Monday, October 24, 2016

Long and Carter Sweep the "Memphis Fall Nationals"

Memphis, MO (Saturday, October 22, 2016) - The 2016 racing season at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri official came to a close on Saturday, October 22nd, with night 2 of the "Memphis Fall Nationals". Mother nature helped out tremendously by provide everyone with a beautiful night for late October. When the final checkered flag flew on Saturday, Michael Long (Modified) and Cayden Cater (Stock Car) were the only two drivers to repeat their Friday night wins.

The first feature to take to the track on the night was the 15 lap Hobby Stocks, with Randy Byerly and Mike Hughes leading the field to the green flag. Hughes would take advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Clint Nelson and Danny Thrasher. The action up front was slowed for the first time on lap 2, when Kenser Ellis spun off turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Hughes moved back out front, with Nelson and Thrasher working to hold off Dustin Griffiths for the runner up spot. But on lap 6 Griffiths was able to slip past both to take the second spot, and then went to work on chasing down Hughes for the top spot. He would be helped on lap 8, when the second and final caution of the race appeared. This time Tim Hoselton spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Once again Hughes moved out front on the restart, with Griffiths and Nelson close behind. Hughes would go on to lead the finals laps to pick up the win. Griffiths was 2nd, Nelson was 3rd, Garrett Eilander started 9th and finished 4th, with Thrasher holding on for 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap SportMod feature, with Austin Paul and Tim Plummer drawing the front row. But it was third place starter Brandon Dale who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Plumer and Tony Dunker. Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 6th, would slip under Dale coming off turn 4 to take the top spot away on lap 7. Just as Van Der Wal started to pull away the first and only caution of the race came out on lap 19, to set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish. On the restart Van Der Wal jumped back out front, with Plummer and Paul close behind. Going into turn 3 on the final lap Van Der Wal went low, while Plummer chose the middle. The two would come off turn 4 side-by-side, with Van Der Wal edging Plummer at the line by half a car length to claim the win and the $1,000 check. Plummer was 2nd, Paul was 3rd, Jim Gillenwater started 9th and finished 4th, with Carter VanDenBerg passing 12 cars from his 17th place starting spot to come home in 5th.

Curt Marks and Tommy Elston drew the front row for the 25 lap Late Model feature. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Todd Frank spun in turn 1 and collected Sam Halstead, who was driving Lynn Richards #26R. On the original restart Elston moved out front on lap 1 over Derek Liles and Marks. Elston set such a blistering pace, that when the checkered flag was waved he had lapped up to the second place car. Elston's win was worth $1,000 thanks to Dubuque Moving and Storage out of Dubuque, Iowa. Liles finished 2nd and was the only car left on the lead lap, Gunner Frank was 3rd, Dan Gordon was 4th, with Charles VanZante rounding out the top 5.

The 20 lap Stock Car feature was next to take to the track, with Kirk Kinsley and Jason Cook leading the field to the drop of the green. Kinsley took advantage of his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Cook and Cayden Carter, who started 6th. The action was slowed for the first time just after the completion of lap 1, as Jeff Mueller, who was running 4th, spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Dustin Griffiths, who just purchased a Stock Car from Roger Kelderman and was running 7th, spun in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Carter go to the top of the track to over take Kinsley for the top spot. A third caution of the race slowed the action on lap 7, as Kevin Koontz lost the rear end in turn 4 and collected Randy Exline to bring out the yellow. On the restart Johnny Spaw, who started 8th and was running 3rd, spun in turn 2 and collected Jason See, who was running 6th, Kinsley and Chris Wibbell to bring the yellow light back on. Carter would move out front on the next restart, with Mike Hughes, who started 12th, and John Oliver Jr. close behind. Hughes and Oliver Jr. followed in Carter's tire tracks over the next 8 laps, and was looking for Carter to make a mistake. When the final caution of the race came out on lap 16. This time Jason York went over the track in turns 3 and 4 to bring out the yellow. Carter once again grabbed the lead on the restart and then held on to pick up his second win of the weekend and another $1,000 top prize to go with it. Hughes was 2nd, Nathan Wood, who started 13th, over took Oliver Jr. late in the race to finish 3rd, Oliver Jr. was 4th, with Tom Bowling Jr. coming home in 5th.

Barry Taft and Brandon Reu led the field to the green in the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, but it was third place starter Kimberly Abbott who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Reu and Taft. Abbott then had to work to hold them off, when the first and only caution of the race slowed the action on lap 3. Ryan Moore went over the track in turns 3 and 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Abbott moved back out front, with Jake Dietrich over taking Reu and Taft for the runner up spot. Reu was able to work back under Dietrich to reclaim the runner up spot on lap 5, and then went to work on Abbott for the lead. Over the final 5 laps Reu looked under Abbott coming off the corners. But Abbott was able to hold him off to claim the win. Reu was 2nd, Darin Smith over took Dietrich late to finish 3rd, Dietrich was 4th, with Taft holding on for 5th.

The 25 lap Modified feature was the final event to take to the track, with Shane DeMay and Cayden Carter drawing the front row. Carter took advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Dakota Hayden and Zack VanderBeek. Just after the completion of lap 1 the first and only caution of the race appeared, as Jared Fuller, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 and collected Patrick Flannagan, who was running 8th, and Derrick Stewart to bring out the yellow. On the restart Carter moved back out front, with VanderBeek over taking Hayden for second. While Carter worked to hold back VanderBeek and Hayden, all eyes were on Michael Long. Long, who started 18th, used the top of the track to quickly work his way towards the front. On lap 10 Long would over take VanderBeek for the runner up spot and then went to work on chasing down Carter for the lead. Carter started to enter lapped traffic on lap 13, which allowed Long to close in on him. Long then used the lapped traffic to slip past Carter for the top spot on lap 17. Carter was able to stay close to Long thru heavy lapped traffic, but Long would go on to pick up his second win on the weekend and another $1,000 check to go with it. Carter settled for 2nd, VanderBeek was 3rd, Hayden was 4th, with Bruce Hanford coming from 8th to finish in 5th.

Notes from night 2: 41 SportMods, 30 Modifieds, 24 Stock Cars, 17 Hobby Stocks, 12 Sport Compacts, and 9 Late Models made up the 133 cars signed in......The night didn't get started off to well, as Rodger Caquelin climbed the backstretch guardrail and rolled a couple times to come to rest halfway down the backstretch to bring out the red. The back half of the car was ripped off, and it was great to see Rodger climb from the mangled mess a little dazed but otherwise okay......Rex Bonnett drove the #19 Hobby Stock that Bill Bonnett piloted most of the 2016 season and finished 6th in the feature....David Castellano started 16th and passed 7 cars to come home in 9th....Tim Hoselton recovered from his spin on lap 8 to come back up to finish 10th....Andrew Burg went up in flames during the heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Logan Anderson passed 8 cars from his 15th place starting spot to come home in 7th....John Oliver Jr. started 13th and finished 10th....Jake Sachau finished 12th after starting in 19th....Jacob Waterman started 18th and finished 13th....Mike Tanner started 20th and finished 17th....Donny Louck started 23rd and finished 19th....Jerry Hinton took the last qualifying spot in the second B Main. But suffered some damaged that forced him to scratch from the feature......Derrick Agee started the Stock Car feature in 9th and finished 6th....Todd Reitzler passed 14 cars from his 21st place starting spot to come home in 7th....Johnny Spaw recovered from his spin on lap 7 to come back up to finish 9th....Dustin Griffiths also recovered  from his spin on the lap 1 restart to come back up to finish 10th....Dean Kratzer started 14th and finished 11th....Travis Bunnell started 15th and finished 12th....Jason York recovered from his spin on lap 16 to come back up to finish 13th....Bob Lynch finished 14th after starting in 18th....Greg Harsch started 24th and finished 15th....Jim Lynch, who drove Brian Hoener's #66, suffered troubles in the heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Kurt Kile started the Modified feature in 14th and then passed 8 cars to come home in 6th....Jeff Waterman passed 11 cars from his 22nd place starting spot to come home in 11th....Milo Veloz started 17th and finished 12th....Donovan Lodge passed 11 cars from his 24th place starting spot to come home in 13th....Eric Barnes started 20th and finished 15th....Johnny Wyman started 21st and finished 17th.

Long, Carter, Lennox, Ballard, and Reu Score Wins on Night 1 of the "Memphis Fall Nationals"

Memphis, MO (Friday, October 21, 2016) - Night 1 of the "Memphis Fall Nationals" kicked off on Friday, which also began the final weekend of racing during the 2016 racing season at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri. Despite the cool evening temperatures, the action on track was enough to help keep the fans warm throughout the night.

The 20 lap Stock Car feature was the first to take to the track, with Todd Reitzler and Nathan Wood drawing the front row for the event. Reitzler would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mike Hughes, who started 6th, and Jeff Mueller, who started 5th. Hughes, who was working the top of the track, used the momentum to take the top spot away from Reitzler on lap 3. The action up front was slowed for the first and only time on lap 8, when Brian Derry spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Hughes jumped back out front, with Mueller and Cayden Carter, who started 8th, battling for second. Carter would use the same move that Hughes used earlier to get the lead, by using the momentum off turn 4 to take the lead on lap 14. After Carter took the lead, Hughes moved from the bottom to the top of the track to follow Carter. Which allowed Mueller to work the bottom and make it a three car battle for the lead. Despite a few challenges over the final laps, Carter was able to hold on to pick up the win and the $1,000 check. Mueller was 2nd, Hughes was 3rd, Jason Cook came from 10th to finish in 4th, with Johnny Spaw rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 14 lap Sport Compact feature, with Kenny Smith and Darin Smith leading them to the green flag. But it was fourth place starter Brandon Reu who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Smith and Barry Taft, who started 5th. Disaster would strike a few of the front runners on lap 5, when Eric Misner spun in front of the leaders in turn 4 and collected Smith, Brandon Lambert and Alyssa Steele to bring out the caution. On the restart Reu moved back out front, with Taft and Jake Dietrich following close behind. The final caution of the race appeared on lap 8, when Steele stopped down the front stretch to bring out the yellow. Reu once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Taft and Dietrich close behind. Taft tried to get under Reu over the final laps, but Reu was able to hold him off to pick up the win. Taft settled for 2nd, Kimberly Abbott, who started 8th, nipped Dietrich at the line to finish in 3rd, Dietrich was 4th, with Casey Lambert finishing 5th after starting in 13th

Rob Wilsey and Dustin Griffiths lead the field to the drop of the green flag in the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Griffiths jumping out front on lap 1 over Nathan Ballard and Wilsey. The lead for Griffiths only lasted 1 lap, as Ballard slipped past him on lap 2 to take over the top spot. Just after lap 2 was scored complete the first and only caution of the race appeared. Debris in turn 2 would bring out the yellow. On the restart Ballard jumped back out front, with Mike Hughes, who started 6th, moving into the runner up spot. Hughes would challenge Ballard for the top spot over the final few laps. But Ballard was able to hold him off to claim the win. Hughes was 2nd, Mike Kincaid was 3rd, Clint Nelson started 7th and finished 4th, with Griffiths holding on for a 5th place finish.

Up next was the 20 lap SportMod feature, with Brandon Dale and Jerry Hinton drawing the front row. But it was fifth place starter Brayton Carter who quickly moved to the front to lead lap 1 over Dale and Curtis Van Der Wal. Disaster would strike the second and third place runners on the completion of lap 1, as Dale spun in turn 2 from contact from Van Der Wal. Dale would restart from the rear of the field, as Van Der Wal retied to the pits with brake problems. On the restart Jim Gillenwater, who started 11th, used the bottom of the track to grab the top spot away from Carter, as Brandon Lennox, who started 9th, moved into third. The action up front was slowed for the second time on lap 6, when Jami Ritter spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. Gillenwater jumped back out front on the restart, with Carter and Lennox battling for second. Lennox worked the top of the track to grab second away from Carter on lap 7, and then went to work on Gillenwater for the lead. Coming off turn 4 on lap 12, Lennox used the momentum off the top to take the top spot away from Gillenwater. Gillenwater tried to work back under Lennox over the next 5 laps, when the final caution of the race appeared on lap 17. Mike Tanner came to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Lennox jumped back out front and then held off Gillenwater to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Gillenwater settled for 2nd, Logan Anderson came from 10th to finish in 3rd, Carter was 4th, with Tim Plummer finishing 5th after starting in 8th.

The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 20 lap Modifieds, with Rob Jennings and Kyle Brown leading the field to green. Brown, who was up top, edged out Zack VanderBeek, who was working the bottom, at the line by inches to lead lap 1, with Cayden Carter close behind in third. The battle up front was slowed for the first time on lap 2, as Milo Veloz spun in turn 3 and Dugan Thye went over the track in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Donovan Lodge spun in turn 1 and collected Larry McConnell to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Michael Long, who started 10th, slip past Brown to grab the lead away. But Brown would slip back past Long on lap 4 to get the lead. The two would trade slid jobs over the next three laps, before Long took command of the race on lap 8. Long then pulled away to claim the win and the $1,000 check. Brown was 2nd, VanderBeek was 3rd, Andrew Schroeder finished 4th after starting in 12th, with Kurt Kile starting 9th and coming home in 5th.

Notes from night 1: 34 SportMods, 30 Modifieds, 20 Stock Cars, 13 Sport Compacts, and 11 Hobby Stocks made up the 108 cars signed in......John Oliver Jr. started the Stock Car feature in 20th after loosing a power steering belt in the heat race. He then passed 14 cars to bring home a 6th place finish....Dalton Lynch had troubles after the heat that forced him to scratch from the feature......Kevin Garrett started the Sport Compact feature in 10th and finished 7th....Trenton Molkenthin has troubles after the heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Calvin Dhondt finished 6th in the Hobby Stock feature after starting in 10th....Aaron Martin suffered a flat tire on lap 11 while running 6th, and was credited with an 8th place finish....Danny Thrasher, who was running 3rd, suffered a flat on the lap 10 restart and was credited with a 9th place finish......Carter VanDenBerg finished 6th in the SportMod feature, after starting in 14th....Tyler Soppe started 13th and finished 8th....Brandon Dale recovered from his spin on lap 1 to come back up to finish 9th....Jason Bass started 15th and finished 12th....Joe Beal started 16th and finished 13th....Dakota Simmons finished 15th after starting in 19th....Mike Goben started 21st and finished 16th....Justin Veloz started 22nd and finished 17th....John Oliver Jr. was suppose to start 3rd, but during the parade lap the left rear trailing arm bolt broke and forced him to the infield......Jeff Waterman started the Modified feature in 11th and finished 6th....Kelly Shryock came from 14th to finish in 8th....Jesse Hoeft passed 13 cars from his 22nd place starting spot to come home in 9th....Jared Fuller started 17th and finished 10th....Dakota Hayden passed 12 cars from his 23rd place starting spot to come home in 11th....Jardin Fuller started 19th and finished 12th....Shane DeMay suffered motor problems after qualifying thru the B Main, and was forced to scratch from the feature.

Monday, October 17, 2016

Gustin and May Sweep the "5th Annual Fall Extravaganza"

Donnellson, IA (Saturday, October 15, 2016) - What a difference a night makes. After Friday nights temperatures hoovered around the high 50's, Saturday nights temperatures never fell out of the 70's on night two of the "5th Annual Fall Extravaganza" at the Pepsi Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. Plus if you thought you seen some good racing action on Friday, well Saturday nights action was even better.

The 15 lap Mod Lite / Micro Mod feature was the first to take to the track, with Josh May and Jason Masengarb drawing the front row for the event. May would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Masengarb and Kevin Blum. While May set a fast pace out front, Blum went to the top of the track to over take Masengarb for the runner up spot on lap 7. Blum then tried to track down May for the top spot. But without a caution May would go on to pick up his second win of the weekend at the track. Blum settled for 2nd, Jason Bahrs started 6th and finished 3rd, Masengarb was 4th, with Darrick Knutsen coming home in 5th.

Up next was the 20 lap Stock Car feature, with Jason Cook and John Oliver Jr. leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Cook used his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Oliver Jr. and Johnny Spaw. But Cook's lead only lasted for 1 lap, as Oliver Jr. went to the top of the track coming off turn 4 to take over the top spot on lap 2. Oliver Jr. then went to the bottom of the track, which forced Mike Hughes, who started 5th, to go to the top to try and get by him for the lead. Hughes would use the momentum off the top of turn 4 to grab the lead away from Oliver Jr. on lap 8. But Oliver Jr. would come back on the bottom to grab the top spot back on lap 9. Once again Hughes used the momentum off the top of turn 4 to get the lead back from Oliver Jr. on lap 10. Hughes then went to the bottom of the track to try and slow down Oliver Jr. But coming off turn 4 to complete lap 13 Oliver Jr. was able to slip under Hughes to grab the lead back. The action up front was slowed for the first and only time on lap 14. On the restart Oliver Jr. jumped back out front, with Hughes working to hold off Cayden Carter, who started 11th, for the runner up spot. Carter who used the top of the track to work himself up from 11th, used the momentum off the top of turn 4 to edge out Oliver Jr. at the line to lead lap 17. Coming off turn 2 Oliver Jr., on the bottom, Hughes, in the middle, and Carter, up top, went three wide down the backstretch and into turn 3. Hughes would slip up into Carter, which allowed Spaw to join the battle for the lead. Then coming off turn 2 on the final lap Hughes tried to get under Oliver Jr., as the two got hooked together going down the backstretch. This would allow Spaw to enter turn 3 in the middle of the track next to Oliver Jr., but he would slid to high coming off turn 4. Which allowed Oliver Jr. to go on to claim his first win of the season at the track and the $1,000 top prize.

Gunner Frank was suppose to lead the field to the green flag in the 25 lap Late Model feature, but mechanical troubles forced him to the pits on the parade lap. This would move Brian Harris, who was driving Lynn Richard's #26R, to the pole next to Richie Gustin, who was once again driving the #15k for Justin Kay Racing. Gustin would jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Harris, and Jeremiah Hurst. Disaster would strike Harris on lap 4, as he spun from the second spot in turn 2 and collects Chad Holladay to bring out the yellow. On the restart Gustin moved back out front, with Tommy Elston, who started 8th, over taking Hurst for the second spot. Gustin then had to try and hold off Elston over the next 4 laps, as the two drivers used different grooves around the track. But coming off turn 4 on lap 9, Elston was able to slip under Gustin to take over the top spot. Only to have Gustin come back on the top of the track off turn 4 on lap 10 to get the lead back. Despite a few more challenges from Elston over the final 15 laps, Gustin was able to hold on to claim his second win in a row and another $1,000 top prize. Elston was 2nd, Sam Halstead started 10th and finished 3rd, Hurst was 4th, with Jeff Guengerich finishing 5th after starting in 12th.

The 12 lap Hobby Stock feature was up next, with Dustin Griffiths and Jacob Keiser leading the field to the green flag. But just as the green flag waved the caution light came on, as Kenser Ellis spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the original restart Griffiths jumped out front to lead lap 1 over Nick Ulin and Aaron Martin. But debris in turn 3 on the completion of lap 1 would slow the action for the second time. Griffiths once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Ulin and Martin close behind. Ulin, who worked the bottom of the track, was able to slip under Griffiths, who was working the top of the track, coming off turn 2 to take over the top spot on lap 6. The two would race side-by-side over the next 4 laps, with Griffiths grabbing the lead back on lap 10. Coming out of turn 4 on the final lap Ulin would clip a tire and almost rolled, but ended up spinning. Which allowed Griffiths to go on to claim the win and the $500 prize to go with it. Martin was 2nd, Keiser was 3rd, Randy Byerly was 4th, with Rob Wilsey completing the top 5.

John Oliver Jr. and Logan Anderson drew the front row for the 20 lap SportMod feature, with Oliver Jr. leading lap 1 over Anderson and Carter VanDenBerg. Anderson would use the bottom of the track to take the top spot away from Oliver Jr. on lap 5. Then the action was slowed for the first time on lap 9, as Mike Goben stopped down the backstretch to bring out the yellow. On the restart Jason Riegel spun in turn 4 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Anderson jump back out front, with Brayton Carter over taking Oliver Jr. for the runner up spot. Austen Becerra would spin in turn 4 on lap 14 to slow the action down for the third time. Anderson once again grabbed the lead on the restart, only to have another caution come out one lap later. This time Jared Boumeester, who started 9th and was going for 3rd, slid up in front of Oliver Jr. in turn 4 and then spun to bring out the yellow. On the restart Anderson jumped back out front, but was slowed for the final time one lap later. As John Brandies and Becerra collided in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Anderson moved back out front on the restart, with Oliver Jr. getting back around Carter for second. Coming off turn 4 on the final lap Oliver Jr. tried to use the momentum off the top of the track to get the win. But Anderson would hold him off to pick up the win and the $1,000 prize to go with it. Oliver Jr. settled for 2nd, Carter was 3rd, Tim Plummer passed 12 cars from his 16th place starting spot to come home in 4th, with Tyler Soppe finishing 5th after starting in 10th.

Up next was the 15 lap Sport Compact feature, with Nathan Chandler and Dan Schmidt making up the front row. Schmidt would take advantage of his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Chandler and Barry Taft. Taft would use the momentum off the top of the track in turn 2 to take the top spot away from Schmidt on lap 6. While Taft paced the field out front, Schmidt, Kimberly Abbott, Brandon Reu, and Darin Weisinger Jr., who started 7th, were all looking for racing room to get to Taft. The action was slowed for the first and only time on lap 11, when Adam Gates spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Taft moved back out front, with Weisinger Jr. over taking Schmidt for the runner up spot. As the battle for second raged on Taft would pull away over the final laps to claim the win and the $300 top prize to go with it. Weisinger Jr. won the battle for 2nd, Abbott was 3rd, Reu was 4th, with Schmidt holding on for 5th.

The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 25 lap Modifieds, with Kyle Brown and Jason Murray leading the field to the drop of the green flag. Brown would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Murray and Michael Long. Just after the completion of lap 1 the first caution of the race appeared, as Bruce Hanford slowed to a stop in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Brown jumped back out front, with Long over taking Murray for second. While Brown set the pace out front, Jenae Gustin, who started 7th, used the bottom of the track to work under Long for second on lap 4. Gustin then tried to track down Brown for the lead, when the second caution of the race slowed the action on lap 10. Shawn Ritter would spin in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. Once again Brown grabbed the lead on the restart, with Long getting back around Gustin for second. Three laps later another caution appeared, as Patrick Flannagan spun in turn 2 on lap 14 to bring out the yellow. Brown jumped back out front on the restart, only for the caution to come back out one lap later. This time Milo Veloz, who was running 5th, slowed to a stop in turn 4 with front end troubles to bring out the yellow. The final restart saw Brown jump back out front, with Gustin getting back by Long for second. Long, who was working the top of the track, over took Gustin for second on lap 17 and then went to work on Brown, who was working the bottom, for the lead. But Brown would hold on to pick up the win and the $1,000 check to go with it. Long settled for 2nd, Jenae Gustin was 3rd, Richie Gustin started 13th in the #15k Justin Kay Racing Modified and finished 4th, with Cayden Carter finishing 5th after starting in 8th.

Notes from Night 2: 35 Modifieds, 30 SportMods, 23 Stock Cars, 18 Sport Compacts, 13 Late Models, 11 Mod Lites / Micro Mods, and 8 Hobby Stocks made up the 138 cars signed in for night number 2......Jason See started the Stock Car feature in 10th and finished 7th....Abe Huls came from 14th to finish in 11th....Tom Bowling Jr. finished 12th after starting in 20th....Jeremy Pundt finished 13th after starting in 16th....Tony VonDreskey drove Randy Exline's #89. He started 22nd and finished 19th......Brian Harris who spun on lap 4 of the Late Model feature, came back up to finish 7th......Sean Wyett passed 10 cars from his 17th place starting spot in the SportMod feature to come home in 7th....Richie Gustin, who drove Shawn Ritter's #5JR, started 12th and finished 9th....Kyle Hill finished 11th after starting in 15th....Aric Becker passed 10 cars from his 22nd place starting spot to come home in 12th....Dakota Simmons started 21st and finished 14th....Jeremy Mayfield started 20th and finished 15th....John Brandies, who started 24th, recovered from his spin on lap 16 to come back up to finish 16th....Tony Olson crashed in hot laps and had to much damage to fix the car, which resulted in him scratching for the night......Brandon Lambert started the Sport Compact feature in 12th and finished 7th....Travis DeMint finished 11th after starting in 16th....Ben Hollis had troubles in his heat that forced him to scratch from the feature......Kurt Kile started the Modified feature in 10th and finished 6th....Eric Barnes finished 7th after starting in 16th....Bruce Hanford recovered from bringing out the caution on lap 1 to come back up to finish 8th....Ryan Maitland started 19th and finished 10th....Shawn Ritter, who started 22nd, recovered from his spin on lap 10 to come back up to finish 12th....Bill Roberts Jr. started 21st and finished 14th....Ronn Lauritzen started 23rd and finished 15th.

Gustin, Long, Carter, Boumeester, May, Lichty, and Barnes Open 5th Annual Fall Extravaganza With Wins

Donnellson, IA (Friday, October 14, 2016) - Friday was a brisk and cool night, but the on track action was hot enough to heat you up. As the Pepsi Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa opened the "5th Annual Fall Extravaganza".

The rained out SportMod feature from August 19th was the first event to take to the track on the night, with 3 laps complete. Jim Gillenwater resumed the lead of the race at the drop of the green flag, with John Oliver Jr. and Joey Gower following. While Oliver Jr. try to keep pace with Gillenwater, the battle was for third between Gower, Tony Dunker, and Brandon Lennox, who restarted in 7th. But without a caution there was no catching Gillenwater, as went on to win his third feature of the season at the track. Oliver Jr. was 2nd, Lennox won the battle for 3rd, Dunker was 4th, with Gower rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap Mod Lite / Micro Mod feature, with Jason Bahrs and Josh May leading the field to the green flag. May would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Bahrs and Don Erger, who started 5th. The action was slowed only one time, as Darrick Knutsen stopped down the backstretch on lap 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart May jumped back out front, with Erger and Bahrs battling for second. May though would pull away over the final laps to pick up the win. Erger was 2nd, Jason Masengarb came from 7th to finish 3rd, Devon Rouse finished 4th after starting in 8th, with Joel Huggins coming from 11th to come home in 5th.

Luke Merfeld and Chad Holladay drew the front row for the 25 lap Late Model feature, with Merfeld using his front row advantage to grab the lead on lap 1 over Holladay and Richie Gustin, who was driving the #15k for Justin Kay Racing. Merfeld then held the top spot until lap 4, when disaster would strike him. Something appeared to break on the right front that resulted in him hitting the guardrail in turn 4 and bringing out the caution. On the restart Gustin would take over the top spot, with Holladay and Tommy Elston, who started 7th, battling for the runner up spot. The action was slowed for the second and final time on lap 13, when Blake Woodruff spun into the guardrail in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. Gustin once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Elston over taking Holladay for second. Elston then held off Holladay until lap 19, when a lapped car forced Elston high coming off turn 4 and allowed Holladay to slip back under him for second. But on this night there was no catching Gustin, who pulled away to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize to go with it. Holladay settled for 2nd, Elston was 3rd, Jeremiah Hurst, who started 9th in the Roberts Motorsports #58, finished 4th, with Todd Frank coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

The 20 lap Stock Car feature was up next, with Cayden Carter and Jeff Mueller leading the field to the green flag. Carter took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Mueller and Mike Hughes. While Carter set the pace out front, Mueller and Hughes would battle for the runner up spot. Until the first caution of the race appeared on lap 10 for Randy Exline's spin in turn 3. On the restart Carter moved back out front, with Mueller and Hughes continuing their battle for second. But the second and final caution of the race came out on lap 13 to slow the action, as Exline spun in turn 3 to end his night with a second solo caution. Carter again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hughes finally getting around Mueller for second. Despite a few challenges from Hughes and Mueller over the final laps, Carter would hold on to pick up the $1,000 top prize. Hughes was 2nd, Mueller was 3rd, John Oliver Jr. was 4th, with Kirk Kinsley rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Bill Bonnett and Neal Miller making up the front row for the event. Bonnett would use his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Miller and Justin Lichty, who started 5th. A couple of laps later Lichty and Nick Ulin, who started 6th, would over take Miller to move into second and third. Bonnett, who was working the top of the track, then had to work to hold off Lichty over the next several laps, as Ulin was waiting for an opening. Going into turn 3 on the final lap Bonnett entered low to try and slow down Lichty's momentum, but would drift high coming off turn 4. This would allow Lichty to pull even with Bonnett coming off turn 4, as the two crossed the line side-by-side. Lichty was awarded the win by inches, which was worth $500. Bonnett settled for 2nd, Ulin was 3rd, Miller was 4th, with Mike Kincaid coming from 9th to finish in 5th.

Michael Long and Ronn Lauritzen drew the front row for the Modified feature, with Long grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Lauritzen and Cayden Carter, who started 6th. Debris in turn 2 on the completion of lap 1 slowed the action for the first time. On the restart Long moved back out front, with Carter over taking Lauritzen for second. But the second caution of the race appeared after the completion of lap 2, as Scott Dickey and Jason Murray ended up in the guardrail at the end of the front stretch to bring out the yellow. Long once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Carter and Lauritzen close behind. Just as Long started to pull away from the battle behind him, the third and final caution of the race came out on lap 13. This time Patrick Flannagan slowed to a stop in turn 1 with motor troubles to bring out the yellow. On the restart Long jumped back out front, with Richie Gustin, who was driving the #15k for Justin Kay Racing, and Dave Wietholder, who started 9th, slipped past Carter, who slid high in turn 2 and fell back to 8th. Gustin tried to work under Long over the final laps, but Long would hold him off to pick up the win and the $1,000 top prize. Richie Gustin was 2nd, Bill Roberts Jr., who started 12th, slipped past Wietholder late to finish 3rd, with Wietholder 4th, and Jenae Gustin finishing 5th after starting in 10th.

Up next was the 15 lap Sport Compact feature, with Darin Weisinger Jr. and Josh Barnes leading the field to the green flag. Barnes took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Darin Smith and Jake Dietrich. While Barnes set the pace out front, there was several side-by-side battles going on behind. But that action came to a halt on lap 13, when Dietrich, Ron Kibbe, and William Michel collided in turn 2 to bring out the one and only caution of the race. On the restart Barnes moved back out front, with Kimberly Abbott, who started 6th, and Barry Taft, who started 7th, glued to his back bumper. Barnes, who was working the middle of the track, had Abbott, who was on the bottom, looking under him coming to the white flag. The two would come off turn 4 side-by-side on the final lap, with Barnes claiming the win by a half a car length to pick up the $300 top prize. Abbott settled for 2nd, Taft was 3rd, Smith was 4th, with Nathan Chandler coming from 9th to round out the top 5.

The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 20 lap SportMods, with Brayton Carter and Brandon Lennox drawing the front row. But just as the green flag was waved the red light would come on, as Jason McDaniel, Creston Williams and Paul Howard collided in turn 4. Howard's car work turn over on it's side when Carter VanDenBerg clipped him trying to avoid the wreck. All drivers would climb from their cars okay. On the original restart Carter moved out front to lead lap 1 over Lennox and Dakota Simmons. Just after the completion of lap 1 the second caution of the race appeared, as Jim Gillenwater, Tony Olson and Curtis Van Der Wal collided in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Lennox would slip past Carter on the restart to grab the top spot away, as Jared Boumeester, who started 5th, moved into to challenge. Coming off turn 5 to complete lap 5, Boumeester slipped under Lennox to take over the lead. Boumeester then started to pull away, when the third and final caution appeared on lap 9. This time Austen Becerra slowed in turn 4 with troubles to bring out the yellow. On the restart Boumeester jumped back out front, with John Oliver Jr., who started 10th, over taking Lennox for the runner up spot. Oliver Jr. tried to stay with Boumeester over the final 10 laps, but Boumeester would pull away to pick up the win and the $1,000 check to go with it. Oliver Jr. was 2nd, Lennox crossed the line in 3rd. But a illegal MSD box was found on Lennox's car in post race inspection, which resulted in him being disqualified. This would move Richie Gustin, who was driving Shawn Ritter's #5JR, up to 3rd after he started 14th, Tyler Soppe was moved up to 5th after starting in 9th, with Logan Anderson being moved up to finish in 5th.

Notes from Night 1: 34 Modifieds, 33 Sport Mods, 26 Sport Compacts, 24 Stock Cars, 17 Late Models, 12 Mod Lites / Micro Mods, and 11 Hobby Stocks made up the 157 cars signed in for action on night 1......Kevin Grisham started the Mod Lite / Micro Mod feature in 9th and finished 6th....Justin Willits finished 9th after starting in 12th......Charles VanZandt passed 5 cars from his 14th place starting spot in the Late Model feature to come home in 9th......Todd Reitzler finished 6th in the Stock Car feature, after starting in 11th....Jason See passed 12 cars from his 24th place starting spot to come home in 12th....Abe Huls started 21st and finished 13th....Austin Kemper, who is in his first year of racing in the Stock Car class, started his first race at Lee County in 23rd and stayed out of troubles to come home in 20th......Kenser Ellis made the long pull down from Spencer, Iowa to compete in only his second race in the Hobby Stock class. He would bring home a 9th place finish......Bruce Hanford started the Modified feature in 11th and finished 7th....Kyle Brown, who pitted under an early caution, came back up to finish 9th....Jesse Hoeft passed 13 cars from his 24th place starting spot to come home in 11th....Matt Bodman started 18th and finished 12th....Gatlin Leytham finished 13th after starting in 20th....Ryan Maitland came from 22nd to finish 14th....Brandon Maitland finished 15th after starting in 19th....Rob Jennings came from 23rd to finish in 19th......Alyssa Steele started the Sport Compact feature in 26th and passed 16 cars to come home in 10th....Travis DeMint came from 22nd to finish in 11th....Levi Heath started 17th and finished 13th....Casey Lambert finished 15th after starting in 20th......AJ Johnson passed 10 cars from his 17th place starting spot in the SportMod feature to come home in 7th....Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 12th, recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back up to finish in 8th....Joey Gower passed 14 cars from his 24th place starting spot to come home in 10th....Tony Olson also recovered from the lap 1 crash to come back up to finish 11th....John Brandies finished 12th after starting in 21st....Wesley Mayfield started 19th and finished 14th....Tom Lathrop finished 15th after starting in 23rd.

Monday, October 10, 2016

Mitchell Edges Out a Big Ten Late Model Series Win at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, IL (Saturday, October 10, 2016) - On Saturday night I was asked to come help at the Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois, as all their original crew was working a MOWA Sprint Car Series event at another track. A make-up race for the "Danny Bangert Memorial" was on the card, which featured the Big Ten Super Late Model Series. Also in action on the night was the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, and Sport Compacts.

The first feature to take to the track was the 15 lap SportMods (B-Mod), with Kevin Tomlinson and Tommy Seets Jr. leading the field to the green flag. Seets Jr. would take advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Tomlinson and Brandon Lennox. The action up front was slowed on lap 3, when Tom Riech spun in turn 4. On the restart Tim Riech spun in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back out. The following restart saw Seets Jr. move back out front, with Lennox and Tomlinson battling for the runner up spot. A second and final caution of the race appeared on lap 6, when Cody Stilwell, who was running 5th, spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. Seets Jr. once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Lennox and Tomlinson close behind. While Seets Jr. set the pace out front, Tim Hancock, who started 8th, worked his way in to battle Lennox and Tomlinson for the runner up spot. Without another caution over the final 9 laps, there was no catching Seets Jr., who went on to pick up the win. Lennox was 2nd, Hancock was 3rd, Tomlinson was 4th, with Clint Young rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 15 lap Stock Car (Street Stock) feature, with Chad Myers and Rudy Zaragoza making up the front row for the event. Just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Wes Biesenthal spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the original restart Myers jumped out into the lead on lap 1 over Zaragoza and Dennis Wernle. Myers, who was working the bottom and middle grooves of the track, then had to work to hold off Wernle, who was working the top of the track, over the next two laps. But Wernle would use the momentum off the high side of turn 4 on lap 4 to take the top spot away. Then after the lap was scored complete the second caution of the race appeared, as debris down the backstretch brought out the yellow. On the restart Brian Gaines, who was running 5th, spun in turn 2 to bring the yellow light back on.

Wernle jumped back out front on the following restart, with Myers working to hold off Chad Day, who started 7th, for the runner up spot. The fourth caution of the race came out on lap 7, when Mike Hardwick spun in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Wernle moved back out front, with Myers, Michael Jackson and Day battling for the second spot. But another lap scored complete, would only bring out another caution. This time James Bowen would spin in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Once again Wernle grabbed the lead on the restart, only to be slowed one lap later for another caution. Bowen would spin in turn 4 to bring out his second solo yellow of the night to end his night. Wernle moved back out front on the restart, with Myers, Jackson, and Day continuing their battle for second. Just when it looked like the rest of the feature would go green, the final caution of the race came out on lap 12. Zaragoza, who was running 8th, spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. Which also brought the time limit to an end to set up a green-white-checkered finish. On the final restart Wernle jumped back out front and then held on to claim the win. Myers won the battle for 2nd, Jackson was 3rd, Day was 4th, with Terry Reed coming from 8th to finish in 5th.

Chuck Mitchell and Matt Taylor led the field to the drop of the green flag in the 25 lap Big Ten Super Late Model Series feature. But just as the green flag was waved the caution light would come on, as Andrew Barnes spun down the backstretch to bring out the yellow. At the same time Taylor would pit with a right rear flat. For the restart Greg Kimmons would be moved to the outside of the front row. Mitchell would grab the lead on the restart, with Kimmons and Matt Bailey close behind. The battle up front would turn into a four car battle, when Clint Kirkham, who was driving Charles VanZante's #80v Crate Late Model, moved in to join the action. Kimmons tried to look under Mitchell coming off the corners over the final 10 laps, but Mitchell was able to hold him off. Then coming off turn four to get the checkered flag, Mitchell would bobble and Kimmons was able to get up beside him. The two would drag race down the front straightaway, with Mitchell edging out the win by inches to pick up the win. Kimmons settled for 2nd, Bailey was 3rd, Kirkham was 4th, with Charles VanZandt coming from 8th to round out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap Modified feature, with Jeff Leka and Ray Bollinger making up the front row. Bollinger would take advantage of his starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Leka and Donovan Lodge. Leka looked under Bollinger coming off the corners over the entire 20 laps. But Bollinger was able to hold him off in a caution free race to claim the win. Leka was 2nd, Lodge was 3rd, Shawn Deering finished 4th after starting 10th, with Kyle Byerline coming home in 5th.

The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 12 lap Sport Compacts (4 Cylinders), with Eldon Hemken and Brandon Lambert leading the field to the green. Hemken grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Lambert and Luke Smith. The 12 lap race would go caution free, with Hemken going on to pick up the win. Lambert would finish 2nd, Kole Jackson started 7th and finished 3rd, Smith was 4th, with Jamie Beddingfield finishing in 5th.

Notes from Jacksonville: Todd Reed started the SportMod feature in 13th and finished 8th....Wesley Mayfield passed 7 cars from his 16th place starting spot to come home in 9th....Tim Riech, who started 14th, recovered from his spin on lap 3 to come back up to finish 10th....Benny Bowles had troubles in his heat that forced him to scratch from the feature......Michael Larsen started the Stock Car feature in 19th and then passed 13 cars to come home in 6th....Justin Layne started 13th and finished 7th....Cleatus Coats finished 8th after starting in 12th....Brian Gaines recovered from his spin on lap 4 to come back up to finish in 12th....Wes Biesenthal also recovered from his spin on the start to come back up to finish 14th....John Jackson had troubles in hot laps to force him to scratch for the night......Jeff Ray started 12th in the Late Model feature and finished 6th....Mike Shannon drove his Steel Block Late Model to a 7th place finish after starting in 9th....Danny MaGuire finished 8th after starting in 11th....Mike Hammerle started 13th and finished 9th....Brian Diveley had troubles in the dash that forced him to scratch from his 6th place starting spot in the feature.....Derrick Carlson started the Modified feature in 11th and finished 6th....Rick Standridge passed 9 cars from his 17th place starting spot to come home in 8th....Steve Theivagt finished 9th after starting in 13th....Russ Coultas started 14th and finished 10th....Jason Zobrist finished 11th after starting in 16th....Kelly Kovski had troubles after the dash to force him to give up his 5th place starting spot in the feature......James Rhods had troubles after his heat that forced him to scratch from the Sport Compact feature.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Jacksonville Speedway, Jacksonville, IL
Saturday, October 8, 2016

BIG TEN SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES

Heat 1: 1. 44-Matt Taylor, Springfield, IL; 2. 27 Greg Kimmons, Pleasant Plains, IL; 3. 80v-Clint Kirkham, Camden, IL; 4. 36-Andrew Barnes, Assumption, IL; 5. 15 Matt Shannon, Peoria, IL; 6. 32M-Danny MaGuire, Harlandville, IL; 7. 16H-Mike Hammerle, St. Charles, MO

Heat 2: 1. 134-Chuck Mitchell, Jacksonville, IL; 2. 11D-Brian Diveley, Springfield, IL; 3. 52-Matt Bailey, Highland, IL; 4. 21v-Charles VanZante, Camp Point, IL; 5. 61-Stefan Bedinger, Taylorville, IL; 6. 84-Jeff Ray, Springfield, IL

Dash: 1. 134-Mitchell; 2. 44-Taylor; 3. 52-Bailey; 4. 27-Kimmons; 5. 80v-Kirkham; 6. 11D-Diveley

Feature: 1. 134-Mitchell; 2. 27-Kimmons; 3. 52-Bailey; 4. 80v-Kirkham; 5. 21v-VanZante; 6. 84-Ray; 7. 15-Shannon; 8. 32M-MaGuire; 9. 16H-Hammerle; 10. 36-Barnes; 11. 44-Taylor; 12. 61-Bedinger; 13. 11D-Diveley (DNS)

MODIFIEDS

Heat 1: 1. 11B-Kyle Byerline, Buffalo, IL; 2. 32-Donovan Lodge, Andover, IL; 3. 37c-Dave Crawley, Decatur, IL; 4. 70-Vince Cooper, Morris, IL; 5. 22-Ryan Blakeman, Jacksonville, IL; 6. 37-Derrick Carlson, Murrayville, IL; 7. 36-Steve Theivagt, Virginia, IL; 8. 3-Bill Berghus, Chapin, IL; 9. 10-Rick Standridge, Collinsville, IL

Heat 2: 1. 3L-Jeff Leka, Buffalo, IL; 2. 77-Ray Bollinger, Kewanee, IL; 3. 10k-Kelly Kovski, Springfield, IL; 4. 22G-Steve Grotz, Quincy, IL; 5. 16-Shawn Deering, Quincy, IL; 6. 37I-Jim Ippenson, Auburn, IL; 7. 9c-Russ Coultas, Bluffs, IL; 8. T87-Jason Zobrist, Highland, IL

Dash: 1. 3L-Leka; 2. 77-Bollinger; 3. 11B-Byerline; 4. 32-Lodge; 5. 10k-Kovski; 6. 37c-Crawley

Feature: 1. 77-Bollinger; 2. 3L-Leka; 3. 32-Lodge; 4. 16-Deering; 5. 11B-Byerline; 6. 37-Carlson; 7. 22G-Grotz; 8. 10-Standridge; 9. 36-Theivagt; 10. 9c-Coultas; 11. T87-Zobrist; 12. 37I-Ippenson; 13. 37c-Crawley; 14. 70-Cooper; 15. 3-Berghus; 16. 22-Blakeman; 17. 10k-Kovski (DNS)

STOCK CARS (STREET STOCKS)

Heat 1: 1. 46-Chad Myers, Arenzville, IL; 2. 89-Michael Jackson, Concord, IL; 3. 99-Chad Day, Springfield, IL; 4. 4M-David Mowry, Ashland, IL; 5. 711-Justin Layne, Bluffs, IL; 6. 25-Jimmy Miller, Jacksonville, IL; 7. 48-Michael Larsen, Monroe City, MO

Heat 2: 1. 67R-Rudy Zaragoza, Jacksonville, IL; 2. 43G-Brian Gaines, Virginia, IL; 3. 5-Terry Reed, Decatur, IL; 4. 44J-Jeremy Madsen, Pawnee, IL; 5. 711w-Walt Layne, Alsey, IL; 6. 67A-Cheat Peak, Jacksonville, IL; 7. 86-James Bowen, Jacksonville, IL

Heat 3: 1. 23-Dennis Wernle, New Douglas, IL; 2. 26B-Mike Bulpitt, Springfield, IL; 3. 17B-Braden Bilger, Jacksonville, IL; 4. 34x-Cleatus Coats, Bluffs, IL; 5. 14-Wes Biesenthal, Athens, IL; 6. 57-Mike Hardwick, Jacksonville, IL; 7. 47J-John Jackson, Concord, IL

Feature: 1. 23-Wernle; 2. 46-Myers; 3. 89-M. Jackson; 4. 99-Day, 5. 5-Reed; 6. 48-Larsen; 7. 711-J. Layne; 8. 34x-Coats; 9. 26B-Bulpitt; 10. 44J-Madsen; 11. 17B-Bilger; 12. 43G-Gaines; 13. 711w-W. Layne; 14. 14-Biesenthal; 15. 57-Hardwick; 16. 67R-Zaragoza; 17. 25-Miller; 18. 4M-Mowry; 19. 86-Bowen; 20. 67A-Peak; 21. 47J-J. Jackson (DNS)

SPORTMODS (B-MODS)

Heat 1: 1. 49T-Kevin Tomlinson, New London, MO; 2. 00s-Cody Stilwell, Godfrey, IL; 3. 42-Clint Young, Ava, IL; 4. 80-Tony Walker, Brighton, IL; 5. 5x-Billy Knebel, Highland, IL; 6. 23-Benny Bowles, Clarksville, MO; 7. 44-Todd Reed, Quincy, IL; 8. 7c-Spencer Coats, Canton, MO

Heat 2: 1. 8-Tommy Seets Jr., Alton, IL; 2. 17-Brandon Lennox, New London, MO; 3. 0JR-Tim Hancock Jr., Mt. Olive, IL; 4. 0-Tim Hancock, Mt. Olive, IL; 5. 57R-Tom Riech, Springfield, IL; 6. 79-Nathan Bringer, Lewistown, MO; 7. 55-Tim Riech, Petersburg, IL; 8. 21M-Wesley Mayfield, Hull, IL

Feature: 1. 8-Seets Jr.; 2. 17-Lennox; 3. 0-Hancock; 4. 49T-Tomlinson; 5. 42-Young; 6. 80-Walker; 7. 5x-Knebel; 8. 44-Reed; 9. 21M-Mayfield; 10. 55-Tim Riech; 11. 00s-Stilwell; 12. 7c-Coats; 13. 79-Bringer; 14. 57R-Tom Riech; 15. 0JR-Hancock Jr.; 16. 23-Bowles (DNS)

SPORT COMPACTS (4-CYLINDERS)

Heat: 1. WHO2-Eldon Hemken, Sorento, IL; 2. 14L-Brandon Lambert, Carthage, IL; 3. 47-Luke Smith, Concord, IL; 4. 35R-Rickey Carriker, Wood River, IL; 5. 50-Jamie Beddingfield, Jacksonville, IL; 6. 47R-James Rhods, Panama, IL; 7. 89k-Kole Jackson, Concord, IL

Feature: 1. WHO2-Hemken; 2. 14L-Lambert; 3. 89k-Jackson; 4. 47-Smith; 5. 50-Beddingfield; 6. 35R-Carriker; 7. 47R-Rhods (DNS)

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Carter Wins Two on Opening Night of Fall Challenge

Oskaloosa, IA (Friday, October 7, 2016) - You sure could tell the calendar turned to October this weekend, as it was a crisp cool night at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa on Friday night. Despite the cool temperature, the action on the track for night one of the "30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge" was enough to heat you up.

The first feature to take to the track on the night was the 20 lap Stock Cars, with Nathan Wood and Todd Reitzler drawing the front row for the event. Reitzler would take advantage of his front row start to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Wood and Dan Mackenthun. The action was slowed for the first time on lap 2, when Donnie Pearson and Mike Brown spun in turn 1 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Kevin Latour, John Hemsted, Dane Fenton and Brandon Hill collided in turn 1 to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Reitzler move back out front, with Wood and Mike Hughes, who started 8th, close behind. Coming off turn 4 to complete lap 6 Wood was able to slip under Reitzler to take over the top spot, while Cayden Carter, who started 6th, moved in to make it a three car battle for second. At the half way point of the race, lap 10, Carter worked his way into second and then went to work on Wood for the top spot.

A caution on lap 12 would slow the action down, as Pearson spun in turn 4 and collected Fenton to bring out the yellow. Wood once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Carter, Hughes and John Oliver Jr., who started 9th, glued to his back bumper. Another caution on lap 14 for debris in turn 2 would slow the action down. On the restart Wood moved back out front, with Carter, Hughes and Oliver Jr. once again glued to his back bumper. But one lap later, lap 15, the caution light appeared, as Derrick Agee, who was running 7th, spun in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. Hill would spin off turn 4 on the restart to bring the yellow light back on. The following restart saw Carter slip under Wood coming off turn 4 to grab the lead away, with Hughes working to hold off Oliver Jr. for third. A two lap shootout was set up when Hemsted and Steve Byers spun in turn 1 on lap 18 to bring out the final caution. On the restart Carter jumped back out front, with Wood, Hughes and Oliver Jr. close behind. Wood tried to get under Carter on the final lap, but Carter was able to hold him off to pick up the win. Wood settled for 2nd, Hughes was 3rd, Oliver Jr. was 4th, with Reitzler rounding out the top 5.
Cayden Carter of Oskaloosa, Iowa won the Stock Car feature on Friday, October 7th at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, during the first night of the "30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge"

Up next was the 16 lap SportMod feature, with Robert Moore and Brett Lowry leading the field to the drop of the green flag.  Lowry used his front row starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Brayton Carter and Moore. Just after the completion of lap 1, Cody Agee would spin in turn 4 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Lowry jumped back out front, with Carter and Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 10th, close behind. Van Der Wal would work the bottom of the track to slip under Lowry for the top spot on lap 4, and then started to pull away from the field. While all eyes were on Van Der Wal out front, Carter VanDenBerg, who started 13th, was working his way towards the front. On lap 7 VanDenBerg worked his way into second and then went to work on chasing down Van Der Wal for the top spot. Van Der Wal started working lapped traffic on lap 12, which allowed VanDenBerg to quickly close in on him. The second and final caution of the race appeared on lap 14, as Dusty Masolini spun in turn 4 to set up a 2 lap shootout. On the restart Van Der Wal jumped back out front, with Tim Plummer, who started 7th, finding something on the top of the track to over take VanDenBerg for second. But Van Der Wal would hold on over the final laps to claim the win. Plummer was 2nd, VanDenBerg was 3rd, Logan Anderson started 8th and finished 4th, with Carter holding on for 5th.
The SportMod feature at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa on Friday, October 7th during the first night of the "30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge" was won by Oskaloosa, Iowa's Curtis Van Der Wal

Scott Shull and Dustin Griffiths drew the front row for the 15 lap Hobby Stock feature, with Griffiths grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Shull and Danny Thrasher. While Griffiths set the pace out front the battle was for second, as Damon Murty, who started 9th in Bill Bonnett's #19, and Mike Hughes, who started 11th, worked the bottom of the track to challenge Thrasher and Shull , who were running up top, for the runner up spot. But without a caution there was no catching Griffiths, who pulled away to pick up the win on his birthday. Murty won the battle for 2nd, Hughes was 3rd, Thrasher was 4th, with Shull coming home 5th.
Hedrick, Iowa's Dustin Griffiths won the Hobby Stock feature on Friday, October 7th at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, during the first night of the "30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge"

Up next was the 20 lap Modified feature, with Jason Murray and Jenae Gustin leading the field to the green. Jenae Gustin would take advantage of her starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Murray and Jimmy Gustin. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 3, when Shawn Ritter spun in turn 2 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Jenae Gustin moved back out front, with Murray and Jimmy Gustin following. Jenae Gustin set a torrid pace out front and was pulling away from the field. At the same time Cayden Carter, who started 10th, was working his way towards the front. At the half way point of the race Carter would slip into the runner up spot and then went to work on cutting into Jenae's lead. But it didn't appear like Carter was going to catch Janae, until the second and final caution of the race came out on lap 12 to bring her back to his front bumper. Derrick Stewart, who was running 8th, slowed off turn 4 with a right rear flat to bring out the yellow.

Once again Jenae Gustin moved back out front on the restart, with Carter and Jimmy Gustin close behind. Jenae, who was working the top of the track, was able to hold off Carter, who was working the bottom, for the lead. That was until they took the white flag. Jenae went high going into turn one and got into the guardrail with her right rear, which slowed her momentum enough to allow Carter to get up beside her coming off turn 2. The two raced into turn three side-by-side, with Carter slipping under her coming off turn 4 to claim his second win on the night. Jenae Gustin was 2nd, Jimmy Gustin was 3rd, Colt Mather started 12th and finished 4th, with Nick Roberts passing 12 cars from his 17th place starting spot to come home in 5th.
Cayden Carter of Oskaloosa, Iowa doubled up on Friday, October 7th at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa, during the first night of the "30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge" by also winning the Modified feature

The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 10 lap Sport Compacts, with John Gill and Jason Breuklander drawing the front row for the event. But it was ninth place starter Brad Havel who quickly moved to the front to lead lap 1 over Trent Orwig, who started 5th, and Breuklander. Orwig tried to get under Havel over the next 8 laps, but Havel was able to hold him off each lap. Then going into turn 1 on the final lap Orwig was able to slip under Havel for the top spot. But going into turn 3 Havel worked under Orwig and then pushed him up the track coming off turn 4 to cross under the checkered flag first. But Havel was docked one spot for questionable driving, which gave the win to Orwig. Havel was scored 2nd, Darin Smith started 6th and finished 3rd. Jake Benischek, who ran a make-up feature in Tipton, Iowa earlier in the night, arrived at the track just in time to tag the back of the feature. He started 14th and then passed 10 cars to come home in 4th, with Breuklander rounding out the top 5.
The Sport Compact feature at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa on Friday, October 7th during the first night of the "30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge" was won by Floris, Iowa's Trent Orwig

Notes from Osky: 32 SportMods, 31 Modifieds, 26 Stock Cars, 22 Hobby Stocks, and 14 Sport Compacts made up the 125 cars signed in for night one......Johnny Spaw started the Stock Car feature in 16th and passed 10 cars to come home in 6th....Jay Schmidt finished 9th after starting in 15th....Michael Bilyeu started 18th and finished 12th....Kevin Latour receovered from the lap 2 crash to come back up to finish in 13th....Randy Bryan started 21st and finished 14th....Derrick Agee recovered from his spin on lap 15 to come back up to finish 15th....Steve Byers passed 10 cars from his 26th place starting spot to come home in 16th....Carl Yaw started 24th and finished 17th......Jason McDaniel started the SportMod feature in 12th and finished 7th....Jarrett Brown finished 10th after starting in 18th....Dakota Simmons passed 11 cars from his 22nd place starting spot to come home in 11th....Cody Agee, who started 21st, recovered from his spin on lap 4 to come back up to finish 13th....Creston Williams started 24th and passed 10 cars to come home in 14th....Ed Hamilton finished 18th after starting in 23rd......Adam Bonnett started the Hobby Stock feature in 16th and finished 12th....Jared Stephens passed 7 cars from his 20th place starting spot to come home in 13th....Richard Yaw II finished 14th after starting in 22nd......Bruce Hanford passed 11 cars from his 19th place starting spot in the Modified feature to finish 8th....Tyler Prochaska started 16th and finished 10th....Dan Brockert finished 13th after starting in 21st....John Fellman started 20th and finished 15th....Shawn Ritter recovered from his spin on lap 3 to come back up to finish 16th....Cody Albers came from 23rd to finish in 17th....Colby Heischman started 24th and finished 18th......Matt Girdley drove Kenneth Smith #24k Sport Compact, and started 11th and finished 7th....Kyle Boyd, who was suppose to start 3, had troubles in the heat that forced him to scratch from the feature.

Night two of the 30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge" concludes tonight. The Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods and Hobby Stocks are again racing for $1,000 to win, while the Sport Compacts are racing for $250 to win. Hot laps are set to get underway at 6 PM.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Weekend Notebook: A Look Ahead to This Weekend's Racing Events

Monmouth, IL (Wednesday, October 5, 2016) - For the past two or three weeks I have been preaching to you to get out and support any late season racing events at your local tracks. We'll don't look for that to change for the next four weeks, as the 2016 season starts to dwindle down with the turning of the calendar to October.

There are only two race tracks in the state of Iowa holding events this weekend, and those are the Cedar County Raceway in Tipton, Iowa and the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The Cedar County Raceway will play host to the "2nd Annual Fall Bash" on Thursday, October 6th, Friday, October 7th and Saturday, October 8th. While the Southern Iowa Speedway will host the "30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge" on Friday, October 7th and Saturday, October 8th.

Darkside Promotions team of Ryan Duhme and Timmy Current started the "Fall Bash" in 2015 at the Jackson County Speedway in Maquoketa, Iowa. In which the event turned out to be a big success. But when their contract to continue to promote races at the track in 2016 wasn't renewed, they were on the look out to hold the event at another facility in 2016. Along came the Cedar County Fairboard in Tipton, Iowa. After a few meetings between the two parties, an agreement was reached to have the 2016 "Fall Bash" at the Cedar County Raceway.

The 2nd annual running of the "Fall Bash" gets started on Thursday, October 6th. The nights action will feature the Late Models going for a top prize of $1,000, with a $30 entry fee. Also on the card for the night is the Outlaw Super Bombers racing for $400 to win, the SportMods, 4 Stocks, and Two Man Cruisers all gunning for $300 to win. Plus the Modifieds will have some practice time throughout the nights program. Gates will open at 3 PM, with hot laps at 6 PM, and racing at 6:30 PM. Admission prices for the grandstands will be adults $15, teens & seniors $12, students (7-12) $5, and kids 6 & under FREE! Pit passes will be $30, with ages 15 & under $20.

Friday (October 7th) nights action during the "2nd Annual Fall Bash" will be highlighted by the Modifieds racing for $1,000 to win, with a $30 entry fee. The SportMods will again be racing on Friday, with $500 up for grabs with a $20 entry fee. Also on the card is the Super Bombers for $500 to win, 9:1 Sportsman/Late Models for $400 to win, and Hobby Stocks for $300 to win. Gates will once again open at 3 PM, with hot laps at 6 PM, and racing at 6:30 PM. Admission prices for the grandstands will be adults $15, teens & seniors $12, students (7-12) $5, and kids 6 & under FREE! Pit passes will be $30, with ages 15 & under $20.

The "Fall Bash" final night on Saturday, October 8th will conclude with the "Gear Jammin' 75". Where the Modifieds will be racing for $3,000 to win, with a $100 entry fee. The SportMods will close out their weekend with a $1,000 top prize on the line, with a $30 entry fee. Also racing on Saturday night will be the Stock Cars for $500 to win, the Mod Lites for $400 to win, and the A.I.R.S. Series. Gates will once again open at 3 PM, with hot laps at 5 PM, and racing at 5:30 PM. Admission prices for the grandstands will be adults $18, teens & seniors $15, students (7-12) $8, and kids 6 & under FREE! Pit passes will be $35, with ages 15 & under $20.

If by chance the weather plays a factor in Thursday nights program, the team at Darkside Promotions have announced the following plans for Friday and Saturday. On Friday, October 7th the Late Models, Modifieds, SportMods, Outlaw Super Bombers, Hobby Stocks, and 9:1 Sportsman/Late Models will be in action. Gates will open at 3 PM, with hot laps at 6 PM, and racing at 6:30 PM. Admission prices for the grandstands will be adults $18, teens & seniors $15, students (7-12) $8, and kids 6 & under FREE! Pit passes will be $35, with ages 15 & under $20.

Then on Saturday, October 8th the Modifieds, SportMods, Stock Cars, Mod Lites, 4 Stocks, Two Man Cruisers, and the A.I.R.S. Series will be in action. Gates will open at 1 PM, with pre tech at 2:30 PM, hot laps at 4:30 PM, and racing at 5 PM. Admission prices for the grandstands will be adults $18, teens & seniors $15, students (7-12) $8, and kids 6 & under FREE! Pit passes will be $35, with ages 15 & under $20.

For up to the date information about the "2nd Annual Fall Bash" be sure to check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/darksidefallbash2016/?fref=ts. Or you can call Ryan Duhme at 563-590-4095 or Timmy Current at 563-495-2503 for more information.

Another event going on this weekend takes place at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa on Friday, October 7th and Saturday, October 8th, as it plays host to "Fall Challenge" presented by MUSCO Lighting. The "Fall Challenge" has been a part of the Southern Iowa Speedway for 29 years, with 2016 making it's 30th.

The action on Friday, October 7th will feature the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, and Hobby Stocks all racing for $1,000 to win and $100 to start, with a $50 entry fee. Also racing on the night will be the Sport Compacts for $250 to win, with a $20 entry fee. Hot laps on Friday will begin at 6:45 PM, with racing to follow. Admission prices for the grandstands will be adults $15, students (13-17) $7, and kids 12 & under FREE! Pit passes will be $30, with ages (7-13) $20, and ages 6 & under $10. A two day pit will be sold on Friday for $55.

Saturday, October 8th action will once again feature the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, and Hobby Stocks all racing for $1,000 to win and $100 to start, with a $50 entry fee. Also racing on the night will be the Sport Compacts for $250 to win, with a $20 entry fee. Hot laps on Saturday will begin at 6 PM, with racing to follow. Admission prices for the grandstands will be adults $15, students (13-17) $7, and kids 12 & under FREE! Pit passes will be $30, with ages (7-13) $20, and ages 6 & under $10.

Also taking place on Saturday will be a Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. As Dean Hughes, Terry Schroeder, and "Pokie" West will be inducted into the Southern Iowa Speedway Hall of Fame. This weekends action at the Southern Iowa Speedway will be race three and four of the nine race fall special events, that offers a perfect attendance bonus. The Modifieds, Stock Cars, and SportMods will earn a bonus of $200, with the Hobby Stocks getting a $150 bonus, and the Sport Compacts will get a $100 bonus for perfect attendance. This bonus will be prorated with any cancellations, and will be paid out at "Shiverfest" on Saturday, October 29th at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. The following driver's are still eligable for the bonus going into this weekends racing action:

MODIFIEDS: 10c-Cayden Carter (Oskaloosa, IA); 61-Bruce Hanford (Davenport, IA); 21k-Kyle Brown (State Center, IA); 02-Andrew Schroeder (Keswick, IA); 77-Kurt Kile (Nichols, IA); 71w-Jeff Waterman (Quincy, IL); 33F-Jardin Fuller (Memphis, MO); 5G-Gatlin Leytham (Ames, IA); 17-Steve Stewart (Burlington, IA); 4G-Kevin Goben (Sherrard, IL); 43s-Scott Simatovich (State Center, IA); 01-Ed Thomas (Waterloo, IA); 110-Jerad Fuller (Memphis, MO); 20F-John Fellman (Blue Grass, IA); 11T-Dugan Thye (Burlington, IA); 62-Greg Cox (Kellogg, IA); 6M-Larry McConnell (Danville, IA); 163-David Snyder (Greentop, MO); 35G-Eric Glass (Memphis, MO)

STOCK CARS: 77M-Jeff Mueller (Albion, IA); 10cc-Cayden Carter (Oskaloosa, IA); 27J-Jason Cook (Mt. Pleasant, IA); 52-Nathan Wood (Sigourney, IA); 22R-Todd Reitzler (Grinnell, IA); 11-Mike Hughes (Oskaloosa, IA); 05-John Oliver Jr. (Danville, IA); 48-Michael Larsen (Monroe City, MO); 71-David Brandies (Wilton, IA); 30c-Abe Huls (Carthage, IL); 2T-Beau Taylor (Canton, MO); 4k-Dean Kratzer (Ft. Madison, IA); 52-Chris Wibbell (Dallas City, IL); 99D-Dallon Murty (Chelsea, IA); 4-Jake Wenig (Burlington, IA); 12-Chad Krogmeier (Burlington, IA); 43-Kevin Koontz (Memphis, MO)


SPORTMODS: 9A-Logan Anderson (Oskaloosa, IA); 10-Jim Gillenwater (Keokuk, IA); 66-Tim Plummer (Norway, IA); T23-Tony Olson (Cedar Rapids, IA); 17-Brandon Lennox (New London, MO); 3-Tony Dunker (Quincy, IL); 7-Carter VanDenBerg (Oskaloosa, IA); 01-Brayton Carter (Oskaloosa, IA); 15-John Oliver Jr. (Danville, IA); 1v-Curtis Van Der Wal (Oskaloosa, IA); 198-Sam Wieben (Dysart, IA); 12-Brandon Dale (Arbella, MO); 4G-Michael Guthrie (Ottumwa, IA); 63G-Michael Goodwin (Quincy, IL); 22-Austen Becerra (Carthage, IL); 40-Dakota Simmons (Doud, IA); 8-Tom Lathrop (Ottumwa, IA); k3-Kyle Olson (Cedar Rapids, IA); 49T-Kevin Tomlinson (New London, MO); 19-Jason Riegel (Eldon, IA); 31G-Joey Gower (Quincy, IL); 08s-Kenneth Bringer (LaGrange, MO); 17A-Austin Howes (Memphis, MO); 92JR-James Maxey (Holliday, MO); 77-Robert Thompson (Macomb, IL)

HOBBY STOCKS: 12-Mike Kincaid (Cincinnati, IA); 10G-Dustin Griffiths (Ottumwa, IA); BIG0-Justin O'Haver (Kirksville, MO)

SPORT COMPACTS: 57-Barry Taft (Argyle, IA); 3-Jake Benischek (Durant, IA); 27x-Darin Smith (Wapello, IA); 71-Kimberly Abbott (Camp Point, IL); 14L-Brandon Lambert (Carthage, IL); 13B-Josh Barnes (Keokuk, IA); 24k-Kenny Smith (Donnellson, IA); 27M-William Michel (Muscatine, IA); 29-Kevin Garrett (Bloomfield, IA); 35-Jaden DeLonjay (Quincy, IL)

For more information about the "30th Annual MUSCO Lighting Fall Challenge" at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa you can visit the tracks website at www.oskyspeedway.com, or visit the Facebook page at  www.facebook.com/Southern-Iowa-Speedway-Every-Wednesday-Night-162130887267997/?fref=ts. Plus you can call Mike Van Genderen at 641-521-0330.

Two other events for this weekend were announced by Ken Dobson in late September, will take place between Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois and the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, Illinois. On Saturday, October 8th the Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, IL will hold the Danny Bangert Memorial. In action on the night will be the Big Ten Late Model Series, going for $1,200 to win. Also in action will be the Modifieds racing for $750 to win, the SportMods/B-Mods going for $500 to win, as well as the Street Stocks/Stock Cars racing for $500. A $100 bonus will be paid out to the highest finishing IMCA legal Stock Car, with Hoosier A40/A40S tires legal on all SportMods/B-Mods and Street Stock/Stock Cars. Plus the 4 Cylinders will be racing for $200 to win.

The following night, Sunday, September 9th, the action moves over to the Quincy Raceways in Quincy, IL. Where the 305 Sprint Cars will be racing for $500 to win. Also racing will be the Modifieds for $750 to win, SportMods/B-Mods going for $500 to win. The Stock Cars/Street Stock will be going for a top prize of $500, with the 4 Cylinders racing for $200 to win.
A two night bonus money has also been put up, as the best combined finish both nights in the Modifieds gets a $250 bonus. The best combined finish both nights in the 3 link SportMod/B-Mod will earn a $250 bonus. Another $250 bonus will be awarded to the best combined finish on both nights to the Stock Cars, with a $100 bonus awarded to the best combined finish for the 4 Cylinders. There will be no entry fee on either night. For more information about these two events, please check out the tracks websites at www.jacksonvillespeedway.com and www.quincyraceways.com.

There are other events being held in Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota and Oklahoma. For a list of those events you can check the calendar on the Positively Racing's homepage or at the following link: http://www.positivelyracing.com/calendar.shtml. Remember that schedules are subject to change without notice. PositivelyRacing.com is not responsible for the accuracy of this schedule. So be sure to check the tracks website or call before planning on attending any of these events. But I do encourage you to please get out and support any of the season ending events as possible, as it will be a long winter ahead of us!

Hope to see you at a track somewhere this weekend!

Monday, October 3, 2016

Carter and Taft Sweep Bottom Heavy Nationals

Memphis, MO (Saturday, October 1, 2016) - Saturday night wrapped up the second and final night of the "Bottom Heavy Nationals" at the Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Missouri. Back in action was the Modifieds, Stock Cars, SportMods, Hobby Stocks and Sport Compacts, with the Lee County Late Models joining the card for the night.

The 14 lap Sport Compacts was the first feature to take to the track. When Josh Barnes scratched from the event, this would move Barry Taft to the pole next to Darin Smith for the start. Taft would take advantage of being moved to the pole by grabbing the lead on lap 1 over Smith and Brandon Reu, who started 5th. One lap later, lap 2, Reu over took Smith for the runner up spot and then went to work on Taft for the top spot. Reu tried to work under Taft over the next 10 laps, but Taft was able to hold him off each lap. Then coming off turn 4 to get the white flag, Reu was able to get a fender under Taft. But the first and only caution of the race slowed Reu's momentum on that lap. Jaden DeLonjay would spin in turn 1 to bring out the yellow and set up a 2 lap over time shoot out. On the restart Taft moved back out front, with Reu and Ron Kibbe, who started 7th over taking Smith for third, close behind. Taft would hold on over the final laps to pick up his second win of the weekend at the track. Reu was 2nd, Kibbe was 3rd, Smith was 4th, with Jake Benischek rounding out the top 5.

Up next was the 20 lap Stock Car feature, with John Oliver Jr. and Jason Cook leading the field to the green flag. But just as the green flag waved the caution light would come on, as Jake Wenig spun in turn 2 and collected Dallon Murty, Jeremy Pundt, Abe Huls, and Kevin Koontz to bring out the yellow. On the restart Oliver Jr. jumped out front on lap 1 over Mike Hughes and Cook. Cook over took Hughes for second on lap 2 and then tried to work under Oliver Jr. for the lead over the next 4 laps. When David Brandies, who was running 7th, spun in turn 1 to bring out the caution. Oliver Jr. once again grabbed the lead on the restart, with Hughes and Cook continuing their battle for second. While Oliver Jr., Hughes and Cook worked the bottom of the track, Cayden Carter, who started 7th, was working the top to make it a four car battle for the lead. Disaster would strike two of the top runners on lap 17. Hughes was able to get under Oliver Jr. coming off turn 2 to take the lead away, with Oliver Jr. trying to get back under him going into turn 3. Coming off turn 4 contact between the two would send Hughes spinning and bringing out the yellow.

Cook inherited the lead on the restart, with Carter and Jeff Mueller, who started 6th, following close behind. Coming off turn 4 to the white flag Carter, who was up top, pulled even with Cook for the lead. The two would race side-by-side, with Mueller looking for a way around. Then coming off turn 4 to get the checkered, Cook slid high and made contact with Carter. Which allowed Mueller to get up beside Cook, as the two drag raced down the front stretch for the win. Cook was able to inch out the win at the line. Mueller settled for 2nd, Carter was 3rd, Todd Reitzler started 11th and finished 4th, with Nathan Wood coming from 12th to round out the top 5.

Jeff Guengerich and Tommy Elston starting the Lee County Late Model 25 lap feature from the front row, with Elston jumping out front on lap 1 over Guengerich and Sam Halstead. The action was slowed for the first and only time on lap 2, when Brandon Ruffcorn spun in turn 2 and collected Tegan Evans to bring out the yellow. On the restart Elston moved back out front, with Halstead over taking Guengerich for the runner up spot. Elston quickly moved in to start lapping cars, which also cost him the race. When Ruffcorn slowed in turn 4 on lap 10, Elston would run into the back of him. But with no damage done, Elston would pull away to cruise to an easy win. Halstead was 2nd, Guengerich was 3rd, Derek Liles was 4th, with John VanDenBerg coming from 7th to finish 5th.

The 25 lap Modified feature was next, with Andrew Schroeder moving to the pole next to Cayden Carter when Steve Stewart was a scratch. Carter took advantage of his starting spot to grab the lead on lap 1 over Schroeder and Bill Roberts Jr. The Modifieds had troubles getting going, as three cautions in the first 5 laps slowed the action. Kelly Buckallew spun in turn 1 on lap 3 to bring out the first caution. Then Larry McConnell went for a spin in turn 2 on lap 4 to bring out the second yellow. The final caution of the race appeared on lap 5, when Scott Simotavich spun in turn 3. On the restart Carter moved back out front, with Schroeder and Roberts Jr. following. While Schroeder tried to keep pace with Carter, the battle was for third. As Roberts Jr., Kyle Brown, Bruce Hanford, who started 8th, Jeff Waterman, and Kurt Kile, who started 13th, raced two wide at times for the spot. Without a late race caution there was no catching Carter, who claimed his second win of the weekend. Schroeder was 2nd, Kile won the battle for 3rd, Brown was 4th, with Hanford coming home in 5th.

Damon Murty, who was driving Bill Bonnett's #19, and Nathan Wood led the field to the green flag in the 14 lap Hobby Stock feature. But it was third place starter Nick Ulin who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Murty and Dustin Griffiths. Ulin then held the top spot until lap 3, when Murty used the momentum off the top of the track to take the top spot away. Murty then held off several challenges from Ulin over the final laps to pick up the win. Ulin was 2nd, Griffiths was 3rd, Wood was 4th, with Mike Kincaid finishing in 5th.

The final feature to take to the track was the 18 lap SportMods, with Kyle Hill and Jim Gillenwater making up the front row for the event. Gillenwater would jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Logan Anderson and Curtis Van Der Wal. Just like the Modifieds, the SportMods had troubles getting going, as four cautions in the first 4 laps slowed the action. Hill, who was running 4th, spun in turn 2 on the completion of lap 1 to bring out the first yellow. Then John Oliver Jr. went for a spin in turn 2 on lap 2 to bring out the second caution. Cory Van Zante, who was running 6th, would spin in turn 2 on lap 3 to bring out the third yellow. The fourth and final caution of the race appeared on lap 4, when third place runner Van Der Wal appeared to break something on the front and went over the track in turn 3 to bring out the yellow. On the restart Gillenwater jumped back out front, with Brayton Carter and Anderson close behind. Anderson would over take Carter for the runner up spot on lap 6, and then went to work on Gillenwater for the lead. But Gillenwater would hold him off to claim the win. Anderson settled for another 2nd, Sean Wyett started 9th and finished 3rd, Tim Plummer had another impressive run after starting in 14th and finishing 4th, with Carter VanDenBerg passing 10 cars from his 15th place starting spot to come home in 5th.

Notes from Night 2: 31 SportMods, 23 Modifieds, 23 Stock Cars, 14 Lee County Late Models, 14 Sport Compacts, and 10 Hobby Stocks made up the 115 cars signed in on the final night of the "Bottom Heavy Nationals"......Trent Orwig started the Sport Compact feature in 10th and then passed 4 cars to finish 6th....Kenny Smith also passed 4 cars from his 12th place starting spot to finish in 8th....Josh Barnes lost a motor just after the checkered flag of his heat race and was forced to scratch from the pole of the feature......David Brandies, who spun on lap 6 of the Stock Car feature while running 7th, recovered to come back up to finish 6th....Mike Hughes recovered from the lap 17 spin to come back up to finish 8th in just 3 laps....Jim Lynch, who drove Brian Hoener's #66, finished 9th after starting in 18th....John Oliver Jr. recovered from the lap 17 caution to come back up to finish 11th....Jeremy Pundt recovered from the crash on the start to come back up to finish 13th....Abe Huls also recovered from the crash on the start to come back up to finish 15th....Bob Lynch finished 17th after starting in 21st....Carl Yaw started 23rd and finished 18th....Dalton Lynch had troubles in the heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Laine VanZandt started the Lee County Late Model feature in 9th and finished 7th...Charles VanZandt finished 8th after starting in 11th....Lynn Richard recently purchased another Late Model, and jumped back in the driver's seat. He would finish 11th in the feature after starting in 12th......Jardin Fuller finished the Modified feature in 9th after stating in 14th....Gatlin Leytham started 15th and finished 10th....Martin Bennett came home in 12th after starting in 16th....Dugan Thye passed 7 cars from his 20th place starting spot to come home in 13th....John Fellman was 15th after starting in 18th....Larry McConnell, who started 19th, recovered from his spin on lap 4 to come back up to finish 16th....Steve Stewart scratched from his pole position after troubles in his heat race......Kenser Ellis made the long pull down from Spencer, Iowa to make his first ever start in the Hobby Stocks. He started the feature in 9th and stayed out of troubles to bring home a 7th place finish......Brandon Lennox started the SportMod feature in 12th and then passed 6 cars to finish in 6th....Tony Olson also passed 6 cars from his 13th place starting spot to come home in 7th....Tony Dunker came from 17th to finish in 9th....John Oliver Jr. recovered from his spin on lap 2 to come back up to finish 10th....Cory Van Zante recovered from his spin on lap 3 to come back up to finish 11th....Ethan Braaksma passed 9 cars from his 21st starting spot to come home in 12th....Sam Wieben started 20th and finished 13th....Kyle Hill recovered from his spin on lap 1 to come back up to finish 14th....Michael Goodwin started 19th and finished 15th....Michael Guthrie finished 16th after starting in 22nd....Jason Riegel started 24th and finished 18th.