After a night of close, competitive racing in 2022 as well as some of the best fair food around, we decided to once again make the long trek to the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa, billed as "The World's Greatest County Fair." The Tri State Late Models were replaced this year with the Malvern Bank West Series SLMR Late Models, while there would be a return visit by the ASCS Sprint Cars and IMCA Stock Cars. The Stock Cars would be chasing a $1,000 top prize, the Late Models $3,000 while the Sprint Car winners check was a cool $5,000.
While the Sprint Car count increased by five to thirty one and the Stock Cars stayed even at twenty six, the change in Late Model sanctions did not fare as well, with a drop of nine to eighteen competitors, as only a couple of last years' entrants came back to raise with the different governing body.
Both the Sprints and Late Models used time trials to set their line ups. Blake Hahn paced the ASCS drivers with the fastest of his three laps showing 14.283 seconds, while the quickest of the SLMR stars was eastern division regular Derrick Stewart at 17.089 seconds around the three eighths mile oval. Both of those classes then employed a form of invert to line up their heat races while the IMCA Stock Cars drew for their starting spots.
Drivers in all classes seemed to struggle a bit with getting a grip on the racing surface, particularly in turns one and two, showing considerably less speed than at the other end of the track. Still they did a good job of holding caution flags to a minimum in the preliminary events. Although there was a bit of dust throughout the evening, it fortunately was drifting above the massive covered grandstands, and the track crew continued to add water often during the program.
Only the Sprints needed a consy as the top sixteen cars transferred from the four heats, with a fifteen car B main sending six more to the twenty five lap feature. One provisional starter then grew the starting line up to twenty three.
IMCA Stock Cars would be first on the feature card with all twenty six coming to the track for what was scheduled to be twenty laps. Unfortunately the drivers were never able to string together enough laps to show their stuff. Seven times the caution flag flew until mercifully the white flag was shown with fourteen laps scored. Outside pole sitter Mike Albertsen took the early lead over his row one mate Brock Badger. Two yellow flags and four laps later, eleventh starting Jake Masters charged to the runner up position. After two more cautions, one scored lap and a single file restart, Masters drove to the lead. From that point on he would drive away from the field only to have his advantaged erased by three more yellow flags. The final five laps went caution free with Masters cruising to the win. Albertsen held second followed by eighth starting David Smith, his fellow row four starter Jim Horjsi, and fifteenth starting Cody Nielsen.
The sprinters had far less trouble during their twenty five laps, at least until the checkered flag was displayed. Veteran Terry McCarl lined up outside of Hahn in row one and quickly jumped to the lead with fourth starting Matt Covington on his tail. Along with Hahn the top three gained separation from the pack as they flew around the top side of the speedway. By about lap nine - gosh this place could use a scoreboard! - McCarl found himself in slower traffic. As he moved from his preferred line to attempt to put those cars a lap down it looked as though Covington would have an opportunity to challenge for the lead. But not only did #24 maintain his margin, he evened increased it as he weaved in and out of traffic. His biggest challenge came with the #23 of Lance Moss, who was racing for position in the same preferred line of the leader. Eventually McCarl was able to make that pass, and from that point he checked out. As McCarl took the checkers and the pack headed out of turn four, Moss stopped in turn four with fire coming from the engine compartment of his ride. It was a tense time waiting for the driver to exit the car, aided by not only track personnel, but other drivers, as well. Finally he was out of the car, and was soon being checked out by the ambulance crew. With McCarl having taken the checkers, the race was considered complete. Covington was scored second ahead of the hard charger, twelfth starting Zane DeVault, Hahn, and Brandon Anderson. Interestingly, three of the top five, Covington, Hahn, and Anderson all call the state of Oklahoma home. DeVault is from Indiana, and of course McCarl is a Hawkeye state legend.
The SLMR Late Models would round out the action. Involved in a heat race accident, veteran racers Chris Spieker and Rusty Patterson could not make the call, leaving us with a field of sixteen. Still this twenty five lapper would be the race of the night. Mostly due to points accrued during time trials, Andrew Kosiski and Derrick Stewart sat on row one. Stewart paced the opening circuit before Andrew took over on the next trip by the flag stand. With most of the front runners driving low in the corners, Stewart did business a lane higher, trying to find a sweet spot for his #43. The only stoppage of the event came with sixteen laps in the books, as Darrel Defrance and Jeff Segebart saw their night end early on the backstretch. Following the Delaware style restart, Tad Pospisil joined Kosiski and Stewart as the trio pulled away in a tight three car battle. Again Stewart was working a higher line, and on lap twenty he was able to drive around Kosiski exiting turn two. Over the final five laps he slowly increased his lead, picking up his first west series win to match his east division checkers earlier at one of his "home" tracks in Columbus Junction. Pospisil outgunned Kosiski for second, while Bill Leighton started and finished in fourth. The Zeitner cousins, Corey and Justin picked up the two heat wins, then ran nose to tail in fifth and sixth. Blair Nothdurft was the mover of the race, advancing eight spots to seventh, trailed by Josh Leonard, Gary Brown Jr., and " Chargin' " Charlie McKenna.
It was a long (2)day(s) and night of traveling and racing, but a special one none the less at a quality venue. With a quick turnaround, our next racing adventure will hopefully be night one of the Knoxville Late Model Nationals on Thursday, as the Lucas Oil Late Model Series comes calling for the first of two $7,000 to win qualifying nights ahead of the Saturday night finale. If I cross your path at Knoxville, be sure and say "Hi!"
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