Saturday night we made our first visit of the season to the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri. The occasion would be night number two of the Jim Oliver Memorial honoring a gentleman who was a long time racer, the patriarch of three generations of dirt track racers, as well as being a friend to many, including yours truly. The fairgrounds track plays host to only a handful of events each season under the capable hands of race director Mike VanGenderen, this weekend being the sixth annual affair. Besides the usual healthy purse offered up to the five divisions of competitors, there was $5,015 in bonus cash donated by Oliver Heating and Air, swelling the two day total to over $45,000! In addition, the top four finishers from the Friday features would be locked in to the inside four rows on this night.
As usual, the super wide oval, be it three eighths or four tenths mile, was smooth and lightning fast. Somewhat surprisingly, a handful of the pre qualified drivers did not return, but still more than eighty cars were checked in on a perfect night, weather wise. Hot laps would kick off shortly after the advertised time of 6:00, and we were racing thirty minutes later.
The count was light in the 4 Cylinder division, with only one more qualifying heat while it took three for the Stock Cars and a pair of heats for the Modifieds, Sport Mods, and Hobby Stocks to round out the feature fields.
A brief intermission with a bit of track work set things up for feature racing in front of a nice sized gathering.
Sport Mods would go first, with sixteen cars coming to the track for twenty laps.Although the line up board listed Friday winner Carter VanDenBerg as the driver of the #7V, it was announced post race that his cousin Cayden Carter was behind the wheel. Carter would shoot to the early lead from the pole taking Tim Plummer and Jim Gillenwater along. Those three would break away from the pack ahead of a lap three caution for debris. Gillenwater and Plummer would swap the runner up spot before a second and final yellow flag for a Patrick Phillips spin on lap seven. Carter again checked out on the field while the race to watch was for second. Gillenwater, celebrating his birthday, was hugging the low line while Plummer rode the cushion. They would continue to swap the position and it was Plummer in second when the leader caught slower traffic on lap eighteen. With a pair of cars going side by side for position, Cayden was able to split them out of turn two to seal the deal. He would then drive off to the flag to flag win. Plummer topped Gillenwater for second while Colton Livezey advanced four spots to outrun Tyler Heckert for fifth.
Next up would be Hobby Stocks going for fifteen circuits. Tom Killen and Kale Hensley brought the eighteen starters to the green flag. Before that happened, however, Luke Phillips would shed a wheel and axle on his #33. As it turned out, that would be the only delay in the action. Hensley led Killen on lap one with third starting Luke Ramsey powering to second on lap three. By the eighth trip around the leaders were racing side by side, and Ramsey was in front as that lap was scored. At the same time, row four starter Aaron Martin was moving forward, and he slipped into third on lap ten. Three laps later Martin used a low side move to clear Hensley for second, but he could not run down the leader in the final two laps. As Kevin Eggleston waved the checkers, it was Ramsey, Martin, Hensley, Killen, and ninth starting John Watson rounding out the top five.
Moving along quickly, the eight car Four Cylinder fourteen lapper was next. With Brandon Reu sitting on the pole he seemed to be the odds on favorite, and he maintained the top spot as Barry Taft and Tim Schnathorst battled side by side for second. Taft was able to secure the runner up spot, and on lap four he drove around Reu for the lead. Meanwhile Schnathorst now found himself in a third place duel with Michael Grossman. Schnathorst soon began to fade back, eventually crossing the line in sixth. There would be no catching Taft, who topped Reu, Grossman, Kimberly Abbott, and Garrett Porter. Again there would be zero caution periods to slow the action.
The full field of Stock Cars saw twenty three line up for twenty laps. Cayden Carter was behind the wheel of the Michael Petersen #1X, and he would lead the pack to green ahead of Johnny Spaw, Jason See, and Nathan Wood. John Oliver Jr. would start from row seven, but by the fourth trip past the flag stand he had entered the top five. Soon the leaders were in heavy traffic, but Carter maintained a safe lead while Spaw raced well ahead of a three car scrum for third between Wood, Oliver Jr. and See. The first caution period came just three laps from the checkers when Dennis Elliot looped his #29 on the now black racing surface. The yellow flag would wave once more on the restart, and when racing resumed Wood used the Delaware style restart to clear Spaw for second with Oliver Jr. following in third. Likely the fastest car on the track at this point, Oliver Jr. then drove around Wood for second on the final circuit, but his charge ended there. Carter picked up his second win of the night, besting Oliver Jr., Wood, Spaw, and See.
Modifieds would be the headliners on this night, and sixteen of the high powered machines came to the track for twenty five laps. Following a first lap caution, pole sitter Jarrett Brown and third starting Austen Becerra paced the field. A tight three car battle behind the leaders entertained the crowd as Michael Jaennette, Robbie Reed, and Jerad Fuller fought for position. On lap five the red flag flew as a massive pile up out of turn one saw the #OK of Damien Kiefer doing a pair of roll overs. Fortunately there were no injuries, but about six cars were eliminated in the melee. Back to racing, Reed powered his #5 into the runner up spot, then set his sights on the leader. Brown was committed to the inside line while Reed worked high around the turns. By lap fourteen Reed had closed the gap, and one lap later he was in front by a nose at the line. Two more yellows would come in the next pair of laps. On the final restart, Chris Zogg, who had suffered considerable damage on Friday, would charge to fourth after lining up in row five. On the final lap Brown was able to get a run on the leader and they came out of turn four in a near dead heat. Not being sure where the finish line was, we had to wait for the announcement declaring Brown the winner by no more than six inches! Reed, Becerra, Jaennette and Zogg would complete the top five. It was a thrilling cap to the evening that had the crowd buzzing.
To top off the excellent racing, the final checkers flew before 9:30, leaving the many campers and racers plenty of time for bench racing and partying!
Thanks as always to MVG and his friendly and efficient crew for an outstanding night of action at one of my long time favorite tracks.
On this Sunday we will head back to Adams County, Il. Speedway for the now one day Chad McCoy Memorial, with UMP Modifieds topping the bill as they race for big dollars. Extra money will also be on the line for Crate Late Models, Hart Series B Modifieds, Street Stocks, and 4 Cylinders. In addition, the promoters have a host of other activities planned, including a Hay Rack Ride, costume contest, silent auction, and more. The weather is great, so let's go racing!
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