Mitch Bielenberg took over until the caution came out again at lap four. Two circuits later it was Jake Benischek out front, but he retired to the pits as the yellow waved again. Now it was Bielenberg and Adam Christy in a dog fight for the lead. When the final checkers of the night was displayed, it was Bielenberg out front followed by Christy, Ashley Reuman, Shawn McDermott, and Travis Hawkins.
  Super kudos to Ricky and Brenda Kay, not only for their hospitality, but for putting in the work needed for this show in spite of the rain and the many unknowns of racing with zero fans in the stands.
   With the racing landscape changing every day, I am not sure where or when my next race will be, but thankfully several of our Iowa friends as well as the Kays are gambling on racing in front of empty grandstands, while my home state tracks are able to " social distance " in their facilities. So we will look at the options and see where we can finally go Racin' Down the Road.