As area racing programs continued to understandably fall like dominoes due to the disagreeable spring weather, we decided to shift our focus further south. So Saturday morning we headed north, jumped in with Jeff, then pointed west and south for what would be my first ever visit to the 81 Speedway near Park City, Kansas, just outside Wichita. Saturday would be the second night of their Heartland Hustle MLRA doubleheader, the first visit of the high powered late model series to the .35 mile facility since 2003. With a $5,000 top prize on Friday night and $7,000 on Saturday, there had been plenty of excitement building in anticipation of an all star field of drivers. USRA modifieds, stock cars and mod lites would fill out the tidy four division Saturday portion of the program. Our plan was to spend the night close by, then head back to Iowa where the forecast of warmer temps on Sunday would lead us to Mike Van Genderens' Stuart Speedway for the final night of the annual IMCA Frost Busters touring series.
After a few challenges along the way, we arrived at 81 Speedway to find thirty six returning late models from the previous night, a strong field of thirty five modifieds, twenty five stocks, and a bakers' dozen mod lites.
Nebraska racer Tad Pospisil had broken the nineteen year old track qualifying record on Friday, and he bettered that on Saturday with a lap of 16.104 seconds. With late model time trials and stock car heats complete, the late models lined straight up for four eight lap heat races. As expected with the straight up starts, the four feature qualifiers all came from the first two rows until heat four, when Trevor Gundaker was victimized by another driver, ending his shot at a top four finish. Ryan Gustin, Terry Phillips, Johnny Scott, and Chad Simpson all picked up wins from front row starting spots. Two B mains qualified six more drivers, with Kolby Vandenbergh from the outside pole and Rodney Sanders breaking the string coming from row two, with wins. Four provisional starters swelled the grid to twenty six for the main event, which was shortened from forty to thirty five laps to "save on tire wear" with the current shortages.
Following modified and mod lite heats, the track was "farmed" to create the best possible surface for the features. Dry conditions in the area coupled with a stiff wind blowing into the grandstand made for less than favorable conditions for us as spectators, and the registered temperature in the fifties did not tell the story, as we hustled to the car for extra layers of clothes to ward off the cold.
Up to this point the show moved along nicely. But when the stock cars lined up twenty two strong for their fifteen lap feature, things went downhill. Unofficially I counted nine caution periods, including a couple as the green flag was ready to fly and one during the green, white, checkers ending. Mercifully, a couple of laps was cut from the scheduled fifteen. A patient Clint Smith from Hutchinson, Ks. led every lap to take the win, and may have burned up the entire prize in fuel and tires!
It was now time for the late models. Des Moines, Iowa veteran Todd Cooney had his #30 quit on the parade lap sending him pit side before the green flag waved. Outside pole sitter Johnny Scott jumped to the early lead, taking along third starting Phillips. By lap five, Scott had built a sizable lead, with Gustin now second trailed by Phillips, seventh starting Bobby Pierce, the Friday night winner, and Chad Simpson. Gordy Gundaker entered the top five two laps later, and ten circuits in the leader caught the back of the pack. As Scott moved in on a swarm of cars jockeying for position, Gustin closed to his rear bumper. Ryan would be scored the leader on lap twenty, but Scott quickly regained the position. As the pair ran side by side three laps later, Gustin suddenly slowed with a flat tire, bringing the first caution of the race. Gordy Gundaker made a dandy move to second on the restart, but a nine car pileup in turn four brought out the red flag. Several cars were eliminated at this point, including Phillips and Tony Jackson Jr. As the field prepared to restart, Pierce headed to the hot pit with a flat, ending his second place run and shot at a weekend sweep. While he rejoined the pack in fourteenth, he eventually called it a night with a couple laps remaining. Following the single file restart, Scott again built a big lead, and the Las Cruces, New Mexico pilot cruised to the victory. G. Gundaker regained the runner up spot ahead of Chad Simpson, Pospisil, and Chris Simpson. Provisional starter Dustin Walker came from twenty sixth to sixth, trailed by rookie of the year contender Daniel Hilsabeck, Kaeden Cornell, Blair Nothdurft, and Vandenbergh.
Twenty four USRA mods lined up for twenty laps and a $2,450 payday. Hometown (Wichita) favorite Tanner Mullens used an outside pole start to lead lap one. On the next trip around, fifth starting Rodney Sanders, one of several drivers doing double duty, moved to second. The caution waved on lap three for long time racer Rick Beebe, ending his night. On the restart, Phillips, also doing double duty, entered the top five after lining up in row four. A second and final caution came with five laps remaining, but that only slowed Mullens flag to flag victory. Sanders scored runner up honors in front of Phillips, Jacob Bleess, and Tyler Davis.
As victory lane interviews began, four tired and well chilled race fans headed for the car, with another big day planned for Sunday. Stick around for a recap of the Frost Buster action, Iowa style.
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