After nearly a month off the MLRA late models invaded the state of Iowa for a three day weekend swing beginning on Thursday night at Larry Richardsons' C.J. Speedway on the Louisa County Fairgrounds in Columbus Junction, Iowa. The $5,000 to win event had originally been scheduled as the opening salvo of a July 4 holiday weekend, but inclement weather ruined those plans. After the Thursday show on the four tenths mile oval, the series will travel a few miles up the road to the Davenport Speedway on Friday, then top off the weekend a bit further north at the Maquoketa Speedway on Saturday. During the time since the postponement at C.J. some local sponsors stepped up to boost the first place prize to a tidy $8,000 for the opening night! In addition three weekly classes would also be chasing bigger paydays, with IMCA modifieds battling for $1,000, IMCA stock cars and IMCA sport mods for $750 to win.
The late model count may have been a bit below expectations at sixteen, while the other classes came in about the same, with only modifieds requiring three heat races.
Spencer Diercks, from just up the road in Davenport paced qualifying, with a lap of 17.543 seconds, and heat races then rolled off in fine fashion.
Following intermission, the late model thirty lap headliner would be up first. Heat winners Diercks and Tony Jackson Jr. lined up in row one, with Diercks grabbing the early lead. Contact from behind sent fifth running Rickey Frankel spinning on lap three, bringing the first caution. The front duo quickly pulled ahead as racing resumed. By lap ten, the leaders had caught slower traffic allowing Jackson Jr. to close the gap, but Diercks continued to hold him off. As the laps clicked off, Jackson was faced with a brief challenge from Frank Heckenast Jr. On lap twenty three, Jackson was able to pull alongside Diercks, and was actually a nose ahead at the line. This would prove crucial, because although Diercks fought back, the yellow came again before the next lap was complete. The caution was for Chad Simpson, and now Jackson would sit up front for the restart. With Chris Simpson now pushing Diercks for second, Jackson Jr. would pull away for the win. Diercks held off Chris for second, while Heckenast Jr. and Daniel Hilsabeck completed the top five. Chad Simpson was able to charge back to sixth, chased by Frankel, Kolby Vandenbergh, Jonathan Huston, and Jay Johnson.
IMCA stock cars would be next, with all but one of the sixteen signed in racing for twenty laps. First heat winner Nathan Ballard would redraw the pole position and take the lead at the green. The first caution came as top challenger David Brandies slowed on lap three, with smoke escaping from his #71. Ballard again took command in front of a tight three car battle between Scotty Pratt, Johnny Spaw, and Damon Murty. Following a lap eight caution, Murty moved to second, then with eleven in the books a critical point of the race came. Making contact with the wall, Spaw cut down a tire and was headed to the infield when the caution waved for Norman Bean. This allowed Spaw to duck to the pits for a quick tire change. Back under green, Murty was tagged from behind by Pratt, who was sent to the tail while Murty retired to the trailer. With Ballard on cruise control, the caution came again with three laps to go, and now Spaw would restart in fourth. He quickly jumped one more position, and entering turn one on the final lap, Ballard temporarily lost the handle, with second running Kirk Kinsley having to check up to avoid contact. In the right place at the tight time, Spaw drove around both leaders and took the unlikely win. Ballard recovered for second, with Kinsley, Pratt, and Chase Zaruba turning in top fives.
IMCA modifieds came next for twenty laps. Mitch Way shot to the front ahead of a lap three caution for Matt Werner, who may have had help with a quick trip through the infield. Austen Becerra had been running near the front, fell back on the restart, but was now busting through the pack, grabbing the lead on lap eight. By the time Jarrett Brown claimed second at the halfway mark, Becerra was well out front. After a battle for second, Drew Janssen was closing on the leader when a caution came at lap sixteen. Back to racing, Becerra was running his usual line on the top of the track while Janssen used the low groove. As the field took the white flag, Janssen may have caught a rut in turn one, and made a sharp right hand turn, driving up the levee. Although the field was able to drive by, the yellow waved, setting up a two lap dash. On the restart it was Becerra who climbed the grassy knoll, riding the levee all the way down the backstretch, losing several positions. Again the white flag was displayed and again the yellow flag followed, and again it would be green, white, checkers. This was accompanied by a lengthy delay with a car stuck near the top of the backstretch levee, which took some time to remove. Finally back to racing, it was Brown out front and taking the win over fifteenth starting Mike McKinney, tenth starting Denny Eckrich, Werner, and Dallon Murty.
There would still be twenty laps of IMCA sport mod action, but with the clock on the back side of 10:30 and Darryl and I nursing summer colds, we decided to head for the parking lot. Congratulations to Logan Anderson for his win from row four over Shane Paris, seventeenth starting Ryan Walker, Brayton Carter driving cousin Carter Vandenbergs' #7V, and Levi Heath.
We will now make the quick turnaround and head to Davenport Speedway for night two of this MLRA mini tour. Thanks to Larry and his group for their hospitality. The next race at C.J. will be the increasingly popular Turkey Dash on Saturday, November 5, and yes, we hope to see you there!
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