Tuesday night we visited the Buchanan County Fair in Independence, Iowa. On the card was the Buchanan County Fair Late Model Showdown, also billed as the Denny Osborn Memorial. Denny was a long time racer in central and eastern Iowa and a multi time track and series champion who passed away earlier this year. With no races scheduled for the fair this year, late model racer and business man Travis Smock along with Todd Summers set about putting this event together, including finding numerous sponsors. As a result, they arrived at a purse of over $33,000, featuring $7,200 to win the late model main event as well as $1,000 for IMCA modifieds and IMCA for stock cars. Late model heats would be twelve laps in length, and the late model feature would be sixty laps, thus a total of seventy two laps for those completing both races. In case you did not know or haven't guessed by now, 72 was the number on the familiar orange Osborn car. The late model would run under the old Indee Open rules package, with passing points used to set the feature lineup. Mods and stocks would use a draw / redraw format.
An outstanding field of thirty eight late model drivers checked in along with twenty six modified and twenty three stock car teams in front of a packed grandstand.
There was plenty of passing in the heat races, particularly in the mods and late models, where eight heat races produced only two winners from the front row. Late model heats went to Brian Harris, who started sixth, and Jason Rauen, and Luke Goedert, who both came from row two. Only outside pole sitter Justin Kay won from the front. Modifieds saw Joel Rust come from row two and Ronn Lauritzen and Brennen Chipp from row three. Only Chris Simpson took the victory from row one. This is quite a departure from the "time trial and start straight up" shows I have seen of late! The stock car were the first class out and they did not follow the narrative, with Cole Mather, Philip Holtz, and Tom Schmitt all winning from the front.
Following heat race action it was intermission time and a bit of track prep with the stock car feature. a pair of late model B mains, then the mod and late model feature still to go.
All twenty three stock cars lined up for twenty laps of racing. A pair of yellow flag events delayed the opening lap, but when it was finally scored, polesitter Johnny Spaw was out front. As Spaw hugged the inside tire barriers, Holtz challenged him on the high line. Meanwhile Mather and Dallon Murty raced side by side behind the front duo. Lap seven saw a real traffic jam as Mather, Holtz, and Murty battled three wide for second, with Schmitt and tenth starting Dustin Vis right there, as well. Murty took control of the runner up spot, and as the crossed flags signaled halfway, Murty pulled alongside the leader. While Murty nosed ahead, another caution period slowed the action one lap later. About three more laps and Spaw regained the top spot again running the very bottom line around the 3/8 mile oval. One more lap and it was Murty edging back in front. Spaw could pull ahead in turns one and two, but Murty was faster at the other end of the track. A final caution set up a green, white, checkers finish with Murty in front. As the white flag waved, he changed his line a bit, taking away the bottom groove from Spaw as they raced to the checkers. In victory lane, Dallon stated it was his twenty fifth feature win of the season. Not bad for a sixteen year old who would later climb back in the Travis Smock #98 for what I am guessing would finish out his first night racing a late model. Spaw was runner up, followed by Mather, Holtz, and Vis.
The two late model B mains qualified the top four in each to round out the twenty four feature starters. Darin Duffy, in a Jeff Aikey #77 team car took the first B, while Dave Eckrich claimed the second one. Indeed, you almost needed a scorecard to keep track of the late model class on this night, as Duffy was only one of several drivers piloting other drivers cars. Fortunately, announcers Ryan and and Jason did a good job keeping things sorted out!
All twenty six drivers came to the grid for the twenty five lap modified main event. Heat winner Chris Simpson redrew the pole start, and he quickly shot to the lead ahead of a lap five caution. As racing resumed, Chris opened a sizable advantage, as Mike Burbridge, Timmy Current, and Troy Cordes in a Denny Osborn themed orange #72 battled behind him. A second and final caution came for a multi car scrum on lap fourteen as Simpson was staring at slower traffic ahead. With clean air and open space in front, he then cruised to the flag to flag win. Burbridge took second, chased by the big mover of the race, the twelfth starting Rust. Cordes and Derrick Stewart completed the top five.
It was now time for the headline event. Twenty four cars lined up for sixty laps and a $7,200 payday. Ben Seeman was behind the wheel of a Wally Lawless designed orange #72 tribute car on this night. While Ben did not qualify for the feature, he led the field in parade laps, then tagged the tail for a couple of green flag laps as well. Brian Harris started outside row one in the Doug Curless #99, and he paced the early laps before dropping the wheels off the top side entering turn three, losing several positions. Local standout Sean Johnson then put his #8R out front with sixth starting Justin Kay in hot pursuit. Slower traffic came into play on lap ten, and two circuits later Kay grabbed the lead. The bottom groove was now the preferred line, and about lap fifteen, Chad Simpson in the Jay Johnson #93 found his way around Sean for second. Five more laps and Jeff Aikey made his way to third after starting outside row five. The only stoppage of the race came two laps from halfway when contact sent top five runner Darren Ackerman spinning in turn three. Following the Delaware double file restart, Aikey bolted to the front from the outside line. He began to build his lead, but traffic again became a factor by lap thirty eight. Kay began to make up ground, as the front group of Aikey, Kay, and Simpson found separation from the field. A jam up on lap forty two when the leader appeared to check up slightly saw Kay have to take evasive action, and he actually drove inside the turn four barrier, losing the runner up spot to Simpson. Several back of the pack cars were exiting the track, but Jeremiah Hurst in the Joel Callahan #40 was fighting for position in the low groove in front of Aikey, who dared not attempt a high side pass. With about six laps remaining, Aikey was able to nose around Hurst in what would seal the deal for the veteran from Cedar Falls. With Hurst between himself and second place, Aikey drove on to the win. Simpson raced home second, besting Kay, ninth starting youngster Logan Duffy, and Sean Johnson. World of Outlaw late model contender Tyler Bruening moved up six spots to claim sixth, while Murty drove a steady sixty laps finishing seventh. Harris battled back to eighth, trailed by Jason Hahne, and Ryan Gustin in the Jon Emerson #87.
Racing concluded just after 10:00 PM on a beautiful evening to be outside. Thanks to Travis Smock and the folks at Indee for their hospitality. Yours truly will now change things up a bit, as grandson Keagan has persuaded me to join him and his lovely bride Megan at the NASCAR Camping World truck series race this Friday on the famed Knoxville Raceway 1/2 mile dirt oval. Go Jake Griffin!
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