The first feature to take to the track was the 10 lap IMCA Sport Compacts, with John Whalen and Shane Evans drawing the front row. Evans would take advantage of his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Whalen and Jason Breuklander. While Evans set the pace out front, Jake Benischek, who started 9th, and Bill Whalen Jr., who started 10th, were trying to work their way towards the front. But without a caution there was no catching Evans on this night, as he held on to pick up the win. John Whalen was 2nd, Benischek and Breuklander raced side-by-side down the backstretch and into turns 3 and 4 on the final lap for the third spot, with Benischek edging 3rd out at the line, Breuklander was 4th, Levi Heath would cross the line in 5th, but was docked 2 spots for jumping the start, which moved John Gill up to the 5th spot.
Up next was the 18 lap IMCA Stock Car feature, with Derrick Agee and Greg Gill leading the field to the drop of the green flag. But it was fourth place starter Cayden Carter who grabbed the lead on lap 1 over Todd Reitzler and Gill. Carter and Reitzler then started to pull away from the rest of the field, leaving Todd Inman, who started 8th, and Mike Hughes, who started 10th, playing catch up. But just like the Sport Compact feature, without a caution there was no catching the top two cars. As Carter, the defending track champion, pulled away to claim the win. Reitzler was 2nd, Inman was 3rd, Hughes was 4th, with Agee holding on for a 5th place finish.
Jason McDaniel and Brayton Carter drew the front row for the 16 lap IMCA SportMod feature, with McDaniel jumping out into the lead on lap 1 over Austin Paul and Carter. With McDaniel out front the battle behind him was a good one, as Carter, Paul, Curtis Van Der Wal, who started 4th, Jake McBirnie, who started 5th, Carter VanDenBerg, who started 8th, and Logan Anderson, who started 7th, were all trying to get to the front. The first and only caution of the race appeared on lap 8 to slowed the field, as Trent Brink spun in turn 4 to bring out the caution. On the restart Van Der Wal dived to the bottom of the track going into turn 3 to make the pass on McDaniel for the top spot. A couple of laps later, McBirnie would make the pass of McDaniel to take over the runner up spot. But Van Der Wal would pull away to pick up the win. McBirnie settled for 2nd, VanDenBerg was 3rd, Anderson was 4th, with McDaniel coming home in 5th.
Up next was the 20 lap IMCA Modified feature, with Cayden Carter and Josh Foster leading the field to the green flag. Foster would use his front row starting spot to jump out into the lead on lap 1 over Carter and Kelly Shyrock. A few laps later Shyrock would over take Carter for the runner up spot, and then followed in Foster's tracks. While Foster and Shyrock paced the field out front, all eyes were on Ricky Thornton Jr., who started 7th. Just as they completed lap 12, Thornton Jr. had worked his way up into the 3rd spot and then set his sights on Foster and Shyrock. But a caution on the completion of lap 12 would help bring them back to his front bumper. Stephen Streeter would get into the guardrail in turns 1 and 2 to slow, bringing out the first caution of the race. On the restart Foster moved back out front, leaving Shyrock and Thornton Jr. to battle for the runner up spot. With Shyrock working the top of the speedway, Thornton Jr. would work the bottom. The two would race side-by-side for the runner up spot, until lap 15 when Thornton Jr. was able to clear Shyrock. One lap later, lap 16, Shyrock would slow to a stop in turn 4 with a left rear flat to bring out the second and final caution of the race. Foster used the bottom of the track coming out of turn 4 for the restart, which allowed Thornton Jr. to come off the top of the track to over take him for the lead. And by the time Foster recovered to the top of the track, Colt Mather, who started 8th, and Zack VanderBeek, who started 6th, both passed Foster for 2nd and 3rd. The final 4 laps would belong to Thornton Jr., as he pulled away to pick up the win. For Thornton Jr. it was his third win in a row in the state of Iowa, as he won the Frostbuster's at both the Boone Speedway in Boone, IA on Saturday night and then topped the field on Sunday at the Benton County Speedway in Vinton, IA. Mather would come home in 2nd, VanderBeek was 3rd, Foster was 4th, with Tyler Groenendyk rounding out the top 5 after starting in 10th.
The final feature to take to the track on the night was the 15 lap IMCA Hobby Stocks, with Christian Huffman and Jared Stephens drawing the front row. At the drop of the green flag the Hobby Stocks would race four wide going into turn 1, with Huffman spinning coming out of turn 2 to bring out the caution. On the restart Nick Ulin shot from his 5th place starting spot out into the lead on lap 1 over Danny Thrasher, who started 6th, and Dustin Griffiths, who started 9th. Thrasher and Griffiths would following in Ulin's tracks for the next 10 laps. But with about 5 laps to go Thrasher and Griffiths started looking low for a way around Ulin. But Ulin would make no mistakes over those final laps, and held on to claim the win. Thrasher held on for 2nd, Griffiths settled for 3rd, August Bach started 10th and finished 4th, with Stephens coming home in 5th.
Notes from Osky: it was good to see John Whalen back behind the wheel of a race car, as midway through the 2015 season he had medical issues that forced him to sit out out the remainder of that season. Wednesday night was the first time back, where he raced to a second place finish in the Sport Compact feature....Bill Whalen Jr. started 10th in his new car and finished 6th....Levi Heath was credited with 7th, after being docked 2 spots for jumping the start....Robert Fite had troubles in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Nathan Wood was running 6th in the Stock Car feature, when he pulled off on lap 11 with over heating problems to end his night in 10th......Brett Lowry passed 6 cars from his 14th place starting spot in the SportMod feature to come home in 8th....Tony Johnson started 16th and passed 5 cars to finish in 11th....Scott VanBuskirk had problems in his heat race that forced him to scratch from the feature......Dennis LaVeine started 11th and passed 5 cars to finish 6th in the Modified feature....Brandon Banks also passed 5 cars from his 12th place starting spot to finish in 7th....Andrew Schroeder, who was running 6th, spun in turn 2 on lap 18. But fired it back up and kept going, was credited with a 9th place finish....Jason Hall moved up from the SportMod class into a Modified for 2016. He would make a few laps in the feature and then pulled off with troubles to end his night in 13th......Brad Stephens, who started the Hobby Stock feature in 12th, crossed the line in 6th. But was docked 4 spots for jumping the start and was dropped to a 10th place finish.
I would like to thank the Mahaska County Fair Association, Mike Van Genderen and his staff for a fast paced night, as the final checkers waved at 9:25 PM on a Wednesday night. This weekends weather looks amazing, so make sure you get out to your local track and support their efforts.
Friday night the Davenport Speedway in Davenport, IA hosts the MARS / ALMS / Corn Belt Clash open Late Models on the big half mile. The Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, IA kicks off their season points opener on Friday. Saturday night is the annual "Slocum 50" at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA. The MARS / ALMS / Corn Belt Clash open Late Models will be racing for a top prize of $10,555! Hope to see you at one of these events this weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment